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Smiling Demon
Chapter 4: A Sinister Bargain

Chapter 4: A Sinister Bargain

Light closed his eyes, focusing intently on the heartbeats around him. He could sense five heartbeats on the level above them, four steady and calm while one raced with fear.

Light: "There's someone hiding upstairs... They're terrified."

Sarah: "Do you even know where you're going? You might get us killed!" she hissed.

Light shot her a glare, silencing her as Lily followed close behind them. They cautiously made their way to the classroom where the terrified student hid. The sight that greeted them was gruesome – goblins ransacking the room and one feasting on a human arm. Lily covered her mouth, desperately trying to hold back her vomit as they carefully navigated the bloody scene.

Underneath a teacher's desk, the frightened student tried to quiet their sobs, their thoughts racing. "I don't want to die. I can't die like this... Please, someone, help me."

Lily interjected, breaking the tense silence. "What's your plan?" Her eyes locked onto Light, but he was already advancing toward the goblins.

With a swift motion, he grabbed one goblin by the back of its head and hurled it towards another. As two more goblins closed in, Light's expression shifted, a twisted grin forming on his face.

"This feeling…" Light's voice trailed off, eyes fixated on the encroaching goblins. "Is everything I wished for!" In a blur of motion, he kicked one goblin into the air, its head becoming lodged in the ceiling. Simultaneously, Light seized a falling sword and deftly wielded two knives. The goblins fell beneath his relentless assault, their bodies pierced and their existence snuffed out.

Lily and Sarah could only watch in horror, their stomachs rebelling against the carnage Light unleashed. The remaining goblins trembled, witnessing their comrade's brutal demise. Light's eyes fixed on the struggling goblin pinned to the ceiling, a menacing aura radiating from him.

The goblins' instincts screamed danger as they felt a nightmare shadowing over Light. Their weapons shook in their trembling hands. Sarah's voice quivered as she spoke, "He's… a monster…" Vomit clung to her lips, mingling with fear.

Lily, caught in a swirl of emotions, muttered, "How can someone become like this?" She hesitated, questioning whether she should assist the person who had just saved her life.

Peeking from their hiding place, the student observed the scene, realizing the grave consequences of provoking this formidable figure. "Holy… I might be next if I piss this guy off."

After disposing of the goblins, Light addressed the student: "You can come out now."

The student emerged from their hiding spot, trembling. "You won't kill me like you did those goblins, will you?"

Light: "Why would I do that? I risked my life to save you. Do you know if anyone else is here?"

The student shook their head. "No... I've been hiding here the whole time. I thought if I stayed hidden, I could sneak out eventually."

Light: "Well, if we hadn't found you, you'd probably be goblin food right now."

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Sarah snorted, "Yeah, you wouldn't be alive if we didn't find you."

Lily shot back, "Weren't you the one who wanted to leave and find our families? If it wasn't for Light, we wouldn't have thought to go back for other people." She bowed her head while the other student followed. "Thank you, Light, for risking your life to save us."

Light dismissed the gratitude with a wave of his hand. "Yeah, yeah, it's fine. But we need to leave. I think I hear..."

A thunderous crash interrupted him as the Hobgoblin Lancer and his army burst into the building. The students listened in terror to the sounds of glass shattering and doors being blown away. The hobgoblin army headed straight for the cafeteria.

Lily: "What was that sound? It's terrifying!"

The student: "We're done for! There's no way we can fight them!"

Sarah: "I don't want to die! We have to find a way out of here!"

Using his "Heart Murmur Detection," Light realized they were severely outnumbered. He could clearly distinguish four human heartbeats among the cacophony of goblin hearts.

As they made their way back, they saw the Hobgoblin Lancer with Mason, Chuck, and Katelyn – badly beaten and bound. The commander sat atop his horse, scanning the room and ordering his minions to search for survivors.

The student: "What are we going to do now? We're screwed!"

Light: "We're outnumbered, and we can't fight against these goblins, let alone their commander."

Lily: "What do you think we should do then?"

Light: "I think we should surrender. They haven't killed the others, so they must want something from us."

Sarah: "Are you crazy?! They're going to kill us! I don't want to die! There must be another way!" she whispered, panicking.

Lily and the student agreed with Sarah, but no one could come up with a better plan. Reluctantly, they followed Light's lead, laying down their weapons and raising their hands in surrender.

Mason: "What the fuck are you guys still doing here?! Why didn't you leave with the other groups?!"

Lily: "We were trying to help any other surviving students," she said softly.

Chuck: "Great, and now look how that turned out!" he snapped, still tied up.

The commander towered over them, grinning maliciously as he toyed with the frightened students. He tossed a potion at their feet, forcing them to inhale the fumes that allowed them to understand the goblin language.

Goblin 1: "I want to eat them! They look delicious!"

Goblin 2: "No, let's torture them first! It's more fun that way!"

The Hobgoblin Lancer silenced his troops and introduced himself. "My name is Gorthak, commander of these goblin forces. You should feel honored to be in my presence. I wanted you to understand our language so you can hear our laughter and jeers as you beg for your miserable lives."

Gorthak had a sinister proposal. "You," he pointed at Light, "I want you to make this entertaining for me and my troops. I want you to torture one of these humans." His twisted grin sent shivers down Light's spine.

Light hesitated. "Me? Are you sure? I've never tortured anyone before..."

Gorthak: "Either you do it, or everyone here dies, starting with you." He looked toward the trembling student. ("There's no way this human will do it. I can practically smell the fear emanating from him.") The Hobgoblin's amusement intensified, relishing in the power he held over their lives. ("Once he's too scared to do it, I will take great pleasure in devouring their sweet, tender flesh.")

Mason, Chuck, and Katelyn pleaded desperately with Light, their voices quivering with fear.

Katelyn: "Light, please, you can't do this. Remember all the good times we've had together? The late-night study sessions and the time we went to that music festival? We've always been there for each other. Please, don't let this be the end of our friendship."

Chuck: "Light, man, look... We never meant to hurt you. All those jokes and pranks over the years, we thought it was just harmless fun. We never knew you took it so seriously. Please, give us a chance to make it right."

Mason: "Yeah, Light, we're sorry. We didn't realize how much it affected you. We never wanted to be bullies. We can change, just... please don't do this."

Their faces were etched with anguish, tears streaming down their bruised cheeks.

Light's dark side began to surface as he weighed his options.

"Now which one should I choose... Eenie, meenie, miney, moe..." Light's sinister smile grew, but his victim's identity remained a mystery, leaving his friends to wonder what he would do next.