A crimson streak flew down from the gate, revealing a towering demon with crimson scales and eyes blazing with emerald flames.
The moment the demon landed, bodies of people wearing Golden Horizon insignia armor landed on the ground around him, singed beyond recognition.
The young woman staggered to her feet. But when she saw the burned corpses, she screamed. Whether in pain, despair, or anger, I didn't know.
All I knew was that she rushed towards the demon, wreathed in violet lightning.
The demon laughed and easily caught her blow. "The King was worried since your land defeated Bahamut. But to think the bloodline of that Monstrous Hero had become this thin." He licked his lips and looked at the young woman up and down. "Well. Your brood will make excellent fodder."
The young woman flinched and tried to break free, glaring at the demon. "In your dreams, you monster!"
"...And that's officially too many cliches for me."
The demon froze.
The young woman froze too.
And then I froze, realizing I'd said that outloud.
Fuck.
"Hoh?" The demon turned to look at me. "A mere human speaks out before Belial?"
The young woman looked at me with panicked eyes and said, "Run! Don't be a hero! Please!"
The demon laughed and tossed the young woman aside before turning to face me directly. "Well then. You heard her. Will you run and leave me to my prize, or-"
"You trash mobs always say the exact same shitty lines." I reflexively responded and then decided.
'Fuck it. Already died once anyway doing something stupid.'
The broken sword from the young woman had landed by my feet when she was tossed aside.
I picked it up, staring at the so-called 'Belial.'
> Compilation has activated.
> Designate the resources to compile.
Ah, so that's how it works, huh?
In that case...
I pointed the broken sword at Belial and started speaking. "For a demon, you're quite stupid. Haven't you heard the tales? In this world, a king was granted ten divine rings and dominion over the demons..."
Belial froze. The crimson scaled demon instinctively took a step back, looking at me in shock. "No. You are bluff-"
"Come, Goetia. Seal." I rushed forward and swung my sword.
Belial roared and swung his arms as well, sending out a wave of flames.
But I didn't panic. I didn't hesitate. I didn't even flinch. Because...
> Compiling accumulated information...
> User has invoked the myth of Goetia and King Solomon.
> Extensive knowledge on the nature of demonic contracting and summoning from the game series [Rebirth of the Goddess] has been added to the ability.
> User is aware of the true name of the targeted demon.
> Attempting compilation...
Belial screamed in frustration and despair as golden light wrapped around him as chains. "This CANNOT be! No mortal should possess-!"
The chains grew taut and then wrenched him towards the broken sword in my hand, dyeing it a crimson hue.
> Success! Belial, Archfiend of Flames, has been compiled as the Demonic Blade Ragnarok.
> The Demonic Blade Ragnarok has been stored in your internal archive.
I straightened my body, glancing at the ominous blood-red blade flickering into existence in my hand for just a second. But then, like the message said, it was stored away.
I could still feel it. A soft warmth that I could draw out whenever I wanted.
But that would be trouble, so I ignored it.
"What...?" The young woman's confused voice echoed from behind. "Did... you kill it?"
I didn't respond. Instead, I immediately took off running.
"W-Wait! H-Hey! Ow...! S-S-Stop! I want to-"
NOPE.
I am NOT opening up that flag.
Before the young woman or anyone else around could catch onto me, I used the distraction to escape.
Thankfully, the gate vanished with Belial, so people were too busy keeping an eye on that to notice me booking it.
Just in case though, I tossed off my outer coat, turned my shirt inside out, and then ducked into a PC Bang. After a quick swipe of my card, I ordered a room, food, and slicked my hair back to play off a student grinding ranks in LoL.
...Well, the equivalent of LoL.
Now. Let's just play some games for a bit...
===
Yura Shin stood frozen in shock, staring at the alley where her savior had just vanished. 'Did he just... run? After defeating that monster like that?'
The entire incredulous situation left her at a complete loss for words and even thoughts.
First, there was her guild orientation of a simple expedition into a D-Ranked gate that turned into an S-Ranked gate after that demon Belial suddenly appeared in the gate.
Then there was the fact that all her friends along with the guards her grandfather sent with her were easily dispatched by that demon Belial.
And now, just as she fell into despair, a young man who looked barely older than her showed up spouting some lines like a nonchalant NovelBin protagonist and not only one-shot the demon she failed to even injure, but he had called out and invoked King Solomon's ritual and... sealed the demon?
"I... don't understand." Yura murmured, still trying to process what happened.
The shock was definitely getting to her. Some part of Yura vaguely recognized that. Paired with the injuries she had been dealt and overusing her power, she was barely conscious.
But she clung to her consciousness. And what she used to cling to it was...
'And that's officially too many cliches for me.'
...That young man's voice.
Boredom- No, disdain. Like he had seen countless situations before and was completely beyond caring for it.
Yura remembered that tone of voice. Not because of the young man, but because of her grandfather.
Lee Shin, the only EX-Ranked Hunter in history. The man who had singlehandedly cleared the sole EX-Ranked gate and killed the Dragon King who would have caused an apocalypse.
Yura's grandfather had the same tone of voice when he stood in front of monsters in the gates.
It was the tone of someone who considered everything else as beneath them.
But Yura was sure. That young man she saw... she couldn't be much older than herself. But that ability, and to defeat a demon that she couldn't despite her S-Ranked ability...
'Just who is he?'
A nondescript young man. A face that could be seen everywhere. A typical high school student with no distinguishing features at all. Simple side-swept hair, a normal outfit, normal... everything.
Except for the fact that he completely annihilated the monster that had killed dozens of Eternal Horizon elite hunters in a single shot.
"I don't know who you are..." Yura muttered, staring off into the city. "But I will find you. I swear on my name."