Although Arthur was basically drooling over the rewards like an idiot, he also knew that this wasn't going to be a simple matter. No, far from that, this was going to be damn near impossible!
Killing 1 demon already took a huge effort from him, killing 250 was just complete insanity. He didn't even know how he would be able to handle 1 demon in this goddamn stampede that was approaching them at fast speeds. Unless, of course, these demons were far weaker than the one wolf he killed.
'Shit… How am I supposed to do this?' Again, he started panicking again.
However, Arthur wasn't the only one to panic at that moment. The rest of the hero's party was also visibly fearful. Well, everyone except Boriat who suddenly pulled his axe out and smashed it on the ground. He had a rather angry expression on his face that was only hidden by the fact that he wore a helmet on his head.
"Why are you all sacred, huh?! We already expected to face this number of demons! If you're going to give up because of a few of these nasty bastards, then how are we going to get back home, huh?!" His voice was loud as it thundered in the whole place. Everyone looked at Boriat with surprise.
"What are we going to do, Mino? There aren't many choices left: Either fight or escape like cowards!"
His words resonated deeply with everyone. Their faces turned from fear to shame as they realized how weak-willed they were. Weren't they the hero's party? Weren't they the ones to kill the demon king? Why are they fearing the end of this epic journey? Freedom is but an arm away from their grasp!
With that, it didn't take long for the dying strength in their eyes to reignite again, with even more vigor.
"You're right, Boriat… I'm sorry for losing my composure for a second." Mino replied with a nod as he sighed.
"You're the hero, Mino! Hahahaha, you're the one supposed to lead us to victory! So go ahead and do it, as you always do!"
With a rough tap on his shoulder, Boriat laughed loudly. Mino also smiled before he turned around and said.
"You heard Boriat, guys! We aren't here to accept losing! This is but the end! The last push! We're going to end these nasty creatures once and for all! Are you with me?" Mino said as he extended his fist forward with a smile.
Arthur, Kali, Ani, and Boriat looked at each other as if they were trying to gouge out what the other thought.
In the end, they all understood what the other thought.
"I'm in!" The first to speak was Boriat as he put his hand on Mino's fist.
The second to follow suit was Ani who smiled and put her hand on top of Boriat's. "I'm also in! Let's get those nasty things!"
"Fufufufu! I guess there is no choice! We either die or live together!"
The whole group put their hands on top of each other as they smiled. The only one left was Arthur who watched the scene with owe before he quickly shook his head. "Oi! Don't leave me behind, guys!"
'Not that I know how the hell we're gonna pull this off.'
"Hahahaha! Come on, Art!"
The whole group finally had their hands on top of each other.
"For victory!" Mino exclaimed loudly.
"For victory!!!"
Cheering at the same time, the group finally turned around and faced the incoming army of demons with cheer and confidence that would make people stand there, looking at them with pure shock and admiration. That was what it took to be a hero, to face the impossible and still come out victorious.
Each one of them came from humble origins. Mino was a small village boy, Kali was an orphan kid in the slums of the city, Boriat was a war refugee who arrived in that kingdom a few years ago and Ani was abandoned by her parents to one of the teachers in the royal academy. As for Arthur, well, his life was already a clusterfuck ever since it began so it was safe to say that he fit perfectly in that group.
"Ani, how big is the biggest fireball you could create with every single ounce of mana you have now?" Mino asked.
"Hmm, around the size of this hill." She replied after a moment of thinking.
'Wait, the size of this hill?!' Arthur blinked in shock as he instinctively looked down at the hill they were standing on. It wasn't by any means the biggest hill Arthur had ever seen but it was still very massive in size.
"Good, I want you to create one and launch it at them. When it reaches the core of the army, make it explode! We will make sure to cover for you during the whole casting process and after you get exhausted so give it everything you've got!" He instructed her.
"Hai, hai, captain!" Ani made a funny salute before she grabbed her staff with two hands and started slowly murmuring some words.
"Boriat, I want you to use your axe and magic shield to grab as many demon's aggro as possible. As for Kali, I want you to buff each one of us as much as you can. And finally, Arthur…" Mino looked at Arthur with a smile.
"W-What?"
"You're our guillotine so just kill as many demons as you could. I will also use the holy power in my sword to kill as many as possible. We both are the ones that will determine the end of this battle!"
Arthur looked at the smiling hero for a second before he nodded his head. "I-I will do it! So just trust me!"
"That's what I was intending to do anyway! Anyway, are you ready, folks?!" Mino exclaimed.
Seeing that everyone understood their instructions the group finally scattered as fast as they could. Boriat, Arthur, and Mino dashed down the hill to face the army. As for Kali and Ani, they stayed on top of the hill working on their magic that they would need to cast as quickly as possible.
The endless waves of horrendous demons finally became visible to the naked eye without the need for any light source. Their howls, screeches, and screams echoed in the vast world like nightmarish bells, announcing the start of a brutal fight.
Arthur could see the creatures that were running at them. They were rather small in size, as short as toddlers with humanoid bodies. They were akin to goblins in appearance except more ugly and twisted.
'Shit, goblin demons?! Isn't this too much of a trope?' Arthur could only inwardly sigh as he felt his heart rate increase and adrenaline pumping into his bloodstream endlessly.
As the trio dashed toward the demons, Ani had already started forming the fireball. Her mouth kept muttering incoherent words and her staff was shining brightly as Mana flowed into the small ball of flames, growing bigger and bigger slowly. As for Kali, she kept casting buffs on the trio which increased their speed and strength.
"GRAAAA!!!"
Eventually, the trio reached the goblins and the two sides clashed violently.
*BOOOM*
Boriat immediately slammed his axe down, cracking the earth beneath him. The crack grew in size rapidly and spread across the area, swallowing unlucky demons that ran into it. Then, with a loud laugh, he swung his axe in the air. The simple swipe sliced through the heads of multiple demons as blood splashed everywhere.
"Hahahahaha! Let the show begin, boys!"