Amon's party annihilated the bloodless corpses with ease, giving them their final deliverance through holy fire. With the area finally cleared, the young party had a brief break to catch their breath and rest before continuing their hunt.
Gale, Adelia, and Rufus sat solemnly in a circle, their faces bleak and ashen. They couldn't believe what they had just witnessed and what they had just done as much as they were trained to be soldiers who would remain calm in the face of adversity. This was their first actual battle, and they fought against zombies that were once innocent humans.
It was a little hard for their adolescent hearts to comprehend.
Amon and Yue were far more experienced than the novices; hence, they were far calmer. Their focus was more on tracking the Blood Demon, who could be anywhere.
"For so many bloodless corpses to awaken... The Blood Demon must have regained its former strength substantially." Yue remarked grimly.
Among everyone present, she was the one who had the most experience when it came to dealing with the Blood Demon. Amon's knowledge mainly was through reading [Bright] and, therefore, theoretical. Yue, on the other hand, had personal experience when it came to combating the formidable foe.
"It must have consumed a living, powerful person. Otherwise, there's no reason for its strength to explode." Amon solemnly concluded.
"A knight... Do you reckon it's from our forces?"
"Hard to tell," Amon rubbed on his chin. "Secretly call Bane and ask him if he's lost any forces. When we return to camp later on, let's do a roll call and see if any Knights are missing."
"That's our only option, I suppose."
Yue didn't let out a single joke or teasing remark. She knew well what grim reality they faced if the Blood Demon regained its original strength. That monster was a sinister beast that was unscrupulous in its approach. It used deceit to trick enemies stronger than itself and would ruthlessly slaughter weak innocents without batting a single eyelid.
The world would be much safer if they could nip the threat in the bud and eradicate the Blood Demon while it was still weak.
If it regained its lost power and grouped up with the Demon Cult as it did in Yue's original timeline...
"How are your mana reserves?"
Amon's commanding voice called out to Yue, breaking her thoughts. She snapped out from her recollection and turned to face the tall youth. Smiling, she replied:
"All good. I barely used any mana actually; we can continue the search as soon as the others have rested up."
Amon nodded his head and didn't continue further. Yue hadn't participated in the earlier battle, not because she was lazy, but because she had a more pivotable role. Ever since they'd entered Mistwood, she'd been using her summons to search the vicinity, hoping to cover every bearing on the path they traversed.
With the mana of six circles, Yue could keep her summons around endlessly, so Amon didn't need to worry that much. Nevertheless, Yue's involvement was pivotal in locating the Blood Demon, so Amon made a point to check in on her periodically.
Speaking on checking up on others...
Leon stood silently over the pit, his blue eyes showing deep signs of austerity. Hundreds of thoughts crept in, making his entire atmosphere solemn and grim. It wasn't until Amon approached his side that he finally cracked a sentence.
"Amon... Why do Demons do this to us?"
Lost and hollow, Leon couldn't fathom the depravity of the situation. He'd always heard the damage that Demons caused humanity, but this was the first time he'd seen it in person. Not only did the Demon kill innocents, it sucked their blood and ripped them of their humanity.
Even after death, the innocent civilians were enslaved into thoughtless zombies that fought for the Demon that killed it.
It was gruesome and unthinkable... and something that Leon could never understand.
"Leon, are you a Demon?"
Amon's question threw the youngster for a loop. He turned his head and locked sight with Amon's hefty golden eyes.
"If you aren't a Demon, why bother understanding them? All you need to know is that they're the enemy and must be eliminated."
Amon's logic was purely militaristic. When he lived his life as a Transcendent, all he did was follow orders. He had no empathy or remorse for his actions and eliminated his enemies like it was second nature to him. That mindset could be either a blessing or a curse.
In this case... it was a blessing.
"Demons are just enemies that need to be killed. Know that, and you will do well in our future missions."
After eradicating the Blood Demon, Amon planned to begin the war against the Demon Cult in earnest. When that time came, he needed Leon to be ready. There would be more ruthless Demons, even Demonic Humans, that had fallen to the Prophet's temptation.
They were all enemies that Leon had to be prepared to face.
Leon firmly nodded while raising Ascalon for a closer view. When he'd slain the bloodless corpses that came his way, they let out a serene voice of gratitude that stuck heavily to his heart. For the first time, he'd gotten a taste of what it was like to save someone, even if they were already dead.
Rather than let them slave away at the whims of a Demon, it was better to give them eternal salvation.
And that was what Leon was determined to do.
"Have you rested enough?" Amon asked the group, mainly the young cadets seated quietly at the corner. "If so, we're moving out. We still have a couple of hours when the Sun is up. We'll need to hurry."
The Knight cadets answered in unison as they hurriedly got to their feet. Adelia stumbled a little and lost her balance for a brief moment, only to be caught by her childhood friend standing close by.
Usually, Gale would make a snobbish remark to tease Adelia during moments like these. However, the young man did no such thing. With a face full of determination, he ensured the safety of his partner before focusing on the task at hand. Amon, who let out a rare smile, didn't miss that move.
'Even Leon's comrades are growing at an accelerated rate. Should I also bring them under my tutelage if that's the case?'
In [Bright], Leon made plenty of comrades. However, these three had always stood by his side, growing alongside him and assisting him in achieving more extraordinary feats of bravery. Having them train under him didn't seem that bad of an idea.
Not to mention, their base training was already complete. They were some of the finest cadets in the Knight's Academy, and like Leon, they would be highly sought after to join any Order. The only aspect they lacked was real-life experiences and a battle-hardened mindset.
However, that could be fixed easily.
While Amon seriously considered messing up the timeline at the risk of severe deviation to improve the young Knight's capabilities, Yue approached the only other girl in the group.
"P-Princess Yue! How may I help you?"
"Ah, stop it with the Princess title. It's too flashy for me. Just call me Yue!"
Adelia was tongue-twisted by the ethereal beauty's sudden appearance next to her. She took a moment to reflect on the status of the person she was talking to.
The Princess of the Elune House. She was the heir to the mighty Magician's House and was widely considered the most talented mage of her generation. Besides the Saintess, she was the most famous girl in Hyades and the idol everyone yearned to see at least once.
And it was for good reason. Yue was perhaps the most jaw-dropping beauty Adelia had ever seen, and she was even prettier the closer one got to her.
Adelia heard rumours that there were even fan clubs dedicated to spreading snippets of her image—not because they were lustful but because Yue's appearance enchanted them. And after staring right at the beauty for a few seconds, Adelia could understand why.
Yue's everflowing white hair cascaded down like moonlight strings, exuding mystery and grace. Her deep, ruby eyes heavily contrasted with her ethereal hair, which made people pay more attention to it. Like casting a spell, anyone who met eyes with her would have their breath swept away as they were charmed by her mystical gaze.
She was a breathtaking, otherworldly beauty who looked like she was from another dimension. Such a beauty couldn't be tied down by mortal means.
But of course... someone had tied down her heart.
"Sorry to spring this onto you, but could you do me a favour?"
"O-Of course! What would you like me to do?"
"I think we're closing in on the Demon soon, so I would be a little busy later on. When the time comes, could I entrust you with the recording?"
Yue reached into her pocket and handed over two recording crystals. They were high-end crystals that could record everything in high-definition, and each was expensive enough to buy a comfortable house. Adelia hadn't seen one in person, so to see Yue hand them out so casually gave her a slight fright.
'As expected from one of the richest girls in the world. But wait, recording?'
Adelia was rightfully confused by Yue's words. Did they need to record the Demon for the mission's purposes? Even if they did, there was no need to invest so much in expensive recording crystals like the ones in her hand.
Unfortunately, Adelia's hopes were about to be dampened instantly.
"Please help me record Amon, okay? And try to do it secretly! Amon gets annoyed whenever I record him secretly, and he'll stop allowing me to hug him! We can't have that, right?"
Adelia was utterly speechless. She didn't know what to say in response to the young beauty's fervour. All she could do was stare straight at Yue's lovestruck expression blankly.
"Tch, we've been going out together for the past eight years; you would think he would be okay with me filming him by now! But he's just so stingy! Don't you think so too?"
'Then don't film him secretly?!'
Adelia couldn't help but retort in her mind. All of her majestic, imaginative impressions of Yue crumbled instantly as she watched the woman frown and scold Amon with a dissatisfied pout. Adelia thought of the countless enamoured members of Yue's fan club and their genuine worship of the girl.
How would they feel if they saw their idol with hearts in her eyes for another man?
"Make sure to take good videos, alright? Try to get his good side and zoom in whenever you see a handsome shot. Ah, but don't fall in love with Amon. He's mine, after all."
Yue's cold hand grasped Adelia's shoulder, sending a chilling sensation down her spine. Unknowingly, Adelia saw the death god hanging behind Yue's perfect face, and she was compelled to answer promptly if she wanted to survive.
As Yue casually walked over to Amon and sauntered by his side like nothing happened, Adelia felt her legs give way. She tapped on her beating chest and wiped off the cold sweat from her forehead. While calming herself, only one thought remained in her head. Dıscover more novels at NoveI★Fire.net
'They really are the Fantasy Couple.'