'Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

With a tremendous roar, a strong electric shock was released from the large golden blade into the surrounding area. The electric shock knocked down the trees, blew away the corpses of the demons lying in wait, and cleared the surrounding area.

I had heard from the conversation along the way that it was a material-derived ability, but it was no less powerful than a mage's attack magic. I can understand why they say it's a dragon slayer.
However, even after seeing this scene, Luda did not feel at ease at all.

Arnold, who had taken the lead and swung his sword down, was breathing heavily.
The surrounding area was littered with the corpses and organs of demons that had been destroyed in excess, and there was a terrible stench in the air. It was not something that Luda and the others had defeated, but something that had been scattered around from the start.

Demons don't only attack humans. There are also territorial conflicts among demons, and it is common to find forests where powerful demons have come from the outside and completely changed the ecosystem.
However, the carcasses that were destroyed unnecessarily conveyed a strong sense of malice.

And it had already made contact with the demon that had probably done it.

'd*mn, it got away again! What the hell is that thing?

The stingray didn't even blink, concentrating on the sounds around it. However, there was no sign of any living thing, not even the sound of insects.

The first attack occurred just past the summit of the mountain, up the path of rolling corpses.
The demon attacked as if it were weaving its way through a gap in the trees. Almost at the same time as his companions, who happened to be looking at him, shouted in alarm, one of the <> flew into the air.

It was a dark green demon with unusually long arms and legs.
The blow from its slender arms was as fast as the wind, and it easily blew away the body of a large hunter wearing heavy armor reinforced with mana material. He easily evaded the swords and magic counterattacks that were unleashed in a flash, and disappeared behind the trees at a gliding speed.
What was most frightening was that the movement was almost silent, and that the demon disappeared the moment it took up its intercepting stance. It was obvious from its natural behavior that the demon had such a habit.

Fortunately, the member who was hit by the blow was safe, but the blow was certainly aimed at his neck.
If one of his comrades had not been able to detect the attack, it would have been dangerous.

But that was only the beginning of the attack.

Both wagons had already been lost. The horses were the target of the second attack.
In the first place, it was impossible for two carriages to pass through the narrow mountain road, and especially the carriage of the Misty Thunder Dragon was so large that it completely blocked the road, and once it advanced, there was no way to retreat. It was impossible to protect the horses from the demons that were aiming at them and attacking them, and there was no way he was going to force himself to put his party members in danger.

Luda also followed Ray's example, concentrating his mind to explore the situation around him.
The demon's stealth was quite high, and it was hard to see it in the waning light. However, it does not mean that there is no sign of it at the moment of the attack.

A sound similar to the rustling of the wind. That's the harbinger of the attack. It's hard to distinguish from the mere sound of the wind, but we have many eyes. If we all stay alert, there is little chance of a surprise attack.

'I don't know ...... anything about that demon, I've never seen it before!

'It's not just a ...... demon. Vindictive, intelligent, powerful. Brutality. I can't believe it saw Mr. Arnold and attacked him. ......'

I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not.

It was Gilbert's party members who were the most exhausted. In the event that you've got any questions regarding where and the best way to get in touch with us, we're here to help.
Both in ability and experience. The members' faces were exhausted, and their every move showed a strong sense of fear.

Perhaps that cunning demon is targeting them. The weaker ones first, and then carefully and carefully cut them down.

The demon Luda had seen was quite capable. It's probably one of the best in the Garest Mountains.
Still, they did not attack head-on, perhaps because they were cautious or because they wanted to strike fear into their prey.

Perhaps he's been testing his abilities with a few raids. The demon never targeted Arnold, the strongest. They only went after the weakest part.
Even in Arnold's party, there was a difference in ability among the members. As they descended the steep mountain path, they had to deal with attacks that could come at any time, which took a heavy toll on their spirits and gradually slowed them down.

The mountain path, with its strange pile of demon corpses, seemed to lead to hell. It was fortunate that no other demons appeared, perhaps because they were afraid of that demon.

After the tenth attack, Aei advised Arnold in a quiet voice.

'Mr. Arnold, it's not good if we don't fight. We can still hold our own, but the Crimson Flame is our limit. If we don't, we'll never make it.''

'............'

Arnold nodded silently. Luda felt a small sense of relief at that, though it did not show on her face.

In this situation, the quickest way for Arnold and his team to get rid of the demons is to abandon the weak. Especially in this case, for Arnold, the weak Luda, Gilbert, and the Crimson Flame were not the ones he should have taken the trouble to protect. If it was only the Foreign Mist, she could speed up her descent.
That's why Luda had briefly considered the possibility that Arnold would abandon Luda and the others and run away, but apparently he had no intention of doing so.

She was a little ashamed of herself for worrying so much.
You can be mistaken for a gang of thieves, but apparently not when you're level 7.

A ray turns around and whispers to Carmine and the others.

'...... Hey, you guys. We've got to get him-- we can't let this go on. You know that, right? He's got a mind to think. He's getting craftier by the minute, and he's not giving up. If we keep going like this, someone's bound to die. And if anyone is going to die, it's going to be one of the exhausted Crimson Flames that are being targeted.

The members of the Crimson Flame are listening to Aei's words with mysterious expressions.
Fortunately, no one seems to be making a fuss. They seem to understand the situation.

'As for us, we don't want our companions to die. So, here's the thing-- that demon is vindictive and powerful, but it's not without its weaknesses. He's got scars all over his body, and from what I've observed, he's got a big wound on his right leg.

'!

Gilbert's eyes widened at Aei's words. Luda also gasped.
Indeed, there were countless scars all over the body of the demon that we observed in a moment. It was as if it had been attacked by a large number of demons.

But even so, his movements were as fast as the wind. If he had injured his leg, how fast could he have been?

'Did you see the burnt forest at the camp above? It was probably the one we're after. And the one who wounded him.

'Oh, ...... I understand that, but ...... wait, what then? You're saying that demon did this to you?

Gilbert shouted loudly. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.



''No, unfortunately, that's not ...... possible at first. There were no dead bodies or traces of human blood along the way, and the demon left too few wounds. In the event that you have any questions regarding where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site. And we're paying for it.

'I see ......, that makes sense!

'How annoying .......'

I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea. If anything, Luda's opinion is also on Carmine's side.
If it was possible to defeat them, he wanted them not only to be injured but also to be defeated quickly.

They talked but did not stop.
We can get down the mountain in half a day's walk along the road. Most demons don't leave their territory. That demon's fighting style is specialized for mountainous areas with many obstacles. It wasn't supposed to follow us to the ground.

I look back at my friends. Luda had packed his belongings compactly, as was his habit as a soloist, but the others had lost their carriages and were now carrying the large belongings that had been loaded on them. It was too much of a hindrance to run away.
However, even if they threw them away and ran, it was unlikely that they would be able to escape safely from the speed of the demon. Perhaps Luda alone could escape, but that would mean using Gilbert and the other slower members as bait. I can't let that happen.

'Anyway, he's wounded. If Mr. Arnold fights him head on, he's not much of an opponent. The only problem is, he won't stand in front of Mr. Arnold. That means there's a ---- decoy.

Bait. The word "decoy" made the members of the "Crimson Flame" swallow their spit nervously.
Aei explained in a deliberately cheerful voice. But his expression is serious.

'Even if we're a few meters away, if we know who's going to be attacked, we can intercept them if we think of a path beforehand. What, it's an easy hunt.

'............ decoys, huh?

'Yeah, and ...... the weaker the better.'

Carmine's expression tensed up, and Aei continued.

The members of the Crimson Flame are quite promising, but at the moment they are far inferior to us. Once the plan fails, that demon won't be able to pull off the same trick again. I want to make sure of it. Do you understand?

At those words, the members of the Crimson Flame looked at each other.
They all had pale expressions on their faces. Being a decoy means that we need to pretend to be more defenseless than before. It was clear from the corpses of the demons that a cruel fate awaited them if they failed to intercept.

No one spoke up, and time passed. Gilbert raised his hand.

'Then I'll take the bait. I'm strong and I don't care if I get hit a little.

At the sound of his voice, his fellow team members' eyes widened. Carmine's expression changed to one of surprise for a moment, but then quickly returned to a frown.

From Luda's point of view, that demon was far superior. So it must be the same for Gilbert.
But there was no fear in Gilberto's face. His arms and legs did not tremble, even though it was impossible for him not to feel fear.

He knew the difference in strength between himself and his comrades, but he stood up for them. It was truly courage.
She looked different from the Luda I knew when I first met her only a few months ago.

But the ray immediately shook his head.

'No, Gilbert. Even from the outside, I can clearly see that you are one step ahead of the Crimson Flame. Your courage is admirable, but even that demon would be wary of you.

'I'm not that ............ far off. It's only a little higher. From the demon's point of view, it's the same. Isn't that right?

Gilbert looked around at his companions in a panic, but they only laughed and no one nodded.
Carmine took a deep breath and looked at his companions. He said as if he had made up his mind.

'...... It's no use, we're all going to survive this, let's make up our minds. I'm the party leader of the Crimson Flame. I'll decide who will be the decoy. ...... Leila, I'm sorry, can you help me?

'......'

The person in front of me was a petite female mage.
She was about the same age as Gilbert and had a strong appearance, but she was now pale.

'From what I've seen so far, that demon is more likely to target women than men. If you're a mage, you'll feel a little safer if you cast a defensive spell beforehand. There are many options you can take in case of emergency. I'm sure you're the most qualified among our members.

'But...'

'...... Okay, okay.'

Gilbert was about to speak up, but as if to interrupt him, Leila answered in a trembling voice.
She looked at Gilbert with a pale face and forced a smile.

'I can't ...... compete with Gilberto if he only shows me his good side.

'No, don't worry. Mr. Arnold is a dragon slayer. Don't worry, I'll make sure he's killed.

I'm not sure what to do. The other members of the Misty Thunder Dragon are nodding their heads.
This is the critical moment. Arnold, who had been silent until now, said with a frown as Luda and the others regained their energy.

'Nonsense. It's just an annoying demon. Let's get this over with and get off the mountain. We'll finish it off on the next raid.'

The plan is simple. Put Leila, who's been in the middle of the line, at the back where she's most likely to get attacked.
The moment you are attacked, the members of the formation will open the way at once, and Arnold will do his best to close the distance and kill you.

Leila will cast a defensive spell on herself, and those around her will be prepared to heal her at any time.

It's a simple plan, but it has the highest success rate of any plan we can take right now.

As you walk, change your formation so that it is not unnatural.
Be on the lookout for an attack that may come at any moment. Your mind is slowly wearing out, and time is running out. Perhaps we are not the only ones who are trying to proceed cautiously, but there is no sign of a new attack.



At that moment, the trees broke up and the view to my left opened up wide. You let out a small gasp.

Demons come from blind spots. If one side is open, the direction of the attack can be limited. It's a tailwind for the mission.

At that moment, something strange appeared in Luda's vision.

'? What's that, ......?

Far below, at the foot of the Galest Mountains, a shining mark on the side of a lake. Politely, the trees in the vicinity had been cut down and it was clearly visible even from the top of the mountain.
Gilbert's eyes widened, and Carmine and the others narrowed their eyes at the sight, which they would not normally see.

'...... Fire? What? Mark?

'Are there people living here? What is it? Is that some kind of signal? It looks like people are laughing at ......--'

Carmine held his tongue. He looked at the face of Arnold, who was walking in the lead.

The face of Arnold, who had remained silent until now no matter how rude Gilbert had been, was distorted as if it were a demon face.
His forehead was covered with blue streaks, and he was glaring down at the world below as if he were about to shoot a man to death. His arms were trembling and shaking. A growling voice leaked from his thick lips.

'A thousand changes ...... million changes ......, all as calculated, huh?

'What ......?'

I didn't know what he was talking about. I'm not sure if you've heard of this, but I'm sure you've heard of it.
No, no matter how much she was strengthened by the mana material, there was no way she could see from such a distance.

Stingray is looking down at the view with a look of disgust on his face. The other members of the team were also looking at the mark with similar expressions.

I'm not sure what to make of that. No more decoys. Let's give it to him.

'............ Hey. I'm not surprised.

Change of plan? No more decoys? What the hell are they planning to do?
I'm not sure what to make of it. In front of them, Arnold pulled out his "Gouraihaisen".

Reflecting the moonlight, the blade shines with a golden color. The air bends, and the polished blade spurts purple light.
From somewhere, I heard the rustling of the wind. But now was not the time to worry about that.

Arnold raises his sword and shouts in a loud voice, like a thunderclap.

'I'm not going to do what you want me to do! You'll have to clean up your own mess! You'll have to clean up your own mess!


And a huge pillar of light passed in front of Luda's eyes.