Chapter 184: Hand over the Hero
"You are not a hero, are you?" The hoarse voice resonated within the vast chamber.
"...." Eli remained silent, his gaze fixed on the 'enigmatic being' before him.
The creature appeared to possess human-like characteristics but was inherently different. It had dark brown hair and a muscular, chiselled physique with ebony skin, standing at least three times the size of a typical human. The being was adorned with a silver helmet and on the armrest, there laid large gauntlets that bore strange symbols etched.
It sat on a throne.....no, a Throne constructed from an enormous creature....Wait,
'Overlord?' Eli's eyes widened in disbelief.
Yes, that monster sitting on another monster made of throne.....and it looked exactly like He had encountered such black humanoid monsters before, except It was ten times larger and featured a stinger, a unique appendage that no Funamia had. The body was broken made part of the chair, and the black blood from the creature endlessly staining the floor.
Behind the creature, a silver-haired elf girl was pinned to the wall, a wooden stake piercing her stomach. Blood trickled from her mouth, and her eyes, bloodshot and clouded with pain, remained locked onto the monstrous being with a determined expression.
"Alysi-"
""ARRRRHHHHH!!!!"
Eli was jolted by the agonizing cry, and he saw the tiny creature covered in blood, writhing in pain.
"Ti-Tiana!!" Eli's voice trembled as he recognized the injured fairy.
"Oh, you know this thing?....34" the monstrous being inquired, tilting its full-headed silver helmet, and cruelly plucking one of Tiana's wings.
"AARRHH!!"
Tiana screamed in excruciating pain as her delicate wings were forcibly torn from her like a flower being plucked. The monster casually discarded the wing, counting as though it were a mundane task.
'ssshhhh'
Then, to Eli's astonishment, another wing began to sprout from Tiana's back, growing identical to the one that had been ruthlessly torn off.
"I asked you, didn't I?"
A surge of overwhelming pressure washed over Eli, making his legs quiver. Nevertheless, he managed to stand his ground, glaring defiantly at the monstrous entity.
"Oh, I guess you people are always like that" the monster remarked with an amused tone.
"aarhh!!" Tiana's voice grew weaker.
"35"
"Answer me when I'm in a good mood, Ant"
Once more, a wave of oppressive pressure threatened to force Eli to his knees...
"ggrrrr"
Eli felt his body going numb, and his blood pressure began to spike....He was on the verge of losing consciousness, but he gritted his teeth, using sheer willpower to remain standing.
"Hmmm....sigh, This is why I hate ants.
Always stubborn and think themselves great" the monster grumbled with a tone of dread.
"I-I-cough-will ki-kill y-yo-" A feeble voice emanated from behind the monster.
"Hmm, still alive...ah?" the monster remarked with amusement, glancing back at the girl who was pinned to the wall.
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"ASHER!!!"
"ASHER ELI!!"
The shouts grew louder and closer, coming from the direction of the chamber's entrance.
"Hmm?" The monster turned to look toward the entrance, where one by one, the students began to arrive.
Since that monster was at the far end of the chamber, not all of the students could see it initially.
They first noticed Eli, who was visibly shaken and biting his lips, his legs trembling.
"Mr. Asher Eli?" Rize frowned, concerned upon seeing his distress.
"Asher?" Oliver also frowned, noting the person lying near Eli.
"Is someone hur---" Oliver began to inquire when a tap on his shoulder made him turn.
"B-Bro-ther," Arlyne's voice quivered.
"Hmm-"
As soon as he turned, his body froze in fear.
"Oh, Good Morning, Ants" the monster greeted them with an eerie joyfulness.
"36"
"..." The chamber fell silent, and Tiana could no longer make a sound.
Eli gazed blankly at Tiana, who appeared to have lost consciousness and then glanced at the light purple-haired girl lying in the black fluid, missing one leg and both hands.
Upon seeing the horrifying scene, Kyra instinctively shielded Kira behind her, while Oliver did the same with Arlyne, and Theo cautiously hid behind Arlyne.
Rize, Amber, Eva, and Pearl swiftly readied their weapons.
"Overlord?" Amber inquired with a worried look when she saw Alysia pinned to the wall. 'There's no way that woman would be easily defeated...'
Hearing her question, the monster shifted its focus from Eli to the new group.
"Hmm, him?" the monster asked in an amused tone as it plucked another wing and glanced down.
"...."
Everyone present wore expressions of horror as they took in the sight of the throne,
'Isn't that the Overlord? Then who is this?'
As if it could read their thoughts, the monster responded,
"I am your.....death, I guess" It unleashed a wave of pressure that left nearly everyone on their knees.
"W-What the..?'
"Fuck!!"
"Pearl, Hold Amber"
"Brother!!"
"I-I am fine-ha-"
"Shit"
The pressure was overwhelming, causing most people to kneel.
"At least you guys are not stubborn" the monster said with a pleased expression. It noticed a few people trying to act tough, but their resistance faded quickly.
"Hmm... Saintesses" the monster muttered when it saw two pink-haired girls radiating a bright aura as if the pressure had no effect on them.
A creepy smile formed under its helmet, and it was about to say something when a blinding light suddenly obscured its vision.
"Hero!" Its eerie smile widened further when it saw a golden-haired boy stepping forward to block its pressure.
"Yes, I am the Hero of Dawn Kingdom, Alexander" Alexander declared as he unsheathed his shining sword and pointed it at the monster.
"You damn monster, how dare you hurt my friend Tiana and Alysia" Alexander shouted with bloodshot eyes, his anger evident.
Alexander's powerful presence lifted the pressure on the students' bodies, allowing them to stand up and face the new enemy.
"A-Alex" Arlyne said, feeling a warm sensation coursing through her body, and she wasn't alone; everyone felt it.
The Fallen couldn't sense it because they only experienced a slight tingling sensation.
"Amber, I think it's not the Overlord" Pearl said when she observed the monster sitting on the large dead humanoid creature that was the Overlord of the upper floor.
"....Pearl, be prepared..." Amber hinted at something with an unsettling tone as she recognized the sense of danger and the fear of death.
"No, I can't...I can't leave my friends" Pearl understood but she gritted her teeth and gripped her spear.
"Pearl, you are a princess, don't forget" Amber reminded her in a firm tone before calling out to Alexander.
"Alex?"
"Hmm? Don't worry; nothing will happen to you while I am here.
I.will.protect.you."
Alexander's words resonated in the room, and Amber smiled warmly, ready to respond, when a chilling, eerie laugh filled the chamber.
"Hahahaha... hahahaha" The laugh was more of a grotesque cackle, sending shivers down their spines.
"haha... You will protect them... hmm... let's see if it's worth protecting them" The monster held its helmet as if deep in thought, all while plucking Tiana's wing. There was no hint of worry in its tone; instead, it seemed to be provoking them, daring them to make a move.
And the provocation worked.
"Hey, Alexander, we should finish it off while it's distracted" Theo suddenly suggested in a low voice as he moved from behind and stood in front of Kyra, who was gazing at Alexander with admiration in her eyes.
"Huh?" Alexander glanced at Theo, a hint of disgust briefly crossing his face before he hid it.
He responded firmly, "No, we cannot do that while Tiana and Alysia are in its grasp....Making any irrational decisions is dangerous" His words carried the weight of an order.
"..." Theo's face twisted with anger, but he quickly regained his composure, "Is that so?"
"Your Majesty, you should be ready in case--"
"No, I can't leave you guys alone" Theo immediately rejected, glancing at Kyra, who was still looking at Alexander with admiration, and Kira, who was looking in the direction of the monster.
"Your Majesty" Arlyne couldn't help but smile upon hearing Theo's response.
Theo returned the smile and turned his attention back to the situation.
"Hmm, as long as you guys hand over the Hero, I will let every one of you live" The monster suddenly said in a hoarse voice.
It glanced behind, thinking, 'I waited for them to make a move, but it seems they are more vigilant than the previous idiots'.
The response from the group was immediate.
"W-What? We can't do that" Amber voiced her strong objection.
"No way" Pearl chimed in with her agreement.
Eva and Rize remained silent, refusing to answer.
"Y-Yes, we can't" Arlyne quickly voiced her disagreement.
"....Yes" Oliver hesitated slightly and looked at the princesses.
"...We cannot trust monsters" Kyra stated bluntly, and Kira nodded in agreement.
Alexander smiled inwardly, thinking, 'Everything is going according to plan, at least this part'.
He glanced at Tiana and Alysia, 'I arrived just in time, but that bitch!!!....I told her to contact me immediately if anything dangerous happened' Alexander had given his hard-earned communication tool to Marie in case something happened faster than plot timing, and he was getting increasingly annoyed with her unreliability.
Alexander, already having spotted Marie submerged in the black pool of liquid, chose to disregard her due to his growing frustration with her unreliability.
The monster frowned in response, displeased with the supportiveness displayed by the students.
However,
"Well, then, you can have the Hero as long as you let us live" A stern, indifferent voice spoke. Everyone turned to see an auburn-haired man.....with dead eyes, he looked at the monster.
<A Few minutes Before>
After being released from the intense pressure that had weighed on Eli, he found himself panting heavily.
"-ha-ha-ha-"
"M-Marie?" He tried to regain his composure as he crouched down beside Marie, who was half-submerged in the black pool of fluid. Her light purple hair was dyed with the dark liquid, and her red eyes revealed traces of tears, a testament to the pain she had endured after losing two hands and one leg.
Eli's lips trembled as he gently called out to her,
"Marie?"
"..."
But she didn't respond. He reached out and touched her neck to check for her pulse, finding it reassuringly present.
Relieved, Eli muttered, "Sigh, she just lost consciousness" He reached for the two bottles he had saved for his own use and examined the other group that was engaged in some sort of negotiation with the monster.
'sowwwhhhh'
With a soft hissing sound, he began by using Holy water to staunch the flow of blood from Marie's wounds, pouring it over her torn leg and hands.
"Marie, drink this" Eli said gently as he lifted her chin to facilitate her airflow and slowly poured the Holy water into her mouth.
'ttrrrrrrr'
There was a slight struggle in her attempts to drink it, but it was enough to rouse her.
Then,
"-cough-cough-"
She began to cough, her eyelids twitching before slowly opening her eyes.
"A-Alex?" she asked, her voice uncertain as she looked at the burly man with murky eyes.