But that was shattered in an instant by a sudden loud shriek. Two men’s anguished voices reached Fei’s ears.
“H-Help us!”
“Kyaa!”
It was nothing other than a scream.
A man and woman came running towards Fei’s group. Their running form was hideous, not caring at all about their surroundings due to their panic. Their footing was unstable.
“P-Please do something about that, you’re holy knights right!?”
“Whatcha mean? Wha’ happened to ya?”
“I-It’s a monster! We were testing our courage against the creepy rumors lately and-“
“Huh, and so? What kind of monst-“
Ese’s words stopped. The lighthearted atmosphere from before vanished in an instant.
Before they realized it, it was there. Skin the color of ashen clay. A human modeled form without clothes. It looked like a muscular male despite clearly not being human.
Hair growing as well, but also an ashen color devoid of pigment. Faced with a clay modeled monster in human form, Ese shuddered.
“It’s a daemon…ain’t it. That’s…”
Ese squeezed out his voice. His breathing was ragged, and it was staring at them ready to fight.
Daemon. The existence that brings the most harm to humans in this world. The worst creature that once tried to cover the world in darkness. Said to be derived from calamitous demons.
Everyone knew daemons attack people and are dangerous existences. The instant they confronted it, they felt true fear for the first time.
Holy knights are most likely to face death when encountering a daemon. They had heard stories like that, but Ese and the others were confident that with all their training, it would be an easy win. They thought it would be a cinch after training so extensively.
But experiencing the terror before their eyes firsthand changed their thinking.
Chills. A spine freezing, lifeless feeling. For Ese, Kamase, and Heppiri, the pressure was too much.
“C-Crap, this thing’s bad news!”
“Eek!!”
“D-Damnit Heppiri! Shitty geezer, run first!”
“Hey, don’t leave us behind! We’re holy knights right?”
The male and female civilians who had come pleading for help, and even the holy knights Ese and the others – the only thought in all their minds was to flee. But there was an exception, a madman who never considered running to begin with…
This was the same progression as the game. Everyone runs, Fei, Ese, Kamase, Heppiri, and The male and female who were testing their courage here, only Fei manages to escape crying. This was one factor that led to him being mocked online as an annoying character.
Among the six who ran and fled first, the only one saved was Fei.
The ordinary people who were late escaping, with most unable to properly use magic and those without training, easily met their deaths.
They would lose their heads, lose their legs, with bloodstains thickly sticking to the ground. After the rivers of spilled blood dried, they were left with only stains, and then the Holy Knights from the town would arrive to defeat them, as was the progression in the game. Fei alone cried as he barely managed to escape. This would become one of the reasons he was made fun of as a wimpy character online.
And just as in the game, in this world too there were pretenders, charlatans, two ordinary men and women, and also Heppiri the veteran Holy Knight who had already fled. For them, escaping was the only thing on their minds.
But there was an exception. For the madman for whom fleeing was never a choice to begin with…
But the exception had been waiting for this moment…
As if to say so, a faint grin floated on his face. Alone among the others turning their backs, Fei was facing the opposite direction.
“Dude, ya gotta run too!”
“That’s right! Come with boku-sama!”
“If you want to run, then run.”
Fleeing at top speed from the daemon without looking back, Ese and Kamase called for Fei to run with just their voices.
In contrast to their panic, Fei’s reply seemed somehow amused.
This was Ese and Kamase’s first time hearing Fei’s voice today. His feet didn’t move an inch, like a statue fixed to the ground.
Heppiri and The male and female had already fled from here.
Conversely, Fei drew his sword, capturing the existence before his eyes. Somehow still running, Ese looked back and in that moment, it felt like time stopped for him.
It was…his childish aspirations revived.
Ese had always aspired to be a hero since long ago. He harbored dreams of existing in heroic legends like anyone does. The original hero Arthur was also one of Ese’s aspirations.
Convinced he could become an amazing existence, but it was just empty fantasies. And so he lived joking around like a clown.
Haphazardly earning money, embracing women, drowning in alcohol, skipping training without notice, easygoing, easygoing, easygoing.
But deep down, his innocent heart returned.
Before he knew it, Ese’s escaping feet stopped.
Fei drew his sword and confronted the monster. He ran in the exact opposite direction Ese and the others were fleeing. Noticing Fei’s movement, the daemon raised its left arm.
Judging that as a sign of attack, Fei leapt right in an instant. The daemon’s arm swung down heavily into the ground.
A dull thud, and the arm stabbing the ground created a crater.
A heavier sound than imaginable from just a fist. If Fei took that directly, he might die. Ese judged he would certainly be close to death. At the same time, he shuddered in fear imagining facing such a monster.
But Fei had no fear of death whatsoever, and rushed out again in an instant to close the distance. The daemon raised its left arm again and swung it down at Fei.
As if in response, Fei also swung his sword. With the same attack timing, Fei’s full powered swing of his blade collided with the daemon’s raised arm. Though neither took damage, the impact sent Fei flying through the air.
“Gahhh!”
Unable to move well while airborne, the daemon swung its fist at the gravity-falling Fei. But he narrowly avoided it by twisting his waist around in midair.
“Woah, for real…damn…”
Seeing the incredible play, Ese inadvertently let out a voice of astonishment.
Normally it would be impossible to dodge from that position. But Fei’s tenacious core made it possible. He continued evading attacks. The barrage of fists – left arm, right arm – rained down on Fei.
Unable to fully evade or deflect them all, he used his left and right arms to guard, taking some of the blows directly.
And in an instant he was sent flying several meters. Bouncing along the ground like a ball, he finally came to a stop near Ese.
Ese noticed the dull thuds when Fei was punched. Fei’s right arm was probably broken. And being blown back made him bleed from a gash on his forehead. Ese figured if this continued he would die, so he admonished Fei.
“Ya gotta run away right? Not that huh…”
“Not yet…”
“No way ya can win against that thing…”
“I’ll win… There’s no way I’ll lose.”
“Full of yerself ain’tcha, we just finished temporary enrollment… Once we get more experience, and with yer broken arm, yer injuries, knock to the head, ya might get a concussion… No way ya can win like that. Ya can’t.”
“Can’t win…?”
“That’s right, so–“
“Heh heh heh…”
“What’s…so funny…?”
“I’m fired up all of a sudden. Can’t win huh. When I accomplish that which is impossible, my existence will have ascended another infinite stairway to the heavens. I will climb to the heights.”
Paying no heed to the words of restraint, he gripped his sword once more. Rather, Ese’s words seemed to fire him up even more.
(What’s with this guy…laughin’…Ain’t nothin’ funny…’bout this…Yer practically dyin’ here…How can ya laugh ‘n hold a sword in this situation!?)
“Heh, I’m so pumped up.”
It was the smile of a mighty warrior. The pressure from his aura strengthened to the point of making the air heavy. Even the daemon took a step back from Fei’s smile and intensity.
“Gahh…!?”
The one who was winning stepped back. The mindless monster sensed something incomprehensible, an irregular existence, a rare madman.
Fear was before its eyes.
Sensing that, the daemon recognized Fei as an enemy and roared.
“Grraaaaaaahhh!!”
The pressure from Fei. As if to dispel it with its own fighting spirit. But even so, it couldn’t make the existence before it back down.
The one who stepped back, and the one who didn’t. Clearly their bearing was different, despite the latter being covered in wounds.
Ese was enthralled by the sight.
The daemon’s roar summoned hounds, magical beasts, about ten of them to surround Fei.
But rather than despair, Fei simply scoffed.
“Heh, wanna dance with me huh. You trials.”
Seeing the heroic form. It felt like Ese glimpsed the aura of what they call a hero… Before he knew it, Ese had drawn his sword.
“Leave those small fry ta me, I’ll buy some time, hurry ‘n kill that thing.”
“Fine. But running away is also fine. I’ll cut through them all.”
“As if I’d letcha take the best parts fer yerself!”
“Do as you wish. But that one is mine.”
Fei had his eyes fixed on the daemon.
“Obviously! No way I can handle that thing! So I’m sayin’ I’ll buy time against the hounds!”
Ese seemed to be telling him not to state the obvious. But after that he smiled and laughed. He couldn’t help but laugh.
“Well, might end up beatin’ ’em while buyin’ time.”
“That’s enough lip service.”
“Boku-sama is here too! I’ll show that this game ends here!”
And somehow, Kamase had also drawn his sword. He had been entranced, so to speak, like Ese. Influenced by Fei, he had drawn his blade.
“We’ll beat that thing ‘n go home. Actually, I got a dog at home. Gotta feed it. Let’s finish this quick.”
“Shit, boku-sama actually wanted to succeed safely! But oh well! We’ll all go for drinks when this is over!”
“Don’t care either way, but I’ve decided to return after overcoming this perfect trial.”
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All they needed was a hero.
Fate? Fei? The pronouns are off too.
fixed thanks