Chapter 4: Hunt the Moon
After separating from her companions at the fortress, Hatsumi wasn’t quite sure just where she had run to. Since she was within a forest, it was probable that she had entered territory that was under the demons’ sphere of influence.
She had been running, cutting down the demons in front of her as well as the ones who were pursuing her hot on her heels. It was like they were popping up at every turn, so she just kept running. And before she knew it, it started to get dark and her visibility dropped dramatically.
This evening, there should have been a crescent moon in the sky. But likely because of the tree cover overhead, it seemed far darker than it should. It was nearly pitch black in the woods. The deep blue and dark grey leaves hung from the branches overhead, and the bark of the darkwood trees made it look like they’d been painted with a coat of pure night. Despite there being a fair amount of space between trees, the darkness gave the impression the forest was much denser than it was.
Because Hatsumi had seen a map of the region before, she was at least aware of the general area she was in. But it seemed she’d headed in the opposite direction of Alliance territory, meaning it might be difficult to escape the demons’ lands even if she found her way out of the forest. Thinking back on it, it was like the demons had specifically targeted her. They persistently hounded her and drove her this way, which meant...
“This was their aim from the very beginning...”
Everything that happened was all their scheme. She’d thought it was a plan to attract and disperse Alliance troops, but in truth, they were only aiming for the hero’s life. Nothing else was important.
If a human stronghold was floundering, the hero would no doubt come to save them. Because the hero could do the work of several units, sending her was a simple and efficient solution. But the demons used that against them. That was exactly what they wanted.
First, they kept the main Alliance army busy by preparing a large force of similar scale in plain view and sending detachments to attack other fortresses. Said detachments were intentionally insufficient to actually take the fortresses, except for the one where they meant to lure the hero. Everything was lying in wait there. The moment the hero sortied from the fortress, the demons came out in force.
Hatsumi knew from the beginning that something must be going on. That’s why they’d prepared a sufficient amount of forces and gathered careful intelligence. They just hadn’t been able to deduce what the demons’ real goal was, and that was a fatal error. They’d mistakenly assumed the demons were plotting to go after the Alliance’s main army, leaving them unprepared for a trap like this.
Using an obvious plan as a decoy, they’d specifically targeted the hero. They’d known that by creating a dire situation at one of the fortresses, the humans had two options: either send reinforcements or abandon it. Sending even a large number of reinforcements seemed pointless against the number of demons plaguing it, but there was no way she could simply abandon her allies. That left them with no recourse but to send the hero herself. It was too bad she was only realizing this now.
“I see...”
After discerning the truth behind it all, she suddenly lost strength in her body. Just like that, she crouched down at the base of a tree. And then, like she was embracing herself, she curled up into a small ball. Her judgment may have been clouded by her victories up until now. Because she’d never lost to the demons, she never questioned that she could keep fighting. She was aware that there were demons who could come up with strategies, and she’d been careful about that.
No, even if she thought she’d been careful, it turned out that wasn’t the case. Being blind to the truth was no different from being ignorant of it. Her foresight was shallow. Battles couldn’t be won on strength alone.
“‘Come with me,’ huh...?”
Suddenly, she recalled what Yakagi Suimei had said to her on that evening. With things as they were, she began wondering if it would have been better to have just taken his hand honestly at the time. Without making a show of courage, if she had just taken her responsibilities as hero and the pangs of guilt she felt from walking away from the fight and just cast them to the wind, she probably wouldn’t be alone and scared like this.
“There’s no reason why you have to fight them, right?”
Just as Suimei had said, she was summoned here against her will. On top of that, she had lost her memory. She had no real reason to fight here. Contemplating all this, Hatsumi shook her head vigorously. She was just making excuses. She’d swung her sword of her own free will and acted completely on her own, so what was there to gain by acting uninvolved now? She would simply have to live with the consequences of her own actions.
“...”
However, even so, the pain in her heart only grew stronger. It was because she was all alone in this pitch darkness. No, that wasn’t the only reason that her painful feelings of loneliness were swelling up. She’d been lonely ever since coming to this world. Even though she would smile for the people around her, it wasn’t a genuine smile from her heart. As long as she didn’t know who she was, that was something that would never happen.
That was perhaps the sole reason she’d really fought up until now. She was filled with loneliness and anxiety, but when she swung her sword, it was like she could cut herself away from those emotions. That’s why she believed that she was unconsciously trying to liberate herself by fighting.
Yet, somehow... that anxiety had now slightly weakened. Why was that? It was because there was someone who knew who she was, and that made her feel at ease. He said he was family. A cousin. A close friend. It was embarrassing to talk about, but in this place where nobody was around, those words rang in her heart.
Someone was thinking about her. Someone was waiting for her. She knew all that because of Suimei, so just knowing him had eased her anxiety. As she shut her eyes in the darkness, she could see her dreams playing on the back of her eyelids—dreams of her playing with a young boy that were probably memories of her childhood. They would play hide-and-go-seek together. If only he’d come to try and find her now...
“Good grief, so this is where you were hiding?”
Yes, just like that, completely out of nowhere...
“Huh—?”
“Yo. You look a little worse for wear.”
Hatsumi turned towards the voice she heard and doubted her eyes. For standing before her was Yakagi Suimei’s figure. She couldn’t see him well in the darkness, but she recognized his voice. It really was like he’d appeared out of nowhere.
“Yakagi?! Really?! You’re kidding...”
“Y-Yakagi...?”
Suimei frowned. He wasn’t used to her calling him by his family name. And Hatsumi wasn’t used to seeing him dressed like this—he was in a black suit rather than the green clothes he’d worn before.
“Why are you here...?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I came to find you. See, I heard you left to fight the demons, then went missing in a retreat or something. I’ll worry about the details later.”
“Ah, yeah...”
Hearing him say that, her face suddenly felt hot. To distract him from her reddening cheeks, she changed the subject.
“Y-You were wearing a suit when you were summoned?”
“No, I was actually wearing my school uniform. But I can whip this out anytime the occasion calls for it.”
“Being a mage sure is handy, isn’t it?”
“A magician—not the same as the magic users of this world.”
Hatsumi didn’t quite understand how they were different, but Suimei didn’t dwell on it. He then pulled an old-fashioned lantern from the bag he was carrying.
“So, I’m gonna turn on a light, okay?”
“Huh?”
“What?”
“W-Wait! If you do that, won’t the demons find us?!”
“Maybe, but who cares? Isn’t it a little dark for you here?”
“But...”
“Darkness wears out your nerves. Just being unable to see properly is a bundle of anxiety. I guess it might not be if you’re already blind, but it’s kind of a mood-killer. And if demons suddenly came and attacked, wouldn’t it be fatal if your concentration was compromised?”
Suimei didn’t wait for her to agree. She didn’t know what kind of trick he used, but after poking the lantern with his finger, a warm orange light came on within the glass container. The source of the light was rather small, but it provided as much illumination as an open flame. And with that, Hatsumi could finally see Suimei clearly. Just as he said, she immediately felt a little better.
“Now then, show me where you’re hurt.”
“Can you heal it?”
“I’m a magician, remember?”
As he spoke in a reliable and refreshing tone, Hatsumi showed him the cuts on her arms and legs. Quite a few of them were deep, but thanks to the divine protection from the hero summoning, they had already healed to the point that they weren’t too serious. Suimei recited one or two words, and a green magic circle appeared in the palm of his hand. It let out a faint light that shone on the cuts on her arm. She could feel a gentle warmth from it. Before long, when he pulled his hand away, her cuts were gone without a trace.
As he continued healing her other wounds, she started imitating his words as she hummed to herself. This was just the good luck charm he used in her dreams. The smile he gave her as he finished her treatment was the same, too. But it seemed he’d healed more than just her cuts—the anxiety constricting her heart was long gone. Seeing the subtle change in her expression, Suimei gave her a worried look.
“What’s wrong? Are you alright? Do you wanna take a rest before we move?”
“Let’s go. I’d rather not stay here forever.”
The kindness he was showing her was somehow embarrassing, so she abruptly turned away from him. He looked flabbergasted.
“What is it?” she asked.
“N-Nothing. It’s just, after being healed, you’re suddenly full of energy... is all. That part of you is exactly the same as before you lost your memories.”
“Hmph... Well excuse me for being a tomboy.”
Hatsumi sounded irritated. For some reason, him thinking of her that way bothered her. Suimei, however, was chuckling like he was quite pleased.
“Well then, shall we go?”
“Do you know the way back?”
“I can tell which way is north at least. We’ll figure it out.”
“That’s so haphazard...”
But right now, there wasn’t much else they could do. There was a possibility they would bump into demons along the way, but if they remained where they were, they would just be sitting ducks. And since it seemed Hatsumi was ready to go again, it was better to get on the move. Her miraculous recovery of energy could be attributed to the Goddess’s blessing, but it was likely only now that her anxieties had been dispelled that she was really feeling the effects of it. Like this, even if demons did appear, she could fight well enough.
Holding up his lantern, Suimei began to walk. Even though he was walking through thickets, he cut down anything that was in the way skillfully with magic and created a path for them. Hatsumi followed after him, focusing on the orange outline of his shadow drawn by the light from his lantern.
“These are pretty sturdy trees, huh?” he said.
“They are apparently called darkwood. They grow here in the north, and I’ve heard they’re used for weapons and things.”
“Yeah, I think I’ve heard of this before...”
Suimei spoke in an admiring tone. In spite of the critical situation, he didn’t seem to be carrying an ounce of tension. Somewhat astonished at his behavior, Hatsumi asked him about something that was on her mind.
“Hey, did you meet with Selphy and the others on the way here?”
“Yeah, I did. I had my companions stay with them. Right now, they’re probably all taking it easy. I didn’t ask for details, but it looked like they all had their units with them.”
“I see, thank goodness... They got away safely.”
Another of Hatsumi’s worries vanished in a sigh of relief. It was a blessing that her companions were all safe. But if what she suspected was true, the demons likely hadn’t pursued them very hard. And just as she was thinking about it, Suimei brought up the same thing.
“But to think only you would come all the way here...”
“It’s probable that their true aim was me alone. That’s why I ended up here.”
“Huh...?”
Suimei furrowed his brow, trying to read between the lines. Hatsumi then briefly explained her theory about what had really happened and why. After quietly listening, Suimei nodded.
“I get it. Because they were only really after you, the others were able to get away easily.”
“I suspect so. It’s just conjecture based on how things turned out, but if we think about it that way, their strategy makes sense.”
After walking alongside Suimei for a while, deep within the darkness in front of them, Hatsumi could see a pale blue light illuminating the trees.
“It’s bright over there...”
It was probably a patch of moonlight coming through the trees. After Hatsumi quietly pointed it out, Suimei turned his lantern towards it.
“Shall we take a look?”
After Hatsumi agreed, they cut through the underbrush and came upon a strange area with enormous stones lined up. The woods were filled with massive darkwood trees, but it seemed they’d been cleared out of this area specifically. Moonbeams rained down from the gap in the canopy overhead. Enormous stones lay here and there, worn and chipped from years of natural wear. Their positions, however, indicated they’d been placed by human hands.
It looked different from ruins scattered about the Alliance. And bathed in moonlight, it was almost like the whole thing was being lifted up in the air. It was like it was all from a different time and place.
“What’s this? Ruins?”
“Looks like it, but...”
As he muttered in response to Hatsumi’s question, Suimei took a closer look. But he came to a dead stop when he was able to see the center of the rocks clearly.
“What’s wrong?”
“This is...”
He didn’t answer her. But rather than ignoring her, it seemed like he hadn’t even heard her. When she looked at his face, he appeared to be somewhere between surprised and outright stunned. After he carefully walked around the clearing, he began muttering once more.
“To think it was all the way out here...”
Suimei seemed to come to some sort of strange understanding. There was a hint of excitement in his voice. As Hatsumi also drew closer and looked around for herself, she saw exactly what he had.
A magic circle was drawn neatly in the center of the enormous stones. In the middle of it was a reversed triangular shape. The words inscribed in it were in the language of this world. And despite being here for what was probably ages, the paint used to draw it looked like freshly drawn blood.
“Isn’t this... the magic circle for summoning heroes?”
“Yeah. There are a few minor differences between this and the one I saw in Astel, but there’s no mistaking it.”
“But why is it out here?”
“I told you before that I came here to look for a way back, right? That’s because I heard that the first hero summoning ritual was performed somewhere in Alliance territory.”
“So this is the clue you were looking for?”
“Yeah, this was my goal. But really, to think I would find it out here... To find it at a time like this is really something...”
Suimei let out a hardy laugh and shrugged his shoulders.
“Hey, does that mean that if we use this, we can return to our world?”
“Hmm? ’Fraid not. We can’t return with this thing. This is just a circle for calling things over. To get back, I need to get a good reading of this bad boy and make a new teleportation magicka circle based on it.”
“How tedious.”
“Don’t say that. It’s different from sci-fi warp devices and wormholes and portals and all that, you know.”
Suimei rebuked her while listing off a number of other options that sounded quite convenient. They were all things Hatsumi felt like she should know, but didn’t understand. As expected, talking to someone from her own world was a different experience.
“So, sorry, but you’re gonna have to wait a bit.”
“What? Y-You mean you’re going to take a look now?!”
“I’ll be quick. I’ll just transcribe the circle and examine it in a jiffy.”
The young mage eagerly approached the object of his curiosity. She had no idea what he was thinking, considering demons could set upon them at any time. He then started to gather his mana. Unlike when he turned on the lantern, this was being released in the open.
“Seriously? The demons will notice...”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
Suimei didn’t pay her any mind and simply continued to ooh and aah over the circle as he cast his spell.
“Wait, that’s not it, right?! You’re not going out of your way to get their attention, are you?!”
“No, I just don’t really care.”
“How can you say that so calmly?! Do you understand the situation we’re in right now?! Do you really and truly understand?!”
“What’re you getting pissed about? Calm down. It’s fine. It’s not like I don’t get it.”
“Wha... What?”
His reaction was so casual that Hatsumi was completely thrown off. Suimei then turned to her with a troubled expression as he scratched his head. He sighed like he was resigning himself to something and the air around him suddenly turned cold like it had that night at the palace. Hatsumi unconsciously held her breath, and then Suimei’s eyes shined red.
“You said earlier that you were entrapped by the demons, right? That the demons were only after you because you’re the hero, and that that was their plan all along.”
“Th-That’s what I’m thinking... Why do you ask?”
“If they went out of their way to plan something like that, the goal would have been to take you out once you were isolated. So I find it hard to believe that they’d only send small fries after you. To make sure things are taken care of, they’d send a demon general.”
“That’s...”
Hatsumi had had the same thought. She’d defeated a demon general on her own already, so it would take a demon at least as powerful to even challenge her. So just as Suimei said, it was inevitable they’d send a general after her.
“But what does that have to do with getting us noticed?”
“Well, just listen. I’m saying a demon general is currently in the middle of looking for you. There’s an eight or nine chance out of ten it’s the same guy who set this trap up in the first place... So we have two options from here: run away, or stay and fight.” Suimei paused there a moment before continuing. “It may be fine for you not to defeat said demon general yet. It’s a valid choice to run away now and gamble on encountering him again after you rally. But, personally speaking, I have a good reason to take him out here and now.”
“Wh-Why is that?”
“It’s not out of the realm of possibilities that said demon general will trap you in another scheme next time. And there’s no guarantee I’ll be around then. So, as far as I’m concerned, this guy’s gotta go.”
In spite of his casual and slightly joking tone, his words were earnest and passionate. Hatsumi felt like his shining red eyes were telling her that he meant to protect her.
“That’s the reason we’re not running away in a hurry. Do you think I’m being imprudent?”
“N-No... I understand.”
Expecting that they might meet gazes at any moment, Hatsumi quickly looked down. She couldn’t look him in the eye right now. If she looked directly into those eyes shining with determination, she thought her heart would be seized in an instant.
The reason she avoided him so was ultimately because of her amnesia. She didn’t know what kind of feelings she’d held for this man before, or whether it was okay for her heart to be seized by him. She spent a quiet moment pondering such things. But after speaking of his resolve, Suimei returned to his investigation. Hatsumi watched him from behind.
Just like when he infiltrated the palace, he’d come for her sake. He wasn’t looking for any compensation. He demanded nothing. All as if it was the completely natural thing for him to do. It left her with one resounding question.
“...Why?”
“...?”
“Why do you go so far for me?”
“Didn’t I tell you already? You’re family. That’s why...”
“I get that. I know that we’re cousins, but is that really the only reason?”
“The only reason...?”
“I’m saying, are you and me...”
Just as she was about to ask, the leaves and branches in the forest suddenly began rustling. They both could feel the very air around them get prickly. From a distance, they could hear the sound of footsteps and flapping wings, and they could sense an eerie presence.
“So they showed up...”
It was exactly as he said. The demons had been completely lured in by the bait he spread by scattering around his mana. As the rustling of the forest suddenly came to a stop, the repulsive figures of demons appeared between the trees. Perhaps because of the ruins, none of them showed up from the rear, but they still had Suimei and Hatsumi half-surrounded.
“...”
Hatsumi silently took a stance. As she took a fleeting glimpse to the side, Suimei was standing next to her with his hands in the pockets of his slacks. The demons were showing no signs they were about to attack. Normally, the moment they found a human, they would lunge in immediately. But these were only baring their fangs and hostility. They were like dogs awaiting permission to dig into a meal.
Before long, something wearing a black robe with golden embroidery on the fringes stepped out in the middle of the line of demons. Its figure made it look human at first glance, but the robe it was wearing concealed nothing but a pitch black haze. This was no human.
But unlike the other demons, it didn’t give off the impression it was waiting for anything. In fact, this was who the other demons seemed beholden to. It was likely this was the demon general. Its red eyes shined like fire in the darkness. Having anticipated its arrival, Suimei questioned it in a somewhat listless tone.
“So... you a demon general?”
In response to his question, a voice came out of the unsettling black robe that was floating in the air.
“I am called Vuishta, and I have been entrusted with one of the seven demon armies. It is a pleasure to meet you, hero who has received blessings from the wretched Goddess.”
He spoke in a haughty tone, really only taunting and belittling Hatsumi. But nevertheless, he seemed to have absolute faith in his own words.
“The one next to you does not seem to have any of the characteristics of the people described in the reports, but are you one of the hero’s companions?”
“Nope. I’m a relative.”
“...”
The demon general—Vuishta—must have found this to be a completely incomprehensible reply. And he was rightfully confused after hearing someone claiming to be a relative of a hero summoned from another world. It made no sense. Suddenly, Vuishta began laughing.
“I received a report that we had lost sight of you and panicked a little, but you really saved us the trouble of searching for you. After all, as if to announce that you were here, you have been scattering such obvious mana.”
“So using my powers turned out to be fruitful, huh? Well, that’s good. How about you give me a reward for the trouble?”
“Yes, of course. I will compensate you with blood. Heh heh heh...”
Vuishta let out an eerie laugh, but in complete contrast, Suimei was completely silent. Hatsumi then turned to him to criticize him.
“Just why are you going along with this?”
“Don’t be so tense. It’s fine to play around a little, right? But I guess this kinda guy doesn’t really fall for being stirred up, huh?”
“Hmph...”
It sounded like Suimei was really trying to size up the demon. Rather than playing around, he was just being sly. Next, Hatsumi questioned Vuishta.
“Are you the one who thought up this scheme?”
“That’s right. Hero of the Alliance, you are strong. That is why I thought to take you down with a clever ploy.”
“And this is how you chose to do it?”
“Yes, you all managed to defeat Mauhario. I figured you would grow overconfident after that, making it easier to entrap you in such a way. It just means it was worthwhile stirring him up.”
“You... used your own allied general?”
With that, Hatsumi realized the full extent of the scheme. This demon general had no qualms about using his own allies as pawns. And just as expected, Vuishta began laughing.
“That is incorrect. Mauhario simply exhausted himself for his allies’ sake.”
“You scum...”
With clear disgust in her voice, Hatsumi pointed the tip of her sword at the black-robed demon. She was pointing her bloodlust at him, but he was not agitated at all. After she took a step forward, Suimei called after her in a somewhat perplexed tone.
“Uh, Hatsumi...”
“I’ll take the front. Please take care of the other demons.”
“No, I’ll take this guy.”
He likely felt responsible for taking the general down since he’d been the one to attract him. But Hatsumi couldn’t stand for taking a backseat while someone else protected her. A swordsman’s spirit flowed through her veins. It was telling her to defeat the opponent before her. She couldn’t entrust that to someone else. After they quickly exchanged looks as she glanced back at him, Suimei seemed to understand how she felt. Or perhaps just gave up on trying to convince her otherwise. After letting out quite a sigh, Suimei stepped back.
“Got it. I’ll do something about the guys in the area first.”
With those words, Suimei’s mana swelled up considerably. Sensing this, Vuishta brought his eerie laughter to an end and raised his arm.
“Now, get them!”
Swinging down his arm and giving out his command, the demons sprung to action all at once. However, even with them all pouncing, Hatsumi didn’t feel like she was in any particular danger. It was the same as always. These demons attacked like a mob every single time. They were just like wild beasts being thrown a piece of meat. No, that’s exactly what they were.
Normal humans didn’t have the means to deal with a mob springing on them. But skilled individuals had strategies and techniques for all kinds of situations, including this.
It would be vital to cut the demons down quickly before they could completely surround her and truly gang up on her. When surrounded by enemies, instead of defending, there was a swordsman in the past who said it was always better to go on the offensive. Hatsumi’s memory was hazy and she couldn’t remember their name, but she had no problem putting such wisdom into practice.
Before the demons came into range, Hatsumi dashed forward like a gale towards the nearest one. The demon had no time to be surprised at her footwork, which reduced the distance between them to nothing in an instant. Before its expression could even change, its head was already tumbling on the ground. And then, without losing any momentum, Hatsumi moved on to the next demon. She leaped towards the one who was in the middle of reacting to the first being cut down. Seeing that this demon was taller than she was, Hatsumi thrust out her right arm out and stabbed at its face.
Against a large number of enemies, a thrust was a very poor choice of move. It was a powerful technique, but required pulling the blade back afterward, which could leave the attacker open and delay their next move.
However, that was no issue for the skilled Hatsumi. After stabbing the demon in the face, she simply leaned in and drove the blade in further. Disregarding the spray of blood, meat, and grey matter, she slashed her blade out through the side of the demon’s head to attack the next one.
In a single breath, the next demon was rent into five pieces. There was a spray of blood. There would only be an instant before it cleared. Just a single moment. As if everything was moving in slow motion to her, Hatsumi placed her large sword on her shoulder, and—determined to decapitate all of demons in a single line—swung it with all her might.
After her powerful slash, everything reverted to regular speed for Hatsumi as every demon was blown away. That was the last of them. She’d taken down at least one with every swing of her sword.
But it was dull. The demons were hardly a match for her. Like an unyielding geyser, she was overflowing with power.
Remaining vigilant of Vuishta’s movements, Hatsumi began worrying about Suimei. He was also surrounded by demons that were leaping at him just like they had with her. And Suimei was slow to react—he had yet to make his move. But he was completely composed just like the night he first came to the palace. There were somewhere around ten demons lunging at him, and he had nowhere to run. It seemed like there wasn’t enough time for him to deal with them all, but...
Every last demon and even the ground beneath them burst.
“Amazing...” Hatsumi unwittingly muttered.
Suimei had held his hand like a blade and swung it out in a horizontal line. The moment he raised his fingers to the sky, the demons were all swallowed in an explosion of flames. The man standing at the center of the explosions had an open stance and moved in a relaxed manner. It was a frightening, casual power. It was like he was the god of fire himself.
As she thought, he was quite skilled. She had seen magic used in battle against the demons several times already, but this was on a completely different level. Suimei then turned his composed gaze on Vuishta.
“At this level, no matter how many of them you let loose at us, you’ll never defeat us, you know?”
“That is... until they drain your mana and stamina, no?”
As Vuishta declared this, a massive number of demons began to appear from within the forest.
“Nothing but small fries swarming like bugs...”
“Heh heh, then please keep these small fries company for me. I must attend to the hero.”
While letting out another eerie laugh, Vuishta turned to Hatsumi. It seemed he intended to come at her immediately. Paying close attention to his movements, she charged at him first.
Flying demons came at her from the right and left as she ran. She swung her large sword at them, and in a single breath, took both of them down. She then took aim at Vuishta. But just like Suimei, Vuishta’s movements were composed. She was getting an ominous feeling from his figure just floating there.
Going around and cutting in from the left, Hatsumi extended her large sword while her opponent extended his claws clad in an evil violet aura. She took a swing with her sword from the side, but he dodged it. As she thought, the demon general was different from the small fries. Like a piece of paper blowing wildly in the wind, her blade didn’t even graze Vuishta’s robe.
“Ugh...”
Seeing this fight wasn’t going to end so simply, Hatsumi let out a slightly bitter groan as she leaped back. She then prepared to take on Vuishta’s attack that would be coming at her, but suddenly, a purple flash came flying in from behind her.
“Ngh!”
Escaping the purple flash, Vuishta’s black robe lightly fluttered as he fell back a great distance. It was a spell fired off by Suimei, who was currently still facing down a large number of demons.
“Yakagi!”
“Seems he can do something useful...”
Instead of replying, Suimei kept his eyes locked on Hatsumi. But not for long. His attention soon returned to the demons who’d resumed their attack on him. Using fire and lightning, he continuously shot down one after the other.
Suimei was supporting her from the back. On top of facing off against the demons surrounding her, he was paying attention to Hatsumi’s fight and keeping Vuishta in check.
He really is quite capable...
While fighting off a constant stream of ten or more demons, no normal human would be able to concentrate on anything else, much less provide covering fire. Hatsumi was left suspecting that his sight, hearing, and other senses were ten times as keen as what a normal human possessed.
But she had to focus on her own battle too.
“HYAAAAAH!”
Hatsumi attacked Vuishta as she unleashed her fighting spirit. She couldn’t easily hit him, but she continued to attack as she linked her sword techniques together in a chain. Before her incessant flurry of attacks, Vuishta eventually slowed, unable to keep up with her movements.
Now!
Using that opening, Hatsumi slashed down from his right shoulder to his left hip in the blink of an eye. She didn’t yell as she let out her killing blow. The fighting spirit held in her struck silently. Just as she planned, her sword cut right through Vuishta’s body. However...
“Huh—? Urgh!”
Hatsumi caught a glimpse of a violet aura coming at her and backed away immediately. Right after she finished swinging her sword, in no time at all, Vuishta’s was swiping at her with his evil claws.
“You dodged that well. I intended to kill you with that just now.”
“What are you saying so hastily?!”
She was stunned for an instant by the unexpected event, but she immediately yelled back as she swung her sword. This time, Vuishta did not move in the slightest or make any attempts to evade, as if telling her that he had no need to do so. And indeed, her large sword cut through the darkness without any resistance at all.
“What’s the matter? You won’t be able to defeat me with that sort of attack, you know.”
“That can’t be! My sword definitely...”
Her aim was true. But in spite of that, it was like she’d swiped through pure air. In a fluster over this mysterious turn of events, she let her guard down some. Suimei then yelled at her from behind.
“Hatsumi! Move!”
“Hup!”
Reacting to his voice, Hatsumi swiftly jumped back a great distance. Not a moment later, she could hear the satisfying sound of Suimei snapping his fingers, which quickly transformed into the sound of a large explosion. The air in front of Vuishta detonated. There was no way the shockwave hadn’t hit him, but as if nothing happened at all, his black robe was still lightly swaying in the air.
“...Huh?”
“What’s the matter? That level of magic won’t work on me, you know.”
“...”
Suimei didn’t respond to such provocation. Disregarding the demons who were lunging at him from behind, he simply glared at Vuishta in silence...
“Huh—?”
Suimei’s figure suddenly vanished like smoke and the demons lost their target. When Hatsumi spotted him, he was already standing behind those bewildered demons. Next, a great number of magic circles took shape suspended in the night sky.
“Wai...?!”
Looking at the magic circles that seemed to be filling the night sky to capacity, Hatsumi reflexively raised her voice in a fluster. She knew it was the work of an ally, but it still boggled her mind.
“Illustre carmen ad operationem maximam. Armat ad centum et juctim diducit, invocato Augoeides. Carpet Bombing!”
[Illustrious spell at maximum operation. Arm from one to a hundred and deploy serially, invoke Augoeides. Carpet Bombing!]
A flash of light was fired from the numerous magic circles filling the night sky. As the light impacted the ground, it exploded with a violent flash. The demons and Vuishta had nowhere to run, and everything in a wide area was blown away. It was indeed a magical carpet bombing.
Surely there was no way the demons had survived. Hatsumi shuddered at the thought of facing a spell so powerful, but quickly put it out of her mind as the afterimage of the light burned into her eyes vanished. Vuishta was still there.
“Heh heh heh heh heh...”
“No way!”
All of the winged demons had completely vanished, but Vuishta looked untouched. He was simply quietly laughing with an air of excitement. Suimei’s attack just now didn’t even leave a three centimeter gap anywhere for a mouse to escape. Even the sturdy darkwood trees in the area were cruelly blown away or toppled over. The storm of light was so intense that there were even chunks of earth blown out of the ground. But nevertheless, Vuishta was unharmed. As if nothing had happened at all, his robe was still lightly fluttering midair. Suimei beheld this and let out a troubled groan.
“Even high-order magicka doesn’t work...? Wasn’t the one just now good enough to annihilate the others? No, it’s just that the magicka didn’t piece his body...”
Hatsumi could hear him speaking in a perplexed voice with a couple of technical terms mixed in. It seemed he was also unaware of the reason why their attacks weren’t working on Vuishta. Despite his bewilderment, Suimei once more opened his mouth.
“Mea acies est facta invisibilis, sed est instar adamantinum acre, et demergit meus inimicum in sanguis. Abripit in atomos!”
[My blade is invisibly made, however with sharpness like steel, it drowns my enemy in a pool of blood. Blow away into atoms!]
As Vuishta was about to take action, Suimei fired off his next spell. Right as his chant came to an end, the darkwood trees, the ground, and the scattered stones were all abruptly torn to pieces and blown away. Hatsumi couldn’t tell whether they were blades made of air or just invisible blades, but everything in the surroundings were being shredded as the tempest of invisible slashes continued with no signs of stopping. Vuishta was concealed among the kicked-up dust and wood chips. But Suimei wasn’t going to relent until the entire area had been leveled. This time for sure...
“With this...!”
“Nope, this is just the opening performance.”
“Huh?”
Just as Suimei spoke, an invisible power pulled Hatsumi’s body over to his side. After landing next to him, within the sandstorm of wood chips, she could see a thin fire similar to a red string cutting through it. Before long, a bright red monster was born within the sandstorm of wood chips. It swelled, and then everything exploded. But neither the heat nor the shockwave from the blast reached her. Suimei was likely intercepting it. Both of them were unharmed, but...
“C-Could this be... a dust explosion?!”
In complete contrast to Hatsumi’s surprised expression, Suimei was indifferently staring at the fire as if nothing was happening. Not only had he cast the spell, but he’d used its power to make a clever attack like this. Thinking of how he’d intentionally created the phenomenon sent chills down Hatsumi’s spine. But even with all that, as the smoke subsided, Vuishta was in perfect health.
“So he can’t be blown away either... Huh.”
As if accepting that reality, Suimei’s irked voice rang in the now still air. But he said not a word after that. Even though Vuishta was acting defenseless, he didn’t chant another spell.
“Yakagi!”
“...”
Suimei did not reply. As if he gave up on defeating the enemy before him, he simply stood there with his head hung down.
The hero’s expression grew more bitter and unpleasant as time passed. It was no wonder, either. No matter how much she slashed at Vuishta’s body with her sword, all her sword ever cut was air. It was so unusual and uncanny that Hatsumi’s cheeks burned in frustration.
The man had stopped using magic, and the hero was just recklessly swinging her sword. Despite not knowing why her blows weren’t connecting, she didn’t relent in her attacks. Her moves were fluent and mature. So much so that Mauhario’s were merely a child’s practice swings in comparison. If he let his mind wander too much, they had a beauty to them that might even captivate a demon. However, right now, it was all just recklessness. Her sword that carried no conviction that it would actually hit was simply too clouded. Naturally, even the clear blade of a confident sword master would never hit him.
As the hero swung around her sword, she exclaimed and cursed to herself. She probably wasn’t intending to do so, but impatience moved her mouth involuntarily.
Rotating her body, the hero’s sword drew a spiral in the air. The blade came in with plenty of power from the side, and Vuishta exposed himself to the blow. But he took it with no resistance whatsoever, and easily shook it off. It was like he was only pretending to be hit with it, and Hatsumi could only watch in natural confusion. This was the first time her blade had ever been rendered completely useless.
“This is pointless no matter how long you go at it. Your sword will never strike my body.”
“Ugh!”
Vuishta spoke as if remonstrating the hero as she let out a sort of groan. He was acting like her attacks didn’t pose any threat at all to him after all, but even then, her attacks were too obvious now. This was how she’d defeated Mauhario. It wouldn’t work against Vuishta, but it made dealing the decisive blow back to her difficult.
However, even the hero had her limits. As long as he kept sapping her will to fight, she would weaken along with her depleted stamina. She had been fighting continuously since the ambush at the fortress. She probably hadn’t had any chance to rest. Right now she was panicking and slowly coming to an understanding. At this rate, she would die along with her will.
Just imagining the outcome, Vuishta was naturally filled with laughter. He was leading around an opponent by the nose who was supposed to pose a threat to the Demon Lord. Anyone would find it funny. It was simply such a delightful and pleasant feeling.
“Heh heh... It seems your breathing is starting to get ragged. How about giving up already?”
“You talk too much.”
“Unfortunately, unlike you humans, I do not have a tongue to bite on, after all.”
He began to corner the hero with his words. Humans were beings with weak hearts, no matter how strong their constitutions were. When their emotional strength was chipped away at, every single one of them was the same. They were delicate, fragile things.
Both Rajas and Lishbaum were well aware of this point as well. Aiming right at their weak spot, they could quash a human’s fighting spirit right at the root and make things all too easy. Vuishta was reminded of what they’d said at each and every opportunity. And so...
“It is about time you gave up. Could you just graciously hand me your head?”
“Who would do that?!”
“The man behind you seems to have resigned himself already. While you’ve been swinging around your sword... Just look. Hasn’t he just been standing there stock-still the whole time?”
“...Urgh!”
The moment he pointed out that man, the hero went pale enough that her face looked white. It was like imminent defeat was painted on her face. If he used that man against her, she would easily capitulate. He thought it was somewhat troublesome at first that she had a companion present, but it turned out to be quite fortunate.
It was no wonder the hero stepped forward on her own and fought quite prominently, but the fact that she was relying on the man behind her was clear as day. She watched the man’s face, and was using it to judge whether they were in a superior or inferior position. When she fought, she did so in a style that relied on his support. And then, after that man became completely silent, she broke into a sweat and became indecisive. Vuishta was confident of this fact.
While defeating Vuishta’s brethren, that man provided precise support for the hero like it was natural. He was quite skilled, but in the end he was only human. He was merely entertainment. His magic wasn’t enough to harm Vuishta—that was impossible. Probably not even Lishbaum, who taught him this technique, or even Demon Lord Nakshatra, could inflict a single wound on him.
At last, the hero’s shoulders began to droop like she was losing hope. Perhaps she was finally realizing that she couldn’t defeat him no matter what. She cast her gaze downwards, slumped her shoulders, and bit her lip bitterly. Seeing her like this now was too funny. It was like the fearsome girl at the start of the fight had just been a joke.
“Heh heh hehAH AHAHA!”
Unable to contain his joy, Vuishta poured his evil power into his claws. It would only be a few more moments. In mere seconds, he would take the hero’s head and gain the honor of being the first to kill a hero. There was no longer anybody who could get in his—
“Aah, what the hell? So that’s what it was?”
“...Wha?”
“...Huh?”
Two confused voices were simultaneous raised at that completely out of place voice. When Vuishta looked, the man who was standing stock-still before was now behind the hero and sighing with a stunned expression on his face. He looked like he’d come to a realization that should have only been obvious.
“I thought you were quite the difficult opponent to deal with, but now I totally get why attacks aren’t working on you. Your real body isn’t exposed here, so obviously there’s no way an attack would really connect. Why the hell didn’t I realize something so simple sooner? I’m a dumbass.”
The man in black clothing looked particularly perplexed—distraught, even. It was like his thoughts and concerns were somewhere far away from the battle Vuishta and the hero were having right in front of him.
Once he was done talking, Vuishta fired the evil power he had been gathering as a magic bullet at him. However, the man noticed it. He snapped his fingers and sent the attack flying off course with an explosion.
Up until now, he’d simply looked like he’d given up, but now he was eyeing Vuishta with the same bored expression he had in the beginning of the fight. Before he realized it, the hero had also dodged one of his attacks and leaped over to the man’s side.
“Didn’t you give up...?”
“Huh? What the hell are you talking about? Why would I give up in this kind of situation?”
“What...? You know, to survive, or something...”
“Nah. If we can’t win, we just run. You... When you lost your memories, did you also lose some of your brains?”
“Who’re you calling stupid?!”
The hero began yelling at the man. The man was snickering a bit, but his gaze was attentively directed at Vuishta. As Vuishta once more gathered his power for an attack, the man raised his hand once more. His ability to intercept was astounding. It would be difficult for Vuishta to get an attack in. The hero then pointed her sword at Vuishta as she spoke to the man once more.
“Did you figure it out?”
“Yeah. Seriously, I thought the guys in this world couldn’t do that crap, but there’s always an exception. There’s a part of it that I’m a little curious about, but... Well, I’ll just set that aside.”
The man was speaking like he knew how to deal with Vuishta’s technique somehow. Could it be more than just a bluff? Could he have actually figured it out? No, that was absolutely impossible.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about...” Vuishta said in a deep voice.
The man rolled his eyes and began speaking in a reserved fashion.
“Then should I just explain it simply? The reason attacks don’t connect with you isn’t because your physical existence has become ambiguous, but because the space itself you’re occupying has become ambiguous, right?”
“...”
“It looks like your body becomes hazy, so at first I only thought you were turning into vapor or making your physical existence ambiguous. But, holy crap, to think that you had that kind of body from the beginning... It’s amazing. Well, you’re a demon after all, so anything goes, I guess.”
“...You are completely off the mark.”
“Quit lying this far into the game. I’ve fought a guy who used a similar technique to what you’re doing right now. Well, his was way better right out the gate, honestly.”
The man was confident that his conjecture was correct. Vuishta was unable to deceive him.
“...Fine then. You are correct. I offer you my praise for seeing through it. However, this technique cannot be overcome by anyone.”
“You wish. There are countless ways of dealing with it.”
The man had a smile on his face as he declared that. It was like someone had said something funny. And that condescending attitude, like he was sneering at Vuishta, greatly fanned his anger.
“There is no such—”
“I just told you there was. Pretending to be a know-it-all really is lame, you know?”
“Tch! What are you...? With that kind of bluff...”
“Ah, you think it’s a bluff, huh? Care to test me?”
Vuishta gathered the power in his hand once more, and it swelled up into the shape of a gigantic fist. As he swung it with all his might, uplifting the ground and sending a great shockwave at the man.
He would never be able to defend himself in time. It would even be too late for the hero by the time she reacted. However, even that underhanded play seemed to have been anticipated. The instant his attack was crashing into them, the man’s figure fizzled out. The next Vuishta knew, both he and the hero were now in a different location.
Just what did they do? Vuishta was unable to read when that man had used a spell. Even the hero, his companion, seemed baffled by this. She was looking around frantically. And then, that man quietly shut his eyes and began reciting words from memory like he was singing.
“He who reveals the truth. Open the gates of knowledge, the third eye held by the Fool, and return all ignorance to the fate of the Earth. The purified soul of Jnanachakusya. Transcribe the ninety-six spokes revealed by them as two spheres and semi-circles, and draw them at my feet.”
The man’s chant resounded in the air. His mana grew agitated and poured out into the atmosphere surrounding him. The fierce wind created by his mana was systematically scouring the earth, and eventually, the man opened his eyes.
“Before the opened eye of Danguma, obliterate all falsehoods.”
Anything and everything in the area was drowned in a dazzling light that looked like it was reflecting off of a surface of water. However, that light immediately settled down, and just like before, the darkwood forest was only illuminated by the light of the crescent moon. Vuishta could not tell at all what effect the summoned light had. Nothing about his body had changed, and nothing about the surroundings had either. The hero also seemed to have realized this, and looked at the man with a puzzled expression.
“Yakagi...? That magic just now...”
“It’s done.”
The man was conceding. It had all been an act of desperation after all.
“Heh heh... AHAHAHA! What’s that?! Like I thought, it was just a bluff! Just as I thought that you were doing something truly over the top, nothing happened at all! Everything is the same as before!”
“Nope, that’s not true. Look. This over here is different, right?”
As the man declared this, he tapped the ground with the sole of his shoe. There were several circles drawn there with a pale glimmer that looked like they were imitating several eyes.
“And what is that picture supposed to do?”
“Hmm? It’ll take a while to explain, you know. The Buddhist symbols of Danguma and Ajunya. I’d have to start with Western magicka born from Indian Buddhism.”
“What prattle...”
The man was brimming with composure, but it wasn’t like he’d actually accomplished anything. Those marks at his feet were simply leftover magic circles from his bluff attempt. There was nothing to be worried about.
“W-Wait a sec! After all that talk, nothing is really different, right?! What’re you doing?!”
“...Even you don’t believe me? This is outta your area of expertise, so just put a lid on it.”
“But...”
“Look. Then how ’bout this?”
The moment the man spoke, a cold light suddenly rushed out. It was the man’s magic. Despite knowing that it wouldn’t work, that it would only beget the same outcome, he was a one-trick pony. His magic would never hit. Or at least, it shouldn’t have.
“Guuuh! Wh-What the...?”
Betraying all his expectation, the light pierced through Vuishta’s shoulder. The shock of being struck by magic and a sharp pain ran through him.
“You see? It hit, didn’t it?”
“You’re kidding... So that magic earlier was for this?”
“B-Bastard, just what did you...”
“Demon General Vuishta. You falsified the location you were occupying. However, as long as this eye of Danguma is open in the physical world, you can’t do that. The vision of your body that we see here, or the secondary one you’re swapping out with, will be completely exposed.”
“Ridiculous! My true body can’t be struck with magic just because of some picture! My body is already always in the realm of the dead!”
“Huh? Always in the realm of the dead? Don’t go spouting such nonsense, you fucking nitwit. You’re just riding a liminal line to make your existence ambiguous. Despite using the damn technique yourself, you don’t even know how it works? It’s not like your body is in a faraway place.”
“An attack from here couldn’t possibly...”
“No, it really can’t reach you. But your understanding of the whole thing is still all kinds of messed up. Each and every time you attack or defend, you’re shifting between phases. The truly supernatural skill of being able to attack from across different phases is something only someone like Kudrack could pull off. In short, you’re only hiding your body a little bit.”
“Wha...?!”
It was a shock. This man could see through portions of the technique that Vuishta knew nothing about.
“H-However, just because you have seen through this technique does not mean I have lost!”
“But the fact that I can hit you now is quite serious, isn’t it?” asked the hero.
She’d been quiet all this time, but now unfurled her bloodlust again. It was like the start of the fight all over again. No, she was overflowing with even more spirit than before.
“Shut it, you stupid little girl!”
As Vuishta gathered his evil power and fired a magic bullet, the man responded in kind and shot forward his light magic. The two magics crossed each other in the space between Vuishta and the hero. Using his evil aura, Vuishta deployed his defensive wall, and the man’s magic vanished when it hit.
But the man also blocked Vuishta’s attack with a barrier of his own. A golden magic circle floating in the sky deployed before him like a shield. Suddenly, the hero pointed her gaze towards that man.
“Yakagi.”
“What, was it none of my business?”
“Um, that’s not it but...”
Seeming to have grasped her feelings after she had hesitated to speak, the man let out a sigh like he was resigning himself.
“Fine. The Phantom Sword of the Kurikara Dharani is a sword that cuts down the evil that haunts the world. Go ahead and thoroughly show that guy those sword techniques that have been polished for five hundred years.”
The hero resolutely nodded at his fearless statement. She then pointed her sword towards Vuishta, and came charging in with a sweeping strike.
“HAAAAAAA!”
“Don’t underestimate MEEEEE!”
The moment he thought he had caught her in his sights, she suddenly vanished, and a horizontal slash was coming from his side. She was fighting while remaining out of his field of vision. It was also clear that her movements were much sharper than before. However...
“All that means is that I just have to evade! I’ve already seen through your sword!”
Even if her sword was no longer clouded, even if it was now perfectly clear, there was no way her blade would strike him. Vuishta had seen through the hero. Her technique was obvious to him. Whenever she slashed out at him, her blade glittered quite clearly, after all. Even if the hero herself vanished from his field of vision, the light from her blade drew a distinct line in the air and told him where she was attacking from. Just like when the fighting started, all he had to do was dodge it. Nothing more.
It seemed the foolish hero had yet to realize all this. She simply continued to straightforwardly attack him. And just like before, all he had to do was toy with her until her power faded.
“Ugh, I can’t hit him...”
“That’s right! Even if I can’t use my technique to make your sword strikes pass through me, you can’t hit me! You will never be able to!”
“...”
Seeing the hero fall silent, Vuishta’s joy leaked out in a laugh. Watching his enemy who had heated up with passion bite her lip in powerlessness brought him unbearable levels of ecstasy.
“Heh... AHAHAHAHAHAHA! After I defeat this stupid little girl of a hero, next is you, you damn brat!”
After the hero would be that man in black clothes. There was no way he would let anyone who saw through his technique live. And after being so insulted, Vuishta would make his death a painful one.
On the other hand, something was wrong with the hero. In complete contrast to how she was moving around non-stop while attacking him just moments ago, she now stood there quietly with her sword in position. Her sword was pointed right at his eyes and the hilt of her sword was just a little lower than her chest. He didn’t know what she was planning, but the flicker of her blade would give her away. The moonlight reflecting off her sword told him... Wait, the moonlight?
“Huh—?”
It was gone. The glittering that was supposed to show him her next move had abruptly vanished. And just as he lost sight of her sword, he could hear a woman’s voice coming from somewhere in front of him.
“The Phantom Sword of the Kurikara Dharani, the Hazy Cross.”
Her spirit was sharper than the crisp, cold night. While the hero’s awe-inspiring voice echoed in his eardrums, Vuishta found himself lying face-up on the ground. He craned his neck to see in the darkness, but he could hardly see anything as his own body was cut into quarters. Before he could even scream, a gasp of doubt escaped his lips.
“H-How...”
How did she do this? Just what had happened...?
“On the night of a new moon, never compete against a swordsman. As I’d expect from my father... I truly, honest to god, tip my hat to him.”
The man in black clothes looked up at the sky as the night wind began to blow. He spoke almost as if he was reading Vuishta’s thoughts. His voice was somewhat nostalgic, yet happy. He then looked at Vuishta with a smile. It was just like the one he’d frequently seen Demon Lord Nakshatra make when things were playing out in the palm of their hands.
“Ridiculous... The moon is thin tonight, but there should still be moonlight...”
“You think?”
At the man’s ridiculing comment, Vuishta looked up at the sky. However, the shining crescent moon...
“It... Is isn’t there...?!”
As if the moon had never existed, the night sky was pitch black. There wasn’t even a single star to be seen.
“Hunt the Moon. The moon is a mirror that reflects all truth in the solar system. Everything under the light of the moon is made clear by its brilliance. Everything in its light becomes honest. Therefore, I hunted it from the sky.”
Vuishta could not understand what that man was saying. It was like he was reciting a poem. However, that black-clad man simply shrugged his shoulders at Vuishta’s bewilderment.
“Well, I said it in quite an exaggerated way, but this isn’t even the same solar system as Earth’s, and I don’t even know if there’s the ninety degree spectrum here. That was all just consolation, but... it still spells death for you, doesn’t it?”
The shining red eyes that looked down at Vuishta were more ominous than even Demon Lord Nakshatra’s as the man spoke in a voice so cold it made Vuishta shudder. Though it was far too late, he realized that this man was a god of death.
“Bastard... You knew that I had captured the light reflecting off her sword.”
“You said yourself that you saw through everything. And just like that, your eyes were always focused on Hatsumi’s big ol’ sword. I expected as much, and played off of that. Well, if her sword were made from the naturally brilliant orichalcos, it might have been a different story. But it’s your loss for being so captivated by her killing intent.”
His words mercilessly rang through the nighttime forest. And then, the man once more tapped the ground with his black shoe. As he did, Vuishta realized something was out of place. If the moon was not shining down on them, then their surroundings should have been completely dark. He shouldn’t have been able to see. But things were plainly illuminated by the light from the pictures at the man’s feet.
“It just means that the dazzling light that reveals the truth can also hide a lie. That’s all.”
“If... only you... weren’t here...”
“I wonder... There could be other techniques that could capture your real body and Hatsumi could have done something about it at the eleventh hour. Also, that sword skill just now... You got cut down because you didn’t properly measure the distance, right? You could have been chopped up before you knew what hit you.”
The man boasted that Vuishta’s chances at victory were basically nonexistent in the first place.
“Well, if you were at least as strong as Rajas, you may have defeated us, but it seems you’re really pretty lacking in the basics.”
As the man spoke like he was remembering something, an impossible shudder passed through Vuishta’s body.
“Bastard, it couldn’t be...”
The man smirked like a brat who’d been caught playing a prank and let out a light laugh.
Then this man... He was the one to cut down the demon general who was chosen to make the first move as the vanguard of the demon army.
“Reiji was the one to defeat Rajas. Let’s leave it at that, and have you kick the bucket right here.”
The man’s teasing voice was the last thing Demon General Vuishta would ever hear.
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