The four heroes dashed ahead of their

  platoon and jumped into the fray. The three vice captains of the corps

  moved to intercept but only two succeeded. Vice Captain Sellar was still

  preoccupied by the second-in-command of the Lumerian mortal army. In

  his place, the lieutenants of the White Fang Division as well as some lieutenant of other divisions charged forward to meet the

  remaining two heroes.

  Sebastian hesitated for just a moment as Mike and Martin rushed toward them. The other lieutenants met the two heroes head on.

  Martin planted his feet, and they melded into the ground.

  He raised a small round shield toward the incoming wave of attacks from

  the lieutenants. With a hum, a wall of essence emerged from the shield.

  THUD

  The shield blocked their every attack.

  His feet broke free from the ground, and he activated a Skill amplified by his shield, a powerful artifact in its own right. With that, he dashed

  forward, pushing his shield forward. The lieutenants couldn’t stand

  against the attack and were sent flying.

  Mike walked up next to Martin and stared daggers directly at Sebastian who was the only one not caught up in the attack, and thus the only one left standing.

  “Well, well, well, look who we have here. If it isn’t the

  traitor himself. I thought you were supposed to be dead. I guess that

  makes twice now.”

  Sebastian narrowed his eyes.

  “Mike,” Sebastian said. “Good to see you again, and you

  Martin. I’m really hoping you can see reason here, we shouldn’t be

  fighting each other.”

  “Oh, come off it,” Mike said. “Don’t even start, we

  already know your game, you demonic cockroach. Act the fool all you

  want, you’re still gonna die here today.”

  Sebastian gripped his sword tighter and clenched his jaw. “There’s no act. You’ve been lied to. I—“

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Mike said dismissively. “You’re the

  good guy, we’re all brainwashed. Blah blah blah. You can’t gaslight us

  into thinking you’re some victim here, Sebastian. It's been years, why

  bother? They investigated everything you did since you fled the castle.

  You understand that, right? Every step of the way. Every village you

  slaughtered or family you sacrificed. We’ve seen all the reports, looked

  into plenty of them personally, even. There’s nothing you can say here

  that’ll make that right.”

  Fuck… The brainwashing goes even deeper than I thought.

  “That’s not true—!”

  Sebastian barely managed to dodge the spear that came

  stabbing at his head. He never would have seen it coming without his

  [Mind’s Eye].

  “Fuck off. You know, ever since we heard that you went

  and got yourself killed in the Silvervale Woodlands, I’ve dreamed of you

  coming back to life so I could kill you myself. So in a way, I'm

  actually happy to see you. I get my wish!”

  Luckily, it’s just the four of them,

  none of their platoon is attacking. Wait… why aren’t any of them

  attacking?

  Sebastian’s eyes opened wide as a realization hit him.

  Are they— They are. They’re using this battle to farm levels! Hypocritical bastards.

  We're gonna need the vice captain and the captain himself to wrap things up and come back us up or this'll take a bad turn.

  As if on cue, in the distance, the sounds of the captain clashing with

  the Lumerian general quieted down and Captain Cirera started a mad rush back to help his company. Something resembling a shooting star

  took off from the Divine Light platoon, going right for the captain. The resulting clash was the single most powerful explosion since the battle began. A wave of force washed over them despite the distance.

  Shit! They have someone to deal with

  the captain too. There goes our last chance. We need to retreat! I

  could probably get away on my own, even with the difference in levels,

  but the others won’t make it. Not unless I can buy enough time. I need to stall so my own people can

  get away at least, or we’ll all die here.

  Sebastian carefully reached down to his waist and

  discreetly rested his hand against the badge strapped to his side. A

  small stream of essence worked its way into the badge, and he made an

  effort to distract them.

  “And you, Martin?” he asked forcefully. “Are you not gonna say anything? Are you as blind as the rest of them?”

  “Don’t… just don’t,” Martin said dejectedly. The hero’s

  eyes had bags under them. Last time Sebastian saw Martin, he had been a

  beacon of joy. Now he was weighed down by melancholy. Unlike Mike, who

  wore his anger on his sleeve, Martin seemed more disappointed than

  angry. “I was so excited when we got summoned here. Heroes, in a fantasy

  world… It was everything I ever dreamed of. But, for one of our own to

  abandon us and willingly become a demon, to slaughter and sacrifice

  innocent people. It tainted everything! It’s been over ten years and

  everything still just feels… wrong. Because of you.” His gaze, which had hung low toward

  the ground, shot at Sebastian and his demeanor changed as he practically

  bared his fangs like an angry beast. “Mike's right, you won’t leave

  this place alive.”

  Martin dashed forward with his shield.

  It was the same move that he used to push the other lieutenants away.

  Sebastian had seen it before. Not only that, but he suspected it was the

  same Inherent Skill he heard them talk about back when they first were

  inspected, [Wallbreaker].

  With his cultivation, Sebastian remembered it like it was

  yesterday. It was a Skill for breaking through walls—as its name

  suggested—or maybe to break through defensive formations. Either way, it

  wasn’t a Skill appropriate for a single target.

  He used his footwork to step out of range. The next

  moment, a spear tip came flying toward him like lightning from a clear

  sky from over Martin’s shoulder. Sebastian’s actual eyes couldn’t see it

  coming but his [Mind’s Eye] saw every detail.

  The two heroes had developed a truly supernatural level

  of teamwork over the last decade. As soon as Mike sensed that Martin was

  about to attack, he moved behind him, disappearing from his opponents' line of sight.

  They clearly didn’t expect to face someone with the

  [Mind’s Eye] Skill. Through it, the attack was telegraphed before it

  happened. The subtle shift in Mike’s grip, his foot moving back, his

  shoulder winding up, all made Sebastian aware of an upcoming attack.

  Before the spear was even launched, Sebastian’s sword was

  already moving to parry. If Mike’s previous attack was any indication,

  he had to move fast to time it right.

  The spear was deflected and moved harmlessly over his

  shoulder. In one smooth motion, Sebastian took a step and transitioned

  his parry to an attack toward Martin. His sword struck Martin’s shield

  but the [Cloud Shadow Slash] that followed made a clean cut across the

  hero’s shoulder, making him drop his shield.

  Mike followed up with a swing, but Sebastian jumped into

  the air. He launched a [Crescent Cloud Slash] over Martin’s head toward

  Mike while he was still mid-air.

  It didn’t hit, but it managed to separate the two for a while. Mike had to jump back while Martin rolled forward.

  When Sebastian landed, he engaged Martin in a sword

  fight. It was just a for a few seconds but that was enough for them to

  exchange a dozen moves.

  I can manage one-on-one, barely. But

  they’ve closed the gap with my physical cultivation. It makes sense, I

  haven’t improved too much in that regard since I broke through to [Core

  Formation]. Since I don’t level the same way as them, my physical

  cultivation doesn’t improve much between breakthroughs. Even If my

  physical cultivation is enough to surpass someone well over Major

  Accomplishment, these bastards are 20 levels higher than I was back

  then.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  At least I’m still superior in terms

  of technique. He has a good Sword Style Skill, likely some advanced

  version of the [Imperial Sword Style], but he’s suffering from the same

  problems as Oren. His use of Skills is mechanical. They probably just

  get the Skill, add it to the list, and then move on to the next one. I—

  Shit!

  Sebastian was struck by a ranged Skill. Mike had

  materialized a snake of golden essence extending from his spear. It

  knocked him into the ground. He got up and dodged Martin’s follow-up by

  the skin of his teeth.

  My essence may be of superior

  quality, but I can’t compete with their sheer quantity. They’re going to

  wear me down. I need to do something.

  In the corner of his [Mind’s Eye], he caught movement

  from the other lieutenants. A sliver of hope. Using his footwork imbued

  with the [Fleeting Cloud Step], he carefully moved the fight toward the

  lieutenants who were getting back up after their failed attack.

  Lieutenants Durany and Buchan ambushed Mike from behind.

  Marcia Durany formed gauntlets of ice around her hands

  while Gregori Buchan wielded a war hammer, with daggers as his backup.

  It was a strange combination, but he was an expert in both.

  They avoided getting too close as neither of them had

  reached Major Accomplishment yet. Instead they chose to attack with

  whatever Skills they had with range. Launching blocks of ice and

  throwing daggers was the best they could do at the moment. As their

  previous attack demonstrated, getting too close meant almost certain

  death.

  They weren’t the only ones who got back into the fight.

  While Sebastian was fighting Martin, all the other

  lieutenants present rejoined the fight.

  Lieutenant Aran Lluch didn’t have any ranged Skills and

  instead played defense. Intercepting and weakening Mike’s attacks.

  Lieutenant Ector used his rapier to send spikes of materialized essence

  toward the hero. Lieutenant Abelli carried bladed fans and used them to

  throw blades of essence like hidden weapons. The final lieutenant was a

  tank with a steel shield, helping Lieutenant Lluch with defending

  against Mike’s attacks, visibly struggling with every hit.

  All six of them were much weaker than Mike, but they all

  had a lifetime worth of experience compared to his single decade of

  being a spoiled poster child for the Lumerian Kingdom. They struggled,

  but now that they were properly in the fight, they held on.

  It gave Sebastian a much needed break.

  Fighting just Martin was still an issue, but it was far

  more manageable than fighting both of them at once. Especially since

  Martin had lost his shield. Sebastian’s swordsmanship was superior to

  begin with, but now he was outclassing him in terms of technique.

  Technique wasn’t everything, however. Martin was still

  stronger and faster. Even with his [Mind’s Eye], Sebastian couldn’t

  dodge everything. Seeing something coming didn’t matter if you couldn’t

  move fast enough to get out of the way. When he couldn’t dodge, he

  blocked. Problem was, every block pushed him back. His [Stone Skin]

  Technique made him not take too much damage, but Martin’s murderous

  intent was strong enough to cut right through it whenever he made it

  past Sebastian’s defenses. And he did so more and more as the fight went

  on.

  The lieutenants managed to keep Mike occupied, but they

  couldn’t deal enough damage to actually bring him down. Defeating him

  wasn’t the primary goal, though. They were stalling for time. They were

  hoping that one of the vice captains or even the captain himself would

  win their fights and come back them up.

  Sebastian didn't share their optimism, he just tried to hold on as best he could. Hopefully defeating Martin would present a good opportunity to retreat.

  Lieutenant Lluch was the first to see a figure rushing

  toward them an extraordinary speed. A moment of hope sparked within him,

  but it was quickly crushed when he realized that it wasn’t one of their

  own.

  Kevin steamrolled his way into the fight, instantly

  cutting down Lluch as he entered the fray. The lieutenant died without

  any hoped of defending himself.

  The two heroes, Mike and Kevin, made short work of the remaining lieutenants together.

  “SEBASTIAN!” Kevin screamed as he dashed toward Sebastian.

  Sebastian tried to dodge, but Martin wouldn’t let him. It

  was easy to dodge the [Wallbreaker] Skill when it was just the two of

  them, but with Kevin incoming, he couldn’t get out of the way of both of

  their attacks at the same time. Even without his shield, Martin’s Skill

  tackled Sebastian into the air. Not as far as the lieutenants on their

  first attack but just enough to put him right in Kevin’s line of attack.

  Squeelch

  All the air in Sebastian’s lungs was expelled at once. It wasn’t quite a scream, but that wasn’t for a lack of trying.

  Kevin’s dagger pierced into Sebastian’s side.

  He jumped back. The dagger pulled out as he went, but he didn’t get far.

  Mike came in from the side and punched him in the face hard enough that Sebastian formed a crater as he smashed into the ground.

  The three heroes looked down on their former comrade with disdain.

  Sebastian hadn’t noticed the rest of the

  battlefield going quiet during the fight. Even the enormous blasts from

  the captain fighting the general of the Divine Light and the closer

  clashes of Vice Captain Sellar registered as mere ambiance.

  The other fights ended roughly at the same time. Josh had

  finished his fight against the vice captain of the second division even

  before Kevin had defeated the third vice captain.

  Instead of rushing over directly, however, Josh had

  joined the Lumerian second-in-command from the mortal army in the fight

  against Vice Captain Sellar. The vice captain was on the verge of

  defeating his opponent when Josh had fired a lightning blast that

  incapacitated him long enough for the second-in-command to land a

  killing blow.

  Sebastian forced himself to his feet. All four Blessed

  Ones, summoned to this world alongside him, stood on the edge of the

  crater and glared down at him. If looks could kill, he would already be

  dead.

  “Kevin,” Sebastian said with a ragged voice. “Good to see you again. You too, Josh. It’s been a while.”

  “How are you even alive, you filth!?” Kevin said in a rage. “I should have killed you back in Luxendorf when I had the chance.”

  Sebastian took a deep breath. His ribs broke when Martin

  tackled him and made every breath excruciating. The hole left by Kevin’s

  dagger felt like a hot poker in his stomach. Mike’s punch had cracked a

  bone in his cheek, even with his [Stone Skin] and powerful physical

  cultivation.

  Well damn, this might actually be

  trickier than expected to get out of. I had hoped to just out-run them

  when my unit had gotten away, but that might be difficult now.

  “You sure tried,” Sebastian answered. “Still kinda peeved

  about that." He shook his head. "All of you are so brainwashed you won’t even listen to

  reason. That bitch Lyra could tell you all I was the literal devil,

  Lucifer himself, and you wouldn’t even question it.”

  Kevin image flashed. In a blink, he was down in the

  crater and punched Sebastian in the stomach. He saw it coming with his

  [Mind’s Eye], but he couldn’t dodge in time. He slammed against the edge

  of the crater and crashed through it back up onto the field. It took

  him a few rolls to stop.

  “Don’t. Speak. Her. Name!” Kevin nearly growled out the words. The air itself trembled under the weight of his voice.

  A single punch wasn’t enough to satisfy the hero’s rage.

  He jumped after Sebastian and beat him until his knuckles bled and

  broke, which at Kevin’s level was quite the achievement.

  Josh stepped up and placed a hand on Kevin’s shoulder,

  stopping him from continuing the beating. The sight of Sebastian

  hammered into the ground, broken and bleeding beyond what any mortal

  could survive, didn’t seem to faze him. He only made sure that Sebastian

  was conscious before speaking.

  “Sebastian, it’s a pretty hard sell, you know. We’ve

  lived among these people for over a decade now and not once have we seen

  anything of what you’re trying to convince us of. The people here are

  kind, happy, and generous. That level of conspiracy needed, keeping us completely in the dark about all the stuff you're spouting... it just doesn't make any sense. It’s not like we act without looking into stuff first.” He had maintained a soft smile as he

  spoke thus far, but it faded away as the topic changed. “These demons

  you’ve sold yourself to, they’re not human. I know they look human, I can understand how they deceived you, but

  they’re not. I’ve done autopsies myself on demons who infiltrated the

  capital only to be caught by the guards.” A look of disgust flashed

  across his face as he remembered the experience. “Their insides are

  foul, as monstrous as their souls, if they even have those. And the

  reports of everything you’ve done, they’re iron-clad. I’m sure if I were

  to cut your heart open right now, the black, demonic filth you’ve

  accepted into yourself would ooze out. I know it, and even if you were

  being sincere, somewhere deep down, I know you know it too.”

  Sebastian didn’t bother saying anything, he wasn’t sure

  he could if he tried. He could see the disdain, the loathing, the

  disgust, in Josh’s eyes. He truly wasn’t even human to them. The same

  look was in all of their eyes. Like the time had finally come to close a

  shameful chapter of their lives so that they could move on to fulfill

  their destinies.

  A stern older man landed beside the heroes. The general

  of the Divine Light. His hands were covered in blood, Captain Cirera’s

  blood. That was it. Sebastian and whatever few members of his unit that hopefully retreated in time were all that was left of the Wandering Wolves Corps.

  He had only been a mercenary for less than a year, and it certainly didn’t live up to the hype.

  “Enough,” the general said. “Don’t play with the foul

  demon. We have a job to do. The central army awaits our aid. Kill it and

  be done with it so we can finish off the rest of this vile sect.”

  Josh stood closest to Sebastian. He raised his staff,

  adorned with a green diamond-shaped crystal at the top, and cast the

  strongest spell he had. A bright yellow magic circle materialized in

  front of him, facing Sebastian. Sebastian clamored to his feet and began to run, but he barely got two steps in before a massive ray of bright

  light burst forth from the magic circle. After a handful of second, it stopped. It had burnt a trench in the ground

  that reached toward the horizon.

  “Good, let’s go,” the general said.

  Josh and a few of the other heroes turned to follow, but Kevin called out.

  “Wait! There’s no [System] alert. I didn’t get any exp!”

  They all checked their Status windows.

  “You’re right! Damnit, he’s still alive. But how, and where the hell did he go?” Mike said.

  Kevin stepped toward the trench and looked back to the others. “We have to go after him, we need to finish him!”

  “No. If the demon survived then it’s incapacitated,

  crippled. We have other priorities. We move for the central front,” the

  general said and left without entertaining any other option.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll find him, even if it takes us another

  ten years. Once we've saved the world from this demonic hellhole,

  burned it all to ash, there will be nowhere left for him to run,” Josh said

  before they all turned and left the northern front.

  Thanks for reading!

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