Chapter 88 : Demon (Part 1)
Rei, Fang and Edric came back to the village in the evening, Using Rei [Shadow Movement] they managed to sneak their way back inside.
After dropping Edric off by his house, Rei and Fang walked back to the their own place.
*CREAK*
"We are back." Rei spoke.
"Welcome back Crimson-san!" Andrew greeted him.
"Welcome back Crimson, Fang." Wise greeted him as well.
But when they greeted them, Rei and Fang looked somewhat serious. Even though Rei is wearing his helmet, they just knew there's a problem.
"Did something happen?" Albert who stayed with them asked as he approached him, and Harson following behind him.
"Everyone, I have something to tell you." Rei announced while pulling out an orb from his [Inventory].
"It won't be long...and I hope you're prepared for this." He warned, making them nervous upon hearing how serious his tone was...
Rei started to explain about what happened the moment the orb connected with Iris'.
******
*BAM*
Albert suddenly hit hand against the wall beside him, "Such a despicable act! No wonder I felt there's something wrong with this village!"
Wise nodded, "I agree, Albert-dono...it seems this village is more dangerous than I expected."
"This is too much...how can they do such things!" Andrew joined as well.
"Albert-sama, by you order, I can deal with them all at once." Harson suggested.
"Okay okay, calm down. I know you want to act right away but we need to deal with this festival first." Rei calmed them down while explaining it.
"Right, but why did you left that kid to his house! You know his mother is being controlled!" Albert spoke to him with slightly accusing tone.
"I know that but we shouldn't act rashly and wait for a moment."
"What moment?! This is our moment to attack!!" Albert snapped back.
"I know, but we don't know which one was being brainwashed right? If we just attacked them so suddenly, they will took those villagers as hostages." Rei explained.
"Guh..." Albert gritted his teeth as he tried to calm down.
"Even Fang has a hard time to differentiate them because they all reek with blood." Rei explained as Fang nodded along.
"All of them are part of the [Demon Cult] but they were forced to be one because of the brainwashing." Rei spoke.
Albert sighed, "I apologize for acting rashly...it was very unsightly of me."
Rei then tapped his shoulder, "I know...I feel the same, I am angry, but it's not the time to just rush on them."
Albert nodded, "Yes...you're right."
Rei nodded back.
"So what's the plan?" Fang asked.
Rei looked at him, "I do have a plan..."
"Then–!"
"But I want you all to agree with what I'm about to tell you." Rei spoke to them.
"W-what is it?" Albert asked.
Rei began to explain the plan he had in mind and this might be the most despicable thing he had ever planned.
******
"A-are you serious?!" Albert asked in surprise after he heard it.
"Yeah...if you don't like it, then you have plenty of time to back out. I'll gave you the chance." Rei spoke.
Albert fisted his own hands while looking down, having mixed feelings with this plan of his.
Everyone else in that room felt the same, even the girls who heard his plan through the orb that he left on the table so they could hear his plan.
"If you can't do it, then I will be the one who execute this plan alone, because this is my own decision whether you like it or not." Rei spoke while walking past them.
"Wait." Andrew stopped him by standing before him.
"What is it?" Rei asked while looking at him.
"I...have decided, I'm going with this plan." Andrew spoke.
They were all suprised to hear it, especially Erica and Dahlia.
"A-are you serious Andrew! You know this is against your conviction!" Erica shouted through the orb.
"I know about that...but I need to face reality. If I want to become strong...I need to at least pass through these trials so I can protect all of you." Andrew spoke.
"Andrew." Dahlia called his name as she bit her lips a bit, "I am with you, I cannot let those people be."
Erica has mixed feelings from all of this, she balled her hands to fists before looking straight at the orb, "I'm going too, since the two of you already decided...I can't let myself to be left alone."
Then Lena walked upfront from her spot behind these girls, and spoke her mind, "I am with you, Crimson-san, I have decided the moment I came to this team."
Andrew's whole team member agreed with the plan and now...it's Fang and his own team left.
Fang walked towards Rei and put his arm around his shoulder.
"Seriously, giving me a hard decision." Fang spoke in serious tone, then he smiled. "Heh, of course I am with you! I told you right? I'm with you and will follow you always!"
Rei widened his eyes a bit seeing that these two agreed.
"Since the leader have spoken, I am in." Wise smiled.
"Me too! I will give them a lesson for trying to distrupt our journey with my arrow!" Ruru have spoken as well.
"I will make sure they will die in miserable way." Kagura joined as well.
Rei looked at them all, and then at the orb before sighing.
"Seriously you all are idiots...if you're ganging up on me like this, I am embarrassed for telling you all to back out." Rei replied, and they laughed as if the tense atmosphere from a moment ago had disappeared.
Fang even hit his back, and Andrew smiled at him.
Fang's team has decided and what's left is Iris and her crew.
"Since they all agreed...what's your choice, Albert, you already know you cannot leave them be." Rei asked him.
Albert looked at him, he knows what he must do but reality is very different from what he believes in. He realized he also needed to make similar choice in the future, so it's...now or never.
"I am the heir of the Welford's family, the son of Duke Welford himself...and the older brother of my beloved little sister." Albert spoke as he maintained eye contact with Rei, "I will do it...since you are the leader of this group, I shall follow."
"Onii-sama." Iris mumbled while listening to his words.
"Don't stop me, Iris...this is my decision." Albert spoke.
"No."
"What?"
"I'm not gonna stop you, since I know how stubborn you are unless mother or me told you to."
"..." Albert looked away in embarrassment after she revealed his weaknesses just like that.
"That's why, I am joining this plan."
He turned to the orb in disbelief, "Huh?! Iris, you must be joking."
"I am serious, onii-sama...because I can't let you guys have all the fun~" She giggled.
Rei walked towards the orb, "But this is dangerous Iris...I don't think you are necessary for this plan."
Iris smiled, "Oh, but I do feel that I am the most essential in this plan."
"Why is that."
Iris huffed, "Brainwashing or mind control is a magic with dark element, right?"
"Yes, what about it?"
"What if I told you, I have a power that can dispel those magic from those people." Iris smirked.
Rei widened his eyes along with the others, "You do?"
"Yes~ but I can only show it when the time is perfect." Iris spoke.
Rei was thinking about it deeply since he was silent for a moment. After a while, he nodded his head. "Okay, you are in."
"Yay~ thank you~"
"Crimson! Are you serious?! What if she got hurt!" Albert objected.
"But your sister here is the one who offered to help on this plan, the more help we got, the more we can save those people." Rei reasoned.
"Besides, she told us that she can save those who have been brainwashed." Rei explained, before looking straight to the orb, "I trust her to help those people. I also believe she have that power...because we did spar last time."
Albert huffed, giving in, "Fine, but you must protect her."
"You don't have to worry...all of you are my client. We are your hired Adventurers and it's our duty to protect you even it cost our lives." Rei spoke.
Albert sighed when he heard it and rubbed the back of his head, "I can't think of a reply if you talk like that."
Rei smiled from behind his helmet,
"Now since everyone agreed to this plan, it's time to prepare."
"This will be their demise for trying to mess with us." He declared as his eyes glinted in between the slit of his helmet.
******
The sky has turned even darker as night goes on and there's only a few stars in the sky and a moon, but there was big bonfire in the middle of the village, illuminating their surrounding with bright light and dancing shadows of the people present in the night festival.
Many villagers were attending, and there's Rei and his team as well. They were sitting on a seat that has been prepared while the tables were filled with many kinds of food, circling around the bonfire.
And the Head of this village stood in front of them with the bonfire behind him.
"Tonight will be the start of our festival to celebrate the upcoming new moon! And we welcome you and your companion here tonight as our honored guests." Dudley pointed at Rei and Iris groups.
"Now, let us feast to our hearts content everyone!" The Village Head ended his speech by lifting his drink up.
All the villagers did the same as they cheered, clicking their drinks with each other and smiled widely. After that, everyone started to eat their own food.
Rei and the others were acting normal as they ate the same food with them. The villagers around them were acting normal too, unlike before, they talked and ate with happiness.
While eating their food, Rei looked around to check where Edric was, but he couldn't find him amongst the crowd.
The food that they eat was simply delicious as they feast on them together. However, a bit further away from them, the Village Head was observing them from far and then smirked in secret when nobody's watching him.
As if it was all according to plan.
******
After the feast was over, everyone went back to their own houses to sleep, the moon was at its fullest form, shining above the village.
*STEP* *STEP* *STEP*
Many people gathered In front of Rei, and Iris' house.
They're armed with swords and spears, wicked smirk on their faces, and the one standing in the middle of them was their commander.
The Village Head, Dudley
"I never thought they would fell on such a simple trap, though I shouldn't be surprised" Dudley spoke calmly.
"Did you put enough sleeping drugs in it?" He asked one of his men.
A man approached, he was the one that reported to him earlier regarding the festival.
"Yes, I assure you that they are sleeping soundly now." The man spoke with his disgusting smile.
"I see, well then as usual, we already agreed to split the rewards with you bandits." Dudley spoke.
"Heh, I've been waiting for this moment...I guess we consider this our lucky day. Who would have thought that there'll be a guest today." The man spoke.
"Neither do I, I never thought I would find a perfect sacrifice! Not only one, but two! Hahaha! Our Great God will be pleased tonight!" Dudley exclaimed with great pleasure in his eyes as he raised his arms, praising his God with such passion.
The people looked at him in disgust, including the man beside him.
'Lunatic.' the man thought, as well as the others.
"Now about this matter, you can have the others, I just want that little girl."
"Wow, you sure you don't want the others?"
"No need, one soul is enough to compensate the others. So kill them, or take them, or do whatever you always do." Dudley spoke while shooing him away.
The man smirked, "Well then as usual, take the girls and kill the guys!" the man ordered his people as they erupted in celebration.
"I'll take the elf one!"
"Oh, then i take the beautiful one!"
They already decided who they were going to take first, and some of them even fought with each other over it.
The man walked towards the guys house first, "Hey hey! Quite down will you? We can take them after we killed these guys, I heard they have really good item."
"Oh yeah, I saw that guy with full clad armor! Is he strong?" One of his men asked.
"Sadly he is only C-class, but I bet his armor can be sold with a very high price." The man spoke.
Suddenly a skinny guy approached the leader, "Then let me go in first and kill this guy! I have him on my sight since the feast! Sssuuuper deliciousssss!!" He drawled, speaking like a madman.
The man grunted when this man appeared, "Ugh, you sure love to go first."
"Well, I can't help it~ I always enjoy these all high and mighty people! I want to make them suffer and KILL them after! KUHAHAHA!" The skinny man laughed manically.
'Ugh...this guy is better off with those crazy cultists instead of being a bandit.' The man thought.
"Then I'll be right after you." The man let this skinny man take the first step.
The skinny man continued to laugh and walked past his leader towards the door of the house.
"Now then, I shall have the first taste~"
When the skinny man reached out his arms towards the doorknob,
Something happened...
*BOOM* *CRACK*
An armored hand burst out right through the door.
"Huh–?"
It grabbed the skinny man by his face and all of this happened without him able to react
*SWOOSH*
"A-ACK–!!!"
He was forcefully dragged into the house, creating a large gaping hole on the door
"W-what?"
Everyone who was present there looked at what happened just now in disbelief. But in that short moment...some of them saw a pair of eyes, red and yellow shining through that hole when that hand appeared before dragging that skinny man by his face...
The leader of those group were shocked, even the village head–Dudley who's standing behind him.
'W-what just happen?'
After seeing that, they thought to themselves...
They might have picked the wrong person to mess with
"A-AGHHHHHH!!! NOOOOO!!!"
Loud scream nearly jolted them out of their skin, it sounds like it's coming from the skinny man that was dragged inside.
The bandits began to hold their weapon tightly. The silence of the night is making them even more nervous.
What could have happen in that house.
After they could no longer hear his scream, they heard footsteps from inside of the house.
*TAP*
.
.
.
.
*TAP*
.
.
.
.
*TAP*
*CREAK*
The door opened.
Everyone who stood there began to tremble when they saw who emerged from inside of the house.
A man...with black armor covered in blood.
The moonlight above helped them see his figure much more clearly.
It was none other than Rei himself, he was dragging the poor skinny man with one hand.
The man who once boasted that he would kill the man before him...now reduced into a limbless, traumatized man.
"As expected, they were all Bandits, no wonder they were an undisciplined bunch the moment I saw how they guarded the back gate before." Rei muttered.
"I shouldn't be surprised, as expected of Bandits." He spoke, as if he's trying to start a conversation with these people.
"Killing the guys, and take the girls as they looted their items. They are nothing more than a bunch of trash." Rei spoke as he indirectly insulted all of them.
"But who would have thought that a Demon Cultist as yourself is colluding with these people...Village Head." Rei spoke as he turned his sight towards Dudley who's hiding behind the bandits.
Dudley smiled innocently, "I wonder what you are talking about?"
"You're not fooling anyone, even I am sick of seeing that smile." Rei scoffed.
Dudley curved his lips wider, showing off his creepy smile.
"Heh, that's more like it...a fitting face for a villain, am I right?" Rei spoke.
"Hmph, what do you know? I am one of the High Priest in the Cult and I have given my whole life praying to our god! [The Demon God, Ars]-sama!" Dudley spoke while praising this god as he introduced himself as one of the High Priest.
"So you should prostate yourself! Because my words are the words of the God himself!"
"Wow...that really sounds like an evil church in a lot of fantasy story." Rei shook his head as he watched this man preaching to him.
"Does your God wish to collude with these people who doesn't even believe in your God?" Rei accused while pointing his finger at the skinny man who's still in his his hand.
"They are merely people who I brought in...since their leader, one of [The Six Underworld Kings], who was known as [The King of Bandits, Banzana] had died, they didn't have any place to live nor someone who can order them around." Dudley smirked haughtily.
"So I just offered them a simple reward in exchange of being my swords and spears."
"Let me guess...women and money."
"Correct! I only need to catch some people for our offering, so I let them take the rest!" Dudley laughed.
"I see, so basically you saw the opportunity to be the leader of these idiots and you took it. What makes you believe that you're stronger than their leader?" Rei asked.
Dudley smirked, "I'm glad you ask~" then suddenly his body was clad in some sort of dark aura.
"I am a [Mage] that can control Darkness at will! And I have the power that can Brainwash people when I grabbed their heads." Dudley spoke while raising his left hand that was surrounded with darkness, then suddenly he pulled out a black orb in his right hand.
"Along with this item!" Dudley spoke as he lifted up the orb, showed it off to him.
"This item that have been bestowed to me by the Demon God himself, and with this! I can summon any kind of monster and control them as I please!"
"I am unstoppable!!" Dudley declared that he was the strongest of all, but Rei remained silent even after hearing his words.
Dudley laughed, "Hahaha! Are you scared now?~ Are you in despair?! Come on! Do you think after taking down one of my subordinates, you can defeat me?!"
Rei didn't say anything, he's just looking at him.
"Hey!! Say something!!–"
*SLASH*
When Dudley about to shout at him, his hand that was holding that orb...
.
.
.
.
Suddenly got cutted off.
"Wh-what–"
A young man appeared right before him...and then...
*SLASH*
With the sword that he just used to cut off his right hand, was used again to his left hand.
"A-ackk–!! Bufgh–!!"
After that, a fist flying towards his stomach, and it made him drop down to his knees.
All the people who were there widened their eyes in suprise when they saw the Village Head just declared himself to be the strongest one amongst them...
Suddenly drop down just like that and they noticed a small figure appearing right beside him.
Andrew.
The young man showed up almost out of nowhere because they could see his shadow was moving for a short moment.
"Y-you!!–" Dudley finally noticed his appearance.
As Andrew was surrounded with blue aura, he cut his hand clean with his long sword.
"I never thought that the plan would work." Andrew spoke coldly.
"H-huh??" Dudley was looking at him in confusion.
"You're seriously a pain in the ass brother!!" Another voice came out from inside of the house as they noticed someone jumping from behind Rei.
The man was clad in an orange aura, and he's lifting his sword above his head.
"[Earth Shatter]!!" Fang smashed his sword down to the ground, creating strong force directed towards the enemy.
It created a large explosion that was enough to destroy their footing.
"W-what happen!" One of the bandits shouted
But suddenly, they were struck with a swift movement coming from a small figure,
*SLASH* *SLASH* *SLASH*
"Ack!"
"Ugh!"
Slicing their legs, and it made them drop.
*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
After that, many arrows were shot from above and they hit their shoulder.
"Agh!–"
While the rest...
*BZZZTTT*
Were struck by lightning...
*SLASH*
Cutted down...
*BAK* *BUK*
Beaten from behind, and...
*CRACK CRACK*
Frozen on the spot like a bunch if ice sculptures.
Dudley who was kneeling there saw what just happened.
The small figure was Kagura who sliced off their leg, and it was enough to make them drop down.
The lighting magic that burnt some of the bandits was from Dahlia who appeared from behind.
The ice magic that froze them was Silvi's.
A sword that cut them down and a fist that struck them, was from Harson and Erika.
Meanwhile, when Rei was still standing on his spot,
Two bandits were sneaking behind him.
"Take this–!!"
*SLASH* *STAB*
"Ack!–"
Before they could even touch him, a sword and a rapier struck these two down as another figure appeared.
It was Iris and Albert who strike them down, protecting his back.
"Seriously, do you really need to shout when sneaking around?" Albert spoke.
"These people are fools, Onii-sama. They don't have the basic to do a sneak attack~" Iris commented.
Rei wasn't even moving, but almost half Dudley's army was struck down and they were surrounded by these people who's supposed to be their prey.
Rei released the skinny man that he had beaten down to the ground and began to walk forwards, facing the rest of the enemy's army and Dudley who knelt beside Andrew.
"So what were you saying before?" Rei asked him once again as if trying to force him to repeat what he just said earlier.
"I... I–"
"Oh, right....I don't care."
*CRACK*
Rei spoke coldly and suddenly stomped the orb, breaking it into pieces right in front of him.
"Isn't it a beautiful night?" When he asked Dudley that, the moon changed color, from its beautiful bluish white light...
Into dark red, just like blood.
Dudley who was proud of himself, now lost both of his limbs, trembling in fear after his plan was obliterated by a single person.
"Now then...since the almighty leader of the cult had fallen, I gave you all two choices just like the people I have met before coming here." Rei spoke to the bandits that were still alive.
The Bandit's leader gulped as his body trembled "W-what kind of choice."
Rei looked at him, "I'm glad you ask..."
"The choice is...
.
.
.
.
Fight and die by my hand, or...
.
.
.
.
Surrender and die by the law."
The moment Rei asked those questions, they saw his helmet distorted into something unbelievable.
The mouth of his helmet began to stretch widely into a big creepy smile, and the eyes sharpened, making him look awfully similar to a certain malicious being...
.
.
.
.
A demon.
"Very simple choices...isn't it?"
To be continue...