NOVEL NEXT Chapter 24
Demons
Demons.
Crane hovered, wind cloaking his hands and feet.
Sasha readied her sword, glaring at Crane.
“Humans have abilities, don’t they? Show me.”
“If that’s what you want, I’ll show you.”
The one who answered was Tycoon.
Light glimmered from his staff, directed toward Sasha.
“[Overdrive].”
Sasha and Reynold’s bodies began to glow.
Cress touched Robin’s shoulder.
“[Double]!!”
“Oh, that’s nice.”
“Two of me?! Twice the support, huh?!”
“Yeah! Let’s do this!!”
The two Robins high-fived as Myuane diligently nocked her [Explosive Arrow], channeling her power.
Meanwhile, Tycoon began chanting another spell.
Tycoon’s ability, [Sage], specialized in enhancement and weakening magic. Though he could also cast offensive spells, his focus on ally reinforcement and enemy debilitation made him less adept in attack magic.
“Huh, looks fun. So that’s your ability. But… demons have abilities too.”
Sasha accelerated toward Crane at an incredible speed.
Her enhanced velocity was beyond what ordinary adventurers could react to.
But––Sasha’s trajectory shifted.
“!?”
She had been charging at Crane, yet somehow her position was off.
She crashed into a nearby wall, shattering it, and ended up embedded within the rubble.
“Ugh…”
“Sasha!!”
Piasora reached toward Sasha, whose body glowed faintly as her injuries healed.
Her ability, [Saint], granted healing magic. As a nun, Piasora’s prayers could cure not only wounds but illnesses as well, earning her the title of the strongest Saint of the era.
Crane lunged at Sasha, his wind-cloaked fist aiming to strike.
“No way I’m letting you!!”
Reynold’s shield intercepted the blow.
“Not bad.”
“Shut up!!”
Reynold deflected the attack with his large shield, then swung a smaller shield to strike Crane.
However, the wind blocked his shield’s advance.
An invisible layer of air protected Crane.
“Demons possess a power called Skills. Similar to human abilities, but on a completely different scale. In my case, it’s [Airflow Manipulation], which lets me control the flow of air however I want. Like this.”
With a snap of his fingers, several arrows flying toward Crane stopped mid-air.
““What?!””
The arrows turned and struck Reynold’s shield, protecting Sasha. They exploded upon impact.
“Ugh…!?”
“Whoa, impressive.”
But Reynold, with the [Shield Master] ability, could enhance even a wooden shield to iron-like durability. His shield, crafted from the bones and hide of a Silverray Dragon, was reputed as the strongest in the capital.
Crane gathered wind in both hands, scattering it around him.
The wind wrecked the workshop, sending wooden crates flying and filling the cramped space with a raging storm.
“Ahahaha!! Get it? If I went all out, I could cover an entire town in a storm. Human strength doesn’t compare. That’s why demons are the strongest. You bugs!!”
“Is that so?”
Sasha spoke, stepping out of the cracked wall, her hair fluttering lightly.
She wore an oddly composed expression.
“Indeed, that’s quite the power. But––you’re a fool.”
“Huh?”
“Hmph…”
Battle aura erupted from Sasha’s entire body.
“Let me tell you why you’re a fool. Come at me.”
“Tch, cocky little brat. I’ve decided—I’ll make you my pet.”
“If you can.”
With a whoosh, Sasha’s aura surged explosively.
Crane cloaked himself in wind as debris swirled around him, smacking him in the face.
He clicked his tongue and brushed his cheek, but––that meaningless action created a slight opening.
Sasha didn’t let it slip.
Concentrating 70% of her aura into her legs, she moved with near-teleportation speed to Crane’s back, slashing instantly.
“Gah…?!”
“Too slow.”
A flurry of slashes followed.
Crane’s back split open, green blood gushing out.
Crane fell. Sasha accelerated mid-air, driving her sword into Crane’s stomach, pinning him to the ground.
“Guh… gah…?!”
“You’re an idiot. Sure, controlling wind is an impressive ability… but in a confined space like this, it’s useless. If the mine collapses, you’d be buried alive, too.”
“And most of all… you underestimated humans. Assuming demons were superior, you held back and played around. That’s why you lost.”
“You brat…!!”
Crane glared at Sasha, bloodlust emanating from him.
Sasha withdrew her sword and plunged it into Crane’s heart, twisting it with force.
“Gaaahhh!!”
“I won’t take any chances. Die.”
“Urgh… ah…”
Cracks spread across Crane’s body.
Tycoon called out.
“Sasha, demons completely disappear when they die! Cut off its horn before that!!”
“Understood.”
Without hesitation, Sasha sliced off Crane’s horn.
“Heh… no mercy, huh.”
“Why would I show mercy?”
“Heh… you’ve got such a cute face… heh, heheh.”
“Answer me. How did the demons enter the human world?”
“…[Teleportation Magic Circle].”
“Teleportation Magic Circle?”
“Yeah. A magic gate creates an ‘entrance’ in the demon world and an ‘exit’ in the human world. We can come and go through it. But… it’s incomplete. A few demons can pass through a few times before it collapses completely. The exit I made will vanish with my death… heh heh… this research is the highest priority in the demon world. Someday, a massive demon invasion could happen out of nowhere.”
“…Why tell me? Honestly, I didn’t expect you to talk.”
“Isn’t it obvious…? I hate the idea of me dying while other demons survive and ravage the human world… heh… better prepare yourselves…”
Crane shattered, leaving only the horn behind.
Sasha sheathed her sword and picked up the horn.
“Sasha, are you okay?!”
“Yeah. Thanks, Robin. Is everyone else fine?”
Reynold, Tycoon, Robin, Piasora, Cress, and Myuane.
All her companions were unharmed. Though some were injured by debris during the storm, Piasora had promptly healed them.
Tycoon clenched his teeth.
“Demons, huh…? Cress, this needs to––”
“I know. I’ll report it to Father and send word to neighboring countries.”
“Brother…”
“Myuane, things are going to get busy for a while.”
“…Yes.”
Thus, Sasha and her team completed their mission.
However, they brought back a new threat: the Demons.