Chapter 175 — The People Around Me Are Too Strong

1

Purpur.

A demon with the head of a deer and massive antlers.

Master of lightning and wielder of eyes that can pierce through secrets.

Estimated level: mid-60s.

Even for Manus, this demon was a difficult opponent to face alone.

[Who has summoned me here?]

“Aah, this humble servant speaks. O great demon Purpur, master of lightning, love, and secrets, I beseech you to annihilate the enemies before you and fulfill the contract.”

The masked figure spoke calmly.

Their voice was distorted, unpleasant to the ear.

It seemed Purpur sensed the contractor’s soul, as his red eyes rolled back before he nodded.

[I shall fulfill the contract.]

“Thank you. Well then, I’ll take my leave since I’m quite busy…”

The situation was such that no one could stop the figure from slipping away.

Wei drew his sword with a small sigh of admiration.

Kenain also began gathering mana.

The remaining people, seemingly intending to assist the demon, each armed themselves and took up a stance.

Manus recalled the details about Purpur.

There was something memorable about his initial attack patterns.

“Both of you, step back for a moment.”

“What?”

“It won’t take long.”

At Manus’s command, the two stepped back.

At that moment, Purpur’s first pattern appeared.

A massive hand gripped a nearby human roughly.

It was only natural that the human, who had thought the demon was on their side, was taken aback when the demon’s hand tightened around them.

Without even a chance to say anything, Purpur’s mouth opened wide and swallowed the human whole.

Crunch—.

It wasn’t even particularly gruesome.

No death throes were heard, so it took a while for everyone to fully grasp what had just happened.

“What… what the hell?”

“Why is he—?!”

“Hey! We’re on the same side! The enemies are over there!”

[I know.]

Purpur’s hand moved again.

This time, it grabbed another person from the opposing faction.

Crunch!

The sound of flesh being crushed echoed clCounty.

A clean bite, with not even a drop of blood spilled.

Purpur consumed humans to restore his mana and stamina.

This made him a rather popular demon among users, as he would always take one or two of the enemies down with him.

“Is this the creature that tried to topple the Caesar family?”

“Exactly. What an absurd creature. Maybe we interfered at just the right time, don’t you think, my lord?”

At Wei’s question, Manus nodded.

Normally, a higher-ranking demon would have appeared.

But for Purpur, even Aden alone would have been enough to deal with him—provided they knew his gimmick.

Manus spoke.

The way to deal with that demon was simple, yet required constant attention.

He was a demon of deception.

To counter his pattern, everything had to be done in reverse.

“Listen closely. When he attacks, we attack. When he defends, we defend. Got it?”

“I don’t fully understand the reasoning, but I’ll follow your orders.”

“Aden, you’re free to attack as you wish.”

“Yes, my lord.”

From the darkness, a shadow emerged, silent and swift.

Out of the shadow stepped Manus’s most loyal blade and fiercest warrior.

She wielded two daggers, twirling them skillfully.

She hadn’t often raised her blade against anything other than orcs or ogres.

But her eyes were already scanning the demon’s body, searching for weaknesses.

As long as a creature had joints and muscles, vulnerabilities existed.

For an assassin, fairness was irrelevant.

A slight smile tugged at her lips beneath her mask.

“Well then, I’ll begin.”

“Let’s go.”

Crackle!

A magic circle appeared.

There was no room for mercy in this place.

Manus planned to start with a powerful spell from the outset.

Triple Casting.

Being able to cast multiple spells at once was a significant advantage.

With the Cadenza skill boosting his casting efficiency, Manus could weave in various reinforcement spells.

The already powerful Cadenza became even more formidable.

[Double Spread]

[Palum] – [Damno]

[Adoleo]

A blindingly white angel descended.

It was the same spell that had defeated Orias here before, [Adoleo].

For fighting demons, holy magic was always the most effective, and Manus planned to summon the angel again to deliver divine punishment.

Though he was a 4th-Class mage, the stacked spells and various enhancements made his power approach that of a 5th or even 6th-Class.

The ruins, only recently restored, could very well collapse again from the ensuing destruction.

But he didn’t care.

Manus had only one goal.

To send the demon before him back to the abyss.

[Such power! You’ve summoned an angel’s avatar! Hahaha!]

Purpur’s body crackled with lightning, ready to tear the angel’s wings to shreds.

The wailing of a torn angel’s wings was a delicacy for demons, a torture they delighted in.

In the ancient war between angels and demons, countless angels had fallen like that.

This time would be no different.

There was no way a mere imitation of an angel could defeat him.

Purpur was confident of that.

After all, the power he felt from the angel was rather insignificant.

“I’ll bury you so deep, you won’t even be able to beat this copy.”

But Manus still had one more spell up his sleeve.

It wasn’t prepared specifically for this moment, but it would serve its purpose.

It was time to use a spell with the same effect as casting Altus three times.

The magic circle drew a complex design in the air, infusing the angel with even more immense and mysterious power.

[Yugosus]

“Oh… this is…”

“What are you doing? Hurry up and finish him off, Secretary.”

“Oh, alright. I’m going!”

In the dark, Wei’s sword shone brilliantly as it caught the angel’s light.

She kicked off the ground, becoming a streak of light.

That light danced through the night sky, cutting through the darkness like fireflies flitting freely.

[Ooooooh!]

Meanwhile, the angel, powered by Yugosus, pressed the attack on Purpur.

Kwooooom!

A dazzling light filled the space, as a blinding wave of divine power rippled outward.

At the same time, Manus felt himself being pulled backward by someone.

“Be careful, my lord.”

As the light and sound faded, all that remained where Manus had stood was a charred patch of ground.

Though injured, Purpur still showed no signs of being significantly hindered.

As expected from a mid-boss, his health seemed to be bolstered.

‘That should’ve taken at least half a Sentinel’s HP…’

This game’s side quests were always more difficult, but the health buffs were ridiculous.

Manus steadied his surging mana, preparing for another strike.

The one who had pulled him back was Aden.

Her previously calm eyes now glinted coldly.

Aden’s top priority was to protect her lord.

The demon who had dared to attack Manus was now her target for elimination.

She had initially intended to focus on defense, but she had changed her mind.

“I will deal with this insolent demon.”

“I leave it to you. Let Kenain handle defense.”

“As you wish.”

Shwoooosh—

As she moved, shadows followed her.

Like tendrils, they reached out to bind the demon’s limbs.

Aden moved swiftly, aiming for the demon’s vital spots.

[You wretched humans!]

Crack.

Purpur’s raw strength was incredible.

As a creature of a different origin, he quickly started breaking free of the shadows that restrained him.

But the binding was only a delay tactic, meant to buy Aden time to position herself.

The real attack was yet to come.

“Look at me, you stupid demon!”

Kenain’s voice boomed across the battlefield.

He demonstrated the perfect form of a guardian’s combat style.

Drawing the enemy’s attention and enduring their attacks to give his allies time to strike.

If Guillermo were watching, he would have been impressed.

[Notatio]

One of the core skills of a guardian, Taunt.

It forced the targeted enemy to attack the user while reducing damage taken by 30%.

This skill, learned at level 50, was highly effective.

Kenain had successfully drawn Purpur’s attention, allowing the other three to attack freely.

“Now’s the time!”

[Triple Spread]

[Ignis] – [Tempesto] – [Palum]

By now, Manus had grown accustomed to triple casting.

He combined the three spells into another holy attack.

A swirling flame was twisted into a spear, with the power of an angel imbued into it.

Roaaaaaaar—!

A long spear of burning white fire formed in Manus’s hand.

In the meantime, Wei and Aden began tearing the demon apart.

Their common trait? Speed, and the ability to aim for vital points.

Aden targeted the upper body, while Wei focused on the lower.

[Grrraaaaah! You insolent fools!]

Crackle!

When the demon received a melee attack, it triggered a defensive pattern.

Purpur’s body began to glow white, trying to fend off Aden and Wei.

[Discharge]

Aden slipped into the shadows to avoid the attack, while Wei darted behind Kenain, using him as cover.

At the same time, Manus hurled the spear.

[Divinus Asta]

A holy spear spell, where the caster wields the weapon of an angel to strike down their enemies directly.

The blazing spear shot through the air, striking Purpur right in the forehead.

It was a precise attack that took advantage of the demon’s staggered posture from the previous assaults.

A towering pillar of white flame erupted, clearing the musty air of the ruins.

Sand and debris from the crumbling walls scattered as a streak of light pierced through the ceiling.

“We did it!”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. Stay alert.”

[Grrr…]

“I’ll finish this.”

Aden emerged from the shadows, unscathed, her arm raised to strike. Her sword gleamed with a sharp aura, capable of slicing through even diamonds as if they were butter. She slashed at the demon’s arm, her movements swift and precise.

Blood gushed forth.

Like a sprinkler, the blood sprayed as a massive arm fell to the ground with a soft thud.

Purpur let out a howl, his scream spreading through the air like a blood-curdling symphony, while Aden danced in the midst of it, her blade moving in rhythm with the sound.

Knees. Elbows. Ankles. Shoulders. Trapezius and erector muscles. Both eyes. And finally, the neck.

Purpur’s humanoid appearance, though demonic, followed a similar structure to that of any living being. And so, Aden struck without hesitation, her blade severing tendons and arteries as she found the demon’s weak spots.

The altar, now drenched in blood, seemed to transform back to its original, sacrificial purpose.

“Hoo—”

“…You said she merged with shadows recently, but her skills are no joke.”

“She’s the most trustworthy shadow I have.”

Manus smiled faintly.

The demon Purpur, who hadn’t even had the chance to resist properly, was torn to pieces and slain.

Had Manus come with lesser allies, they would have struggled greatly against this foe.

Just a month ago, when he had faced this demon, the atmosphere had been completely different.

This, no doubt, was only a glimpse of Aden’s true power.

Even if they had been enhanced by sacred water and holy nails, there was no chance they could have won against her alone.

If Manus had made even a single wrong choice back then, standing here now would have been impossible.

[You have cleared the side quest.]

[Now, prevent the Count’s ambition.]

[Rewards will be given after the war.]

Without a doubt, the people around him were far too strong.

–TL Notes–
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