The Laughing Swordsman

The wings of the four-horned demons detached before launching towards Serosh.

They turned into translucent black lances as they traveled.

Two of the four-horned demons were a second late. They were the ones that took backlash from the last attack.

Serosh did not have time to react to the first two lances. They directly penetrated his chest, but stopped after piercing a few centimeters. Then, they disappeared altogether.

As for the other two lances, Serosh was prepared. The tip of his silver pen had not revealed itself, but Serosh used it to draw an arc anyway, almost like he was drawing a line on a paper.

The lances abruptly shattered into pieces.

The two-four horned demons coughed up blood as their eyes rolled back. They fell from the sky like a bird that lost its wings.

As for Bryce and the other four-horned demon, they fell. However, new translucent black wings grew from their backs. As such, they could stay afloat.

Bryce laughed triumphantly. He had already forgotten that two of his 'allies' were about to die.

"Do you feel it yet?"

Serosh was confused at first. However, a sudden weakness spread throughout his body. The lances had some sort of poison in them.

Serosh grit his teeth.

"You... made a poison that targets demons?"

His voice was no longer silky smooth. Instead, it was far deeper, with a faint gurgle accompanying it.

Bryce's eyes widened as the corners of his mouth turned up. There was an evil look on his face.

"Haha, spot-on, sire. As you can see, it is even effective against demons of the five-horned rank! With this, I will rise in rank at record-breaking speed!"

Serosh could no longer breathe. He began falling from the sky as though he were a bird with injured wings.

His wings continued to flap intermittently, slowing his descent. However, he eventually lost strength and fell to the ground.

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Serosh was on his hands and knees.

His head lifted, letting him see Bryce's malicious smile.

"You... You actually betrayed the demons."

Bryce gathered mana for a spell.

"Betray... is an overstatement. I am simply looking out for myself."

He conjured a massive icicle, reaching a few meters in length. It shot down towards Serosh.

Layla looked at Serosh and the icicle.

"Is friend in trouble?"

Apollo looked at Layla.

"Maybe?"

Layla put a finger on her chin.

"...Are we supposed to help?"

Apollo shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know."

In the end, the two of them stared awkwardly at Serosh, who was on his last legs.

As for Serosh, his hand slowly lifted up. The silver pen was in his hands.

The icicle was just a few meters above Serosh, about to pierce his skull.

Then, Serosh's silver pen clicked. The tip revealed itself before drawing a weak and trembling arc in the air.

A few drops of silver ink flew into the air, shimmering with a soft white light.

At this point, the icicle was right above Serosh. But before it could do anything, the drops of ink shone like stars, making its surroundings become a dark night.

Serosh smiled.

"...Vanish."

Bryce narrowed his eyes.

"What?"

A deafening explosion rang out along with a blinding white light.

Countless balls of white light burgeoned within the sky, shaking the air.

Bryce's body evaporated into nothing. He could not even process the fact that he died.

The four-horned demons were dead. Two from falling out of the sky, splattering into a pancake, and two dissipating from Serosh's silver pen.

Apollo and Layla ran to Serosh, who was trembling like an old man.

Layla raised her hands in the air.

"Wow, that was so cool!"

Apollo nodded in agreement.

"So cool!"

The black tendrils retreated back into Serosh's heart. His black skin had become a pale grey while his black veins were visible from the outside.

There was a bitter smile on his face.

"...Thanks. There is currently a deadly poison rampaging in my body. Sorry, but I will be unable to continue our tour."

Apollo grabbed onto one of Serosh's arms, putting it over his shoulder.

"No problem! I can help carry you while you are hurt!"

Layla saw what Apollo was doing and imitated him, putting Serosh's other arm over her shoulder.

"Yes! I will carry friend!"

Serosh was lifted up to his feet with the pair's help. With great effort, he lifted up his head.

The citizens of the city were looking at him in fear. They were frozen in place, trembling uncontrollably.

"The traitor... killed the commanders!"

"He's going to kill us next!"

"I'm scared! Someone, help us!"

Serosh frowned.

"My subjects."

Despite his weakened state, his voice boomed with confidence, making the crowd fall silent.

"You may not believe my words, but the former head commander, Bryce, has created a deadly poison to kill demons. I have been afflicted with such poison as the head commander has used it against me."

The crowd glared at him with suspicion.

"How can we trust your words?"

"But... you were the one that killed the commander!"

"How can we believe someone that just murdered our kind?"

Serosh frowned.

"Silence!"

The words that were about to come from the crowd got caught in their throats.

Serosh spoke slowly and solemnly.

"Whether or not you trust me is not my concern. I am simply informing you that nobody will be able to manage the village. As such, you must learn to take care of yourselves in this time period."

He closed his eyes.

"You must stay strong. Otherwise, you will fall apart."

Serosh proceeded to speak softly, so only Apollo and Layla could hear.

"Take me away, please."

Apollo and Layla nodded. They turned around and carried Serosh's limp body away.

The crowd looked at Serosh's departing figure in an awkward silence.

"Is our ruler leaving us?... What will we do now?"

"...Did we jump to conclusions?"

"No... it can't be?"

Until the end, they still doubted the person that sheltered and fed them.