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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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A week ago, a request for assistance from the Sak government had arrived at the Order headquarters in the Holy City of Hailen.
It detailed the appearance of the infamous Demon King known as the Hero Slayer.
It also mentioned that the Demon King had slain the 157th ranked hero, and that several other heroes who had gone to confront him had also been killed.
But the Order’s first response to the request was… suspicion.
The Hero Slayer’s current actions deviated significantly from his usual pattern.
He had always operated in secrecy, targeting powerful heroes and eliminating them in one-on-one combat.
But this time, he had openly revealed himself and was holed up in a single location.
This unusual behavior prompted much discussion within the Order.
A Demon King openly revealing himself within a human city… it was a rare opportunity.
They all agreed that he had to be eliminated.
Even if it was a trap, it was a risk worth taking.
However, they couldn’t agree on how much force to send.
There were two main arguments.
Some believed they should send a small reconnaissance team led by a high-ranking hero to assess the situation, just in case it was a trap.
Others argued that they couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity and should send a Saint-ranked hero right away.
In the end, they decided to send a Saint-ranked hero.
Stella, the 4th ranked Saint, had accepted the mission.
Unlike the 1st and 2nd ranked heroes, who were currently unreachable in the Chaos Realm, and the 3rd ranked hero, who was on another mission, Stella was available.
And with her power, she would be able to handle most unforeseen circumstances.
Even if they were facing multiple Demon Kings, she would be able to take them down with her.
Of course, Sak might not survive the process, but that was a worst-case scenario.
And so, an expeditionary force of five heroes was assembled.
Two high-ranking heroes: a swordsman and a tank, to handle the frontline.
Another high-ranking hero, an archer, to control the battlefield and restrict the Demon King’s movements.
A high-ranking healer.
And finally, Stella, the Saint-ranked hero, whose powerful magic would annihilate the Demon King.
It was a surprisingly solid team, considering they had assembled it in a matter of days.
They departed from Hailen, their destination: Sak.
They didn’t need to go through Basilium and use the Gate.
They had a special coach, reinforced with barrier stone, capable of traveling directly through the Chaos Realm.
“I heard you’ve slain multiple Demon Kings, Stella,” the high-ranking warrior said, trying to make conversation as the coach rattled along the uneven terrain.
He was a young hero, recently promoted to high-ranking.
His talent and skill were undeniable. He had reached his current rank by defeating powerful Chaos Beasts in quick succession.
But he had never encountered a Demon King.
To him, Stella, a veteran hero who had faced down multiple Demon Kings and emerged victorious, seemed to belong to a different world, a realm he couldn’t even begin to comprehend.
“That’s right,” she replied nonchalantly.
“Can you tell us about it? How did you defeat them?”
“It was simple, really. The big guys up front would hold them down, and I’d blast them with magic. Kaboom.”
“That’s it?”
It hadn’t been that simple, of course.
She had to unleash a barrage of spells, pushing her magical power to its absolute limit, to overcome a Demon King’s regeneration in the Chaos Realm.
It had taken everything she had, both physically and mentally, leaving her drained and exhausted.
But this expedition… it didn’t faze her.
Her equipment was better now, her relics more powerful.
And her magic… well, it had only grown stronger with age, unlike her physical body.
“There’s no need to be afraid of Demon Kings. They’re powerful, sure, and their regeneration is a pain. But they’re significantly weaker within the barrier. That’s why humanity has managed to survive this long.”
The Demon King they were hunting was holed up inside a building, within Sak.
It should be an easy target, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
And from what she had heard, the Hero Slayer wasn’t particularly strong. He was one of the older Demon Kings, with a weaker Demon Body.
“But don’t get careless. We’ll be arriving soon. Get ready.”
A black, hemispherical barrier came into view.
Sak’s barrier.
‘It’s been almost eight years.’
She had spent the last eight years focusing solely on her magical research, rarely participating in actual combat.
There hadn’t been any incidents that warranted her intervention.
And the Order didn’t bother her unless it was something on the level of a Demon King appearing.
She hadn’t been on an expedition in a long time.
But it felt familiar, comforting, like reuniting with an old friend.
She pulled on her gloves, a habit she had developed over the years.
The coach passed through the barrier.
The guards at the watchtower recognized it as an official Order vehicle and waved them through.
As they entered the city of Sak, they saw it.
The tallest building in Sak. It was impossible to miss.
‘He’s on the top floor, right?’
“He’s… he’s not alone.”
The archer’s voice was tense, his eyes wide with alarm.
Archers, as ranged specialists, were trained to detect enemy presence.
They needed a wide field of vision, a constant awareness of the battlefield.
While she was primarily a combat specialist, her high rank meant her detection abilities were also exceptional.
“What’s wrong?”
“There are two Demon Kings on the top floor.”
“What?!”
The Sak government couldn’t even tell how many Demon Kings they were dealing with?
But then again, no one who had gone up there had returned alive.
“Do you know who the other Demon King is?”
“I… I don’t know.”
While sensing the presence of a Demon King was easy, their auras were so powerful and overwhelming, distinguishing between them wasn’t.
‘Should I increase the spell’s potency?’
Her original plan was to use her magic to launch a surprise attack on the top floor.
Her magic was powerful, capable of causing widespread destruction, but she had calculated that the damage would be limited to the top floor, minimizing civilian casualties.
But increasing the potency would change things.
‘Collateral damage would be unavoidable.’
As they were approaching her spell’s casting range…
The archer’s eyes widened.
“There’s another one!”
Stella was about to curse when…
“It’s a human. He’s… weak, but he’s holding his own against the Demon Kings.”
“A human?”
There was still someone in Sak who could fight a Demon King?
She couldn’t just launch a indiscriminate attack on the top floor now.
“Let’s go.”
Waiting for the battle to end was too risky.
They had two high-ranking frontline heroes. They could provide support.
As they reached the building’s entrance, the archer stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
“The fight… it’s stopped.”
“Is it over? Who won?”
The outcome would determine their course of action. If the Demon Kings had won, they would attack from a distance. If not, they would enter the building.
But the archer’s next words were unexpected.
“Neither of them are down.”
“What?”
“They just… stopped fighting.”
She didn’t understand.
“What the hell? They were fighting just now, and they just… stopped?”
Entering a building blindly without understanding the situation was a recipe for disaster.
“We’ll proceed cautiously. Gather as much information as possible.”
But the deeper they went, the more confusing the situation became.
“The Demon King’s aura… it’s gone.”
The human, who had been fighting just moments ago, must have killed one of the Demon Kings.
And…
“The other Demon King… there’s still a fight going on, but… I’m not sure if you can even call it a fight.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s more like… torture. Or maybe a one-sided beating. The other Demon King has lost all will to fight.”
As they reached the top floor, the archer said,
“The Demon King is dead.”
He didn’t need to say it. They could all sense it.
The overwhelming aura of a Demon King… it was gone.
And then they saw him.
“He’s just a kid…”
“We lost our target to a boy like that?”
He was struggling to get to his feet, his sword clutched tightly in his hand.
He was tall, his physique well-built, but his face… he still looked like a boy.
And he was… crying.
“What kind of hero cries after killing a Demon King?”
As they approached the boy, curious and suspicious…
The archer gasped.
“Wait… that’s…”
He had seen the boy before. He had been much younger then, but he recognized him.
“He was with Gwen… back in Basil.”
He had seen the boy outside the barrier in Basil.
And that sword…
‘Gravitas Replicant?’
It was impossible.
The boy had seemed so frail back then, barely able to lift a sword.
Even Gwen’s claim that he was just a porter hadn’t been convincing.
‘And he killed two Demon Kings?’
His aura was definitely different now, stronger, more intense.
But he wasn’t strong enough to take down a Demon King, let alone two.
How had he done it?
“Lyudmila.”
“Yes?”
“That boy… he’s not ordinary.”
Stella agreed. There was something… different about him.
But their current mission took priority.
“We’ll take him back to Hailen. He’s a target now. The Demon King Council won’t let this go unpunished.”
Their original mission, to eliminate the Demon King in Sak, was over.
Now, a new mission had begun.
“Hey, kid.”
The boy, who had been staring blankly at the Demon King’s corpse, finally looked up.
“Who… who are you?”
“I’m Stella, a Saint-ranked hero. We’re taking you into custody and escorting you to Hailen.”
He had no option to refuse
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