The story about a single human overturning the Empire’s Headquarters soon reached the higher-ups.
Dramatic music plays.
Generals.
Boing!
They are the ten pillars known as a rank above the top knight in the Knights Order.
Ding!
Right now, there exists a vacancy in one of those seats.
Sad trombone sound.
Today’s meeting continued in a heavy atmosphere. This matter was particularly serious.
Gulp!
The fact that most of the Knights Order had been defeated by a single being was not something easily accepted.
Dramatic gasp!
Included in that were Eve, the top knight, and Albert, the second general. It was not a force that should have been taken down by one individual.
Shocking surprise sound!
Especially Albert.
“Is there really a human capable of defeating Albert single-handedly in the Empire? Isn’t that faulty information?”
Thinking music plays.
“If it were faulty information, Albert would be right here with us.”
Boom!
Meetings of the generals are not common. Even though they occupy the highest positions in the Empire, they were all busy with various tasks.
Running around sound effect!
Unless a massive incident occurred, it wasn’t usual to gather busy people in one place.
Static noise.
The fact that the highest-ranking individuals had been summoned meant the situation was serious. It was customary not to miss such gatherings unless there was a particularly special reason.
Clock ticking.
Especially someone as meticulous as Albert would have tried his best not to miss this meeting.
Urgent background music!
Three days had already passed since the Empire was attacked, yet Albert remained unconscious.
Dramatic silence.
That’s why there was a vacancy in a place thought to be unmissable.
Sad piano plays.
“Ahem, ahem.”
And the woman who gathered them here made a noise to focus their attention. She was the one sitting in the middle.
Spotlight sound!
The former leader of the Knights and now the headmaster of the Academy.
Magical sparkle!
Her glamorous appearance never failed to stun anyone. Some might have thought so.
Surprised gasp!
Her long black hair stood out, and the fact that her eyes were of different colors particularly drew attention.
Color splash sound!
With one red eye and the other blue, they sparkled with their own light, creating an intimidating impression.
Brrr!
Sertia.
Name drop sound!
That was her name.
“You all know why I’ve gathered you here,” Sertia said, surveying the faces of those seated. She was checking if anyone hadn’t received the message.
Alarm clock ringing!
No one expressed doubt regarding her statement. It meant everyone had comprehended the information smoothly.
Sigh of relief!
“A while ago, someone unauthorized intruded into the Empire’s Headquarters. In the process, many were killed and injured. It’s likely not an ordinary intruder since they managed to defeat Albert.”
Gasps and murmurs!
Albert was counted among the top figures even among the generals.
Star sound!
Those gathered here are only capable of standing against him, including the Sword Saint Freya and Sertia herself.
Epic showdown sound effect!
An individual who could take down the Empire’s core forces. It was possible they were a leader of a substantial criminal organization or perhaps even not human at all.
Thunder rumbling!
“To get straight to the point, I suspect this incident is the work of the remaining remnants of the Demon King’s army.”
Dramatic pause!
After organizing her thoughts, Sertia continued speaking as all eyes focused on her at that moment.
Suspenseful music builds up!
“After the Demon King was slain, the world faced an unprecedented level of chaos. We didn’t expect the fallout of the former Demon King’s death to be this significant. With the leader of the Demon King’s army gone, accidents began happening everywhere, and monsters that consumed fragments of the Demon King evolved to a higher stage.”
Monstrous roar!
Those gathered here best understood how horrifying the chaos brought about by the remnants of the Demon King’s army and the Seeds of the Demon King could be.
Shocked whispers!
They were elite forces who had accumulated countless real-world experiences.
High-fiving sound effect!
That’s why she didn’t explain that part in detail.
Fast forward noise!
“After losing their leader, the remnants of the Demon King’s army began gathering the scattered fragments of the Demon King. They likely intended to collect them to birth a new Demon King.”
Eerie echo effect!
“And if that’s the case?”
Suspenseful silence!
“In this incident, we lost the fragment of the Demon King hidden underground. They killed the monsters and extracted the fragments from within them. It’s highly likely this was a premeditated action aimed at retrieving those fragments.”
Conspiracy music plays!
The likelihood of it being a planned attack was high. Therefore, Sertia seemed to suspect this incident was the doing of the remnants of the Demon King’s army.
Drumroll!
The reason they sent a single individual down could mean they were confident in their abilities. Being alone would also make it easier to erase any traces.
Haunting wind sound!
Regardless, what mattered was that their power might match or even exceed that of the Empire.
Epic showdown drums!
The Empire was faltering since the Hero’s disappearance.
Crackling sound of tension!
The world had turned into a place abundant with remnants of the Demon King’s army and Seeds, and the power to confront them was overwhelmingly lacking.
Sighing in defeat!
Sertia regarded this problem as serious.
Dramatic flair!
To maintain peace, a Hero was necessary. And since the previous generation’s Hero was dead, they had to wait for the next one.
Wishing well noise!
“Freya. What is the current status of the Hero of this generation?”
Question mark sound!
“…They haven’t even passed the first exam yet.”
Disappointment sound!
“Still in second year, right? Please guide them to pass the exams before graduation.”
Cheering crowd sound!
The era of the generation where the Demon King and the Hero coexisted was coming to an end.
End of the world alarm!
Now there were more retirees than active individuals, so the expectations for the next generation were high.
Expectation level rising!
I thought it was time to focus on nurturing talents.
Growing plant sound!
*
After a long sleep, I finally woke up.
Alarm clock shattering!
I had no idea how much time had passed. I felt like an eternity had gone by.
Eerie silence!
The bed was drenched with sweat from the lengthy nightmare, and I must have unconsciously tensed up.
Shudders!
Just woke from a deep sleep, and my head throbbed.
Painful throb sound!
I seemed to need a bit of rest.
Resting sound effect!
I propped myself up on the bed, clutching my aching head. I wanted to shake off the lingering echoes of those vivid dreams.
Echoing voices fade!
“…Riana.”
Memory flash sound!
Come to think of it, I had that name.
Dramatic highlight sound!
Honestly, it was a name I had forgotten. After all, the people I had killed must have been more than one or two.
Dramatic counting sound!
I wasn’t someone who could remember every human’s name, after all.
Snooze button sound!
It was definitely not a pleasant memory. I wished it hadn’t shown itself.
Wishful thinking sound!
In fact, many of my memories were anything but normal, so no matter which part you picked to show, it would leave an unpleasant feeling.
Flashing warning lights!
In the end, I had devoured two Seeds.
Crunching sound of munching!
When I consumed the first one, I barely felt any change in my body. But this time was a bit different.
Transformation sound effect!
Unlike the first, the differences were clearer this time.
Ding!
First, the strange energy I felt within me had intensified. That was probably the energy of the Demon King.
Dark power vibes!
The fragments didn’t digest within my body; they seemed to settle like part of my physical form. Many fragments in my body aligned into one.
Whirling together sound!
It could be a good sign.
Optimistic sparkle!
The energy flowing from the fragments could also be used as a substitute for food.
Nourishing sound!
With this, I gained a grace period. The time I could endure without becoming a monster was increased.
Growing stronger alarm!
Of course, not everything was positive. There were side effects to consuming the fragments of the Demon King.
Warning siren!
Eating the fragments meant partially accepting the power of the Demon King.
Receiving power sound!
Even though my body was already strong, it became even stronger with the power of the Demon King.
Power-up sound effect!
The more I absorbed the power of the Demon King, the harder it became to face death.
Intense heartbeat sound!
To prevent my mind from becoming monstrous, my body was turning into a monster.
Monster transformation roar!
Whether this really was the ideal I wished for would require more contemplation.
Deep thinking music!
*
Time passes.
As time passed, the day arrived when I had to go to the Academy.
Academy bells chiming!
Before heading to school today, I had more things to check than usual, as many events occurred at the Empire’s Headquarters.
Checklist sound effect!
First, I checked if there were any unhealed wounds on my body.
Bandage tearing sound!
It would be troublesome if someone questioned how I got those injuries.
Suspicious eyes!
Then, I confirmed whether there was any lingering hair dye in my hair and if I remembered to remove my lenses before I could finally head to school.
Clean slate sound!
Though it was a short break, it had been eventful.
Dramatic montage sound!
I fought with Albert, whom I thought was just a professor, had a conversation with a monster for the first time, and ended it all with a long nightmare.
Deep snoring effect!
I later found out I had been asleep for three days.
Shockwave sound!
“…”
Sighs of exhaustion!
In many ways, I was tired.
Fatigue noise!
I learned the hard way that turning the Empire against me wouldn’t make things easy.
Dramatic revelation sound!
I didn’t want to fight those I had even a passing acquaintance with.
Sad violin music plays!
Especially when it came to Eve and Albert, it was just disappointing.
Disheartened sigh!
I was so dazed that I didn’t even know if both of them were dead or alive that day.
Clock ticking!
I hoped they were at least alive.
Hopeful tune!
Currently, I was resting on a bench in the Academy’s internal park.
Relaxing ambiance!
Today, it was just me on the bench, no unexpected guests or anyone coming to sit down late.
Silence of contemplation!
I probably didn’t mind the low chatter of Albert that used to fill the space too much.
Chit-chat sound!
I sat there for a while, feeling the awkward silence.
Crickets chirping sound!
