CHAPTER 2 – PART SEVENSmall fry is a term that refers to characters that are too insignificant to even mention about, but at this moment, I am plagued by these so called small fries. How did this happen? I"ll have to turn back the time to tell you the story.
It was a week ago that I held a festival for the birth of my son. We all had a great time having the party and enjoying each other"s company, then suddenly a loud boom resounded from the sky.
*BOOM*
That sound did not resemble thunder at all so we all went outside and saw the clouds parting and giving way to someone from the clouds. It was such a grand entrance that anyone from any part of the world would have seen.
The person coming from the clouds looked very handsome and he wore a golden garb which further enhanced his looks. However, when I laid eyes on him all I could see was sinister evil. And finally when he smiled, I saw the evil in him totally. I don"t know how to explain it but the way he was looking at me felt as if I was being looked at by something so filthy that my instincts wanted me to just squash the man under my feet.
The moment that he finished his entrance he sent telepathic waves as he said,
{h.e.l.lo, I am called Azael-on I am what the demons would call "Hero" and I am here to make an example of humans. This city is the closest to the demon realm so I will be making a mark here for all to see. How a real demon operates, a demon that hates humans more than anything in the whole cosmos.}
Without further explanation and dilly dallying, that "Hero" of the demon realm who Agamemkeru mentioned to me a while ago, waved his hands and black spots appeared all over the city while Azael-on himself disappeared simultaneously. I couldn"t even give in a word and he already left.
Did I not warn Agamemkeru about my city, my territory being off limits to any invasion or war effort against humanity? What has he been doing since then that frog!
I specifically told him about it because I did not want something like this to happen and now it"s actually happening without warning. Come on!
From the black spots that Azael-on summoned hideous monstrosities came by the horde and flock to flood the whole city.
"Dammit! If this goes on there will be ma.s.sive damage to the city and lives will be lost. I can"t have that."
I turned towards Isaac and the rest and gave orders immediately while also blanketing the entire territory with Overpower that had enough juice to and killing intent to drown even the four of my retainers if they were exposed to it. I designated those monsters that come out of the black spots, let"s call it black hole for name"s sake and those that came out immediately were brought to their knees without fail. They are like fruits ripe for the taking.
"You guys go around the city and eliminate all that comes out of those holes while I stay here and monitor the situation. If I move from here my influence over other sides would weaken. Isaac you take the center of the city, Caltec go around the east, Jon you got the east and Mor go south. Use everything you got to ensure a swift end to the situation." Finishing giving orders I took to the skies and took the view of the city as a whole. There are spots from the north as well but over there is just a cliff and I can easily use my heat vision, nah, laser vision sounds cooler, to rain down beams and take them down from a distance.
Immediately after having heard my order they moved. I also told the ladies to enter the Love Nest to take shelter while we take care of the situation. Truth is, I am holding myself back from making a move, so much so that I have been clenching my fists from the start. It is true that protecting people makes the strong weak; however, that weakness also gives strength to the will of protecting them even more, which is very contradictory.
Since I"m holding myself back to this extent, I"ll have to rely on my retainers to clean up the streets without losing our own people. If even one citizen of this city gets hurt I will make that demon regret ever crossing over to this world. I did not feel threat from that guy but instead just disgust and a very huge urge to squash him like a bug. I wonder why.
*Pshhh*
Beam after beam disperses from my eyes as wave after wave of these small fries keep appearing.
And so a week has already gone by and this is still happening. Fortunately the method I suggested to the guys to inject mana to the black holes to close it worked, inside the city at least. Those black holes that were outside the city as a result of numerous black holes being closed grew in size, which is not giving me a headache.
Now, they are battling outside and seemed to actually be enjoying the fight those d.a.m.ned guys.
Isaac was fighting quite a few enemies for himself. I already reduced the ranged of Overpower to only cover the city so that those things don"t get to enter it. That"s why the guys are able to have fun now. Earlier they could not fight because the enemy were already kneeling on the ground and struggling which were easily vanquished.
[Hah!] Isaac"s shout resounded as he sent a punch towards one of the shadow fiend-like monster that he was facing. His punch was received squarely but the monster only suffered some damage and was not killed by it. Those things have strength on the Legend to Mythical levels and the guys" strength are also on Mythical, but that having the same amount of power with the opponent would not grant an overwhelming victory. Isaac started rushing the fiend and finally used his mana simultaneously to freeze the fiend where it stood and broke it apart with another fist. He did this for the rest of his opponents.
Caltec also had a good fight judging from his huge grin while Jon and Mor, more or less also had one. Although they are already covering for the black holes, it still could not be closed easily as I had to keep monitoring the whole place just in case. I don"t want to intensify my Overpower since I"m very afraid of losing control over it and repeat the tragedy I caused some time ago.
I could go super slow motion but I"m afraid that that demon is just there waiting for an opportunity to strike a killing blow and blow the city into smithereens the moment I try to inject mana to the black holes myself. This really sucks. Having all this power and still being helpless, just how lame is this?
My plans have also been set back because of this demon Azael-on. Instead of conquering other kingdoms by now, I am right here stupidly pinned on the spot without any way of remedying the situation.
I can only rely on Isaac to close the holes from now on. He can freeze surely freeze any monster that crawls out of the holes and that should give him time to pour mana into the holes to close it. Isaac, hurry up. Being bothered by small fries is making me very irritable.
***
-Isaac-
Sire really is someone that can command respect, fear and love in the people. He"s totally holding himself back from doing heroics like saving the whole realms himself by moving and closing all the holes himself. In fact I feel that he can actually do it without problem if he really just let go and did what he wanted. Instead, there he is, pinned on the spot and relying on us to close the holes ourselves. If he"s not benevolent then who is?
He cares too much for his own people that he sacrificed himself just so that no one from our side dies.
I can only shake my head without saying anything. And because of his kindness and protection he chose to rely on us, his subordinates. The trust that he shows, I cannot betray that. That"s why, I will go all out and deal with these holes.
I realized that out of all of us retainers, I am the only one who can gain time for me to close the holes by utilizing my unique mana signature. I have never thought that such a time that I would be thankful for having this accursed mana in me. Using this to help Sire would be for the best.
[Haaah!] I released the restraint I had over my own mana via mana manipulation in the body and let it out. Immediately the result could be clearly seen as frost formed around me as the center in mere moments. The cold does not affect me while frost took the fiendish shadow monsters by surprise and froze over one by one.
[Yes, this is the result I want, now for the closing of this gate. I would love to fight more but Sire would probably be feeling so stifled at the moment. He"s been sitting there for a week or so already. Although the city at first was in panic, they noticed that monsters that appeared from the holes inside the city were unable to take a step forward and instead knelt to the ground.
So instead of panicking they were relieved and began to spread rumors that the deity, the founder of this city had protected them. Their belief on this city"s safety instead grew to an exaggerated extent that they even went out of their homes and maintained their daily lives as if nothing was happening outside.
The mercenaries were doing their best to be on guard on the city"s walls watching the fight being fought by the Trinity that they so adore as it is known that the three were mercenaries once.
The adventurers wanted to try to fight the shadow fiends but were immediately dissuaded by the fact that even the Trinity was being pushed by the shadow fiends back in the fight. And their power is well known in the city as a matter of course. So the adventurers chose to just holed up in the guild even at the moment.
Merchants were not daring enough and just stayed inside the city for the time being and were doing local trade instead inside the city. Some were even doing some bets to entertain themselves while holed up. They were betting on who would be the first to be able to defeat over a hundred of these monsters and it seems I won. I have a good advantage so that is only natural. No, I"m not proud of it or anything!
How do I know this? It"s because of years of b.l.o.o.d.y research have produced it; Short-range Communication. It"s nothing much as it only has the range of the city but it is very useful for keeping in touch without physical connection. It works by wearing an earring that receives and transmits waves of mana towards another receiver. And the voice is directly transmitted to the brain which keeps it utterly secret. It may have a short range but it can receive multiple waves at the same time because each person has a unique mana wave which the little earring separates and then injects my mind. The disadvantage I have discovered for now is that when too many reports come in at the same time a major headache would follow after receiving the message; enough to incapacitate me for at least a minute if bad and an hour if worse.
After closing up the hole I was facing, I broke the frozen fiends and went towards another hole that just got bigger because of closing this one up. At this rate, even the monsters that come out of the holes would become stronger and stronger until only a huge-a.s.s hole is left and something bigger and stronger would come out. And it is still not sure if only one monster of that caliber would come out.
I have to hurry and close more holes before all four of us are exhausted. We"ve been abusing the potions that the alchemists have brewed for us. We always keep a good amount of supply of it in our person"s just in case. If we run out of potions then we"d be in danger as well. We can have people bring us more but that would be too dangerous as these monsters are getting stronger with each hole that is closed up.
What a mess this is and that "Hero" as he introduced himself is nowhere to be found. Sire would surely be seething in anger because of this later. I am shivering just at the thought of him making a move with unrestrained anger.