21 Chapter 6 Part 2

- Hinata Sakaguchi -

She lay in wait, her trap set for the ambush against the monsters who were reported to arrive soon.

"The attack on the Monster Nation has started. The Falmuth Kingdom is leading the attack. They have established a holy field around the area."

"Monitor them. Only interfere if you see a strong monster. Let them do whatever they want. Our targets are the three Demon Lord Seeds. I will separate them. The two teams will take care of one of them each while I will take on one of them myself. Do we know who the Reinforcements are?" She asked her subordinate.

"We were just informed that only two of the three monsters are coming this way. The third one is missing. So we only need to make two ambush teams. One of them is an Arch Daemon while the other is a monster. We have some reinforcements from the kingdom but they will only interfere when we are in trouble."

Are they hiding information even now?

She was going to speak but she realised the arrival of the monster and dismissed them. "You all take on the Arch Daemon and I will take on the slime." It was personal. The Slime was the killer of Shizue-san and she needed to avenge her teacher.

"Yes."

- Silas -

I returned ahead of others. Lavinia and the rest were coming behind after dropping off the children. I had already closed the restaurant for two weeks and didn't want to delay more.

Suddenly, I felt a chill run down my spine and jumped to the side.

A slash of light passed through the place I was just standing in, making a large crevice in the ground. A barrier of some kind formed over the place and I suddenly felt my skin tingle. It was uncomfortable, as if someone was trying to suck my energy dry. My body felt quite weak.

Footsteps sounded as six humans surrounded me from all sides.

They were wearing armour and looked like mediaeval soldiers.

"Surround him. Keep the formation intact and don't let him escape from any sides." One of them commanded.

I looked at them warily. "Who are you people? I don't believe I have any enmity with you? Why are you attacking me?"

"Shut up Daemon. Your kind is an abomination in this world. Don't pretend to be a human. And it is our job to purge you."

… what the fuck?

"I don't think I have done anything to harm you or any other human. In fact, I haven't even entered any human settlements in this world. So, why don't we all go back and let each other live happily?"

"Happiness? As if a Demon like you would deserve happiness. Dark Beings like you deserve only one fate and that's to be wiped out so that the world can be at peace."

These people were too religious for a group of soldiers or mercenaries. No… soldiers was not the word. They looked more religious. Exorcists? Templars? Some kind of Holy Knight or crusader bullshit?

I looked at them and tried to think of a way to get out of this situation.

I was however not given enough time to think about anything as a blast of fire from the side made me dodge. The second I dodged, the place was attacked by sword slashes and other elemental attacks.

"Are you really going to force me?" I asked for the last time. I don't like fighting. It was not a lie.

"Purge him in the name of God Luminous." One of them shouted and the rest followed.

Ah, Religious Fanatics were just the worst.

I conjured an ice wall in between us but the power behind the magic was extremely low. What would have been an unbreakable bulwark was now barely a thin membrane.

I however didn't have time to think as a sword cut through the wall. I dodged but it was late.

My wrist fell to the ground as a searing pain engulfed my severed wrist.

I bit my tongue as I willed my body to dodge once more, rage filling me.

These bastards were trying to kill me for no fucking reason other than my race. I had never encountered such a situation before but my survival instincts were able to overcome my hesitation.

I summoned my Black Thorn and parried another swing and kicked the guy in the stomach, tossing him aside but before I could follow up my attack, a hail of light arrows made me dodge back.

I gritted my teeth as one of the attacks had gashed my leg.

I couldn't afford to hold back against so many of them.

Time to get serious.

My Black Thorn swiped the space and I felt my strength return to me.

I had used my Masterchef Skill to change the properties of the barrier to allow me to be free inside it.

A hail of light arrows came my way again but this time I conjured another ice wall, effectively blocking the entire attack.

"The Daemon was hiding its strength. Quick, strengthen the holy barriers. Surroun– cough" His words couldn't be completed as he fell down to the ground, spitting blood.

I had manipulated the water in the air to enter his body and form an icicle, piercing his lung.

"Saare!" One of them shouted as two others tried to block my way and one cast another volley of spells on me and the last one tried to feed him with elixirs.

I however didn't give them any chance.

Ice danced around them, raining down on them from all directions.

These people were much stronger than the enemies I had faced, well except the clown but then again, it was Ainz who finished the clown off.

I was far stronger than I was then but the enemies were more this time.

Six of them attacked me from all sides.

I took to the air and gained an advantage over them. They could only attack me using spells now. Another swipe inside the barrier and the next second, they kneeled to the ground.

I took the opportunity to encase them to their necks inside ice.

The second change I made in the holy field of theirs was that humans will be weakened inside the field instead of the daemons.

With the attackers neutralised, the barrier fell and I got down to the ground, bringing a Restoration Potion from Rimuru to regrow my wrist.

"Now… who told you to come after me?"

The attack was too… organised to have been a coincidence. They knew about me. They prepared to face me and I didn't want to risk another such attack on myself.

One of them tried to spit but I froze his mouth along with the spit.

"Can we talk like civilised people?"

"As if a Daemon like you would know what civility would mean? You are a Daemon and will always remain one. Don't pretend to be a human." another spat.

…

Do these idiots leave their brains in the church?

I was about to question them when my instincts screamed at me. I turned back and saw a mask of a clown. Blue stripes on the dress as it held a sword and was inches away from me.

It snuck up on me.

I didn't even have the time to react as he was about to touch me.

And then, it happened.

I blinked and in front of me was another figure.

White cape fluttered in the wind and the yellow costume was shining in the sun.

"Consecutive Normal Punches."

It all happened in a flash.

One second, the clown was about to stab me and the next second, it was blown into pieces, so was the forest behind him and the clouds in the sky. Only one figure alone stood in front of me.

"Saitama?"

"Hmm, are you alright?"

"Eh ah, yes. Thanks." I replied, still confused.

What just happened here?

Saitama?

"You are Saitama, right?" I asked, slightly unsure.

"Obviously. Who else would I be?" He asked back, his usual deadpan voice springing in.

I mean yes. Why would someone this strong need a reason to lie?

Wait… didn't that mean Saitama was this strong all along?

What the fuck?

"The fuck, Saitama? You never told us that you were so strong."

"EH? What do you mean? I told you guys that I was a hero. Ah, a Pro Hero."

That didn't say anything about how strong you were.

Did that mean Bang-san and the others were this strong too?

And here we were worrying that Saitama would get hurt due to lack of strength.

….

….

Turns out that the fool was us from the start.

I was however distracted by another thing. A very familiar scene appeared in front of me, same as the last time we killed the clown.

A soul.

But this time it was different.

This soul just drifted in front of me and I could feel it. This soul was calling out to me. The last soul was like a combination of hundreds of thousands of souls, their despair and pain, all merged really tight into a singular entity but this… it was a single soul and I knew it.

I almost in a trance grabbed and swallowed the floating soul in front of me and a face appeared suddenly in my mind.

An elf?

The feeling which came next was something I had been very familiar with.

"Saitama."

"Hmm."

"I am going to faint. Help me out."

And I blacked out.

But this time around, instead of sounds of the world, I saw something else.

I saw the life of a man called Sarion Grimwald, the Chosen Hero of the Elves.

Conditions for Evolution have been met.

Commencing Evolution.

Unique Skill: Falsifier has been gained.

Unique Skill: Seer has been gained.

Extra Skill: Pain Resistance gained.

Extra Skill: Pain Resistance has evolved into Extra Skill: Pain Nullification.

Extra Skill: Death Resistance gained.

Extra Skill: Spiritual Attack Resistance gained.

Extra Skill: Spiritual Attack Resistance has evolved into Extra Skill: Spiritual Attack Nullification.

Extra Skill: Physical Attack Resistance has evolved into Extra Skill: Physical Attack Nullification.

Extra Skill: Fear Resistance gained.

Extra Skill: Fear Resistance has evolved into Fear Nullification.

Extra Skill: Light Resistance gained.

Extra Skill: Darkness Resistance gained.

Extra Skill: Holy Resistance gained.

Extra Skill: Holy Demonic Resistance gained.

Extra Skill: Sage has evolved into Unique Skill: Demonic Sage.

Intrinsic Skill: Tempt gained.

Unique Skill: Frost has evolved into Unique Skill: Permafrost.

Unique Skill: Flood has evolved into the Unique Skill: Tsunami.

Evolution to Daemon Duke completed.

I opened my eyes and looked around.

Three times and I still couldn't get used to this.

The memories of Sarion Grimwald were enlightening to say the least.

The Chosen Hero of the Elves had had a very tragic end and I felt sorry for the guy. I only saw flashes of his life but it did make me respect the man he was before his death at least.

When he died this time, the last bit of his subconscious called out to me to swallow it so that he isn't dragged back to servitude again.

No wonder it felt as if it was calling out to me.

In return, I got all his Skills and experiences as well as whatever of his memories he had left.

I checked my body and sure enough, I was stronger than before. Several times even.

I don't think I am an Arch Daemon anymore.

'Host is a Daemon Duke.'

I jumped out of my bed in shock. "Who's there?"

'I am the Unique Skill: Demonic Sage which evolved from the Extra Skill: Sage.'

A Skill?

Like the Great Sage.

'Correct.'

Great. Now I have a voice in my head. I deadpanned inside.

"What is a Daemon Duke?"

'A Daemon Duke or a Daemon Lord is the next Evolution of an Arch Daemon. They are far stronger than normal Arch Daemons and stronger than Demon Lord Seeds and Self Proclaimed Demon Lords.'

No wonder.

Demonic Sage told me about my Skills which was honestly a great help as I didn' have to waste too much time to try out everything myself.

When I was done, I left the room.

The scene which appeared in front of my eyes however made me freeze.

The entire city of Tempest was turned upside down. Flames covered the leftover buildings as smoke was rising from the destroyed ones.

Everyone was running around. Cries echoed everywhere as injured were being carried to different places by the uninjured members.

… just what the fuck happened?

Someone saw me and came running to me.

"Silas-sama, you are awake. Rimuru-sama and the others are in that direction. I'm…" I think he was the son of the Goblin Head and was called Rigur.

"Rigur."

"Yes…"

"What happened? I mean how?"

"We were attacked." he looked to the ground as tears fell from his eyes. His hands were clenched tight. "First those humans. They used a barrier over the town which weakened monsters. But we still drove them away with some casualties. It was later… we were attacked by Demon Lord Clayman's army…"

Demon Lord Clayman? But why would someone like that attack?

"We were already weakened and… they, Charybdis… we…" He began to sob, unable to continue anymore. I passed the guy one of my restoration potions but he shook his head. "There are more people who need this more."

I nodded my head, my thoughts in wild disarray.

This place was built by Rimuru but I often spend time here and they treated me as their own. In fact, the Kijin treated me and Ainz almost as well as Rimuru himself.

So, to see this place being destroyed, people injured… It was not a good feeling.

I quickly ran towards the direction which Rigur had pointed me to and found a crowd gathered. Rimuru was kneeling in the front and I didn't need to ask why.

In front of us, several hundred bodies under white covers.

Was this what a war was like?

I couldn't find strength in my feet to walk forward and just stood there rooted to my place, looking ahead.

"Silas-sama." One of the Kijin saw me and called my name bringing the attention of every person towards me.

I forced myself to walk towards Rimuru who was standing in front of a body. As I reached behind him, I saw whose body it was and understood why my friend was like this.

Shion.

She…

I put a hand on his shoulder and he didn't respond.

"Rimuru." I called softly.

He turned towards me mechanically. It was as if there was no life in those eyes. I found myself unable to say anything at all.

He turned back towards her body and I stepped back.

I looked towards Hakuryu and asked some questions. "How long was I out for? When did this happen? Where are the others? Who else…?" I couldn't complete the last question in fear that I might not like the answer.

He just pointed me in another direction. More bodies lay there and I recognised someone kneeling there as well.

Is that Benimaru?

Suddenly a very terrifying thought came to my mind and I flashed towards the place, appearing beside him in a moment. He looked startled but saw me and became quiet. His eyes were misty as he looked at the body in front of him, covered with white cloth.

I felt my breathing pick up, my heartbeat going up as I looked at the body in front of me. Gathering all my courage, I forced my hand to move and remove the cover in front of me.

And then I fell to my knees as the world lost all its colour.