The Hell Demon watched Satoru with his single open eye.
The monstrous form he had adopted filled almost the entire width of the balcony. His tentacles moved slowly around his body, twisting with restrained agitation as he evaluated the human standing before him.
He remembered the words of the Great Black General.
The Black Demon had warned him about this man. A demon hunter who, despite not being a hero, had eliminated several of his subordinates along with the small group accompanying him.
A dangerous human.
The Hell Demon felt a brief irritation.
If his main body were here, if he possessed all his strength at that momen, he would have enjoyed crushing him personally in front of the entire city.
But this body was nothing more than an offshoot.
Most of his power remained outside Muno, where his true form led the monster army secretly gathered.
His gaze brightened slightly.
Then he imagined another scene.
The human defeating him here. Believing he had saved the city. Convinced he had eliminated the demon responsible for everything.
An empty victory.
Meanwhile, outside the walls, the army waited.
The trap of the Great Black General.
The thought drew a low laugh from him.
Even if this body were destroyed, the spectacle that would follow would be far more interesting.
"So you are the demon hunter my lord spoke of."
His voice echoed across the balcony.
"I was curious to see how capable you truly are."
Satoru did not answer.
His blue eyes remained calm as they observed the demon.
Then he spoke in the same serene tone as always.
"Handle it."
The three demi-humans moved at the same time.
Pochi was the first to advance. Her shield rose before her body while her sword prepared to intercept any attack. She was the most durable of the three, and her role in the battle was clear.
Fix the enemy in place.
The Hell Demon responded instantly.
Two tentacles lashed toward her with the speed of a whip.
Pochi's shield received the impact with a sharp metallic sound. The blow forced her half a step backward, but her stance did not break.
At that same moment Liza moved.
Her spear traced a precise arc that forced the demon to retract one of his tentacles. The weapon's reach allowed her to control the space around Pochi, keeping the enemy at distance.
The Hell Demon growled.
A third tentacle shot toward the lizardwoman, but a shadow appeared in his blind spot.
Tama.
The two daggers flashed briefly as the small girl slipped along the demon's flank. Her movement was quick, almost impossible to follow with the eye.
The blades sliced through one of the tentacles.
The demon stepped back.
"Hmph."
His tentacles writhed more violently. Although the offshoot occupying the castle did not possess his full strength, he was still a demon. His resilience and regeneration easily surpassed those of any ordinary human.
A cut appeared along one of his tentacles.
The dark flesh began to close slowly.
"Not bad," he murmured with disdain.
One of his human arms moved toward the sword hanging at his side.
The blade left the scabbard with a sharp sound.
The demon advanced.
The clash against Pochi's shield produced a shower of sparks. The small girl resisted the blow while Liza attacked again from the side, forcing the demon to divert his sword to block the spear.
Tama reappeared behind him.
The daggers descended toward his back.
The Hell Demon spun violently and one of his tentacles intercepted the attack.
The fight continued, the rhythm becoming increasingly unfavorable for the demon.
At first the Hell Demon had managed to maintain balance against the three opponents. His tentacles moved constantly around his body, deflecting strikes and forcing the demi-humans to keep their distance while his sword searched for any opening he could exploit.
But the difference in levels began to show.
Pochi remained at the front with her shield raised, intercepting every attack that came down upon her. Even when the tentacles struck with enough force to make the metal vibrate, the small girl barely stepped back before stabilizing herself again.
Behind her, Liza controlled the space with her spear. Every time the demon attempted to advance or turn to attack one of the others, the tip of the spear appeared, forcing him to retreat or redirect his weapon.
Tama completed the encirclement.
The small girl moved with the speed of a shadow. She vanished from the demon's field of vision for an instant and reappeared immediately afterward at his flank or back, forcing him to divide his attention constantly.
For those watching from the plaza, the battle looked like something out of a story.
The citizens who had not yet fled stared toward the balcony in disbelief. Some remained frozen with fear, unable to tear their eyes away from the scene unfolding above their heads.
From that distance they could barely distinguish individual movements, but the clash of weapons, the sound of impacts, and the flashes of attacks turned the confrontation into something that seemed impossible.
A demon.
Three demi-humans.
And a battle taking place high atop the castle.
In the midst of the fight, part of the balcony floor cracked beneath the impact of a fallen tentacle. The noise finally pulled Baron Muno from his paralysis.
Until that moment he had remained motionless, unable to look away from the battle.
Reality struck him all at once.
He grabbed Soruna by the arm and pulled her away from the edge of the balcony. Hauto, still injured, was helped to his feet as the three of them quickly retreated toward the interior.
Only when they reached the corridor did they notice that Satoru was still there.
The contrast with the chaos they had just witnessed was almost unreal.
The young man stood with complete calm while observing the conflict that had left them stunned.
The Hell Demon narrowed his single eye. He knew his situation was unfavorable.
He decided to change his approach.
One of his tentacles rose slowly as dark energy began gathering within it. A curse was taking shape, gathering enough power to break the balance of the fight.
Before he could complete it, a burst of wind tore across the balcony.
The energy dispersed.
The demon blinked.
He tried again.
A second spell began to form, this time gathering energy more quickly.
An invisible disturbance shook the magical flow.
The spell unraveled before it could take shape.
The Hell Demon turned his eye toward the back of the balcony.
Satoru was still there.
He had not moved since giving the initial order. He stood near the corridor, watching the battle with the same calm one might use to observe a training session.
The demon growled.
He understood.
Every time he tried to use magic, something interfered with the spell before it could be completed. There were no visible signs of attack, but the interruption was far too precise to be coincidence.
Satoru was not directly participating in the fight.
But he was not allowing the demon to do so either.
The Hell Demon clicked his tongue in irritation.
At that moment Liza's spear pierced another of his tentacles.
The blade sank into the dark flesh before withdrawing in a clean motion.
Almost at the same time Tama appeared at his flank and one of her daggers opened a deep cut along his side.
The demon stepped back several paces.
His eye narrowed as he observed the three opponents.
The situation was no longer favorable.
A shriek of frustration escaped his throat.
"Tch…"
The tentacles contracted around his body as the human structure he had been using began to deform.
"Very well…"
His voice grew harsher.
"Accepting this small defeat will change nothing."
The false skin of the humanoid body began to crack.
Tentacles burst outward violently, tearing through the artificial flesh as the demon's true form separated from the shell he had been using.
A dark, twisted mass slowly rose above the balcony.
The body of the offshoot was covered in wounds. Deep cuts marked its surface and fragments of flesh regenerated slowly as its single eye burned with fury.
The Hell Demon looked out over the city.
"Enjoy your lives while you can, humans."
His wounded form rose several meters higher above the balcony while the tentacles slowly writhed around his body. From the plaza, the citizens who remained instinctively stepped back as they saw the demon's silhouette suspended in the air above the castle.
For a moment no one moved.
Then Satoru began to walk.
He stepped away from the corridor with the same calm he had maintained throughout the confrontation and advanced toward the edge of the balcony. His steps carried him directly past the baron and his family, as if the scene before the city were merely a minor interruption.
Leon watched him approach.
The image fit too well with the stories he had read since childhood.
An imposing figure.
An almost unreal beauty.
A natural enemy of demons.
And also…
A traveler accompanied by demi-humans.
Inside the naïve mind of the baron, all the pieces seemed to align with almost absurd ease.
Before realizing it, the words escaped his mouth.
"Are you… a hero?"
Satoru stopped.
He turned his head slightly and looked at the baron.
The pressure of that gaze alone was enough to leave Leon completely still. His body stiffened immediately, as if he had suddenly realized he had spoken out of place.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then Satoru looked away.
His eyes lifted once more toward the demon floating above the city.
"No," he replied calmly. "I am not."
He raised one hand.
The air around his palm began to distort.
An invisible pressure descended upon the balcony as magical energy condensed into a single point before him. The atmosphere changed immediately. The air grew denser and a rising heat began slowly spreading across the terrace.
The baron felt it on his skin.
The increase in temperature was so sudden that even the night wind passing through the balcony seemed to have stopped.
A reddish light began to form before Satoru's hand.
"[Fire Javelin]."
The javelin of fire pierced the night sky like a burning bolt.
The projectile struck the Hell Demon's body directly.
The explosion shook the castle.
A wave of heat expanded from the point of impact, sweeping across the balcony as fragments of incandescent energy scattered in every direction.
For several seconds smoke covered the sky above the fortress.
The light of the explosion took several seconds to fade.
The air above the castle still trembled with heat as the cloud of smoke slowly parted, carried away by the night wind. Fragments of burning energy still faded in the dark sky like embers falling toward the city.
But the demon was no longer there.
For several moments no one spoke.
In the plaza, the citizens who still remained before the castle lifted their eyes toward the balcony in disbelief. Some were still frozen, others began murmuring among themselves as they tried to understand what they had just witnessed.
A moment earlier a demon had floated above their heads.
Now it had vanished.
The silence lasted only a few seconds more before breaking into a wave of voices.
"What… was that?"
"The demon…?"
"Was it defeated?"
From the balcony, Baron Leon watched the city with a stunned expression. His mind still tried to catch up with what his eyes had just seen.
A single spell.
That had been enough to erase the demon from existence.
Soruna remained beside him, also staring at the dark sky where the explosion had occurred. Even Hauto, still leaning against the railing while catching his breath, could not look away from the place where the Hell Demon had disappeared.
Before them, Satoru slowly lowered his hand.
The magical pressure that had filled the balcony vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The air began moving again and the temperature gradually dropped.
For a moment no one spoke.
Then Satoru turned around.
His eyes looked directly toward the baron.
"Baron Muno."
Leon flinched slightly upon hearing his name.
"Y-yes."
"We need to talk."
The sentence was spoken with the same calm tone he had used throughout the entire confrontation, as if destroying a demon seconds earlier had little importance.
Satoru stepped toward the interior corridor.
"In private."
The baron took a moment to react.
He glanced briefly toward the plaza, where the crowd was still in turmoil, then looked back at the young man before him.
Finally he nodded.
"Of course."
The baron needed a moment to recover his composure after the confrontation. The agitation was still evident on the balcony, and for several seconds he seemed to struggle between several decisions at once.
In the end he turned toward the soldiers nearby.
With a much more controlled tone than before, he ordered them to take Hauto to the infirmary so he could receive medical attention. The young man was still visibly shaken from the blow he had received during the battle.
Soruna did not hesitate to accompany them.
She gently took one of Hauto's arms while the soldiers helped him walk, and together they headed into the castle.
The baron watched them leave before turning his attention back to Satoru.
The plaza was still full of murmurs and movement, but for the moment there was little he could do there.
With a somewhat nervous gesture, he invited Satoru to follow him.
He led him through the corridors of the castle to his personal office, a room he used to receive visitors or deal with administrative matters.
There, at least, they could speak more calmly.
***
The baron's office was a large room, though far from ostentatious. A heavy table occupied the center of the chamber, surrounded by shelves filled with documents and administrative records accumulated over the years. Several mana lamps illuminated the room with steady light.
Leon carefully closed the door behind them.
Only then did he seem to remember they were not alone.
His eyes briefly moved toward the three demi-humans who had entered with Satoru. Liza stood behind him with the same firm posture as always, while Tama and Pochi had positioned themselves on either side with calm attention, as if the situation were not particularly unusual for them.
The baron cleared his throat lightly before approaching his desk.
"P-please… sit."
Satoru sat down before him without speaking. The three demi-humans remained behind his chair.
For a moment silence filled the room.
Leon seemed to struggle between several questions at once. His hands rested on the desk, but his fingers moved nervously as he tried to organize his thoughts.
Satoru spoke first.
"I imagine you have several doubts about what just occurred."
The baron immediately lifted his head.
"Ah… yes…" he answered awkwardly. "D-do you… know something about it?"
Satoru calmly placed one hand on the table.
"The demon affecting this barony is a mid-class demon."
The reaction was immediate.
Leon froze in his seat.
Even for someone without direct experience with demons, that classification carried a clear meaning. Stories and imperial records mentioned those creatures with a mixture of fear and respect.
"What we destroyed on the balcony," Satoru continued, "was not its true body."
The baron blinked.
"N-no?"
"It was only an offshoot."
Satoru kept the same calm tone.
"An extension it left behind while its main body remained elsewhere."
The blood seemed to drain from the baron's face.
"T-then… the demon… is still alive?"
"That is correct."
The answer came without hesitation.
Leon remained silent for several seconds before lowering his head with clear unease.
Satoru continued speaking.
"That demon took the position of the barony's consul after eliminating the previous one."
The baron's eyes moved with surprise.
"The… consul…?"
"It infiltrated the city's administration and used that position to manipulate the situation of the territory."
Satoru paused briefly.
"Do you remember anything about the real consul?"
Leon frowned.
His gaze shifted slightly toward the desk as he tried to organize his memories.
"I… remember he was an older man…"
His voice became more uncertain as he continued.
"But…"
He shook his head slightly.
"No… that's not right…"
He frowned more deeply, as if struggling against a thought that refused to settle.
"Three years ago…" he said slowly, "the consul died during an epidemic…"
He brought a hand to his forehead.
"After that… I asked the duke to send a replacement and…"
His voice faded.
Leon fell silent.
His eyes seemed to search for something within his memory that he could not quite grasp.
Satoru observed him for several seconds.
"Does the name Nina Lottel sound familiar?"
The response was immediate.
"Yes," the baron said almost reflexively. "Viscountess Nina 'Blood and Iron.'"
He blinked.
"She was sent here as a candidate for consul three years ago…"
His voice stopped.
Leon's eyes widened slightly as the sentence finished forming in his mind.
"And I…" he murmured. "I welcomed her…"
The baron's expression changed.
His brows furrowed as he tried to reconstruct the memories.
"I shook her hand… when I accepted her appointment…"
His eyes began moving around the room.
"Then… where is Lady Nina?"
The baron remained silent for several seconds, as if expecting the answer to appear by itself.
Satoru observed him calmly.
In his mind, that moment confirmed one of the reasons he had dismissed the idea of taking the city by force.
The demon's mental control was useful.
So was its ability to alter memories.
But it was far from perfect.
Satoru had done nothing yet, and the baron was already slowly breaking the demon's influence with only a little guidance.
There was no reason to prolong the game.
Satoru raised a hand and briefly touched his temple.
The gesture lasted only an instant.
Then he looked back at the baron.
"Viscountess Nina should be imprisoned somewhere in the castle."
"I-imprisoned?"
Leon immediately rose from his chair.
"Then I must—!"
Satoru's hand landed on his shoulder.
The motion was gentle, but enough to stop him.
"There is no need for you to go personally."
The baron remained still.
"You can send soldiers to search for her."
Satoru removed his hand with the same calm.
"There is still another matter we must discuss."
Leon slowly sat down again, still visibly shaken.
"Another matter…?"
Satoru was about to answer when the door burst open.
A soldier rushed into the room.
His breathing was heavy and fear was clear on his face.
"B-Baron!"
Leon stood immediately.
"What is it?"
The soldier swallowed before speaking.
"A massive horde of monsters has appeared outside the city!"
The soldier had barely finished speaking before the baron was already moving.
"Where—?"
"At the walls, my lord! They appeared outside the city!"
Leon did not wait for further explanation. He rushed out of the office as the soldiers in the corridor reacted to the look on his face.
Satoru stood calmly.
Liza, Tama, and Pochi followed him immediately.
The group crossed the castle corridors while the sound of agitated voices began spreading throughout the fortress. Rumors traveled quickly among guards and servants.
When they reached the inner courtyard, several soldiers were already running toward the stairs leading to the walls.
The baron climbed first.
The night wind struck Leon's face when he emerged onto the stone platform.
For a moment he did not understand what he was seeing.
Then his expression froze completely.
Beyond the fields surrounding the city, a dark mass covered the plain.
Monsters.
Hundreds.
Perhaps thousands.
Creatures of many forms spread across the terrain before the walls. Some were twisted beasts, others skeletons or walking corpses, and among them moved larger creatures whose silhouettes alone were enough to make the soldiers on the walls step back.
The torches along the battlements illuminated only a small portion of the scene.
But even that fraction was enough.
The city guards stared at the army with pale faces.
Some murmured among themselves.
Others simply stood frozen.
"This…" Leon murmured.
His eyes moved across the horde without finding words.
"How…?"
A captain of the guard approached quickly.
"My lord, they appeared only minutes ago. We do not know how. They simply… were there."
The baron placed both hands on the stone wall.
His mind tried to process the magnitude of what lay before him.
The city of Muno did not possess an army capable of facing something like this.
Not even the castle walls would withstand a prolonged assault of that scale.
Leon lowered his head.
"This is impossible…"
Behind him, Satoru observed the scene in silence.
The wind moved his hair slightly as his eyes swept across the field.
First several serpentine heads appeared rising among the mass of monsters.
Then the gigantic body slowly rose above the army.
A Hydra.
Its wings spread with a heavy sound that made the night air tremble. The beating of those membranes lifted dust and dry grass as the creature ascended above the horde.
Some soldiers on the walls instinctively stepped back. One even dropped his spear onto the stone.
Upon the creature's back, a dark figure began to materialize.
The Hell Demon.
His true body observed the city from the sky.
A harsh laugh descended over the plain.
"Humans of Muno."
His voice carried easily across the field.
"I hope you enjoyed your brief moment of hope."
Several of the Hydra's heads writhed violently while the creature hovered above the horde.
"The small trick you destroyed in the castle was only a fraction of my power."
The demon slowly extended one of his tentacles toward the field stretching before the city.
"This is my true army."
The monsters began to roar.
The sound spread like a wave that struck the walls directly.
Several soldiers stepped back instinctively.
The baron stood completely still.
His eyes scanned the army in despair.
"No…" he murmured.
He knew what it meant.
There was no way to defend the city.
His soldiers were not enough.
Not even the full baronial guard could withstand a horde of that size.
His hands slowly clenched against the stone.
"What… are we supposed to do…?"
The question escaped his lips almost as a whisper.
For a moment no one answered.
Then Satoru's voice sounded behind him.
"I can handle this."
The baron turned his head abruptly.
Satoru watched him with the same calm he had maintained throughout the day.
"But there will be a condition."
Leon did not hesitate for a second.
"Anything."
His response was immediate.
"My name and my territory will answer for it."
His eyes reflected absolute desperation.
"Just… save the city."
Satoru held his gaze for a moment.
Then he looked away and turned his eyes back toward the field stretching beyond the walls.
The monster horde roared beneath the torchlight, stirring the darkness of the plain.
Yet Satoru's expression did not change.
****
Author's Note:
I wanted to include a quieter scene with Satoru and the girls in this chapter. Up to this point, I haven't shown them in many "family-like" moments, so it felt like a good opportunity to slow things down a little and show that side of their group.
This arc is also one of the most important ones when it comes to character development, especially for Satoru and the direction his story will take from here.
As for the seal… that topic will come later.
As always, thank you for reading.