There was no longer anyone to rescue so I returned to the front lines. I felt nothing for the people I hadn't known... seeing their corpses did not evoke any feeling, it was no different from seeing the carnage third-hand from the news. But it was different for Erne, Berel, and the kids.

They had welcomed me. We had sat at the same table and shared the same meal. I tightened my jaw.

Now that the shock had passed I could only feel anger. I needed something to kill. I shifted my focus from my mind to what was happening in front of me.

The soldiers were bringing out carriages, tables, and wreckage to create a barricade.

「Captain: There's an army of them! Where are the archmages?」

An army of monsters?

I took in the scenery, the fields were almost all burned down. The houses were still burning. Goblin and human corpses alike were spread on the beaten dirt streets of the once peaceful village.

My thoughts kept going back to Berel and the others. They were gone. Only the little girl, had survived. They deserved better. I could have given them some money and asked them to come to live in the city.

I couldn't turn back time. But I can at least keep an eye on the girl, I promised myself.

「Grastel: Goblin and verklings attacking together...」

Grastel's voice shook me from my thoughts. I turned to pay attention. My friends were discussing something.

「Namrick: Someone is commanding them, there's no other explanation.」

He took a glance in the distance beyond the barricade. His eyebrows were knitted together.

Ellin looked concerned and kept shifting her eyes left and right.

「???: Move aside.」

Among the confusion, our unit moved aside to let a woman pass. I walked closer to get a better look and my eyes shot wide open.

Violet Val Mariannet! What was she doing here?

「Captain: Madam Violet! We've cleared the village but the enemy is amassing ahead in great numbers!」

Uh, it's like he's deferring to her.

Violet who had her gaze set beyond the barricade, made a dismissive gesture and said.

「Violet: Amassed, huh? Leave it to me.」

She walked past the barricade and raised her staff.

What's an instructor from the academy going to do against a horde of goblins and verklings?! I didn't understand.

Then the air went cold and I felt a shiver. In the blink of an eye, hundreds of ice spikes formed in the air in front of her.

What?!

She waved the staff forward and the spikes followed suit, raining upon the creatures. I could only stare in amazement.

In the distance, the battlefield blossomed in blood. Inhuman cries covering all sounds for just a second.

Violet made another gesture and light gathered around her again forming a spell.

The enemies still standing started being lifted from the ground into forming a great sphere.

Violet raised both hands and sharply closed them together.

The giant sphere of creatures turned crimson and it splashed down on the ground.

Amazing... and scary! My heart was beating hard just witnessing the scene, it felt like a dream.

I stared dumbfounded. Same as Ellin, Namrick and Grastel and everyone else on sight.

And being who she is... suddenly I remembered a remark Ellin had made about Violet and my brain started putting the pieces together... Violet is an archmage.

After the macabre spectacle, the horde of goblins and verkling started dispersing to avoid the same bloodbath happening again. Then a horn blared. They charged in unison.

Violet walked back calmly to the captain. Even though his face was covered by the barbute, I could sense he was on edge.

「Violet: I will stand in the front and alternate attacks and support. Position your men.」

She delivered the order with her icy gaze. The captain nodded and shouted orders to the soldiers.

I felt like a tiny speck of dust trying to face an avalanche. Outclassed and outmatched. What the fuck am I doing still here?

A booming laugh came from behind, I turned to see another familiar face. He too?

「Vallachio: As expected of madam Violet!」

My magical defense teacher climbed down from his horse. He's an archmage too?!

「Vallachio: Vallachio Restgart at your service!」

He said with a curt bow, then walked in front of the soldiers, his smiling face imperturbed by the carnage.

Shouts caught my attention, the enemy army had clashed with ours. Vallachio stomped the ground sending a seismic wave against hordes of verklings. Then he moved with superhuman agility, closing in on the dazed enemies and punching them to pieces. His masterful use of magic shields and deflection prevented any attack from hitting. Every once a while he would feign an opening only to let an enemy get close and brutally smash their heads with both hands.

My mind was barely able to process all that was happening.

The prowess of the archmages raised the spirits of our combatants, myself included. I held the line next to Namrick.

Thanks to my previous experiences my hands were much less shaky, and I think I did a decent job of crushing heads and limbs with my trusty mace.

We were going to win!

Payback for my fallen friends.

That's when I noticed a silhouette falling from the sky. What th-. The impact with the ground sent us sprawling.

A human-like figure with red skin and horns stood in front of us.

「Soldiers: DEMONS!」

Huh, so this is a demon. I tried to stand, but I didn't get the chance.

「Demon: HSSSssss!」

An intense wave of pain overcame me, my limbs started spasming. It hurts, It hurts. IT FUCKING HURTS.

The pain fueled my anger thanks to which I was still conscious. But I was helplessly laying on the ground, barely able to move.

Hurts.

Everyone around me had fallen down unconscious, spasming or foaming at the mouth. Including Namrick. Damn it!

The demons hissed and stomped hard on the head on one of the unconscious combatants. My blood curled at the wet crunching sound but my mind immediately filled back with pain.

It hurts.

I tilted my head enough to see Vallachio trying to charge in. The earth exploded under him sending him flying real fucking high.

Violet sent a wave of ice spikes against the demon, but he suddenly became a dozen. Illusions?

The demon retaliated against her, I heard a crackle.

「Violet: Gah-!」

Another wave of ice spikes shot over me, dangerously close, yet the demon unharmed.

The fucking cunt was grinning. GRINNING.

Waves upon waves of pain were making all my muscles spasm and my eyes water. S-so m-much...

I touched the silver cube on my side and activated the spell. I understood why Violet was having trouble hitting him. He seemed to be phasing location between illusions every second. Our presence was preventing her from using more destructive magic, and the demon knew it. Enjoyed it. Exploited it.

BASTARD!

One of the illusions had walked close to me. I waited, trying to stand still and keeping attention on the radar.

NOW!

I snaked my spasming right hand and grabbed at the demon's ankle. I surprised him for a second. That was all I could do.

But that second was all it took.

A dirty and bloody Vallachio shot up from behind the demon, punching a hole through his chest and grabbing hold of him.

The demon lost control of his spells. I felt the paralysis wearing off. My hands moved to the mace. Die.

「Vallachio: NOW!」

In a second Violet was in front of the demon as if walking on air, her hand extended forward, almost touching his forehead. It seemed to happen in slow motion. I felt a chill.

In a flash, the whole demon's head and upper bust were turned into ice.

I rose, still fueled by the overflowing anger. My mind was focused on a single thing.

DIE.

All of this was his fault. I couldn't think about anything but to smash his fucking skull to pieces.

DIE!

「Allen: Graaaaahhh!」

Violet and Vallachio were startled to see me stand so abruptly. But I paid no attention. All I wanted was...

TO CRUSH. HIS FUCKING. SKULL!

I infused all my strength, anger and sorrow, into the swing. The whole upper body exploded in a shower of ice crystals. My vision turned dark, as I fell into the cold embrace of the void.