Everyone turned to look at Klautz who was swinging his short sword in thin air to check for its grip. With his sense diminished he had to adapt to the way he fights. However, it wasn’t much of a hassle for him who had fought with countless weapons in the past.

Soon, out of nowhere, an armor made out of chains floated in front of him.

Klautz pulled the armor over him for what it was meant for. It was a useless armor with a low durability but it was worth it for it’s defence +1.

Most people couldn’t make heads and tails of the situation but those who did cursed him in their hearts. Klautz was in the same situation as them? How could he act so brazenly to make a step all by himself!

Some even resolved that if Klautz gets into any trouble for his quick actions, they wouldn’t be helping him in any way. But did Klautz need their help? He didn’t!

“Shit! I was so elated by being summoned that I forgot about the mission!” a man among the crowd cried.

This man was the first to react among the lot, after Klautz of course.

Hellfeim is swelling with various monsters. A regular human is unable to survive in this environment. That is the reason why there are the ‘Satan’s wishes’. It was meant to help humans survive in this harsh world or at least that is what people believe. 

Upon completing certain tasks and missions the residents are rewarded with these weapons and artifacts. And these missions are almost always a heinous one. They chip away at your soul bit by bit as they change your thinking.

Someone who isn’t as resilient as Klautz might easily fall to the temptations!

Hellfeim was home to the 72 royal demons as well as their subordinate demons that followed their bidding. 

Humans have no hope against these demons and would have been toys and slaves to do their bidding. Or would have become their food if not worst. 

But that didn’t mean that humans hadn’t grown strong as well. They did! They were much stronger compared to back on earth. But in the face of the demons that strength turned out to be just an illusion.

‘But the real enemies were the humans,’ Klautz reminded himself.

The enemy of humans are humans themselves.

The work Klautz carried out was of the same nature.

People with promising futures or those that would be of hindrance were requested to be eliminated by the Kishiogakure village. After all, it was a hidden ninja village that took money from the rich to carry out their dirty tasks, tasks which they would never have been able to accomplish by themselves.

They didn’t want the heroes and the rising stars to be a threat to their well formed positions. That is why they killed them.

In the beginning when Kisiokagure was found. It was meant to be a hidden ninja village where recruits learned the way of the ninja. They practiced ninjutsu, taijutsu, and proficiency in all weapons under the sky.

Naturally being ninjas, they did take assassination requests, other than missions like escorting, collection and delivery, and whatnot.

However, as time passed by the humans in hellfeim were able to form settlements and defend themselves properly even in the harsh environment of hellfeim with the help of ‘Satan’s wishes’ of course.

Not being exposed to the dangers they used to face, they became sluggish and narrow-minded. Not facing life and death together caused them to divide into various factions, cities, and settlements. The once united humanity wasn’t united anymore.

Similarly, greed took the better of the ninjas of Kisiokagure. More and more ninjas took assassination missions as they had the greatest pay off the lot. And there was never a lack of these missions.

All other missions started eating dust.

As corrupt humans who wished for power could acquire that easily if the one’s stronger than them were killed. After all, power is a relative measure. If those stronger than them no longer exist then of course they are the strongest of the lot.

In such a manner little by little humanity chipped away at its strength. The other four hidden ninja villages also followed suit after Kishiokagure village. Divided and weakened humanity lost against the demons without even putting up a proper fight.

Since he arrived fifty years in the past he knew too well.

“Wh… What are they!”

Klautz was jolted back to the present by the man’s voice.

The boy squeaked in fright.

A sight that they couldn’t even have believed in their wildest fantasy became a reality!

They realized that this wasn’t just a trivial matter.

But they were a step too late.

“Grrrr”

[Kill 25 Krokanov.]

From all eight directions different raptor-like monsters popped up from their hiding as they gritted their teeths. Drool dripping on the dusty floors from their mouths.

“Grrrr.”

They looked like raptors that walked on two feet with small forelimbs. But their leatherbacks seemed like that of a crocodile.

Everyone took a step back as their faces turned ashen. The threat was more real than they had thought. They could feel the monster’s hunger through all their senses! And they were the ones being seen as prey.

“The weapons!”

The ones who weren’t frozen by fear moved first as they picked up their respective weapons. Some held their swords like hammers! While some held their shields over their heads blocking their own vision.

Wielding weapons were definitely not their strong suit. But Klautz? He stood unfazed. His ninjato dangled from his right hand as he loosely held onto it. That was until he charged towards the beasts!

He had no fear. He knew that he could fight the beasts alone. But with so many targets around him there was no way the beasts were targeting him alone. 

‘If that’s the case it is only fit to make the best of the situation.’

—

Author’s thoughts:

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