"All mercenaries! Help in the evacuation measures!!"
"Knights and Guards, ignore the demons and help the people!"
The streets of the third district were filled with screams of fear and terror as people rushed to and away from the guards and mercenaries. One mercenary putting out the orders gathered a bunch of newcomers and made them all help with the moving of people.
The group of seven mercenaries guided dozens of servants and nobles out of the district, their bodies tense. Only the one sending out the orders, the senior most in this group of newbies, understood the reason why everyone screamed so.
They passed through a row of buildings used by the nobles when ram-headed demons dropped from the sky.
Ominous energy seeped out of the demons as they looked at the humans and cackled.
"Damn it! Captain, we'll take them on! You proceed with the evacuation!" A burly mercenary unsheathed his sword and screamed. Being people of war, they and the knights were much better accustomed to guiding the people safely as compared to adventurers.
This was just a part of their job.
The demons cackled.
"Quack! Quaack!"
"Quack!"
The burly mercenary and two of his friends raised their arms and took a stance while the people they guided cowered.
"NO! All of us will focus on the evacuation! Ignore them and move! Now!"
Unfortunately for the newcomer, the reason his captain had insisted on helping with the people wasn't that they were better at it as compared to the adventurers.
"But captain—"
Before the mercenary could finish speaking, a bunch of sharp needles fell from the skies and lodged themselves into the heads of the demons.
The mercenary was left with an open jaw as he noticed the demons falling to their death.
"KAHAKAHAK! Let's go, Zachariah!" From the top of the buildings, a half-human-half-weapon hybrid ran over the top of the buildings like a crazed maniac. His hair had turned into needles, his hands a mace and a shield while guns stretched out of his stomach.
Behind that man, another person was running around, while half asleep. Every time he swung his sword, lightning struck down on the tow, and every time he flicked his hair, his eyes fell further and further into their slumber.
The duo dashed around the place while killing down every single demon that came their way. As the people moved around, they could see adventurers throwing each other into the skies to catch the falling demons. Some swung entire trees at the demons while others crushed them underneath a falling building.
"W-what....?"
Everyone trying to escape resonated with those words that left someone. They all shared the same sentiment.
The senior-most mercenary shook his head and sighed.
"Before we get caught up, just move."
***
Similar sights unfolded everywhere they went.
No, such sights were visible all over the city.
In the second district, around the estate of the Acacia duchy.
"QUACK!! QWUACK!!"
The demons screamed, in fear. Behind them, covered in a cloak, a young girl was running at max speed while swinging her staff around.
"Hocus pocus! Turn into a frogus!"
"QUACK?"
"Croack!"
The octopi demons all became tiny frogs, ready to be eaten up by the laughing girl.
In the distance, a few of the stronger members of the demons' legions were being faced by the other Adamantium-ranked adventurers.
"Tempo!" One screamed. "I'll bet 50 gold that you can't kill 50 of them in one second."
"HAHAHA! IDIOT!" Tempo screamed back. With the click of his blade, a dome of blue swallowed their surroundings and everything, everyone slowed down.
Temporal sword rushed around in the slowed time state and unleashed his Ki all over the place. One step above Intent Ki, he didn't think there was a need to use anything beyond Spiritual Ki.
By the time one second could pass in the slowed space, over a hundred heads were rolling about.
The dome disappeared and the other adventurers expressed their dissatisfaction.
"Bitch! That was my prey!" one screamed.
"Shut up, I'll give you one or two of the gold coins, alright?"
"Ok, deal."
Some gambled, and others filled their sadistic desires.
Some laughed in blood, while some normal ones even tried to act as heroes in front of the people.
Regardless of what they did, one thing remained constant no matter where one looked.
The adventurers all had a smile on their faces.
A wide, bright, blooming smile.
The laws of the continent, agreed upon in an international treatise made over a hundred years ago.
'In the incident of a demonic invasion, no one shall be held responsible for any damages incurred in the suppression of the demons.'
The mercenary knew well, just as well as his seniors and the knights of the place did.
The problem was never the disgusting demons.
The real problem in a demonic invasion.
Were the Adventurers.
The. Crazy. Wild. Adventurers.
***
Over at the center of the entire incident.
Just as the Lady and Eugene fell through the magic circle and Akilith followed, the two toppled over to the ground of the secret room of the Castle. At the same time, Akilith passed his hand through and the first thing he did was to send all the demons he could over to the Empire's capital.
The demon creeped out of the gate and entered the realm of the mortals. A chuckle left Akilith as his eyes fell on the two desperate humans on the ground.
The lady turned around while supporting Eugene. No one else was in this room, just as she had expected.
In Earth's time, barely half an hour must have passed in the time she took to find her knight, but the ones here must have already forgotten all about her in that time.
A chuckle left Akilith. He glared at the injured Eugene and smiled.
"That boy!" he screamed. The lady pulled the limp Eugene tighter in her grasp as the demon peered at them. "Quite terrifying. If he had been like what he was before, we all wouldn't have been able to stand against him."
The lady trembled. She pulled Eugene even closer, as if telling the demon that he will only get her knight over her dead body.
"What's his name? Maybe something cool. I think since he's going to die by my hands, I can give him a cool name."
Akilith stepped closer.
The lady scurried back. At the same time, the doors to hell flickered and more demons started making their way in. Half of the commanders had been sent away by Akilith, while the remaining half all gathered here.
Akilith leaned even closer. Demonic energy filled his fists.
"Hm, how about... Nightbringer? Since this kid is bringing the night of demons over your realm? Kahahah!"
The demon raised his hands.
The lady lowered her gaze.
"NOW!"
Terrifying energy swirled into the demon's palm. Space was being curved over to his will at the sheer force that his fist held. Just a single move, and not just the castle, but maybe the entirety of the first district could go down.
The demon swung his fists.
Then, he noticed.
A soft smile suddenly appeared on the faces of the lady and the dying boy.
The demon's hands stopped mid-air.
They were made to stop mid-air.
Akilith turned his gaze to the front. Standing there, with hair that resembled a gentle field of flowers and a smile that made one thing of a breeze swaying through them, was an adventurer that no one in the mortal realm didn't know of.
"Y-you..." Akilith flinched.
Some beings in this world became so strong, that the concept of realms did not exist for them. Word of their strength would go far and beyond and reach even the ears of the demons of hell.
And this was one word that the demons all knew.
The other commanders of the legions that had come inside all took a step back.
That adventurer ignored Akilith and looked at the two on the ground.
"Lady of Acacia, and my dear friend."
His voice was colder than it had been in a long while.
As the adventurer looked at Eugene, his eyes narrowed further down.
"Who did this—"
"KAISERRR!!!" Akilith screamed. Demonic energy that covered the entire capital swept out of the demon as he revealed his true form.
Unfazed, the adventurer turned his gaze to the side.
As if all the bravado had been a dream, Akilith froze in his spot. His energy disappeared, and all the demons behind him started trembling in their boots.
"I am talking here," Kaiser spoke as if asking of the weather.
The demons froze in their spots.
"Sorry, Lady Acacia, I should handle this first." Kaiser showed her a warm smile and turned to the demons.
The demons all took a step back.
"Ophelia, open four gates."
"Hey, are you crazy? Just opening them would blow away the entire capital."
Kaiser frowned. It seemed he couldn't open the seals that suppressed 90% of his strength.
The adventurer then turned to the demons.
"Well, I'll be fine like this too."
The Living God of Adventurers. The strongest adventurer in history.
That personage took a step ahead.
The demons all backed away.
Kaiser pulled his fists back and glared at Akilith.
"Ah... AHH!! KAISER!!—"
The demon's words couldn't finish.
Kaiser's fist blew out and landed straight into the stomach of the demon. His hand, aimed directly toward the gates of hell still open, sped out as the brunt of his strike went into hell.
***
From the gates of hell in the ruins of Balam's castle, a strange force swept out.
Before anyone could as much as blink.
The ground was gouged out.
And formed a cliff.
A cliff spanning the length of Balam's kingdom.
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