Chapter 89 : Demon (Part 2)

Few hours ago, right before the festival started.

"Are you sure the plan gonna work?" Albert asked Rei while they were still having a meeting at the house. with the girls on the other side using the communication orb.

"Well this is much simpler right? We're going to ambush them, and then..." Rei paused, before he continued, "...massacre them."

"I know...but what I want to know is how do we ambush them." Albert asked him once again.

"The key of this plan is Andrew and Iris." Rei spoke.

Andrew suddenly pointed at himself, "M-me??"

"Yes. Because you're the fastest swordsman among us." Rei spoke.

"W-wait, I don't know about that...Crimson-san." Andrew replied, a bit unsure of himself.

"Are you nervous? Or are you underestimating yourself? Either way, this plan won't work without your speed, Andrew." Rei spoke.

"U-ummm...understood." Andrew nodded while rubbing the back his neck.

Rei smiled at him before he took off his boots and gave it to him, "take this."

"Huh?? For me?" Andrew looked at it in surprise.

"Hmm? What is it?" Albert asked while the others started to inspect the item Rei just gave to Andrew.

"It's an item that allows you to use [Shadow Movement] without learning it." Rei spoke. "I'm lending it to you"

"[Shadow Movement]?! Isn't that a Dark Element magic to move in between shadows!" Andrew spoke.

"That skill is from an item?!" Fang asked since he experienced the skill firsthand.

"Yeah, I cannot tell you why I have this before so I apologize" Rei bowed his head, "I just don't show my cards that easily. Who knows that there's someone who will try to exploit it."

"N-no! It's fine Crimson-san! I understand how you feel." Andrew waved his hands in panic when he apologized like that.

"Yeah, I mean I know you are a cautious person, so why I don't mind." Fang nodded.

"Thank you." Rei lifted his head and nodded.

Just by looking at these three, you can see that their connection is that of a teacher and student. Rei is much younger than them, but he's the one who taught them and trained them to be stronger.

The trust that they built while spending several months training together is quite hard to break.

"Ahem."

Iris interrupted their moment by clearing her throat through the orb,

"R-right, the plan, yeah." Rei stuttered with his words a bit, "We will ambush them from the side."

"And how do we do that?" Fang tilted his head.

"We can sneak behind them in the darkness at night." Rei spoke.

"But doesn't that plan have a hole in it?" Andrew asked carefully

"That's true, this is why I am here to fill the gap." Iris spoke.

"Actually, I have an item called [Camouflage Cloak], a magic item that has been fused with a [Camouflage] magic that let you hide as long as you pour mana to it." Iris spoke.

Everyone was surprised and amazed to hear that

"Woah, that's really neat!!" Fang exclaimed.

"Of course, since I told you that I am necessary in this plan." Iris spoke.

"Thank you, Iris." Rei spoke through the orb.

"I-it's too early to thank me you know" Iris replied, somewhat flustered with his reply. "But before I lend you this item...I have a favor."

"What kind of favor?" Rei asked her.

"That is..."

******

Rei stood in front of the rest of the remaining enemy underlings, fixing his eyes towards the Village Head.

His name was Dudley, the leader of this group called [Demon Cult] in the village. He's a black mage who could use [Mind Control] magic, he brainwashed this village for his own purpose.

"W-what do you want from me?" Dudley asked him while still kneeling with his both limbs got cutted by Andrew who stood beside him.

Rei tilted his head, "I want nothing from you, didn't I give you and your friends a choice?"

"Fight me and die, or surrender and die, it's that simple."

"Like I said, what do you want from me?!" Dudley asked him again, grinding his teeth.

His response irritated him, "You seriously going to keep asking me that? After not knowing why you have to go through all of this?" Rei spoke as he started to walk towards him.

Dudley flinched when he did that, while the leader of the bandits just standing in his spot, not moving to stop him yet.

"W-what are you doing! K-kill him!" Dudley shouted at them in panic. Andrew, who's standing next to him quickly pointed his sword towardd his neck.

"Don't move–" Andrew spoke but Rei quickly cut in.

"let him go, and the others too." Rei spoke, telling the rest of his team who surrounded them all as well.

Andrew tried to object, "But–"

"I want them to struggle even more." Rei spoke coldly while staring at the bandits.

"How about this, I will not use any skill to fight all of you, just my basic attack." Rei suggested, confusing all of the Bandits.

"And of course without the help of others." Rei spoke while looking at the leader of the Bandits. "How does that sound?"

The leader of the bandits were surprised to hear what he just suggested, especially the part where he would only use his basic attack.

He hesitated, knowing this might be a trap.

"W-what are you doing! Just accept it! he's just alone!" Dudley shouted again.

The rest of the bandits are feeling the same way as their leader. But upon the insistence of the cult leader, they couldn't help the thought that was implanted to their mind.

He was alone.

"Okay, I'm in." The leader of the bandit eventually accepted it, as well as the other 20 Bandits.

Of course this would be easy if the enemy is alone, but what they didn't know is that...their enemy is much worse than anyone they have met up until this point.

"Let me go first!" One man approached Rei, he had a big muscular body and he was much taller than him.

"Heh, so you are the one who defeated that guy, I guess you are not just a mere C-class!" The man spoke as if he doesn't know they were cornered before Rei suggested not to finish them all at once.

"That guy?" Rei asked

The man pointed to the skinny man who laid on the ground, limbless. The guy he just defeated a moment ago.

"Ahh...well, he is surprisingly tender and easy to break." Rei shrugged. "Are you no different than him?"

"Of course I am different! I have muscle, unlike that guy!" The man pointed again with arrogance to his voice.

"I see, so you don't have any sense of comradeship among your bunch." Rei spoke.

"Of course not! We are Bandits! The strong one survives and the weak will die!"

"Oi! Stop talking and finish him already!" The leader shouted impatiently, and he's making him more nervous the longer he kept talking with Rei.

'He is just a C-class, that means he is weaker than us...but...' The leader gulped his dry saliva.

'How come he can let out all these pressure!' Among the bandits, seems like the leader is the only one who could felt it.

Rei suddenly pulled out his sword from his [Inventory]. He surprised them again by pulling out a sword from thin air like that.

It was just an ordinary sword, nothing special about it. But the way he picked it up and his stance was calm and refined. He's holding the sword handle with his two hands and pointed it at the bandit before him.

*CLINK*

Rei stood there with his sword as he finished preparing.

The large bandit was confused with his ability to stay this calm, but he brushed that thought away.

"Then I would take this offer!! Hahaha!! Don't beg for forgiveness, asshole!!" The bandit raised his giant axe attached to his back, then swinging his axe downwards towards him,

*SWOOSH*

"Die!!"

*BOOM* *CRACK*

His axe missed his target. Rei took a step back to dodge it with minimal movement.

The man was dumbfounded when he realized that he had missed, "Huh?–"

*SWOOSH*

*SLASH*

A sword moved horizontally from his right side, slicing his neck.

"W-wha?–"

*SPURT*

A blood spurt out through his neck. A clean strike coming from Rei and It wasn't that fast nor slow, or any other special characteristics. It was just a full swing of [Horizontal Slash] that was created without sound or unnecessary movement.

Blood rained down his body from the open wound to the neck. The man fell down without being given a single chance to strike back.

The leader of the bandits, and the cultist who watched this moment felt shiver running through their spine.

Rei sighed, "Too shallow..."

His helmet was drenched in blood, his gaze remain unchanged. The moment their eyes met with his, it was as if he's seeing them through their soul.

"W-what is he?–"

"Graaahhh!!! Kill him!!"

The bandits cried out as they began to charge at him.

The leader know there's something wrong as he tried to stop them, "NO! Stop! Fall back–"

But...

"AAAAHHH!!!"

it was too late.

Three of them came towards him without a plan. Rei quickly swing his sword horizontally towards his right side, once again doing minimal movement after striking the large bandit.

*SLASH*

"A-aa–!!"

His blade cut through their face, slicing their head into half.

One of them approached him from behind, and prepared to attack, "DIE!!–"

*STAB*

Rei turned around swiftly, stabbing his sword right to his chest.

"ACK–!!"

*SLASH*

Rei twisted his sword and sliced through the bandit's body.

Shadow of another bandit loomed above him, trying to strike him with a jump attack

*SLASH*

"AAAHHH!!"

Rei simply swung his sword vertically from below to above, cutting through the body in half.

"Six..." Rei counted softly the moment he struck them down, showing them what he meant by only using his basic attack.

The rest of them began to charge at him once again.

*SLASH*

"Ack–!!"

[Horizontal Slash] used from below to above.

*SLASH*

"Ugh–!!"

[Vertical Slash] used from right to left.

*STAB*

"A-aa...–!!"

A stab that went straight to their chest and followed by another slash. Anyone would be traumatized just by witnessing what happened with their own eyes.

The leader and the cultist widened their eyes. Their mouth was wide open, seeing their men fall down one by one.

There was no flashy skill, no flashy movement, it was just basic swordsmanship, anyone can do it. But somehow...

His strikes were clean.

It was fast, but at the same time...it was not.

No one could understand how he did that, even his own teammates who have been with him for several months just now seeing this side of him.

The way he defeated them all using basic attacks, is like seeing him using them as his training doll.

Albert who have been watched him, remembered what the plan was all about.

It was simple, they were going to ambush and surround them. But after that, came a very surprising suggestion from the leader.

[I am going to challenge them to fight me alone.]

Of course the others were confused, including Albert.

[Why? Doesn't surrounding them is enough?] Albert asked

[I will use them as my training doll, I will going to show them...how i, Crimson overwhelming them.]

It was indeed just like what he had said. He overwhelmed them by only using basic skill, on top of that, with nothing more than just an ordinary sword and himself.

Because this was enough to implant fear into their mind. It was indeed a very despicable plan that he ever made, forcing them to become his training doll and defeated them with just only basics.

Their bad deeds have come to an end...

*DROP*

The moment their last underling dropped down lifelessly in front of them.

*DRIP*

*DRIP*

Rei approached the leader and the cultist by passing through the pool of blood he created from the massacre.

His body was covered with blood, and the sight will haunt them in their dream.

Iris has been watching him from the sidelines, never once looking away. It was a terrifying sight indeed but...

Iris felt something when she looked at him.

'It must be lonely...' At first, she thought the strange feeling was pity but then she realized that what she felt was empathy towards the man before her.

The sight that he was alone who burdened all those weight by killing most of these people just to save this village from the evil hand.

"Well it's only the two of you left." Rei spoke to them.

"It seems I was wrong with you bandits, you guys do have some spirit to fight back and thanks to you all, for being my training doll." Rei explained while staring at these two.

"Crimson! We have done evacuating!" Suddenly in this kind of heavy atmosphere someone voice broke it.

The voice came from Ruru along with Wise and Lena who is reserved to evacuated the villagers and kept them safe.

"I guess that's all, I guess it was meaningless to evacuate them all since you didn't managed to use your magic, am I right [The Black Mage, Dudley]." Rei spoke.

"D-dammit..." Dudley cursed.

Then the leader of the bandits suddenly let go off his sword and kneeled down in front of Rei.

"I-i beg you...please...s-spare my life!" The leader begged on him.

Rei didn't even glance on him, "You want me to spare on you?"

"Y-yes?" The leader lifted his head when he heard those words as if he expecting something.

"Did you forget of what I said?" Rei spoke.

"H-huh?"

*STAB*

Rei moved his sword, stabbing through the man's chest right on his heart. He expected it wrong, to think he would spare someone like him just like that.

"A-ackk..." The man's vomited blood through his mouth when Rei does that.

"It was very foolish of you, I can send you painless death...but seeing you beg, makes me irritated." Rei spoke as he still didn't give any glance on him.

"J-just for that reason...ugh." The leader dropped dead just like that, without a fight.

"You did the same thing with those victims you killed and toyed around, so why you expecting something like that." Rei spoke while slowly approaching the cultist.

"N-no...p-please don't!" Dudley begged as Rei had already started to lift his sword.

"Too late." Rei then swing his sword down.

*SWOOSH*

*TING*

Until his sword clashed against something, stopping his sword right at the moment it was near to his head.

"What are you doing...Iris." Rei asked the culprit who stopped him.

It was Iris who stopped his sword using her rapier, "Crimson-san...did you forget about my favor." Iris spoke.

Rei remained silent when she asked that, "....." until he answered her by pulling his sword.

"Of course not, I won't forget such favor coming from my client."

"Then? What is the favor?"

"[Do not kill the Cultist]."

"If you know the answer then why did you do that?" Iris asked.

Rei gazed fall upon her, "Then do you need an answer when you know such evil can be let go?" Rei spoke as he used his [Intimidate] skill on her.

But...

[Notice!]

[Skill "The Villainess" have been activated]

Iris didn't back out and resisted his skill, as he stood there calmly staring into his eyes.

"Are you trying to be a hero, Crimson-san? If you are...you know you need to learn how to spare an enemy." Iris spoke...

That something he don't want to hear.

"A hero?" When he heard that words, he leaned closer to her.

"I am no hero...Iris." Rei spoke to her coldly, "And never will be."

Iris gulped a bit when he does that but she remained calm as usual with her skill activated. The others were nervous to see him like that, even Albert, Silvi and Harson were about to jumped at him but they were held by Fang and Andrew on his back.

Rei sighed and pulled back before he put his sword into his [Inventory].

"I understand...if that's what you want, I won't kill him." Rei spoke while turning around.

"Move him away, before I changed my mind." Rei spoke to Fang and Andrew by tapping their shoulder before he left them alone with Iris.

Iris sighed while staring at his back, then she turned around as well to look at Dudley who had his mind broken.

"Tend his wound and tied him up, make sure his mouth is closed since he can still chant his magic even without hands." Iris told them as Fang and Andrew nodded then they began to grab on Dudley, together with Lena help to tend his wound.

Silvi and Harson approached her.

"Are you fine, Ojou-sama!" Silvi asked.

"That guy! How rude for him to do that to you!" Harson spoke out of anger.

"Stop it Harson." The one who said that was Albert.

"But..."

"I know he was rude and of course I am angry for doing that to my precious little sister, but...he had drown by his own bloodlust."

"At least let him be to calm his feelings first, didn't Master Rowan told you that?" Albert explained.

Harson suddenly looked down when he heard that, "I understand, young master." Harson bowed his head.

"Now then, we need to help those villagers first...since the mage isn't dead yet, the magic won't disappeared from them." Iris spoke.

"Understood." Silvi and Harson answered her, as they all approached Wise who stand on guard.

"Wise-san, can you guide us to where those villagers are evacuated?" Iris spoke.

Wise who noticed her and listened to her request began to feel nervous, "Ummmm...I don't think it's a good thing for you to come there." Wise spoke.

"Why is that?" Iris asked.

Then Ruru approached her, "It's not something good for you to see it." Ruru spoke.

"But I watched Crimson-san massacred those Bandits alone, I already brace myself in this mission already." Iris replied.

Ruru and Wise are looking at each other for a moment as they nodded.

"Then I will take you there, Iris-san." Ruru was the one who offered herself.

"Then guide us there, Ruru-san~" Iris spoke with smile and finally left together with her group.

Meanwhile, Rei was alone for a moment and standing on the corner of the wall around the village.

"...." He was silent for a moment until he hitted the wall with his fist.

*BAM*

Rei sighed and covered his face with his other hand.

'Kiritsuka....that was dangerous you know.' Ray spoke through his mind.

"I know." Rei mumbled.

'You almost drown by your own bloodlust and anger.' Ray replied.

Rei sighed, "I know about that...I know about that!!" Rei shouted as he repeated his words.

"Then what am I suppose to do! You should know why am I angry!"

'I know, but that doesn't mean forgetting for who you are and what is your purpose when you came into this world.' Ray spoke.

'Don't forget, you still have a dream...don't let your anger made you become a senseless murderer.' Ray spoke while tapping his shoulder.

Rei widened his eyes as he had complex feelings right now, it was certain different than before but now he seems to get used to by killing others.

'From now on...calm your mind, the authorities will be coming by tomorrow since Iris called them right before the plan was start, we should rejoined with the others.' Ray spoke.

"I understand...I will do my best." Rei replied as he turned around.

When he turned around, there was Lena and Kagura who tried to approached him.

"Crimson." Kagura called his name, the two of them looks worried about him.

"You don't have to worry about me, I will be fine."

Rei spoke to them as he walking pass through them, leaving the two seems powerless because they couldn't help him at all.

******

At the same time, Iris and the others followed Ruru from behind as they walked into a dark forest with a torch that have been lighten up to see the path.

"Are we there yet?" Iris asked her.

"We almost there now." Ruru said until they finally arrived at the front door of a big warehouse.

"This is.." Albert widened his eyes when he saw it.

"Yeah, this is their warehouse, it was hidden deep at the back of the village and within this dark forest...it seems it was hidden using a magic." Ruru spoke.

"Then how did you managed to found them?" Iris asked her.

"Of course, with Spirit Magic, using my contracted spirits, I can track and found this location." Ruru spoke as if it was norm.

'A Spirit Magic...the rare magic which only certain people and elf who can use it, to think that Ruru-san can use it.' Iris thought.

"I will open the door now." Ruru spoke while approaching the door.

"Yes please."

*CLICK*

*CREAK*

The door was opened as they found many people within this warehouse. The warehouse itself was big, big enough to fit those people in there.

And they could see the people within there, just stood there while looking at the ceiling. The face they are making is like a mindless doll, their mouth widened open and drooling as if they couldn't speak or something.

It was horrible sight for Iris and the others, but they need to remained calm at this situation.

At the corner by their left side, there was a little boy, who is sitting there hugging his knees. Until he noticed their presence, he quickly get up and ran over to Ruru.

"Ruru Nee-chan! I'm so glad to see you!" it was none other than Edric.

"I'm sorry for making you wait." Ruru smiled while patting his head.

Edric shook his head, "It's okay...you promised me to come back!"

"Good boy~" Ruru spoke while smiling at him.

"Mhm!~" Edric smiled back at her.

"Ruru-san, this kid is...?" Iris asked.

Edric who noticed her quickly hid at Ruru's back.

"This kid that Crimson-san mentioned, I hid him here, together with the others cause Crimson-san doesn't want him to get involved by the fight." Ruru explained.

"I see..." Iris replied, 'So this is the boy huh...unlike in the game, it should be a little girl, but I guess it was several years later...after this boy got sacrificed.' Iris thought while staring at the kid.

Then Edric tugged Ruru's clothes.

"Hmm? What is it?" Ruru asked him.

"Ruru Nee-chan, why a kid like her calling me a kid?" And that broke the atmosphere.

It made Iris shocked for a moment hearing that question from him.

It was indeed the truth, they both are still kids if they compared their ages, they are only two years apart.

Ruru giggled, even the others with him are the same when they thought something like that.

Iris face reddened, "Oh come on! Let just focus on saving these people!" Iris pouted while approaching these people.

Then Iris looked at Edric, "Look here! I'm not a kid okay! You are a kid! And I'm gonna show you why!" Iris claimed while pointing her finger at Edric.

Then she took out her rapier from her inventory, as she lifted her rapier up.

'Since Mind-Control type magic is Dark Element and also debuff skill...so this skill is perfect! [Holy Light] + [Purify].' As her rapier began to shine.

"Combined skill...[Purifying Light]!"

=======================================

[Holy Light]

Active Skill

MP Cost: 25

Cooldown: 10 Sec.

A light that has been blessed with the goddess of Light [Theia], it can purify any evil being and blind the enemy with its bright light.

=======================================

=======================================

[Purify]

Due to the moonlight energy coursing through the blade, the wielder is able to neutralize any kind of negative status effect towards everything it touches and adds extra damage against [Dark Energy] type of beings.

=======================================

The light shined upon these people, suddenly there was a dark mist that surrounded their heads showed up when the lights hitted them.

Then the dark mist began to dissipated as the villagers regained their consciousness back again.

"Huh?? Where...am I?" One of the villagers begab to spoke.

Then they soon realized they were in this warehouse and looked around.

"A-are we free!"

"Where are we!"

"Mama!"

"Where is my kid!"

Some of them are panicking but at the same time there were some people who are celebrating after being released from the magic.

The sight of her magic was, as if it was a miracle. Ruru and Edric who saw it couldn't help to be amazed of it.

"Woah..."

Until a woman came out from those crowds as she had similar hair color with Edric.

"Edric?" The woman called him out.

"Mom!" Then Edric ran towards her and suddenly hugged her.

"Oh! My dear boy!" The woman was his mother, who is finally freed from the magic.

Iris smiled upon seeing them all happy, along with the moonlight from behind of the door creating a small effect from the skill she used, it created a sprinkle falling down like snow.

"I guess the case is finished!"

Finally the Side Quest [Save the Village from The Dangerous Group]...come to an end.

To be continue...