---

It was a moment when I should have felt grateful for Kim Yu-shin’s offer to handle it himself… but there was no arrow even as he drew the bowstring.

I couldn’t tell if he was mocking us or trying to ease the tension.

At that moment, it was hard to take anything positively.

“Get ready, let’s see if it’s hyenas or a pack of wolves.”

Kim Yu-shin released the bowstring with an incomprehensible remark.

*Twang—*

The sound of the taut bowstring snapping echoed, even though there was no arrow.

It looked like something shot out from the bow, which had been empty just moments ago.

And it wasn’t an illusion.

*Boom—*

A crater appeared where the fourteen Hellhounds had been prowling, as if a bomb had dropped.

Bits of flesh and guts scattered, leaving traces of what had once been there.

“What the hell!”

“With one arrow… no, there wasn’t even an arrow. Just a bow…”

“…He didn’t just coat the arrowhead or the shaft with magic power—he created the arrow itself.”

Only the general saw the magic power infused in the bow.

When the string was drawn, an arrow formed.

A spiraling arrow made of blue magic power spun fiercely.

With a roaring momentum, it was finally shot.

At that moment, the arrow was no longer just an arrow.

“I’ve never seen or heard of anything like this…”

I had already seen that he was strong enough to subdue me and threaten the young master.

But I hadn’t expected it to be to this extent.

The general couldn’t hide his admiration.

“Amazing!”

“What kind of power is this?”

The gazes of respect directed at Kim Yu-shin were filled with awe.

Though his shoulders twitched slightly, he couldn’t openly show his pride.

Among the expedition team, no one else could pull off something like this.

In fact, when it came to wide-area, long-range, or explosive attacks, Kim Yu-shin was near the bottom—no, he *was* the bottom.

Jeong Gyeoul was, of course, in a league of her own.

Generally, the Physical Category couldn’t match the flashiness and power of the Magic Category, so all the magic users were ranked higher.

Even compared to Jeong Ha-yul, who was in the Physical Category… one Demon King Punch could obliterate not just 14 Hellhounds but hundreds hiding in the distance.

Of course, the soldiers’ perspective on Kim Yu-shin was different.

‘Is he really a martial artist…?’

‘He just pulled off something incredible and acts like it’s nothing!’

‘Respect. They say the deeper you go into hell, the more you bow your head.’

After dealing with the 14 Hellhounds in the vanguard, the hundreds in the main force fled in terror.

They realized they were up against something they couldn’t handle.

“Their reaction time is impressive.”

“That’s how they survive. The Demon Realm is full of unimaginably strong beasts. Surviving among them isn’t easy.”

“Anyway, we’ve cleared them out. Let’s move.”

“Yes.”

Just then, the Hellhounds we thought had fled were returning.

And they were charging fiercely.

At full speed.

Behind them, a blurry mass of an army too numerous to count.

“Enemy attack! No flags! Affiliation unknown!”

“Damn it! How did they know?!”

It was impossible for Belarus’s mere dozens of soldiers to survive against hundreds.

And it wasn’t just from one direction.

At some point, we were surrounded.

There was no way out.

Even if Kim Yu-shin stepped up, the general doubted we’d survive.

“…Can you handle this?”

“…”

Kim Yu-shin regretted stepping forward as the escort.

If Jeong Gyeoul—or even Lee Ha-yoon—had been here, the situation might’ve been better.

Kim Yu-shin didn’t have the skills to handle hundreds of enemies at once.

Of course, wiping out the army was possible.

But this was an open field.

The problem was that Belarus and his subordinates would be wiped out before the enemies were.

Even Kim Yu-shin couldn’t protect them while fighting.

If a Demon Lord had appeared, he could’ve fought alone and bought time to save everyone… but against sheer numbers, even he was at a loss.

“It’s impossible for me. Damn it. Someone else should’ve come instead.”

While Kim Yu-shin berated himself, the general thought of a lesser evil.

If Kim Yu-shin couldn’t protect them in this open field, there was only one option.

“…Can you take the young master and escape?”

“…What about you?”

“We’ll buy as much time as we can.”

It was a request to flee with the young master while they bought time with their lives.

Swallowing his emotions, Kim Yu-shin could only say one thing.

“…I’ll keep Belarus safe.”

“That’s enough. Thank you.”

“I’m relieved! If the general had been sent with him, I’d have been too worried to die properly.”

“What the hell?”

The soldiers, aware they were facing death, showed no signs of wavering.

Though fear lingered behind their resolute expressions, they seemed content to fulfill their duty.

One soldier even joked with the general to ease the tension.

The real problem was Belarus.

“No! I can’t leave you all behind!”

“…Are you saying you’ll stay and die with us?”

“Let’s all survive! Just hold out until our savior crushes the enemy!”

“That’s impossible, young master.”

“Don’t just say it’s impossible! Make it possible!”

Belarus knew the only way to survive was to escape with Kim Yu-shin.

But he couldn’t abandon the general and soldiers who had risked their lives for him.

“Hey, you brat! How long are you going to act like a child?!”

“…Huh?”

The general suddenly snapped, shocking Belarus into silence.

Though the general had been by his side since birth, this was the first time he’d seen him like this.

“You have to live, for the soldiers who died protecting you!”

“But…”

“But what? If you die, we all die for nothing! Is this the ending you want? To trample on their pride and give up so easily? Is that the kind of person we’re sacrificing ourselves for?!”

“That’s not it!”

“Then get out of here!”

At this final moment with Belarus, the harsh words pained him, but he knew the stubborn young master wouldn’t leave otherwise.

Though he rambled, he got the necessary points across.

Whether it worked or not, Belarus sat down, tears streaming.

The general, watching him, barely held back his own tears.

“Then… I leave it to you…”

“I’ll carry on your will, so don’t worry. It was a pleasure meeting you, even for this short time. I’ll never forget this moment.”

While planning and persuading Belarus, the enemy army had closed in.

“I don’t know who they are, but I’ll take at least a hundred with me!”

“We’ll take dozens each too!”

Belarus’s soldiers mounted their horses and lowered their visors.

At the same time, Kim Yu-shin grabbed Belarus and began to flee.

Belarus, seemingly resigned, didn’t resist and went quietly.

With one leap, they covered several meters; with two, dozens; with three, hundreds.

At that moment, a sword imbued with powerful magic flew straight at Belarus.

Kim Yu-shin, stopping abruptly, drew his Yodo and barely deflected the blade.

He shielded Belarus, eyeing the direction the sword came from.

“You deflected that? You’re not just fast—you’re stronger than I thought.”

“Who are you?”

The demon, catching the deflected sword effortlessly, smirked as he approached.

“That’s none of your business. I’d feel bad for my name in a situation like this.”

“…Are you one of the Demon Lords? Is Belarus your target?”

“That’s none of your concern. Let’s fight. If you win, I’ll let you go.”

“Lucifer? No, he’s too arrogant to work with others… Leviathan? Or maybe Mammon? Why are you following Satan’s orders?”

The aura felt similar to Satan’s level.

He was definitely one of the Demon Lords.

Belarus shook his head, indicating he didn’t recognize the demon either.

“Tsk. I was looking forward to a fun fight… but you’re quite the talker. And… do you really think I’d listen to Satan?!”

The demon, with a look of utter disdain, charged at Kim Yu-shin.

 

---