I'm Quitting Heroing - Episode 12 Review - Echidna and the Generals Save Leo's Life

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

Following I'm Quitting Heroing - Episode 11, Leo has fallen, but he’s still clinging onto life. He has a huge gash in his chest, it’s basically ripped open. His Philosopher’s Stone heart is in view, ready to be taken.

Despite being defeated and about to die, Leo actually smiles and says it feels good. Echidna and the generals gather around Leo. She calls him out on the farce and that he lost on purpose. Echidna tells him he was foolish.

Leo doesn’t care. He tells Echidna that he’s cut himself off from the stone’s power, and that they have 5 minutes to retrieve the stone from his chest before the wound heals over it.

Lily is the first to protest his death. She cries that she doesn’t want Leo to die. Edvard holds her back.

Echidna pities Leo, who is protecting humanity to the very end of his life. She asks Leo if he has any regrets and he says no. He was able to find the right person to pick up his work after he dies.

For his last words, Leo apologizes for all the trouble he caused. Then Echidna gets close to him, as if she’s about to take the stone. But instead, she lightly slaps him in the face. Then steps on his stomach!

Now it’s Queen Echidna’s turn to put on a play. She pretends to be a villainess Demon Queen who refuses to help the Hero complete his goal of suicide. She goes on to say she’s decided to employ Leo as her subordinate.

Leo can’t believe this. Time’s running out. He tells her to take the stone, but she refuses. One by one, the generals also refuse to take Leo’s life. First Edvard, then Lily, then Mernes, then Shutina. Leo’s stunned.

He says his programming will make him keep protecting humanity. It’s dangerous to let him live. But Shutina points out that he was able to turn off that Thought Masking temporarily. He's evolved past following his prime order. So she asks why he can’t just do that, but forever. He says it’s impossible, but he tells him to try anyways. So he does. And it’s super easy for him to turn off that prime directive.

So his compulsions he followed for 3,000 years…. He could have turned off at any time. What a joke.

So Leo is finally free. The next morning, we see Leo happily walking around Echidna’s castle. Then he comes back to the feast room where all the generals and Echidna are sleeping, wasted after celebrating hard the night before.

Echidna asks Leo if he regrets his choice to keep on living now. He says no, because he’s happy to work for such a kind ruler as Echidna.

Then their romantic moment is interrupted by several minions calling for each of the generals to help fix a problem.

And that’s how it ends. Leo has officially quit being a hero, and continues his work to help Echidna’s Demon Army.

Image source: Amazon