In the middle of a newly created crater was an enormous man with a giant sword that kept him from falling over, as he was covered in many injuries.
Then there was another person in front of the enormous man. He had long spikey red and white hair, pale skin, a set of razor-sharp teeth, two pointy red horns, red eyes with pitch-black scleras, and a pair of red flesh-like wings.
It was a Demon.
The Demon spoke to the man.
"Hey, human, are you going to die like this?"
The Demon was smaller than the man in front of him, but they both knew that size didn't matter.
The Demon continued speaking.
"Weren't you supposed to be the strongest in this puny village? I gave you humans two years to prepare yourselves, and this is how you greet me?"
The enormous man then uttered something.
"...Prepare ourselves...? Don't suddenly talk bullshit...!"
The man lifted himself with his sword pointed at the Demon, ready to fight him. But it wasn't just him fighting against the Demon.
"So this is the punk that damaged our precious village?"
"How dare you come here uninvited!"
"A Demon, huh? This will be first."
Three men suddenly showed up and raised their weapons at the Demon.
Long sword, spear, and a giant axe.
"You're finally here."
Said the enormous man while also panting.
"How could we not when our village is being invaded?"
Said the one with the long sword.
"I guess we must work together, just like the old times."
The Demon gazed over the four calmly and smiled to applaud the group's fighting spirit.
"You humans are some interesting beings!"
The Demon then materialized, claws in both hands that were soaked with blood.
"Let us fight, humans!"
***
'What was that just now?!'
It was the afternoon I would receive a haircut in 2 years.
While doing my usual business of lying on the ground, I suddenly felt an amount of magic that far surpassed anything I had ever felt before.
'Was it a monster?'
I began to worry about it, not because it would endanger me, but could potentially endanger Alisa and Elien.
'I hope the both of them are okay.'
***
Back in the village, people ranging from children, adults, and the elderly were escaping from the back exit. Some had light injuries, while others had much more serious ones.
Everyone was trying to escape except for one.
Alisa kept running in the direction of where the explosion erupted from. She kept running until she eventually saw the enormous damage it did to the buildings that were closer to the explosion.
Then she heard the loud clashing of metal.
She quickly hid behind a what was still standing house and looked over it a bit to see what was making the sound, and sure enough, there was her enormous father fighting against one man. But it wasn't just her father, but three other warriors that she knew very well were fighting against this one man.
Her father swung his enormous sword that could destroy a single building with one swing, but that wasn't the case in this fight. The man blocked the attack with his claws and didn't even move a single bit to its impact.
The one who used the longsword slashed at the man's back, but the man was fast enough to catch the blade with his hand.
The one with the spear quickly thrust his weapon directly at the back of the man's head. Even then, it seemed like every blind spot had its own eyes as the man just tilted their head to the right to evade the attack.
The man looked back at the spearman with a grin.
"Ahhh!"
A shout was heard from the last person with the giant axe as he leaped into the air, ready to split the now-defenseless man in half. He slammed down on the man, using all his strength and speed.
And once again, it was in vain.
The man had stopped the axe from using his mouth.
The razor-sharp teeth were denting the blade of the axe.
"Is this really all you could do?"
"Get back!!"
All four men distance themselves away from the man.
"Haha! You humans sure work together very well! But how long can you go before you tire yourselves out?!"
Alisa then realized what they were fighting against and broke into a cold sweat. Many children had nightmares because of it. It was a being that nobody should ever come across. It was of the worst species in the world.
"Hmm? I sense someone else. Hey, why don't you come out?"
The Demon switched his gaze to a ruined building and met eyes with the person hiding behind it.
The moment their eyes met, Alisa's entire body was filled with fear. She quickly hid entirely, but even that couldn't stop the stare of the Demon. She could feel the gaze through the walls. It became harder to breathe and move.
"Not going to, huh? Very well. I guess I'll have to do it myself."
The Demon then pointed at the house that Alisa was hiding in, and at the tip of his finger, he condensed a small orb of red magic.
The four men took notice and rushed at the Demon.
"Don't let him release that!"
"Whoever is out there, run away!"
Alisa heard the words of the men and ran out of the house and was greeted by her father's stare.
"Alisa?"
"So it was just a human girl. Well, since I have already made this special present for her, I can't waste it."
The Demon smiled sinisterly and was about to release the magic at the tip of his fingers at the running Alisa.
"Alisa!!"
Alisa's father then rushed over to Alisa and quickly caught up to her just in time to shield her from the powerful red beam of magic that followed.
He used his enormous sword and body to shield Alisa from the magic beam.
The powerful and painful magic beam lasted for a couple of seconds until it finally died.
"...Alisa... are you... okay?"
"Yes, I-"
Alisa looked up at her father and saw a massive hole where his back should've been.
With a smile at his daughter, the man said, "That's good..."
Before collapsing to the ground.
"Father!!"
Alisa rushed to her father and tried to help, but she didn't know what to do.
He lost a massive amount of blood every second and was non-responsive.
Alisa thought to herself.
'I did this... I did this to father...'
Tears flowed out of her eyes.
"Is he dead? What a disappointment."
Alisa could hear those words come out of the mouth of the Demon and looked at him with a scary glare while tears continued to flow down her cheeks.
Alisa felt an insane amount of hatred that she had never felt before. Hostility towards the one that hurt her father, her home, and herself.
A hatred that could kill someone, and that someone was right there.
But she also knew even with her hatred; she could never do it. Not that she wouldn't do it, but because she didn't have the ability to.
Perhaps that hatred to kill something she couldn't led her to an unexpected fate.
'Huh?'
Something in the air suddenly popped up in front of Alisa with the following words.
[A particular Demon wants to bestow their blessing to you.]
***
Currently, I am watching Alisa from a big screen because of my skill -Avatar-.
In short, this skill allows me to watch another living being in a third-person POV, almost like a movie. Four options were also included.
[1. Give your blessing to the incarnation -Alisa-.]
[2. Continue to watch the incarnation -Alisa-.]
[3. Send the incarnation -Alisa- a message.]
[4. Return to world map.]
This all started when Elien suddenly showed up alone with tears in her eyes and explained the situation to me.
But the most surprising thing was that Elien, who had no interaction with the system, was able to watch the big screen that had Alisa displayed on it and the four options.
She questioned it at first, and I answered it was one of my powers, and she accepted it.
We both watched Alisa from where I was.
The sad Alisa then spoke.
-A particular Demon wants to give me a blessing...? Do you mean a Demon King wants to bless me?
'Demon King?'
Alisa then frowned at the message.
-Do you think I would accept that?
I was about to say something, but then I heard the gasp of the person behind me.
I turned around and saw Elien with wide eyes.
"D-Demon? Blessing from a Demon?"
She then turned her gaze over to me.
Since she could see the four options, she naturally knew what the first option said, and she knew I had picked that option.
She was very smart.
In a slightly tense voice, Elien asked me. "Allos... are you by chance... the Demon she is talking about?"
My heart sank at the question.
Would my relationship with both of them end here? Would she run away from me if I told her the truth? Would she even let me help our friend out if she knew?
Many thoughts flew into my head, and I ultimately concluded that I would no longer lie.
"I'm sorry... I am that Demon..."
I couldn't even look at her when I said it.
Besides the noise from the screen, silence was between us.
Was she disappointed? Afraid? Does she even think of me as a friend anymore?
Then I heard her coming in closer.
I returned my gaze to her; she was at least five inches away from me.
Her face didn't show fear or disappointment; instead, it was a face that didn't carry any of those emotions and only showed a face that looked like she had finally found the answer to everything with a smile.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Did you think I would be scared of you?"
I couldn't help but nod.
"Then, were those two years we spent together not enough for you to believe in us?"
"What? That's not what I think."
"I was kidding."
I didn't know what to say. She didn't react like I thought she would. But in the end, I was happy that it turned out that way. Maybe she had a profound disappointment, but that didn't matter.
"It seems that Alisa won't accept her friend's blessing. Hey, do you mind if I use this thing?"
I signaled to her that she could.
I saw her choose the third option and sent a message to Alisa.
[A particular Demon says that you will certainly die if you don't accept the blessing.]
I was stunned at the message that Elien sent to Alisa.
-I will die? I would rather die than accept help from a Demon.
Even so, Alisa didn't budge.
Elien then shouted. "What do you mean you'd rather die?!"
It looked like that Alisa would not accept the blessing.
Until I thought of something that might change her mind.
I chose the third option again and sent another message.
-Ding!
-Again? I told you I wouldn't-
[A particular Demon says that if you don't accept the blessing, you won't be able to cut their hair.]
-Cut... hair...?
I sent another message.
[A particular Demon says that if you don't accept the blessing, the promise to roam the world together will break.]
-Promise...
Alisa then began to realize who this Demon was that kept bothering her with weird messages and looked up to the sky.
-...Allos?
[A particular Demon agrees with you.]
-Ha... so you were a Demon.
Would she have a different reaction? Or the same as Elien?
Fortunately, it was the latter.
-...You really are a strange person.
Her expression was the same as Elien's.
-From being a mysterious boy in the middle of the forest to being a powerful person, then becoming friends with me and another. And now to being a Demon.
Alisa had a smile on her face.
-I guess I made the right choice to go as far as I did back then.
She then looked at the latest message and said two words.
-I accept.
[Target has agreed to your blessing!]
[Congratulation! You have gained a -Avatar-!]
[Would you like to see the new features?]
Just when I was about to say yes.
The scenery around me and Elien changed, or to be more specific, the barrier that had kept me from going out in the world was now turning a bright blue.
Then a crack manifested on the barrier.
I spotted the crack and saw it spread all over the barrier, and it looked as if one touch was enough to break it.
I walked over to the barrier, which was precisely what I did.
The entire barrier had shattered with a single touch, and my finger was now beyond it.
I couldn't describe what I was feeling at that moment.
I knew I had to celebrate this, but there was something more important now.
"Elien, let's go."
***
Back at the front entrance of the village, the three other men were on the ground, suffering from deep wounds.
"You humans are more disappointing than that lump of meat."
The Demon glanced at where Alisa's father had collapsed and saw Alisa seemingly looking at something in front of her and muttering something.
The Demon could translate the words and heard 'I accept'.
'I accept?'
Curious about the words, the Demon, like a gust of wind, instantly was standing over Alisa or, more specifically, over Alisa while on top of her father. He smiled down at her and spoke to her.
"Hey. What did you accept just now?"
Alisa lifted her head to the Demon, but she no longer had eyes filled with fear. Instead, it was eyes that held hatred and a desire to kill.
The Demon didn't feel threatened by the glare and smiled much wider.
"You have some very nice eyes. Now that I look at you, you're quite pretty."
He proceeded to grab Alisa's chin.
"Hey. Why don't you come back with me? I'll be sure to take great care of you~."
At first glance, it would seem like Alisa was surprised at the sudden offer, but her eyes told a different story.
[A particular Demon is asking you to duck down.]
But due to the strong fingers of the Demon, she couldn't do what the message said to do.
Then a voice was heard.
"Hey..."
Suddenly a leg entered Alisa's vision and kicked the Demon in front of her.
"...stay away from my friend."
The Demon was flung away from Alisa, and since he had taken to the kick head-on in the face, black blood streamed down from his broken nose and mouth due to broken sharp teeth.
"Argh!! Who dares to kick me??!"
Alisa looked up at the figure above her, and for a second, she thought she was dreaming, but sure enough, it was real.
"A-Allos...?"
"Alisa, are you alright?!"
Then another one showed up beside her. Someone who she knew very well.
"Elien?"
"Yes, it's me. Are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah. But..."
Alisa looked down at the person in front of her. And so did Elien.
Elien face distorted at the sight.
"Don't worry. He's still alive."
[-Holy Heal- has been activated!]
[Target has lost too much blood!]
[More magic will be required to heal fully.]
[Would you still like to proceed?]
"Yes."
A thin gold aura enveloped the man with a giant hole in his chest, and that one chest began to heal itself.
Once the chest healed, the gold aura disappeared, and I tried to look over at Alisa and Elien, but a jumping Alisa, who had wrapped her arms around me, blocked my view, presumably hugging me.
"Thank you... Thank you... Thank you..."
She repeatedly thanked me with tears being absorbed by my shirt.
I, too, hugged her back.
And suddenly, the surrounding area was dyed red as a massive beam of red magic was heading toward us and eventually reached us.
The red beam caused much more extensive damage than the previous one. It also lasted much longer. Once it was over, dust and debris filled the air.
The source of the magic beam spoke in an irritated voice.
"A mere human dares to kick me without notice!! You thought you could suddenly come in here and place your filthy foot-!"
The Demon stopped talking once the dust and debris cleared and saw something shocking.
The four people that it tried to kill were perfectly fine.
'Are you shocked? I bet you are.'
I knew that the beam of magic was coming when I sensed it produced magic in the palm of its hand.
Fortunately, I had a skill that would protect those around me.
[-Advance Magic Barrier- has been activated!]
A blue barrier surrounded all four of us as the beam came into contact. Of course, if the magic beam head-on hit me, it wouldn't have done anything to me.
I could only think that once I saw the status of this Demon.
[Regla V Uiesl Age: 116 Sex: Male
Blessing: Demon King of Dread
-Strength Lv.40
-Stamina Lv.55
-Magic Power Lv.61
-Agility Lv.46
-Endurance Lv.58
-Dexterity Lv.15
Special Skills: -Blood Reinforcement Lv.18-, -Red Demonic Cannon Lv.15-, -Demonic Barrier Lv.2-, -Acceleration Lv.6-, -Flame Will Lv.5-, -Blood Heal Lv.2-
Elements: Fire, Blood, Demonic
Current Power Level: 7650
Potential Power Level: 35029]
I spoke to Alisa.
"Hey... how do you want me to kill him?"
Chapter 4: Worst Species-Pt.1(End)