Chapter 24 – New Fang
With their hopes suddenly shattered, Sheto could do nothing but stand there in stunned silence.
The Seer’s divine authority had vanished from the field, and a deep, dark despair settled over the monsters.
“In the end, everything is in the palms of the gods…”
Zebine cursed. But there was no power in his voice. Among them, it was Komos alone who went into action.
“Lord Berganda. Please leave the next step to me. For now, we should escape from this place and think of survival.”
“I, not accept that! They killed, everyone!”
A troll shouted, but Berganda stood up slowly.
“After exhausting all our strength, wringing out every last ounce of will, and losing so many soldiers…all we gained was this defeat?”
“…My lord. This is no time to indulge in such sentiment.”
“Komos. Why is the divine authority so cruel and without mercy?”
In Sheto’s eyes, the demon general looked much smaller than before.
Staring into the darkness, as if gazing at the fallen bodies of his comrades, Berganda murmured quietly.
“I was…a fool. Forgetting my place, I sent my men out to die.”
“Please stop! No matter how strong one is in the demon realm, no one could have possibly stood against that kind of power!”
“They died because of my incompetence.”
“That is…”
“No!”
Suddenly, Sheto was in front of him and shouting angrily.
“The gods, always, cheat! Use, cowardly methods! Use power, unable for us to beat! They laugh! Everything, is a game to them!”
“Sheto…?”
“But, I, don’t want to lose! Don’t want to lose! I can’t…forgive, the Hero who killed, my village! We can’t win. Must lose. I knew that, but couldn’t…give up!”
The general in front of Sheto was an enemy that had to be defeated.
He was the one who had burned Keita’s village.
Even though he was here now, defeated and in despair, there was no reason to offer encouragement.
“You, are stronger than me! Bigger, too! But you lose, and think everything is over! You are, weak now! Much weaker, than me!”
However, something inside of his heart was shouting.
He did not want to see someone crushed so unjustly.
“The Demon General, not so weak! Go back, to your hole!”
“…You talk a lot for a little mutt.”
Berganda sighed and then straightened his back.
“…It seems I was possessed by something. My apologies…and thank you.”
“…Don’t do that, again. I mean to, defeat you. No point in, winning against a weakling.”
“You are an idiot. You have already missed three opportunities to kill me. You know that?”
Sheto averted his eyes. Now that he thought about it, this had happened a number of times since that day in the forest.
“Even so, Lord Berganda. Stubbornness alone will not resolve this situation. Please order a retreat.”
‘Sheto. We should follow Komos for now. We do not have any means of going against the Seer at present.’
“…Fine.”
Sheto nodded and moved to pick up his things.
“It’s too early to admit defeat.”
Suddenly, a new figure walked out from the shadows.
The blue dragon upon the star wolf. With reddened eyes, he stared at Sheto and the others.
“Do you want to win?”
It was obvious that he had been crying. Still, there was determination in his expression.
“Wh…what are you, saying?”
“I’m asking. Do you want to win?”
The young dragon said quietly.
Sheto nodded.
“Then accept this.”
Fi took the thing out from Guto’s saddle bag.
It was a small bracelet that would fit around Sheto’s wrist.