Chapter 47 The End of the Attack
Then, a red marker suddenly appeared beside the core on my [Advanced Search].
Rank: 4
Race: Demonoid
My eyes widened.
"Shit... it's one of the Demonoids."
Before I could react, several strange red lights suddenly appeared through the thick smoke coming from the Demonoid's location.
"What the...?"
The red lights intensified.
Then-
WHOOSH!!
A massive red beam suddenly shot out from the Demonoid.
It tore through the thick clouds of smoke, clearing everything in its path as it traveled across the arena.
My eyes widened when I saw its trajectory.
It was heading straight toward Daito and the others.
"Shit!"
I didn't waste another second.
I immediately put my sword back in my item box and activated [Mana Armor] and [Wind Walk] simultaneously.
Mana enveloped my arms like armor as the wind around me suddenly surged.
Then-
BOOOOOOOM!!!
The red beam struck the arena.
A massive explosion erupted across the battlefield, engulfing the area in a violent blast.
The shockwave tore through the arena, sending rocks and debris flying in every direction.
The remaining smoke that had covered the battlefield was completely blown away, finally revealing what had been hidden within it.
"What the!?"
Daito stared ahead as the smoke from the explosion slowly began to clear.
Through the thick clouds of dust, a figure gradually became visible.
It was me.
I stood in front of them with my head lowered, my arms crossed protectively in front of my body. I was breathing heavily, struggling to catch my breath after taking the full force of the attack.
"It's Raito!" Yuchikimo shouted in surprise.
The mana armor covering my arms began to fade, disappearing into particles of light.
My body trembled from the damage I had taken.
I slowly lowered myself onto one knee.
"Raito, are you alright?!" Yuchikimo quickly ran toward me.
Daito followed close behind.
"What happened?!"
I didn't answer.
Instead, I slowly raised my head.
My eyes remained fixed straight ahead.
Daito and Yuchikimo noticed my expression and followed my gaze.
The moment they looked forward...
Their faces froze.
A figure stood on top of the massive Demonic Spriggan's corpse, overlooking the battlefield. His crimson eyes burned through the lingering smoke, his pupils narrow and slitted, glowing like molten gold. Strange markings covered his skin, pulsing faintly with an ominous red light.
Daito's expression changed from confusion to shock.
"Who is that...?"
He swallowed hard.
"And what... is he?"
I finally spoke.
"It's a Demonoid."
Silence.
The words seemed to freeze everyone around us.
Shock and fear spread across the Heroes' faces.
"A... Demonoid?"
Ayame's voice trembled as she stared at the creature.
Even from the seating area above, Hiro, Akari, and the other Heroes looked down toward the battlefield in stunned silence.
Their expressions hardened as they finally realized what had just appeared before them.
A Demonoid.
And judging from its overwhelming presence...
It was unlike anything they had faced before.
Daito stepped forward, drawing his sword from its sheath.
"What are you doing here, Demonoid?!"
The Demonoid stared down at them for a moment before suddenly laughing.
"Hahaha!"
His laughter echoed throughout the arena.
"Not bad. I never thought you'd actually be able to kill the Demonic Spriggans."
He laughed again, his crimson eyes gleaming with amusement.
Yuchikimo stepped forward and drew his swords as well.
"That's enough!"
His voice echoed across the arena.
"Tell us what you're doing here!"
The Demonoid's smile slowly faded.
His gaze shifted.
Straight toward me.
The moment his eyes met mine, his expression changed completely.
His face twisted with anger.
He gritted his teeth before a sinister grin appeared across his face.
"So..."
"You're still alive."
His voice became filled with hatred.
"Hah... adventurer!"
Suddenly-
BOOOOOOM!!
An enormous surge of mana erupted from his body.
The pressure swept across the arena like a violent gust of wind.
I immediately raised one arm in front of my face, shielding myself from the overwhelming force.
"Damn it..."
I gritted my teeth as the pressure pushed against my body.
This one...
I think he's a lot stronger than Vael.
Behind me, the Heroes and the others struggled against the overwhelming pressure, some raising their arms to protect their faces.
The ground beneath our feet cracked from the sheer force of his mana.
Then, just as suddenly as it appeared...
The pressure disappeared.
Silence returned to the arena.
Daito slowly lowered his arm, his expression filled with fear and disbelief.
"Such overwhelming mana..."
He tightened his grip around his sword.
"So this is the power of a Demonoid..."
The Demonoid ignored him.
His crimson eyes remained locked onto me.
His expression became increasingly furious.
"Tell me, adventurer..."
His voice echoed through the arena.
"What happened to Vael?"
I grinned.
"He's dead."
The Demonoid's expression froze.
For a moment, he seemed unable to process what I had just said.
"What?"
I slowly stood back up, ignoring the pain still lingering throughout my body.
"I said..."
"I killed him."
"And you're next if you don't leave now."
The Demonoid stared at me in silence.
Then...
A faint smirk appeared across his face.
"Is that so?"
Before I could respond, the sound of hurried footsteps suddenly echoed throughout the colosseum.
Dozens of knights and mages rushed into the arena from the entrances, quickly spreading across the massive seating area surrounding the battlefield.
"What the...?"
I looked around in confusion.
More knights continued pouring into the colosseum, taking positions around the battlefield.
The Heroes also looked around, clearly confused by the sudden arrival of so many soldiers.
"What's going on?" one of the Heroes behind me said.
I turn gaze back on the Demonoid.
Strangely...
He didn't seem bothered by the sudden appearance of the knights and mages.
He simply stood atop the massive Demonic Spriggan's corpse, staring directly at me.
It was as if the arrival of an entire force of soldiers meant absolutely nothing to him.
Then-
"Is everyone alright?!"
A familiar voice suddenly echoed through the colosseum.
I immediately turned toward the entrance behind us.
Several knights came rushing into the arena.
At the front of them...
I recognized the man immediately.
Sir Gallagher.
He ran toward us with several more knights following closely behind him.
"It's Sir Gallagher!" Daito shouted.
The Demonoid suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha..."
His laughter echoed throughout the colosseum, sending an uneasy feeling through everyone present.
Sir Gallagher stepped forward and stopped beside Daito.
Without hesitation, he drew his sword and pointed the blade directly at the Demonoid.
"Demonoid!"
His voice echoed across the arena.
"Are you the one responsible for this attack on the kingdom?!"
The Demonoid's laughter slowly faded.
He stared down at Sir Gallagher for a moment before a sinister grin spread across his face.
"Yes."
"I am."
A chilling silence fell over the arena.
The Demonoid's crimson eyes gleamed with amusement.
"It was beautiful..."
He chuckled softly.
"Watching all those humans being slaughtered..."
His grin widened.
"...and absorbed by the Spriggans."
He giggled, almost as if he were reminiscing about an enjoyable experience.
"It was quite entertaining."
"You bastard!"
Daito stepped forward furiously, tightening his grip around his sword as he prepared to attack the Demonoid.
But before he could move any further-
Sir Gallagher extended his right arm in front of Daito, stopping him.
"Sir Gallagher?"
Daito looked at him in confusion.
"Don't attack so rashly, Daito."
Sir Gallagher kept his eyes fixed on the Demonoid.
"I don't think you're any match for him."
Daito's eyes widened in shock.
He slowly lowered his head, gripping his sword tightly in frustration.
Sir Gallagher then stepped forward.
"Tell me, Demonoid!"
His voice echoed throughout the arena.
"What's your reason for attacking the kingdom?!"
The Demonoid stared at him for a moment before a sinister grin spread across his face.
Without saying a word, he slowly turned around.
He reached down and picked up the core resting on the massive Demonic Spriggan's corpse.
Then he turned back toward us.
He raised the core proudly, displaying it for everyone to see.
His grin widened.
"This..."
He held the core tightly in his hand.
"...is the reason."
One of the Heroes standing behind me suddenly froze.
His eyes widened as he stared at the orb in the Demonoid's hand.
"Is that...?"
Daito froze from what he's seeing.
His expression turned pale.
"An Abyssal Well Core?"
Ayame's face filled with fear.
"No way..."
She took a small step backward.
"It can't be..."
Her eyes remained locked on the enormous orb.
"It's way bigger than an ordinary Core."
Yuchikimo's hands tightened around the grips of his swords.
His expression twisted with anger.
"This bastard..."
His voice trembled.
"They've managed to kill that many people..."
The arena fell silent.
Everyone understood what the enormous size of the core meant.
It wasn't simply the result of one or two victims.
The Spriggans had been feeding throughout the attack.
Every person they had drained...
Every life they had extinguished...
Every scream that had echoed through the streets...
Had contributed to the growth of that Core.
The Demonoid looked at the terrified faces around him and chuckled.
"Unfortunately..."
He slowly lifted the Abyssal Well Core closer to his chest.
"I don't have time to play with you Heroes."
His crimson eyes narrowed.
"I'm only interested in this Core."
He smiled.
"And after everything those Spriggans consumed..."
His fingers tightened around the enormous orb.
"...it would be a shame to leave it here."
Suddenly, black smoke began to seep from the Demonoid's body.
It curled around him like living shadows, rapidly growing thicker with every passing second.
Sir Gallagher immediately realized what was happening.
"Stop him now!"
His voice echoed throughout the arena.
"Don't let him escape with the Core!"
Everyone immediately sprang into action.
The knights stationed around the seating area leaped down into the battlefield at the same time as Akari and the other Heroes, all of them rushing down toward the Demonoid.
At the same time, the mages quickly raised their staffs and began casting their spells, preparing to support the others from behind.
"Fire!"
"Wind!"
"Lightning!"
"Stone!"
Daito and Sir Gallagher charged forward alongside the other Heroes.
"Don't let him get away!"
But they were too far.
They wouldn't make it in time.
I didn't waste another second.
I summoned my Flare Sword into my hand.
"[Wind Walk]."
WHOOSH!
My body disappeared into a burst of wind.
In the next instant-
I reappeared directly in front of the Demonoid.
His eyes widened in surprise.
"What-?!"
I didn't give him time to react.
I tightened my grip around my sword and swung with all my strength.
SLASH!!
The blade struck directly against the Abyssal Well Core.
CRACK!
A sharp cracking sound echoed throughout the arena.
"NO!"
The Demonoid's expression changed instantly.
The cracked Abyssal Well Core suddenly began to glow.
Brilliant light seeped through the cracks spreading across its surface, growing brighter with every passing second.
Before anyone could react-
BOOOOOOM!!!
The Core exploded violently.
A massive shockwave erupted from the Demonoid, tearing across the arena and sending dust, debris, and shattered stone flying in every direction.
"Everyone, get down!" Sir Gallagher shouted.
The knights and Heroes quickly raised their arms to shield themselves from the blast.
But the force of the explosion was overwhelming.
The shockwave struck me head-on, sending my body flying backward.
"GHK!"
I slammed violently into the wall beneath the seating area.
CRASH!!
The impact shook the stone wall as I bounced off it and fell back onto the battlefield below.
I remained there for a moment, struggling to breathe.
Slowly, I pushed myself up.
My legs trembled beneath me.
I planted my Flare Sword against the ground and used it like a cane to steady myself.
"...Damn..."
As the smoke gradually began to clear, I looked toward the center of the arena.
Everyone else slowly lowered their arms.
Our eyes widened.
The Demonoid was still standing in the exact same place.
He hadn't moved an inch.
But the Abyssal Well Core that had once been in his hand...
Was gone.
All that remained was a pile of shattered crystal fragments scattered across the ground, while small blue particles slowly floated upward from the remains, drifting gently into the open air before disappearing into the blue sky.
The Demonoid stared down at the broken remains in silence.
The Demonoid slowly clenched his fist, crushing the remaining fragments of the Abyssal Well Core beneath his hand.
The shattered crystal crumbled between his fingers.
His head slowly lifted.
"YOU DAMN HUMAN!"
His voice thundered throughout the arena.
"I'm going to kill you!"
His crimson eyes burned with fury.
"And I'm going to make you pay for what you've done!"
BOOOOOOM!!
A massive surge of dark mana erupted from his body.
The force swept across the arena, sending dust and debris flying through the air.
The sheer pressure was so overwhelming that cracks began spreading across the stone walls and pillars of the colosseum.
CRACK... CRACK... CRACK...
The structure itself trembled under the Demonoid's power.
Black smoke suddenly began swirling around his body.
Faster...
And faster...
Until it formed a massive tornado of darkness around him.
The knights and Heroes struggled to remain standing as the violent winds tore through the arena.
Then-
Everything suddenly stopped.
The black smoke vanished.
The pressure disappeared.
And the Demonoid...
Was gone.
He had completely vanished into thin air.