The Last Place Hero's Return

A vast jungle stretched far to the south of the Hero Academy. This place was connected to Gehenna City, the city of the demons. Among the people of the continent, it was known simply as the Demonic Realm.

Within that Demonic Realm, a man in a black hood bowed his head toward a figure standing before him. “The cadets have begun leaving the academy.”

The figure, a black-haired man, his face crisscrossed with scars, nodded gravely. “Hm. Just as that Prophet of Eternity said.”

His crimson eyes, symbol of the demons, glinted as he turned to the subordinates lined up behind him. “Is everyone here?”

Dozens of hooded demons lowered their heads in unison. “Yes, Lord Hector.”

“Our mission is to abduct the cadets who’ve come out for field training.” Hector continued in a low, heavy voice, “Split into teams of three and capture them.”

“Yes!”

“They’re just brats, so be careful not to kill them by accident. The ones we capture will serve as useful hostages in the upcoming war,” he added.

“Hm, are we really not allowed to kill even one?” One of the demons twisted his lips upward and licked them greedily. “I’m curious what the blood of cadets who haven’t even graduated yet tastes like.”

Hector shook his head as if exasperated. “You never change. Honestly.”

Come to think of it, with all the war preparations lately, we haven’t had a proper outlet for our urges, Hector thought.

The soul stigmata of the Demon God instilled a murderous impulse in its bearer. Just as a vampire would wither without drinking blood, a demon who failed to regularly release that impulse would lose reason and rampage. However, while it was about time they indulged, this wasn’t the situation to do so.

So, Hector said, “It’s Lord Amon’s order. Capture them alive.”

Several demons flinched and groaned.

Hector continued, “Well, once the war begins, you’ll be free to kill to your heart’s content. Just wait a little longer.”

They bowed their heads, eyes gleaming with anticipation for the coming war. “Understood.”

Hector turned around. “Then we depart—”

Before he could finish, a demon interrupted him. “Ah, Lord Hector. There was a message from Lord Amon.”

“A message?”

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

“He said to be cautious of one cadet.”

Hector let out an incredulous chuckle. “Cautious of a cadet? Hah.”

It wasn’t unheard of for a cadet or two to rival, or even surpass, active heroes in strength. But still, the apostles were not weak enough that they should be compared to active heroes.

“Have you forgotten who we are?” he said.

They were Apostles of Ruin—bearers of Amon’s black flame and beings whose power far exceeded that of ordinary demons. No matter how fierce a puppy was, why would a tiger fear it?

“T-that is... I’m not sure why he gave the warning. But Lord Amon specifically said to watch out for a gray-haired cadet.”

At the mention of Amon’s direct instruction, Hector reluctantly nodded, though in his crimson, blazing eyes, there wasn’t a trace of tension. “Very well... Then, let’s move.”

Black flames flared and coiled around Hector as he stepped forward.

* * *

This party session’s assignment was outdoor field training. We had experienced similar exercises during the third year, but this time, the location was different. It was not somewhere near the academy, but the most dangerous jungle on the continent, the southern forest—in other words, the Demonic Realm.

The cadets panicked at the realization that they had set foot in the infamous Demonic Realm.

“Ugh, t-the southern jungle...”

“Isn’t this the Demonic Realm?”

“This is insane! They’re seriously making us train here?”

The jungle was thick with suffocating humidity and shrouded in oppressive darkness. Just looking at it stirred an instinctive sense of dread. Of course, that reaction applied only to the average cadet. Save Camilla, my party members looked around with the calm of people out for a casual stroll.

“It’s been a while since I’ve come to the Demonic Realm,” Yuren said.

“You’ve been here before, Yuren?” Iris asked.

“Yeah. Not too deep, though.”

With a look of concern, Camilla said, “Saintess, please stay close to me.”

“Oh my. Are you scared, Camilla?”

“S-scared? Of course not! I’m just protecting you, Saintess!”

Morris, who was walking a few steps behind us, stared at us. “You all seem pretty relaxed.”

I glanced back at him. “You don’t look that tense either.”

He gave a small shrug and smirked. “I’ve been to the Demonic Realm plenty of times.”

“Plenty?”

“Yeah. During breaks, I helped my father with his work and took on commissions here. They pay pretty well. Jobs in the Demonic Realm come with high rates.”

“You can take commissions without a full hero license?”

“Ah, well...” He cleared his throat awkwardly, offering an embarrassed smile. “You know. I pulled a few strings. My father’s influence.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. Khalid Han wouldn’t have handed Demonic Realm commissions to his son without thinking. If he allowed it, that meant he, a Master, had judged Morris capable of surviving here. I found myself curious about Morris’s true strength. Maybe I’d get to see it this time.

At that moment, Professor Kane looked over the visibly terrified cadets. “Well then, is everyone ready to enter the Demonic Realm?”

Most cadets were still flustered.

“W-we’re really going in?”

“You thought we came all this way just to sightsee?” asked the professor.

“B-but...!”

“This is the Demon Realm! Even active heroes avoid this place because it’s too dangerous!”

“Oh?” Professor Kane let out a faint, incredulous chuckle. “Because it’s dangerous, you don’t want to go in? How very heroic of you. Remember this well. Fear comes from the unknown. If you avoid something simply because it’s frightening or dangerous, you’ll never again be able to set foot in the Demon Realm.”

“T-then...”

“So what? You’re saying we can just spend our whole lives staying away from the Demonic Realm?” Professor Kane said firmly. “Do you know what lies beyond this jungle?”

“There’s a city of the demons.”

“That’s right. Gehenna City.” Professor Kane nodded. “Put your hands over your hearts and think about it. Heroes, so-called heroes, who can’t even step into the Demonic Realm, let alone cross it to eradicate the demons’ stronghold. Do you truly believe someone like that deserves to be called a hero?”

The faces of the terrified cadets started to get hot. Just as Professor Kane said, who would ever call someone a hero if they were too afraid to even set foot in the Demonic Realm? With tense expressions, the cadets stared into the Demonic Realm.

“U-understood.”

“It’s not like we can’t go in at least once!”

“Hoo, hoo! I can do this. I can do this!”

Watching them, Professor Kane suppressed another quiet snort. The others didn’t know, but I did. In truth, this place could hardly be called the Demonic Realm. This place was merely the outskirts, the very entrance of the Demonic Realm. If one were to venture deeper, the danger would indeed rise sharply, with powerful demonic monsters and true demons roaming within. But up to this point, it was hardly different from the wooded hills near the academy.

Still, it would help the cadets overcome their fear of the Demonic Realm. Fear was born of the unknown. Even if this was only the outer edge, it was still technically part of the Demonic Realm. A single experience here would dull their terror the next time they had to come.

Professor Kane instructed, “The exploration time is six hours. Whether you hunt demonic monsters, search for ruins, or simply take a stroll, each party may act freely. However, do not, under any circumstances, leave the designated area.”

“T-then how will we know where the restricted zone begins?”

“If your Hero Watch emits a warning sound, that means you’ve entered a danger zone. Turn back immediately.”

“Yes, sir!”

“And any party that successfully hunts a demonic monster during class will receive bonus points. Those of you who need the grades should focus on that.”

“Ooooh!”

Was there anyone who didn’t need grades? At the mention of bonus points, the cadets’ eyes gleamed, and they began heading into the Demonic Realm. One by one, the parties dispersed.

My party members looked at each other.

“Shall we get going too?”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go, Dale.”

We entered the Demonic Realm as well.

“Morris, you said you’re in the mage line, right?” I asked.

“Yeah. I specialize in plant-based magic, so I should be pretty useful in a jungle like this.”

“Then Yuren and I will take the front line.”

“I’ll support from the rear.”

“Counting on you.”

Given our party’s current level, there was no real need to be this meticulous with formations. But experience mattered. We maintained formation and began our proper exploration.

I wanted to use this opportunity to gauge Morris’s abilities. The problem was that, at the entrance of the Demonic Realm, there weren’t any demonic monsters strong enough to truly test him. We needed at least an eight-eyed demonic monster. And to find something of that level, we would have to enter the restricted zone.

Suddenly, my Hero Watch rang with a beep. I looked at it and muttered, “Looks like beyond this point is the danger zone.”

“Should we head back?”

As we stepped forward, the Hero Watch quickly began to sound its warning. If we went any further, we could face disciplinary action instead of bonus points. I was just thinking we would have to postpone assessing Morris’s true abilities when I sensed a surge of dark mana coming from beyond the restricted zone.

“Hmm?”

The mana came from at least a ten-eyed monster. And there were three of them, a perfect number to test someone’s skill.

I turned to my party members. “Wait here for a moment.”

“Dale?”

Leaving them behind, I edged right up to the boundary of the restricted zone. Then, I raised my sword and severed my left arm cleanly at the elbow. Blood burst from the stump in a crimson fountain.

Demonic monsters were highly sensitive to human blood. Just as expected, the distant demonic presences began rushing closer. Keeping my gaze fixed in the direction of their approach, I let the blood continue to spill. After about ten seconds, something emerged from the dense undergrowth.

A voice rang out. “So, this is where you were.”

“Ahh! Such a sweet scent of blood! L-Lord H-Hector, surely killing just one should be fine, yes?”

“Huh? Wait a second. That guy has gray hair, doesn’t he?”

Three figures in black hooded cloaks stood before me.

What the hell? Why are demons showing up instead of demonic monsters?