Chapter 87: Demon [4]

[Do you wish to summon the hero Asterin?]

[Yes/No]

[Note: Currently, your strength is insufficient for a full summoning. The estimated duration is ten seconds.]

As he looked at the system window, Adam felt a sense of relief wash over him; he had endured all of this… to be honest, he wasn’t sure if he would make it, but, like a ray of light in a storm, the system had appeared.

The screen floated before him, cold and indifferent… but at that moment, it was the closest thing to salvation.

…And of course, he clicked “Yes.”

He quickly felt his body go limp… not because of Asterin’s summoning, but because of the backlash from using the knight’s hymn, even if only for a few seconds.

The price came suddenly as if his own body were taking its toll on him for having forced something he shouldn’t have.

He looked up as his body slumped back against the wall and watched Asterin’s small figure enveloped in golden energy as her size grew rapidly until she appeared.

The golden light wasn’t warm. It was intense. Overwhelming. As if it didn’t belong in that tainted world.

In its natural form… or rather, in its normal form.

The difference was clear. Overwhelming.

Asterin looked at him and asked:

Her gaze was calm.

“What do you want me to do with it?”

Adam’s smile turned dark:

Something changed in his expression. Something dangerous.

“Submit her!”

A small smile played on Asterin’s lips.

“As you command… Master.”

…

Asterin turned toward the demoness, and for a moment, everything around her seemed to grow heavier.

The air itself grew thick, as if the world were holding its breath.

The demoness sensed it; she could tell she was taking a step back in Asterin’s presence.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Asterin vanished. She didn’t move; she… ceased to be there.

There was no sound. There was no visible movement—only absence.

The demoness’s eyes barely opened.

Her body was hurled against the stone floor with absurd force, shattering the slabs as if they were made of clay.

The impact shook everything around her, sending dust and debris flying as if in a contained explosion.

The ground caved in beneath her, leaving a huge crater that destroyed everything around it.

The destruction spread in waves, devouring what remained intact.

Before she could react, Asterin was already standing before her; she raised her foot with a cold expression and brought it down with full force…

CRACK!

The demoness’s head was smashed against the rock with a loud crash, followed by a tremor.

The ground shook from the impact’s force.

The demoness clenched her teeth and her tentacles shot out in all directions, but it was no use, because with a single flick of Asterin’s hand, everything was severed and began to fall, leaving a trail of thick, dark blood.

Each tentacle fell without a fight as if they had never had a life of their own.

Asterin let out a weary sigh, lifted the struggling demoness, and punched her hard.

The demoness’s body was hurled against a house, passing through the wood as if it weren’t there.

The structure gave way easily, unable to withstand the force.

The demoness tried to regenerate… but Asterin was already in front of her, and a hand gripped her face.

As if it were all over already.

Then Asterin dragged her along the stone wall as they crossed the street, leaving a dark trail that stretched out like a scar.

The friction kicked up dust and fragments of stone, while the demoness’s body slid along without resistance, as if it no longer belonged to her.

The structures trembled.

It was subtle… but constant as if something enormous were walking beneath the surface.

The doors flew open.

They slammed against the walls, shaken by an invisible force.

The air vibrated.

The demoness tried to speak… but couldn’t.

BOOM!

The sound exploded like a pent-up thunderclap.

Her body was slammed against a stone column in the middle of the street.

The stone gave way with a deep crack, unable to withstand the force.

The structure split apart.

Cracks spread like roots, devouring the surface.

The impact reverberated throughout the square.

An invisible shockwave shook the surroundings, kicking up dust and making every corner vibrate.

Asterin dropped her, as if she were trash, and the demoness fell to her knees, her head bowed, her body trembling slightly.

There was no dignity in that movement—only the remnants of resistance.

Asterin turned her head slightly, looking toward Adam.

“Done.”

The word fell with absolute calm, as if none of it had required any intention.

All of that in just five seconds: the demoness hadn’t stood a chance against the Queen of Britain… and she hadn’t even used her energy; it was all physical strength.

And yet… it had been enough.

…

In a makeshift tent set up at the last minute, the men—both soldiers and members of the Hall family—were gathered around a wooden table, studying a map marked with red and black lines.

The tent fabric fluttered gently in the wind, letting in distant murmurs from the camp. Inside, the atmosphere was thick, heavy with tension and anticipation.

Alisha stood there in her armor, also watching. Lucas had briefed her, more or less, on the general situation and how things worked.

The weight of the metal on her body wasn’t what bothered her.

…Although, in reality, she didn’t have the faintest idea.

That was the real problem.

But, more or less, she gets the gist of how to command an army. However, she isn’t quite sure she can bear the responsibility for so many lives; a single decision of hers could save or cost her soldiers and knights their lives.

The lines on the map seemed to shift before her eyes, as if each mark represented a life that depended on her.

Simply put, war is a violent business… and business is a bloodless war.

The idea felt familiar… but incomplete.

Essentially, business and commanding an army are similar, yet at the same time, they are not.

And it was precisely that difference that made Alisha extremely nervous.

Even though she didn’t show it.

Her hands remained steady. Her posture was straight.

But inside… doubt was quietly growing.

Alisha let out a long sigh and pushed her thoughts aside. This wasn’t the time for that, especially when everything was about to come under attack.

The breath she exhaled seemed to carry away part of her doubt… but not all of it.

She stepped forward and asked.

The faint clang of her armor marked the shift. She was no longer a spectator.

“What did my son do when he was first attacked?”

Lucas nodded and began to explain the strategy Adam had used during the surprise attack and how he had assaulted the enemy camp.

Alisha listened to everything with a neutral expression, but she was utterly shocked; she couldn’t believe that this was the strategy used by her son, who seemed so innocent, as if he wouldn’t be capable of hurting a fly.

The image she had of him… didn’t fit.

The strategy her son Adam had used was anything but chivalrous; it was cruel, treacherous, almost demonic, and he had used everything to his advantage.

After hearing everything, Alisha fell silent, her hand resting on her chin; she looked at the map… it was all too obvious that the enemy would be on the lookout for any surprise attack.

The lines seemed to scream it.

So she couldn’t use the same tactics or the same positions.

Repeating it would be a mistake.

She frowned, thinking about a strategy reminded her of the early days of her own business, even though the situation was completely different.

There was risk there too… but not lives.

With a sigh, she looked for a strategic spot she could exploit.

Her eyes came to rest on something. A piece of the puzzle fell into place.

“Who are the strongest knights?”

Lucas, in his black armor, replied:

“The strongest are Kevin, Robert, and me.”

Alisha nodded and pointed to a spot on the map with her finger:

Her finger didn’t tremble.

“You two and five other knights will take up positions here so that, when the enemy advances, you can ambush them from behind.”

The idea was simple.

They nodded as she went on with the plan she’d come up with, but she wasn’t sure everything had gone smoothly; she had to make it work.

There was no room for doubt.

Not now.

…

The first rays of sunlight began to pierce the dark sky, while the moon gradually faded away, replaced by the sun, which grew ever more prominent as the minutes passed.

The sky was tinged with muted hues, as if hesitating between night and day, caught in a moment of transition.

Alisha, standing on the southern wall, gazed toward the plain as the morning breeze ruffled her hair like a flag.

The air was cold, crisp… deceptively calm.

She had already done everything she could; now all that was left was to hope that everything would turn out all right… Well, not exactly all right, but as well as possible, and to hold out until the reinforcements sent by the Tubor family arrived.

Time had become her greatest enemy.

“We just have to hold out.”

The words came out in a low voice, almost as if she were trying to convince herself.

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