Calamity Among Men

They crossed the castle gates into the vast courtyard. The lawn was well-manicured, with a rectangular stone path laid down its center for carriages. A pretty gazebo stood in the distance, supported by four marble pillars with pairs of benches placed within. Close to the perimeter wall was a fountain, above which a cherub statue with hollow eyes watched over two lifeless bodies of servants. A dog busily gnawed at the remains, pulling at a liver before swallowing it with little effort.

"How utterly disgusting." Ines raised her crossbow, squinting as she aimed at the dog and pulled the trigger. Her arrow, fast and precise, flew through the dog's eye socket. The beast shuddered violently before collapsing.

"Great aim," Maden praised.

"Crossbows are illegal," Captain Reese spoke, out of respect for the law.

"It's different in the right hands," Ines replied nonchalantly, undisturbed by the comment.

Reese seemed to want to say more, but with Noah present, he kept his words to himself.

Looking up at the main building, Noah admired the walls crafted from elegant stonework, adorned with carvings of fish, flowers, and hyacinths near the top. Multiple square windows spanned each floor, each about ten feet wide. Noah remembered the Earl's castle used to be brightly lit, but now it was devoid of any light, as if abandoned. The most dreadful thought was that demons might have slaughtered everyone inside, both nobility and common folk alike.

Reese had brought additional men to promptly attend to the deceased, record the situation, and control the scene.

"You go check the west tower, you check the walls, you check the storeroom, look for survivors, but don't be alone," directed Reese to the numerous guards he brought, then turning to an aide, "Document everything that happens tonight in detail. Lord Reine must know it all when he returns."

What would Reine think? What would he ask of me? Noah speculated. Where did the demonic beast come from? What was the deal with those mutated demon dogs? He surmised the local temple must have intricate ties with the demons, but such unfounded conjectures would only tarnish the reputation of the hunters' chapel if shared with the Earl.

Noah had initially thought the demons had escaped on their own, but it now appeared there must be someone behind their release, taking advantage of the chapel's unguarded moment to unleash the imprisoned demons, causing chaos. Both the temple and the Thieves Guild seemed to be involved.

"Nonsense, it's because of your lack of control that they escaped. If a hunter had stayed at the chapel, would the thieves have succeeded?" Gladius exclaimed.

"If only one hunter had stayed at the chapel, the thieves would have killed him then released the demons."

"Your arrogance led to all this; you thought no one would dare attack the chapel."

"As long as there are people with ill intentions, the chapel will never be safe... They're always watching for opportunities."

"You're right, the followers of demons are inexhaustible! We are immortal! Our servants will follow in endless succession! There will always be those who oppose you!"

"And there will always be those who hunt you."

Noah ascended the steps to the main building's entrance and pushed the door open, greeted by a wave of stench.

Inside, the dimly lit hall revealed several bodies on the floor. The open structure had a chandelier hanging in the center, spiral staircases on either side leading to the second floor, and a path forward to the ground floor living room and dining area. The floor was carpeted, a rare decoration in Reine's minimalist castle, soft to the step, but with all lights extinguished, Noah could see nothing.

"We need a torch..." Noah turned back, finding Duven timely approaching, illuminating the surroundings.

Under the torchlight, the darkness receded, revealing several pairs of sinister green eyes that inched back as Noah held his blade, ready for the dog pack that had invaded the room.

"Be cautious," Noah moved toward the dogs. "Everyone, be alert; there are more creatures here."

"Are those dogs?" Ines followed, her unease evident. "Noah, something's not right..."

As the torchlight fully illuminated them, Noah paused, stunned. They were humans, dressed as servants, crouching on all fours, pacing in place with ominous green glows in their eyes and sharpened teeth—men and women whose palms were filthy from crawling.

"What's happening here?" the guards questioned as they entered, surprised.

"Oh, God..."

"Have they gone mad?"

"Do we kill them?"

Unfortunate as it was, these wandering people had already succumbed to demonic corruption, their minds shattered to the point of exhibiting traits of spiritual contamination. Their actions and postures had become like those of dogs and beasts.

This irreversible process—once a soul is tainted, there's no returning to its previous state. They were doomed to live like beasts, to be corralled like livestock, or to be slaughtered.

"Are you... are you alright?" Maden stuttered.

These pitiful half-dogs uttered hoarse whimpers; some growled and snarled, their features twisted grotesquely. One, its teeth bloodied, had it bitten others like an animal? Noah didn't want to contemplate it.

"How do we deal with them?" Reese asked, his arms crossed. "What is this? Have they been driven mad by demons? I recognize some of them..."

"A severe case of hysteria," Noah concluded bitterly. "Incurable."

"Then we have no choice but to put them down," Reese commanded.

"Wait," Noah quickly interjected.

Witnessing powerful demons can cause severe mental distortions—this was one of the grave negative impacts of demonic attacks. Their minds were broken, their souls demonized, forming black sediments... Should they be killed? Noah believed they were victims of a catastrophe. The half-demonized mercenaries, once humans, had been shot down, a heavy burden on Noah's mind.

"You can't save them! You can't save them! Let them die! Let me devour their souls!" Gladius screamed.

Noah pressed his forehead, the guards waiting with swords in hand, ready to act.

They were prepared to kill the mad servants.

"You forgot what the knight said? Saving people isn't your duty; you're just ordinary and can't save anyone! Let them die! You don't know them! Living is suffering for them! Death is paradise!"

"I can find a way... I must find a way... to turn them back..."

"Looking for a way to reverse demonization? You think your dull mind can help others?"

"I believe... I must be able to find a way... no matter how difficult... I must find a way..."

"You're doomed to lose! You're doomed to lose!" Gladius continuously assaulted Noah's mind.

"Be quiet," Noah spoke out loud, realizing only after seeing the reactions of those around him that he hadn't confined his words to his thoughts.

"We weren't noisy," they all protested, feeling wronged.

"Can these people be cured?" Ines questioned, looking at the servants who, although moving like dogs, showed no intent to attack or flee.

"I don't know, there might be a way... but not now. If there's a chance to cure them, they shouldn't die," Noah panted.

"Let's detain them for now, to prevent endangering public security. We can't let the mad roam free. There were others who went mad after seeing the winged demon," Reese suggested.

"Thank you, let them be temporarily... protected by you. Once I find a way, I will help them," Noah sighed.

"People go mad just by seeing demons? Then how do we fight them?" Maden looked up towards the darkness above the staircase where demons hid in every corner.

"That's why I must find a way. There are even demon hunters who've gone mad because they couldn't defeat the demons inside. Only by finding a cure for this kind of mental distortion can we better combat demons. Until then, ensure your beliefs are steadfast," Noah said.

"As long as being steadfast is enough, I won't be defeated by demons," Maden clenched his fists.

The guards approached the servants cautiously, and one maid, on all fours, scurried past them towards Noah.

"Careful!" Reese drew his sword.

Noah watched the maid closely, her eyes vacant, teeth sharp—if not for the horrific transformation, she would have been a pretty young woman.

"Upstairs..." she pointed upwards with her hand, "please hurry..."

"What's upstairs?"

"Miss Gina... she's scared... please..." Her voice struggled, then she bowed her head, her gaze fixed on the ground, her movements dull like an animal's.

"I'll take care of the monster, don't worry," Noah said, watching her crawl back to the other frenzied servants.

Each demon's existence was a great peril to humanity. Noah lifted his head; as a demon hunter, he couldn't allow them to wreak havoc. He had to find hope amidst this suffering.

He climbed the stairs briskly, heading upwards, with people following him, relying on his judgment. The sound of many footsteps brought him some comfort.

More bodies were strewn along the way, both servants and castle guards. Some actual dogs lurked around, and Noah could imagine the events that had unfolded in the castle tonight. With Lord Reine away with most of the soldiers and the wizard Draco absent, the dog pack had taken advantage of the poorly defended castle to slaughter and devour souls.

The guards charged with spears, slaughtering the dogs. These dogs were as strong as others Noah had faced before, but now the guards had the upper hand in numbers. They speared the demonic hounds, which couldn't get close.

In such a battle, numbers became an advantage. Noah believed that with sufficient psychological preparation, even if they faced the eight-eyed hound itself, there shouldn't be too many problems.

Noah turned a corner in the corridor, only to be ambushed by a lurking demonic hound.

"Bark!"

Its assault was fierce, and Noah was forced to retreat continuously.

This was troublesome... Noah's strength and wounds had not fully recovered. Holding the hilt of his blade, he felt apprehensive.

"Come here!" Ines threw her magic rope, ensnaring the hound's body, binding it tightly. It tried to continue attacking, but the rope swiftly tightened its limbs, and it was left bound on the ground, its paws flailing as it howled incessantly.

"Finish it off!" The people surged forward, smashing and slashing, ending its brutal nature.

"Phew," Noah exhaled in relief. "You've gotten quite adept at using that, haven't you?"

"While you were out during the day, I didn't slack off," Ines shrugged.