Chapter 8 - The Heavenly Demon Makes His Decision (2)
Even Eina, who had survived countless battlefields over decades, couldn’t help but be astonished by the Heavenly Demon’s bizarre footwork.
She had lived her entire life as a rogue.
Though aged, she prided herself on being no less capable than younger adventurers still in their prime.
Moreover, with Vized’s physical acceleration buff enhancing her, her speed should have far surpassed human limits.
Yet this man effortlessly matched her every step.
“Grrk!”
No matter how desperately she pushed her creaking legs to flee, no matter how acrobatically she wielded her twin blades against the Heavenly Demon—
He didn’t even move his upper body, merely shadowing her persistently and dodging every slash with ease.
‘What in the world is that footwork…?’
It defied all logic. Despite moving slower with fewer steps, he somehow always closed the distance.
‘And this bastard… he’s toying with me!’
Not once had he initiated an attack.
Just as Eina abandoned her rogue’s flashy footwork to mount a desperate offensive—
“Hmm. Nothing more to see here.”
The Heavenly Demon reappeared directly before her.
“…!”
The last thing Eina saw before losing consciousness was his fist flying toward her face.
Mage Vized realized things were going terribly wrong.
That man had just overwhelmed both Helkin and Eina—despite them being buffed by his magic.
And in their respective specialties of strength and speed, no less.
Which meant he was next—
“!”
The Heavenly Demon subdued Jakteain in an instant.
Though Jakteain fired arrows in rapid succession and desperately drew his dagger against the charging figure, it was futile.
Like his wife, he took a punch to the face and collapsed unconscious.
In moments, their entire party was wiped out, leaving only Vized.
“…Recall.”
He withdrew the buffs cast on the other three, restoring his mana.
Now unburdened by maintaining those spells, Vized could unleash the dazzling magic befitting an A-rank mage, but…
“…Haha.”
He instinctively knew. Against that man, it would be meaningless struggle.
Thud, thud.
With an impassive expression, the Heavenly Demon approached and stopped a few paces before Vized.
“What’s your goal in this?”
If the skill gap was this vast, he could have knocked them all out instantly.
Yet he deliberately chose the tedious route—crushing each member’s pride one by one.
“No need for you to know.”
The Heavenly Demon sneered.
“Your role is simple. Throw everything you have at me, then fall pathetically.”
…Gulp.
“O Ifrit, burn this foe before me!”
As expected, the battle ended anticlimactically.
I gazed down at the four figures sprawled pitifully across the snow.
“…”
Unnoticed, the Saintess had moved beside me, watching them with a conflicted expression.
“Aren’t you going to heal them?”
“Huh?”
Blinking at my question, she hurried over and began casting healing spells.
Once their wounds were mended, the four immediately assumed combat stances against me upon regaining consciousness.
For about three seconds.
“…What do you actually want?”
Perhaps realizing resistance was futile, the Village Chief lowered his weapon first and gestured for the others to stand down.
“Go back. Report exactly what happened to your Adventurer’s Guild or whatever. Tell them you were crushed without putting up a fight. And add one more thing.”
“…”
“If these are your strongest adventurers, the rest aren’t even worth my time.”
“…Is that all?”
“Deliver my message verbatim. If you don’t… next time I’ll take you seriously.”
“You—!”
The Village Chief restrained the bristling bald man.
“…Thanks.”
After exchanging glances, the other three departed.
“Wait…!”
The Saintess called after them.
“Quiet.”
“Ugh…”
A faint pulse of Demonic Qi silenced her.
“Why would you… I was trying to clear up the misunderstanding! What was the point of that message…!?”
“Just watch.”
“?”
“This way, I can deal with them all at once.”
Before proper mission briefings could even begin, Helkin and Vized had stormed out.
Now, Northwestern Branch Guild Master Millein anxiously awaited their return in her office.
Thirty years as an adventurer. Though known as the Reversal Warrior, even she couldn’t suppress her unease.
‘It’s been nearly a full day—why haven’t they returned?’
Certainly, no adventurer in this branch surpassed their strength.
Helkin’s impulsiveness was problematic, but they remained the party she trusted most here.
With Jakteain’s couple joining as planned, she’d felt somewhat reassured.
BANG!
“Guild Master! Helkin’s party just returned, but—”
Her hopes were spectacularly dashed.
“…So you lost. Not just lost, but got played with, then had the Saintess heal you before being sent back?”
Under Millein’s interrogation, the three avoided her gaze—all but Jakteain.
“And what? He said if this is your strongest, the rest aren’t worth his time?”
CRASH!
Enraged, she smashed her desk with a fist.
“Ha. I see. He’s openly provoking us, is he?”
“Millein.”
“What is it, old man?”
“Stay calm. As leader, you can’t lose composure. First, we should contact the Radain Church—”
“Old man. I’m perfectly composed.”
Yet veins bulged angrily across her forehead.
“We’re adventurers—we live by strength. He thoroughly crushed us with power, then healed and sent us back. Solely to mock us.”
Jakteain had already realized this.
Though he’d softened the report as much as possible…
There was no avoiding poking the sleeping lion.
“By mocking us, he’s forcing our hand. Either we slink away branded as lifelong losers, or we answer his challenge.”
Meeting her blazing gaze, Jakteain sighed deeply.
“Recall all quest parties! We’re going all out!”
“…They’re really gathering at the guild.”
My ploy worked.
If that guild master took the bait, they’d surely mobilize their full force against me.
Fortunately, she seemed as hotheaded as that bald warrior.
“…”
“Speak if you have something to say. Stop glaring.”
“…Are you truly invading the Adventurer’s Guild?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not… planning to kill them all this time?”
“No.”
“?”
“Why the puzzled look? Isn’t this good for you?”
“Well, yes, but…”
Auriel eyed me suspiciously.
No need for killing. In fact, keeping them alive benefits me more.
They’ll need to become my subordinates.
“Listen up about our target!”
Millein shouted to the adventurers assembled in the guild hall.
-Why’s Millein acting like this?
-You know that Saintess abduction request from the Radain Church yesterday? Helkin’s team went… and got wrecked.
-What? Seriously?
-And the kidnapper sent back a taunt through them…
“Enough chatter!”
The adventurers fell silent.
“Ahem. Let’s begin. Target: long black-haired male. According to the Radain Church, he was summoned from Hakram’s ritual. The Heavenly Demon, or its vessel… While his exact nature is unconfirmed, he wields demonic-like powers.”
At the word “demon,” the atmosphere shifted subtly.
Most didn’t devoutly follow the Radain Church, but having operated in the Holy Nation, they understood demons’ threat.
“So our sole A-rank party—Helkin and Vized—joined Jakteain’s couple to engage the abductor… and were defeated.”
Murmurs spread.
While Helkin and Vized were one thing, Jakteain and his partner’s reputations still resonated in the Northwestern Branch even five years after retirement.
-This Heavenly Demon or whatever seems more dangerous than expected.
“I said quiet! That’s not all. He left this message: ‘If these are your strongest adventurers, the rest are worthless minnows!’”
Now the adventurers grew serious.
The Radain Church’s Saintess—important, sure. A demon? Needs slaying. That had been their simple mindset.
But even these straightforward adventurers couldn’t ignore such blatant insult.
Millein’s fury proved contagious.
“Understood? Arm up! We hunt him down immediately! We’ll form teams—”
“No need for such hassle.”
An unfamiliar voice echoed from the entrance.
All eyes turned.
Standing there was unmistakably the long-haired man Millein described—with the Saintess cowering behind him.
“I’ve come to you.”
Swoosh—
As adventurers drew weapons and rose, the Heavenly Demon smiled.