Blinded

"How much further!?"

My heart hasn't stopped raging since we departed. The jostling of a sprinting horse makes it impossible to relax, but I doubt that this unease would disappear even if we were standing still. Anticipation will continue the thumping that reaches all the way to my brain.

As we all charge forwards in unison, Leon is close enough for me to hear his shouts from a few paces ahead.

"We are soon approaching the forest surrounding Leudo!"

"Everyone, look!"

With his hands tightly grasping the reins, the young knight is unable to point at his findings without falling from his horse. However, what he sees is soon clear to us all as we climb the winding slopes.

"Fire!"

Memories I wish I never had flash before my eyes. In the distance, a smokestack is climbing upwards into the clear blue sky above. Whatever terrible fate that awaits these people has already begun.

"We must hurry!"

"At ease, Rado! The attack has not yet begun. Leudo is simply calling for aid to whomever can hear their plea."

Ignoring the young knight, I push my plain brown horse forwards as we break into the treeline. Hope still sits at the very tip of my thoughts, but it continues to grow unsteady as the trail only brings us closer to the rising agony.

"D-Demons ahead!"

"What!?"

Leon turns back to Katherine as she allows her spell to expand outwards. She has used this detection magic plenty of times, but something is different about her reaction.

"T-This can't be right! There couldn't possibly be this many all in one place!"

"What do you mean!?"

Our horses take the initiative to slow down their sprint. They are certainly exhausted from moving at max speed for so long, and it wouldn't be strange for them to want a break. However, that doesn't feel like the reason. Our horses are swinging their heads wildly, their tails also urging us to turn back. In their eyes, I can tell their fear.

We must turn back!

Is what their eyes collectively agree on. These horses trained for battle are prepared to flee whether their masters wish it or not.

"The reading…"

Katherine's eyes are so wide that I can see the entirety of their shapes. Her hands are white from digging into the metal staff.

"It says there are thousands of them…right here…"

We hardly have time to understand her words before a terrible feeling hits me all at once.

I can't see it, but I know that something is there. It's a presence that has left scars on my body for the rest of my life. Just being in the presence of this entity is too much for my heart to handle.

"N-No…"

The world turns upside down and I crash into the dirt at my horse's feet. With a face full of sand and gravel, it arrives.

"Ra—"

"EVERYONE GET DOWN!"

Bernard is unable to say my name as a barrage of dark energy tears through the trees towards us. Having seen the attack coming, Leon steps in front of the unaware wizard and allows his sword to release a brilliant flash. Bernard is saved from a grazing strike by his armour and I am saved by the fact that I'm still pressed against the ground.

My vision is forced in the direction of our attacker by a blast landing mere steps away from my face. I cannot see the individual, but the terrible aura peeks out from behind the wall of shrubs and bushes. Blood is threatening to burst through my veins as I watch the hideous energy pulsate in the distance.

"D-Demon Lord…"

Everyone hears my fearful mutterings and turns with eyes widened. The normally confident Leon begins sweating as he leaves himself wide open to the enemy. Fortunately, the figure does not move at all during his shock.

"Are you certain!?"

"Yes! I would never mistake this!"

The air itself begins to heat up as the heroes turn their attention to the darkness of the forest. What may have started as a simple threat has now escalated to that of a calamity.

"T-This is impossible!"

Katherine, who had dismounted during the barrage, drops to her knees in fear.

"It's too powerful…"

Everyone had an idea of a Demon Lord in their minds, but none had ever witnessed its strength first hand. Even witnessing an attack or two may not be enough for some. Magic is capable of all kinds of things, so there is still room for underestimating its power. However, there is no misunderstanding for Katherine. Her spell has quantified the level of danger that we're in.

"Do not waver!"

Even Bernard was looking for an escape, but our leader's words brought his attention back. Leon does not take his eyes nor his blade away from the terrible energy ahead.

"This is what we have prepared for! The Demon Lord is alone! This is our only chance to take it out!"

As if listening to Leon's passionate decree, the bundle of darkness turns and retreats further into the forest. Raising my head slightly isn't enough to see the enemy anymore, but my senses continue to tingle from its existence.

"Here."

Leon takes this opportunity to help Katherine to her feet.

"It doesn't matter if our enemy is one thousand times stronger than a normal demon! We have the weapons to fight it!"

"B-But—!"

"Leon is right."

Bernard steps to the wizard's other side, eye fixated on the goal ahead.

"If we cannot overcome this fear, then we have no purpose here. We were selected because His Majesty believed that we were the only ones capable of slaying this threat."

"Bernard…Leon…"

Katherine looks at her two companions. She wavers for a moment, but grips her staff tightly in the end. Even if the fear hasn't completely disappeared, she also turns to face the demon responsible for it all.

"Very well, let us be rid of this scourge for good!"

"Excellent."

Leon then turns to me, where I'm still in the process of standing on unsteady feet.

"Rado, you should stay back. You have done more than enough and it would be foolish to endanger you any more."

"You don't have to tell me twice…"

Using my horse as my support, I keep myself from stumbling as the heroes begin dropping their belongings. The young ones soon have their weapons at the ready and prepare to march into the green-tinted darkness.

BOOM

The ground shakes from an impact that came from the direction we were originally headed towards. More stacks of smoke have begun their climb to the heavens, and these are not a signal for aid.

"T-The village!"

My wobbling knees snap into place as I turn to face the horror unfolding once more.

"We must save them!"

"There's no time."

I'm not sure what face I'm making, but I hope that it shows my utter shock at Leon's words. Regardless, he prepares to continue walking in a different direction from town, the direction of the Demon Lord.

"Killing the Demon Lord is our mission. Saving the village would be ideal, but we must prioritise this target. Should they escape, there will be more casualties in the future."

"What are you saying!?"

He turns at my sudden shouts of anger. When Leon looks back, he finds my hand gripping the collar of his shirt as it peeks out from his light armour. I can't push nor pull him very far. However, he should be able to feel the force of my emotions.

"You're leaving those people die!?"

"It can't be helped. Some sacrifices must be made."

"YOU FOOL!"

His confidence shows cracks in the face of my forceful shouts. It takes all of my restraint to keep from actually attempting to wrest the air from his lungs.

"Forget your vengeance! These people, this will be the end if we do nothing! We'll have other chances to get that demon, but they will not have another chance than right now!"

"We simply need to kill the Demon Lord and their deaths will not be in vain!"

"What's the point if the people are dead!"

I shove away the young hero. Those eyes of his burn with a fixation to do one thing at all costs. Leon won't care how many people die in the meantime as long as he gets his revenge. He must have forgotten what it felt like to have everything taken away, focusing only on the rage that event left behind.

"I'm going to the village! Go fill your self-satisfaction all you want!"

"Rado! It's too dangerous!"

Ignoring Bernard, I focus on the screams of terror ringing out in the distance. Quickly remounting my horse, I set off to do what I personally came here to accomplish.