“The Hero of Darkness.”
When Kaguya uttered these words, a wave of confusion swept through the Heroes of Kastoria. However, a few faces bore different expressions. Ryuuki, Akane, and Ayaka, who had done their homework, seemed more composed.
“He’s the Hero summoned by the Kingdom of Tenebria, likely by the Demon King,” Kaguya explained.
“A Hero? You mean he’s alone? He didn’t arrive with his class like us?” Yumiko asked, surprised. It wasn’t a rule that all summoned Heroes must be classmates, but it had been the case for the Empire of Light and other kingdoms they had heard of.
“No. They summoned only one Hero, but I should warn you to be extremely wary of him,” Kaguya said seriously.
“What? He’s alone, and we should be scared?!” Yusuke laughed, crossing his arms behind his head.
“It’s precisely because he is the only Hero summoned by Tenebria that we should be cautious. Rumors suggest he awakened Darkness Magic, an extremely rare variant resembling the Demon King’s own,” Kaguya elaborated.
“Darkness Magic? Is that why you call him the Hero of Darkness? I see…” Kazuto nodded, adjusting his glasses.
“Hmph! It’s too show-off a title! That guy must be a weakling!” Yusuke sneered.
“I personally find it a cool name,” Ryuuki laughed before turning to Kaguya. “Lady Kaguya, since he is a summoned Hero, he is likely from Earth like us…”
Kaguya knew where Ryuuki was going. She had known him for a year and recognized his aversion to killing whenever possible. He believed the Hero of Darkness could be reasoned with, possibly even brought to their side as a fellow Earthling. Someone from the peaceful world of Earth, who, like them, had likely never killed anyone until recently.
Ryuuki was certain the Hero of Darkness couldn’t have committed murder, especially since he was summoned only a week ago.
“I will leave the judgment to you, Ryuuki-sama,” Kaguya said solemnly, to which Ryuuki sighed in relief.
Of course, this wasn’t Kaguya’s true wish. Like her master, Amaterasu, she desired the Hero of Darkness’s death but couldn’t force the issue with the Heroes she had fostered excellent relations with. Nonetheless, she was confident they would change their minds about him in time.
No one who awakens Darkness Magic is a good person, she thought grimly.
Kaguya believed that the Heroes of Kastoria would eventually be forced to kill the Hero of Darkness. She had complete faith in her nurtured Heroes to accomplish this task. Ryuuki, Yusuke, Yumiko, Kazuto, Ayaka, Akane, and Rena were the most powerful Heroes of Kastoria, and for her, their victory was assured.
“What judgment? We just have to beat him until he begs to work for us. If he insists on helping those demons, then we just have to kill him!” Yusuke said, his annoyance evident.
Some of his classmates nodded in agreement. For them, demons were the embodiment of evil. They had witnessed the atrocities committed by demons and had studied past accounts of their deeds and the reigns of Demon Kings.
Like the Heroes of the Empire of Light, the Heroes of Kastoria were conditioned to hate demons, but this hatred was even more intense due to Kastoria’s proximity to Tenebria and the suffering they had endured.
Even Ryuuki, who was the most reluctant to kill, couldn’t help but understand Kastoria’s hatred toward demons. All the stories about the demons’ atrocities were true, but they dated back to the Demon King’s era when he was still the ruler.
However, what they did not know was that the Demon King was no longer in power. His daughter, Azariah, had taken the throne and was ruling her kingdom fairly. She had chosen to keep her father’s dethronement a secret, knowing that the other kingdoms’ deep-seated resentment and hatred toward Tenebria would not be easily quelled.
Any attempt to apologize and promise fair rule would likely be met with united attacks aimed at erasing Tenebria from the map.
“We have already prepared flying ships. You will be brought beyond the mountains to the borders of Tenebria. Our army waits there for you,” Kaguya said, approaching Ryuuki and placing a hand on his chest. “May victory shine upon you.”
Ryuuki felt his heart race but nodded resolutely.
“Ryuuki-sama!”
A beautiful black-haired girl suddenly jumped into Ryuuki’s embrace, much to Yumiko’s annoyance. Unfortunately, Yumiko couldn’t do anything about it as the girl was the Princess of Kastoria.
“Haruka-san…” Ryuuki was bewildered.
Haruka looked up at Ryuuki with her teary, shining brown eyes. “Please be safe!”
The female classmates all clicked their tongues in irritation. From the beginning, Haruka had been clinging to Ryuuki, clearly drawn to his status as the strongest Hero with an SSS-Skill.
“Of course, Haruka-san, we will come back after winning,” Ryuuki reassured her.
“Yes! Please beat those vile Demons, Ryuuki-sama!” Haruka pleaded, her puppy eyes and earnest expression tugging at Ryuuki’s heart.
“Yes, don’t worry, Princess,” Ryuuki nodded.
“Will this fight against Demons ever end?” Rena complained.
Kaguya, hearing her, spoke up. “I can understand the Heroes’ anger, but don’t worry. If Tenebria summoned the Hero of Darkness, it is likely the Demon King is in a weakened state. He has fought countless summoned Heroes over the years, so of course, he couldn’t have come out unscathed. He is undoubtedly in a weak state. Therefore, they summoned a Hero to support them.
But if you manage to kill—defeat the Hero of Darkness, it will mark the beginning of the end for Tenebria. Their time will be limited, and within a year, we will be able to defeat Tenebria.”
“What, we just have to kill that Hero of Darkness in the end? Let’s go already!” Yusuke shouted, already heading out.
“Something doesn’t seem right, onee-chan. They summoned a single Hero, after all,” Ayaka mumbled to her elder sister, Akane.
Akane stayed silent for a moment before responding. “Let’s try to end it all here.”
°°°°°
From the gods’ realm, Amaterasu stood watching the unfolding scene below.
A decisive battle was about to take place.
“I am so excited!” Ishtar exclaimed, her pink eyes glowing with anticipation.
“I wonder who will win?” Hermes mused with a curious smile.
“What a stupid question. Amaterasu’s Heroes, obviously,” Hera said, surprisingly present as well.
Amaterasu did her best to focus, but it seemed impossible with the other three intruding to also watch the battle against the Demons and the Hero of Darkness.