Rise of the Rejected Deity from Chaos

The villagers immediately recoiled, moving away from the horde of orcs that exited the gate. They huddled behind Seiya for safety, making clear to everyone their trust in Seiya.

"My Lord," one of the village women whimpered, fear already streaming through their veins. The three demons standing at the entrance were neither strangers nor newcomers—they were the very ones who had fled the clash between Seiya and their kind that day.

Seeing them again, it awoke the past the villagers hadn't even healed from, wrapping them in a suffocating shroud of fear.

Seiya himself didn't recognize two among the three demons, for he had only encountered one of them—Denga—the one with the ability to call things. The one he depicted as a coward.

However, even when he didn't recognize the other two by eyes or features, he knew them by the rhythm of their heart pulsations. So, Seiya knew fully well that the demons standing at the entrance were no one other than the ones that had escaped him that day.

Alert, and already in their fighting stances, the Humanity Saviors from stared with confusion. By the demon's words regarding a payback, they guessed them to be among the demons that had escaped according to what the villagers had told them.

However, lacking precise information on how many had escaped that day, they couldn't determine whether it was one or two, nor whether some were simply reinforcements. They alone remained in a state of uncertainty.

Seiya's gaze scrutinized the demons at the entrance, his mouths parting to let out a little "ah," which caught both the commander and the Humanity Saviors' attention.

"It's you," Seiya said to Denga who in return, laughed, waving a hand casually at Seiya like they were friends.

The commander and the Humanity Saviors were shocked by this, as well as put off, because Seiya was, after all, acting chummy with a demon.

The monsters emerging from the gate—red orcs of varying size and form, tall and hulking, squat and broad, massive in every shape—stood idle, not attacking, as if awaiting a signal to advance.

The commander slowly inched closer to where Seiya stood, leaning forward with his head.

"Who is he?" He asked, referring to Denga whom Seiya had earlier interacted with.

"One of the demons who escaped me while I was fighting him," Seiya blurted nonchalantly.

"I see, so they're all the demons who escaped that day? You actually killed 13 demons?" He asked, bewildered.

"No, together we killed 12 demons," Seiya said, including Kaeliyus in the talk. "It was 4 that had escaped but only 3 has come back."

The commander gazed at Seiya, his thoughts rifting back to when Seiya had claimed Kaeliyus worked under him.

Surely, because Kaeliyus worked under him didn't mean he was stronger than Kaeliyus, right?

Staring at Seiya, the commander was weighing things with what he's seen. If Seiya and Kaeliyus had come together to kill 12 demons, would it be a stretch to think Kaeliyus handled more and probably, the strongest among them?

But then again, if Kaeliyus had, had the upper hand during the fight, defeating more demons than Seiya, shouldn't Kaeliyus be the one revered as the Lord then?

Even though the commander had seen Seiya fight twice, that still wasn't enough to gauge his strength. He couldn't put Seiya above Kaeliyus just from the little he's seen him do. Kaeliyus was, after all, a powerful demon of severance.

"Kekeke, we are here to exert revenge and take back the village," one of the demons—the one with a darker shade said, all three stepping forward.

"After what happened, we've been preparing to reclaim what is rightfully ours," he said, unabashedly laying claim to something that was never theirs. "But the barrier you erected stood in our way."

"So we've been watching, waiting for the moment it would fall—so we could set our plans in motion. And that moment came today," he added with a burst of laughter.

"We were hoping you wouldn't be here when we took the village back," he said, turning to Seiya, his tone tightening and his expression hardening. "You're quite the thorn in our side, after all."

"But that isn't gonna stop us. As you see, we aren't here alone today," the demon nonchalantly walked over to the orcs, standing beside them. "We have some backup today," he chuckled.

Denga who had remained silent with only a wide grin plastered across his face, turned to Seiya, moving closer.

"I don't see your staff or sword anywhere," he said, looking around. "Where are they? Did you finally lose them? Or have they finally been taken from you?" He taunted with a stretching smile.

The commander's ears perked up at this, hearing about Seiya's staff for the second time, was it? He had merely heard of it, not seen it. Hearing the demon speak of it again, he's even more intrigued to see the said staff.

Despite the demon's taunts, Seiya kept silent, unbothered even with the demon's close proximity to him. Ignoring Seiya's disregard and silence, Denga continued.

"I told you back then, didn't I? That we would fight again. It is now," he said, leaning forward so he hunched forward. "And without your weapons by your side, I think things have just gone easier than they ever could."

Denga straightened up, his eyes sweeping over the Humanity Saviors present. "We didn't plan to meet other pests here as well," he said. "But nevertheless, we cannot back down. We are finally free from Kiriza's rule, now we will take over," he declared sternly.

The villager's scared whimpers and low gasps assaulted Seiya's ears as they remained huddled behind him. Their pounding hearts that raced in fear and worry grated harshly upon Seiya, worsening his irritation.

To him, neither the demons nor the monsters were an impossible feat to pull off. Just that he might have to strain because one of the demons possessed seven hearts, with the other possessing five hearts—they weren't low ranking demons.

But…..why fight when there's an easier solution to this situation?

"Step back," Seiya commanded the villagers and they immediately pushed back. Hearing his orders, the commander wondered why he said that, his feet remaining on his spot as he gazed at Seiya, watching for what he would do.

The villagers stepped onto the veranda that stretched across the length of the houses, backing up against the walls. Seiya also stepped back with them, and without a moment's delay, he said. "Protection."

Instantly, the handkerchief in his hand emitted a blinding light, expanding into a rectangular barrier that stretched from one end to the other, engulfing the length of the houses.

It was like a veil that enveloped the full length of the house, building a structure over the house structures, and entrapping Seiya and the villagers inside it.

Since the barrier was a bit transparent, Seiya and the villagers could see through, as did the others—not so well but they could.

Everyone—the demons, including the commander and his people, were all surprised with wide eyes. Seiya had just, after all, separated himself and the villagers from them—leaving the fight entirely to the association.

They all knew the kind of barrier it was. One none of them could break or penetrate. His actions were nothing but one that only saved his butt and the villagers—selfishly leaving the others out.

A tense, nervous smile curved across the commander's lips, his eyes open with disbelief. "Seiya, what…" he didn't even finish talking when Seiya dipped his head out from the barrier, speaking calmly.

"Fight….and die."