Demons at the Gate

As soon as I cross the small settlement along the road, the city seems much closer. Atol, huh? With its high walls, it seems much like a generic fantasy town, but for once the walls aren’t just stone. They’re painted with intricate patterns of what look to me like runes and magic circles. I narrow my eyes at the wall and receive a partial answer.

[Atol City Walls]
Durability: 10000/10000
Attributes: Earth, Light
Notes: Inscribed with protective runes, the city walls reject all beings of demonic power.

Oh. Wow. I guess if you’ve been at the threat of a demonic invasion for hundreds of years, you have time to build some really impressive defences. Since these cities like Atol are the last bastions of humanity, it makes sense they’re well protected. And a Light attribute too—that’s Erya’s city for you. Maybe I can live out my days here. Neither the goddess nor her subjects think I can fight, and frankly, neither do I. From an office job to a demon slayer? I don’t even feel much stronger. The only magical thing about me is my self-cleaning armour, and I don’t think the Demon King will be much impressed by it.

As I mull over these and many other thoughts, which may not be suitable to put down in writing, I near the city gates. To my surprise, there is no line. No one is checking any identification and the guards are merely observing the stream of people moving through the gate. When I come closer, I can see the air flimmering in the middle of the gate, and every person who walks through gleaming for a moment before they proceed. So that’s the enchantment on—

“Demon!” someone yells as the light flickers and turns purple.

A man, who has just tried to enter the city, is enveloped in the unnatural purple glow screams in pain, but instead of collapsing, he starts running down the main street. The guards don’t give chase and I can soon see why. After running for what could have only been twenty steps or so, the purple light pulls him back as if he’s tied to a string. He is flung out back through the gate, landing in a nearby field. Now the guards move in on him.

“Please, please, I’m not a demon!” he cries pitifully as the guards approach him with drawn weapons. “I didn’t even know I had any magic, much less Darkness!”

He cowers pitifully, crying, pleading. A woman runs to his side and falls to her knees.

“My husband has never been to Atol before. We couldn’t have known!”

One of the guards with a different coloured feather on his helmet steps forward. All of them are clad in silver plate and blue cloth, only he has a white feather, designating him perhaps as their leader. He is taller than most of the people around, but that is really the only thing I can tell about him, as his face is hidden behind the helmet, as are all the other guard’s faces.

“How old is your husband? He must be at least thirty.”

I look at the man. He seems even older than that to my modern eyes, but I don’t know the living conditions here.

“He’s 34, good sir.”

“And he has been living near Atol all his life?”

“How would we get anywhere else? We can’t travel though Demon King territory.”

The man keeps quiet, holding his arms to his chest, his clothes charred by the purple light.

“Every citizen has to visit Atol at least once every ten years to contribute to the summoning ritual pool. You’re either a liar or a deserter. Either way, it won’t end well for you.”

The captain holds the tip of his sword to the man’s face. A few tense seconds pass before the man’s expression morphs into one of rage. The air around him erupts into darkness and a sudden, acrid smell briefly takes my breath away even at a distance. The surrounding people take a step back, but they do not panic—on the contrary. I can see a few fighters readying their weapons and moving in front of the regular citizens.

As they prepare to fight, the man’s body warps. He grows a pair of large, sinewy wings and his eyes start glowing yellow. Next to him, the woman who had claimed to be his wife undergoes a similar transformation, only her eyes glow red.

“Every day you hellspawn try to enter Atol and every day you fail,” the captain says loudly enough for everyone to hear.

“And your magic grows weaker with every try,” the demoness hisses. “There will come a day on which it breaks and the army is waiting in the shadows!”

At a mere nod from the captain, the surrounding guards and also the assembled adventurers all strike together. The demons are pierced by a plethora of weapons, lit up by magic projectiles so powerful and bright, I avert my eyes for a moment. When I look back, their bodies are gone and only a wisp of ash flies away on the breeze.

No wonder they’re so sceptical of me—all of them, including Erya. If this is what an adventurer can do, then my battle power is basically zero. But I have no time to dwell on this. The captain suddenly turns to me, takes off his helmet as he approaches and promptly gets down on one knee. He is impossibly handsome. Even as a man, I have to admit it when I see it. Blonde hair curls around his face, framing perfect features and piercing blue eyes. He is every bit the protagonist I should be.

“Hero of Light, I welcome you to Atol. My name is Safrim Kal and I’m the captain of the Western City Guard. Allow me to escort you to Lady Erya’s temple.”

“Hero of Light?”

“The hero?”

Once again the crowd surrounds me. This time, however, no one speaks up to outright doubt me. Maybe that’s because the captain of the guard is confirming my identity. I automatically feel compelled to stand a bit straighter.

“Hero?” Captain Kal looks up at me.

“Ah, right. Yes, I’ll be in your care.”

He beams and gets up, bows once more. Suits me just right to have a guide. I don’t know the way to the temple anyway, and with the captain next to me, maybe the people will leave me be. If I have to bless anyone else, I’m not sure Erya will help me again after the way I talked to her. She’s probably watching my every move. I resist the urge to show my middle finger to the heavens. Maybe I’ll get a chance to deface one of her statues in the future. It’s the least I can do after she abducted me into this doomed world, sending me into an unwinnable battle with no fighting power at all.

The captain seems to realise I’m not much of a talker and waves for me to follow him through the gate. I feel inadequate just walking next to him. Even though my armour is shinier and most likely of much higher quality, since it has been given by an actual goddess, I can’t help but shrink down next to this pretty, capable man. I clear my throat.

“My name is Hiroyuki Satoyama, but everyone calls me Yuki,” I say to break the silence. “I should’ve introduced myself earlier.”

“Hiroyuki… Your name already sounds like Hero Yuki,” Captain Kal says with a laugh. “This must be destiny.”

“Ahahaha…” I manage to reply.