Chapter 79: Take My Hand

No matter who saw it, it was a battle the Hero’s Party couldn’t help but be at a disadvantage in.

That was only natural, because the difference in numbers was overwhelming from the start.

The Demon King’s Legion I led numbered in the tens of thousands—while the other side?

They were a mere six people, just the right size for exploring some dungeon or ruin.

No matter how great the difference in skill, could such a numerical inferiority really be overcome?

It was possible.

That’s what being a hero was—their party existed to create miracles.

Especially when their opponent was the Demon Clan, wielders of darkness and Magical Power—it would only be easier for them.

“Light!”

Luminaire, gripped in the hero’s hand, radiated a dazzling light.

It wasn’t just some flashy special effect for show.

Skkng—

The elongated blade, formed of radiant light, swept through the Demon King’s Legion.

No exceptions.

Any Demon Clan member in its path, caught in its arc, was sliced clean in two, their bodies rolling across the ground.

It was no wonder they called it the sword that cleaves the darkness.

At the very least, no Demon Clan could withstand a blow from Luminaire.

For that sword had been forged for one purpose: to slay the Demon Clan with the power of light.

Moreover, here, there was a priestess who followed the Goddess of Light.

Not just any priest, but a saintess who channeled infinite holy power—the goddess’s agent herself stood among them.

“Guidance of Light” with her prayer.

– Flash! Flash!

Not only Luminaire, the Sword of Light, but also every weapon held by the Hero’s Party began to glow.

It was only temporary, but by imbuing their weapons with light, they could strike with the same effect as holy swords.

Thanks to this—

“Chaaak!”

The entire Hero’s Party cut through the Demon Clan as easily as slicing through tofu and it wasn’t just offense.

“Holy Barrier”

“Radiant Halo”

“Brilliant Earth”

Powerful auras of light—harmless to others, but deadly to the Demon Clan—began to fill the surroundings.

The Hero and the Saintess of the Order of Light.

At least these two were disasters to the Demon Clan—no, more like natural catastrophes.

Their threat couldn’t be measured simply by numbers.

On top of that—

‘They can’t be underestimated, either.’

It was true that the hero and saintess were the ultimate specialists against the Demon Clan.

But they weren’t the only ones rampaging through the Demon King’s Legion.

“Haaah!”

At the heart of the battlefield, amid the thunderous shouts, was a figure clad in red plate armor shaped like a lion but he was small.

Standing only half the height of an average adult, he wasn’t human, but a dwarf.

He was Urek—the warrior known as the shield of the Hero’s Party.

Through the Guidance of Light, he unleashed a torrent of blinding radiance.

“Chuk!”

With every swing of his axe, a new corpse split in half, as if he were chopping firewood.

If Urek led a raucous death on one side, then on either flank, there was a silent slaughter.

“Ugh!”

There was no visible movement.

Just a faint sound in the air.

But then—

“Crack!”

The result was scattered pieces—the Demon Clan cut into fragments.

“Yahoo!”

“This is awesome!”

In the wake of death, shouts of excitement burst forth.

Every time that blurry something swept past—

“Thud, thud thud!”

The bodies piled up.

Only with extreme focus could I even catch sight of the ones behind those movements and there weren’t just one, but two.

Looking like a mix between lion and tiger, they were Kro and Taro, Beastkin twins.

From birth, they’d possessed a speed unlike any other, the world’s fastest thieves.

And finally—

“Crackle!”

With every step, someone left traces of lightning in his wake.

Storm of Thunder.

Manuvia, the Thunder God.

With a single horn and blue skin reminiscent of an ogre, he was of the Yaksha—a race rarely seen even on the Gritia Continent.

Once, the Yaksha had lived on Gritia, but their exceptional abilities became a problem.

An arrogant people who sought to transcend their race and become gods.

As punishment, they faced annihilation, and Manuvia was the only one left behind but it wasn’t a blessing.

He survived only to serve the gods, bound to be the hero’s slave.

A slave who must aid the hero’s quest to destroy the Demon King.

And always—fated to die by the Demon King’s hand in place of the hero.

Manuvia, the Thunder God, traveled alongside the hero, always meeting a forgotten end, doomed to fade from history.

Yet his skill and power—

“Zap, crackle!”

Even among the Hero’s Party’s overwhelming might, he stood leagues above.

For the Yaksha each possessed a unique innate attribute.

Some had fire.

Some, earth.

Some, wind.

Some, water.

But of all the elements, the most powerful, the rarest, was lightning.

Manuvia was born with the strongest natural lightning attribute.

He was called Thunder God for a reason.

That title of “God” was never permitted to mortals, yet he broke the taboo to earn it.

His power was enough to challenge even the gods and lightning is a form of light.

The Demon Clan could not resist his lightning—they were helpless before it.

“Crackle!”

Overwhelmed by the intense light and heat, their bodies became black ash.

In truth, the battle did not last long.

But thanks to the Hero’s Party’s exploits—

“D-damn it!”

“What is this power…”

Even Demon Clan who had never known fear on the battlefield began to hesitate and retreat.

A primal fear of light drove them back.

“Where is the Commander?”

At last, they began to search for my whereabouts but it was too late.

The Hero’s Party would not accept the Demon Clan’s surrender.

Even if they retreated, their chances of survival were nil.

“Uaaaaa!”

“For His Majesty the Demon King!”

Realizing this too late, they howled in despair.

It was their way to shake off fear.

But that fear arose from an insurmountable gap in power—there was no way to overcome it.

“Light!”

Still, the Hero’s Party called upon the light.

Before long, silence fell over the battlefield.

All around, the only thing visible were the Demon Clan’s corpses.

“Phew.”

Only after destroying tens of thousands from the Demon King’s Legion did they finally exhale.

“Where on earth did all these troops come from?”

Velator the Hero voiced his doubts about the sudden appearance of the Demon King’s Legion.

I held my breath and listened closely.

This was an opportunity.

Having cut off my connection to this dimension, they wouldn’t sense me. 

By listening to their conversation, I might learn truths I’d never known.

Perhaps about Salmora, or even the Demon King himself.

“Indeed. I don’t think they have the power to break through the barrier of light.”

“Could they have had some artifact of the Demon King? One that could neutralize the power of light?”

“Who knows. If they did, this battle wouldn’t have ended so easily.”

As they discussed what means could have nullified the barrier of light—

“Well, at any rate, this is only the beginning.” With a heavy tone, Saintess Chloe spoke up.

“The beginning? What do you mean, Chloe?”

“The Demon King’s resurrection.”

“I…”

“The fact that the Demon King’s Legion launched a massive assault must mean the Demon King’s resurrection is near. It’s a harbinger.”

“Why do you think that?”

“I’m not certain yet, but… they’ve found a way to neutralize the barrier of light. That means the Demon King’s resurrection is close. It’s only my guess, but… I believe the Demon King must have awakened in this world through some mysterious power. The fact that they’re attacking us means they’re ready—at least, that’s what I think.”

Their conversation was discreet.

But the more I listened, the more questions I had.

‘Why?’

Contrary to my expectations, they were not loyal dogs of the Demon King.

Instead, they seemed to see the Demon King as an enemy—just as heroes of old would.

Wasn’t it Salmora who awakened them?

Then why were they hostile to the Demon King, and seemed clueless about matters of the Demon Clan?

Confusion only grew within me.

“Shh!” Suddenly, Manuvia acted abruptly.

“What…?”

“Quiet. There are listening ears.”

Eyes widened, they scanned their surroundings.

Only the hero could expand his aura of light to such a range.

There wouldn’t be many who could escape that energy but severing the dimension—my current state—was far beyond that level.

Unless one had transcendental abilities to move between space and time, there was no way I’d be caught.

Except—

“Show yourself.” Manuvia, the Thunder God of the Yaksha, was the exception.

“Zap!”

He emanated an aura intense enough to put me on edge.

‘As expected.’

His level was far above the rest of the Hero’s Party.

So high, he could have been called a hero himself.

“What on earth…”

Just as the party members, including the hero, began to voice their confusion—

“Craaaaack—”

I opened a rift in the dimension.

And with it, a whirlwind of emotions swept through the hall.

Shock, horror—those were the main feelings.

It was no wonder.

No matter how much they’d focused, they’d never found me. 

Now, I stood before them, appearing out of nowhere with a deafening roar, as if I’d torn through the fabric of space itself.

“So it is the Yaksha.” Though I rarely gave praise, I couldn’t help but voice it.

Truly, a race that once challenged the gods.

Though their uprising failed, and they were doomed to eternal curse, their skill was not to be underestimated.

“This is… Magical Power?!”

Not ordinary Magical Power, either.

“Whoooom!”

A storm of Magical Power filled the hall.

They strained with all their might to withstand the fierce pressure.

But—

‘Still lacking.’

The Hero’s Party was several levels below when they had been wiped out by my hand in the past.

Back then, they could even stand against the Demon King himself.

Now, they weren’t at that level yet—barely capable of handling a single Legion Commander.

That level wasn’t enough, even at only 50%, to withstand my Magical Power.

Of course, there was one exception: Manuvia.

The Thunder God, he stood firm in the face of my Magical Power storm—didn’t even twitch an eyebrow.

Watching him, I was filled with desire.

He wasn’t in perfect condition.

His power was still sealed by shackles.

Yet, even so, he faced 50% of my Magical Power without flinching.

His potential for growth, his resentment against the gods—

He was a talent I needed more than anyone.

“Manuvia.”

And I was never one to hide my desires.

“Leave the hero’s party right now, and take my hand.”

I offered, gazing at this rare talent.

“If you do, I’ll release you from the cursed chains of that wretched god.”

An offer impossible to refuse—a temptation worthy of a devil.