Chapter 03 Impending Death.

Soma after hearing the name that came out from Hisako's mouth stiffened. His body went rigid and his grip on Hisako's shoulder tightened.

Akabane Hina, that name feels so familiar to him. She is one of the heroines from the web novel series called Chronicles Saga. He considered her to be his favorite heroine from the others. Until the author decided to kill her for the plot.

At that time the comment section exploded with curse words from all of her fans around the globe. Soma is not an exception either. He still vividly remembered the rage he felt and the curse he lashed out in the comment section. Truly an unpleasant moment in his enjoyment of reading.

"What's wrong, boy?".

"..Ah nothing. I am sorry".

Hisako, realizing that something is bothering Soma, asks him with a worried tone. Soma who snapped his mind back, shook his head, began to lose the grip on Hisako's shoulder, and apologized because of his sudden weird behavior.

Soma squinted his eyes, and his head began to throb again. He closed his eyes and a flash of memories, and lines from the web novel he read appeared on his retina. As if he is reading a book before him.

"...They murdered my parents. Why should I forgive them?".

Akabane Hina whose thoughts were clouded by revenge when she spoke those lines. The emotion she contains inside her heart. Knowing that her parents were murdered by the demon, and when the time came she had the chance to do it. She spoke those words with a face full of rage and also tears. Soma could not imagine how She was feeling back then.

Then all of the puzzle pieces that scattered in his brain began to gather around making a complete picture. The death of two awakeners, the demon race. Everything began to click in his mind.

"..I see, so this was..".

Soma opened his eyes and breathed a sigh. He remembered what events were happening before his eyes right now.

"Are you okay, boy?".

Hisako raised her left hand and touched Soma's left cheek trying to calm him. Soma who received that, smiled wryly and shook his head.

"I am fine"

"..Thank god, I thought you were paralyzed by fear so..".

Soma couldn't hear what Hisako said anymore. His mind is racing with multiple choices that appear for his next move.

One, should he do what Hisako said, leave the place and let them face their death. Two, give the demon woman the ring that probably contains the relics in his hands and beg for their safety. But he realized that this choice would bring nothing but misfortune and disaster for the human side, and there was no guarantee that the demon woman would spare their lives.

Because if the event before him was the same as in the novel he read. The thing inside the ring was something that the demon sought over.

Another explosion happened behind him and Soma turned his attention behind him only to see that the man's body was covered in more wounds, and the demon woman began to feel irritated because of the sheer will of the man. "There is no time. What should I do?".. Soma muttered inside his heart.

His mind began to stir. A cold sweat began to drenchedd his forehead and back. He turned his attention toward the demon, then to the ring in his hand. His lungs began to feel heavy, as he panted. He could not decide which choice he should make.

"Hey?".

Soma gasped because of the warm feeling on his left cheek. He turned his gaze toward the voice that woke him up from his frenzy state. Only to find Hisako was looking at him. Like a mother who was trying to appease her troubled child.

"..It's okay. No harm will befall upon you".

"..?".

"So, you have to protect the ring in your possession, okay!".

The comfort from his left cheek and her soft voice that penetrated his soul soothed his raging mind. His racing heart began to slow down. Soma was drawn toward her kindness, it felt like he was talking to his deceased mother. Hisako noticed that Soma was calming down and she began to show her affectionate smile.

"..I leave everything in your hands".

Soma's eyes began to turn moist, those lines. He remembered it perfectly. It overlaps with Akabane Hina's final moment with the protagonist. He could never forget those lines and the smile she showed him for the last time. Soma who witnessed all of that gritted his teeth and renewed his resolve by tightening both of his grip.

"..Okay, leave it to me".

"Good, now go leave this place".

Again another loud explosion occurred behind him, but Soma didn't turn his attention away. He just let go of his hands that supported Hisako and began to stand up. He took one final glance at Hisako and saw her nodding her head.

"I will be going then".

"Be safe, on your way".

Soma nodded his head and began to spin around and dash outside, leaving the wounded Hisako alone.

On the side of the main road, the battle between the man and the demon woman almost reaches its climax.

"You wasting too much of my time, I would not be playing around anymore".

".Ha,, ha,, I would like to see you try, demon".

"..".

The demon woman didn't answer the provocation from the man. instead, she intensified her aura into the next stage. Showing that she still contained that much power after the fight.

"..Are you serious right now?".

The man's brows twitched, seeing the demon aura. But, he stood still even with his feeble aura. Not willing to give up at any cost.

The demon woman seeing the unyielding will from the man frowned and began to prepare with her sword. Then when she intended to end the man's life, a magic circle that swallowed even the woman's shadow appeared below her feet. The magic circle began to emit an intense orange light and it caught the demon off guard.

[Level 7 Magic Activated]

"Tempest inferno".

The temperature in the surrounding area spiked up. Then a torrent of dazzling flame began to appear from the magic circle and swallowed up the demon whole. The swirling flame that danced like a dragon shot throughout the sky illuminating the night curtain and solidified, forming a solid tower with an orange color, and kept burning the demon inside.

"Hisako".

The man who was familiar with the fire magic before him. Began to turn his gaze behind, and found out that his wife was fine. Even if she is covered in wounds she is standing while leaning against the wall.

With a bathed breath Hisako whose right hand is raised trying to control her magic began to sway, losing her strength to stand up. Then her husband noticed it. Mustering his remaining strength, sprinted and wrapped his right hand on her waist supporting her.

"Are you okay, Hisako?".

"..Well, what do you think after seeing me like this?".

"Seeing you still had the leisure to joke like that means you are fine right? I am glad.

"..Geez,, This Stupid husband of mine".

Even in these pinch situations the dynamic between these two couples still didn't lose its light. The two of them raised their mouths a little after confirming each other's safety.

Maybe because of the wound and the exhausted state they are in. Hisako lost her concentration of her magic control, and the towering flame that burned bright in the middle of the night began to burst apart revealing the figure inside.

".You kidding me".

".."

Hisako's eyes opened wide while her husband squinted his eyes looking at the figure of the demon.

The demon woman with her arm in cross shape trying to protect her face still stood up albeit with a slight burn. Even with the protection of the Aura enveloped her body, it could not block all of the heat that was scorching her. There was a burn mark spread all over her body and even her hair got shortened because of the intense heat she was trapped in earlier.

Lowering her crossed hands the demon woman had a deep frown on her face, and gritted her teeth.

"You dare!".

Her words contain so much rage inside. It was directed toward the couples.

"I will kill you".

A sudden burst of aura exploded from the demon body and it even made a small crater on the ground. The surrounding glass shattered and the object around the demon woman blasted away to bits. She was completely swallowed by rage. It was probably because she let her guard down earlier. Because of that, she let herself get burned. magic.

"Wow seriously. She still had that much power after battling me earlier".

"She is probably in the S-Rank, same as us".

"..You are right about that. Well, If we are in the best condition. We will manage it for sure".

"..You are right".

"..By the way, what happened to the relics?".

"..Don't worry it will be safe as long as we can hold this demon here for a bit longer".

The man gazes at his wife. He lifted the corner of his mouth, showing his full trust in his wife's judgment.

"Okay then, let's work hard for a bit longer. Can you fight?"

Hisako steeled her breath and stood up. Her husband beside her released his hold on her waist.

"..Yeah, I can".

Both of them prepared their stance and braced themselves for what was coming. The demon who completely healed herself began to take her stance and disappear from her place. The couple opened their eyes wide and a shadow was cast before the man. Then a great impact came toward his abdomen and blasted him from its place.

The events happened so fast that Hisako had barely time to react to the demon's movement. Hisako began to concentrate and gathered Mana in her right hand. Ready to shoot her Magic even for just a distraction. But the demon woman is faster and grabs Hisako's hand before twisting it in a strange direction. An unpleasant cracking sound reverberated on the night street.

"Aack".

The demon woman without any mercy kicked Hisako's right abdomen, it made a cracking sound and blasted her away from the place. Hisako's body got slammed on the other side of the building wall.

The man who previously got flung away began his counter. Mustering his remaining Aura he got himself fighting the demon woman once more. However, the disparity was too great. After exchanging more than a dozen blows, the man lost consciousness, lying on the side street.

In her hazy consciousness, she faintly heard the sound of the intense battle was over. As if trying to terrorize her, the demon took her time walking slowly toward Hisako step by step holding a longsword on her right hand. But Hisako was not a woman who was willing to give herself into despair. She gritted her teeth and tried to stand on her ground only to fail. She looked up only to find a pair of blank eyes watching on her.

The demon woman who stood before Hisako grabbed her hair and raised her with her raw strength.

"Ukh".

"This is the last time, where are the relics?".

Hisako who struggling to release the demon grip, only sneered and replied

"Heh, I will wait for you in hell bitch".

The demon had a deadpan expression on her face. She had enough with these two. So she raised her sword and tried to stab it into Hisako's chest.

"HEY!"'.

The sword tip stopped before Hisako left chest. It only grazed her skin for a bit. The demon turned her attention to the voice and found the boy riding on a motorcycle raising his left hand while holding a small ring.

"I have the thing in my possession, So let the two of them go!".