"It's useless! They are too fast!"

I can hear shouts from other parties besides us that are heading in the same direction. Desperation was the name of the game.

The situation was too surreal for me to comprehend that my body was running on its own.

Demons are something all descendants of Teph, us, always feared. The creatures that are not under our God's blessing. They were in constant war with us throughout the continent, in every nook of the corner.

These demons have a continent of their own, and it is known to be more savage and violent compared to the outskirts we have here in Franz.

And naturally, because of their way of living, they are fiercer and stronger than your average adventurer. The weakest member of their army might have five times the strength and experience compared to our average military man.

That is why a small group, not to mention, a whole army consisting of thousands of these demons spells disaster for any towns of Tephnasia. The continent we are currently situated on.

"There was no news a large demon army is coming here!"

"Stop talking and just keep running! Look, our town is already activating the shield barrier so if we do not run with our lives. We'll be stuck here in the middle of those fucking bastards!"

What our leader means by that is the bubble glass dome that was starting to form on the tall gates of our town. Base on how slow the magic starts forming, I can estimate that we would be able to reach safety with a bit of time to spare.

Of course, if we're talking about just simply running.

With demons reaching those parties that were closer to the dark waves than we were, the figures of contempt slowly tickle those who were escaping.

Many of our fellow adventurers already fall under unforeseen danger. I do not know what happened to them once they were surrounded by the enemy, but it was not the time to look back.

"Shit! We can't reach the town at this point! We need to leave someone to give a bit of time"

"What are you talking about? There is still some distance between us and those behind."

"Shut up! You know nothing about those things."

I gave my opinion out loud, but it was immediately dismissed. Not to mention, what was the purpose of leaving someone behind for the waves of demons who'll probably just consume us in a second.

But the leader begs to differ…

When a winged demon with sharp fangs on its long stout came inches away from our backs, the silent guy threw a little knife between the teeth of that demon before it bites the back of the head of Jin.

Jin was the slowest among us, and it was not a strange occurrence the fastest creature on the enemy side got over her.

That knife seems to has done the trick because the winged demon screech in pain and stops in mid-air. This gave us a bit of breathing room to continue and cover a short yet long distance towards Franz.

How short you ask… About a hundred steps before we reach the giant gate halfway closed.

The gatekeepers should be biting their nails to perfectly time the closing of this gate because they want those who were outside to have the chance and get inside before the barrier magic finishes.

I was smiling till my ears since I am about to have my life intact today despite many having their lives lost already. However, the same winged demons were relentless in hunting the remaining adventurers still outside of the safe haven.

"Run faster you brats! We'll be closing the gates in a minute so if you are slower than that… I can only pray for your souls."

A captain guard shouted on the highest gate watchtower with magic that amplifies his voice. Every one of us then gives the last burst of speed we can during this last minute.

But our party has a different case. We were the farthest group and we should be the next in line for these demons to capture.

I saw that, Jin saw that, the silent guy saw that, and our leader definitely knows we won't be able to reach the end despite it only being meters away from us.

And this is when it happened.

No wonder he said someone being left a while ago- It is because he already predicted this would occur.

I was just behind the leader in terms of speed, but with a scorching heat that pierced my behind all of a sudden. I cannot help but fall down flat on my face with pain seeping my naked back.

"Do your job as our tank and become the meat shield…"

The person who threw that fireball was none other than Jin who was behind me.

She did not even bother moving a bit on the side, and just stepped on my incapable body while running with her friends towards the gate entrance.

With my noble sacrifice for a bullshit reason, those three strangers that I met yesterday were able to successfully sneak past before I heard a buzz in my ears. This indicates that those who are still outside have been forsaken because the glass dome was finally done.

"Fuck! Let me in! I'm just right outside!!!"

Dozens who were unlucky enough to miss that window of opportunity by seconds were desperately banging the wooden gate in an attempt to have their request fulfilled. But they were given the silent treatment.

All of these are happening while I was face down on the ground. Just a couple of meters away from those cries.

Those demons seem to have zero interest in people who looks dead to them because as I was hearing those sorrowful voices, feet of different appearance ran over me like how Jin pressed me down earlier.

For some reason, my body can handle these tons of weight burying me on the ground further and further.

I already lost count of how many sets of feet have passed by me. The only thing I know was that those people who were shouting for pleas a while ago were already eerily quiet- I assumed they are dead.

After what seems to be hours of demons trying to break the magic barrier, they soon gave up as seen by the sudden halt of the feet that were bugging me.

"Stop! It's useless no matter what you do with that barrier."

"… We greet our Queen!"

I thought demons do not know how to speak until now. They were always portrayed as creatures that were more violent than normal monsters roaming the continent. Creatures that talk with their hunger for our lives.

This new fact that I learned made me forgot the pain that should be killing me right now. However, I can only use my ears and imagine what was happening because I was incapable of moving my neck upwards.

"Who was assigned in this place again?"

"I believe it was Sage Kaz."

"… It's the weakest among the three. How boring."

'Did the demon with a sexy and seductive voice just said that the old geezer was weak?!'

I cannot see the origin of the voice, but I can still imagine. And imagination is the limit.

Talking demons were a thing I knew just today so I do not know what kind of demons has the ability to speak our language. It might be an ugly ass demon only blind people can love, but that voice was something you want to hear and die for.

And for me who is currently saying hi to death, I will imagine whatever I want.

A busty woman with the beauty that can create wars and deaths of many men. Or an innocent looking petite girl that is freaky in bed. Either way is good as long as it stays in my mind and reality does not break it.

"Move aside those who do not want to die- Not like I really care."

Those words seem to have triggered something since magic, more intense compared to when the army showed up, began moving the earth.

*BOOM…BOOM…BOOM*

Deafening strikes echoed across the whole town followed by the sound of glass shattering. Under the power of the mysterious woman I could not see, the barrier that should have protected the citizens inside Franz had been countered just like that.

Why do I know this while facing red soil- Easy… It's because the movement of the demon army had begun once more. But this time, the familiar screams of my fellow citizens of Franz can be heard behind the roars and groans of the charging demons.

Tuck~

"Damn! We won't be able to harvest some humans at this rate if we stay behind."

"First or not, it will still be our queen who will decide what we get after this."

Two burly demons with the face of creatures who probably never saw themselves in the mirror were chatting in front of me. These two extras have some significance for me because they were the ones who flipped me behind my back when they were running.

'At last a better view! Where is one who owns that voice?'

There were no signs where their queen was. I suppose she already went inside the burning gates.

"Looks like someone was lucky to be left alive… Saw you getting abandoned by your friends"

"!!!"

"What? Too shocked to see a demon?"

Shocked is the best word to describe my emotion. And I am proud to say that it is for the right reason.

"You Teph helots should probably understand what we are saying… But I guess it's normal for weaklings to be consumed by fear in front of the strong."

"I guess you're misunderstanding something. Those are not my friends"

"…So you can speak after all."

I became mute for a minute because I was admiring the beauty stepping her right foot on my flattened stomach.

Demons were always portrayed as ugly and horrible beings that give fear to children just by standing. I can remember my father saying that demons are the most hideous things a man can imagine.

However, this woman stepping on me was far from being hideous.

She had a sculpted figure only the best artisan can make with her slender and smooth thighs covering most of my view. Along with that, I can barely see her facial features because of those mounds of treasure hiding the beauty behind them.

But I can already tell she was the most beautiful woman I have ever saw in my short life. Hair reaching her waist, its color perfectly reflects the magic she was casting. Magic made out of darkness that consumes anything that dares to go near it.

And the killer blow for me that almost took all my blood away was her attire. Or better I say, the little piece of clothing that was covering the most important parts.

"You could become my plaything later… I'll need something to entertain me after being sent out this far."

"How about I apply to be your boyfriend?"

"…Hahahaha! What the fuck are you saying in front of Demon Lord Disciple? Do you even know who I am?"

"Disciple? I know the Demon Lord is the real shit, but disciple? Never heard of them."

"… You're weird… I like it~"

Hearing that made my whole body goosebumps. I can feel my little brother growing despite every part of my body should hurt like the thirteen hells.

'Now that I think about it, where's the pain?'

I want to know if this phenomenon was related to my Inheritance, but the woman was about to say something so I put all my focus to the higher priority.

"I'll let you experience what a Disciple is first-hand. This will be my first lesson as your master~"

The latter part of her sentence made me want to ask more questions. But she vanished before I was able to speak out loud.

And just like that… Franz, my hometown, vanished from the continent.