What's That Guy Doing Over There?
Just as the continent and the Empire exist, and Middle Earth where humans live upon them—
The Demon Realm is another world entirely.
A world where magic beasts, demonkin, and devils live; where demonic energy flows through the air instead of mana; where a black sky and a crimson sun hang overhead.
For as long as the continent has had history, the Demon Realm has repeatedly connected to Middle Earth through dimensional gates known as Demon Gates.
Scholars explain it thus:
The Demon Realm is an inherently unstable dimension, and the gap between it and Middle Earth is far narrower than with other dimensions.
Even so—
Opening a gate that joins two dimensions into one is an exceedingly difficult and delicate task.
And yet.
That difficult, arduous feat was unfolding right before Leon's eyes.
Gooooooong—!
A rift yawned open in midair, as if space itself had been seized by hand and torn like a sheet of paper.
It was large enough for three or four grown men to pass through. A translucent membrane shimmered across its surface.
Its jagged edges scattered light like a prism, gleaming in every color of the rainbow.
Beyond the rift stretched a blood-red earth and a pitch-black sky. The roars and howls of magic beasts echoed through like distant thunder.
Then—
Dense demonic energy began seeping out through the Demon Gate.
"Ugh."
Leon instinctively drew up his mana.
His skin prickled; every fine hair stood on end. His heart hammered wildly as it sensed the danger.
The demonic energy flowing directly from the Demon Realm was raw and overwhelmingly thick.
The terrain around the Demon Gate warped under the spreading energy. The flagstones of the plaza cracked and shattered. Building facades that touched the demonic energy corroded and crumbled away. A dark crimson haze swirled through the fouled air.
Middle Earth was being eroded—turning into the Demon Realm itself.
Leon shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Everyone, get away from the plaza! This isn't over yet!"
Citizens who had been cautiously gathering toward the center flinched and scrambled back.
Just as Leon lowered his gaze again—
Krrrrrrrrrrrr—!
Far off, a black silhouette came flying, smashing through buildings and walls in its path.
Its entire body was pulverized, trailing bodily fluids behind it. It looked as though something had struck it and sent it flying.
"And what's that now?"
Bursting out right on its heels was a woman with dark crimson hair. She held a sword wreathed in red aura in each hand.
A crimson arc traced from high to low.
Kwaaang—!
The black figure raised an arm in a desperate block, but was sent flying backward once more.
In the brief moment it floated through the air, a bizarre sight met Leon's eyes.
Its wrecked body regenerated in an instant, and its power amplified exponentially. By the time it hit the ground, fresh flesh had already covered every wound.
Looking closer, the demonic energy pouring from the Demon Gate was being completely absorbed into the creature—like a fish returned to water, drinking in the demonic energy and coming back to life.
Pat—.
Leon launched himself off the clock tower and dropped down.
"Noona."
He joined Hera, who stood with her lips twisted in a crooked line.
"You've been fighting that thing this whole time?"
He jerked his chin toward the figure.
"What...?!"
Shock burst from the figure's mouth at the gesture.
"Really? The two of you already took down Ulantor...?"
It seemed only now, after being thoroughly beaten by Hera, that it had noticed the magic beast's demise.
"That bug bastard's name was Ulantor?"
"......"
When Leon answered indifferently, the figure clamped its mouth shut and rolled its eyes. It looked thoroughly rattled by the unexpected turn of events.
"Haa~ Sorry, little brother. I've got no excuse."
Hera apologized, looking dejected. Those usually bright, lively eyes had sunk into gloom.
It wasn't anything else—she'd dragged out a one-on-one duel. Her pride as a Master must have taken a serious hit.
"Don't worry about the apology."
Leon didn't particularly mind. He had no real intention of blaming her either.
Just looking at that thing's presence and the sword aura it was projecting made it clear it was no easy opponent. He himself had been playing around with some scorpion-centipede for quite a while, hadn't he?
Their total strength had simply been greater than expected.
There was something more important to address right now.
Leon pointed the tip of his sword at the rift.
"What are you going to do? Can you close that?"
The accepted wisdom was that closing a Demon Gate without a mage's help required a Master-rank martial artist.
The Demon Gate that had opened in Siruntel last time had been closed by Aqua, the eldest son of the Helbridge family and a Master-rank spearman.
But—
"Of course I can, but I'd need an opening. Meaning you'd have to hold those things off, little brother."
Exactly.
It wasn't something a Master martial artist could do alone. Aqua had moved with his family's knight order as well—they'd handled the magic beasts while he closed the gate. He needed uninterrupted time to concentrate.
Leon asked back.
"Those things?"
"Yeah. Looks like he called his friends."
No sooner had Hera finished speaking—
"Lord Belger!"
"We have arrived!"
Beyond the rift, on the Demon Realm side, demonkin of formidable presence began gathering from all directions, their faces appearing one after another.
Every one of them had a well-balanced, solidly built body. They wore long white hooded robes that reached their feet, and each carried a blade of a different kind at their side.
Leon could feel it.
Every single one of them was at least on the level of Talkan, whom he'd met in Siruntel. And there were nearly thirty of them. If all of those crossed over, creating an opening for Hera to close the Demon Gate would be a distant dream.
Pajijing—.
Blink magic. Aria, who had been on the tower with Leon, arrived as well.
"Master, if you're going to do it, you need to hurry. The sacrifice was insufficient, so the rift hasn't fully opened. Those demonkin won't be able to cross for now."
It was exactly as she said.
The demonkin who had been approaching with eyes blazing as if ready to devour their enemies, brandishing their blades, were now straining and fretting right in front of the rift.
"Lord Belger! The gate is incomplete!"
"At this rate, we cannot cross...!"
Belger, who had been recovering at a distance, answered quickly.
"There's been a hitch with the ritual. Send the war beasts first!"
"......Yes!"
Then—
Accompanied by a screeching cry like metal scraping—
"......Tarion?"
A pack of two-headed wolf-type magic beasts—Tarion—came pouring through the rift one after another.
But their appearance was rather unfamiliar.
Iron chains wrapped tightly around their necks. Each of their two heads emitted a different colored glow from its eyes. Moreover, they didn't charge mindlessly at the sight of humans; instead, they formed up in perfect order around Belger.
These weren't wild. They seemed to be magic beasts the demonkin had personally tamed.
Hera's tongue flicked out like a snake's.
"Hmm~ Little brother, think you can manage? Doesn't look like we can close the Demon Gate right now. Want to just grab Riel and bail?"
"......"
Leon clicked his tongue.
Running was certainly an option.
Honestly, closing the Demon Gate here was too much. While Hera prepared, Leon and Aria would have to hold off the assault alone.
That demonkin standing over there—Belger—had briefly traded blows with Hera. And right now he was fully charged with demonic energy. Add a pack of trained Tarion on top of that? They'd be shredded into meat in less than a minute, no question.
On top of that—there was no telling when the rift might fully open, or when additional forces might come through. Even now, more Tarion were still pouring in.
Hmm.
For a moment, a golden brooch flashed through Leon's mind, but...
Way too fucking wasteful to use it now.
It vanished just as quickly. Honestly, it wasn't a life-or-death situation yet. As Hera said, escape was possible. If they committed to running, they could get away—unless those demonkin all came pouring through. Then it would be a different story.
So just run away? Leave this behind?
If they did that, one thing was certain: the citizens of Pribil would be massacred.
"......"
It left a bad taste. After all the effort to save them, they'd just die anyway. Everything they'd gone through would be for nothing.
But—
A bad taste was just a bad taste.
My life comes first.
"Aria, Noona—we're bailing."
Leon was neither a righteous hero nor a martyr who sacrificed himself for others. He was an ordinary human who valued his own safety and lifespan above all else.
Aria and Hera nodded.
"You think I'll just let you leave?"
Belger rasped in a phlegmy voice, then raised his index finger and pointed forward.
The Tarion pack tensed as one, ready to launch.
Leon and his companions slowly began backing away.
"Seize them."
The moment Belger's words fell—
—Kwajik!
"Wait, behind—behind!"
"Wh-what is that?!"
Kwajajak! Kuddeudeuk! Kwajik!
"Uwaaaagh?!"
"Why is he here...!"
Kwagagak! Kudeuk! Kwajijijik!
From beyond the rift, violent rupturing sounds and the screams of demonkin began to ring out.
"Kwahahahahaha!"
A roar of pure exhilaration drowned them out.
"......?!"
Belger's eyes bulged as he whipped his gaze around.
The far side of the rift had become a slaughterhouse.
Severed limbs flew through the air; black blood sprayed in geysers. Demonkin who couldn't even scream their death cries were being pulverized where they stood.
Standing at the heart of that chaos was a black greatsword.
Slash, thrust, cleave. With simple, straightforward motions, the demonkin were swept away like scarecrows without ever managing to cross blades.
"Kwahahahaha! Patsira only mass-produces trash!"
"......?!"
Wielding the greatsword was a man built like a house.
Dark crimson skin, a muscular upper body covered in scars. And a magnificent horn, one side cleanly sheared off at an angle.
"Bergopf......?"
Forgetting even that Hera was standing right beside him, Leon muttered in a daze.
"What's that guy doing over there?"