CH825

Ben was linked to Thera’s mind as they flew, increasing the rate she’d think to let them go even faster than the insane speeds she would normally take them at as the ground below passed by in a blur, breaking the hours it should have taken them to get so far out into the untamed lands to merely half of one, with only a couple minutes left until their destination would be in sight, all while Ben’s heart twisting in worry as they went.

Myriad had told him that the attacking demons could be measured in the hundreds as more and more came out through the woods to the small settlement, forcing everyone there to fight to survive as they desperately held on, their shared god promising reinforcements if they could only live a little longer with Ben and Thera being the only ones he could call on so quickly to know there’d be any hope of them arriving in time to save some lives, with a scene of carnage left down below when they finally made it.

What had once been a village was now a ruin, with nothing much of what they or the demidemons had made left to be seen. The houses were flattened and the fields were destroyed, with the trees surrounding them knocked down as well, leaving a grand view of the blood and destruction that replaced it.

All around were bodies. Most of them demons but plenty of demidemons too, with the few of Myriad’s believers he could see still standing looking on their last legs as they circled their young, elderly, and injured for what protection they could give from the surrounding horde of monsters, each ready to fight to their last breath to protect what they could for as long as they could in the hope that the help their god promised would come soon, with Ben making a request to ensure that would happen.

“Thera, petrify them.”

She felt the details of what he wanted in his thoughts as she did what he asked, not just casting her spell on the demons below but the demidemons too. The two groups were both too close and intermingled for her to pick out which ones to attack in any selective manner and it held the dual benefit of freezing the injured in stasis, giving a chance they might be saved after.

Under her power, flesh turned to stone in an instant but it was focused enough at its center that the demons closer to the edges weren’t turned, which was where Ben directed his attention next and with his minds moving at their maximum potential, bringing the world to a standstill, he attacked as well.

He had more space in his rings than he could ever hope to efficiently fill which left more than enough room for something simple as thousands of iron balls were all brought out at once and shot off with enough force behind them to drain his mana reserves at a speed that made reacting to them an impossibility as every demon in his sight had their skulls pierced at once, killing them before they even realized they’d been attacked as they collapsed to the ground, letting him turn his focus to the heavens above.

Is there any more I’m not seeing?

<A few dozen back in the trees who haven’t moved yet.>

Got it.

“Thera, can you draw anything else out?”

“Can do.”

Mana already moving, her dark magic came out, charmed to her will as every other demon still in the area was drawn to it, pulling them into the clearing despite what happened before she altered the ground beneath their feet, leaving it thin for them to sink in before crushing each one, breaking them under her power and leaving the forest empty as the two of them dropped to the ground to survey the damage.

It was clear that in the small village of roughly two hundred, fifteen of the demidemons were dead with far more critically injured and the sight left him to curse himself. He and the gods had decided it would be better to leave them to live in the untamed lands after they’d been found for all of the troubles that could have been caused by introducing them to the wider world right when the invasion points had been revealed but with the second wave passed it was clear it was long past the time when that might have been the safer option for them. Even if still dangerous, the inhabited lands were patrolled and protected, with the emptier parts of the world being left to employ the patrols and expeditions that would be sent out to cull the numbers there, meaning it was where the greatest volume of demons still lived.

A stupid decision. He scorned himself. A stupid, irreversible decision.

One more bit of guilt to contend with but not one that would help, he took a deep breath before turning to Thera. “Let’s unpetrify them one by one to start treating. I’ll prepare some biomass.”

The fact that he couldn’t do more than create something for them all to eat only made his guilt dig deeper but no matter how small the part, it would help and with the plan made they got started, doing what little they could.

---

Under Thera’s power, none of the injured were lost, even if the deaths couldn’t be undone. No matter the severity, by taking things slow and working with care, every life that could have been saved had been, with the survivors huddling together after the event while Toltho stood by those who were lost, Ben walking to his side.

“I’m sorry, if we’d done things differently then it never would have come to this.”

The words felt meaningless compared to the loss of life but Toltho just gave him a sad smile. “Ben, the two of you have saved us all again, there’s nothing to apologize for. Death is a fact but all who survived owe you our lives.”

It didn’t feel like it as he looked down to those who were lost, all people he’d seen and exchanged a few words with before, with two of them standing out more than others.

“The former priests?”

“Caz and Pleht. All four of them have been in such a hurry to die but it was those two who finally had their wish granted,” The demidemon said, shaking his head. “Still, they can go proud. Whatever guilt they felt, their sacrifice saved lives.”

Would they have found some peace right at the end? I doubt it, dying without even knowing if the people you were dying for would even be saved.

He felt the negativity of it all claw at him but he did his best to control it. There would be a time and place but there were other matters to deal with first, with the main one being what to do now. Sure, the demidemons could rebuild their homes but he didn’t actually think that was the best choice. It would just leave them where they currently were, alone and vulnerable.

No, it’s time for them to come out to join the rest of the world.

“Myriad, you’re around, right?”

<Of course, I wouldn’t be anywhere else.>

“Okay, cool because there’s something we need to figure out right now. Toltho, it’s clear it’s too dangerous to leave you all here so right now, what we need to do is figure out how to safely move you all to the wider world. I’m specifically thinking my home in Stonewall.”

Toltho looked back at the rest of his people, hesitating as he asked the obvious question to him. “And will that be safe?”

“Kind of? More than out here at least,” Ben sighed. “There will be some minor problems-”

“Like the very nature of our very existence?”

“...Honestly, yeah, but I can think of a way to make it work. Frankly, you only have a couple traits that resemble demons, other races in the world have purple eyes and red scales too and the fact that the second is only on your limbs is a big plus since there’s no furry demons as far as I’ve seen so it’s just a matter of making sure nobody here reveals it.”

“A task easier said than done. Even the children know what we are. All it might take is a few careless words and then what sort of trouble will we face?”

“I honestly don’t know, Toltho, but I at least have an idea for that. Myriad, this is where you come in buddy. The only way I can really see to make this work is to place a covenant on them, can you do it?”

The same sort of restriction that every trial and tower held to keep mortals from sharing the challenges they contained, it was the only thing he could think of to ensure the secret of their nature stayed hidden no matter what, with Myriad being in agreement.

<Something to keep them from speaking of what they are and their relationship to the demons? I can. Not the most elegant solution but it should work.>

“It’s the best I can come up with right now but it’s not just that either. We’d need them to not be able to reveal their race on their cards either and on that note, I know the adventurers’ guild can read some card information. Can it give away a person’s race or can any other governing bodies detect that in some way?”

<No, they can just get some basic skill information in terms of levels but not even the skill names themselves. Some law enforcement bodies can tell specific skills as well but not species.>

“Okay, then this works. We’re covered.”

<If the demidemons accept this.> Myriad clarified. <This is a rather large restriction we’re talking about here.>

“But you both believe it should be done?” Toltho asked.

“I do.”

<It’s the best option we have.>

“Then I will do it and I will tell the others as well.”

“Alright, we’ll have to prepare to set up then. Myriad, Since Sachel and her party are aware of what the demidemons are, make it abundantly clear that if any of them mention a word of it then I’m breaking Skoe’s legs but it would be preferable if you could get his and Ralia’s gods to place covenants on them too. I guess maybe try that angle before threatening them for me.”

<Nice to see you’re trying to have violence as the second choice for once I suppose.>

“And also wake Sachel up too because we’re putting her to work. I’m going to need Ceselee for sure and it’s probably time I finally meet Stonewall’s mayor too so get your oracle to go explain that there’s going to be almost two hundred new residents in town soon and that we’ll be there in a few short hours.”