-----Narrator POV-----
The fire devoured house after house, unraveling into black smoke that rolled across the golden plains surrounding Buena Village.
At the center of the square, where the commercial district met the rows of residential homes, the bodies of the fallen lay scattered across the scorched earth. Women stripped of their clothing lay motionless among the wreckage. Men bled from wounds that pierced through armor and flesh alike, their bodies torn open by countless slashes.
The remaining survivors huddled near the blocked entrance of the commercial hub. They pressed against each other in silence, holding their breath as though sound itself might summon the horror standing before them.
Every trembling glance fell upon the knight, and every instinct screamed at them to remain still.
A low creaking sound rolled through the square.
Grrrreeech.
The knight's grip tightened around his blade.
His expression sharpened, and the only sound left in the square was the wind combing through his ponytail and dragging the hem of his emerald cape across the blood soaked ground.
-----Paul POV-----
Eight goblins brandished their meager daggers, glinting dangerously in the dim light, alongside four agile wolf riders whose eyes gleamed with ferocity. Above them loomed two hulking hobgoblins, muscled brutes that towered nearly eight feet high and a shaman who lingered behind.
Goblins are dim creatures, but they are not fools, so they understand a formidable foe when they see one. I could feel their unease ripple through the ranks as my gaze swept over each snarling face, those once confident sneers faltering when they met the intensity in my eyes.
A low hum of tension filled the air. The smaller goblins shifted anxiously, backs retreating, while the two hobgoblins snorted, unfazed. They stepped forward, muscles rippling beneath their grimy leather, determination etched into their sneering faces.
I took a deep breath, steadying my mind. My sword, a trusted companion with a strong grip and a gleaming blade, felt alive in my hands. I slowly raised it toward my face, letting the sunlight catch the steel, watching as the reflection danced in the eyes of my foes.
Planting my right foot back, I bent my knees, grounding myself. My body dipped slightly as I tilted my upper body back, feeling the familiar weight of the sword as I pulled it closer to my waist, the blade poised like a coiled serpent ready to strike.
The hobgoblins laughed, their cocky demeanor evident as they swaggered closer.
...Is it confidence or foolishness?
They underestimated me... That arrogant stride brought them squarely within my reach.
My heart pounded, a primal rhythm that synced with the large steps of the hobgoblins. I could feel the tension, the thin line between life and death stretching taut in the space between us.
Just a little closer…
... All it would take is a single moment of recklessness.
NOW! The world around me faded, narrowing to the two giants before me. Their weapons were already in motion, ready to intercept me.
TOO SLOW! I swung my sword from the ground up, executing a wide, semi-circular arc that intercepted the spiked club swinging toward me from the right. The force of my strike jettisoned the hobgoblin's weapon upwards, his surprised expression fueling my resolve.
I barely had time to revel in the moment before a chipped cleaver bore down toward my face. I raised my forearm guard deflecting the weapon into the ground beside me, its blade embedding deep into the earth.
An opening! The thought flashed through my mind like a lightning bolt. The hobgoblin struggled to pull his blade back, and I seized the chance. I stepped down hard on his hand, pinning it to the ground, and swung my sword towards his neck with lethal intent.
But then, a blur flashed in the corner of my vision as instinctual redirected my sword to block a sudden punch aimed at my face.
BAM! The fist collided with my blade, the cold metal ringing with the impact, and I could feel my bones tremble from the force.
This guy... he knows how to fight! The hobgoblin smirked at me, a chilling grin that sent a shiver crawling down my spine.
I had to act fast. I stepped back, barely evading the heavy spiked club that slammed down where I had just been standing. The shockwave pushed me backwards, and I slid across the ground, my jaw tightening as I focused on getting back my balance.
Think, Paul! My heart raced, each beat reminding me that my life hung in the balance.
...Are they perhaps covering for one another? Their spacing is too deliberate for a brainless brawl... This is becoming quite tricky.
In the middle of that thought, movement brushed against my back. I tilted my head just enough to catch it at the corner of my eye. Three normal goblins launched toward me with daggers raised, their hideous laughter scraping through my ears as they closed the distance.
My brows tightened. I let a shout tear through my throat and swung my sword in a crescent arc. The blade cut through all three, splitting their small bodies cleanly. Blood sprayed across my face and hair as their halves dropped to the ground.
Before I could reset my stance, two spears flew toward my chest. I brought my sword close to my torso to deflect them, but the two hobgoblins were already fast approaching behind the throw.
Tch.
I stopped the block halfway and loosened my knees, letting my upper body drop low. One spear scraped across my armor and bounced off. The other struck my shoulder guard and bent the metal inward.
Fortunately their spears are low quality. I can afford to take that.
But the hobgoblins quickly took advantage of my lowered position. Their massive bodies surged forward, closing into striking distance with heavy steps that shook the dirt.
I could feel a smile forming at the corner of my lips.
Fools.
My upper body continued dropping, but my left foot slid forward across the ground, catching my weight and redirecting the momentum. Instead of hitting the ground, my body launched forward toward the hobgoblins.
I clenched my teeth and pulled the heavy sword behind me as I closed the gap. Strength surged through my arms as I drew another crescent swing upward.
"ORAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The hobgoblin reacted too late. My blade tore across its torso, splitting its huge body into two parts. The upper half fell backward while the legs collapsed forward, both hitting the ground with a heavy thud.
One down.
I quickly raised my arm to meet the incoming strike as the last hobgoblin lifted its chipped cleaver high and brought it down toward my face with brutal force, but the blade halted midair and its massive leg shot forward, the heel slamming into my torso and launching me backward across the dirt.
I stumbled, rolled once, and pushed myself upright with a sharp shove of my palm against the ground.
"Cough."
Blood spilled from my mouth as I steadied my stance, tightened my grip on the sword, and glared at the hobgoblin who had tricked me with a feint.
"Tch..."
I lowered my shoulders and shifted my weight forward, preparing to close the distance again, but a cold pressure crawled up my spine and froze my muscles for a heartbeat.
I snapped my head sideways and caught the sight of a wooden staff raised high, its tip glowing with a dark light.
The goblin shaman stood behind it, black tattoos twisting across its skin, a deer skull strapped over its head like a grotesque helmet as it aimed the staff directly at me. My jaw clenched, my eyes widened, and my stance dropped instinctively as I slid one foot back to brace myself.
"Dammit."
The shaman's grin stretched beneath the skull helmet as the dark light swelled, its fingers tightening around the staff while it prepared to unleash the spell, but a faint whistle cut through the air beside its head.
The shaman's eyes twitched, its head turning just enough to register confusion before a spinning ice cone slammed into the side of its skull with violent force. The impact cracked like a thick branch snapping, the cone drilling through bone and tearing the deer skull helmet apart as fragments scattered across the ground. The shaman's head burst open, spraying brain matter and shattered bone in a sudden, gruesome explosion before its body collapsed lifelessly.
Paul's body slightly shivered as he watched the lifeless body roll across the filth whist gushing out blood from its tore wound.
The last hobgoblin flinched at the sight of the shaman's ruined corpse, its cleaver dipping slightly as its breath caught and its feet shifted back half a step.
-----Narrator POV-----
Killing the shaman with such overwhelming force sent a shock through the battlefield. The last hobgoblin stepped back, its eyes widening as it processed the sudden loss of its caster. It let out a loud, guttural howl that echoed across the plains, then spun toward the forest and bolted at full speed, its heavy footsteps pounding against the dirt as it fled. The remaining goblins screeched in response, their bodies trembling as they scrambled after it, abandoning the fight entirely and rushing toward the treeline in a panicked retreat.
Paul let out heavy breaths, his chest rising and falling as he watched the goblins disappear into the forest. His shoulders lowered, his grip loosened slightly, and he exhaled through his nose, letting the tension bleed out of his stance. His attention shifted toward the direction the spinning icicle cone had come from. He turned his head and narrowed his eyes, spotting a small figure on the horizon, mounted on horseback, holding a staff upright as the wind brushed against their cloak.
Paul raised his chin and looked up at the sky. Dark clouds gathered overhead, rolling in from the distance as the first drops of rain fell onto his face. The water slid down his cheeks and dripped onto his sword, washing away the streaks of blood that had gathered along the blade. He tightened his grip once more, the cold rain mixing with the warmth of battle as the storm began to settle over Buena Village.
-----
Just a couple of houses away from the square center of Buena Village, a large hill held one of the village's most established homes, a two‑story structure that stood out among the smaller residences scattered across the plains. Rain fell steadily over its roof, tapping against the shutters that had been locked tight under emergency protocol as black smoke drifted up from the village below.
Inside, the maid moved quietly through the dim halls, listening for anything beyond the storm. When she heard a soft tapping at the front entrance, she froze, then approached the door with careful steps. She leaned toward the peephole to confirm who—or what—stood outside, only to find a horse gently tapping the door with its hoof, rainwater dripping from its mane.
The red‑haired maid blinked in surprise. She had always been fond of horses, and the sight of one behaving so deliberately pulled her curiosity forward. She unlatched the door just enough to peek outside, scanning the surroundings with caution as the rain pattered against her shoulders. As she stepped out, she noticed a young mage with blue twin pigtails slumped unconscious across the horse's back, her cloak soaked through from the storm.
The maid looked from the horse to the girl, then back again, gradually understanding the animal's intention.
"Lilia! Paul told us to lock the doors—"
A blonde woman stepped into the doorway, her blue eyes sharp as she searched for her maid. Lilia had already taken hold of the reins, guiding the horse closer with careful hands while rain dripped from the horse's muzzle onto the stone floor.
"Zenith‑sama, please excuse this servant's foolish mistake…"
Zenith stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over the horse, then the unconscious demon girl resting on its back. The rising black smoke from the village below, mixed with the steady rainfall, filled the situation in her mind immediately. She pressed her fist gently against her chest, her posture firm with resolve.
"Lilia, please take care of our new guest."
The horse lowered its head as if relieved, rainwater sliding down its mane while the door opened wider to welcome the unconscious mage inside.
//
Author's news!
I've commissioned Illustrations for this light novel!
So to prevent spoilers, for every arc, I will be adding a final chapter containing all the illustrations that I've found appropriate given the context of that arc! Since it is a new thing and will keep growing in the future, I will be let you guys know through the "Author's thoughts" so make sure to read them!