Chapter 4: Aria’s Prologue (3)

Atop the city walls, silence reigned, broken only by the footsteps of patrolling soldiers. A man with hair and beard streaked with white, markers of time, walked amongst them. The Paladin Commander. Respected by all, he had reached the age of sixty this year. His aging body had prevented him from joining the expeditionary force.

“May this night pass peacefully.”

But his prayer went unanswered. As soon as the words left his lips, the surroundings brightened.

Flare

He squinted at the sudden light. It didn’t take long to realize its meaning.

“An attack! Take cover…!”

KABOOM!

The attack struck before he could react, sweeping across the wall.

Crash! Boom!

A relentless barrage, as if determined to erase all trace of the wall. The cacophony of explosions deafened him, smoke blinding his vision. When the attack finally ceased, the wall was barely recognizable.

“Cough… what in the…”

The commander had narrowly survived the wall’s collapse. Years of experience allowed him to react quickly, but the impact was severe. Instinct told him to assess the situation, but…

“I need to report…”

Chill

A chilling killing intent washed over him from behind. Without thinking, he threw himself forward. That split-second decision saved his life.

Slash

The spot where he’d been standing moments before was cleaved by an unseen blade. The smooth cut, level with his neck, sent a shiver down his spine.

“Oh my, you dodged?”

“What…?”

A figure appeared before him, chuckling with amusement. He hadn’t even sensed her approach until her blade nearly took his head. She was far stronger than him. His mind screamed at him to warn the others, but his body, frozen in terror, refused to obey.

“I’d like to let you go, but…”

Lie.

The smile on the demon’s face betrayed the insincerity of her words.

‘Goddess, pr…’

Slash

A flick of her wrist, as if swatting a fly. Such a simple motion, yet…

“…Unfortunately, the Demon King’s orders prevent that.”

Thud.

Blood spurted from the severed neck as the body crumpled to the ground. The woman turned away, casually wiping the blood from her blade.

“Now, where is our dear Saint?”

She mimicked grasping the cityscape beyond the ruined wall with her fingers, a playful gesture. But the thousands of soldiers waiting behind her made the situation anything but playful.

“What are your orders, Lady Asmodeus?”

A demon approached, seeking instruction. Asmodeus, without turning, replied coldly,

“Is that even a question?”

Kill them all. Leave no one alive.

Despite her merciless command, the demon simply bowed, his face impassive.

“As you command.”

The demons marched into the city. Screams erupted, smoke billowed, mirroring the destruction of the wall. Asmodeus, the Second Legion Commander, simply smiled, whispering,

“Well… if their home is burning, they’ll come running out, won’t they?”

Come out quickly. Or they’ll all die.

Her crazed green eyes reflected the flames consuming the city.

Screams filled the air. The once-peaceful city was gone, replaced by terrified people desperately clinging to life.

“Damn it! Hold your ground!”

“We need to buy time for the citizens to evacuate!”

Soldiers fought to protect the fleeing civilians, but they were vastly outnumbered by the demons swarming from all directions. They knew their efforts were only a delaying tactic, a sacrifice to buy precious time.

“Hey, you there! Run!”

“Aaaagh!”

A soldier saw a woman being attacked by a demon and rushed to help, but he was too late. The woman closed her eyes, accepting her fate. The demon’s sharp claws lunged towards her.

Pierce

Or rather, they would have. Had a blade not suddenly erupted from behind the demon.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes? Oh, yes. Thank you. You saved me.”

The demon collapsed, its body dissolving into nothingness as the blade that had slain it vanished. My shadows. Aria’s ability, now mine.

“Aria! You can’t just run off like that!”

A light of holy power bloomed behind me. Lucia. Her power washed over the injured, healing their wounds.

Not just a single target, but a wide-area heal. She’d clearly surpassed the level of a trainee.

She approached me, whispering so others couldn’t hear,

“Don’t push yourself too hard. You can’t heal with holy power…”

“I’ll try my best.”

A soldier, watching us, stumbled over.

“Thank you for your help, child. You two should evacuate now.”

“The cathedral is still safe, for now.”

The cathedral, with its holy power, deadly to demons, might offer temporary refuge. But how long could they hold out?

Most of the city’s forces were gone. Reinforcements were hours away, even if they received the message. And even then, the expeditionary force, engaged with the Demon King worshippers, wouldn’t be able to redirect their forces immediately. Hope was a luxury they couldn’t afford.

“The Legion Commander has spoken! Kill them all!”

More demons arrived as we spoke. Many more than before. The previous wave had been merely a scouting party.

“Damn. This is it for me.”

“Run! We’ll buy you time!”

The soldiers braced themselves, ready to sacrifice their lives to protect those behind them, their loved ones.

“No time! Sister, run!”

A ball of light hurtled towards Lucia, who was still trying to help others. I recognized it as a magic attack, but she hadn’t noticed it yet.

“!”

Without hesitation, I shoved her out of the way.

“Aria…?”

She looked at me, startled, then her eyes widened in horror as she realized what was happening. She reached out to me, but…

‘…I can’t get hurt. She’ll worry…’

The magic struck. Excruciating pain, followed by the force of the explosion.

KABOOM!

I was thrown back. My vision went black.

How much time had passed? Sensation slowly returned, but it wasn’t a welcome feeling. Pain returned with it.

“Ugh…ngh… Aaagh!”

My body screamed in agony, as if I’d been hit by a truck. Even with a protective layer of magic, the impact was devastating. A normal person would have been killed instantly.

The demons would hear my cries, but I couldn’t worry about that. All I could do was writhe in pain.

“Gasp…ha… finally… feeling better…”

It was fortunate that I was the one who took the hit. Even with Lucia’s considerable holy power, she wasn’t yet skilled enough to control it fully. She might have died if she’d taken that blast.

The pain subsided. I looked around. Rubble. I’d been thrown into a pile of debris by the explosion.

“Did you hear something?”

“Who…”

Rustle

The rubble shifted. I hoped it was a person, but it wasn’t. Demons.

Slash

“Aaaaagh!”

Pity for them, huh?

About twenty demons. Mostly low-ranking, the strongest among them being mid-low rank. Even injured, I could handle this. I didn’t waste time. I lunged, driving my blade into the nearest demon’s throat.

Thwack

Blood sprayed as I withdrew my sword. I didn’t stop moving.

Neck, heart, lungs, eyes.

Stab, stab, crack

“Aaaaagh!”

“You!”

“Kill her!”

I aimed for vital points, killing with a single blow. I didn’t have time for drawn-out fights. Brutal, but efficient.

Five minutes. The screams and the sounds of fighting ceased. Only demon corpses remained.

“Ha… that was exhausting…”

The adrenaline faded, and I finally assessed my condition. Not good.

One eye was blinded by blood, a ringing in my ears, my clothes soaked in blood. At least it was night, the time when my powers were at their peak.

“Sister, I hope you’re okay. I need to…”

I tried to move, but…

My gaze fell upon the carnage. Demon corpses littered the ground, along with… human corpses. Familiar faces.

The people who’d received bread from me earlier. The ones who’d smiled and thanked us for healing them. The men who’d argued over their place in line.

They were all here. Part of the pile of corpses.

“Ugh…”

Nausea welled up. I clutched the wall, retching, but it didn’t help. The metallic scent of blood filled the air. Stomach acid burned my throat.

I didn’t even have time to mourn.

Click

Click

Click

“…!”

Footsteps. Faint, yet distinct. Someone walking casually amongst the corpses.

‘I didn’t sense them until they were right here…!’

A powerful opponent. I’d have been dead if they hadn’t deliberately made their presence known. The realization sent shivers down my spine.

“Hmm, what’s a pretty little thing like you doing here all alone?”

Emerald green eyes, long red hair reaching her hips. A strikingly beautiful woman, but my instincts screamed danger.

Because the woman before me was…

“I was going to kill everyone, but this changes things.”

‘Asmodeus, the Second Legion Commander.’

So she was the Legion Commander the demons mentioned earlier.

“What do you think? Care to share your thoughts?”

‘… of all the Legion Commanders, it had to be her. ’

Now that she’d found me, I had no choice. Asmodeus was the second strongest among the commanders, her unpredictable nature feared even by her peers.

Perhaps my survival was due to that very nature. Whether she found me amusing or was intrigued by Aria’s potential, I didn’t know. Neither option boded well for me.

‘Escape is out of the question… and winning is impossible…’

My mind raced.

Grab

“I can see those wheels turning.”

‘…!!!’

My thoughts came to a screeching halt as she grabbed my chin. Fear, like a predator sinking its fangs into its prey. I’d never felt anything like it. It stole my breath.

“You show promise… this could be fun.”

I couldn’t resist as she turned my face this way and that, examining me like an object. She simply smiled. How long did it last? Ten seconds? Thirty? My oxygen-deprived mind couldn’t tell.

“Let’s do this.”

“Gasp… gasp…!”

She released me, a playful glint in her eyes. I gasped for air as she watched me.

Whoosh

She spread her arms, a smile playing on her lips, as if anticipating something. A seemingly defenseless stance, yet I waited for her next words.

“Let’s play a game.”

“A… game?”

“One chance. If you can so much as scratch me, I’ll let you live.”

‘Is she crazy?’

If this were a game, it would be one of those boss battles where you had to deplete a certain amount of health. But unlike a game with infinite retries, this was a one-coin event. Failure meant death.

‘And the odds are stacked against me.’

I wasn’t at my best. My body still ached from the magic attack. And my opponent was a Legion Commander, one of the endgame bosses, a monster of unimaginable power.

I was still underdeveloped. The power difference was overwhelming.

‘But what choice do I have?’

If I refused, I’d die. Running or surrendering meant the same. Only one option remained.

‘I told her I wouldn’t get hurt… she’s going to be so worried…’

If I made it back.

“Ha…”

I took a deep breath, relaxing my body, assuming my most comfortable fighting stance. My focus narrowed to the enemy before me.

“I’m going to be disappointed if you don’t at least make this interesting.”

“Haaaah!”

Clang

My first attack was easily blocked. The battle had begun.