Heroes.
The name of glory that was bestowed upon you by other people. What an enviable title it was.
Today's night was long as always.
As long as it was the night where Lucius was present, it'll be guaranteed to be a long night. But, as the master of darkness, Lucius unconsciously made the darkness persist longer than normal.
The shadows began to stir.
Strange hissing sounds resounded in the forest.
"YUKA! LORNA! RUN QUICKLY!"
Lucius ran out of the forest, screaming at the two, who were still bewildered from where they were!
'Run away? Why run away?'
Lorna has always been confident in Lucius's strength. Even if the demon attacked, Lucius should be able to…
"Look what I found...." There was an enchanting female voice came from the forest, "A group of lowly humans!"
A hurricane swept through the area, and in Lorna's eyes, a giant snake leaped from the forest.
'What the hell is that?'
The aura emanating from this giant snake made Lorna remember the feeling from that afternoon.
'Demon…'
"RUN!"
Lucius's panicked voice screamed at Lorna, telling him to scram. He did not hesitate any longer. Lorna pulled Yuka's hand and ran in the direction of the knight, seeking help.
Danger, that giant snake-type demon, exuded such an ominous aura, and Lorna could quickly understand that this creature was very dangerous!
When Lorna turned his head to looked at the demon again ...
The snake-like demon's sharp teeth bit into Lucius's hand and violently took Lucius up into the sky and disappeared into the forest!
'MASTER LUCIUS!'
The biggest insurance that he possessed had disappeared. Even without the demon, Lorna fell into an inexplicable fear because he didn't think he could survive without Lucius.
But not only this one demon….
Many pitch-black shadows were running toward the place where those civilians were stationed!
'If the demons attacked those civilians at such a time, a lot of people would definitely die.'
'The Knights are a little bit far away from here.'
Because Lorna intentionally picked a more isolated place to camp, he could only call for Lucius and Yuka. The reason Lorna chose this place was that he didn't want to share his food with strangers.
Now, he paid the price for his selfishness.
The group of knights was oblivious of the demons... because this group of demons acted like they were being directed by someone. Their movement was precise and swift. They were big in stature but without any sound at all!
'I have to inform someone. Otherwise, it will be bad!'
Lorna took Yuka's hand and ran towards the place where the civilians were stationed. But ...
"GROAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
Lorna was tossed to the ground by a sudden force. Then, as he shook his somewhat dizzy head and stood up, he saw a sight that made his heart sunk… A demon had appeared silently beside him, and he didn't even notice! And Yuka, who had grabbed his hand... fell into the demon's circle.
A wounded girl, with no weapon in hand, lying helplessly on the ground…
Any man would want to protect her, of course!
The demons, of course, saw her as delicious food. Several of them came around. Wanted to swallow her petite body in one bite!
"Yuka, wait, I'll come to your rescue!"
Could no longer stand idly by. Lorna drew his sword, charged in to save Yuka.
"Lorna, there's no time. Please leave me alone!"
Although she looked meek and shy on the outside, she was strong on the inside. Yuka pointed at the demons who were charging greedily towards the human quarters: "Hurry up and tell everyone that danger is coming!!!"
"But you ..."
Lorna's hand holding the sword trembled. He understood that if the demons managed to reach the settlement, that is likely to be tens of thousands of civilians becoming those demon's foods.
"It's okay. Yuka is strong! These little demons will be taken care of in a minute."
The young girl was still trying to be strong, but the wound on her abdomen and the wound on her knee couldn't convince Lorna at all.
'If I don't save her now, she would definitely die!'
'But, if I save Yuka, I couldn't inform the knights in time... more people will die!'
'What to do?'
'What should I do?'
'I was only trying to protect the civilians! Why do I have to pay this price and sacrifice Yuka? Is it possible?'
Even if they have only known each other for less than a day, but Lorna already held a feeling for her. —But her life alone seems insignificant compared to the lives of tens of thousands of people.
'No!'
'Is her life still insignificant compared to the lives of those tens of thousands of strangers?'
'I am righteous, and what I do is righteous! Fight against those demons and save more people.'
'But if the price of this justice is her life ...'
'No...I won't accept it!'
Lorna widened his eyes as he watched the demon walk closer to Yuka.
"LORNA!!! A HERO WILL NEVER HESITATE!"
Yuka also heard Lucius's words, and she understood what he was trying to say.
'A hero...a hero...'
Compassion, kindness, justice, these are things that can only be done at a price!
The price used to be cheap, which didn't bother him at all, so he was qualified to sacrifice other people and do so-called justice. But this time… the price of justice was something that Lorna couldn't pay!
Well, in this case! Can you still be a partner of justice?
For the sake of others! To give up what is most important to you, to have mercy on those people! To exercise your so-called justice?
That's impossible, isn't it? Absolutely not!
Humans are selfish. They have their own ego. The reason why they were good, the reason why they were called righteous, was because the price of that virtue was cheap, so they could do it without any remorse! —That's why Lucius hates this kind of people, very much so, with a high posture, easily sacrifice others, and then claiming to be righteous!
It was ridiculous.
"Choose!"
"You are going to pay a heavy price to carry your justice through."
"Or tear off your so-called good disguise and know your own weakness!"
A voice, in the darkness, resounded in Lorna's heart.
Of course, the badly wounded Yuka was no match for the dozen demons, her knee was pierced by the demon's tentacles, and she fell to the ground, at the mercy of the demons.
Even so, Yuka, who was covered in blood, still struggled ...
"Lord Lorna...protect everyone, kill all these ... bad guys..."
'Kill them all, the group of monsters that invaded our home.'
'Why should we go and help those strangers?'
This thought rose up in Lorna's mind, he was not a hero! He could never be a hero! And there was no need to be a hero.
'Now, just kill these demons and rescue Yuka, and she will not die.'
but…
Everyone will die, tens of thousands will die, those strangers who have nothing to do with him... There was a price to pay for so-called justice! A price that no one dares to bear, but ... if it were his father, if it were Uncle Coltrane here, in the same situation, the choice they would make ... that was...
Become a hero!
If they don't take up arms and fight back, everyone will die! Drive them out! Drive out these monsters that have invaded our homes!
Lorna, amid the city being trampled by the demons, understood the responsibility on his shoulders.
"I'll go ahead!"
Lorna threw the sword in his hand to Yuka. He gave this sword not because he wanted Yuka to fight this demon but to kill herself. Rather than dying in the hands of these gruesome creatures, perhaps Yuka would feel better by taking her own life.
After Lorna wiped down the tears in his eyes, he ran to the civilian quarters at the fastest speed in his life. But he had to get there first! If the demon succeeded in its sneak attack, everything would be over.
'I have to be faster!'
Tonight, he made a choice to become a partner of justice, to become a hero!
Once a young child, he had long since grown into a fine man.