The Fake Hero Crashes the Party

A Demon Lord has arisen, and the world awaits a hero. In a peaceful village, two young boys—Foyle Austin and his best friend Yu—have long dreamed about being heroes, but the legends say there can only be one. Their paths forward seem decided when the goddess declares Foyle a “Hero,” while leaving Yu’s destiny unclear. But Foyle has a secret only he knows. The role given to him by the goddess is actually “Fake Hero.” Far from being destined to overthrow the Demon Lord, defeat awaits him at the true hero’s hand, and Foyle has a good idea who that will be. When Foyle expels Yu from his party, he cements his role as the true hero’s adversary. His powers begin to fade as his friend grows ever stronger. Foyle clearly won’t be the one to save the world, but after an encounter with a mysterious elf in need of help, he sets out to prove that even the villain can be a hero to someone.

Foyle may have been denied the role of hero, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a savior. Having changed his name to Ayame, he’s on a journey to save as many people as possible, accompanied by Iris, an elf with legendary healing powers. When Ayame and Iris arrive in the city of Rikko, they find preparations are underway for the Full Bloom Festival. The pair teams up with the Adventurer’s Guild as they hunt a dragon to gain the rare materials needed for the festival’s stunning fireworks display that will light up the night sky. Unfortunately, the festivities have invoked the envy of Sway Ka Senco (a member of the fearsome Eight Warlords) who’s determined to ruin the fun. With powerful ice magic that threatens to freeze the entire city and its people—their flesh, their souls, and the very ground beneath them included—Warlord Sway Ka Senco looks to be Ayame’s toughest opponent yet.