Chapter 24

The school grounds were home to a large forest.

A forest where precious medicinal herbs grew, and the very reason the school was built here in the first place. Although dangerous monsters had long since been eliminated, the forest's depths remained a natural sanctuary untouched by human light.

There was a figure in the forest.

In an open area, a massive blue-white magic circle was drawn, and the figure stood atop it, concentrating.

Black skin illuminated by moonlight.

A head with curled horns.

A form that was far from human.

In a previous life, it might have been mistaken for a demon.

"――In the mysterious night, under the moonlit field, if one encounters another, it is not a human, and the heart feels pure."

The figure turned at the sound of the voice.

I smiled at the black demon.

"This is a poem my master once recited. I hated my master, but I liked this poem. It means that if you meet someone on a night when the moon is mysteriously beautiful, even if that someone is not a human, but an enemy, you still feel good... It fits my mood right now."

I continued, directing a menacing gaze at the demon.

"My master was ill in his later years. 'Not a human' also refers to himself. Even if he had lost his human heart, the emotion to find the moon beautiful remained... That's another meaning. What about you? Even though you are not a human, do you feel the beauty of tonight's moon?"

"What are you?"

Finally, a voice like the rumble of the earth replied.

A face that resembled a black goat and a human.

I had only read about it in books, but this was a demon... more specifically, a devil.

His mouth twisted.

"Why is a human child here? Could you have sniffed out this place? If so... you are foolish. To challenge me alone."

"Just wanted to play a bit. My body was getting stiff."

"...Impatient, aren't you? Pitiful, short-lived humans."

I asked the demon, who seemed to be interpreting things conveniently.

"If you're so confident, why don't you tell me? I won't run. What are you looking for? I've been watching, through the eyes of that Lesser Demon."

"Hmm."

The demon's eyes widened slightly.

"Did you notice? But it's a foolish question. There can only be one thing."

"Then what is it?"

"...Do you not understand? A hero. It must be."

"A hero?"

I tilted my head.

I had read about it in the books of this world...

"That legendary one?"

"Yes."

"Why would you want something like that?"

"It's obvious, isn't it! The hero of the human side has appeared, yet our demon side's hero, the Demon King, has not yet been born... So I came to crush him before he gains power."

"Hmm. Just to confirm, you mean the hero from... fairy tales?"

"Fairy tales?"

After a moment of silence, the demon burst into laughter.

"This is ridiculous! How foolish, humans! To think that the legendary battle is just a fairy tale. It seems that the people have forgotten, and the art of prophecy that once foretold the birth of the hero and the Demon King has been lost. Even though the peace has continued, it's surprising how far humans have fallen."

"Ah, I kind of get it, but not really..."

In short, there are these great beings called the hero and the Demon King, who reincarnate periodically, but the long intervals have made them fairy tale figures to humans, while the long-lived demons have kept the tradition alive...

"But are the hero and the Demon King real? Not just your delusion?"

"Ridiculous. The revelation twelve years ago cannot be false. And tonight, I saw it clearly in that mansion. The hero foretold in the revelation—a woman with red hair, wielding extraordinary power."

"Red hair?"

Could it be...

"Ah, Ami? She's indeed incredibly strong. Hmm, a hero..."

"Ami, you say. I've saved myself the trouble of investigating."

"You're welcome. But..."

I smiled at the demon.

"I'm going to kill you here."

"...Hmm, is the conversation over? Then let's finish quickly. ——Come forth, my minions."

From the smaller magic circle embedded within the large one, three demons appeared.

They looked a bit strong.

Smaller than the ones in the auditorium, but their power flow was much greater.

Especially the one in the back with red patterns on its body.

"These are not Lesser Demons. They are elite among my subordinates, capable of fighting armies alone. Unfortunately—"

"Got it."

《Fire-Earth Phase —— Will-o'-the-wisp Technique》

A huge blue fireball hit the demon on the left.

The core of the exploded 《Will-o'-the-wisp》 had gouged a large hole in the demon's chest.

Using the collapse of the left demon as a distraction, a human-shaped talisman quietly attached itself to the right demon.

I made a seal with one hand.

《Sun Phase —— Fruit-Falling Technique》

Instantly, the right demon was crushed.

Its body turned into mud due to the thousandfold increase in its own weight, and the ground sank.

"We don't need the weak ones."

Without even glancing at the two demons I had defeated in an instant.

The red-patterned demon charged at me.

Its claws approached.

"I'll keep this one."

The last demon stopped moving.

Its claws remained poised in the air, motionless.

Surrounding it were five human-shaped talismans.

A pentagram array, with the talismans at its vertices, sealed the demon's movements.

I floated a talisman to serve as a door.

I made a seal and chanted a mantra.

"——ॐ दश सप्त षोडश त्रीणि अष्ट एकम् निक्षेप सकल स्वाहा"

《Guardian —— Demon Sealing Phase Shift》

The space distorted, and light leaked out.

The last demon was quickly sucked into the talisman serving as the door.

The surroundings had quietly returned to a quiet forest, with only the embers of phosphorus burning and the unpleasant odor of mud.

"You... What did you just do?"

"Hmm? I took it. I didn't really need it, but just in case."

"...Is this a transfer magic? I don't know where you sent it, but to control dark magic and seal my minions... You have some skill."

The demon, who seemed to be interpreting things conveniently, glared at me.

"Very well. Then—be proud. To die by the hand of this demon, Gareos."

"Gareos, you say. The earth around him rose."

Black-silver swords sprouted from the clumps of earth.

"I am the demon of metal, ruling over earth and fire. Don't think the same trick will work on me as it did on my minions."

The blades floated and pointed at me.

The material seemed to be iron.

They were indeed stronger than the demons.

I couldn't tell because I defeated them too quickly.

"The same trick won't work?"

I tried a few 《Will-o'-the