# The Demon King's Attack! The Hero Party is in Danger (1)
*Many people have died.*
The demonic energy the Demon King had spread widely throughout the city.
Ordinary people who couldn't resist that demonic energy had become corpses rolling on the ground.
Since all the corpses had burst from the inside out,
I shouted to the Hero Party.
"Everyone should cover your eyes. All of you, cover your eyes with your hands."
"..."
Swoosh—
Without any response, the children raised their hands to their eyes.
Unlike her usual confidence, Luna's hands were trembling.
It seemed she hadn't anticipated that such a scene would unfold before her eyes.
*...My heart aches for no reason.*
But they must overcome this.
If they hesitate to move forward after seeing this disaster,
the Hero Party won't be able to grow any further.
I walked among the corpses toward where the demonic energy was thickest.
And right beside me, some unexpected individuals followed.
"Hare, Saten? Why aren't you covering your eyes?"
"I-if I cover my eyes... my hearing becomes too sensitive... S-so I'll just keep them open..."
Right.
When you close your eyes, your other senses do amplify.
Hare looked shocked, but seemed less affected than Luna and Estia.
And Saten...
"Saten, you look fine."
"Yes, I'm okay. This is my first time seeing so many corpses, and it makes me curious."
"Curious?"
"Yes, corpses that burst from within. What was the exact numerical value of their mana? BlackMeow didn't burst, so what was the standard for people bursting? That's what I'm more curious about."
"..."
Saten, who felt no emotion even looking at corpses.
Saten was viewing the burst people as test subjects.
*Is Saten seeing those corpses as test subjects rather than people because they've lost their lives...?*
A chilling way of thinking.
However, I couldn't say it out loud.
Because Saten genuinely wasn't seeing those corpses as people.
*There's no time to tell her it's wrong...*
I turned around to look at Estia.
Estia was walking with her eyes covered, but she was far behind Luna.
"U-uugh... I-I'm scared... I-I don't want to go..."
Trembling and seemingly consumed by fear, Estia.
I grabbed her shoulder as she seemed to be recalling her trauma.
"...I'll go with you, so don't be afraid to move forward."
"Wh-what do I do about being scared, Oppa... I-I want to go home... I don't want to..."
"...If we don't go, there will be more victims, and eventually the Demon King will come find us."
To prevent that,
we must go to the Demon King who summoned us.
That bastard was essentially holding the citizens of Henencia hostage.
So we...
[The center of Henencia! Go to the plaza. The Demon King is there! But be careful! The Grimoire remnants and the Demon King's authority still remain!]
[1. Go.]
[2. Don't go.]
"...Everyone follow me, we're going to the plaza."
To resolve the situation, you must solve the problem.
Minerva will provide the solution to the problem.
I just need to meet that problem.
So I led the Hero Party walking through streets lined with corpses.
Even in such moments, Estia seemed unable to shake off the shock.
"I-I want to go back... Let's go back... I-I'm scared..."
Unable to overcome her fear, she kept trembling.
Seeing Estia like that,
I wondered if this was really the right solution.
I couldn't give myself a definite answer to that.
I'm scared.
Scared...
So scared...
"U-uaah..."
"Estia! Don't just sit there, do something!"
"I-I don't know... U-uugh..."
Estia crouched in a corner and covered her ears.
She couldn't easily overcome her fear, and a familiar smell kept stabbing at her nose.
"Th-the smell..."
"What!?"
"Th-the smell... I-it's the smell from back then..."
Trembling—
That unforgettable smell.
That smell of blood that wafted every day in the prison.
The smell of blood covering the streets sent Estia back to the past.
She felt as small as she had been in that childhood.
Even though her companions were fighting the Sloth Grimoire,
Estia couldn't provide even the slightest help.
"Luna. Don't leave Estia's side. I'll handle the rest."
"Got it, Mister! Estia! Just stay sitting there! We'll help you!"
Get out of the way!
You black things!
"Uaaah—!!"
Luna protected Estia from the approaching Grimoire.
She could handle the Grimoire one-on-one, and with help from the others, she could overcome them easily.
"Watch your back, Luna."
"Oh, thanks! Saten!"
"...I didn't do it to get praised by you."
Haha.
Hoho.
Luna had initially felt the same fear as Estia.
However, Luna overcame her uncomfortable feelings and moved forward.
*More people can't get hurt! A-and! I'll be helpful to Mister! Die, Demon King!*
The basis for moving forward was the time spent in harsh training.
Luna gained confidence and coordinated with her party members.
As they experienced real combat, their teamwork grew increasingly cohesive.
However.
"I have to run away... The friends who left for places with this smell... all died..."
Estia, recalling memories of the past, kept backing into the corner.
In her head, she thought she should be helpful,
but Estia couldn't walk forward.
Lee Jun-woo, who kept glancing at her during combat, thought to himself.
*As expected, she's become a hindrance.*
I had anticipated it,
but I didn't know it would be this bad.
Estia, unable to do anything with her trauma triggered.
Though she was a Saint who hadn't even learned Divine Power and was of no help at all,
for safety reasons and because she was part of the Hero Party, I couldn't leave her behind.
*...This might be harder than I thought. I might have to burden Luna with this.*
Did she read Lee Jun-woo's grim thoughts?
Minerva offered one solution process.
[Estia is no help at all. What a useless Saint. When the other kids walked forward, Estia walked backward. So you need to give Estia an 'opportunity' to walk again, right?]
[1. Give her an opportunity.]
[2. Don't give her an opportunity.]
Hmm.
I said to save the answer key, but it seems I need to use it this time.
After much deliberation, Lee Jun-woo selected one answer.
*I'll check answer number 1.*
An answer key to confirm whether Estia could seize the opportunity.
In Lee Jun-woo's vision, a complete book rapidly unfolded.
*...Unfortunate.*
Unfortunately, number 1 was telling him it was the answer for Estia.
It might not be the answer for others,
but only Estia could be given an opportunity through that process.
*If this is the unavoidable answer, I must accept it too.*
After dealing with all the Grimoire remnants
and before heading to the center,
Lee Jun-woo whispered in Luna's ear.
"...Luna."
"Hi-hiik...! Wh-what, so suddenly...! That tickles my ear...!"
"At the end, hold Estia's hand."
"Huh? What do you—"
"I've told you."
Lee Jun-woo left Luna with those words.
Luna tried to think about what that meant on her own, but
"...Is Mister scared like me?"
she couldn't find the answer alone.
Luna grabbed the hand of Estia, who had fallen behind alone.
"Come on! Let's go! Let's follow Mister!"
"..."
"You're usually so noisy! Why do you look so dead, Estia! That's not like you! More importantly, Mister! Let's go together!"
Patter patter—
Luna led Estia and followed Lee Jun-woo.
If she had known what Mister's words meant at that moment,
Luna would have desperately tried to stop it.
The Demon King of Sloth.
Sloth.
He was lying in the plaza fountain, enjoying the flow of water.
"This is annoying... When is the Hero Party coming..."
"Judging by the fact that contact with several believers has been cut off, they seem to be coming."
"Really...? Still, it'll take quite a while... When do I get to go home... Sigh..."
Sloth let out a sigh.
If you didn't know he was a Demon King, he'd look pathetic.
However, the Grimoire believer spoke without losing his respect.
"By any chance, could you tell me what's written in the prophecy book, the Sloth Grimoire?"
"...How annoying."
Still, his life was on the line,
so Sloth overcame his annoyance and read the Grimoire.
"What, nothing's changed... All the Demon Kings still die...? Ah, but one thing was added..."
"May I ask what was added?"
"Ah... That Guardian...? It says that guy dies by my hand..."
Sloth muttered as if he had no interest.
However, his Apostle beside him was quite concerned.
*Death couldn't be avoided, but does killing the Hero Party's Guardian make it okay?*
No.
That can't be it.
To create the world the Demon King desires,
this won't do.
The Apostle of Sloth whispered to Sloth to escape the prophecy book.
"Demon King Sloth."
"...Yeah."
"You summoned the Hero Party outside with your authority manifestation. But if they come too easily, our chances of winning will drop."
"So...?"
"Do it properly."
If you don't want to work,
you must work hard.
A creature living a paradoxical life.
"To live, you must work. To stop working, you must work hard. So manifest your authority properly."
The Demon King of Sloth, born from a paradoxical life, raised his body.
Then he reached his hand toward the sky and said.
"Why should I..."
"Pardon?"
"Why should I do that...?"
"Th-that's...! U-uaah...!"
In an instant, the Apostle disappeared from Sloth's view.
Sloth looked down at the ground to see if his authority had manifested properly.
"H-hehe... Hehe..."
Unlike before, his passion had disappeared, and the Apostle lay on the ground like a worm.
Seeing his happy appearance, Sloth lay back down in the fountain.
*How annoying...*
Though he had been a helpful Apostle who followed him around for 20 years,
Sloth simply hated being bothered.
"I want to go home soon..."
He was just annoyed.