Chapter 347: I’m Going Home

Yuuta’s restraints shattered.

Fragments of metal scattered across the black stone as his crimson eyes snapped open. The nearest guard barely had time to understand what had happened before Yuuta lunged forward, his hand shooting toward the demon’s waist.

He ripped the sword from its sheath and drove the blade straight through the guard’s body.

Blood sprayed across the glowing inscriptions beneath their feet as the demon collapsed. Yuuta pulled the weapon free and immediately stepped away, putting some distance between himself and the remaining soldiers before they could react.

For a single stunned second, the guards simply stared.

Then chaos erupted.

"THE SACRIFICE HAS ESCAPED!"

Weapons were drawn throughout the formation.

Demons rushed toward Yuuta from every direction as alarms and furious shouts spread across the Black Eclipse Circle. Priests turned in disbelief, while the Warden’s expression darkened at the sight of the one prisoner he had repeatedly warned Valthor about standing free with a bloodied sword in his hand.

Not far from the central altar, Valthor had been discussing the final preparations with several black-robed priests when the shouting reached him.

"What?"

He turned toward the commotion.

His eyes immediately found Yuuta standing among the guards, a bloodied sword in his hand and a dead demon lying at his feet.

For a moment, Valthor simply stared.

Then his expression twisted.

"WHAT ARE YOU FOOLS DOING?!"

The priests beside him flinched as he hurried toward the edge of the raised platform.

"That’s the Great Divine Sacrifice! How could you allow him to break free?!"

One of the priests nervously stepped forward.

"L-Lord Valthor, the restraints were specifically prepared to suppress his aura. We don’t understand how..."

"I don’t care how!"

Valthor pointed toward Yuuta, his face filled with anger.

"Do you have any idea how long we’ve waited for this moment? If something happens to him before the Black Eclipse begins, which one of you intends to explain it to His Majesty?!"

The priests immediately lowered their heads.

Below them, Yuuta ducked beneath an incoming spear and slashed across another demon’s chest.

Valthor’s expression stiffened.

"Stop attacking him so recklessly! Capture him! And don’t you dare damage his body beyond what the ritual can tolerate!"

His voice carried across the formation, but the chaos had already begun spreading beyond his immediate control.

The Warden clenched his jaw.

I warned you.

He had repeatedly told Valthor that the human was dangerous, yet his concerns had been dismissed.

Now the Great Divine Sacrifice was standing free in the middle of the Black Eclipse Circle, killing the very soldiers assigned to guard him.

High above the ritual grounds, Ragnar Graves shot to his feet.

A fierce grin spread across the enormous demon’s face.

"HAHAHA!"

His booming laughter echoed from the observation platform.

"Now that’s more like it!"

Mae-hwa lowered her fan slightly, her interest immediately sharpening, while the other demons stared down at the sudden commotion.

Only Zanki remained seated.

His gaze followed the faint green aura spreading across Yuuta’s body as the human tightened his grip around the stolen sword.

The demons rushed him.

Yuuta moved before they could completely surround him. His technique wasn’t polished like Raven’s, nor did it resemble the disciplined swordsmanship of the soldiers he had fought beside. It was the strange style his body had gradually developed through battle—direct, unpredictable, and built around whatever kept him alive.

The first demon swung from Yuuta’s left.

Yuuta shifted aside and brought his sword upward. Green aura spread faintly along the blade as it tore through the demon’s chest. He pulled the weapon free just in time to duck beneath a spear aimed at his head, then stepped inside the attacker’s reach and drove his shoulder into its chest.

The impact knocked the creature backward. Before it could recover, Yuuta slashed across its throat and turned toward another approaching soldier.

"Surround him!"

"DON’T LET HIM LEAVE THE CIRCLE!"

More demons poured toward him.

Yuuta’s crimson eyes moved rapidly between them.

They weren’t weak. Compared to ordinary humans, each of these demons possessed enough strength to tear through trained soldiers without much difficulty.

But Yuuta had already fought demons like them before. After everything he had survived. the battles, the nightmare trials, and Zeri, these lower demons weren’t opponents capable of stopping him individually.

Numbers were the real problem.

Three attacked simultaneously.

Yuuta stepped backward as one sword passed inches from his chest, caught another weapon against his own blade, and twisted his wrist sharply. The strange angle knocked the demon’s sword aside, allowing him to drive his blade through its stomach.

He immediately pulled the wounded demon between himself and the third attacker.

CLANG!

The incoming weapon struck the demon’s body.

Yuuta kicked the creature forward, sending both enemies stumbling, then lunged after them. His sword flashed twice before either demon could regain its footing.

Two more bodies dropped.

Move.

Yuuta didn’t stop to look at them.

His gaze shifted toward the outer edge of the Black Eclipse Circle. He had noticed several passages between the enormous structures earlier, and one of them was still visible beyond the soldiers gathering ahead.

If I can just reach that side...

He tightened his grip and moved again.

Another demon charged, swinging its weapon toward his shoulder. Yuuta avoided the strike and slashed across its chest, but as he attempted to pull his sword back, his fingers suddenly weakened.

The blade slipped slightly in his grasp.

What...?

A spear came from his right.

Yuuta noticed it too late.

He twisted his body desperately, but the spearhead still scraped across his upper arm, tearing through his clothing and leaving a bloody wound. Pain shot through his shoulder as he stumbled backward, narrowly avoiding a second thrust.

Damn it!

His exhaustion was catching up with him.

Yuuta forced his fingers to tighten around the sword and kicked the spearman away before retreating several steps. His breathing had grown painfully heavy, and the muscles in his arms were already beginning to tremble.

He hadn’t eaten or drunk properly since his arguement. Days of hunger, thirst, and confinement had weakened him far more than he wanted to admit, and breaking the shackles had consumed another portion of his remaining strength.

His aura could reinforce his body.

It couldn’t erase everything he had endured.

I can’t keep fighting like this.

Yuuta glanced toward the passage again.

He needed to get away from the open formation. Every second he remained here gave the surrounding soldiers more time to gather, and he knew his strength wouldn’t last long enough to fight them all.

He ducked beneath another sword and struck the attacker across the chest, then pushed forward through the opening.

Above the formation, Ragnar Graves had returned to his seat, although the enormous grin on his face had not disappeared.

"HAHA! Look at him!"

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as Yuuta narrowly avoided another spear and counterattacked.

"That’s more like it! I knew there had to be something interesting about that human!"

The Salesman Demon watched the growing number of bodies scattered across the formation.

"Interesting, certainly. Though I imagine Lord Valthor isn’t particularly pleased about the damage being done to his preparations."

"Who cares about that?"

Ragnar waved a massive hand dismissively.

"Look at the way he fights. He’s exhausted, surrounded, and barely holding that sword properly, yet he’s still cutting them down."

His grin widened.

"I want to see how far he can go."

Just then, several heavily armored demons began descending from the elevated platforms surrounding the ritual grounds. Unlike the ordinary soldiers, their presence carried considerably stronger pressure, and the weapons in their hands were covered in dense demonic energy.

Ragnar noticed them immediately.

His smile disappeared.

"Oi."

A demon attendant standing behind the observation seats straightened.

"Yes, Lord Ragnar?"

"Tell those Elite idiots to stay where they are."

The attendant blinked.

"My lord?"

Ragnar turned his head.

"Did I stutter?"

"N-No, my lord!"

"Send word to every elite unit and commander stationed around the Black Eclipse Circle. None of them are to interfere with that human unless I give the order."

The attendant hesitated.

"But Lord Ragnar, the Great Divine Sacrifice has already killed several soldiers. If we allow him to continue,,,,,"

Ragnar’s eyes narrowed.

"Do you think that human can escape this kingdom?"

The attendant immediately lowered his head.

"No, my lord."

"Then stop worrying."

Ragnar turned his attention back toward Yuuta.

"Let the lower soldiers handle him. I want to see what that human is capable of when he’s pushed to his limit."

The attendant bowed and hurriedly transmitted the command through the communication device.

Within moments, the order spread across the surrounding platforms.

The heavily armored demons who had been preparing to intervene stopped in their tracks. Several commanders exchanged confused glances, but none dared openly defy an Upper Blood Demon.

One by one, they returned to their assigned positions.

Below them, the ordinary soldiers continued rushing toward Yuuta, unaware that the kingdom’s stronger warriors had been ordered to remain spectators.

Mae-hwa slowly waved her fan.

"My, my. You’re enjoying this far too much, Ragnar."

"Of course I am!"

Ragnar laughed.

"How often do you get to watch a human fight for his life against an entire army?"

The Salesman Demon chuckled.

"And if he somehow survives?"

Ragnar’s grin grew wider.

"Then perhaps I’ll finally have a reason to stand up."

Akuryu Zanki remained silent throughout their conversation.

His eyes never left Yuuta.

Unlike Ragnar, he wasn’t particularly interested in how many soldiers the human could kill.

He was watching something else.

The way Yuuta moved.

The way he adjusted his stance after every exchange.

And the faint green aura circulating through his exhausted body.

Interesting...

Zanki leaned forward slightly.

Let’s see what you’re hiding.

A short distance away, the Warden watched Yuuta’s movements carefully.

He had known from the beginning that this human would attempt something. The constant observation, the questions about leaving the kingdom, and the way Yuuta searched his surroundings had made his intentions obvious enough.

What he hadn’t expected was the human’s ability to overpower the lower demons despite his condition.

Even exhausted and deprived of food and water, Yuuta had killed several soldiers within moments of breaking free.

But the Warden noticed something else.

The human wasn’t simply attacking everyone around him.

He was moving toward a particular section of the formation.

The Warden followed his gaze and immediately understood.

So that’s what you’re after.

His eyes narrowed toward the passage between the surrounding structures.

"Third and Fourth Squads! Block the western passage!"

Several soldiers immediately changed direction.

"Shield units, advance from the front! Spearmen, keep your distance and force him back toward the center!"

The soldiers obeyed.

Yuuta had barely taken another few steps when he noticed the movement ahead. Demons carrying large shields rushed toward the passage, forming a defensive line across the opening, while spearmen gathered behind them.

His expression changed.

You’ve got to be kidding me...

He looked toward the Warden.

The demon was already watching him.

Their eyes met for a brief moment.

The Warden’s lips curled into a cold smile.

Yuuta clicked his tongue.

That bastard figured it out.

He had hoped to reach the outer passages before the soldiers could reorganize. But the Warden had recognized his intentions almost immediately, and now the only route Yuuta had been moving toward was blocked.

Worse, the surrounding demons were no longer charging at him individually.

They were beginning to move together.

Shields advanced from the front while spears threatened him from behind their protection. Other soldiers spread along the sides, gradually narrowing the space around him.

Yuuta stepped backward.

This is bad.

He could fight individual demons. He could even survive several attacking together.

But a coordinated formation was another matter entirely, especially in his current condition.

The Warden raised his voice.

"Everyone, listen carefully!"

His command thundered across the ritual grounds.

"The human must be captured alive! Break his resistance, but preserve his life. He is still required for the ritual!"

The surrounding soldiers tightened their formation.

Then the Warden continued.

"Whoever captures him will have their achievement personally reported by me to His Majesty the Demon King!"

For several seconds, the surrounding demons went completely silent.

They stared at the Warden first, almost as if making sure they had heard correctly. Then hundreds of eyes gradually shifted toward Yuuta, who stood among the bodies with a bloodied sword in one hand, visibly exhausted and struggling to catch his breath.

The silence broke into deafening cheers.

"OOOOHHHH!"

For lower demons who might spend their entire lives without ever being noticed by the Demon King, this was an opportunity they couldn’t ignore. Soldiers who had previously remained at their assigned positions began rushing forward, eager to capture the final sacrifice and earn recognition from the ruler of their kingdom.

The commotion even reached the skies above the Black Eclipse Circle.

Several winged demons patrolling the surrounding airspace looked down toward the gathering horde. When they understood the reward being offered, some abandoned their patrol routes and descended toward the ritual grounds, joining the growing number of soldiers converging on Yuuta.

Within moments, hundreds of demons were moving toward him.

Yuuta’s eyes widened.

For the first time since breaking his restraints, genuine fear seized him.

The sight before him was no longer a group of enemies he could somehow cut through. It looked like an entire army advancing toward a single man. Demons poured across the ritual grounds from multiple directions, weapons raised above their heads, while others descended from the air to prevent him from escaping through any opening.

Every instinct in Yuuta’s body screamed at him to run.

His mind told him the same thing.

It didn’t matter that most of them were lower demons. There were simply too many. His body was exhausted, his strength was fading, and even if every demon ahead of him was individually weaker, there were hundreds of them.

The sword trembled slightly in his hand.

What am I supposed to do against all of them?

Yuuta looked around desperately.

The western passage was blocked. More soldiers were gathering near the other exits, and the bridges leading away from the formation were guarded by forces he couldn’t possibly overcome in his current condition.

He had escaped his shackles.

He had stolen a sword.

He had even managed to kill several demons.

And yet he was still trapped.

Is this really how it’s going to end?

Perhaps escape had always been impossible.

He was standing at the heart of the Demonic Kingdom, somewhere beneath the deepest reaches of the ocean, surrounded by thousands of demons. Their strongest warriors were gathering above him, every exit was guarded, and even if he somehow escaped the Abyssal Sanctum, he still needed to find a transportation tile and learn the ancient words required to activate it.

There was no reasonable path out.

Yuuta’s exhausted arm slowly lowered.

For a moment, he simply stood there, staring at the approaching army.

His legs felt heavy. His injured arm throbbed with pain, and every breath burned his throat. He had already survived more than he should have, and there was nothing shameful about admitting that hundreds of monsters were simply too much for one exhausted man.

A part of him wanted to stop.

His body certainly wanted to.

Maybe... I’ve reached my limit.

Then, without warning, a memory surfaced.

Erza.

Yuuta saw her exactly as she had appeared before Allen’s portal closed. Her silver hair, her violet eyes filled with terror, and the desperate expression on her face as she reached toward him.

Their fingers had been less than an inch apart.

Just a little closer, and perhaps none of this would have happened.

He remembered the words he had spoken to her before everything went wrong. The painful things left unresolved between them, and the feelings he had never properly expressed.

Erza...

Yuuta swallowed.

If he died here, he would never have the chance to return and make things right. She would never hear everything he still wanted to tell her, and he would never know whether they could have found happiness together again.

For Yuuta, a human lifetime might only be another sixty or eighty years.

For Erza, it could be thousands.

The thought of leaving his wife to carry those memories for centuries hurt more than the wound on his arm.

Then he remembered Elena.

His daughter’s small hands reaching toward him.

Her laughter.

The way she called for him whenever she wanted something, as though there was nothing in the world her father couldn’t do.

Yuuta’s expression slowly changed.

Elena...

She was still waiting for him.

Somewhere beyond this kingdom, beyond the ocean and the countless demons surrounding him, his daughter was waiting for her father to come home.

He had promised to be there for her.

And now he was standing here, considering giving up.

Yuuta slowly looked down at the sword in his hand.

His fingers were trembling.

He couldn’t deny his fear. He couldn’t pretend that he had enough strength to defeat the army approaching him, and he certainly couldn’t guarantee that he would survive the next few minutes.

But there was one thing he knew.

He wasn’t ready to leave them.

Not yet.

His fingers tightened around the sword.

I’m sorry, Erza... Elena...

Yuuta slowly raised his head.

You’ll have to wait a little longer for me.

A faint green aura began rising from his body.

The energy spread across his shoulders and arms, gradually darkening until the familiar dark-green aura wrapped around his exhausted figure. Strength flowed through his muscles, allowing him to straighten his back despite the pain running through his body.

The exhaustion remained.

His injuries hadn’t disappeared.

And the army was still coming.

But Yuuta no longer lowered his gaze.

He stared directly at the approaching demons, his crimson eyes reflecting the weapons raised against him.

"I’m going home."

His voice was quiet.

It was almost lost beneath the thunder of hundreds of approaching footsteps.

But Yuuta heard himself clearly.

He adjusted his grip on the bloodied sword, drawing what strength he could from the aura circulating within his body. His breathing steadied as he watched the first line of demons approach, shields raised and spears pointed toward him.

He didn’t know whether he could survive.

He didn’t know whether his plan had any chance of succeeding anymore.

But he would keep moving until his body could no longer obey him.

Yuuta took one step forward.

Then another.

The dark-green aura around him surged as he suddenly accelerated, charging straight toward the approaching army.

"HE’S COMING!"

"CAPTURE HIM!"

The demons answered with furious war cries, their formation surging forward to meet him. Spears lowered, shields locked together, and hundreds of weapons gleamed beneath the crimson light of the Black Eclipse Circle.

Yuuta tightened his grip on the sword.

He had no intention of stopping.

With a final burst of strength, he leaped toward the front line, raising his weapon above his head as the demons prepared to overwhelm him.

Then he brought the sword down.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

To be continued.