Chapter 40 The Hero Everyone Keeps Yapping About

“What happened, Rein?”

“I was attacked yesterday. The monsters weren’t normal. I’ve fought them a hundred times, but these… they were different. Smarter. They used distractions, even tried to flank me—stall me. Monsters don’t fight like that. And it wasn’t just them. There were people too. Dressed in black cloaks. At first, I thought they might be demons, but… their target wasn’t me. They were after Mira.”

“Mira? Are you certain?”

“I'm positive. Monsters, assassins, whatever they were—every move pointed toward her. The whole thing felt strange. It didn’t make sense. Why would they try to hurt her. Do you think Demon Lord finally reached the capital?”

Liora folded her hands on the desk.

“You’re right to be unsettled. But you should know something, Rein. Demons aren’t the only threat we live with. This world is… complicated. Kingdoms rise and fall, and sometimes even those we call allies get bold ideas. A little too brave. They test boundaries, meddle in affairs they shouldn’t—sending assassins, spies, or worse. It’s not always demons at our gates.”

Liora though to herself, "Did that fool King seriously send assassins after Mira? Is he that far gone? Now, of all the time. One more headache for me, one more blunder to fix. Damn that fool."

“So, you think these cloaked attackers… they could be from another kingdom?”

“It’s possible. No kingdom openly dares to oppose King Arthur. Not anymore. His reign has lasted over three hundred years, Rein. His strength, his power—everyone knows his name. And those who forgot… They were reminded.”

“Reminded? What exactly did Grandfather do to the kingdoms that displeased him?”

Before Liora could answer, the doors slammed open. A messenger burst into the room, bowing quickly before placing a sealed scroll on the desk.

 “Urgent, my lady. From the front.” 

 She broke the seal and unrolled it. 

 "Region Three… the ward is destabilizing. The teleportation field there has thinned almost to collapse."

 Her anxiety intensified. If the ward failed completely, that sector of Demon Plains would no longer be cut off. Soldiers could march freely—and war would continue.

 “So, it begins. Send word to the King. Inform him that a breach is imminent. And mobilize the reserve forces near the southern garrisons—they will be the first through if the passage opens.” 

 “My lady… does this mean the kingdom will finally move out?”

“Yes. If the ward falls, nothing will hold us back from advancing into the Demon Plains. The war will enter its next stage.”

She turned to Rein.

“There’s no time for long talks now. Meet me at the teleportation gate by noon. Bring your party. We’ll be moving to the front lines as soon as possible.”

“Finally, I won’t make you wait. Tell your knights to keep up—because it’s about time for some action. I’ve had enough of sitting here, twiddling my thumbs, waiting for that Demon Lord to make a move.”

Before Liora could say more, he was already halfway to the door, calling back over his shoulder.

“Noon. Got it. I’ll be there!”

-------------

The teleportation gates glowed with magic as Liora stood at the center. Around her, the reserve knights and Rein’s party gathered into the plaza.

“Hold steady,” Liora instructed, “Once through the gate, maintain formation. No one moves until I say so. Keep your eyes open—there’s no telling what we’ll face on the far side.”

Liora’s hands traced magic pattern over the runes at her feet. The world warped around them. A moment later, they landed—dust and ash scattering as boots hit scorched stone. The fields of the Demon Plains stretched around them.

In the center of the crater, the last remnants of the attacking monsters were being hunted down by demon warriors. 

 Liora stood near the ridge, her mage squad behind her, shields glowing above the soldiers holding the front line. From here, she could see the mess where Demon Lord’s teleportation circle had once been — a carved stone platform cracked and blasted. Demon soldiers had already formed a perimeter around the broken structure, and she could see the shimmer of barrier magic protecting the ruins.

Then she heard it — Rein’s voice.

“Keep them occupied! I’m going ahead! I’ll open the path and knock on the doors, see if anyone home!”

“Rein, wait—!” Liora reached toward him, but it was too late.

Electric sparks lit his boots, a loud crackle tearing the air as his body surged forward like a lightning bolt.

“Lightning Step!”

He vanished in a flash — leaving only a scorched line through the field where his feet had left the ground. In seconds, he slammed through the demon barricade, then burst through the massive gate leading into the heart of the ruins — a wide crumbling courtyard surrounded by broken pillars and old stone walls.

Mari let out a low growl, “Grrrrr! Again, huh… leaving us in the dust. Sure, go ahead, well catch up. In an hour!"

Selene let out a tired sight, “Ah-ha, he’s too fast… how are we supposed to cover him now? If he runs in like that, we can only stand and watch. There’s no way to keep up.” 

Kaia’s voice trembled slightly, “He… he’s even faster than before. I couldn’t even see him—just a streak of lightning. He’s gone before I could even think.” 

Mari kicked a lose rock, still pouting, “Typical Rein. Always throwing himself headfirst into trouble… and how we’re supposed to back him up now? Anyone got a manual on that?”

----------

 Fires still flickered on the edges where the last battle had passed. The air inside was thick with heat, smoke, and something else... pressure.

Rein landed hard, the stone beneath his boots exploded into a crater.

Three figures stood in front of him, already waiting.

A large demon with skin like stone and arms thicker than tree trunks stepped forward, dragging a massive steel hammer behind him.

“Well, well,” he said, cracking his neck, voice low and deep.

“What do we have here? You must be the Hero, Demon Lord and the other generals keep yappin’ about. Gotta say, I expected someone bigger. You don’t look like much next to me. Name’s Valen. Remember it. But I doubt you will last long enough—”

Rein didn’t even blink.

“And I thought you’d be smarter. Guess we’re both disappointed.”

Valen laughed.

“Ah, a smart ass! Let’s fix that attitude—”

Behind the brute, a familiar figure stepped out of the shadows, scimitars spinning around her on thin chains.

“Hello there, Hero-kun, come to play again? Or maybe you’re finally ready to talk? Hmm? We don’t bite… much.”

She gave a wink.

“Well, if you ask nice, some of us do.”

“I have nothing to say to monsters like you. Move aside or fall. I’m here for the Demon Lord.”

From the rising mist behind the two, another shape appeared. A curvy woman with pale blue skin and hair like black silk. She leaned on her long staff, the air around her pulsing cold.

“Told you he wasn’t here to talk, Silvia. He’s too far gone. There’s no peace in his eyes. Just revenge.”

“You’re right, Serin. We haven’t even started, and I can already feel it. He’s stronger than last time we met. Guess we’re doing this the hard way. Again.” Her chains snapped tight in her hands, blades spinning faster.

------------

 The Demon Lord stood at the center of a ruined teleportation circle, hands resting lightly on her obsidian sword, her eyes closed in concentration.

“Verron, Sareth. Go and assist the others. Rein... the Hero is here. But he is not the only threat. His companions are skilled, more than you think. Keep them occupied. Delay them if necessary. I need time to repair the teleportation magic. Silvia and Serin have arrived, they will help Valen. They will keep Rein busy long enough for me to finish.”

“Understood. We won’t fail.”

The two generals vanished, leaving only a faint ripple in the air behind them.