Deadly Battle

We are on the 4th floor now, but we still hiding on the stairs to watch the surrounding. The 4th floor in this basement is just a straight path. I don't see any guards here.

David underestimate us by placing just 2 guards on the 5th floor. He must think we are just kids and confined inside the iron cell, so we won't able to escape.

Sophia was still afraid of me. Her hands still shaking and she avoids looking into my eyes.

"I know you're still afraid, but please trust me and don't make trouble for us. Keep quiet and always stay close to me."

She doesn't answer me, but I think she won't do anything that will put her life in danger. I don't care if she hates me now because I already had their promise if my plan succeed.

Honestly, I don't want to bring her because she will become a hindrance to me. But I decided to take her after a few considerations.

If I left her on the cell, I can't guarantee her safety. She is my golden ticket for escape and enrolls in Elementary Academy and I need to protect her.

And as the last resort, I can use her as negotiation material to buy some times for Olivia's aids.

I take off my shoes and ask Sophia to take off her high heels because I was afraid it will make noises and reveal our position. Besides that, her movement will be hindered by those high heels.

I have 2 swords and a mitrill dagger as a weapon. I advance slowly while scanning my surroundings. I inspect the wall, ceiling and the floor to make sure no ambush attack from the enemy.

We managed to reach the stairs safely without any troubles. Before I ascend the stairs, I want to make an experiment.

"Lady Sophia, I want to test something. I will use [Mana Shield] to surround you. If you hear my voice, nod your head but If not please wave your hands. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

I use ball-shaped [Mana Shield] to Sophia and then a yellow transparent layer envelops her completely. She looks like trapped inside a giant bubble.

"Do you hear me? Hey? Hey?!"

Lady Sophia doesn't respond to my call and waving her hands. So the mana shield also blocking sound. I need to test it because no guards patrolling on the 4th floor so I don't know the result of my experiment on the 5th floor.

I cancel my [Mana Shield] and climb the stairs slowly and peek at the 3rd floor from the shadows.

I see 2 guards standing in front of a room. We need to get rid of them if we want to find the stairs.

"Please hide behind me, Lady Sophia."

I will lure them here. I tap the wall lightly with my sword's hilt with a constant rhythm.

*Tap* *Tap* *Tap* *Tap* *Tap* *Tap*

I managed to hear what they say because of my buff.

"Hey what is that sound?"

"I don't know, but it comes from the stairs to the 4th floor."

"Should we check it?"

"But we need to stay here. If the Captain found us left this area, we will be fired from this job."

"How about one of us will check that sound?"

"That's a good idea. This sound is very disturbing. I will go to check it out!"

"Yeah, tell me if something happens."

"Got it."

Nice they will come here individually. I will use [Mana shield] when he entered the stairs and cover both of us. His footsteps could be heard more clearly as he comes closer.

We hide in the shadows and prepare to ambush him. He comes into the stairs and I tripped his leg when he was going to pass me. He falls forward and I immediately sat on his back. I activate my [Mana Shield] to covering both of us. I cover his mouth and twist his head from behind. Then he stopped moving at all.

Fuuuh...

I need to kill him without spilling the blood. Because blood has a thick smell and me afraid his friend will notice his friend was killed. Twisting the head is the best method to do that. I hide his body on the 4th-floor corridor.

Sophia trembles uncontrollably when seeing me kill him. I am sure this memory will be a nightmare for her. I don't have any choices though.

Now his friend is dead, and I will waiting for the last guard to come here. I stop tapping the wall and just hide in the shadows.

"Hmm, the sound is gone, but why he doesn't come back?"

I can hear him complain about his friend.

"Geez, maybe he talks with Jeff and Ben on the 5th floor huh. I will call him immediately. If the Captain found me stand here alone, I will be fired too."

He decided to check his friend and come closer here.

Fufu, I will make you meet your friend on hell.

I use the same trick on him and managed to kill both of them easily. After I hide their body, I cancel the buff to save my mana and I slowly ascending to the stairs.

When I pass the room, I could see at a glance the interior of the room. There are some beds, several wooden benches and a lot of guards sleeping inside the room. There are some clothes and armor hanging on the wall.

Near the door, I can see a wooden drum full of swords. Maybe they will take it when they wake up. There is a key attached to the other side of the door.

Hmmm...

My wicked mind told me to fry them all.

Fufufu, you will pay for your master...

I take the key from the door and take all the torches that hanging on the corridor wall. I collect eleven torches but I will spare one for our lighting. I also take out the drum to prevent them from using the sword to pry the door.

"Don't move from here and stay near the door. Do you understand Lady Sophia?"

"...."

It seems that Sophia is still afraid of me. Yeah, as long as she follows my plan, she will be okay.

I throw the torches on the bed and all fabric material. I throw other torches to wooden furniture as well. The fire from the torch easily burns the bedsheet and spread into the other fabric material.

The guards woke up suddenly after feeling the heat from the fire that burned their beds. I immediately leave the room and lock the door with the key.

"Hey what's happening here?!!!"

"Please help me extinguish the fire. Horraaa...!!!!!"

"Throw the burning sheet and separate them!!!"

"Hey, why the door can't be opened?!!"

"Help!!!! Help!!!!"

They desperately tried to break the door, but I cover it with my [Mana Shield], so the door won't receive any damage from them.

Fufufu, I can stop grinning after punish them.

They will die no matter what happens. They won't have much oxygen to breathe and they will lose consciousness. Then they will be burned alive.

'Strike while the iron still hot.'

I agree with that line. I decide to kill them because I don't want them will become an obstacle when they wake up later.

After waiting for 10 minutes, I don't hear their wails anymore and I continue to advance to the 2nd floor.

On the 2nd floor, I found an empty corridor just like on the 4th floor. But somehow my instinct tells me something different on this floor.

I've been training my instinct and somehow I feel sensitive whenever I sense the danger. I hide in the shadow in the stairs while scanning the corridor once again. I scan the wall, floor, and ceiling but I found nothing.

Could it be the enemy waiting to ambush us?

My instinct never wrong. I can't explain how it works even in this world, but I feel my hearts beat loudly all sudden and I have a cold sweat.

Suddenly a shadow emerged from the darkness on the edge of the corridor.

"I know you're hiding. Come here and let's play a bit shall we?"

The shadows itself is a boy around Alan's age. He is 30 centimeters taller than me (my calculation). His hair is brown with scarlet eyes that shining in the dark. A sword is hanging on his waist.

"I will let you escape if you can defeat me. How about it?"

It clearly a trap.

If we fight here, there will be a loud sound because I can't waste my [Mana shield] to envelop this room. My current mana is 400. My mana is depleted and I need to save it in case something bad happens.

Okay, I will measure his strength. If I can win against him, I will kill him for sure. But If I can't win, I use [Mana Shield] to make a path to escape.

I come out from the shadows and prepare for his attack.

"You have good nerve huh. Normally a child like you will burst in tear and run away after feeling my [Coercion]."

So the bad feeling is from his skill huh. It affects me but it's not effective. I use my buff and readied my sword.

He charged directly at me. I welcomed his attack and swing my sword to block his sword. He leaps and tries to attack me from various angles with crazy speed. I barely matched his movement and I was pushed back by his power.

I can't dodge his attack because they're so fast. I was forced to block his attack every time. The sparks flying everywhere as our swords clashed.

"To think you able do survive my attack, you're not an ordinary child huh. Not bad, If you die without any struggle will be boring isn't it?"

With a wicked laugh, he begins to attack me ferociously. His swordsmanship is very good, plus his attack faster and stronger than mine. Soon I will run out of the mana to maintain my buff.

He swings his sword down to aim my neck, but I immediately crouched to avoid that attack. The attack will be meant certain death if it makes contact with me.

"Hahaha, more....more.....let me see how long you can keep blocking my attack!!!"

We crossed our sword once again. The clash of our blade makes an impressive gust of wind even we are in the basement. His sword is better than my mass-produced sword meant that only a matter of time before my blade wore out and snapped.

This is a very deadly situation. I will lose because run out of mana or my blade broken. Several wound cut appears on my arms.

Fufufu, I hope my trump card will show it's effect soon.

I have been using my untested skill [Debuff] on him since the beginning. To use this skill I need to 'always near the target and make contact for some period of time'.I have been using [Mana Thread] to him and cast [Debuff] to weaken his body.

But this still isn't easy by any means. I faced the endless onslaught of sword attack, each filled with killings intent. Each swing was equal with death, causing a cold chill to go down my spine.

Finally my debuff work, and his attack much slower and weaker than before. Our position is reversed now and I keep pushing him back.

"Huh?! What's happen?! Why my attack is diminishing?! Youuuuuu!!!"

But before I deliver final damage, he retreats and put some distance.

"Fufufu, I don't know what are you doing to me, but playtime is over. If I underestimated you, I will be in trouble."

He readied his sword and chanting but I can't hear that clearly. Then he swings his sword in my direction. My danger bell ringing on my head and I use [Mana Shield] to protect myself reflexively.

His attacks meet with my [Mana Shield] and destroy it. I was blown away several meters due to an unknown attack. I don't see his attack, but it carried a strong power to destroy my [Mana Shield].

He must be killed no matter what.

But Goddess of fortune wasn't on my side. Sophia comes out from the shadows when I was blown away by the invisible attack. If she comes out, she will be attacked too.

"Vin....!!!"

Sophia tries to approach me, but her body quivered with fear as she stopped moving, when my opponent swings his sword again. I use [Mana Shield] once again, but now I focused it on the front. I use the ball-shaped shield to protect me before, but if I focus on the front only, I think I can block his attack. I cast [Debuff] once again and using all my mana without hesitation.

"Hahaha, here taste my [Wind Gale] again....!!!!"

Now I need to make a bigger shield as wide as the corridor because I don't know to what extent of his magic.

"Sophia run and hide behind me. Quickly!!!"

She snapped back into her senses and begin to run and hide behind me. She is safe now and I can make the shield smaller to save my mana. My mana is 100 now.

His attack comes like a barrage and destroys my [Mana Shield] each time it makes contact. Countless wound cuts now appears on my body because I can't afford to make a bigger shield to protect me. I just protect my head and my body.

Because Sophia hides behind me, I need to make a 'Shield' with my body as a substitute. If I take this long, I can't escape. I need to kill him as soon as possible.

When he stops his swing and chants again, I run with all my remaining strength to him.

"No matter, how many times you try, you will die here in my hands!!!"

I run even my body can't feel anything anymore. My vision blurred due to blood loss. In my mind were playing several of my death scenarios. But even though I desperate, I will fight till the end.

When I am closer to him, I deactivate my [Transformation] to surprise him and it works. My 'Demon Lord' traits are exposed now.

"Wha.....you...you....."

He lost his composure and retreat a few steps back. I don't waste my last chance and aim his waist to kill him with my sword. But he calms down immediately and tries to step back and avoid my sword.

As if I will let you escape!!!!!

I use [Mana Shield] behind him as a wall to make him can't retreat.

"What?!"

He showing a shocked face due to unexpected attacks. And I muster up my remaining energy on this last attack.

"Haaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!"

And my attack connected with his waist and sever it completely. When my sword comes out from his body, the blade snapped in two and falls into the ground.

Silence.

*Plop* *Plop*

His body severed cleanly and fall on the ground at the same time as my swords. The unpleasant sight is laying in front of me. His organ scattered around and his blood spraying and covering my face and stains my clothing. I probably look like a serial killer now.

Fufufu, it's been a long time since I do that...

I come back to Lady Sophia.

"Let's go Lady Sophia."

"?!!"

She retreats from me. Maybe she afraid of blood and doesn't want to stay close to me.

"Let's go, we can't stay here for a long time."

But she still refuses to move. When I approaching her, she falls back and retreats even further.

"What's happen Lady Sop.."

Ahh, she sees my eyes huh.

Should I kill her too?

"What do you think about my eyes, Lady Sophia?"

"Umm....umm....I think it's....pretty...But you....Demon...Lord....?"

"No, I don't have any relations with the Demon Lord. I was just born with the same eyes as him. So what will you do Sophia?"

"Umm...You..are...my savior...and I thought you were very kind...so I don't....care about your eyes....But I still afraid....I swear... under name God Astaroth that I will keep your secret until the day I die. But...please.. save me..."

She nears her limit now. She was exhausted both mental and physical.

I will spare her life now. She isn't acting and I know it when she said she was afraid of my eyes. If she said my eyes were pretty and talk with the sugar-coating phrase, I will kill her immediately.

I don't like people who use facades and I hate myself in the past.

Honestly, I just can escape alone if I leave her. I know the route and I confident that I can run away from here. But why I must to risk myself just for rescuing her and escape from here?

Isn't my first priority is to survive?

Deep inside me, I know the answer.

Something I haven't felt for a long time.

'They put their expectation to me'

Olivia, Sophia, and Sam.

Back on Earth, My parents are always put their expectations to me.

-I read the book every day and become a genius when I was 7 years old. They will praise me whenever I show my intelligence.

-I do several chores to help them like sweeping, clean my room and they will pat my head.

-I listen to anything they told me and be a good child. If I doing that, they will take me on vacation.

In short, if I meet their expectations, I will get rewarded. I feel my life is useful to someone.

On my Junior High School, there are a lot of people put their expectations to me. But "I" on Junior High School was a facade. I don't feel any ambitions to meet their expectations.

Why I must try so hard for them who like my facades?

In this world, I lived as myself. I never justify myself and labeling myself as 'benevolent'.

I do various dirty stuff like killing a lot of people, looting the corpses just for looking for weapons and money, I told a lot of lies to get benefits from other people.

But I never tried to make a facade in front of anyone. Even I talked with a princess with commoner speech and got scolded by her Guardian.

Olivia, Caroline, Sam, and Sophia know that I capable to kill people even I still a child. I never use any excuses for killing them.

[I just killing people to Survive]

Nothing wrong with that and I don't care what about their opinion of me. Some of them probably think I was a monster, but in the end, their opinions don't affect my life.

And that's why, when they put their expectations to me, I feel something the same as when my parents expected something from me.

They expecting the 'Real' me and I feel my life has value.

And I will do my best to meet with their expectations.

We continue to advance to the 1st floor while dragging my worn-out body. A fresh blood comes out of the open wound. Every time I walked, I feel a sharp pain across my body. My vision is very bad too. I don't sleep all day because I need to monitor my Mana to determine the time plus I lost much blood because of the previous battle.I run out of the mana and I can't use magic anymore.

I take the previous guy's upper body and bring it to the 1st floor. Maybe I can use it to scare the guards because this guy is strong.

But I still keep going forward without hesitation. I told Lady Sophia to walk behind me so I can protect her. When we stepped on the first floor, I can see a switch on the wall near the entrance.

But before I go there and pull the switch, the entrance opened with creaking noise as always. And what standing on the opposite side of the entrance is a hundred of the full-armor knight. I immediately close my left eye to hide my heterochromia.

They aren't Olivia's aids because I can't see the Golden Star Crest on their breastplate armor. They point their weapons to me.

Ugghh they will be a pain in the ass to handle.

"Surrender now you brat. You can't fight anymore."

I toss the man's body in front of them. They were surprised when recognizing the corpse.

"Do you think you can defeat me?"

"Hey, this brat has been killed Madeus.He is B-rank adventurers and yet.....!!!"

"Impossible for him killing Madeus, He is well known as a magic swordsman. Impossible...!!!"

Hmm, it seems I was successfully reducing their spirits values.

"Don't afraid, he just alone. Let's take him down together!!!!"

Ahh, This battle is inevitable. I readied my dual sword on my hands. On the right hands is this guy's sword and on the left hands is a new sword from the drum.

"Charge...!!!!!"

"Haaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh...!!!"

I swing my sword within a cycle rotation to prevent them come closer. My sluggish body was screaming to rest but I can't do that now. I still have a mission.

"Haaaah...!!!!!"

*Slash* *Slash*

I rotate my body like a tornado in a narrow corridor and make them stop their advance.

"Bring the bow, let's use the arrow to knock him."

"Heehh, do you don't afraid your arrow will hit Lady Sophia if I dodge it?"

"Kuh you cunning brat...Surround him!!!!!"

10 knights approaching me and surround me from the front side. They block my vision and I can't see anything except the knights in front of me.

Then an arrow comes and pierces my right foot from the small gaps between the knights. I was staggering but I still standing. With my bad vision, I can't see the arrow trajectory and failed to block it.

"Shoot him again.....!!!!"

Other arrows come and pierce my shoulders, my stomach, and my thigh. The sharps pain is assaulting my body, but I can't move from here. If I move, their arrow will hit Sophia behind me.

So their plan was to block my vision and use the gaps to shoot arrows to knock me down.

First, they use the knight to keep me fighting and stay in my position. Because they know I was protecting Sophia and I can't let them pass. Then they call the archers and shoot the arrow when I unaware of them.

That's a trained soldier for you.

I feel weird about my mind. How can I able to analyze the situation when I was on the brink of death.

I can't support my body anymore and fall backward. The ground is hard and my body was about to break. The ceiling is dark and I slowly my vision darkened. I even don't have the power to open my eyes. But I still able to hear the sound.

"Yeahhhh, we beat him."

"Let's kill him...!!!!"

"Don't kill him, I want to see him die slowly while feeling the pains."

"As expected of the Leader. You're merciless....!!!"

"Hahaha, let's take the girl back."

I heard the footsteps come closer to me and I will deliver my 'last' attack to them with a sword in my hands. After I feel them close enough, I swing my sword to aim their feet. When I swing my sword, my shoulder hurt like hell and I scream.

"Haaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh....!!

" What the fuck...!!

They don't expect me to attack them from below and fall on the ground.

My arms are numb and I can't feel my body anymore. I remember how was I live in this world.

Ahh, this is the second time I have been experienced the death huh...

"Ki..ll him n..o..w!!!"

My sense of hearing is reduced as well.

I am sorry Olivia, Sophia, Sam that I can't accomplish my mission. I even abandoned my first priority to survive and follow my foolish desire.

I prepare myself to receive the last attack from them to finish me off.

But the attack never comes and a strong wind blew through the surrounding. Strong enough to move my body even I was lying on the ground.

Luckily I was lying on the ground so I don't get the impact directly. I can't move my body though.

What's happening to them?

Ahh, my consciousness fading slowly. But I can hear a faint voice before I lost consciousness completely.

"Good grief, you...are...good boy.."