The Hero Laughs While Walking the Path of Vengeance a Second Time, Vol. 8 (light novel): The Eternal Avenger

by Nero Kizuka, Jake Humphrey (translator)

AT THE END OF THE LONG, LONG ROAD…Surviving thanks to Yuuto’s sacrifice, Kaito and his partners in crime are warped away to safety by the previous hero, Towako Kuroi. In Towako’s domain, they finally learn the truth of the structure of the world—including that Kaito’s thirst for revenge was incited by the previous heroes of the realm. Reeling from these revelations and overcome with a deep sense of despair, Kaito sinks into an inescapable slumber. His partners in crime, however, will see his dark task done at any cost, embarking on a journey into Kaito’s mind to rekindle the fires of vengeance within him. Meanwhile, Princess Alicia uses the power of the goddess to alter the world according to her wishes. After everything he and his companions have been through, will Kaito be able to exact one final, extravagant act of retribution? Or will the last laugh forever elude him?

275 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 3, 2025

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hero Laughs has been one of my favourite light novel series for some years now, and as such i'm sad to see the series finish with a whimper instead of a bang. Vol. 8 is the final part of the story, but it clearly wasn't planned that way because the entire book feels rushed and in a hurry to reach the ending. We even learn that there were three other vengeance targets that the series never even got to, the Knight, the Dancer and the Assassin, and certain characters have most of their story happen off-screen and what they did or what the point was goes unexplained for the most part.

This series needed at least two or three more books to get to the point things did in the final volume. And as for the ending, spoilers ahead...
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Kaito's partners physically merging with him to give him a second wind to take out Alicia felt like a cop-out to the typical light novel every-girl-wants-the-protagonist plot. They all share the same body and get to be together forever, and Kaito becomes some kind of spirit of vengeance that lives on into the new world and contracts with those who seek revenge. Which is kind of fitting as the moral this book rather unsubtly hammers home is that revenge will likely destroy you just as thoroughly as the people you seek revenge on. By the end Kaito has lost everything and exists solely to aid the vengeance of others, there is no happy ending for him or his partners.

The decision to have Nonorick survive and become the founder of a new kingdom alongside the merchant Leone happening entirely off-screen was very disappointing. The book never really explained what the point of the vampires was, or why it was important that Nonorick not merge with Kaito and survive the events of the series. And we never find out what becomes of the First Hero Towako and the spirits of the other heroes, their last appearance being they and Kaito beginning the torment of the Earth Goddess Lunaris for what might be millennia.

This was a series I really enjoyed, but this last book failed to deliver a satisfying conclusion to the series. It was rushed and was disappointing as a result.

[Eddy Celin · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a potential ending?? either way, the conclusion was bittersweet. I enjoyed the punishment that was carried out, but the sacrifices that were made hurt a lot for me. They teased a turnaround near the end, and I appreciated they threw that in, but we all know from all the sin that was committed that this story only had one conclusion. Overall, it's a great series for those who love a brutal revenge story.