To Save Even One More Life

Tightly grouped trees begin to thin out as the village comes into view. I can already see the chaos unfolding in this once peaceful place.

My memory flashes back to the horrors I experienced, not that I need my imagination to see such a sight. Ahead is a collection of houses alongside their fleeing residents. Some of the wooden structures are already in flames while others are soon to meet the same fate. Between the clouds of smoke and pockets of flaming death, I see demons and their victims.

"S-Save me! Somebody save me!"

An older woman is shielding her child from an oncoming monster prepared to sink its weapon into her back.

"Alright, you despicable beast! Get me there as fast as possible!"

You'll regret calling me that.

Is what the heavy grunts of my steed seem to say as we charge at full speed towards the helpless townsfolk. Of course, I haven't figured out exactly how I'm going to rescue these people.

"HEY! OVER HERE!"

My crazed shouts reach the demon. One second later and it might have sent his wicked polearm into the woman. Now it looks at the oncoming impact that I don't have prepared.

"I'm going to—AHHH!"

The horse supporting my weight suddenly disappears. A rough ride has become a turbulent soaring through the air as my mount takes a sharp turn and completely throws me off."

"AHHHH!"

"Hah!?"

An exclamation from the demon is soon met with a head-on collision from my body barreling towards it. The world spins on impact, my aging bones aching from the forced fall.

Told you so.

Is what that irritating ear flick seems to be saying.

"You cursed…"

As I try to prop my body up, I realise that the one who broke my fall is no longer moving. Its more than usual number of eyes are rolled back in their sockets, a sturdy rock beneath the back of its head. Somehow, the demon is incapacitated.

"I'll let you off the hook this time—Hey! Where are you going!?"

That's what I get for trying to be nice to a horse. The four-legged nuisance is already in the process of fleeing the battlefield before I can even stand. Now the only ones here are the cowering townsfolk.

"You two alright!?"

"Y-Yes! Thank you!"

"Save it for later! Get out of here!"

I push the woman and her child along as I turn to assess the rest of the situation. Time isn't given to me as another person is soon under threat of being cut down. The man tries to back up, but loses his footing on a stray stone beside the town well. His monstrous aggressor takes this opportunity to finish the job in one swing.

"NOT SO FAST!"

Once again, my body moves entirely on its own. This speed and strength isn't something I should be capable of, but I use it to my advantage.

"AAAAHHHH!"

The demon is distracted for a moment before receiving a tackle from a farmer with too many pounds on him.

"What in the—!"

It exclaims after taking my shoulder to its chest. Before it can figure out what happened, the creature flips over the well rim and falls into the stone circle.

"AHHH!"

One. Two. Three. Four. At that point, I stop counting the seconds before hearing a quiet splash at the bottom. If the sweat drenching our bodies wasn't a sign of summer, this dry well certainly is.

I help the man to his feet and push him away from the burning town centre.

"Keep moving!"

"A-Alright!"

Scanning the town, there are simply too many people in danger. I could probably move in any direction and find somebody in need of saving. This is too much for me to do on my own.

"S-Stay away! Don't come any closer!"

A house nearby is beginning to sputter into open flames as a man beside it fends off a tall and skinny demon. He holds up a metal gardening hoe, but those calloused hands are shaking too much to scare away the monster.

"Argh!"

Dropping my backpack, I start fishing for my weapons, ignoring the bow hanging around my torso.

"I have no choice but to try!"

If I can protect even one more life, I'm going to continue charging into these beasts. After witnessing the Demon Lord for a second time, these lesser demons don't feel nearly as daunting. That, or I have just lost all sense of caution in this wild commotion.

"NO YOU DON'T!"

Running as fast as my legs can carry me, I leap up and place my trusty pot over the demon's head. With my handles as grips, I dangle over the ground while trying to hold the demon back with my weight.

"GRAH!"

A deep roar echoes within the container of metal as my prisoner attempts to break free.

"Why is this guy so strong!"

I've never met anybody capable of picking me up, much less swinging me around freely. Just as clothes hanging out to dry will fly away in the wind, my body is ready to be sent into the distance.

"Rado!"

A voice I can't remember all too well shouts my name. I can barely hear it, but the warning gives me enough time to see a stampeding bull charging in my direction.

"Woah!"

I let go and crash into the hard dirt. The fall rolls me far enough away that I'm not crushed by the horned animal's angry sprint. My opponent was not quite as lucky.

"AHHHH!"

The Demon has the wind knocked from its lungs, assuming such a creature even has lungs. Though it certainly has a brain, and its light has been shut off after the collision.

"Are you alright, Rado!?"

An older man helps me to my feet. He's still wearing that stained shirt from a couple days ago and rests a blood-stained pickaxe on the ground beside him. Taking his hand, I strain my legs to stand.

"Thanks to you!"

"Did you come to rescue us?"

"That I did, but I'm afraid it'll just be me."

Looking around, there is still a lot of death. Bodies of humans and livestock litter the ground as demons continue to wreck havoc. Some villagers will definitely live to see another day, but many will not.

"Where are you all fleeing to?"

"We work the old mines up North. Many took shelter there before the attack, but lots of us were too stubborn to leave."

Seeing how some of the men are still attempting to fight, I don't need to imagine their courage. These are their homes after all.

"Take your family and hide."

"What about you?"

While he is obviously anxious to leave, he hesitates. He and I both know that staying is akin to dying. Despite this, I stomp my foot down and lift the fallen gardening hoe.

"I'll get as many people to you as I can!"

"T-Thank you, Rado! I will never forget this debt!"

He charges off into the forest with his wife and elderly parents, who were previously cowering in the now empty cow enclosure. However, something steps out from the trees to block their escape.

"Where do you think you're going?"

The head of a wolf on a massive humanoid body sneers at the fleeing family. With a blunt mace smacking against his furry palms, it prepares to crack the skull of the miner.

"HAH!"

SCREECH

Metal collides with metal. It feels as if my arms were shattered from the downward force, but I'm still able to stand between the demon and its prey. My hand especially feels broken as it accepted the brunt of the force, holding the metal as a shield against the bludgeoning weapon. The flat head of the hoe is bent from the blow.

"Keep moving!"

"R-Right!"

The villagers finally make their escape as I'm left alone with a threat I cannot defeat.