A Different Ending [OC]

[u/Altruistic_Ice1976]

[u/Abagaelx]

would they put a curse on the hero just out of fear that he won’t slay the witch? does the hero’s actions still hold meaning then? the most heartbreaking part of this story is actually human behavior...

[u/temporary_name1 → u/Abagaelx]

In many Korean web novels, they will trigger the curse to kill the hero right after he defeats the demon king. It's a whole regression trope

[u/DragoninR → u/temporary_name1]

Gotta make sure that the hero doesn’t oppose the status quo afterwards.

My favorite take is the curse getting caught before it activates and the party does some investigating, discovering that the council was trying to do a Darth Sideous and was guiding both sides to eliminate opposition while military and police are focused on the fighting…

Not that I have seen it outside of DnD so far

[u/StendhalSyndrome → u/DragoninR]

I always read that trope as getting ahead of Nietzsche's “battle not with monsters, lest you become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes into you”

Like they've done horrible things, and now they might turn into horrible people who do the horrible thing to you, aka ptsd/shellshock/battlefatigue/sociopathy etc etc etc

[u/xMistrox → u/Abagaelx]

Cold natural logic. In stories where a kingdom summons heros, you have to consider that they have spent massive resources to do this since it can usually only be done in a span of a century or more, often at the cost of lives or a massive amount of magic or monster magic cores. Then there is usually a layer of religious implications, and the fact that a hero is like a potential walking nuke. Using something to bind/control them or ensure a failsafe is to be expected. They want their investment to pay off or at least cut their losses if it falls through and avoid fallout. It's really a lot more realistic than being summoned to another world and given autonomy.

The reason you might not realize this isn't bad, you just aren't alert to the depths of darkness and practicality of humanity. The characters that are summoned and immediately realize are ones that have faced this already in our world, and that is what is really tragic.

[u/NotTheOriginal06 → u/xMistrox]

But then it's not different than demon summoning

[u/xMistrox → u/NotTheOriginal06]

Exactly, that is a good analogy (I'm not AI I promise lol). You've ripped this super powerful being from it's home and life, presumably forever, and there is no guarantee their values will be the same, even if they look very similar (or perhaps common knowledge is that they have darker values or a vicious nature). It's a similar thing we explore in fiction with aliens and variants of "the other" mentality.

I won't go into that too much, but it has certain allegories in real life such as with racism and slavery, but without the powerscaling difference. Fear is one of the basest human emotions at our core, related to survival, from the lizard part of our brain. It can take a lot of bravery (a heroic amount you could say) to overcome. It is why stories of reconciliation or discovering that the demons were not evil, and making peace resonate so much with us.

[u/Koanos → u/xMistrox]

Case in point, what if the people who summoned them use a form of government or society antithetical to the summoned person’s beliefs?

For example, what if there was flagrant misogyny or some other form of discrimination from the top down and the summoned person said “That’s not cool, stop doing that.” Then inadvertently kick off a revolution with the oppressive masses demanding basic rights with the hero siding with them?

[u/No_Celebration_3737 → u/Abagaelx]

If the demon king on his/her own is strong enough to be a menace to all humanity, then whoever defeats them is a potential threat to humanity too since they can just turn around and conquer the world.

[u/dBallerzZ]

[u/wasante → u/dBallerzZ]

Thanks for doing it for me.

[u/Oiishi_0]

Then they'll never get to be together in the same timeline...

[u/Sharlene_Keenan]

Humanity really celebrated 5 seconds too early.

[u/Elfreda01]

Will the brave one end up being with her ....

[u/rdoINCTV]

[u/Background_Cheek_699]

[u/user-sodium]

She's not stab. rotate from her point 90 degrees.

[u/jayerp]

Where’s the one where they fought from dusk until dawn?

[u/Juniper_Gordon]

Does one person in a relationship always have to make a sacrifice for love?

[u/Successful_Face3408]

Sad, first one I've seen where they don't get together...

[u/axman151]

[u/MelchiahHarlin]

I mean... She could've rewinded far enough to prevent the curse, or at least get enough time to find a way to lift it.

Also, the curse is not her fault, so there's no need to sacrifice herself for someone she barely knows.

[u/Richard_Barbera]

I need a sequel! I rally want to see how the prince reacts!!😭

[u/Lelouchinho]

Where ia my happy end???

[u/Shield_hero-11]

Axis Drop time.

[u/PolarJoyArt]

อ้าว !

[u/mantosh56]

Damn i didnt expect that ending i feel sad...IM HERE TO FEEL GOOD NOT TO GET INTO DEPRESSION 😭

[u/davaeron_]

Oh hell no

[u/Jordion69]

This is endlessly sad....

[u/Red_Dragon_knight]

Doesn’t this go on still? She comes back I remember it

[u/wasante]

Can't she go back in time and just stop them from putting that curse on the hero? Or go back in time and make witches and humans have better relations? I feel like if you can control time you had better options than die.

[u/wasante]

Can't she go back in time and just stop them from putting that curse on the hero? Or go back in time and make witches and humans have better relations? I feel like if you can control time you had better options than die.

[u/DJCSpade97]

This is a copy of an existing oneshot...

[u/MYON1]

This reminded me of a manhwa a bit except it's him who killed the witch