Burning of Sorrow (3)
The tide of the battle had turned.
With Margaret and the other students fighting alongside me, we were finally pushing back the demon horde.
[-Flame Trap-]
—FWOOSH!! BOOM!!
I hurled another scroll at the ground, unleashing a wave of fire that incinerated a group of goblins foolish enough to stray too close.
I scanned the battlefield, my eyes taking in the chaos.
There were still a lot of demons, but their numbers were dwindling.
The students were fighting with a renewed ferocity, their attacks coordinated and deadly. Spells and sword strikes flashed through the air, each one sending another demon to its demise.
The pace of the battle had slowed somewhat, but that was to be expected.
I had been fighting nonstop for over an hour, and even with the buffs from the scrolls, I was starting to feel the strain.
Those two are incredible…
My gaze fell upon Margaret and the Saintess, who were fighting back-to-back, their movements a blur of motion.
Margaret’s wind magic was a force of nature, slicing through the demons like a whirlwind.
And the Saintess, bathed in holy light, was unleashing devastating attacks that seemed to purify the very air around her.
I can’t slack off now…
I wiped the green blood from my blade and charged back into the fray.
My muscles ached, and my lungs burned with exertion, but I couldn’t stop.
Not while there were still demons to kill.
If only I could use Blink…
My signature magic would make this fight so much easier. But I couldn’t risk revealing my identity.
Not yet. I had to maintain my cover, even if it meant putting myself at a disadvantage.
—Gah…!
I gritted my teeth as a wave of exhaustion washed over me.
I had been pushing myself too hard.
Just as I was about to take a step back and catch my breath,
I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.
One of the students lay sprawled on the ground, his leg twisted at an unnatural angle.
And standing over him, its massive fist raised for the killing blow was a hulking golem.
I didn’t hesitate.
I launched myself forward, my boots pounding against the earth.
—Shing!
The furious slash pierced the space between the golem's eyes.
I twisted the embedded blade violently, and the magic stone embedded in the golem's head was crushed like tofu.
Thump, the lifeless body collapsed to the ground.
"Haah, haah... Stay sharp!"
I roughly pulled the stunned student to his feet.
The guy, who had just escaped death, came to his senses belatedly and nodded frantically.
"Th-thank you! Professor!!"
He seemed to have mistaken me for one of the professors.
I didn’t bother correcting him.
I feel… different.
I flexed my hand, marveling at the raw power that coursed through my veins.
The status window update…
It had been a week since the system had enhanced my abilities, but it was only now, in the heat of battle, that I was truly beginning to understand the extent of its effects.
My average physical stat was now a solid B-, and my mana capacity had more than doubled to a staggering 63.
And Blink… I can use it twenty times now…
No wonder it felt so much easier to fight.
I offered a silent prayer of thanks to the status window as I charged back into battle.
—Shing! Shing! Shing!
Sorrow hummed with power, its blade a blur of motion, as I cut through the demon, ranks.
I was unstoppable.
I was a whirlwind of death and destruction.
I was…
What is that…?
I paused, my eyes narrowing as I spotted a figure moving towards us from the edge of the forest.
It was a man, his body swathed in a tattered cloak.
He moved with an eerie grace, his footsteps silent as he glided through the battlefield, seemingly oblivious to the carnage around him.
He looked like a beggar, his clothes old and worn, but there was something about him… something unsettling.
“…Huh?”
I drew in a sharp breath, my eyes widening in disbelief.
There was no mistaking that silhouette.
That aura of menace…
That chilling presence…
“No way…”
My mind reeled as a horrifying realization dawned on me.
That wasn’t just any demon.
That was…
“…Recus?”
Recus, the Spear Demon.
A high-ranking officer in the Demon King’s army.
The final boss of Volume 5 of “Sorrow-erasing Heroes!”
And he was walking straight towards us.
***
A title that spoke of power and terror.
In the world of “Sorrow-erasing Heroes!”, only the strongest demons earned the right to bear such titles.
The Deceiver of Death, Pyren.
The Black Liar, Liranto.
The Blade of Death, Lenon.
Each one a legend in their own right.
Each one a force of nature.
But of all the demons mentioned in the original story, none had left a more lasting impression on me than Recus.
He was the first demon to ever defeat Allen.
—Huff… Huff…
—Hmm… You’re the Hero of this generation? How disappointing.
Recus had first appeared in Volume 4, effortlessly defeating a second-year Allen in their first encounter.
The image of him casually wiping the blood from his spear after the fight… It was a scene I would never forget.
—Give up.
—Your swordsmanship is… unimpressive.
He had remained a constant threat throughout Volume 5, his power and charisma unmatched.
It wasn’t until Allen received the full blessing of the Sacred Sword, Dawn, and unlocked his true potential as the Hero, that he was finally able to defeat Recus.
In other words…
“…Shit.”
We were screwed.
Recus wasn’t supposed to appear until Volume 5!
We were still in the middle of Volume 3!
A cold sweat broke out on my skin as fear tightened its grip on my heart.
Why is he here…?
He wasn’t supposed to show up for at least another two chapters!
The timeline… It was all messed up!
No.
This wasn’t the time to panic.
I needed a plan.
Recus was a high-ranking demon, one of the Demon King’s most trusted lieutenants.
Even Allen had struggled to defeat him.
What chance did I have?
None. I have no chance.
The thought sent a wave of nausea through me.
I had to do something.
Anything.
But my mind was blank.
I could only stand there, frozen in place, as Recus continued his approach, his every step sending tremors through the earth.
He moved with an unnatural grace, his spear held loosely in his hand as if it weighed nothing at all.
I need to think…
But my thoughts were scattered, my mind racing a mile a minute.
I was so focused on Recus that I didn’t even notice the students who had gathered near the gate, their eyes wide with curiosity as they watched the approaching figure.
“Who’s that?”
“He’s giving off a lot of demonic energy… He must be strong.”
“He looks humanoid… I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
“Who cares? Let’s just kill him!”
“Yeah!”
Before I could stop them, five of the students charged forward, their weapons raised.
“Wait! Stop!”
I shouted, but it was too late.
Recus had already drawn his spear.
—Shing!
The air shimmered as the spear flashed through the air, leaving a trail of silver light in its wake.
—Squelch…
The sound of flesh being torn apart.
Followed by the sickening thud of bodies hitting the ground.
“…!”
Five heads rolled to a stop at my feet, their eyes staring up at me, their expressions frozen in a mask of eternal surprise.
Blood gushed from the severed necks, staining the earth crimson.
The world seemed to tilt on its axis.
It had happened so fast.
So effortlessly.
A wave of silence descended upon the battlefield, swallowing even the roars of the demons.
No one dared to speak.
No one dared to breathe.
Margaret, the Saintess, the students
…We all stood there, frozen in place, as death walked amongst us.
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Lol idiots
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