Onyx remained calm. He had been monitoring the Ouro village since morning and had grasped the evacuation routes the villagers would likely take.
Onyx squinted his eyes, a malicious smile on his face.
“That’s not… it’s a lie!”
“It’s not a lie. By now, those humans who fled are probably being offered as a blood sacrifice. Not a single one will be allowed to escape. No problem, soon you’ll also meet them. But before that, I’ll carve, slash, and crush you to pieces. Now, let me hear your screams.”
“Damn it!”
Despair spread through their hearts…
The overwhelming difference in power between humans and demons was painfully felt.
The fact that humans couldn’t match demons in strength.
The stark contrast in power between the two sides.
Faced with such reality, Ratio felt like his spirit was about to break. He uttered a complaint while shedding tears.
“Indeed… we can’t win against demons after all. What we’re doing…”
“It’s not pointless.”
A voice rang out clearly in the darkening hearts.
“The time you earned did save the villagers. So hold your head high. Be proud of what you’ve done.”
A man walked from the direction of the village. His steps were strong and filled with determination.
And beside that man was a girl, standing beside him.
“You guys fulfilled your duty. Now, leave the rest to me.”
Ratio was relieved. It seemed like they made it in time.
They made it. with breathe a sigh of relief.
They had come here after doing some work, but the demon invasion couldn’t be stopped anymore.
The soldiers all had severe injuries, but fortunately, there were no casualties. Speaking in a low voice, Ratio spoke to Iris-chan beside him.
“Iris-chan, please treat everyone. I’ll go defeat that guy.”
“Yes, I will. Ayame-san, please be careful.”
“It’s okay. I’m a man who survived fighting the Eight Warlords, after all.”
Giving a light wink, I continued, and Iris-chan giggled and said, “Yes, you’re right,” as she headed towards treating Ratio-kun and the others.
However, there was no one following her as expected. Looking down, Jamama was glaring at the demons.
“Gauuu…!”
“What’s wrong, Jamama?”
Following his gaze, I saw that Jamama was glaring at the demon’s claws. Claws stained with the blood of the soldiers.
“Those wings. So that’s it.”
The wings on his body. I remembered seeing those before, the same ones I gave to Fabro.
I understood. Those wings had probably harmed Jamama’s parent.
“Jamama, let me say this first. You can’t win against that guy.”
“Gauu!”
Jamama barked, a roar of anger. I told him without taking my eyes off him.
“I understand. It’s an unforgivable opponent for you. That’s why, leave it to me. I’ll defeat that guy. And if someday when you’ve grown up, you still can’t forgive me, you can try to kill me then. But not now.”
“Gau…”
“I’m going to fight him now. So you protect Iris-chan.”
At my words, Jamama lowered his head. He probably understood, that he couldn’t match that demon at his current state.
But Jamama immediately raised his head and let out a bark, then followed after Iris-chan. …A wise child, truly.
I stared at the demon in front of me.
“Is the talk over?”
“Yeah. You’ve been doing whatever you want.”
All around were scattered weapons and fallen soldiers. Everyone was alive, but they were unconscious. I stared unwaveringly at Onyx, who was triumphing in front of me.
“Hahaha, are you infuriated? But another fool has come. That girl is healing the soldiers, but it’s pointless. The girl, the soldiers, the villagers, you—everyone will become the dirt under Onyx’s nails. Huh? Rust on the nails? Well, fine. You seem quite confident, but you can’t protect the village anymore. My underlings are already turning the villagers into a bloodbath.”
“Underlings…?”
I mockingly laugh and declare to the triumphant Onyx before me, “They’re all dead.”
“They’re all dead.”
“What?”
“I killed them.”
Yes, I arrived late to this scene because Jamama, with her wild instincts, sensed the demons and monsters lurking behind the village. I had already killed them all before coming here. So, Onyx’s so-called underlings are all dead.
“So, you’re the only one left.”
When I say that, the Onyx in front of me reacts with a dumbfounded expression, like a pigeon hit by a pea-shooter.
Is it surprise? It appears to be.
“Enough of your nonsense!”
“No, I won’t lie anymore. I swore that. If you think it’s a lie, you can try it. There should be a means of communication, right?”
“T-This guy…! Hey, respond!”
Onyx called out to the bracelet.
The voice came from my pocket. I pulled out the communication device shaped like a bracelet that the demon had. Onyx glared at me with resentment.
“Who are you…?”
“Me? I am the [Savior].”
“I’ve never heard of [Savior]! Stop your nonsense! It’s unpleasant. Be engraved, [Particle Cutter]!”
Onyx spread his wings and rushed at an incredible speed.
It was as fast as a gust of wind. But still, it was slow.
“What did you say!? Guh!”
///
scene transition
///
“Your instincts are sharp.”
I had intended to cut off his arm in response to his attack, but he apparently twisted his body at the last moment.
Holding his wound, Onyx glared at me.
“Fool, why can a lower being like you dodge my movements?”
“Well, I’ve fought against much more powerful demons than you before. This level of speed is nothing.”
“What did you say?”
Yes, I had faced opponents much stronger than this guy.
[Blast], [Hero]. Compared to them, the opponent in front of me was nothing.
Onyx, who had a puzzled expression at my words, eventually realized something.
“You… You!! I found you! I found you!!!”
“What are you so angry about?”
“Don’t play dumb!! The detestable enemy who killed Downburst-sama! What’s this [Savior], you fake [Hero]!”
The moment I heard the word Downburst, my eyes widened. I never expected to hear that name here.
“So, you’re the [Swift Claw] from that time.”
And now I finally understood his true identity. Rather, why had I forgotten about it?
Downburst had three subordinates:
[Swift Claw], [Plague Wind], and [Miasma Stream]. and they’re stronger than the normal demons.
[Plague Wind] was defeated by Yuu and Mei-chan, and [Miasma Stream] by Gladius and Mary. But there was no report of the defeat of [Swift Claw] after Downburst was defeated. He hadn’t shown himself since then.
I didn’t know why he had hidden himself until now or what he had been doing during that time. But now, he had reappeared before me.
“Indeed, I can’t overlook it, can’t forgive it. Harming those two and hurting the people of this village. If you become a threat to the people, I have to defeat you.”
“Shut up, you lower being! But this is a chance. I’ll cut off your head! I’ll offer your corpse as a gravestone for Downburst-sama! [Whirlwind Etching]!”
Onyx spread his arm integrated with wings and disappeared at an incredible speed. There was no time to blink.
Because of my momentary hesitation, I was a bit slow to dodge, and my clothes were cut by his attack.
“Ugh!”
“Hahaha! How does it feel? Unlike before, you can’t see anything now, right? You’re just a lower being without a holy sword! I’ll cut you into pieces!”
“Indeed, those claws and speed are troublesome.”
“That’s right! But I’m not done yet! I’ll keep cutting you into pieces!”
Again, Onyx’s figure vanished.
The sound of wind cutting through the air echoed, and I was slashed here and there, like being attacked by a ferret with a sickle.
Indeed, he was fast. Even among the opponents I had faced so far, this speed was superior.
But why didn’t I feel threatened at all? Probably because…
(It’s not my imagination. The movements of [Swift Claw] look incredibly slow.)
My clothes were cut, but I wasn’t bleeding. However, for him, it seemed different, and he approached me as if trying to kill me.
“This is the chance to cut off your head!”
But I could see his movements. Because…
“Slower than Downburst!”
“What!?”
I swung at Onyx who had come from behind.
Compared to [Wind Claws] of Downburst, his claws had inferior power, speed, and skill.
He seemed confident in his speed, but it was quite mediocre compared to the Beshtraben I faced earlier. Onyx tried to block with his prideful claws, but he looked incredibly surprised. That was probably how confident he was.
“Hah, you look quite foolish. You didn’t think I would block it, did you?”
“Guh, shut up! Don’t get cocky just because you caught my movement! [Flesh Thorn Cannon]!”
“Ugh!?”
Onyx opened his beak and fired a bullet of compressed air. I quickly crouched down to avoid it, but immediately realized my own mistake.
“Oh no!”
Onyx soared into the air. He danced gracefully to a place unreachable by humans.
“It’s your foolishness! You underestimated me! [Weasel Wind of Sickle Hooks]!”
Onyx swung his claws as he flapped his wings. A nasty feeling crept over me. In this situation, I couldn’t do anything.
“An invisible slash, or rather a claw attack in this case!”
“Even if I understand, there’s nothing I can do!”
The sound of the wind cutting through the air again.
Flying through the sky, facing Onyx, I couldn’t make a move.
(If only I could use Holy Sky Slash…)
I grip my sword tightly in frustration. Seeing me unable to do anything, Onyx sneers as he declares a shocking fact.
“Fuhahaha! This is the difference between you and I! I am one of the chosen few among the demons who can fly through the sky! There’s no way someone like you could beat me!”
“It’s too early to be boasting about your win.”
“No, this is just stating the facts. You and I were born with different levels of power! A human that can only crawl on the ground like you, what could you possibly do!?”
“Damn!”
I grind my teeth at Onyx’s words. Looking down from the sky, Onyx mocks me.
“I’ve been waiting so long for this day! Ever since you lost your holy sword!”
“What did you say?”
Words I couldn’t ignore. It’s true, I had entrusted my holy sword to Yuu. But that was just a few days ago. There’s no way news could travel and the demon army would know about it that quickly.
“Why… No, hold on.”
Onyx is bent on revenge for the death of his superior officer.
His superior slain, Onyx led the remnants of Downburst’s forces in retreating from Atherdam. He returned to the demonfolk stronghold, immediately proposing that the other Eight Generals mobilize to kill the [Hero]. However, the subsequent orders given to Onyx were to monitor Foil and his friends.
[Why won’t you send the army right away? We defeated one of the Eight Generals after all. It’s not like we would do something careless correct? Wasn’t retreating instead of eliminating them after defeating them Lord Downburst’s own decision?]
[You fighting the “Hero” directly? Don’t make me laugh. There’s no way you can accomplish that. There’s no chance of you defeating him]
Those words and the images of those contemptuous yet gentle smiles and their trained physique fill Onyx’s mind with rage whenever he recalls them. All of Onyx’s proposals had been refused and to add insult to injury, he was now placed under [Baron] in name only .
“My only lord is Lord Downburst!!”
Naturally, Onyx was indignant at serving anyone other than Downburst. However, having no power to oppose the Generals yet still forced to carry out humiliating orders, the bitterness was overwhelming.
“Respond, have you located him?”
Flapping his wings, Onyx spoke into the bracelet in his hand.
A magical artifact passed down from ancient times. With a matching pair, it enabled conversation no matter the distance between holders.
The one who responded in broken speech was a lowly demonfolk soldier.
[Gaah gah, Onyx sama. Not find. Hero nowhere, not here]
“He’s not the [Hero]! Just hurry up and find him!! Should I shred you mongrels up like that wolf!?”
[S-Sorry very much]
Not hiding his irritation, Onyx cut off communication.
“Can’t even respond properly without me contacting first. Useless fools.”
Onyx clicked his tongue.
The formidable army Downburst once led now had naught but unintelligent demonfolk and magical beasts remaining.
The reason Onyx was convinced Foil still alive:
He had watched everything transpire from the skies above – the Eight Generals’ ambush, the demonfolk army’s attempt to steal the holy sword, all of it.
To the public, Foil battled Yuu and fell off a cliff to his death.
Yuu and Mei had also searched but found no traces of him, judging that his body must have been washed away down the river below. They were crestfallen over his loss.
However, Onyx witnessed it with his very eyes.
Someone had rescued Foil as he fell off that cliff.
“Don’t know who it was but no doubt they meant to save him. Then he must still be somewhere in these woods.”
And so Onyx scoured every inch of the forest in search of Foil.
All in order to kill Foil with his own two hands without returning to inform the demonfolk stronghold that Foil still lived nor asking for permission – acting entirely on his own discretion. However, the forest was vast and the search progressed less smoothly than he imagined. Even his sharp vision was mostly useless amidst the obstructing trees.
Initially Onyx was not so impatient. After all Foil’s injuries were grave. He reasoned there would be no way for Foil to move from the woods.
But that impatience gradually transformed to agitation. No matter how much area he covered there was no sign of Foil. And yesterday, the unit searching for Foil suffered immense casualties from a single massive wolf.
Onyx himself descended to take action but the beast exploited an opening to escape. His forces also lost nearly half their numbers, hampering search efforts.
“That damn fake will show himself eventually! And then Onyx of [Swift Claw] will have his revenge for Lord Downburst! That wolf as well, next time I’ll tear out its throat! ……Hmm?”
Burning with vengeful fury,
Onyx spotted Ouro Village below.
Already irritated over his inability to find the elusive [Hero].
Disdainful as he was towards his own men for lacking wit, Onyx was still undeniably demonfolk. His malice towards humans easily matched any other’s.
Onyx’s lips twisted into a nasty grin.
“Might as well have come for this after all. Far more eager to hear human screams than beastly howls.”
Kachi kachi rang out…the white feathers on his arms glinted eerily in the moonlight on the sharp hooks of Onyx’s talons.
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