The Empire's Mad Dog
Even three forbearances were enough to unite the nations under the alliance's banner. Even the reclusive heteroraces joined in. Demons were strong. Demons appeared anywhere. Fighting alone would just lead to withering away. Heavy logs had to be lifted together. That was the reason for the somewhat haphazard alliance's beginning.
"Hurk! Cough!"
Villages along the Efer Empire's southern border were burning. The garrison couldn't even mount a proper resistance. There were more demons. They were stronger. They held out for a moment, but all were offered up as blood sacrifices. The survivors had to flee to safety. A deadly race of pursuit began.
"Run, you idiot!"
"Ughhh!!"
Conscript soldier Hans snapped to attention at his spotter's shout. Even though his chest felt like it was ripping apart, he couldn't stop. If they got caught, their limbs really would be torn off into chunks of meat. The demons methodically slaughtered and devoured people. The garrison captain. The soldiers. Even the villagers. Someone had to report the situation here. This wasn't stragglers. The offensive they'd thought abandoned was restarting.
"Kyaak!"
One staggering soldier was snatched by a brutish hand. After the scream came the sound of bones snapping and flesh being chewed. Death was closing in. The stench of corpses wafted from behind.
"Uwaak!"
His body lurched forward. He'd tripped on a rock, it seemed. He tumbled but Hans didn't give up—he kept running. Like a beast, on all fours. Then he finally staggered to his feet. The presence of his spotter, who'd been running behind him, vanished in an instant. No need to ask why. He'd just been too slow. That was the price: getting chewed up in a demon's maw.
Where the hell are the knights!!
Just two days ago, no one could've imagined this. A massacre on this scale. Those who wielded mana. Monsters called superhumans. They'd joined. Emitting a clear aura. The captain's words echoed: Now it's fine. Relax. We just clean up after the knight sirs. Don't get in their way—stay sharp. He'd believed it. He'd heard such stories plenty of times. Saviors appearing in the nick of time. Dashing knights. He'd thought it was just pretty words for girls, but being thrown into real battle made him realize. How reliable superhumans were. How you could pin all hope on just one of them.
Hee hee hee!!
That very hope shattered and scattered. Even as the garrison died, as imperial citizens died, the knights didn't budge from their positions. At some point, Hans realized the cold truth. They hadn't come here to help. They'd come hunting for glorious, flashy achievements. In their eyes, it wasn't time yet. Not the decisive moment. Not the dramatic climax. Nothing but that.
"You fucking bastards!!"
For the record, Hans's ball-sack buddy died cursing knights. So he'd lived carefully, oh so carefully. But this time, he poured all his energy into cursing them.
"You aren't even men! Perverts jerking off to young ladies' handkerchiefs!!"
Kraaa!!
The sound of a demon greedily swallowing a person. He prayed some knight heard his curses and came running. But death had no intention of leaving Hans alone.
"Ugh. Ughhh!!"
He's dying. Really dying. Dying without doing a damn thing. Eaten by a demon. Becoming one meal. Turning into shit!
"You motherfucker!!"
Hans, fleeing, spun around to face the demon. If he was going to die anyway. Might as well land one hit first. That way it'd be less unfair. At least he could die fighting!
Hee hee hee!!
A prey's death throes made for fine entertainment. The demon bared its yellow fangs and charged. Something tastier than humans who mistook surrender for madness…
"Pass."
Thwack!!
A man ripped the demon's head off with his bare hands.
The desperate screams of humans. The demons' peculiar laughter.
"…."
"…."
The knights watched the scene in silence. Yes, they watched. They only watched. Even though they'd sworn to protect the weak. Even though demons were the root of all evil that had to be exterminated. The knights merely observed to the end.
"Don't act rashly."
Spotting some knights wavering, perhaps, a senior knight spoke in a stern tone.
"They'd die someday anyway, even if not today. Don't feel sorry for them. That's their fate."
"…."
"This isn't our stage yet. Knights aren't mere cleanup crew."
When demons first appeared, everyone thought of annihilation. To survive, they cooperated, even bearing losses. But as the war turned favorable, one truth emerged. No need for that. Profit came when it suited. Many nobles amassed fortunes waiting for this. Most knights picked their battles, stacking victories. To them now, that place wasn't a gold mine. Just sweat for nothing.
"Casualties are just conscripts and commoners anyway. There's plenty of those."
Sound logic. One knight was worth a hundred conscripts. That was generous. Commoners weren't even comparable.
"If the demons advance more, the Raon River's next. Vital water source for the area. If they occupy it and poison the supply, it'll be a disaster. That's what we stop."
Water was as precious as life in this season. For washing, drinking. Cleaning, wiping. That qualified as a knightly battle. They checked their gear. Soothed their horses. Circulated mana for peak condition.
"Then, time to—"
"Time to what? Just stay out of it forever."
At first, they thought they'd misheard. But when they realized a stranger was among them. And the senior knight's arms lay on the ground. Only then did the knights grasp it wasn't a mistake.
"Argh, graaaahk!!"
The title of superhuman wasn't just for brute strength. Mana didn't merely boost destruction. It heightened all senses to the extreme. God's gift transcending humanity. That was the superhuman, that was mana. Knights were superhumans. Knights wielded mana. Ambushes were a distant myth to knights.
"My arms! My arms!!"
And yet. This intruder did it all too easily. To the senior knight, the finest among them here. That knight wailed pathetically like a boy. No one could speak amid the shock.
"Feel the shame."
Slowly sheathing a sword they hadn't even seen drawn, the man addressed the knight with impassive eyes.
"The moment you didn't step up with demons right in front of you, you lost the right to be called knights."
Past commissioning ceremonies rose in the knights' minds. The day they'd overcome trials to become knights. Swearing to be the strong protecting the weak.
"Drunken on strength, you've lost your own path, you worthless shits."
Justice. Romance. The will to uphold them. That's what they'd promised. So what the hell were they doing here now?
"Wh-what are you doing! Attack! He assaulted a knight! Attack him!!"
At the senior knight's cry, a few drew swords. Assaulting a knight was unforgivable treason. Especially severing a key asset's arms. Practically a demon. Or a Contractor.
"Do it."
But no one moved rashly.
"Try it."
The man's hands were far from his sword. Folding arms against knights meant one of two things. Giving up resistance. Too low-level. Or why bother. Too overwhelming.
"…."
"…."
Gulp. Someone's swallow echoed loudly.
Thump-thump. Just one minute. But an eternity for the knights.
Monster.
Awakening mana granted hypersenses. Knights were superhumans. So they knew instantly. Death. Move here, all die. Strong. Words failed to describe it.
Unknown.
How. Where he'd strike. Nothing visible. Nothing felt. Only one certainty. They'd die.
"Cowards."
Ignoring dozens of knights arrayed behind him. The man turned toward the demons. Alone. Single-handedly. Toward those fiends. At that sight, a few knights stirred. Those shaken by the senior knight's words earlier. Questioning their inaction. Wondering if this was truly knighthood.
"Wait."
Dozens of demons there at least. Maybe over a hundred. Even superhumans struggled against demon hordes.
"We'll accompany you."
"You fools! What are you doing! Come back! Want to be dishonorably discharged?!"
They'd barely been commissioned. Discharge would spread rumors instantly. Ruining efforts. Futures. Yet a few knights willingly sacrificed—
"Scram."
"…?"
"Mine."
For a moment, the knights thought they'd misheard.
"Mine. All mine. Not giving to anyone."
This man wasn't treasure-hunting. He was going to fight demons. Life-or-death struggle. Yet he said mine? Won't share?
"Interfere, and die."
Madness gleamed blue in his eyes. A threat he hadn't made even to fight-avoiders. Just provocation at worst. But to helpers? Deadly serious.
Insane?
All knights questioned. But
"Ah."
Soon they understood.
It's him.
Watching him pulverize demons. Seeing them flee screaming. Knights dared not step up.
"…Monster."
More than demons. Another demon.
Fleeing people. Onlooking knights. All held their breath at the overwhelming sight.
"Kyahaak!!"
"Human! Wait!!"
"No waiting."
No knight could do this. Dozens of demons melted away. Clean, efficient motions. One sword stroke bisected them. He pulled out a dead one's heart for others. This is a demon heart. Cool, huh? Yours soon. Demons resisted. Futilely. Before him, all swept away equally.
Demon Slayer.
God's Right Hand.
True to the name. War's unparalleled hero. Living legend. A battle that'd take a knight order half a day. He ended in ten minutes flat.
"This madman…."
"Gods above."
"Is that… even human…?!"
Terrifying, but scariest? Not one demon left breathing. Demons were strong. Tough. Survived mortal wounds. Tempted post-battle. But Cain. No such mercy. Amid solo fight, he finished them off. From start to end. No exceptions—heads pulped underfoot.
"Ah."
All dead. No worthy foes again. Cain sat on demon corpses, pondering. Eyes bizarrely mixing madness and calm.
Spares? Nah.
Circumstances exist. Should hear them out. Mad Dog, but not a real dog? Human, after all. Talk first, decide—
"Talk."
Soon after. Fresh reinforcements arrived to this sight.
"What the hell."
Knights buried upside-down. Cauterized arm stumps neatly done.
At the same time.
"Your Highness? Where are you? This humble one has words."
The Mad Dog prowled the palace, sword in mouth.