An Extra’s Rise in an Eroge

Gerrak snarled, his monstrous form battered but not beaten. His glowing red eyes locked onto Arthur, who stood steady, Drakathorn glowing ominously in his hand. The battle had scarred the landscape—cracked earth, smoldering debris, and lingering magical auras spoke of the intensity of their clash.

"You've pushed me far enough," Gerrak growled, his voice a guttural rumble. "But this ends now!"

With a guttural roar, Gerrak summoned all his strength and charged Arthur like an enraged beast. The demon's hulking frame seemed unstoppable as he closed the distance, his claws aimed to tear Arthur apart.

Arthur's eyes flared with the golden intensity of Dragon's Gaze, momentarily halting Gerrak mid-charge. Using the opening, Arthur activated Foresight, predicting Gerrak's next move. As Gerrak swung his claws downward, Arthur sidestepped effortlessly, his spear slicing through the demon's exposed flank.

The impact sent a ripple of fiery and electrical energy through Gerrak's body, causing him to stumble. Arthur didn't relent. He leapt into the air, summoning the full power of Drakathorn's Skybreaker Thrust.

"Time to end this, Gerrak!" Arthur shouted, bringing the spear down in a blinding arc.

The attack struck true, piercing through Gerrak's chest and pinning him to the ground. A massive shockwave erupted from the impact, fire and lightning engulfing the area in a dazzling display of destruction. Gerrak let out a deafening roar before his body began to disintegrate into ash, his monstrous form no match for the overwhelming power of Drakathorn.

As the dust settled, Arthur pulled the spear from the ground, his breathing heavy but steady. The battlefield was silent except for the crackle of lingering flames.

From the shadows, Lira and Lyra emerged, their daggers dripping with dark ichor.

"All clear," Lira reported, her tone nonchalant despite the carnage surrounding them.

"Pathetic scum," Lyra muttered, kicking the body of a demon contractor. "They dared to challenge the young master."

Arthur nodded, glancing at the corpses strewn across the battlefield. "Good work, both of you."

The faint sound of movement caught Arthur's attention. In the distance, city guards stood at the edge of the battlefield, their faces pale as they watched the scene unfold. They had been there since the battle began but hadn't dared to approach, knowing the power on display was beyond their ability to handle.

"They've been watching," Arthur muttered.

"Should we deal with them?" Lyra asked, already stepping forward.

Arthur raised a hand to stop her. "No need. They've seen enough to know not to interfere."

He turned away, dismissing Drakathorn back into the system inventory. "Let's go. We've lingered here long enough."

By the time the city guard captain arrived, the battlefield was eerily quiet. The corpses of demons and mutated contractors lay scattered across the quarantined area, evidence of the fierce battle that had taken place.

"Report," the captain demanded, his voice tense as he surveyed the carnage.

One of the guards stepped forward, saluting stiffly. "The battle ended shortly before you arrived, sir. We couldn't get close—whoever was fighting was far beyond our level. We've already informed the higher-ups."

The captain knelt beside a contractor's body, his expression grim. "Demon contractors… in the capital?" He stood, looking toward the city skyline. "And the one who defeated them?"

"Gone," another guard replied. "We couldn't see his face, but whoever he was… he's dangerous."

The captain nodded, his jaw tightening. "Keep this area quarantined and ensure the bodies are disposed of properly. I'll report this to the council. If demons are infiltrating the capital, we have a much bigger problem on our hands."

As the guards worked to clear the battlefield, the captain couldn't shake the unease in his chest. Whoever had fought here was no ordinary warrior, and the power they displayed hinted at something far greater than he dared to imagine.

Meanwhile, far from the chaos, Arthur and his shadow guards slipped unnoticed through the city's backstreets, heading toward the academy.

"Do you think they'll come after us?" Lyra asked, wiping her daggers clean.

"Let them," Arthur replied, his tone calm but firm. "They'll regret it if they do."

And with that, they disappeared into the night, leaving the echoes of their battle behind.

##############

Arthur leaned heavily against the wall of his dorm room, the soft glow of a healing spell enveloping his hands as he treated his injuries. He winced slightly as the magic worked to close the deeper wounds.

"Damn it," he muttered. "That fight was brutal. These rewards better be worth all that trouble."

The system chimed in his mind, its voice calm as always.

[The rewards will undoubtedly justify the effort. However, you should retrieve Alicia from the training space. It has been some time.]

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "What's the rush? It's only been an hour. Let me catch my breath—she'll probably bombard me with questions anyway."

[You misunderstand. Since you weren't actively using the training space, the time dilation was at maximum. Ten hours have passed for her.]

Arthur's eyes widened. "What?"

[She is likely growing anxious. I recommend summoning her immediately.]

"Damn it," he muttered again, sitting up straight. Without another moment's hesitation, he activated the system command to bring Alicia back from the training space.

The air shimmered for a moment before Alicia appeared, sitting on the ground. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her new familiar, the shadow cat, as tears streamed down her face.

Arthur froze, guilt washing over him.

When Alicia looked up and saw him, her eyes widened. She scrambled to her feet and dashed toward him, throwing her arms around him in a desperate hug.

"You're alive!" she cried, her voice trembling. "I was so scared! Are you hurt? Are you alright?"

Arthur blinked as Alicia started frantically patting him down, checking every inch of him for injuries.

"I'm fine," he said, though his voice softened when he noticed her trembling. He pulled her closer, hugging her tightly. "Alicia, calm down. It's over. Everything's alright."

Her sobs didn't stop immediately, but she clung to him, burying her face in his chest. Arthur gently patted her back, his voice steady and soothing.

"It's okay. I'm okay. No one's hurt anymore."

For several moments, neither of them said a word. Alicia's sobs gradually quieted as Arthur held her, his presence grounding her fears.

"You know," Alicia finally said, her voice muffled against his chest, "I was so frightened. I thought… I thought you…"

"I know," Arthur said softly, interrupting her. "I know. But look—I'm fine. No need to worry anymore."

Alicia looked up at him, her tear-streaked face filled with relief and lingering concern.
Your next chapter awaits on empire

"You promise?"

"I promise," Arthur said with a small smile. "Now, let's sit down. You look like you've been through just as much as I have."

Alicia nodded and followed him to the couch. As they sat, she looked at him expectantly, her fear now replaced with curiosity.

"So," she began, her voice steadier, "what was all of that about? Who was that demon? And how did you know him? And what was that place? Where did you send me? It was so empty."

Arthur raised a hand, stopping her rapid questioning. "Hey, hey, calm down. One question at a time."

Alicia took a deep breath. "Okay, fine. My first question—where did you send me? It felt like so much time passed, but only an hour went by here."

"Hah!" Arthur let out a small laugh. "It's a separate space."

"Separate space?" she echoed, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes," Arthur said smoothly, "I've already mentioned that I have a space-related skill for storing things. This is a more advanced version of that—a training space with a time dilation effect. Time there moves ten times faster than in the real world."

Alicia's eyes widened. "Ten to one? That's… that's cheating!"

Arthur smirked. "Yeah, I know. But I never really used it before. The first time I did was to keep you safe."

Alicia tilted her head, processing his explanation. "Okay, fair enough. Now, my second question—who was that demon? And how did you know him?"

Arthur leaned back slightly, his expression turning serious. "I don't know much about him. I only know his name—Gerrak. I learned it from someone before coming to the academy."

"Who?" Alicia pressed.

Arthur hesitated, carefully choosing his words. "I don't know much about him, just his name—Gerrak. I learned about him from someone a while ago. You probably don't know because it wasn't made public, but before I came to the academy, a demon disguised as a servant tried to assassinate me. He failed. After some… interrogation, I found out he was just a pawn. The one pulling the strings was Gerrak, a demon commander lurking in the empire and spreading his influence."

Of course, this was all made up. Arthur knew Gerrak from the game, where he was responsible for several terrorist attacks. Finding him had been a challenge because he was a master of disguise.

Alicia's brow furrowed. "But why was he after us? Why would someone like him blow his cover just for… what was it? A void stone? Did we buy something like that?"

Arthur sighed, reaching into his system inventory. He pulled out the black, emerald-like crystal—the void stone.

"This," he said, holding it up, "is the void stone."

Alicia stared at it in disbelief. "What? But the auction house said it was just an unknown stone they couldn't analyze."

Arthur smirked. "That's exactly the point. It's much more than it seems. Think about it—why would a demon, who has been carefully hiding for so long, risk exposing himself just to get this?"

Alicia's eyes narrowed. "Don't play riddles with me. Just tell me already."