Chapter 217: The Vengeful Demon

『Han』 is a country located in the east of the Jiba continent. Although it does not excel in military power compared to other countries, it is a country that thrives in the fields of art and music. It’s a peculiar country where many of its citizens have non-combat jobs such as artists and bards, and the size of the country is probably equal with Adelheit. Still, just like the other countries, news of the call for heroes reaches Han as well.

The one chosen to be Han’s hero is the fighting bard Gregor, someone who had traveled with famous adventurers in the past. While he may not have the physical prowess of a true fighter, his songs have the power to inspire and raise the status of his companions. To be honest, he was reluctant to become a hero, but he gradually came to the conclusion that it would not be a bad idea to write a song based on the alliance of heroes from different countries, so he agreed. Rather than defeating the Demon King, he’s an eccentric person who wants to encounter the historical scene where the Demon King is defeated. To make it worse, Han’s country is also focused on creating hero songs, so vanguards with solid protection were added to his party. Still, it’s not that the party composition is bad, it’s just that it’s a strong combination that excels in protection.

「――N-No way…. What the…!?」

They were attacked by someone on their way to Crocus, the land of flowers. The carriage they were riding in was half destroyed by the first surprise attack, and two horses died. It was also fatal that they got a late start at the time when the sun has set and the light was limited. One by one, their heads were cut off before they could set up their defenses, and finally, only Gregor remained.

「Eek….!」

The headless corpse of the companion who had just been chatting with Gregor was lying at his feet. Blood dripping from the neck creates a blood clot, dyeing even Gregor’s clothes red. It’s still slightly warm to the touch, which makes him even more terrified.

「Heya, you let out a pitiful voice even though you are a hero, huh. Even though you are a hero. Even though, you are, a hero…!」

「Did you do this…!?」

What appeared in front of Gregor was a red-black man. Gregor has been an adventurer for many years, so he can judge whether his equipment is good or bad just by looking at it. This man’s equipment is clearly of the highest quality. However, all of them are dyed with blood marks. Gregor doesn’t know how many people he had killed, or how he had done it. The only thing he can think of is that he would become one of them.

「A hero is! A noble, a chosen person! And a weakling like this, became one, but I, I, I…!」

「………!?」

He’s completely mad. He’s not someone he can talk to. It’ll be meaningless even if Gregor begs for his life, and he doesn’t think he can win even if he fights. Then, there’s only one way Gregor could take. To run――

「Ugh!」

「No no no! A hero must not run away!」

His dominant foot was cut with a sword. The moment it was cut, Gregor fell to the ground. Even so, he has to escape. If he wants to survive, he has to escape even if he has to crawl on the ground. He has become a hero and ended up having a dream. A dream of creating a grand heroic tale and telling it himself.

In Gregor’s mind, the memories of the past were running through like a flashback. The many life-threatening adventures with his companions, the songs he had proudly sung at the tavern where he had stayed, and the promise he made with a village girl he met during his travels.

(Ahh, that’s right…. I promised her that I will return one day….)

Behind Gregor, who’s crawling on the ground, the blood-stained man is holding his sword high and ready to swing it down with a smirk on his face. Although Gregor can’t see his figure, he somehow knows that the moment of his death is near from the bloodlust that pierced his back. And then――

「What a mess you are in, Akira.」

―― The sword wasn’t swung down in the end. When Gregor looked up slightly, he saw someone’s foot. And at that moment, he lost his consciousness. He was knocked unconscious by that someone.

「… Touko, Touko!」

「Don’t repeatedly call my name like that. Also, You look so desperate and disgusting, you idiot.」

The person who made Gregor fainted was Mizuhori Touko, who should have been taken away by Lilyvia. And the bloody man facing her was Toue Akira, who was supposed to have left Adelheit. Touko has a soft atmosphere and feels calmer than before, and she is deeply covered with a purple hood. As for Akira, there’s no trace of his past self that was once called a hero, and the face that would have shined in the past shows only madness.

「I’ve heard it. You were removed from the hero position, right? Moreover, Haruna beat you up so badly that you lost the original shape of your face. Maybe that’s why you look so terrible.」

「Yeah, maybe that’s the reason…. The glory I was supposed to have was cut off and I was dropped into the abyss of despair. So, I swore that I’ll do whatever it takes to get power and take revenge on them…!」n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

「Hmm, it’s within the expected range, huh. Thank you for the expected answer. So, what happened to those who left Adelheit with you? What about Murakoshi and Enari?」

At the mention of his classmates’ names, Akira’s twitching face became even uglier and more twisted. He’s like the evil Demon King in the story, he looks repulsive.

「I killed them! Murakoshi! Enari! Ooizumi, Asada, Kiroki, and Shimoseki――! They didn’t listen to me, you know? Their hearts were completely broken and they didn’t have the desire to take revenge even a bit. What the hell did they mean by, 『let’s stop now, there’s no way we can win』? Then, their choice was only to be my experience points…. They flattered me when it was convenient, but they were useless at an important time, so there was no meaning for them to live…. The one who’s hurt most is me…. That’s right! That’s why, Touko, you’ll be my experience points just like them! I will mess you up to make me feel better!」

「Ah, he’s completely broken, huh…. Then, it means that all of your followers are dead. I didn’t like them so don’t have any feelings about it, but I’ll have you atone for the six of them.」

「Haha!? Atone? Me? Why? Before that, don’t think that I’m the same as before――」

Akira’s words suddenly stopped. No, to be precise, what came out was just an incomprehensible voice. Akira himself doesn’t understand what happened.

「For now, I’ve removed your chin. You talk a lot even more than before, you know?」

The next thing he knew, Touko had jumped over the fallen Gregor to get closer to him. After being pointed out, Akira touched his chin that’s hanging down. For a moment, he felt that his vision was distorted. It might have been his imagination, but that’s what he felt.

「Hey, why are you so carefree in front of your enemy? Next is your feet.」

Again, when he noticed, the height of his line of sight has dropped considerably. Touko’s head, which he was looking down, has become far above. When he looked down, his leg joints were directed in the wrong direction. At this point, Akira began to feel an unpleasant sweat running down his back.

「Akira, you see, you won’t stand a chance with such half-hearted madness. I’ve been fighting the real madness, losing, and kept challenging it, you know? Even if you show me that second-rate madness now, I don’t know how to react.」

「――!?」

The vengeful demon wanted to scream. However, just like in the previous hero selection, his mouth couldn’t let it out.