Chapter 40 The Demonoid Had Return
The demonoid suddenly dashed toward us with incredible speed.
His sword cut through the air as he aimed directly at me.
CLANG!
Before the attack could reach me, Sir Gallagher stepped in front of me and blocked it with his sword.
The impact sent sparks flying across the chamber.
Sir Gallagher's boots dug into the stone floor as he absorbed the force of the blow.
"You're not getting past me!" he shouted.
The demonoid smirked.
At that exact moment, I activated a skill.
"[Wind Walk]."
My body disappeared.
The demonoid's eyes widened slightly.
An instant later, I appeared behind him.
Without hesitation, I swung my sword.
The blade sliced through the air with immense speed.
The demonoid reacted quickly and twisted his body to avoid a fatal hit.
Even so-
SLASH!
A deep cut appeared across the side of his face.
Blood splattered onto the stone floor.
The demonoid immediately leaped backward, retreating toward the center of the chamber.
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Then he slowly raised a hand and touched the wound on his face.
His fingers came away stained with blood.
The demonoid stared at it.
Then-
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
A menacing laugh echoed throughout the underground hall.
Sir Gallagher and I remained in our battle stances.
The demonoid grinned.
His red eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Looks like I don't have much of a chance fighting both of you."
He casually sheathed his sword.
The action immediately put us on guard.
Then he shrugged.
"I don't want to waste my time here."
His grin widened.
"And besides..."
"I've already done what I came here for."
Sir Gallagher's expression immediately changed.
"What did you say?"
The demonoid merely smiled.
Then strange purple light glows behind him.
A thick cloud of black smoke suddenly erupted around him.
"What!?" Sir Gallagher shouted.
The smoke rapidly spread throughout the room, completely blocking our vision.
I narrowed my eyes.
"Damn it!"
A few moments later, the smoke finally began to clear.
The chamber became visible once more.
But the demonoid was gone.
Nothing remained except the faint traces of his demonic mana.
Sir Gallagher slammed his fist against a nearby wall.
"Damn it! He got away!"
I closed my eyes and focused.
The demonic mana hadn't disappeared.
I could still sense it.
It was moving.
Fast.
My eyes snapped open.
"Not this time."
Sir Gallagher turned toward me.
I looked at him and spoke immediately.
"I'll go after the demonoid."
"You go tell the heroes what happened. Can you do that, Sir?"
Sir Gallagher nodded without hesitation.
"Yes. I can handle that."
His expression became serious.
"But be careful. We don't know what their intentions are or what they're planning here."
I nodded.
"Right."
The demonic presence was already getting further away.
I couldn't waste another second.
I focused my mana.
"[Mach One]."
Power surged through my body.
The ground beneath my feet cracked.
Then-
BOOM!
I shot forward with explosive speed.
A powerful shockwave blasted through the underground chamber, nearly knocking Sir Gallagher off balance.
His eyes widened in disbelief as I vanished down the corridor.
In the blink of an eye, I was already racing through the halls of the arena, heading straight for the exit.
As I burst out of the arena, I immediately focused on the demonoid's mana.
I could still sense it.
But it was fading.
Fast.
"This is bad..." I muttered, gritting my teeth. "I can't let him get away."
Without slowing down, I pushed through the crowded streets outside the colosseum.
Festival-goers filled every corner of the city.
Merchants shouted from their stalls.
Children ran through the streets laughing.
Musicians played cheerful tunes as people celebrated the festival.
Yet none of it mattered to me right now.
My eyes remained fixed ahead as I followed the faint trail of demonic mana.
Then I activated a skill.
"[Wind Walk]."
My body vanished from the ground.
In the next instant, I appeared atop a nearby rooftop.
The sudden change in perspective gave me a clear view of the city.
Rows of colorful banners stretched between buildings.
Decorated lanterns hung above the streets.
The entire kingdom was alive with celebration.
But I didn't stop to admire it.
I immediately sprinted across the rooftops.
My feet barely touched the tiles as I leaped from house to house.
The wind rushed past my face.
The mana trail was still there.
Weak.
But present.
I followed it through the city as fast as I could.
Yet the further I went, the fainter it became.
"Damn it..."
The demonoid was slipping away.
A few moments later, I landed in the middle of a large town square.
The moment my feet touched the ground, I stopped.
I closed my eyes and focused.
Searching.
Listening.
Feeling.
Nothing.
The demonic mana was gone.
Completely gone.
My eyes opened.
"Damn it!"
I clenched my fist.
"I lost him!"
For several seconds, I stood there in frustration before finally letting out a deep sigh.
There was no point chasing a trail that no longer existed.
Slowly, I looked around the town square.
The place was lively.
People wandered between food stalls and shops.
Children played near a fountain in the center.
Laughter and conversation filled the air.
For the first time since leaving the arena, I allowed myself to relax.
My gaze drifted toward a nearby bench.
I walked over and sat down.
Leaning back slightly, I watched the people enjoying the festival.
A small smile appeared on my face.
"It was good seeing them doing so well."
The image of all my classmates flashed through my mind.
Their arguments.
Their laughter.
Their excitement over the tournament.
It reminded me of old times.
Then I remembered something else.
The way they had described me earlier.
For a moment, I simply stared into space.
Then I laughed.
"Hahaha..."
I shook my head.
"I can't believe that's how they describe me."
Out of all the memories we shared...
That was the one thing that stuck.
I looked up toward the clear blue sky.
The weather was perfect.
Small clouds floating in the sky.
Then another realization hit me.
My smile instantly froze.
"...Wait."
I sat upright.
"Damn it."
I rubbed my face with both hands.
"I still don't know who's who."
All this time, I had been talking to them without actually knowing which name belonged to which person.
I groaned in embarrassment.
"I should've asked before leaving."
I buried my face in my hands.
"I'm an idiot."
I stayed in the town square for quite a while.
With the demonoid's trail gone cold, there wasn't much I could do.
So I simply sat there and enjoyed the atmosphere of the festival.
Before I knew it, the afternoon had passed.
The sun was already beginning its slow descent toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and gold.
I stretched my arms and stood from the bench.
"Guess I should head back."
With that, I began walking through the city once more.
The streets of Dilenia were even more lively than before.
Colorful banners fluttered overhead.
Rows of lanterns had begun to glow as evening approached, filling the streets with warm light.
Festival stalls lined both sides of the road.
The smell of grilled meat, sweet pastries, and freshly cooked food drifted through the air.
Children ran around laughing while musicians played cheerful melodies nearby.
Everywhere I looked, people were smiling.
Every citizen of the kingdom seemed to be enjoying themselves.
As I walked, bits and pieces of conversations reached my ears.
"Did you see how Hero Daito defeated that guy? It was amazing!"
A group of old men were excitedly discussing the tournament.
"I know, right?" another replied. "The way he finished the match was incredible!"
I couldn't help but smile.
Then another conversation caught my attention.
"The Hero Yuchikimo was amazing too! He made that fight look so easy."
"Seriously! His speed was unbelievable."
"His opponent couldn't even keep up with him."
I chuckled softly to myself.
"Looks like they managed to win their fights."
Honestly, I wasn't surprised.
The heroes were strong.
Even if they still had a lot of room to grow, they were far stronger than the average adventurer.
It would have been strange if they lost in the early rounds.
As I continued walking, I heard more conversations.
People were talking about Daito's swordsmanship.
Others were discussing the other heroes skills.
Some were even arguing about which hero would win the tournament.
The excitement surrounding them was enormous.
I slipped my hands into my pockets and smiled.
"Good for them."
After everything they had been through recently, it was nice seeing them enjoy themselves.
For once, they could focus on something other than fighting monsters, chasing criminals, or risking their lives on dangerous missions.
The festival lights continued to illuminate the streets as the sky slowly darkened.
And as I walked through the bustling city of Dilenia, surrounded by laughter and celebration, I found myself looking forward on what's gana happen tomorrow.
After all...
I still wanted to see just how much stronger they had become.
As I continued walking through the busy streets, a delicious aroma suddenly drifted through the air.
My stomach immediately reacted.
I stopped walking and sniffed the air.
"Hm?"
The smell was rich and savory, mixed with the scent of spices and grilled meat.
It was enough to make anyone hungry.
Curious, I followed the scent through the crowd.
It didn't take long before I found the source.
A food stall stood near the side of the road, smoke rising from a large grill.
Several skewers of meat sizzled over the flames, their surfaces glistening with juices as they cooked.
The smell was incredible.
I walked closer and looked at the food being cooked.
The meat had a beautiful golden-brown color, and every time the vendor turned the skewers, the fat dripped onto the fire, creating another burst of mouthwatering aroma.
"You smell something good, kid?"
I looked up and saw a middle-aged man standing behind the grill.
He wore a stained apron and had a toothpick hanging from the corner of his mouth.
A friendly grin rested on his face.
I nodded.
"It smells amazing."
The man laughed proudly.
"Of course it does."
He pointed at the skewers on the grill.
"These skewers are ones of the best in Dilenia."
Then he smirked.
"Especially when you pair them with some booze."
I chuckled.
"Really? How much are they?"
"One copper coin for two skewers."
My eyes widened slightly.
"That's cheap!"
The vendor burst out laughing.
"Festival prices, kid."
A smile appeared on my face.
"Then give me twenty skewers, sir!."
The man's grin grew even wider.
"You got it!"
He immediately got to work.
A few moments later, he handed over a large paper-wrapped bundle filled with freshly grilled skewers.
The delicious smell rose from the package the moment it touched my hands.
"Enjoy," the vendor said proudly.
I paid him and gave a small nod.
"Thanks."
Then I continued walking through the city once more.
This time, however, I had food with me.
I pulled out one of the skewers and took a bite.
The meat was tender and juicy.
The seasoning was simple but incredibly flavorful.
My eyes widened slightly.
"Oh, that's good."
I quickly took another bite.
Then another.
As I wandered through the illuminated streets of Dilenia, enjoying the festival atmosphere, I found myself steadily working through the mountain of skewers I had bought.
I laughed to myself.
"I'm not really into alcohol..."
I took another bite.
"...but these skewers are definitely good."
With food in one hand and the lively sights of the festival all around me, I continued my evening stroll through the kingdom's capital.
As night finally fell, the streets of Dilenia became even livelier.
Countless lanterns illuminated the city with warm golden light while festival stalls bustled with activity.
Laughter, music, and cheerful conversations echoed from every direction, transforming the kingdom into a dazzling sea of celebration beneath the starry sky.
_ _ _
Author's Note
Hello everyone!
I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for reading my story. Seeing people enjoy something I've spent so much time and effort creating truly means a lot to me.
Whether you've been here from the beginning or just recently discovered this book, I'm incredibly grateful for your support. Knowing that people are enjoying the characters, world, and adventures I've created makes all the hard work worth it.
If you've been enjoying the story, I'd greatly appreciate it if you would consider following my profile so you can stay updated on future chapters and projects. Of course, there's absolutely no pressure if you'd rather not.
Also, if you don't mind, I'd love for you to check out my new book, A Real Fighter Doesn't Need a Sword Much Less a Weapon. It's a new adventure that I've been working hard on, and I'd be honored if you gave it a chance.
Thank you again for all your support. I hope you continue to enjoy the story, and I look forward to sharing many more chapters with you!
Happy reading!