- The air crackled with a malevolent, in front of him was not only the minister but also standing beside a monstrous figure that made the ground tremble.
- It was an S-rank demon, a terrifying insectoid creature three times the height of a man.
- Its body was a grotesque fusion of muscle and chitin, a polished black exoskeleton.
- Spiked forelimbs, as thick as tree trunks, ended in razor-sharp talons, and its sickly orange compound eyes stared out from a face that was more mandible and horn than anything else.
- A low hum emanated from its form, a sound of immense power barely contained.
- A cold, mirthless smile stretched across the minister's face.
- he said, continuing his talk with chilling arrogance. "And now, you see the truth. We were the ones who brought the demons. Not some rogue cult or a sudden tear in the veil. We orchestrated every single summoning."
- He gestured to the hulking demon. "This is but a taste of our power. The Principality has a new objective for now, a more focused goal. The saintess is our target now, a key we need to unlock a new age, a new world order."
- His eyes, hard and ruthless, fixed on Leon. "And anyone who stands in our way—students, knights, specially you—are nothing more than pests to be crushed."
- A white-hot rage flared in Leon's chest, eclipsing his fatigue.
- This was no simple battle; this was a fight against the very corruption at the heart of the kingdom.
- Without a word, he engaged a battle with the demon, his sword flashing in a deadly arc.
- The demon met his attack with a deafening shriek, its talons slicing through the air with force.
- The fight was a brutal symphony of clashing steel and splintering stone.
- Leon was a blur of motion, his every strike precise and powerful, but the demon was a fortress of muscle and armor.
- He dodged crushing blows that would have turned him into a smear on the ground, his body aching with every exertion.
- He was pushed to his limits, using every technique he knew, searching for a weakness in the demon's imposing defense.
- Finally, he saw it—a fleeting chink in the chitin near the demon's shoulder joint.
- With a desperate burst of speed, he moved in close, evading a sweeping talon and plunging his sword deep into the fissure.
- The demon roared in agony, its immense body shuddering before crashing to the ground with a force that shook the entire newrby houses.
- Leon, battered and bruised, stood over the fallen beast, gasping for breath.
- He turned to face the minister, but the man's cold laughter echoed through the silence.
- "You've won this round, boy," the minister sneered, his form beginning to shimmer and blur.
- "But this is just the beginning. The Principality will have its prize, and there is nothing you can do to stop us."
- Before Leon could move, the minister's form dissolved into a dark, swirling mist that was quickly absorbed by the surrounding shadows.
- The remaining demons, their connection to their summoner severed, also began to dissolve, their forms unraveling into nothingness as the oppressive magical pressure lifted.
- The silence that followed was a heavy blanket, broken only by Leon's ragged breathing.
- The exhaustion, now crashed down on him. He felt every ache, every cut, every strain.
- He stumbled back to his friends and the group of students, the weight of the new mission—to protect the saintess and expose the rot within the government and annihilate the demons—heavy on his shoulders.
- He was bruised, but he was alive, and the fight had just begun.
- The monstrous S-rank demon crashed to the ground, a final, shuddering roar shaking the surroundings.
- Leon, bruised and gasping, stood over its colossal form, his sword buried deep in a fissure of its chitinous armor.
- But his victory was a hollow one. The minister, a figure of chilling arrogance, had dissolved into a dark mist, taking the rest of the demons with him.
- As the oppressive magical pressure lifted, a new sound filled the air: the thundering of hooves and the clatter of armor.
- The Kingdom's army had finally arrived, their banners a welcome sight.
- They quickly moved to secure the area, their seasoned soldiers a stark contrast to the weary students.
- Among the ranks, Leon's friends, Rose, Noah and Anna, rushed to his side.
- Their relief was palpable, but so was their exhaustion. They weren't the only ones; also the two students that helped them earlier , William and Olivia. Were with them.
- A silent bond had formed between them, a shared experience of terror and survival.
- While the soldiers attended to the wounded and the students began to recover, Leon kept to himself, the minister's words echoing in his mind.
- The Principality's betrayal, their sinister plot to capture the saintess, weighed heavily on him.
- He knew he couldn't share this information, not yet. He had to keep it a secret, to understand the full scope of their conspiracy before revealing the rot at the heart of the kingdom.
- The battle was over, but the war had just begun, and Leon was now a pawn in a game he was only just beginning to understand.