“We have arrived,” Radakel announced with a confident smile, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of anticipation and amusement.
The entrance to the village lay just ten meters ahead, devoid of any guards. Despite the lack of visible sentinels, Radakel was certain that the villagers were aware of their presence. He could sense every soul within the village, their auras fluctuating with a mix of fear and determination as they braced themselves for the impending confrontation.
Radakel chuckled, shaking his head at their futile efforts. “What a foolish behavior,” he mused aloud. “They should just give up their sinful lives and leave this world with a shred of dignity.”
But then, his expression changed. His brow furrowed slightly as he detected a familiar energy signature. “This mana…” he murmured, his senses honing in on the distinctive aura. There was no doubt about it; he had trained extensively to recognize the Heroes’ mana, and this one unmistakably belonged to Nathan Parker.
“So he was indeed kidnapped and is still alive,” Radakel muttered to himself, a sinister glint in his eyes.
At that moment, a knight appeared beside him. This knight exuded a formidable presence, though he was not a High Ranked Divine Knight. He was one of Radakel’s personal knights, loyal and fierce.
“Elias,” Radakel addressed him, his tone authoritative. “I will wait outside. You will lead the attack and protect the Heroes if they are in difficulty.”
Elias bowed his head, his golden eyes gleaming through the narrow slit of his helmet. “I will not disappoint you, Lord Radakel.”
Radakel’s smile faded as he leaned in closer to Elias, lowering his voice. “Also, Elias, find Nathan Parker. Kill him. Make sure his death is as gruesome as possible and pin the blame on the demons.”
Elias nodded, his expression unreadable beneath his helmet.
Radakel then turned to Jason and Amelia, his smile returning. “Elias is one of my most trusted knights. Don’t worry, he will protect all the Heroes’ lives along with my other knights. Hero Nathan is undoubtedly held prisoner inside the village by those vile demons. Please, save Hero Nathan.”
Radakel made sure to sound sincere, even though he didn’t need to say anything; this was now their new objective. His words were just another attempt to stoke their hatred toward the demons.
However, not everyone shared the same fervor for rescuing Nathan or supporting the heroes.
“Yeah, yeah, just let us in. I wanna see if those demons are really that strong!” Aiden snorted, waving his hand dismissively. He wore light armor and held a large, toothed sword. Intimidating on his own, he looked even more frightening with that bloodthirsty weapon in hand.
Radakel wasn’t offended in the slightest. His last conversation with Aiden had not been about giving orders. Instead, he had showered Aiden with praise, comparing him favorably to Jason, while telling him exactly what he wanted to hear—that he could become the strongest hero if he embraced himself fully and forgot about morals.
Radakel had quickly noticed Aiden’s potential. Aiden already had little to no morals, and this had only worsened after arriving in this world and obtaining an SS skill as his main ability. There was no doubt that he would kill demons without pity. Nathan’s disappearance was now just an excuse for him.
Radakel smiled and nodded at Elias. Elias returned the nod and raised his hand.
“We will now breach the walls. Mage Knights!” Elias commanded.
A dozen of Radakel’s personal soldiers stepped forward, raising their staffs high. Mana gathered, and a ball of fire formed above each of them.
“Attack!” Elias shouted, lowering his hand. The sky lit up with a burning hue as several considerable-sized fireballs were propelled toward the village’s two-meter-tall walls.
It wasn’t a particularly large village, and it hadn’t always looked fortified, but the demons had reinforced it for such situations. The fireballs hurtled through the air, aiming to break the defenses and pave the way for the assault.
As the fireballs collided with the walls, explosions echoed through the air, and flames erupted, engulfing the wooden structures. The villagers’ cries of alarm rang out, but Radakel remained calm, watching with satisfaction as his plan unfolded.
The village walls didn’t last long, quickly crumbling into fiery ruins.
“Now!” Jason shouted, raising his sword high to rally his classmates. He led the charge, sprinting forward with determination.
THUD!
“Guh!” Jason groaned as his face collided with an invisible barrier just behind the destroyed walls. Holding his nose, he tried to hide his embarrassment and attempted to tear through the barrier with his sword, but to no avail.
“Get out of the way, Jason!” Aiden rushed forward with a smirk, swinging his large sword at the barrier. His powerful attack was repelled, and he slid back several meters, unable to penetrate the magical shield.
“Ahahah!” Laughter echoed from the other side. Demons, clad in much less shiny armor, mocked the struggling heroes.
“Take that, humans!” one demon jeered.
“Those bastards! I’ll kill you!” Aiden yelled angrily, repeatedly swinging his sword at the barrier, but his efforts were futile.
Behind them, Radakel observed the scene with a serious gaze. He had already sensed the presence of a powerful mage among the demons, likely the strongest in the village and their leader. This barrier was no ordinary spell; it was a formidable defense.
Judging from the strength of the barrier, Radakel doubted any single hero could beat that person alone. Maybe the top three—Jason, Sienna, and Aiden—could manage something together, but not individually.
“Elias,” Radakel called out. Elias knew exactly what to do.
He drew his sword, a shining golden blade, and raised it high. Gathering a great amount of mana, he shocked everyone with the sheer power he displayed.
All the heroes quickly realized how incredibly strong Elias was now.
“Ray of Light!” Elias muttered. From his sword shot a powerful beam of light, striking the upper part of the barrier.
BADOOOOOOM!
A powerful shockwave rippled through the entire barrier, and everyone could feel its intensity. The barrier began to waver under the relentless assault.
Elias continued to channel the Ray of Light, weakening the barrier further. It was now only a matter of seconds before the magical shield would be destroyed, and the path into the village would be open.
*************