The demon stared at him blankly. “Wh…what?”

“I’m a Legendary Hero. The same as you,” Gale said, whispering the last half.

The demon’s eyes went wide. He gasped. “You—”

He clapped his own hands over his mouth and glanced around out of the corners of his eyes. After a second, he started again. “A… Blood Mage Legendary Hero? On the… on the right side?”

“It’s a long story, and we don’t have time. Stop this attack.”

The demon rolled his eyes. “If I could, don’t you think I would’ve not attacked in the first place?”

Gale narrowed his eyes. “In that case…” He pressed down harder.

“No no no, wait, wait!” the demon shouted, waving his hands. He gestured Gale closer.

Gale hesitated, then leaned in.

The demon licked his lips. “Listen. I can’t just give up. One, the demons wouldn’t respect me anymore, and that would be that. No more Commander Theo to save the day, alright? Two, it’d be suspicious as hell, okay?”

“But you can do something,” Gale growled. From the troll’s throat, rasping out its cut neck with a horrible whisper, it sounded even more ominous than he’d intended.

Theo pointed at him. “Right. I can. Which is—duel you to the death, in a big, splashy battle, and when I unfortunately lose to your overwhelming force, I can order a retreat!”

“Make it quick. I’ve got another… System?”

Mana Critical in 0:45.

“…forty-five seconds until I have to leave this body or die.”

“Shit. I need longer than that.” Theo frowned, then nodded downward. “Left leg. Potion. That should give you a little longer.”

Gale nodded. He fumbled around at Theo’s tight pants with his free hand, trying to find it.

“F-fuck, dammit, you…” Theo yelped in pain and squirmed. “Alright, alright, stop, stop, please, I’m begging you, my future children are begging you…” He reached down himself and tossed a blue bottle at Gale.

Gale swallowed it down, bottle and all. It whooshed past his open throat and thumped down in his stomach. He punched his own gut. Glass shattered. Intense pain broke out inside him, followed by a reliving, cooling rush.

Theo stared. “Uh… the uh… glass, stomach…!”

“I’m not planning on using this body for long. You ready?” Gale asked. His neck sealed shut. He cracked his neck and rolled out his shoulders, preparing.

Theo replied by bucking his whole body and throwing Gale’s hand off. “Foul Blood Mage, you dare fight for the Church of Light! I’ll slay you here!”

“Try it, fucker,” Gale replied, raising the troll’s fists.

Theo flinched. Quietly, he requested, “Er… could you tone down the language?”

“For who? The kids you’re trying to kill?” Gale muttered back.

Theo’s expression twitched. Pain flashed over his face for a second. “I never wanted…”

Gale lifted his eyebrows. Oh?

A second later, the expression vanished, replaced by a haughty smirk. “Aha! Someone of your paltry power could never destroy a high demon!”

Theo punched at Gale. His fist missed, the blow passing over Gale’s shoulder. Even the passing blow cut a gash in Gale’s cheek and sent his greasy hair flying.

Gale snarled loudly and punched Theo back. Theo puffed his cheeks out and widened his eyes, then went flying backward. “Ugh!”

Scowling, Gale shook his fist. Dammit. If I fought Theo for real, I wouldn’t win. I’m lucky he’s throwing the fight. If Arthur didn’t have a deal with him, I’d stand no chance.

Arthur might not be doing the right thing, but I still… have to respect him. He’s doing what it takes to keep this village as safe as he can, without going out and killing the Demon King again. And if it’s as he said, if a new one will pop up again…

Well… whatever! No matter what, I need to get my body back. After that, we can talk about killing Demon Kings and such!

Theo heaved back, sucking in a breath, and breathed out a gob of fire. Gale dodged it. It flew past, searing his cheek. He rushed up and punched Theo again and again, knocking him back. Theo slammed into the ground and spat blood. He scowled and pushed himself up. “You—!”

Before he could climb upright, Gale slammed his fists down on Theo again and again. Theo trembled, pinned. Under his fists, the demon cried out in pain.

Gale backed away. Scowling down at Theo, he howled, “Go! Before I kill you all!”

Quietly, he hid his bloodied knuckles by putting them on his hips. Shit, his body’s hard. What level is he? This is insane!

“Dammit! A fearsome Blood Mage—you must be friends with Arthur! Retreat, men, retreat, before he kills us all and steals our blood!” Theo turned, gesturing.

The trolls reacted first. They turned and lumbered away lazily.

Shaking his breath, Theo watched them go. Under his breath, he muttered, “Nowadays, they don’t even try to get to the fight. I wish they wouldn’t destroy the buildings, but it’s better than them attacking the townsfolk.”

Gale glanced at Theo. “Why are you fighting for the Demon King if you don’t hate humanity?”

Theo sighed. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later.” Louder, he added, “Retreat, men, retreat! We live to fight another day!”

Goblins and kobolds streamed past Gale. The tentacled monsters wobbled by, waving their tentacles. One waved at Gale as it passed, one of its tentacles slashed off at the base. [Goodbye, Blood Mage man-friend. No touch women today.]

“Good. Keep it that way!” Gale called after it.

The tentacle monster wobbled its tentacles non-committedly.

As the last of the monsters ran past, Theo at last backed away. “I’ll be back! And next time, I’ll definitely crush you!”

“Try it, tiny demon!” Gale growled.

Mana Critical. Death in 0:20.

Shit. Run, run, come on! Gale glowered after them, leaning on his knuckles. His vision began to narrow, down to a tunnel.

Mana Critical. Death in 0:10.

I can’t wait any longer! Gale turned, looking at Anyu’s body. It looked so small and fragile in Kino’s arms. Blood Possession!

He burst from the troll. For a long, terrifying moment, everything went dark. Then he slammed into Anyu. His eyes shot open. He jolted, grabbing onto Kino. The world swirled around him, spinning off its axis.

“Gale! You’re back!” Kino cheered.

“I’m back,” Gale replied. He laid there for another moment, collecting himself, then climbed to his feet. Kino hovered nervously until Gale patted his arm and grinned. “I’m fine.”

Congratulations! Demon Raid defeated!

Level Up!

Level Up!

“Wait,” Gale said.

“Huh?” Kino asked, tilting his head.

“If I control my own destiny, shouldn’t I get to assign my own points?” Gale argued.

A long pause. Silence.

“So…?”

Points to allocate: 8

Bonus stats: 5x points put in HP/Mana

Your body determines your physical stats. Points put into physical stats will be locked to the body you inhabit at the time you allocate them.

HP: 36/175

Mana: 74/155

Mag: 20

Str: 10

Skl: 13

Spd: 12

Res: 17

Def: 7

Fav: 16 (-15 Humans)

Active: Blood Possession (-8 mana/hr) (Reduced from 12: Willing host bonus!)

Passive: Blood Regen (3 mana/hr), Chicken Effectiveness

So mental stats are all that matter. That would be… mana, magic, skill, and magic resistance? They change some with my body, but I guess the body I inhabit influences all my stats. Gale considered, then quickly allocated his stats.

HP: 36/190

Mana: 36/190

Mag: 22

Str: 10

Skl: 14

Spd: 12

Res: 19

Def: 7

Fav: 16 (-15 Humans)

Active: Blood Possession (-8 mana/hr) (Reduced from 12: Willing host bonus!)

Passive: Blood Regen (3 mana/hr)

I’m a mage, so the most important stats are mana, magic, and magic resistance. Since Blood Mage’s specialty is having a ton of mana, and I’m always low on mana, let’s allocate three points there. Two points in magic, two in res, and one in skill so I can find out if it’s worthwhile. I’ll have to see if magic is worth investing in, or if it’s better to invest purely in mana. Magic is used to determine damage and to oppose resistance for things like Blood Possession, but so far, I don’t have a lot of damage spells, and there’s ways to get around resistance, like killing the troll before I try to possess it. I’ll invest now and see if it’s worthwhile while I’ve got some extra points to throw around.

Lightning struck again. Gale turned to the horizon, biting his lip. “We should go check on Arthur.”

“Yeah,” Kino agreed, bobbing his head.

“Gale! Kino!” Dyer shouted.

Gale backed away slightly, tensing. Kino bristled.

He reached up with them and dropped to his knees, panting. He caught his breath, then fumbled in his sachet. Vials clinked. Dyer hesitated, then held out two potions. “I… sorry. Thanks.”

Gale blinked. He took a vial. Beside him, Kino transformed back and took one as well. Gale held out his hand and drank his potion, then nodded at Kino. At that, Kino drank his as well.

Dyer shook his head. “You’re monsters, but… you aren’t bad people. I guess.”

Chuckling, Gale thumped him on the back. “Hurts to say it, huh? Take your time.”

Dyer took a deep breath. “I… Monsters killed my parents when I was young. It’s hard to see past that. But… Kino’s just a kid. He doesn’t want to kill anyone. Not all monsters are evil.”

“Some monsters are bad. But some people are bad,” Kino added.

“I know,” Dyer muttered. “I know.”

“Gale! Kino!” Euna ran over, waving at them. She pulled up alongside them, panting, then looked up. Her eyes glittered. “Are you okay?”

“We’re fine, thanks to Dyer,” Gale said, wiggling the empty potion vial at her.

Euna’s eyes widened. She put a hand to her mouth and glanced at Dyer, surprised. “Dyer, you…”

“Oh, shut up. I’m not going to stand by and watch while some kids bleed out,” he grumbled, crossing his arms.

Euna chuckled and punched him lightly on the arm. “Aww, you almost sound like Arthur!”

“Sh-shut up!” Dyer replied, blushing.

Other townsfolk gathered around them slowly. They approached nervously, keeping warily away from Gale and Kino. Gale chuckled and scratched the back of his head. I understand. In the end, I did this of my own selfish desire to level up and… and be a hero, I guess. Do the right thing. I didn’t expect anyone to thank me.

“Hey! Misters!”

Gale turned, his ear twitching. The ragged child from earlier, who’d yelled at him for coin, leaned out of a nearby window. He raised his eyebrows.

The boy hesitated, then grinned. “Thanks for saving us!”

Gale turned away, but he couldn’t stifle a smile. He ducked his head, giving the boy a nod in return. Even if it’s just that brat, it feels good.

Kino beamed beside him, adjusting his cap. “The elders are wrong. Humans aren’t all thankless evil beings.”

Brilliant light flashed in the distance. An explosion boomed, loud in Gale’s ears, and the ground rumbled. Gale stared toward the explosion, his heart racing. That’s from Arthur’s house. Is… he…

Flames licked at the top of Arthur’s hill, bright against the darkening night.

“Kino!”

“Got it!” Kino shouted. He transformed and scooped Gale up, depositing him onto his back. Gale held on tight, and Kino bounded off.

“Euna! Where’s my horse?” Dyer shouted from behind them, nervous.

“Right over… here!”

The town fell away behind Kino and Gale. They raced off, over the road. Dyer came up beside them, sprinting on his horse. This time, he didn’t kick dust, but barreled past quietly, eyes locked on the flames in the distance.

Kino raced faster, struggling to keep up with the horse. Dyer pulled ahead, but they raced on, hurrying after him. The hill loomed. Dyer slowed, but Kino raced forward, digging his claws into the cobbled road.

Rubble awaited them. The house’s frame leaned heavily to the side, walls blown out and insides gutted, burning merrily. Shards of tiles laid around, strewn wildly across the fields. The greenhouse was shattered, and glass shards glittered all around. A few carnivorous plants swayed in the ruins of the greenhouse.

“Arthur!” Dyer shouted.

“Annette!” Gale said.

Kino shook Gale off and ran for the house. A thick beam laid across the hatch Annette had vanished into. Without trying to move the beam, Kino burrowed into the floor, tearing apart floorboards with his claws. Wood cracked and broke apart. Wiggling, he vanished into the floor, then emerged, dragging Annette with him. He spat her out on the ground and sniffed her, then looked at Gale. “She isn’t moving.”

Gale ran over. He put his ear on her chest and held his breath.

Thump. Da-thump.

He breathed out, relieved. “Still alive. Probably just… unconscious.”

Across the hilltop, Dyer fell to his knees. “A…arthur?”

Gale sat up, then stood. He ran over. Kino hesitated. He leaned toward Arthur, shuffled his feet toward Annette, back and forth, back and forth, then charged after Gale, hurrying to his side.

Arthur laid on the ground, covered in blood, his eyes shut, pale as death. The greatsword laid to the side, stuck hilt-up, half-lodged in the dirt.

Dyer stared down at Arthur, his hands hovering, afraid to touch. “Arthur! You can’t. You can’t. I… if this is the last I’ll ever… No!”

“Get him a potion, at least!” Gale said, running up beside Dyer.

“R-right!” Dyer fumbled through his sachet, searching for a vial. His hands shook, and his eyes blurred. He bit his lip, and a tear rolled down his face. “Dammit, Arthur, you can’t—!”

Gale backed away quietly. I’m not qualified to interfere. This is… as if they were father and son, isn’t it? Between Dyer and Arthur…

He nudged Kino. Quietly, he murmured, “Let’s go check on Annette.”

Nodding, Kino retreated alongside Gale.

“Can’t what?” Arthur rumbled, sitting up. He wiped his face and sighed, looking around. “Dammit, I’m too old for this.”

“Arthur!” Dyer’s eyes glittered. He hugged Arthur, squeezing tight.

“Ow! Ow! Careful, kid, careful,” Arthur warned him, pushing him gently away.

Dyer released him and jumped back, hands out. “Right, the potion!”

Arthur grunted. He leaned to the side and pulled a flask out of his back pocket to take a swig. “This’ll do me just as good.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Dyer put a potion in Arthur’s hand.

Arthur snorted. He passed the potion back. “I’ve got the Alcohol-to-HP skill, don’t you know?”

“That’s not a skill,” Dyer admonished him.

Arthur wrinkled his nose. “How would you know, level five? Where’s Annette?”

Annette sat up, coughing. She looked around, eyes murky.

“Ah, there she is. Who dragged her out?” His eyes fell on Gale and Kino, and he nodded.

“Kino did it all,” Gale said, shaking his head.

“Gale scared off the demons, though!” Kino chirped.

Arthur turned and looked at his ruined house. He let out a sigh and shook his head. “Guess I’ve got to start from scratch again.”

“Y-you can stay at my place! Tonight,” Annette called out.

Dyer snorted. Gale put his face in his hands, suppressing a chuckle. Even Arthur cracked a smile.

“What? Was there a joke?” Kino asked, looking around.

“Don’t worry about it, kiddo,” Gale said, imitating Arthur’s voice. He stood, brushing off his knees, and nodded at Arthur. “We should move along. I had to take your part in today’s fight. Painted a giant target on myself at the same time, probably.”

Arthur rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry about that, kid.”

“You aren’t superhuman. Well… I mean, you kind of are. But you can’t be in two places at once.” He waved his hand. “It’s fine. We’re travelling warriors, anyways.” Gale put his hands on his hips and scowled fiercely at the horizon.

Beside him, Kino transformed back and struck the same pose.

Arthur chuckled. A wistful light appeared in his eyes. He gazed at them, but from the cloudiness in his eyes, he saw something else, a scene from long, long ago. “That’s right. Travelling warriors.”

He turned, looking at a smudge of black ash on the ground. “They got away. But they used up too much miasma. They won’t be back for a while.”

“By then… I’ll be strong enough to fight in your place,” Dyer promised, putting a hand to his heart.

“You’re already strong enough, kid. Take it easy on Theo, though.”

Dyer’s brows furrowed. “Who?”

Arthur turned to Gale, a question in his gaze.

Gale nodded. “Theo’s fine. He cooperated. I… couldn’t have beaten him honestly. I don’t think I even scratched his skin.” Embarrassed, he ducked his head. I’m still so weak. Even at level four, I’m still far too weak to qualify to fight Theo. I have to get stronger, much stronger! I have to beat not only Theo, but the demons who faced Arthur, all the way to the Demon King himself!

…Unless I find someone to help me. But even if I find someone to help me… I should at least be able to fight someone like Theo.

A heavy, warm hand settled on his head. Arthur smiled down at him. “You’ll be a true legend in no time with that kind of determination in your heart.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Gale mumbled, rubbing his hair back into place.

Arthur lifted his hand and pointed. “There’s a pack in the shed. Should have enough food and such to get you boys to the next town over.”

“But you can stay tonight! I wouldn’t run off the young heroes,” Annette offered.

Gale glanced at Kino, who looked at the road, then nodded. Gale nodded at Annette. “Thanks, ma’am, but we’ve got to be going.” I’ve wasted too much time already. Arthur isn’t coming with me, and who knows what that Demon King is doing with my body?

“At… at least… I don’t want to send you along with nothing,” Annette said, biting her lip.

Arthur walked over and put an arm around her. “It’s fine, Annette. The boys know. They understand.”

Gale smiled. He patted Kino on the shoulder. Kino stretched, then transformed, bowing to let Gale climb up.

“Gale,” Arthur said, at the last second.

Gale turned back.

“Sorry about testing you. I should have…”

Gale shook his head. “I would’ve done the same if I were in your place. I’m a monster, right?”

Dyer clenched his jaw, hands curled into fists. He swallowed back his words, then finally shouted, “You’re not. You’re a hero!”

Gale laughed. Kino bounced in place, pleased with getting praised, then ran off. Gale waved over his shoulder until he couldn’t see them any more. Only then did he turn and ride off as the moon rose above them.