CHAPTER 18: COMMANDER OF THE DEMON’S ARMY

When Emilia stops and puts me back on the ground, I am surrounded by soldiers.

"That was impressive, sir hero!"

"You are a savior!"

"We will surely win with you!!"

They all start yapping about boring things while Emilia pushes through, holding my hand like I am a stubborn child. Finally, we get through the soldiers and reach the others, the so-called heroes.

"You stay put here for a while and rest. What kind of crazy person are you that you think you can fight for more than two hours straight?"

"Tch. So it has only been two hou-"

"Will!" Suddenly, Sarah's voice resounds behind me then she jumps on me, almost making me fall. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Wait, I will heal you right away."

"I am not hurt." I remove her hands and turn to face her.

The others are here as well. Ian, this other girl I don't know…Oh well, a bunch of nobodies I guess.

"What? You got a problem?"

"Nope, not really." Ian seems to understand what I am thinking about them. Oh well, it is not exactly wrong.

"Are…are you really the same guy who was getting bullied at school?"

The other girl starts talking to me but her body is still trembling. She is afraid even though she is at the rear where it is all safe? Anyway, there is no need to answer her.

"Emilia, where is the commander who defeat Telestal?"

"Hey! I asked you something!" It seems this girl is a feisty one as well.

"Their commander isn't here yet. But I am surprised. Could it be that they are using those monsters as a diversion while they attack his city?"

"No, they are coming here."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Hey! I said I asked you something!" That girl grabs my shoulder and yanks me to her. "Just because you are fighting well doesn't give you the right to ignore people!"

"Why are you trying to vent your frustration on me?"

"W-wha-"

The ground suddenly shakes powerfully and a wave of energy sweeps us all. That…That was magic. Like a reflex, we all look at the direction where it came from, all of us heroes seem to have felt it.

"He is coming." It is Emilia who announces him. As she does, the monsters that were endlessly coming stop. "I need to return to the others. You guys stay put now."

Emilia turns around but then I hear a noise, a small stifling noise as if something is hiding.

"Tch." I know this feeling very well. A desire to kill that cannot be hidden completely, like a needle that is constantly right against your skin. And it is aimed at her.

In one jump, I go to Emilia then grab her arm and yank her to the ground.

"Wha-"

The next second, a blade appears out of nowhere and passes right where her neck was.

"What the hell?!" While the heroes behind me start screaming in stupefaction, Emilia reflexively screams to call for help. It seems it is not the first time they deal with this situation.

"Assassin!!"

The blade disappears as it appeared but I launched my chain and grab whatever is holding it. Then I launch it in the air and right as I want to smack it on the ground, my chain is stricken. Still, it didn't break since I have amplified its resilience.

A figure appears, hold by my chain with the hook sticking to its shoulder.

"A woman, huh."

A woman, wearing a hood that hides her face, but doesn't hide a horn sticking out of her forehead, appears before us. Her armor seems to be made of leather, although it is black.

"A hero with such keen senses…This was not expected." Her voice is not different from ours.

Soldiers start gathering around her but she doesn't look too panicked. She stands up ad removes her hood, revealing her face while still holding her sword. Her face is of a dark grey color, as if she was a human who once died, her eyes are completely black and so is her mouth.

"You have made me fail my mission. This is the second time I fail in less than three days. The commander won't be happy."

"Do I look like I care?" The energy coming from her, it is magic. He said demons could use magic but he didn't mention they were more proficient than us.

"Stand down or we will kill you!!"

One of the soldiers screams at her but the woman simply looks at him and smiles.

"You really think this would threaten me? Have you forgotten what is going on?"

"Gnaahh!!"

As if to remind us that we were too focused on her, an ogre suddenly launch a tree at us from afar.

"Everybody, move out!!"

Thankfully, Emilia isn't all lost. She jumps at the tree while people are moving out of the way and demolish it to smithers using her aura. In the meantime, the woman removes my chain from her and disappears again. I wonder what skill she is using. Emilia lands like it is a Tv show or something and immediately moves forward. But before she can join with her men, something finally happens.

The monsters that were coming until now all open a clear path and we see a man coming.

"Their commander is here!! Change formations!!"

An unknown voice resounds from somewhere and people start moving, spreading wide. The archers that were firing until now advance a little more as well.

Although he is far, I can see him. A man that has half of his face covered with some kind of weird black glue. He is holding a sword the same size as Emilia. But I can't see his sword very clearly, there seems to be a sort of eye on it. The magic power emitted from him is incredible. I get goosebumps even though I am this far from him.

"We are all dead." I hear that girl from earlier speaking while making a noise.

When I look at her, she is on her knees. The others seem to be in a similar position. Their eyes and bodies are clearly showing fear. Perhaps that's why he said most of the heroes die during their first encounter with demons. If they get this scared when things are finally getting interesting then it is obvious, they would die.

"It couldn't have been that easy."

***

"So, what are you guys going to do?"

It has been more than ten minutes since the commander has shown up and monsters have shown clear signs of change. They are more aggressive. At this rate, the tide of the battle will turn quickly, especially considering the fact that none of them are getting killed. They just keep regenerating every time they are cut or sliced off.

"What do you want us to do?! Do you think we can be of any help here?!" This girl I don't know really like to shout. I can hear clearly, you know.

"Don't you guys have skills? Isn't this the best time to use them?"

"What will it change?! Can't you see?! This is a lost cause!! It was impossible to begin with!"

"She is right! We should have never accepted to come here!"

A bunch of sissies like I thought. There is no hope for you guys.

"Well, if it's what you really think." I have rested enough. It's time to heat up my body.

I walk a few steps but then Sarah comes before me.

"Wait."

"I hope you aren't thinking of stopping me. Because you can't."

"I am not. There is no need to stop someone as strong as you. But I want to help. So please, tell me what I can do to help."

"Sigh…You were always like this, right?" She smiles at me with all the courage she can gather.

"Hihi. That's part of my charm, right?"

"Yeah, certainly. Anyway, you have the lightning spear skill, right? How far can you launch it?"

"Hm…If I stay where the archers are, I can reach the place they have set on fire."

"Good. Do that then. Aim for any monster that angers you and fire whenever you want, it can only help."

"Okay, I will. And Will…"

"What?"

"You look good in that armor."

"If you say so." What do you hope to accomplish by saying that right now, I wonder.

I run past the archers and rapidly join the knights and right as I enter the fray, I recognize one of the knights who is struggling with a goblin. I think it's the guy I knocked out once. Or maybe it is someone else. Anyway, I help him then I go to an ogre who is wasting time trying to kill two knights at the same time.

"You are in the way." I hook its eye and pull it out.

"Haaooo!!" While it screams, trying to hold its eye, I cut its knees and make it fall then I simply pierce through its throat and that's one down. It rapidly turns to smoke and the next moment, I hear the sound of thunder striking ahead. Was it that strong when we fought? No, surely, her skill got better like mine.