Helck (2023) s01e14 Episode Script
The Mercenaries
1
[narrator] Helck and his
brother Cless were orphaned
when their parents were
killed by monsters.
They lived in poverty
and were constantly
harassed by the nobility
as Helck kept Cless safe.
Over the years, Cless
grew into a bonafide hero
and left the capital,
tasked with leading a
monster hunting expedition.
When I get back,
you're gonna have to cook
my favorite meal for me.
You know it!
One of my special
stamina-boosting
protein plates
will be waiting
on the table.
Just make sure you
come back alive.
[Cless] Will do, Bro.
[opening theme]
[THE MERCENARIES]
[dramatic fanfare]
[Helck] Only half a month after
Cless left on his expedition,
monsters began to appear
in greater numbers
than ever before.
In order to combat them,
the kingdom enacted
a military draft.
And like my brother,
I was assigned to a
monster hunting squad
and left the capital.
[monster roaring]
Everyone, fall back!
Retreat!
[fist thuds]
[SON OF A BARON, EDIL]
- [gasps] Damn.
- Hey, you gotta get up!
[monster roaring]
Come on, we need to run.
What in the hell
is that thing?
The beast that we saw
was an abomination like
we'd never seen before.
[Vermilio]
A New-World Lifeform.
They show up where the
toxin is most potent.
They may look similar,
but they're totally different
from normal monsters.
Must have been Helck's
first encounter with one.
That thing was terrifying.
I didn't even consider
trying to stay and fight it.
All I wanted was to get
the hell out of there.
[Vermilio] Understandable.
The thought of fighting
those creatures is daunting,
even for our own warriors,
But some of my guys
were still in there
and I couldn't just run away
and leave them to
fend for themselves.
So I faced off against it,
knowing full well it
could definitely kill me.
[Vermilio]
Still the same dummy.
[blow thuds]
That thing hit me harder
than anything
I had ever felt before.
Clobbered the hell out of me.
And that first smack nearly
knocked me unconscious.
Get outta here!
[Edil gasps]
[monster roaring]
[Helck groans]
He's actually holding
his own against that thing!
[Helck] I was only
trying to buy enough time
for everyone else to escape
So I focused on bearing
the brunt of its attacks
for as long as I could.
Then it dawned on me,
I was holding up better
than I expected,
so I changed gears and
tried counter attacking.
It would hit me
and I would hit back.
We just traded blows
over and over.
I had no idea of how to
fight properly back then,
so I just kept
throwing my fists at it.
And eventually it collapsed.
[Vermilio]
Must've been his hero powers,
or I guess whatever it
is Helck has going on.
[soldier] Our commanding officer
and captain are both dead.
We rank-and-file soldiers
are all that's left.
I'm sorry, but I'm afraid
there's nothing more
that we could do.
[Helck] Our squadron
had been tasked
with saving Edil's town
from an invading swarm.
It's far worse than I thought.
[Helck] He was the
son of a baron.
The soldiers stationed there
were overwhelmed,
so he traveled to the capital
to request a hunting squadron
be dispatched to help.
Damnit, what am
I supposed to do now?
[footsteps thudding]
[gasp]
[gentle music]
Sir Helck?
Can't do as much as maybe
a full military squadron,
but if you still need help, then
I'll join you back to your town.
[Edil gasps]
If there's an opportunity
for me to save the
lives of others,
then I gladly will.
Sir Helck, thank you
for your kindness.
[Helck] Instead of going
back to the capital,
I traveled with Edil
to his hometown.
Three days later.
Oh God!
My home!
It's on fire!
[gasps] We were too late,
they couldn't hold out anymore.
God damnit, those monsters!
Curse them to hell!
Edil, there's
still a chance!
It doesn't look like it's
been fully overrun yet.
I'm betting not
much time has passed
since the monsters
breached the walls.
Get on your feet
and prepare to fight!
We have to defend the town!
[dramatic music]
[both panting]
Is there anybody
out there still alive?
You'll pay for this,
you creatures from hell!
[Helck] Edil, wait.
Huh?
I see a survivor.
[woman] I guess arrows
aren't going to cut it,
annoying crustacean creeps.
Well, okay, then let's see how
well you handle a holy sword.
[monster roars]
[woman grunts]
[dramatic music]
[sword slashes]
Whoa, is she another
one of the guards?
No, we don't have
any female troops.
- Oh.
- My name is Helck,
a soldier sent to
fend off the invasion
A soldier?
Oh my gosh, where's your shirt?
Oh well, whatever.
I was just thinking this
would be hard to do alone.
Wanna help me kill
these pieces of shit?
[monsters roaring]
[Edil grunts]
[woman grunts]
[Helck grunts]
[gasps]
I don't believe it. You took
out so many in just one go.
Then it looks like
we're about done here.
Whoa, slow down,
Mr. Muscles, just a quick sec.
[Helck] Nice work out there.
- How exactly did you do that?
- Huh?
That was some crazy shit, okay?
And how did you wipe all
of them out so easily?
That wasn't normal.
Oh, well you were making
short work of them too.
You've got some great
swordsmanship.
Yeah, I'm pretty confident
with how to handle a sword,
but to be fair,
it's the blade itself
that's really the difference.
I wield a holy sword,
one passed down
through my family.
It's been infused with a magic
very effective against monsters.
That's amazing.
That sounds like
a remarkable weapon
Friend, there's no other
sword like it in the world.
And well, in the hands
of someone as good as me,
we're a force more
powerful than any soldier,
but you just wiped out
more than twice
of those sons of bitches
than I did,
and did it faster with
your bare goddamn hands.
It's insane!
Do you have some
special stuff or what?
Tell me, just who
are you really?
- Helck the soldier.
- Yeah, you said that.
I used to be a castle
construction worker.
Okay, so you don't want
to tell me, whatever.
- [mercenary] Yo, Captain!
- Huh?
Lord Edil, you made it!
[group laughing]
Thank goodness some survived!
Most of the townspeople
escaped to the mansion.
We have these brave warriors
to thank for saving us.
Oh, I see, you must
be a mercenary group.
Yeah, that's right.
We were passing
through the area
when we noticed the smoke.
The fighting started soon after.
[Helck] Monsters were the cause
of most disasters back then,
which gave rise to groups
who specialized in
exterminating them for money.
The young woman we met was
leading one such group.
Her name was Alicia.
[MERCENARY LEADER, ALICIA]
Normally we would
sign some contracts
before doing any fighting,
but you can consider
this one on the house.
Lady Alicia,
I cannot thank you enough.
Would you be willing to lend
us your aid one more time?
I know the monsters
are going to return
and we need more soldiers!
There's a massive outbreak
going on right now.
I would honestly recommend
you abandon this place
and move your people.
However, with some extra
shirtless help,
we might be strong enough
to keep them at bay.
What do you say?
Mangling monsters is
the whole reason I'm here.
I'd be glad to help out.
Give me all the orders you want.
Thank you, Helck.
[Alicia] Okay,
sounds like a deal then.
Time is of the essence.
We need to start
planning our strategy.
Pleasure to be working with you!
- Same here.
- Welcome aboard, big man.
[mercenary] Glad to have you!
And then my day's fighting
as a mercenary began.
[Helck] Check it out,
Edil, they're huge!
[Edil] Whoa, what a
harvest this time.
[Alicia] Helck! Monsters!
Prepare for battle!
- On it.
- I shall join you!
You just keep plucking
those apples.
Otherwise we won't
get it done today.
[Edil] Gotcha!
[Helck] Monsters would
appear without warning.
[Helck] Nice, look at
the char on these babies.
[Edil] It smells amazing.
- Helck, monsters. Let's go.
- Right.
I shall join you!
You need to make sure
that doesn't burn!
- Keep rotating.
- Oh, right.
[Helck] They would come when
we were working on the farm
or when we were in the
middle of preparing food.
Didn't matter if it
was day or night.
- [group laughing]
- Monster attack, grab your gear!
- Monster attack!
- [bathers yelp]
[Helck] There was never
any downtime
for us during those days.
Um, that's not what
it sounds like to me.
Huh? What? Well, it's true!
Everyone was on pins
and needles.
[Vermilio] Fair enough.
I mean, your lives were
on the line after all.
Yeah, the sheer
number of monsters.
And some were really nasty,
but nobody ever ran off.
The mercenaries
who held the line
were a bright and jovial bunch,
but they did have their
complaints of course.
Edil was a source of
inspiration for everyone,
always giving his best effort.
He put the safety of his
friends and his people first.
And then there was Alicia,
a highly skilled fighter
who saved us from
a number of tight spots
and never gave up
no matter what.
Although those were dark times,
being around them
put a smile on my face.
I felt good with them and
about what we were doing.
I could fight without being
overwhelmed by it all.
They were the best
a guy could want.
[Alicia sighs] That was
another tough one, eh?
[Helck] Yeah.
[Alicia] We've taken
care of 10 of their nests,
only three more to go.
[Helck] Yep, just gotta
stay the course.
You know, you
really are strong
in every sense of the word.
Even your wounds heal faster.
- How does that even work?
- Don't know.
I've always just had
a knack for it.
Is that something you
can have a knack for?
This job runs in my family.
My father did this too.
And before him,
way back before this kingdom
had even been established,
they say my grandfather
was a hero
who fought against the demonkin,
although I'm not
sure I believe it.
[Helck] Heroes
and demonkin, huh?
I've only heard about
that sort of stuff
in fairytales and bar talk.
The point is, I come from
a long line of fighters.
I've always been confident
in my talent for fighting
and I thought no one
out there could best me.
But now I realize there's
no limit to improving.
Your strength,
it's just madness.
- [Helck] Huh?
- Gotta say,
it's taken my
confidence down a peg.
What? Don't say that!
I'm just good at throwing
my weight around.
I don't have the skills
to use bows or swords.
Weapons aren't the
problem here, man.
I hate it so much
that my very best
is still weak compared to you,
and I've also been
noticing the way you fight.
You do it so easily
that you're watching out
for us at the same time.
Yeah, well-
Meanwhile, it takes
all of my focus
just to defeat whatever's
in front of me.
No matter how hard I try,
I'm not the pillar of strength
on the battlefield that you are.
Honestly, Helck, my pride
has been torn to smithereens
ever since I met you.
Makes me wanna punch your face.
Hmm, please don't do that.
But whatever,
I can get over it.
You can kick some major ass.
I mean, you have
what it takes
to save a great
number of people.
And your strength and
your heart make it happen.
[Helck gasps]
[Alicia] As strong as I am,
there have still been
some people
I couldn't manage to save.
But you're different.
You can save them all.
Our little band
of mercenaries
wouldn't have made it
this far without you.
I'm certain most of us
would've died along the way,
so I can't thank
you enough, Helck.
After this town is safe
I'm not going to let you
go back to being
a construction worker.
Huh?
You are going to keep
fighting with us, Helck
Roger that, Captain.
[fire crackling]
- [Vermilio] Hey, you okay?
- Huh?
Sorry, spacing out there
for a minute.
Ultimately, I kept hunting
monsters for a while,
with Alicia and her mercenaries.
Went on for four years.
We kept it up relentlessly.
But in spite of it all,
the number of monsters
never diminished
and they only continued
their attacks.
It seemed like it
would never end.
But then the kingdom
made an announcement
that brought some hope
back into people's lives.
There is a land of death
to the west,
known as the Demon Realm,
and a recent expedition
has revealed the location
of their Demon Lord's castle.
This Demon Lord is the
cause of all our ills
and we can put a stop
to it by destroying him,
and I shall send a task force
to do just that!
[citizens cheering]
[Vermilio] That's not right.
We were not responsible
for spawning monsters
and sending them
to the human realm.
The human king then called
upon the single warrior
to fulfill that mission.
[King] No one has
the strength necessary
to eliminate Demon Lord Thor
except for you.
Failure is not an option.
You must kill him.
See it done, Cless the Hero.
Restore peace to our world.
[Helck] With that,
Cless left on a journey
to save the human realm.
[Edil]
Sir Helck, are you sure
you don't want to go see
your brother off?
[Helck] Huh? Nah.
My priority is
keeping this area safe.
You must be worried
about your little bro.
He'll be fighting something
way worse than monsters.
It's the king of
all monsters himself.
Yeah, but we're talking
about Cless the Hero here.
He's such a badass
people are calling him
the second coming of
the legendary hero.
Just reaching the Demon Lord
is its own ordeal.
He's in a massive fortress
guarded by tens of
thousands of demons.
Not to mention he's
supposed to be just as strong
as the legendary hero was.
Who could beat that?
I heard he'll be with
the infantry commander Zeru
and the sage Mikaros,
as well as a handful
of a few other
battle-hardened warriors.
Plus, we've assembled a force
of 5,000 trained soldiers
to protect the fort.
Well, if a team
like that can't win
then humanity is just doomed.
- For sure.
- That's enough.
Don't you guys know when
to keep your mouth shut?
Have some goddamn sympathy.
[mercenaries gasping]
- Hmm?
- Sorry.
Man, I know your little
brother's life's at stake here.
[Helck] Fine. Don't worry.
I know that Cless can do this.
In fact, I'm certain of it.
My brother has what it takes
to defeat the Demon Lord
and finally bring peace
to everyone.
[fireworks whistling, booming]
[Helck] It was three weeks
later when we got word
that Cless had defeated him.
After a deadly struggle, Cless
managed to pierce his blade
through the
Demon Lord's forehead
and finally put him down
for good.
The epic tale spread through
the realm like wildfire.
A new era of peace
was ushered in.
People filled the streets
in celebration.
However, I did not feel like
celebrating.
Not at all.
Brother!
Ah, Helck.
[dramatic music]
He managed to survive
the worst of it,
but he still remains
in critical condition.
Hey, buddy, you did
a terrific job,
but you can't die on me.
As your big brother,
I won't stand for it.
[Shalamy sobbing]
I'm sorry, Helck.
It'll be all right.
Save your tears.
He'll be back on his
feet before you know it.
The battle against
the Demon Lord
had severely injured Cless,
his body ravaged by a
poison we'd never seen.
[Mikaros] Helck, do you
happen to remember me?
[Helck gasps]
[Helck] You're the doctor
from when we were kids!
I hardly recognized you.
You're not the same little
boy from so long ago.
This is the great sage,
Lord Mikaros.
He fought bravely
alongside your brother
on this last campaign.
[Helck] I had no idea that you
were the Great Sage, sir.
It's just a lofty title.
Now, I was there,
but quite worthless
when it came to taking
down the Demon Lord.
Their battle was ferocious,
wild, and legendary.
They were clashing on a level
that far surpassed
the rest of us.
The best we could do
was keep out of the way
so that we didn't
hold Cless back.
I'm sorry, Cless would not
be in such a grave condition
if we had only been stronger.
All the same,
he never would've made it
back alive without their help.
Please don't bear
a grudge against them.
Of course not.
I don't really think like that.
Cless expended the
last of his strength
bringing down the Demon Lord.
His bravery has guaranteed
a bright future for us all.
Allowing him to die
is unacceptable.
I saved him once before
and I promise I will find
a way to do it again.
You have my word.
Please, and thank you.
[citizens cheering]
Everyone is having a great time
while the one who saved them
is fighting for his life.
You can't blame them.
Peace has finally come
after so much suffering.
Do you really believe that?
Monsters are still showing
up like they did before.
To me it doesn't feel
like anything has changed.
Probably just a
few survivors left over.
They'll be snuffed out soon.
Well, I hope you're right.
Come on, Captain, you
gotta stay positive!
- What he said.
- Sorry, I'll cheer up.
[Helck] Unfortunately, it
turned out Alicia was right
to have such concerns.
[distant rumbling]
Hm?
Hey, wake up, something's wrong!
Monsters are coming!
A hoard of them!
- They're back!
- [monsters roaring]
We gotta get word
to the capital!
[bell dinging]
[citizens panicking]
[citizens clamoring]
The monsters are coming!
What's gotten into them?
The latest attack has
thrown them all into a panic.
They were convinced
the fighting was over.
You told us the
Demon Lord is dead!
You lied to us. You just ran
away from him, didn't you?
Watch your mouth!
I saw the Demon Lord
perish myself!
Then why the hell are the
monsters still attacking us?
We don't want anymore
of your bullshit!
[citizen 1] Do something!
What the hell are you for?
[citizen 2]
It won't be long until
they break through the castle!
- Sir Cless!
- Where is he?
Get him out here!
[Zeruzeon]
That is not an option!
Cless is critically injured!
He's in no shape to fight!
[citizen] Should've
known it all along,
you chicken shits!
Get out here and fight,
you coward!
You can't just leave
us down here to die!
- Sir Cless, please save us!
- Come and fight!
What's wrong with you?
I can't believe
what I'm hearing now.
How can they act like this
when they know
Sir Cless is injured?
Listen, I'm sure you're tempted
to give them a piece
of your mind,
but we need to
protect the capital.
We can't let this place
fall to the monsters.
Tell me, Alicia, you
said the monster hoard
is coming from the direction
of the demon castle.
Yeah, that's right.
[Helck] I don't think the
warriors from
the task force would lie,
but the Demon Lord
is formidable.
It's possible he
found a way to revive
after falling to my brother.
Wait, hold on.
Don't do anything crazy.
[dramatic music]
I'm gonna kill him,
that son of a bitch.
[ending theme]
[narrator] Next time:
"The Power of Heroes"
[narrator] Helck and his
brother Cless were orphaned
when their parents were
killed by monsters.
They lived in poverty
and were constantly
harassed by the nobility
as Helck kept Cless safe.
Over the years, Cless
grew into a bonafide hero
and left the capital,
tasked with leading a
monster hunting expedition.
When I get back,
you're gonna have to cook
my favorite meal for me.
You know it!
One of my special
stamina-boosting
protein plates
will be waiting
on the table.
Just make sure you
come back alive.
[Cless] Will do, Bro.
[opening theme]
[THE MERCENARIES]
[dramatic fanfare]
[Helck] Only half a month after
Cless left on his expedition,
monsters began to appear
in greater numbers
than ever before.
In order to combat them,
the kingdom enacted
a military draft.
And like my brother,
I was assigned to a
monster hunting squad
and left the capital.
[monster roaring]
Everyone, fall back!
Retreat!
[fist thuds]
[SON OF A BARON, EDIL]
- [gasps] Damn.
- Hey, you gotta get up!
[monster roaring]
Come on, we need to run.
What in the hell
is that thing?
The beast that we saw
was an abomination like
we'd never seen before.
[Vermilio]
A New-World Lifeform.
They show up where the
toxin is most potent.
They may look similar,
but they're totally different
from normal monsters.
Must have been Helck's
first encounter with one.
That thing was terrifying.
I didn't even consider
trying to stay and fight it.
All I wanted was to get
the hell out of there.
[Vermilio] Understandable.
The thought of fighting
those creatures is daunting,
even for our own warriors,
But some of my guys
were still in there
and I couldn't just run away
and leave them to
fend for themselves.
So I faced off against it,
knowing full well it
could definitely kill me.
[Vermilio]
Still the same dummy.
[blow thuds]
That thing hit me harder
than anything
I had ever felt before.
Clobbered the hell out of me.
And that first smack nearly
knocked me unconscious.
Get outta here!
[Edil gasps]
[monster roaring]
[Helck groans]
He's actually holding
his own against that thing!
[Helck] I was only
trying to buy enough time
for everyone else to escape
So I focused on bearing
the brunt of its attacks
for as long as I could.
Then it dawned on me,
I was holding up better
than I expected,
so I changed gears and
tried counter attacking.
It would hit me
and I would hit back.
We just traded blows
over and over.
I had no idea of how to
fight properly back then,
so I just kept
throwing my fists at it.
And eventually it collapsed.
[Vermilio]
Must've been his hero powers,
or I guess whatever it
is Helck has going on.
[soldier] Our commanding officer
and captain are both dead.
We rank-and-file soldiers
are all that's left.
I'm sorry, but I'm afraid
there's nothing more
that we could do.
[Helck] Our squadron
had been tasked
with saving Edil's town
from an invading swarm.
It's far worse than I thought.
[Helck] He was the
son of a baron.
The soldiers stationed there
were overwhelmed,
so he traveled to the capital
to request a hunting squadron
be dispatched to help.
Damnit, what am
I supposed to do now?
[footsteps thudding]
[gasp]
[gentle music]
Sir Helck?
Can't do as much as maybe
a full military squadron,
but if you still need help, then
I'll join you back to your town.
[Edil gasps]
If there's an opportunity
for me to save the
lives of others,
then I gladly will.
Sir Helck, thank you
for your kindness.
[Helck] Instead of going
back to the capital,
I traveled with Edil
to his hometown.
Three days later.
Oh God!
My home!
It's on fire!
[gasps] We were too late,
they couldn't hold out anymore.
God damnit, those monsters!
Curse them to hell!
Edil, there's
still a chance!
It doesn't look like it's
been fully overrun yet.
I'm betting not
much time has passed
since the monsters
breached the walls.
Get on your feet
and prepare to fight!
We have to defend the town!
[dramatic music]
[both panting]
Is there anybody
out there still alive?
You'll pay for this,
you creatures from hell!
[Helck] Edil, wait.
Huh?
I see a survivor.
[woman] I guess arrows
aren't going to cut it,
annoying crustacean creeps.
Well, okay, then let's see how
well you handle a holy sword.
[monster roars]
[woman grunts]
[dramatic music]
[sword slashes]
Whoa, is she another
one of the guards?
No, we don't have
any female troops.
- Oh.
- My name is Helck,
a soldier sent to
fend off the invasion
A soldier?
Oh my gosh, where's your shirt?
Oh well, whatever.
I was just thinking this
would be hard to do alone.
Wanna help me kill
these pieces of shit?
[monsters roaring]
[Edil grunts]
[woman grunts]
[Helck grunts]
[gasps]
I don't believe it. You took
out so many in just one go.
Then it looks like
we're about done here.
Whoa, slow down,
Mr. Muscles, just a quick sec.
[Helck] Nice work out there.
- How exactly did you do that?
- Huh?
That was some crazy shit, okay?
And how did you wipe all
of them out so easily?
That wasn't normal.
Oh, well you were making
short work of them too.
You've got some great
swordsmanship.
Yeah, I'm pretty confident
with how to handle a sword,
but to be fair,
it's the blade itself
that's really the difference.
I wield a holy sword,
one passed down
through my family.
It's been infused with a magic
very effective against monsters.
That's amazing.
That sounds like
a remarkable weapon
Friend, there's no other
sword like it in the world.
And well, in the hands
of someone as good as me,
we're a force more
powerful than any soldier,
but you just wiped out
more than twice
of those sons of bitches
than I did,
and did it faster with
your bare goddamn hands.
It's insane!
Do you have some
special stuff or what?
Tell me, just who
are you really?
- Helck the soldier.
- Yeah, you said that.
I used to be a castle
construction worker.
Okay, so you don't want
to tell me, whatever.
- [mercenary] Yo, Captain!
- Huh?
Lord Edil, you made it!
[group laughing]
Thank goodness some survived!
Most of the townspeople
escaped to the mansion.
We have these brave warriors
to thank for saving us.
Oh, I see, you must
be a mercenary group.
Yeah, that's right.
We were passing
through the area
when we noticed the smoke.
The fighting started soon after.
[Helck] Monsters were the cause
of most disasters back then,
which gave rise to groups
who specialized in
exterminating them for money.
The young woman we met was
leading one such group.
Her name was Alicia.
[MERCENARY LEADER, ALICIA]
Normally we would
sign some contracts
before doing any fighting,
but you can consider
this one on the house.
Lady Alicia,
I cannot thank you enough.
Would you be willing to lend
us your aid one more time?
I know the monsters
are going to return
and we need more soldiers!
There's a massive outbreak
going on right now.
I would honestly recommend
you abandon this place
and move your people.
However, with some extra
shirtless help,
we might be strong enough
to keep them at bay.
What do you say?
Mangling monsters is
the whole reason I'm here.
I'd be glad to help out.
Give me all the orders you want.
Thank you, Helck.
[Alicia] Okay,
sounds like a deal then.
Time is of the essence.
We need to start
planning our strategy.
Pleasure to be working with you!
- Same here.
- Welcome aboard, big man.
[mercenary] Glad to have you!
And then my day's fighting
as a mercenary began.
[Helck] Check it out,
Edil, they're huge!
[Edil] Whoa, what a
harvest this time.
[Alicia] Helck! Monsters!
Prepare for battle!
- On it.
- I shall join you!
You just keep plucking
those apples.
Otherwise we won't
get it done today.
[Edil] Gotcha!
[Helck] Monsters would
appear without warning.
[Helck] Nice, look at
the char on these babies.
[Edil] It smells amazing.
- Helck, monsters. Let's go.
- Right.
I shall join you!
You need to make sure
that doesn't burn!
- Keep rotating.
- Oh, right.
[Helck] They would come when
we were working on the farm
or when we were in the
middle of preparing food.
Didn't matter if it
was day or night.
- [group laughing]
- Monster attack, grab your gear!
- Monster attack!
- [bathers yelp]
[Helck] There was never
any downtime
for us during those days.
Um, that's not what
it sounds like to me.
Huh? What? Well, it's true!
Everyone was on pins
and needles.
[Vermilio] Fair enough.
I mean, your lives were
on the line after all.
Yeah, the sheer
number of monsters.
And some were really nasty,
but nobody ever ran off.
The mercenaries
who held the line
were a bright and jovial bunch,
but they did have their
complaints of course.
Edil was a source of
inspiration for everyone,
always giving his best effort.
He put the safety of his
friends and his people first.
And then there was Alicia,
a highly skilled fighter
who saved us from
a number of tight spots
and never gave up
no matter what.
Although those were dark times,
being around them
put a smile on my face.
I felt good with them and
about what we were doing.
I could fight without being
overwhelmed by it all.
They were the best
a guy could want.
[Alicia sighs] That was
another tough one, eh?
[Helck] Yeah.
[Alicia] We've taken
care of 10 of their nests,
only three more to go.
[Helck] Yep, just gotta
stay the course.
You know, you
really are strong
in every sense of the word.
Even your wounds heal faster.
- How does that even work?
- Don't know.
I've always just had
a knack for it.
Is that something you
can have a knack for?
This job runs in my family.
My father did this too.
And before him,
way back before this kingdom
had even been established,
they say my grandfather
was a hero
who fought against the demonkin,
although I'm not
sure I believe it.
[Helck] Heroes
and demonkin, huh?
I've only heard about
that sort of stuff
in fairytales and bar talk.
The point is, I come from
a long line of fighters.
I've always been confident
in my talent for fighting
and I thought no one
out there could best me.
But now I realize there's
no limit to improving.
Your strength,
it's just madness.
- [Helck] Huh?
- Gotta say,
it's taken my
confidence down a peg.
What? Don't say that!
I'm just good at throwing
my weight around.
I don't have the skills
to use bows or swords.
Weapons aren't the
problem here, man.
I hate it so much
that my very best
is still weak compared to you,
and I've also been
noticing the way you fight.
You do it so easily
that you're watching out
for us at the same time.
Yeah, well-
Meanwhile, it takes
all of my focus
just to defeat whatever's
in front of me.
No matter how hard I try,
I'm not the pillar of strength
on the battlefield that you are.
Honestly, Helck, my pride
has been torn to smithereens
ever since I met you.
Makes me wanna punch your face.
Hmm, please don't do that.
But whatever,
I can get over it.
You can kick some major ass.
I mean, you have
what it takes
to save a great
number of people.
And your strength and
your heart make it happen.
[Helck gasps]
[Alicia] As strong as I am,
there have still been
some people
I couldn't manage to save.
But you're different.
You can save them all.
Our little band
of mercenaries
wouldn't have made it
this far without you.
I'm certain most of us
would've died along the way,
so I can't thank
you enough, Helck.
After this town is safe
I'm not going to let you
go back to being
a construction worker.
Huh?
You are going to keep
fighting with us, Helck
Roger that, Captain.
[fire crackling]
- [Vermilio] Hey, you okay?
- Huh?
Sorry, spacing out there
for a minute.
Ultimately, I kept hunting
monsters for a while,
with Alicia and her mercenaries.
Went on for four years.
We kept it up relentlessly.
But in spite of it all,
the number of monsters
never diminished
and they only continued
their attacks.
It seemed like it
would never end.
But then the kingdom
made an announcement
that brought some hope
back into people's lives.
There is a land of death
to the west,
known as the Demon Realm,
and a recent expedition
has revealed the location
of their Demon Lord's castle.
This Demon Lord is the
cause of all our ills
and we can put a stop
to it by destroying him,
and I shall send a task force
to do just that!
[citizens cheering]
[Vermilio] That's not right.
We were not responsible
for spawning monsters
and sending them
to the human realm.
The human king then called
upon the single warrior
to fulfill that mission.
[King] No one has
the strength necessary
to eliminate Demon Lord Thor
except for you.
Failure is not an option.
You must kill him.
See it done, Cless the Hero.
Restore peace to our world.
[Helck] With that,
Cless left on a journey
to save the human realm.
[Edil]
Sir Helck, are you sure
you don't want to go see
your brother off?
[Helck] Huh? Nah.
My priority is
keeping this area safe.
You must be worried
about your little bro.
He'll be fighting something
way worse than monsters.
It's the king of
all monsters himself.
Yeah, but we're talking
about Cless the Hero here.
He's such a badass
people are calling him
the second coming of
the legendary hero.
Just reaching the Demon Lord
is its own ordeal.
He's in a massive fortress
guarded by tens of
thousands of demons.
Not to mention he's
supposed to be just as strong
as the legendary hero was.
Who could beat that?
I heard he'll be with
the infantry commander Zeru
and the sage Mikaros,
as well as a handful
of a few other
battle-hardened warriors.
Plus, we've assembled a force
of 5,000 trained soldiers
to protect the fort.
Well, if a team
like that can't win
then humanity is just doomed.
- For sure.
- That's enough.
Don't you guys know when
to keep your mouth shut?
Have some goddamn sympathy.
[mercenaries gasping]
- Hmm?
- Sorry.
Man, I know your little
brother's life's at stake here.
[Helck] Fine. Don't worry.
I know that Cless can do this.
In fact, I'm certain of it.
My brother has what it takes
to defeat the Demon Lord
and finally bring peace
to everyone.
[fireworks whistling, booming]
[Helck] It was three weeks
later when we got word
that Cless had defeated him.
After a deadly struggle, Cless
managed to pierce his blade
through the
Demon Lord's forehead
and finally put him down
for good.
The epic tale spread through
the realm like wildfire.
A new era of peace
was ushered in.
People filled the streets
in celebration.
However, I did not feel like
celebrating.
Not at all.
Brother!
Ah, Helck.
[dramatic music]
He managed to survive
the worst of it,
but he still remains
in critical condition.
Hey, buddy, you did
a terrific job,
but you can't die on me.
As your big brother,
I won't stand for it.
[Shalamy sobbing]
I'm sorry, Helck.
It'll be all right.
Save your tears.
He'll be back on his
feet before you know it.
The battle against
the Demon Lord
had severely injured Cless,
his body ravaged by a
poison we'd never seen.
[Mikaros] Helck, do you
happen to remember me?
[Helck gasps]
[Helck] You're the doctor
from when we were kids!
I hardly recognized you.
You're not the same little
boy from so long ago.
This is the great sage,
Lord Mikaros.
He fought bravely
alongside your brother
on this last campaign.
[Helck] I had no idea that you
were the Great Sage, sir.
It's just a lofty title.
Now, I was there,
but quite worthless
when it came to taking
down the Demon Lord.
Their battle was ferocious,
wild, and legendary.
They were clashing on a level
that far surpassed
the rest of us.
The best we could do
was keep out of the way
so that we didn't
hold Cless back.
I'm sorry, Cless would not
be in such a grave condition
if we had only been stronger.
All the same,
he never would've made it
back alive without their help.
Please don't bear
a grudge against them.
Of course not.
I don't really think like that.
Cless expended the
last of his strength
bringing down the Demon Lord.
His bravery has guaranteed
a bright future for us all.
Allowing him to die
is unacceptable.
I saved him once before
and I promise I will find
a way to do it again.
You have my word.
Please, and thank you.
[citizens cheering]
Everyone is having a great time
while the one who saved them
is fighting for his life.
You can't blame them.
Peace has finally come
after so much suffering.
Do you really believe that?
Monsters are still showing
up like they did before.
To me it doesn't feel
like anything has changed.
Probably just a
few survivors left over.
They'll be snuffed out soon.
Well, I hope you're right.
Come on, Captain, you
gotta stay positive!
- What he said.
- Sorry, I'll cheer up.
[Helck] Unfortunately, it
turned out Alicia was right
to have such concerns.
[distant rumbling]
Hm?
Hey, wake up, something's wrong!
Monsters are coming!
A hoard of them!
- They're back!
- [monsters roaring]
We gotta get word
to the capital!
[bell dinging]
[citizens panicking]
[citizens clamoring]
The monsters are coming!
What's gotten into them?
The latest attack has
thrown them all into a panic.
They were convinced
the fighting was over.
You told us the
Demon Lord is dead!
You lied to us. You just ran
away from him, didn't you?
Watch your mouth!
I saw the Demon Lord
perish myself!
Then why the hell are the
monsters still attacking us?
We don't want anymore
of your bullshit!
[citizen 1] Do something!
What the hell are you for?
[citizen 2]
It won't be long until
they break through the castle!
- Sir Cless!
- Where is he?
Get him out here!
[Zeruzeon]
That is not an option!
Cless is critically injured!
He's in no shape to fight!
[citizen] Should've
known it all along,
you chicken shits!
Get out here and fight,
you coward!
You can't just leave
us down here to die!
- Sir Cless, please save us!
- Come and fight!
What's wrong with you?
I can't believe
what I'm hearing now.
How can they act like this
when they know
Sir Cless is injured?
Listen, I'm sure you're tempted
to give them a piece
of your mind,
but we need to
protect the capital.
We can't let this place
fall to the monsters.
Tell me, Alicia, you
said the monster hoard
is coming from the direction
of the demon castle.
Yeah, that's right.
[Helck] I don't think the
warriors from
the task force would lie,
but the Demon Lord
is formidable.
It's possible he
found a way to revive
after falling to my brother.
Wait, hold on.
Don't do anything crazy.
[dramatic music]
I'm gonna kill him,
that son of a bitch.
[ending theme]
[narrator] Next time:
"The Power of Heroes"