Leave None Alive
A female demon suddenly appeared, blocking the hunter’s sword with her own. She was strikingly beautiful—beautiful enough that one glance would etch her image into memory forever. Yet that very beauty only intensified the overwhelming terror that seized the hunter.
“H-how… how are you here? I thought the trio had captured you…”
“Die, you piece of trash.”
The female demon’s voice carried a chilling fury. Then, with an almost casual grace, she began to twist her body.
“!!”
The blades that had been locked together bent at an impossible angle. The sudden shift in force wrenched the hunter’s wrist, draining the strength from his grip as unbearable pain shot through his arm. The moment his fingers loosened, the demoness moved like a dancer taking flight, her foot lashing out and kicking the sword from his hand.
-Thud!
“Guh!”
The blade flew from the hunter’s grasp. Without pause, the demoness flowed forward like water, slipping inside his now-defenseless guard. Her movements were elegant, almost hypnotic in their beauty—like a dance. But to the hunter, that beauty was nothing short of terrifying.
‘What… what is this…?’
He could see every motion, yet none of it made sense. Had he witnessed such steps on a street corner, he might have applauded. But this was a life-or-death battle, and he had already lost his weapon. He could not even read her movements. There was only one possible outcome left for him.
Death.
-Thud!
“Aaaaargh!!”
A dagger pierced his neck in an instant. The agony that followed tore a scream from his throat.
“Hurts, doesn’t it? The people you killed suffered far worse. Because of you… because of scum like you!”
The demoness twisted the blade buried in his neck, her voice thick with rage. With every movement, the pain intensified, and despair deepened across the hunter’s face. Moments later—
“Kuh… heh… urgh…”
“Tch.”
Still seething, the demoness clicked her tongue and yanked the dagger free. The hunter’s body collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
‘As expected… I don’t seem to have much talent for this sort of thing.’
She gazed at the miserable end of the man who had been rampaging like a demon from hell only moments ago, feeling a twinge of regret that she hadn’t made him suffer more. Then her eyes shifted to the young demon child standing nearby, frozen in shock.
“Are you all right?”
“! Ah… y-yes! B-but my mother…”
Even while overwhelmed by fear, the child’s first concern was for their dying mother. The demoness offered a gentle smile—completely different from the cold expression she had worn seconds earlier—and held something out to the child.
“What a good child. Here, take this. It should save your mother.”
It was a vial of red liquid—a potion. The young demon took it and sprinkled the contents over their mother’s wounds.
“Ah… ah…”
The injuries closed cleanly before their eyes. Color returned to the mother’s pale face, and the child was overcome with relief.
“Now then…”
The warm smile vanished. Dancer Hela’s icy gaze turned toward the remaining human hunters, who trembled in terror.
“Kuh!”
“D-don’t be scared! No matter how strong that dancer is, she’s still just one person!”
“B-but…”
“It’s all or nothing now! Even if we lose every other demon, capturing that woman alone will earn us a massive reward!”
The hunters steeled themselves despite their fear. Hela watched them quietly, then began walking forward with two daggers in hand. Their resolve meant nothing to her. Whether they fled or fought, the outcome was already decided.
-Thud!!!!
“Aaaagh!!!”
Moving like the wind, Hela swung her blades. The heads of the two lead hunters flew from their shoulders in an instant.
“U-uaaah!!!”
One hunter screamed at the sight of his comrades dying before him. He desperately raised his shield, trying to block the next attack. But—
“Kuh-heoook!!!!”
A blade struck his neck from behind. Three more of their companions fell in seconds, and the remaining hunters were gripped by even deeper terror. Against their dulled reactions, Hela moved without restraint. Her seductive yet lethal movements left them no chance to respond. Her swordplay was unlike anything they knew—unpredictable, overwhelming in speed and power. What followed was not a battle, but a one-sided slaughter. One by one, the hunters fell.
Then—
“H-hey! Look over here!”
“!”
The next moment, Hela saw the scene clearly. The three remaining hunters had their swords pressed against the necks of young demon children. The little ones—barely reaching the hunters’ knees—trembled, eyes brimming with tears.
“D-don’t move! Try anything and I’ll cut them down right now!”
“Drop your weapons! Or we’ll kill every last one of them!”
“…”
The hunters used the children as hostages, a cowardly tactic, yet they knew it would work. It was how Kerks’ hunters had once captured the powerful dancer. Seeing Hela hesitate, smiles crept across their faces.
‘We were a bit slow to use this because of the chaos, but it worked!’
‘What an idiot. To think she’d actually freeze because of these brats.’
Grinning, the hunters raised their voices again.
“What are you waiting for?! Drop the weapons!”
“If you won’t listen, we’ll start by making an example of this one—”
At that moment—
-Thud!
“!”
Hela dropped to her knees and slowly placed both daggers on the ground. The hunters felt a wave of relief mixed with exhilaration.
‘We did it! Things got messy, but we actually captured the dancer!’
‘Once we drag her back, we’re set for life!’
Even though many of their comrades had died, their future was now secured. With the fortress taken and most of the higher-ups dead, the reward would be theirs alone. The thought of wealth beyond anything they had ever known filled the three men with excitement.
Then—
-Thud!!!
“!?”
“Huh?”
In a flash, two daggers flew through the air. The two hunters still smiling in triumph collapsed, blades buried in their skulls.
“! W-what?! How dare you—!”
The last hunter, stunned, moved to slit his hostage’s throat. But—
“Ah…”
-Thud!!!!
The next thing he saw was something white. That was the last thing he remembered before his body hit the ground.
“Kuh! Y-you bastard…!!”
The hunter’s nose was crushed from the impact, blood streaming down his face. Even through the pain, he tried to stand and ready his sword. But—
“!!”
A cold sensation pressed against the back of his neck. Realizing what it meant, he dropped his weapon.
“I-I dropped my weapon… so spare my life… kuh-urgh!!”
The plea ended abruptly as the dagger pierced his neck. Watching the final hunter fall, Hela spoke in a quiet voice.
“Mission complete.”
*
Kerks’ fortress—the hunters’ stronghold and a place of terror for demons—was now filled with joy and relief. The demons, freed from their painful captivity, had regained their freedom. Every hunter who had once oppressed them had been wiped out. Not a single one had escaped, and those who remained had been turned into undead, transformed into something entirely different.
A miracle born from utter despair. And now, the demons were offering their gratitude to the one who had created that miracle—the one who had saved them.
Dancer Hela Ragnaron.
“Thank you. Truly… thank you so much, Lady Hela. How can we ever repay this kindness…”
“I only did what needed to be done. If anything, I’m sorry I couldn’t help sooner.”
“Please pass our thanks to the one who came with you as well. Without his undead, my family and I wouldn’t have survived.”
“Yes. I will… I’ll be sure to tell him.”
Hela responded humbly to the continued expressions of gratitude. Once the situation was settled, she slipped away from the crowd and headed toward the back room—toward the person waiting there. Toward her master. Her savior.
“I’ve returned, Your Majesty.”
“Good work.”