Chapter 85

"───'Demon Clan' extermination, huh."

In the midst of the mages, Oken, who had mastered the technique known as "Dual Incantation" through his own rigorous training and was known by the nickname "Dual Mage," had his exceptional skills widely recognized. It was only when he had already reached middle age that the request for "Demon Clan Extermination" came to him.

For decades, Oken had been training alone deep in the mountains and had no knowledge of the "Demon Clan," a race that had suddenly become active in recent years. They had begun their activities on the continent over a decade ago, using mysterious powers to control monsters at will and slaughter people, making them an "enemy race."

Oken, who had been an adventurer, had never heard of such a race during his active years. They had built an immense force in a short period, said to surpass the military strength of many countries. In fact, many major cities had already been destroyed by them.

They were strong.

Not only did they command numerous powerful monsters like "Dragonkind" and "Demon Beasts," but they were also cunning. They would appear without warning in various parts of the continent and attack towns. The military forces of the countries were far from enough to combat the "Demon Clan," and the extermination request had been sent to adventure guilds across the continent. However, almost no adventurer who accepted the request returned alive. The only exceptions were those who fled in fear before the battle even began.

───They were not an opponent that humans could face.

A man who witnessed the annihilation of a large-scale combat team of over five hundred veteran adventurers in an instant reported the failure of the request in fear. Hearing this rumor, Oken became interested in the "Demon Clan."

"……If that's the case, they might be just the right opponent for me."

Oken, who had descended from the mountains and started taking on requests as an adventurer again, had already placed his sole purpose in life on the pursuit of magic. If his magic could be deepened, other things didn't matter much to him. He was not afraid to go to dangerous places and risk his life. If he were to die due to his own lack of strength, it would be fine. ––After all, that was where his death was meant to be. Thinking this way, he continued to take on numerous dangerous requests. As he began to handle several dangerous "Gold-Class" requests alone, he found them unsatisfying.

───They were just the right opponents to test his current skills.

Thus, Oken accepted the "Demon Clan Extermination" request, which was recommended for large-scale group undertakings, and headed to the battlefield where the demons were attacking people.

◇

When Oken reached the intended plain, it was teeming with a horde of monsters that seemed to fill the vast expanse.

It was an abnormal sight.

Even in dungeons, such a gathering of monsters was impossible.

───There was no doubt that the "Demon Clan" was here.

Oken, having confirmed this, plunged straight into the vast army of monsters, which numbered in the thousands.

Thus, the battle of one against thousands began.

First, Oken used his signature massive lightning strike to slaughter dozens of monsters, and this served as a signal for the monsters to surge towards him en masse.

However, Oken, using "Dual Incantation" to continuously unleash countless powerful offensive and support spells, handled the avalanche of monsters with ease. The vast plain echoed with the deafening sounds of thunder, flames, and ice, as the monsters were systematically exterminated. Oken, alone, overwhelmed the monstrous army that would have filled anyone with despair.

However, Oken remained calm.

While paying attention to the fact that his target had not yet shown itself, he continued to burn the horde of monsters. When the number of monsters he had exterminated with magic exceeded a thousand, the "Demon Clan" who controlled them finally appeared, and Oken's face broke into a slight smile.

───Finally, I've met you.

Oken strained his eyes to see the face of the rumored "Demon Clan." However, what he saw was unexpected.

There was no doubt that the ones who appeared, riding on giant monsters, were the "Demon Clan." Yet, despite seeing them for the first time, Oken felt a sense of familiarity. Their distinctive light blue hair and pale skin were identical to those of a man he had traveled with for a long time.

"No, that's not possible──"

───No, that can't be.

Oken quickly dismissed the thought.

They resembled the people he had spent time with in the village where he was guided by the man. But, they were different.

They were gentle and kind, and could never do such violent things. Moreover, the people he had met in the past did not have such twisted, hateful expressions.

Still, feeling a sense of familiarity, Oken used magic to systematically exterminate the threats that came at him.

They were strong.

Some rode on giant dragons, breathing fire at Oken, while others controlled swift packs of demon beasts.

However, even the large dragon "Fire Dragon" and the pack of "Black Wolves" that could conquer the plain were no match for Oken, who wielded "Dual Incantation." Oken unleashed his full power with magic as long as his mana lasted, defeating his opponents one after another. It seemed that he could win by overwhelming them.

───But, that was only for a moment.

The Demon Clan's army was much more calm and cunning than he had expected.

Understanding that Oken was fighting alone, they gradually pulled back their main forces and began to attack in small waves, not giving Oken a moment's rest to wear him down. When his prepared magic potions ran out and he showed signs of fatigue, they launched a full-scale assault.

The Demon Clan's army controlled an army of monsters far beyond what Oken had imagined.

The thousands of monsters he had defeated were only a small part of their forces.

Thus, Oken, who had seemed to have the upper hand against the large army, was surrounded and, running out of mana, fell to his knees.

───So, this is where it ends.

Oken, who had no more options, laughed bitterly.

For the past few decades, he had pursued only strength.

He was too weak.

Because he was weak, he had lost everything back then.

He thought he had become a little stronger since then.

But, he realized that there were still limits, even with great power.

No matter how strong he was, there were limits when he was alone.

Back then, he was weak, but he had friends, and that's how he managed.

───Friends, huh?

Oken laughed bitterly again.

There was no one he could call a friend anymore.

No one would mourn his absence if he were gone.

So, he could end it here.

……This was a fitting place for him to die.

Thus, Oken, prepared to die, waited for the monsters surrounding him to tear him apart.

"───Hold it. Stay where you are."

At that moment, a familiar voice came from deep within the horde of monsters. The demons and monsters surrounding Oken immediately stopped their attacks.

"……Oken, why are you here?"

A path opened through the horde of monsters, and a man appeared from the back. He was a man with a large black dragon, covered in wounds.

Oken didn't recognize the man who called his name at first.

He was certain it was him the moment he heard the voice, but when he saw the face up close, he couldn't help but doubt it.

Was this really the person he had imagined from the voice?

But──Oken couldn't have mistaken him.

"───Roy. Is that you?"

He said it out loud, but he was still doubtful.

The man's aura had changed so much.

The deep wrinkles on his face, etched with hatred, made him look like a different person.

But, it was indeed Oken's former companion, Roy.

"Roy, why are you here……?"

Confusion outweighed nostalgia.

He was supposed to be here to exterminate the "Demon Clan."

But if Roy was here──

"……That's what I should ask. Oken, why are you here……? Now, what could you possibly want? No……I see, it's the 'extermination' request, isn't it?"

"……Yes. I came here on the 'Demon Clan Extermination' request from the adventure guild. But, why, Roy……why are you here……?"

"───You should understand. We are the 'Demon Clan.'"

Given the situation, there was no other way to interpret it.

But, Oken didn't want to accept it.

He couldn't understand and didn't want to believe it.

That man, who couldn't even kill a bug, could not be the one who had been slaughtering people across the continent, the "Demon Clan."

Looking at Roy's face, twisted in agony, Oken asked the question that came to his mind.

"……Hey, what happened, Roy? You weren't the type to make such a face. What happened? And, you being a demon……what does that mean……?"

Roy remained silent for a while.

The sound of the wind blowing across the plain filled the air, and then Roy spoke quietly.

"……Astilla. She was alive."

"Astilla……? Is that true? But, why──?"

"She came to our village. And the red stone was taken away."

"……Red stone? What is that?"

Roy didn't answer Oken's question but suddenly spoke in a voice that seemed to come from the depths of the earth.

"───Then, the children were taken. The women were abducted."

It was a voice that cursed everything.

It sounded both angry and choked with sobs.

Oken, confused by Roy's appearance, watched as he continued to speak as if cursing someone.

"───Next, the men were killed.

The elders were killed.

……And so, our village was destroyed.

She came and destroyed our village, which was so peaceful and beautiful."

Roy's eyes were dim, no longer reflecting Oken's image.

It was the appearance of someone who harbored a strong hatred, something Oken had never seen before.

Oken couldn't believe that this was his former companion, Roy.

The Roy he knew was a completely different person.

"Wait, that doesn't make sense……Why would she do such a thing?

No, I know you're not the type to lie──is this really true?"

To the confused Oken, Roy continued to recount what had happened to him.

"……I thought the same.

I never thought she would do such a thing.

I wanted to believe it.

And I did believe it.

This is the result.

She has changed.

That's not the Astilla we knew."

"……Roy, what do you mean……?"

"───And I am no longer the Roy you knew."

In front of Oken, who could only be confused, Roy raised his hand as if signaling something to the surrounding "Demon Clan." The hundreds of monsters surrounding Oken moved to open a path.

"……Go back, Oken.

You are no longer my companion.

So, don't get involved.

……This is our problem.

───Let's go."

As Roy whispered, the large army of monsters, led by the giant black dragon, began to move, creating a loud rumbling sound.

"……Roy"

Oken couldn't stop him anymore.

He could only watch in a daze as his former friend, controlling the giant black dragon, was swallowed by the vast horde of monsters that filled the plain.

◇

Astilla was alive.

To verify the truth of what he had heard from Roy, Oken gathered information with great effort. He heard about a half-elf who had conquered the "Lamenting Labyrinth" alone and founded a country, and he headed to the capital, "Mysra," of that country.

The capital of the country, named "Holy Mysra," had a large cathedral at its center, and it was said that "Pope Astilla" was inside.

Forcing his way through the heavily guarded gates of the cathedral, Oken declared himself as a friend of Astilla and requested to meet her. His forceful plea was accepted, and he was quickly led to a room adorned with glittering jewels. It was said to be the room of "Pope Astilla."

"───What is this room……?"

Oken frowned at the room, which was completely opposite to the taste of the Astilla he knew. Then, a woman appeared.

It was the face of a woman he knew well.

"Oken. It's been a long time. I've missed you."

It was indeed Astilla.

A dear companion he thought had died long ago.

It should have been a very nostalgic face.

"Astilla. I talked to Roy. Is it true what he said about your village?"

But the words that came out of Oken's mouth were not those of joy at the reunion, but questions to her.

"───Roy? Who is that……oh, you mean the leader of the demons. I'm having a hard time with him now. We need to exterminate him as soon as possible."

The words that came out of her mouth were colder than Oken could have ever imagined.

Oken immediately asked his question.

"Hey……who are you? Are you really that Astilla?"

Her appearance was exactly the same as the Astilla in Oken's memory.

There was not even a slight difference; she had not changed at all.

But, Oken could not feel the gentle aura of the Astilla he knew.

What was going on, Oken wondered.

"That's strange, my appearance hasn't changed.

Have you forgotten this face? I am truly Astilla. Look──see for yourself."

Astilla approached Oken, showing her face, and smiled.

Indeed, it was the face of the Astilla from Oken's past memories.

Just seeing her face made tears well up in Oken's eyes.

But──Oken turned away