The shape and appearance of the demon that was just about twenty meters from where I was, I could simply say that it left me surprised, but not only that.
His voice was disturbing, but not only that.
I closed my eyes and tried to see the demon's mana, then something unexpected happened.
"It has too much mana."
This monster was not in the range of a "demon lord"; this monster was much stronger than I imagined. From seeing the amount of mana it was overflowing, it's definitely much stronger than a normal mage.
"There was a variable, this demon is in the rank of a 'Demonic Count'. It's on par with a sixth circle mage."
Such a strong demon was in front of all these people. The situation was too complicated; we had to save that elf girl, but this demon is definitely much stronger than Elara. She can't against this monstrous power.
A power beyond my imagination. I couldn't even feel what a tenth circle mage would be like. Just thinking about how strong Encrid was, as the most powerful darkness mage in the "Age of Darkness", are thoughts that I didn't leave at this moment.
After looking at the demon more closely, a smile appeared, but it became bigger, as if that smile had been widened even more. The demon showed its sharp teeth, then my body felt strange.
It was when his green pupils stared at me. Then he raised his hand and pointed his long fingernails at me.
"Human... What are you doing hiding? I can see you."
That's when Elara turned her gaze in my direction and spoke.
"So you didn't take my warning."
She looked in my direction just the same, but when I peeked out and was behind the tree where I was hiding, my eyes widened like saucers. Then a voice echoed right next to it.
"Human... Why are you hiding?"
A power that anyone would be scared to just look at. Precisely such a strong being was next to me that I couldn't even react the moment he came to my side.
My breath hitched, I felt a lump in my throat, I couldn't even breathe properly. I started sweating uncontrollably, I could feel a great weight from just being this monster next to me, while his black eyes and green demon pupils were staring at me without blinking.
I couldn't even speak.
This is "fear."
A fear that truly lived up to being called fear. It was the first time I had ever felt this fear.
But I wouldn't lower myself just like that, no one in this world would force me to feel fear. This feeling I erased from my head.
Then, my breathing became controlled and my heartbeat calmed down. That was when, for the first time, I controlled an emotion, something no one can accomplish just like that.
Gritting my teeth and clenching my fists, I held the sword in my hands and clenched it tighter.
Then I replied to the words the demon had said to me.
"I wasn't hiding."
"Human... I am not stupid."
That's when the demon stood up straight and looked me straight in the eyes. As I stood up from my spot and stood right in front of him, his height was much taller; he looked to be about 1.90 or maybe a little more, while I was 1.65.
That's when I raised my head a little and his eyes looked at me as if I was someone insignificant. Then, my face scrunched up and the veins stood out on my face.
He... He was looking down on me.
A fucking demon was looking down on me.
I didn't let that get to me, so I spoke. I didn't like the idea of talking to a monster.
"Damn you, why are you looking at me like that...?"
At the words said, the demon widened that smile more and spoke.
"Human... You are not afraid."
"Me being afraid...? Now it's not like that anymore."
He had controlled the emotion of fear just moments before; he no longer felt fear, but now he felt a strong anger that he could not control.
"I must kill him right now, but if I do I won't be able to save that girl and Elara would kill me."
The "Monarch of Darkness" transformation lasted only five seconds. There was not enough time to kill the demon and the paladin at the same time. There was no time, but if he didn't, he might even die in this situation.
It would take three seconds to kill the demon with a strong enough attack, and another three seconds to kill the paladin. But he could only use this ability once and for five seconds. He didn't have enough time; he could die so easily if he made a single mistake.
"What should I do?"
Was the first thought. There was no time, I couldn't finish these two problems at the same time. It was then that an idea came to me.
"Encrid, do you think you can kill the demon and the paladin in less than five seconds?"
"I could do it... if I were just as strong as a ninth circle, but my power is almost exhausted and I am just as strong as an eighth circle."
But how strong is the paladin? The demon has a power close to a seventh circle mage, but how strong is the paladin?
So there was a small chance, but what if I convince the demon to fight Elara?
"I respect demons, and as you can see," my mana came out of my palm and I showed it to the demon.
"I am a being of darkness, and that woman you see over there is our enemy."
There was only one way for these two to fight; of course, this was the way to convince the demon that I am not an enemy to him and that Elara was the real enemy.
After looking into the demon's deep eyes, his gaze shifted to my mana where it was coming out, then he looked at Elara and back at me.
"Human... You... You're right..."
He fell into the trap. I was doubting whether I would actually convince the demon to fight Elara. She's a paladin, and from what I know, if she fights the demon, her holy power is infinite, which means the more time passes, the stronger she gets.
It's a power trap, but if these two fight with all their might, though the demon will have the advantage until a certain time.
"I'm right, aren't I? She is an enemy to us."
The demon didn't look away from Elara as he continued to speak.
"Even she said you would die."
That last was indeed true, there was no lie in that at all.
"We must kill her...".
I was still talking and trying to convince the demon who was standing just a meter in front of me while looking directly at Elara.
My mana could be considered evil mana to a paladin, but in the case of a demon it really is. It is possible that this monster is just pretending and is about to kill me, but I was not losing anything by trying to convince him.
It was then that the demon looked at me and spoke again.
"She... She's an enemy to us... Isn't she?"
"That's right. Why don't we kill her and I capture those humans she has?".
I pointed to the people in the distance where Elara had them, then the demon looked at the people and back at me.
"Alright... Human, I trust your word...".
His voice would scare me, but that was no longer the case now. I could control the fear now; it wasn't easy at all. The fear was trying to come out and show itself, but I was preventing it as best I could. Perhaps by not showing this fear, the demon trusted me a little more.
"What's your plan," Encrid suddenly spoke up.
"To convince him to fight the paladin."
"You think very well, brat," Encrid replied.
It was the best idea he had, but he wasn't sure what the outcome would be like either. The more time passes, the stronger Elara will become and soon she would reach the same power as the demon, but that doesn't worry me.
If something unforeseen happens, I would simply use the "Monarch of Darkness" transformation. It would only take me less than a second to kill that paladin; she will definitely be too exhausted just like the demon.
"Now I have everything under control."
I already had everything very well planned. The demon trusted my word and it was just a matter of waiting for the end of the fight between these two and, at that moment, I could use that opportunity to finish them both off once and for all.
But I was forgetting something.
"Who's in that carriage?".
"I don't know, but I feel something strange inside that. It's not an ordinary person, I feel the holy mana too."
There were two paladins; that's impossible. If it was like that, I could have felt it before. This could be something annoying.
"Dull sound."
The demon disappeared from my sight and when I looked where Elara was, he was already facing her. They both stared at each other without blinking once.
That's when Elara unsheathed her sword and the demon began to emanate tremendous demonic mana that overflowed into the surroundings.
The demonic mana covered a large radius of about twenty meters or so, but after looking at Elara, my eyes widened like saucers.
"She... she always hid her power."
Just like the demon, she also did the same. Although her power was only slightly weaker than the demon, she could not only match the demon's power, she could also surpass it.
"We only have ten minutes, that's enough time for that paladin to surpass the demon's power," Encrid suddenly spoke.
He was right, Elara was not only close to the demon's power, but still, she could suffer great injuries and even be close to death for giving her all in a fight with this demon.
"Burst."
An explosion of power collided in the area where the demon and the paladin were. A death match began.
I quickly moved, as did Alice's group. I quickly reached where the elf girl was as power clashes could be heard in the distance. After watching for a few seconds, I could only say one word.
"Someday I will be much stronger than that."
That phrase stuck in my head over and over again. Just seeing those clashes of power between a demon who was on the same level as a seventh circle mage and a paladin who is also close to a seventh circle mage.
It was then that a thought came to my mind.
"She will be just as strong as Oriana."
Oriana could defeat a seventh circle mage and her power was far above any other monster. So, she is definitely stronger than the demon, but it is possible that the strongest paladins are even more powerful.
How strong are these holy knights?
I finally got to where the elf girl and Alice were. Clara and Dik arrived as well.
"We have little time."
"What do we do with the rest?"
"We can't take them out, let's just take the girl."
Alicia spoke nervously to me; it was understandable, two great powers were close to us. The carriage was a bit far away from us, so there was nothing to interfere with us.
I quickly swung my sword and cut the chain that bound the girl's feet and hands. I quickly lifted her up.
"Let's go," I said, and the whole group started to run, but something unexpected happened.
"Starburst."
A bolt of yellow lightning struck right in front of us. I looked at who had launched the lightning; it wasn't Elara nor was it the demon. Then who was it?
"Wow, I thought about letting those two fight, but you guys..."
His words stopped as I looked in the direction of the carriage. It was a middle-aged man holding a mage staff, but the mana accumulated in that staff was the same mana that Elara had. So, this man is not a mage, he is an ordinary person carrying a magic artifact.
"He's dangerous, avoid getting hit by that lightning," Encrid warned.
"He's an ordinary person, but he has a shield and also that staff."
"So, if I hit him, it will be over."
"That's right, but the problem is the shield and that staff; they have immense power."
Encrid explained, but how did he know this man had a shield? She couldn't even see him, she could only see that big staff he was holding in his hands as he pointed it at us.
"Who are you?", Alicia was the first to speak.
"I am Father Gabriel from the holy church."
"Why is a father in a place like this?".
"Daughter, don't you see there is an evil being and these sinners."
Alicia frowned at more of the man's words.
"If so, then we will have to kill you, no matter who you are."
I opened my eyes at that moment. She was convinced to kill someone just like that. Even though I was a murderer, sometimes I hesitated to kill someone. I didn't know if it was the right thing to do or not, but in the end I did it without any resentment whatsoever.
This world is different; it cannot be compared to my old world. In this case, death is the solution, but I don't want that. But I have realized that I must erase that thought.
If I want to live peacefully, I must kill those who stand in my way in pursuit of a peaceful life.
"I can't let them take that little girl, but I can't let them go now," I said.
"And what will you do?"
"It's not obvious, daughter, you are sinners, but especially that child over there.
It was then that my face wrinkled and the veins showed; they were indications of incalculable anger. Him I must kill, not only for my life, but also to protect these people beside me....