Chapter 10 opens not with a battle, but with silence. The protagonist is seen camping alone in the ruins of a former allied camp—the same camp where he last saw his party abandon him for the Hero. The art style emphasizes his hollowed eyes but straight posture. He is not crying; he is calculating.
The remaining half of Chapter 10 is a montage of brutal training. No shortcuts. No cheat skills. The protagonist, stripped of his healer and tank support, learns to fight like a rogue-tank hybrid. He crafts makeshift traps, studies monster patterns alone, and—in a striking two-page spread—defeats a Minotaur King by using its own horns against it. Chapter 10 opens not with a battle, but with silence
The chapter then cuts to the false hero’s mansion. The raw pages show the Saintess (one of the key heroines stolen from the MC) having a moment of doubt. She gazes at an old, tattered ribbon—a gift from the protagonist in Chapter 1. He is not crying; he is calculating
However, this is not a rescue arc. The false hero enters, and with a mere touch of his blessed hand, her eyes glaze over, and her memory of the ribbon fades. The raw paneling here is masterful: a single tear rolls down her cheek, but she smiles, unable to remember why she is sad. This reinforces the series’ dark theme: the NTR is not just emotional; it’s magically enforced. No cheat skills
| Trait | Details | |-------|---------| | Motivation | Initially “save the world”; after betrayal, shifts to “break the curse & free his friends”. | | Power Evolution | Heroic Sword → Shadow Blade → Blood‑Ink Sigils (a hybrid of dark magic and physical technique). | | Psychology | Displays classic “revenge‑driven anti‑hero” arc: starts with anger, moves through self‑doubt, and gradually gains a more nuanced moral compass. | | Symbolic Scar | The brand on his left arm (acquired in Chapter 10) later becomes a “Seal of the Broken Promise,” allowing him to temporarily control the Netorare magic. | | Potential Future | Foreshadowed to either become a “dark savior” who subverts the world order, or to be consumed by the same curse he fights against. |