Melinda Guilford.
At a time when few people knew the name that would later shine with immortal brilliance.
It was an era of darkness, when the Demon Lord and hordes of demons plagued the world.
In such a time, Melinda entered a certain village with her companions.
Even in the era of darkness, human settlements still existed.
They were discreet, as if hiding from the demons.
The reason the Demon Lords didn’t seriously try to annihilate humanity was their arrogance, believing they could do so at any time, and their leader, Auraniess, had no interest in exterminating humanity.
If Auraniess had decided to do so, humanity would have long since vanished from the face of the earth.
In a sense, she was humanity’s guardian, but humanity was unaware of this.
Melinda and her companions found lodgings.
Resting when you can is fundamental to travel, and fundamental for those who live by fighting.
“Let’s eat something.”
Everyone nodded at the warrior Carl’s suggestion.
They had walked all day, so they were hungry.
“I hope there’s something delicious,” said the priestess Lynn.
She wasn’t a gourmand. She simply believed that eating delicious food was a good way to heal fatigue and refresh oneself.
“We can’t expect much. No offense to the innkeeper,” Melinda said gently.
Most people lived discreetly, trying not to attract the attention of demons.
It was rare to find an establishment that could serve good food unless you were extremely lucky. This was even more unlikely for lodging facilities.
It was unfair to blame the establishments, as securing good ingredients was difficult.
“As long as it’s edible, I don’t care. There’s nothing happier than eating your fill,” said Ronal, the hunter, somewhat gruffly.
Born into poverty, he had suffered from hunger since childhood and joined Melinda’s group out of desperation. This wasn’t unique to him; except for Lynn, everyone, including Melinda, had a similar background.
“It’s probably better to accept that and be happy,” said knight Vincent, speaking gently and somewhat admonishingly.
The team consisted of Carl, Ronal, Vincent, Lynn, and Melinda. All in their twenties, they were young for such a grueling journey. Their ability to continue was due to their individual skills and their well-established teamwork.
Carl, a muscular giant, fought a steady and tenacious defensive style. He was the party’s shield, literally.
Despite his rough appearance, Ronal excelled at agile maneuvering and possessed extensive knowledge of animals, monsters, and plants, as well as excellent danger-sensing abilities.
Vincent, though not as tough as Carl, could also mount a strong defense and was skilled in both offense and defense, capable of striking enemies with sharp swordplay.
Lynn, with her healing prayers, mended her companions’ wounds and was also well-versed in pharmacology, making her an indispensable member of the party.
And then there was Melinda, a person of extraordinary talent who was developing and systematizing magic, inspired by the fighting styles of demons. Lynn’s healing prayers had also become more powerful and accurate with Melinda’s advice.
However, the world was not so kind as to allow Melinda to succeed solely based on her abilities. She knew this well and maintained a humble and sincere attitude toward her companions.
After finishing their simple but hearty meal, the five returned to their rooms. They, of course, separated by gender, with Melinda sharing a room with Lynn.
“Melinda, aren’t you looking for a lover?” the young and beautiful priestess suddenly asked, her blue eyes fixed on Melinda.
“No one would be interested in me,” Melinda replied curtly. She genuinely believed this and likely had no time to consider such things.
Lynn felt it was a waste, both as a comrade and a friend. However, she also felt it would be wrong to force the issue and didn’t intend to press further. She believed she understood Melinda to some extent.
Melinda’s hometown was destroyed by demons before she could form lasting memories, and her parents had raised her through hardship. Both of her parents were killed by demons. It was understandable that she couldn’t let go of her anger and hatred toward demons. Lynn herself lost her parents, was taken in by a temple, and then the temple was destroyed by a demon army, forcing her to wander from place to place. So, she had no intention of preaching platitudes like “Let go of grudges” or “Hatred breeds nothing.” She even found herself thinking, an unusual thought for a priestess, that hatred could at least fuel the will to fight demons.
“Why don’t you look for one when things calm down? I’ll help,” Lynn suggested, feeling that it wouldn’t be good to dwell on nothing else. She didn’t consider whether things would ever calm down.
Sensing Lynn’s feelings, Melinda showed a troubled expression and murmured, “I still don’t think it’s possible.” Perhaps Melinda’s perceived mediocrity and difficulty in leaving an impression on others stemmed from her appearance. Indeed, it was usually Lynn who garnered the attention of men, or the warriors with their impressive physiques and auras. When people learned that Melinda was the leader, they would most likely look skeptical. Judging by first impressions, she didn’t look like someone capable of defeating demons on her own.
“When the fighting is over… let’s try dressing up,” Lynn suggested with particular emphasis. Pressed by her enthusiasm, Melinda nodded. She swallowed her questions about when the fighting would end and what would constitute its end. Meanwhile, the men, after maintaining their weapons and armor, went to sleep. This was the opposite of the women’s behavior, but from a stamina perspective, sleeping when they could was the right thing to do.
The next morning, the five regrouped and departed. Their immediate goal was to defeat the demons who had made their base in a cave within a forest a short distance ahead. Defeating this demon would slightly increase the safety of nearby settlements. While overdoing it risked attracting the Demon Lord’s attention, they couldn’t do nothing. The situation for humanity was dire.
After leaving the settlement and traveling a considerable distance, they stumbled upon a pack of monsters. They were Blood Rabbits, carnivorous, rabbit-like monsters. They were as large as humans, extremely agile thanks to their powerful legs, and their black fur provided good defense against slashing, blunt, and projectile attacks, making them troublesome monsters. Melinda’s party wasn’t put on high alert because these creatures lacked resistance to magic.
“【Freeze】”
Melinda’s magical attack could easily wipe them out. The cold air she unleashed turned the Blood Rabbits into ice statues.
“Amazing,” said Carl and Vincent, with wry smiles. It was natural for them, whose role was to protect their companions by putting themselves on the front lines, to feel a sense of anticlimax. However, Melinda spoke without smiling.
“It won’t be like this against demons. You should conserve your strength until then,” she said. The companions exchanged glances but, knowing Melinda’s stubbornness, refrained from arguing. Ronal, perhaps as a diversion, said something else.
“Still, a pack of Blood Rabbits around here… there shouldn’t be anything for them to eat.” His comment, bordering on an omen, intensified the seriousness on everyone’s faces. While Blood Rabbits were indeed ferocious monsters that attacked humans, they were omnivores by nature. They ate grass, berries, and small animals in the forest, so it was unusual for them to venture near human settlements. If it were one or two, it might be different, but a pack…
“Were they driven out by something? Or were they an advance party?” Vincent voiced a possible scenario. If it was the former, it simply meant a stronger monster had moved into the forest. Since it had driven out the Blood Rabbits, it was unlikely to immediately approach human settlements. The problem lay with the latter possibility, as the force that sent them was almost certainly a demon. If so, they had just revealed the location of those capable of defeating a pack of Blood Rabbits.
“It’s unlikely that a demon’s advance party would consist of only a single type of monster… but it depends on the demon’s personality in this area, so I can’t say for sure.” Normally, scouts would have monsters with scouting abilities, but a cruel demon might casually treat them as disposable. Because they had information about the demon’s base being nearby, Melinda and her party hesitated.
Finally, Melinda, the leader, spoke with resolve. “We have no choice. Let’s proceed, prepared for a trap.”
“No objections.” Everyone agreed with her decision. It wasn’t just that they trusted her as a leader. If they retreated now, the settlements behind them could be attacked. If they were the type of people who would willingly let those who didn’t know how to fight be threatened in exchange for their own safety, they wouldn’t have chosen a path of traveling while fighting demonic creatures. Without explicitly stating it, Melinda and her companions possessed a certain pride.
As they advanced through the wild, untamed land, a forest soon appeared before them. The trees, with their magnificent height and thick trunks, were covered in vibrant, fiery leaves, which seemed unseasonal and filled Melinda’s party with an ominous feeling.
“Let’s see if it’s a鬼 or a demon,” Carl muttered. As if drawn by his words, shadows appeared ahead. Five Silver Wolves, with their silvery fur, and five Grapple Bears, capable of bipedal movement and possessing combat skills equal to or greater than humans. Even facing ten monsters simultaneously was not beyond the Melinda party. However, without knowing the total number of enemies, they couldn’t afford to deplete their strength recklessly.
“If they’re deliberately using their forces sparingly, it would be a terrifying opponent,” Melinda said.
“I’ve never encountered such an intelligent being,” Vincent added, picking up her words. The only demon known to use strategy was Sophia, and she was not in this region. Therefore, their assessment that the enemy wasn’t thinking that far ahead was correct.
“In any case, Melinda, you rest,” Vincent said, drawing his longsword from its scabbard. The blade gleamed silver in the sunlight.
“I agree,” the other men said, drawing their axes and swords. The party’s basic strategy was to minimize the consumption of their greatest asset, Melinda.
“Don’t overdo it,” Lynn added, also conserving her own strength if possible. If the two women became unable to fight properly, it could be considered the party’s downfall.
Although Silver Wolves hunt in packs, the presence of Grapple Bears, a different species, disrupted their coordination. The men skillfully exploited this, taking them down one by one. By the time all the monsters were dead, the men had only sustained minor injuries. This was a success, as it placed little burden on the women.
As their wounds were healed, they heard applause. Without asking who it was, the group turned their gaze toward the sound. Standing there was a humanoid creature with green skin and red, reptilian eyes. However, the malevolent magic emanating from its body proved it was no human.
“A demon,” Melinda stated. The creature grinned with a viscous smile and nodded heartily.
“I am the demon Gryuwarz. Quite a few attractive women here, aren’t there?” With a flick of his long, red tongue, he turned his gaze toward Lynn, his eyes filled with a vulgarity that no woman could avoid feeling disgusted by. Lynn instinctively hugged herself and stepped back, while the men positioned themselves to shield her.
“Ah, I don’t need men. And I certainly don’t need ugly women,” the demon Gryuwarz said, reverting to his true form. The humanoid outline blurred, transforming into a large snake, predominantly green with black markings. Humans recognized this monster.
“A Poison Snake… demon?” Poison snakes were a type of serpentine monster skilled in toxic attacks, but otherwise not particularly threatening. However, as a demon, the parts that were not threatening would likely be greatly enhanced.
“That’s right. Men, die quickly!” Gryuwarz declared, and with a motion that was more of a flex than a twist, he closed the distance in an instant. The demon’s first target was Vincent. It was a logical decision to target someone capable of both offense and defense first. However, this was precisely what Melinda had anticipated.
“【Shield】 【Barricade】” She deployed two defensive spells in front of Vincent.
“Nngh?” Gryuwarz hit an invisible obstacle and was momentarily bewildered. He pressed forward, undeterred. Melinda’s defensive spells, which would have repelled or even damaged ordinary monsters, could not stop the demon’s charge. However, it was enough for Vincent. Thanks to Melinda, his attack speed had slowed enough for Vincent to parry. His four fangs, sharp and elongated, were intercepted by his longsword. Carl, with his sword, attacked from the flank, and from the opposite side, Ronal fired a blowgun dart tipped with a paralyzing poison.
“Insolent!” Gryuwarz exerted force, and Vincent was flung backward. The demon then twisted its body and evaded the humans’ attacks. However, this was precisely what those insolent humans had planned. Seizing the moment when the Poison Snake demon, believing its attack had been evaded, briefly froze, Melinda unleashed her magic.
“＜…Burn them!＞ 【Exharatio】” A wall of white flames erupted over a wide area, searing Gryuwarz.
“Guh, Wh-what? Humans, such power?” While surprised by an attack that a demon had to endure desperately, Gryuwarz diverted all his strength to defense. He judged that otherwise, he would suffer a fatal blow. It was an immense humiliation for him, but his life was not worth it. Meanwhile, the humans made no move to pursue. It wasn’t that they were confident of victory, but rather they were preparing for the possibility that the demon would withstand Melinda’s attack. Always thinking of the next step was perhaps their strength, honed by countless battles despite their youth.
“Uoooh…” The demon endured with sheer willpower, but without pause, further attacks followed.
“【Congelatio】” This was a frigid attack, the opposite of the previous one. A normal Gryuwarz would have endured it. However, after suffering significant damage from Exharatio, he could not. In a final act of defiance, he avoided being turned into an ice statue but collapsed, exhausted. When his corpse vanished, only his fangs remained.
“Phew, lucky it was a weak demon,” Carl said, wiping sweat from his brow. Ronal let out a wry chuckle.
“Weak and stupid, that demon. That’s why Ronal and I didn’t do anything.” Since it was a Poison Snake that died without using its deadliest weapon, its stupidity was undeniable.
“Indeed. But something feels strange,” Melinda said, sensing an ineffable unease and anxiety.
“Melinda?” Seeing her companions’ perplexed faces and hearing their voices, she shook her head and smiled.
“No, it’s probably nothing. Let’s leave here while we still have our strength.”
“Right,” they agreed immediately with her suggestion. When a demon died, the monsters under its command would scatter. While they might become easier to fight without control, the problem was numbers. They had already expended considerable physical and mental energy. Fighting would be tough depending on the numbers. Thus, Melinda and her party returned victorious, having defeated another demon. Most people would never know this. In later ages, many texts and minstrel songs would praise Melinda’s achievements, but unfortunately, many were fabricated. The primary reason was that she wasn’t one to boast of her accomplishments, but there were other reasons.
“What? Gryuwarz defeated?” A voice suddenly descended from the sky. Stunned, the humans looked up to see a humanoid figure hovering in the air, its obsidian wings beating. It had the head and wings of an eagle and the limbs of a lion. It was the Griffin Demon Lord, Almaros. Even if they hadn’t known, the overwhelming magic emanating from him easily crushed the humans’ will to fight.
“I just felt like checking in on this continent after a while, and to my surprise, I encounter this situation,” The Demon Lord Almaros cast a menacing glance at the trembling humans and landed. “Well, perhaps you’re lucky. You’ve apparently slain a few of my subordinate demons, so we have met like this.” The Demon Lord’s killing intent surged. Compared to this heavy, storm-like pressure, Gryuwarz’s was merely a gentle breeze, or even less. The humans instinctively understood that the being before them was far stronger than any demon.
“Run, Melinda, run!” Vincent, who had recovered a moment later, shouted to Melinda, who had been the first to react. Actually, he had desperately forced out a choked voice filled with fear and despair.
“B-but!” For Melinda, abandoning her companions who had shared hardships and joys was unthinkable.
“Right, Melinda, Lynn! You two, go!” Carl and Ronal yelled next.
“If it’s just you…” Melinda hesitated again. Lynn desperately grabbed her hand and they bolted.
“Don’t waste their feelings!”
“Lynn!” As the two women pulled away, Almaros spoke.
“Satisfied?”
“What, are you saying you’ll let those two go as a parting gift?” Carl quipped. Otherwise, his heart would have shattered. Even if a colossal mountain, whose peak was beyond sight, loomed over him, there would be a higher chance of survival than fighting the Demon Lord before him. Such a thought crossed his mind. The earnest Vincent remained silent, his feelings identical.
“That is not the case,” the Demon Lord Almaros said solemnly. It was as if he intended to crush the meager courage of the humans facing him. “I deliberately let you do as you pleased to teach you that whatever you do is futile. I shall crush those two later as well.”
“Hah, as if!” The three men drew their weapons but did not charge. They instinctively knew that a reckless charge would achieve nothing. However, Almaros mocked their judgment with action. He moved at speeds undetectable by the humans and struck Ronal’s head. From the Demon Lord’s perspective, it was a crude attack, but the hunter was unable to even move and his head was crushed. By the time the remaining two realized what had happened, Ronal’s head had detached, and red blood splattered into the air.
“R-Ronal!” Vincent and Carl moved to at least strike a blow. To the Demon Lord Almaros, their speed was far slower than that of a turtle.
“Pathetic,” he said, thrusting his fists outward to the left and right. Both of their heads were crushed. The three men who remained to make way for the women met their end without achieving anything.
“Now then, over there.” For Almaros, the Griffin Demon Lord, the location of the remaining two fugitives was easily discernible by both sight and hearing. With a slight movement of his wings, he kicked off the ground and was there in an instant. He circled in front of the two, stopping so they could notice him.
“Ah, ah…” Soon, Melinda and Lynn noticed Almaros’s presence. They could discern from his blood-soaked body and the way it was soaked that it was all enemy blood, a fact that became clear to the two seasoned warriors.
“Carl, Ronal, Vincent…” Melinda murmured their names, her eyes closed. Almaros then spoke chillingly.
“Truly a futile struggle.”
“Tch…” Melinda prepared her staff, accepting death. Lynn, however, shoved her with both hands.
“Wh-what are you…?” The final companion, the female priestess, looked at her with a mournful expression.
“If someone has to run, it’s you, Melinda.”
“Wait,” Lynn stopped Melinda as she tried to stand up. “I think magic is truly an amazing art. Evolve it further. Enough to defeat a Demon Lord.”
“Priestess. Are you going to be the next to delay him?” Almaros’s voice made her tremble, but Lynn bravely nodded, suppressing it for a moment. “Yes. Will you perhaps wait?”
“Ah, because whatever you do is futile.” The Demon Lord’s arrogance, born from his immense power, was the single ray of hope for Melinda’s survival.
“However, I won’t wait forever. Die.” With the same fist that had destroyed the three men, he crushed the head of the female priestess. As expected, she couldn’t even buy time, and the fourth person perished. Melinda learned firsthand the overwhelming strength of a Demon Lord.
“Tch…” Melinda, tears welling in her eyes, decided to follow Lynn’s final wish.
“Hmph, what are you doing?” Almaros sneered, but his expression suddenly hardened. Melinda had used the “Teleport” she had just mastered. Having transferred to a distant land undetectable even by the Demon Lord’s senses, pursuit was now impossible.
“Ngh… I didn’t expect you could teleport,” Almaros clicked his tongue but quickly composed himself. He decided to give the fresh, young human corpses he had acquired to his remaining subordinates. Of course, given their greed, the men’s corpses might long be gone. The Griffin Demon Lord quickly forgot about the humans he had let escape. However, while he forgot, Melinda, whose companions had all been massacred, vowed revenge with tears.
(I will definitely, definitely get revenge.)
On a land overlooking the sea, Melinda made that vow. Teleport could only transport her alone at the moment. If she had refined it enough to move all her companions, they wouldn’t have died. She couldn’t help but blame herself. Another reason for the abundance of fabricated elements in Melinda’s legend in later years was that her companions often met their end in this manner.
Trying to write Melinda’s story accurately is a reality that cannot be overcome…
Leaving that aside, Nekrai Volume 5 is scheduled for release on October 31st. Thank you for your support.
