“The Heroes of Kastoria! Brace yourselves!” Kratos bellowed, raising his long sword toward the ship. A giant red magic circle materialized in the air. “Red Shield!”
BADOOOOM!
The flying ship collided with the shield, sending shockwaves through the sky. The clash of forces echoed like thunder, the red shield holding against the ship’s impact but quivering under the immense strain.
Kratos stood firm, his eyes blazing with determination. The air around him crackled with energy as the shield absorbed the impact. The heroes on the ship braced themselves, the collision momentarily halting their advance.
On the deck of the ship, Kratos could see the determined faces of the heroes, their eyes locked on the demonic forces below. They were a formidable sight, each one exuding an aura of power and resolve.
“Hold the line!” Kratos commanded, his voice a rallying cry to his troops. “We will not falter!”
Megara returned, her division swiftly moving into position. The demons formed ranks, their weapons drawn, and their eyes fixed on the descending ship. The tension was palpable, every second stretching into an eternity as they awaited the next move.
The first to leap down was a striking young man with tousled brown hair. Although his attire wasn’t particularly eye-catching, his presence was undeniably commanding, exuding a powerful aura that made it impossible to ignore him.
“He’s just a kid…” one of the demons mumbled, disbelief etched on his face.
“They’re all… all the heroes are kids…” another demon muttered, his eyes scanning the assembly of heroes standing alongside Ryuuki.
“Don’t look at their faces!” Megara’s voice rang out sharply, drawing the demons’ attention back to her. “They may look very young, and many of you might have children their age, but do not underestimate them. These are the Heroes of Kastoria! Show no hesitation against them! Kill them as soon as you have the opportunity! They are the ones attacking us!”
Her words, firm and resolute, cut through the murmurs and doubts among the demons. She was right. Despite their youthful appearances, these teenagers exuded a formidable presence far beyond their years. Standing at the forefront, they were few in number, but each one, starting with Ryuuki, was dangerously powerful.
Kratos stepped forward, a fierce determination in his stride. Strangely, the Heroes did not immediately move to attack, as if they were waiting for something. Seizing the moment, Kratos decided to issue a final warning. After all, they were still young, and perhaps they could be swayed.
“A few more steps, and you are stepping into our territory once more, Heroes of Kastoria. We, the Demons, will not be as kind as we were previously. This time, we will fight to kill. This is Tenebria!” He roared, his men echoing his defiant declaration with raised fists and a resounding cheer.
But their fervor was abruptly cut short by a mocking laugh. It was Yusuke, his eyes glinting with derision.
“Bunch of idiots! We’ve been beating your asses for months now, even while holding back! Yet you still lose and run away pathetically! Now beg us! Beg us, and maybe we won’t kill you painfully!” At Yusuke’s taunting words, several of his classmates joined in laughter.
The demons glared at them with murderous intent, memories of their fallen comrades fueling their rage. They weren’t fighting for conquest but for their homeland and their people.
Ryuuki shook his head, clearly displeased with Yusuke’s words. He stepped forward, his expression serious.
“Listen. I have a question first. I heard you have summoned a Hero from another world. Is that true?” Ryuuki asked, his tone calm but firm.
Kratos chuckled, the sound bitter. “I don’t think I need to confirm it.”
“Is he a human like us?” Ryuuki persisted.
“Yes,” Kratos replied, a hint of reluctance in his voice.
“I see.” Ryuuki nodded, his suspicions solidifying. He was nearly certain now that the Hero might hail from Earth as well.
“Where is he? We were sure he would be here,” Ryuuki demanded, scanning the area for any sign of the Hero of Darkness.
“We don’t need the Hero of Darkness to beat you,” Kratos replied calmly.
“Tsk! I’m sure that coward is just cowering inside a castle. He just came after all. He must be shitting his pants!” Yusuke laughed mockingly, his voice filled with contempt.
“Can’t you shut up for a bit, Yusuke?” Yumiko interjected, clearly annoyed by his incessant taunting.
Yusuke ignored the bickering and fixed his gaze on Kratos. “Here are our demands. Hand over the Hero of Darkness. I am sure a human working with demons is impossible in any case. Secondly, surrender. We won’t kill anyone,” Ryuuki stated seriously, hoping to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.
Kratos chuckled darkly.
“That guy, a human?” Megara muttered, thinking of Samael with his dark hair, deathly cold expression, golden reptilian eye, and ominous darkness magic. Rather, he looked more like a demon than any of them.
Ayaka heard Megara’s murmur and frowned slightly.
Kratos’ response was a refusal. “We refuse. We will fight until the end, and you will be the ones regretting. We are asking the same thing: surrender or run away, and we won’t kill anyone.”
“I’ve heard enough of this bullshit!” Yusuke snapped, rushing toward the demons with reckless abandon. The demons immediately readied their weapons.
“Ryuuki?!” Yumiko called out, looking at Ryuuki for guidance, as did most of their classmates.
Ryuuki shook his head and unsheathed his sword. “We tried, they refused. Don’t hesitate—they are coming to kill you, everyone. But make sure not to kill the Hero if he appears. He is an Earthling like us.”
“YES!!” the chorus of voices responded, and the heroes charged toward the demon army.
“Let’s take down their leader first!” Ryuuki shouted, his gaze fixed on Kratos.
“Try it, kid,” Kratos replied with a wild smirk, punching out his fist and sending a massive shockwave of fire toward the heroes. Yusuke, in full view, quickly swung his sword to parry the attack but was slightly knocked back.
“That bastard!” Yusuke growled, glaring at Kratos. “Let’s do it together; otherwise, we can’t beat him!” Yusuke wasn’t a glory hunter; he cared deeply for his classmates. He knew eliminating Kratos quickly was crucial since he was dangerous and could truly kill his weaker comrades.
“You will understand who the strongest warrior of Tenebria is quickly,” Kratos smiled, drawing out his large sword. He intercepted Ryuuki’s sword, but Ryuuki wasn’t finished.
“SSS Skill! Twin Sword Kami!” Ryuuki shouted, summoning another sword and swinging again. Kratos slid back several meters, his hand slightly numb from the force.
‘As expected, they are dangerous,’ Kratos acknowledged internally.
“SS Skill! Spear of the Kami!” Yumiko appeared from behind, swinging her spear in an attempt to pierce Kratos’ head. But Kratos caught her spear, and Yumiko glared, channeling even more mana into her attack. It was becoming difficult for Kratos to handle both of them, yet he managed, shocking everyone.
“No way, he parried Ryuuki-kun’s attack but also Yumiko-san’s too!” Their classmates were in disbelief; until now, all of Ryuuki’s attacks had been one-shot victories.
“Take that bastard!” Yusuke appeared from the side, swinging his sword without regard for Ryuuki’s and Yumiko’s presence.
“Six Star Magic! Fire Burst!” Kratos shouted, and his body emitted a red heat before exploding. Ryuuki, Yumiko, and Yusuke were all flung back but managed to remain unscathed at the last moment, thanks to Kazuto.
“No need to thank me,” Kazuto said, adjusting his glasses. His role was to protect all his classmates with his Shields of Kami.
Kratos emerged from the smoke with a serious gaze, still able to handle the three of them. ‘If those two join, I won’t hold long…’ he thought, his eyes darting to the two dark-haired twins.
Ayaka and Akane were extremely fast, their katanas cutting through demons mercilessly. One had a serious expression, while the other wore a cold one. Fortunately, Megara intercepted their attacks, fighting against both of them. But Kratos had a bad premonition.
‘Hold it a bit longer, Megara.’
But his thoughts went also toward someone else despite him.
‘Will you really come or will you betray your words, Samael?’