Chapter 119: Demon Encounter

"What hell happened to the village!?"

Killian cursed out loud as he saw the thick black smoke rising from where the village was.

Pandora also had a grave expression on her face as she noticed this, she hurriedly looked over to Regis and saw that he was silent.

’I wonder what Brother is planning... to think that I couldn’t even detect what happened to the village...’

She bit her lips, thinking that she should have somehow been able to detect the perpetrator.

"Don’t blame yourself, Pandora."

As if reading her mind, Regis glanced at her and reassured her with a smile.

He then looked forward as he increased his speed, "A demon descended in the village, so it’s understandable that you weren’t able to detect it. What’s done is done."

"Instead of blaming ourselves, we must make sure to prevent the situation from worsening. We got this, okay? Think of this as our first mission as an adventurer party."

His words brought a sense of peace to both Pandora and Killian.

They glanced at each other and nodded, also further speeding up to the village with determined expression on their faces.

***

"N-No... P-Please..."

A woman in her late thirties cried as she hugged her son and daughter.

"M-Mom, I’m s-scared...!"

"I-I hope that this is just a d-dream..."

Her children’s voice trembled as they sobbed heavily, staining their mother’s clothes.

The woman caressed their head as she whispered, "Yes, don’t worry. Just close your eyes and all of this will be gone."

It took her all her strength to stop herself from stuttering as she glared at the figure in front of her.

"Oh~ Your mother is right, this will all be over soon. After this, your family will be together forever..."

"R-Really, Mister?"

"Jacob! Don’t look at him! Don’t let yourself be fooled by the demon!!"

The woman immediately hugged her son.

She then closed her eyes and began to mutter a prayer under her breath.

"Dear Goddess Lemetina... please vanquish this demon and deliver us from all evil..."

"Pffft!"

The figure laughed as he heard the prayers of the woman.

"Well, it’s not like I’m lying. I’m telling the truth when I said that you’ll all be together forever... in the depths of hell, that is!"

The figure raised his hand adorned with bloody black claws with a crazy smile.

Seeing this, the woman gritted her teeth and used her body to shield her children from the demon’s clutches.

However, the pain she had been preparing herself for didn’t arrive.

Glancing behind her, her eyes widened.

"M-Mayor...!"

"Fucking old man!!"

The figure couldn’t extend his claws further because of the old man that hugged him suddenly from behind.

"Fucking get away from me!!!"

The figure thrashed around, using his elbows to deal blows to the old man.

Thud— Thud— Thud—

However, the old man didn’t budge, "No! I love you, my son. But I won’t tolerate any more than this!!"

"I told you that your son is gone already!"

"You hellish demon! Aren’t you satisfied with what you did to our village!? Haven’t you killed enough!?"

"I said, get the fuck away from me!" The demon shouted as he used his feet in order to kick the old man away.

Thud—!!!

"You’re really pissing me off..."

Pop— Pop—

Cracking his neck, the figure slowly approached the old man, "I initially wanted to make you watch as the son you loved laid waste on everything you had..."

"...but, you’ve been really annoying."

As he said this, the figure raised his claws once again, before driving it towards the old man’s stomach.

"Harold! Please! I know you aren’t like this! Just please don’t let the demon control you!!"

The old man shouted as he stared fearlessly in the figure’s red iris, the hope in his eyes blazing brightly.

Shuikkkk!!!!

Still, not everything would go according to what one had hoped for no matter the strength of their belief.

Old Warod could only helplessly look at the hand that had entered his stomach.

It was just the way the world works.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.

Though in this case, Old Warod seemed to be losing without learning any lessons at all...

Blood trickled down from his mouth as he looked at his son in the eye.

...or was he...?

Gritting his teeth, he moved forward.

SHUIKKKKK!

His movement caused the claw to dig deeper into his body.

Nevertheless, Old Warod smiled through his gritted teeth before swinging his fist with all the strength he had left.

"Wake up!!! You idiot!!!"

POW!!!!!!!

A loud sound echoed in the area, overwhelming even the crackling of flames.

"What the..."

Harold’s face twitched as he touched the side of his face lightly.

He could feel a burning sensation.

"You. Fucking. Old. Man."

Harold’s red eyes seethed with anger as he begrudgingly looked at Old Warod.

This time, he didn’t talk and kicked him away.

However, he didn’t seem to be done as he walked towards the old man again and raised his claw before striking.

This time, he seemed to be aiming at Old Warod’s chest.

"Die, old ma—!!!"

Unfortunately for him, his attack seemed to have been interrupted once again.

Harold’s red pupils suddenly constricted as he saw something that he found unbelievable.

His right arm, which he used to strike, was currently being held by his left arm before it could reach the old man’s chest.

"Hahahahaha!!!"

Harold suddenly burst into a fit of laughter with a crazed expression.

"The two of you are really father and son!"

However, Old Warod’s eyes widened as he shouted, "That’s it, Harold!!! I believe in you!!"

"In the way that you never cease to annoy me with your useless struggles!!!"

In the next second, Harold’s eyes suddenly became cold and ruthless, "Playtime’s over, Old Man."

Shuikkkk—

"Arghhhh!!!" Old Warod groaned painfully as he clutched the arms of his son.

"Give up, Old Man."

Harold’s apathetic voice sounded as he struck with his other claw.

Shuikkkkk—

However, Old Warod wasn’t the one who was injured.

Both of their eyes widened in shock as they saw an arm flying through the air. It was a human arm, but had dark veins and black claws instead of nails.

"What...!" Harold’s red eyes grew wide as he saw his arm in mid air.

He looked to the side and saw a white haired boy standing with his back towards them.

"You...! The adventurers from earlier!"

Harold’s voice that had a blend of demonic tone sounded surprised.

The white haired boy turned his body to look at them, revealing his eyes that were a purer shade of crimson than the demon’s.

’What’s happening?’ Regis took a moment to analyze the situation.

Currently, Old Warod was kneeling on the ground while clutching his chest and breathing heavily.

Regis then turned his head towards Harold and tilted his head, ’That’s not Harold...’

A serious expression appeared on his face as he saw Harold’s eyes that had black sclera and red pupils.

"So it’s you..." Regis’s calm voice echoed softly in the area.

He readied his sword and took on a stance with his sword parallel to the side of his face.

Harold gritted his teeth and raised his remaining arm, beginning to chant as mana gathered on his palm.

[Mid Rank Magic: Fire Spear]

[Mid Rank Magic: Electric Wave]

[Magic Combination]

[Electrifying Spear of Blaze]

PTOOM—

A blazing spear of flames surrounded by lightning instantly shot towards Regis.

In the brief encounter that they had, the demon in Harold had instantly analyzed that its opponent specialized in speed.

Therefore, it didn’t hesitate before casting a magic that also specialized in speed.

Seeing the spear that had already arrived before him, Regis’s figure blurred before disappearing.

’Interesting... he can cast not only two mid rank magic spells at the same time, he can also fuse them into a magic combination...’

’This means that not only is he a demon, he also specializes in magic...’

Regis squinted his eyes as he stared at the demonic Harold below him while standing upside down in mid air.

"Where the fuck is that bra—" Before Harold could finish cursing, he saw a shadow on the ground.

He suddenly looked up, "Found yo—"

However, what greeted him was a shiny silver sword surrounded by a white glow.

CLANKKKK!!!!!!

He gritted his teeth as a translucent blue shield of mana appeared in front him.

Just as Regis planned to retreat, the blue mana shield suddenly transformed into a sword which Harold swung at him.

Splatter—!!!

"...!!!"

Regis’s eyes widened as he retreated into a distance. Touching the side of his face, he could feel a hot liquid trickling.

He looked down and saw the blood on his finger, ’What was that...’

Remembering how the mana shield suddenly turned into a sword, he was flabbergasted.

Harold could see the shock on his face as he let out a demonic chuckle, "You seem surprised. Is this your first time encountering a mage of my caliber?"

"Don’t worry, though. I’ll show you more..."

Harold once again raised his remaining hand as he chanted once again.

[Master Rank Magic]