Chapter 29: The Heart of a Child Arc (1)

It’s been several days since their last encounter with golems; Markus and friends haven’t seen much action since. Markus, who's bottom half was exposed, was now wearing a pair of poorly designed but sturdy leather pants. He made a mental note to himself not to activate -Aszalar’s Blood- unless absolutely necessary. When activating the skill, Markus’s body would be briefly engulf in a black flame. The fire itself wasn’t ‘hot’ but it was cursed. The flames can easily burn non-holy or non-fire resistant clothing... thus Markus’s frantic attempt to save Rieko was an oversight in that regard. Still, Markus didn’t mind the exposure as long as he was able to save the life of a child, be it a demon or not.

As the group neared the city, they were stopped by a small brigade of demon bandits. 'How cliche' Markus thought. He had figured nothing much has changed since he was a Hero. Demons were still pillaging human settlements and abducting women and children. The thought of it left a bad aftertaste in Markus’s mouth.

“Humans! Hand over the demon child!” (Demon?)

The group was riding on large direwolves, equipped with hard leather armor and a cloak that covered most of their body. There was eleven demons looking down on Markus from atop the hillside.

SilverFang didn't know what to do. Their group was out number, and he understood that humanoid demons were more superior than humans in terms of magic and physical capabilities. The only thing restricting the demon race from flourishing is their low birth rates and poor affinity of holy magic (aka healing magic).

Markus wasn't afraid. He took the initiative to negotiate.

“What is it you want with… our companion?” (Markus)

“Companion?! Hah! As if we would believe the words a human!” (Demon?)

“Enough talk! We are here to rescue our kind. Hand over the child or else!” (Demon?)

Markus turned to Rieko. She looks visibly shaken. If Rieko wanted to go, she would have left long ago. Markus wasn't buying their excuses.

“And if we refuse?” (Markus)

“Then you will die” (Demon?)

[hooowl]

“Guys, defensive formation!” (SilverFang87)

“Attack!” (Demon?)

Half of the cavalry sprinted down the slope. The other half positioned at the top started to volley arrows. Markus turned to Luna. She nodded back. They were in sync.

“-Terraform-!” (Markus)

“-Water surge-!” (Luna)

Markus and Luna combine their magic to create a giant swamp! Three wolves ran straight into the thick mud, sealing off their movements completely. The other six wolves managed to leap over the trap, quickly surrounding Markus and friends.

Kassia cast barrier to block off the initial assault, but barrier had a long cooldown. They were now open to attacks.

“As if we’ll let you take Rieko!” (LonelyDragoon)

“Rieko, stand behind us!” (Markus)

In terms of melee fighters, Kasia, Markus, and Dragoon were the only ones. Livvy was a priest. She started to buff the party with a defensive aura and cast regeneration buffs on the front lines.

[thuck! thwakk!]

Yunni helped deal with the onslaught of arrows. Using wind magic, she changed the path of the arrows, causing the steel tips to fall on its own allies. SilverFang and Luna took the opportunity in the chaos to kill several of the wolves, effectively sealing their mobility.

“Don’t let up! We must rescue the child!” (Demon?)

“Ugh! These guys are tough!” (LonelyDragoon)

The front line was having a hard time. Even with Markus boost in strength, he had to focus more on dodging than attacking. His low health pool made it difficult to take risks, making his fighting style more conservative.

The demons were making grounds. They had excellent defense and coordination, you wouldn't think they were just a ragtag team of bandits out for petty gold.

“-Earth Wall-!” (Demons?)

“Wah!” (Humans?)

“What the fuck?!” (LonelyDragoon)

Giant stone walls separated the group. The several demons that were on the hillside were now casting earth magic instead of shooting arrows. The demons effectively enclosed the main threats while creating blind spots for their main objective.

“-Pulse-!” (Kasia)

“-Water spear-!” (Luna00)

“-Terraform-!” (Markus)

As quickly as the walls were created, they were destroyed. Dust-cloud blanketed everyone’s vision. It was only for a brief moment but Markus heard Rieko's scream.

“Eeek!” (Rieko)

“Yunni, wind!” (Markus)

“Ah-Gust-!” (Yunni)

[woooosh]

As vision was restored, Markus caught sight of Rieko only for a split second before the demons fled. They did a buddy system on the wolves that were still alive. A large explosion shook the ground at the demon's heels. The hill started to crumble. Large chunks of dirt and small boulders came crashing down on the party.

“Fuck!” (LonelyDragoon)

“Eeek!” (Yunni)

“Get behind me! -Giant Shield-!” (Kassia)

“-A-armor blessing-!” (Livvy1)

The kite shield enlarged; making it sturdier but heavier in the process. Everyone braced the shield as the earth slide came crashing down! Though the whole ordeal only lasted for several seconds, the group's arms were numb with pain from the pressure and vibration. As the kite shield shrank back down to size, everyone collapsed. They were still alive.

“Haaaa...haaaa…” (Group)

“Is everyone okay?!” (SilverFang87)

“Rieko?! Where’s Rieko?!” (Yunni)

“...” (Markus)

Markus watched as Yunni started to cry. His heart ached in pain. He wanted to give Yunni a hug to console her. But at the same time he was a little relieved that Rieko was taken. He already knew demons were a strong group that were passionate towards their kins. Rieko was probably safe and being taken care of. Going out of his way to save her would probably cost him his life, several times over. He wasn't ‘strong’ enough to storm a demon village to rescue one little girl. It was equivalent to suicide.

Livvy and Luna were consoling Yunni. No one knew what to do. They weren't expecting to be ambushed so close to the city. Even SilverFang was averting his eyes. Yes, Markus travelled with them for over a week, but that doesn't make them best of pals. SIlverFang couldn't risk dying himself to help a stranger. Markus caught a glimpse of Silver’s eyes. He knew what Silver was thinking.

“Rieko was taken by the demons” (Markus)

“...Yes, I saw it too...” (SilverFang87)

“What?! We gotta save her!” (LonelyDragoon)

“Wah! Rieko! Noooo!” (Yunni)

Kassia and Dragoon both stood up to voice their opinions. Everyone else remained silence.

“Fang! We have to save her, who knows what those demons might do to Rieko?!” (Kasia)

“Marcus! Aren't they your pets?! Why aren't you mad?!” (LonelyDragoon)

“Hey-Wait wait! Calm down guys!” (SilverFang87)

SilverFang was still the group leader. He had the final say in everything.

“Rieko’s a pet right? She’ll teleport back to Marcus in no time” (SilverFang87)

“Ah-is that so?” (LonelyDragoon)

“No-no-no-no! She’s not a pet! She’s a person! She won’t teleport back! Marcus! Say something!” (Yunni)

“...Yunni...” (Markus)

What could Markus say? Good riddance to a bratty kid? Better off without a demon? Let’s not waste our time on fruitless endeavours? Markus didn't know how to break it to Yunni nicely. There was no ‘nice’ way saying it.

“Isn't it better we let them take care of Rieko? They are kin after all-” (Markus)

“Marcus! How could you?!” (Yunni)

“Hey! You can’t abandon a child! I thought better of you Marcus!” (Kasia)

Markus didn't look at them in the eyes. Yes, he knew what he was doing was wrong. But he had priorities. He needed to get stronger. Gathering a small army and invading a demon village would take too much time and resource. He knew better than anyone else how difficult demons were. It was impossible.

“What happen to you Marcus?! You've changed! Where was the Marcus I fell in love with?! Hic-” (Yunni)

Yunni started to pour out her emotions. Everyone felt guilty. Maybe if they did something different... Maybe if they were more cautious, perhaps things would be different.

“Hic-D-don’t touch me Marcus!” (Yunni)

Markus wanted to give Yunni a hug but was rejected. Having to deal with Yunni on a daily bases was starting to take its toll on Markus. Maybe it would be better off leaving her behind too? Maybe he should return her to Filoria when this whole trip is over.

“Hic-..Aren't you a Hero Marcus?! Aren't you a Hero...hic” (Yunni)

[ba-dump]

Hero? What does she know about a hero?! I've lived my whole life becoming something I didn't want! Everyone forced their expectations on me! And she thinks I did all that to not be recognized as a Hero?!

[ba-dump]

Strange. Markus had never thought like this before. Yes, he lived under everyone’s expectations, and yes, he was forced to become a Hero. But he never blamed anyone for doing so. He enjoyed being a Hero. What was it that was making him feel this way?

“Yunni...I am a Hero. I’ll save Rieko” (Markus)

“Marcus!” (Yunni)

Yunni ran into Markus's arms, giving him a hug. Markus turned to the group, he’s made his decision.

“Thanks for the good times everyone. We’ll be going our separate ways now” (Markus)

“Wait, we’ll join you!” (LonelyDragoon)

“Yes. There’s no need going alone!” (Kasia)

“No!” (SilverFang87)

Everyone turned their attention towards Silver. Livvy and Luna kept quite.

“We have a quest to complete! We don’t have time to help Marcus” (SilverFang87)

“Forget the quest dude! Can’t you see it’s impossible for Marcus to go alone?!” (LonelyDragoon)

“I understand perfectly well what the situation is. If Marcus wanted our help, he would ask us. We need to respect his decision” (SilverFang87)

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Markus gave a polite nod to Silver. He had already accepted enough kindness from them. Taking advantage of a stranger’s kindness and asking them to die along side with you was something Markus wasn't willing to do.

“Silver. It was great knowing you. You’ll make a great commander one day” (Markus)

“Heh. Your words are too kind Marcus. Make sure you give them hell” (SilverFang87)

Those two shook hands before departing. Dragoon was still pissed but couldn't argue with Silver. As the two parties left, Markus was collecting his thoughts. He smiled softly at Yunni...

“Yunni...” (Markus)

“Yes Marcus?” (Yunni)

“If I die, please escape…I’ll set up the inn in the city as my check point. So meet me there if I...” (Markus)

“I-I understand Marcus...Thank you” (Yunni)

***

[Swoosh-Swoosh]

Sora (aka, Markus v.2.0) finds himself training in the dojo earlier than usual. He had a lot on his mind lately. The school finals were coming up, the holidays were just around the corner, and Rieko... Of course, the odd sensation that came about when finding yourself in a foreign land was something he was still getting used too. He was glad that ‘Sora’s’ communication skills were easily transferable in their minds. If it wasn’t then he would probably have to pretend to be mute for a few months before obtaining that part of ‘Sora’s’ soul.

In the corner of his eyes, he catches ‘hime-chan’ glaring at him. Mayu Ryusaki would normally avoid training with Sora, but she wasn’t expecting him to come so early today. Since she already had her gi on, she figured she would ignore Sora and continue her daily training. Unfortunately the only space available in the dojo was directly behind Sora.

“Grrr.” (Mayu)

[Swoosh-Swoosh]

There were no longer any ‘bullies’ in the dojo. Everyone had their pride ripped to shred by Sora. They all acknowledge that he was strong and that their ‘hime-chan’ was still single.

“Ahem. Hello Sora. I’ve heard from the other instructors about your progress. Well done” (Old man Ryusaki)

“Thank you Master!” (Sora)

“Say, how about a little bout between disciple and master?” (Old man Ryusaki)

“You mean...you and me?” (Sora)

“Hohoho, interested?” (Old man Ryusaki)

The answer was yes. Of course Sora was interested. He wanted to know how strong the Master really was. Since taking control of ‘Sora’s’ body, Markus was able to unlock most of his sword skills from his other world. He wanted to now compare the two. Which world was stronger?

Everyone in the dojo dropped their swords. They were excited to witness another match between Sora and Ryusaki. It’s only been a month since Sora has joined the dojo, yet Sora was the strongest student there, only second to Mayu. Though Mayu and Sora never dueled, everyone still considered Mayu strongest.

“Are you ready boy?” (Old man Ryusaki)

“Yes Master!” (Sora)

It was an informal duel. There was no rules, no body armor. Just the swordsman and his sword...wooden sword.

Ryusaki once again did his same nonchalant gaze towards the side of the dojo. However Sora didn’t budge. He stood still with a peculiar sword stance that Ryusaki has seen only three times in his whole life. He didn’t remember teaching Sora such a stance. The figure of Sora holding his sword horizontal to his head was enough to stir Ryusaki’s blood. He wanted to test the boy.

The old man leaped forward. The distance between him and Sora was easily 3 pace, but his legs seemed to only take a single step to close the distance!

[THAWK]

The blades collided as Ryusaki brought his sword down like striking an anvil with a hammer. Sora took the force and deflected it to the side. Using the momentum from the parry, Sora’s sword spun clockwise from the moment of impact to Ryusaki’s neck.

Sora eyes were cold as ice. But so were Ryusaki’s.

The old man used the hilt of his sword to knock up Sora’s blade. He swayed back in unison to the sword strike to avoid it by the skin of his teeth. He made a wide grin while doing a vertical slash with a single arm.

[SWOSH]

Sora sidestepped the attack and prepared for a counter.

[THAWK]

The old man was good! Even at the age of 55, his body was still agile and powerful. Sora started to smile. He was getting goosebumps.

[THAWK-THAWK-THAWK]

Everyone started cheering. It didn’t matter if the cheers were for Sora or the Master, everyone was getting excited at the high level of swordsmanship those two were displaying.

The battle was fierce. The two fought for 3 minutes in an almost unbreakable stalemate. Well… almost.

[THAWK]

Sora blocked another attack, but the pressure from this one was slightly lighter than the last. Sora figured the old man must be tiring out. Sora took the initiative to dive in for an all out attack.

Inside the old man’s chest was Sora. He was preparing to strike horizontally, severing the old man’s abdomen in half. Swinging down like a waterfall was Ryusaki. He was holding his blade with both arms. His muscles were tense. His gaze powerful.

Sora had it all planned. First he’ll block the attack with his sword tilted towards the ground. A successful parry would leave Ryusaki opened for a clean counter. At this range, it was too close for him to react in time.

[thawk]

Great the first part was a… huh?

There was hardly and force applied to Sora’s sword. Like magic, Sora finds himself staring towards an empty sky.

Ah?

Staring Sora straight in the eye was the tip of a wooden sword. Sora’s hands were up with anticipation of a parry. However, he now found himself completely unguarded against the next attack.

Ryusaki launched a thrust towards Sora’s forehead. Such pinpoint accuracy and speed were mindboggling. Sora avoided the attack by swaying back. But without balance from his legs, his body ended up falling flat on the ground.

Stomping on Sora’s sword was Ryusaki. He had his blade pointed at Sora’s neck as he gave Sora a wide grin.

[CHEER]

Everyone in the dojo erupted in a loud cheer. It was a very impressive display of technique and mastery. Several of the boys helped Sora back on his feet.

“Sora!” (Old man Ryusaki)

“Yes Master?” (Sora)

“Would you like to join the kendo team?” (Old man Ryusaki)

[GASP]

Everyone looked around. They knew the team had already been assembled and the 5 practitioners have been training all year to compete in the next tournament. The first person to object was Mayu.

“No Grampa! You can’t!” (Mayu)

“Why not?” (Old man Ryusaki)

The truth was simple. Mayu was part of the team. She didn’t want to associate herself with Sora. If they ended up on the same team, their practice schedule would collide, subjecting her to be in Sora’s presence 5/7 days a week. It was a big no-no for her.

“What’s the motto of our dojo?!” (Old man Ryusaki)

“...” (Mayu)

“Have pride in your sword, not yourself!” (Old man Ryusaki)

Mayu remained silent. The old man turned back to Sora and patted his shoulders.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve met someone with such talent. It’s like you’ve been training the way of the sword for over 20 years!” (Old man Ryusaki)

Actually, it’s been 8 years

“So what do you say Sora? Interested?” (Old man Ryusaki)

Sora gave it some thought. This could be a good learning experience for him to understand the culture of Japan. Why not?

“Sounds good. Sign me up!” (Sora)

“Ahem. Well then... Please sign this form. There will be a slight increase in membership fee” (Old man Ryusaki)

“...” (Sora)

***

It’s dark. The crescent moon was hanging above the silent sea of trees. The wind was calm. Lurking between the bush was a lion, a dog...and a fairy. Markus had spent the last 4 days tracking the demons. Even if they were fast, they still left behind a trail of paw prints. Even if they did try to erase the trail, Marcus was pretty confident Diloria could track down their scent as well.

Curled behind a tree, Markus was taking count of their stock. He has made sure to stop by the city before heading out on their quest.

Potions-check, equipment-repaired, HP-full. Everything seems okay.

Turning to Yunni, Markus whispered in her ears.

“When the cloud covers the moon, create a tornado. Try aiming it towards their campfire and cause some panic. I’ll sneak around the back with Diloria and rescue Rieko” (Markus)

Yunni nodded. -Tornado- was something Yunni could easily do but took some time chanting. Judging from the clouds, Markus had roughly 5 minutes to get into position.

Sneaking through the woods, Markus and Diloria encircled the small village. Diloria was letting Markus know where the strongest scent was coming from. Her nose had became more keen as her -Scent tracking- leveld up. Markus watched as the demons went about their day, eating and drinking outside a huge campfire.

Markus figured they were nomad demons. Their settlement looked rushed and there was no stable building. Everything was made of tents and earth magic.

Looking towards the sky, the cloud slowly drifted over the moon...5 seconds...4 seconds...3 seconds...2 seconds...

It’s show time

[SWOOOOSHHH!]

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Author's Rant: Hey guys, please post what you think about the story. I do read all comments.

Wanna do a shout out to VincentAtd for catching some mistakes. I do edit my work but it's really a slow process, I think i'm on chapter 11 now? Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Cheers!