“Ow, my head…” I said as I rose from resting on my back. My head stung worse than it ever had before. It was like someone struck me with a bat while I had a migraine. The pain only got worse as time went on. My hands unconsciously grabbed my head. I could do nothing but roll around on the ground and grit my teeth. Seconds felt like minutes while the agony persisted. My head was mere moments away from bursting. Then, as if magically removed, the pain subsided. I no longer felt the grueling sensation.
My previously shut eyes flicked open and surveyed the area. To my right was a dense forest. Tall trees provided shade for any wandering person. Various small animals skittered around as they looked for their next meal. To my left, a little more than a casual walk away, was a town surrounded by an impressive stone wall. Guards were stationed at the gate, but it was impossible to see any of the finer details due to the distance. Between the two landmarks was nothing but grasslands. A few horse-drawn carriages carried merchants and travelers along the paved road. Some familiar monsters bounced around the field, ripe for inexperienced adventurers to practice with.
“The fields? How did I get here?” I asked myself. The last memory I had involved speaking with Genesis at the Demon King’s throne room. The system wanted one of us to be the next ruler of the demon race. Evidentially, someone must have sat on the throne. I let out a sigh. Whatever their reason, I hope it was worth it, I thought to myself. Everything after that was a blur. Genesis must have asked where I wanted to go, and I replied with the place where I felt I belonged. This world. My new home.
I was lost in thought, wondering what I would do first, before a familiar voice caught me off guard.
“Hey! What are you doing all the way over there?!” They asked. I couldn’t help but smile. That was the voice of one of my teammates. A close friend that I had shared many journeys with. I looked over to where their voice came from. The figure in the distance was running at me with a determined look. They were likely using a skill to get to me faster, not that it was necessary. I wasn’t going anywhere. I hadn’t even got off the ground yet.
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It was then that my smile grew wider. Two more figures had emerged. One from the forest. Another from the town. The three sprinted to me in a frantic rush. Smiles were on their faces as if they’d seen their best friend after a long period of absence. To the four of us, less than an hour had passed since the final battle, but that didn’t dwindle our excitement in the slightest. Like a bunch of friendly dogs, my friends leaped onto me. It was probably more affection than we would normally share, but it was for a good reason.
“You had us worried there. I thought our quartet was gonna lose a member.” One of my friends said. The three were panting and needed a few seconds to recollect themselves. Were they really concerned about me not coming back? Under any other circumstances, I would have been hurt by the thought. It was only after noticing the time of day that I realized how long they waited. The four of us must have taken wildly different times to give Genesis our final answer. My memory was still hazy, but I felt a singe of guilt about the fact that I was the last one to arrive.
“Sunset is around the corner. We should head back before nightfall.” Another one of my teammates said. They were right. We couldn’t waste our time on a nice reunion. That would have to be saved for later. The four of us may have been world-renowned heroes, but we weren’t in the mood to slay monsters in the dead of night. Then again, fighting the slimes that peppered the field would provide a warm sense of nostalgia.
“Sounds good to me. We don’t want to keep everyone at the tavern waiting.” The first person that found me said. They stretched out their hand to me. Together, we had been through it all. The four of us were more united than ever. Our final mission was complete, but it was far from our last. The Unnamed Team still had plenty more to do. More sights to see. More friends to make. A new life to live. My friend looked me in the eyes and asked, “Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah. Let’s go home.”