"Originally we said that we came down to Ferrera in order to investigate potential connections with the Demon forces in addition to our normal training and leveling. And while I think we're doing pretty well at one of those, we haven't really done anything about the other." Grace looked around the room at the classmates whom she'd gone through so much with ever since they'd first arrived in this world.

"That's why Will and I decided to scope out a local trading guild that has a lot of public ties to the Beast peoples. Now you may not be aware, but the Beast peoples are highly discriminated against in many human countries, and so as a fellow marginalized people they are more likely to have ties to the Demons and the Demon country, which is why we've been in talks with them."

"They're merchants so they're pretty wary, cunning people, but they've decided to give us a chance to prove our worth by investigating some Beast trafficking claims coming out of a small village in the north. Apparently they've been utilizing some of their resources as a trading company to protect Beastkin, but as its a pretty remote area, and the potential opposing forces seem rather strong they haven't been able to take care of it themselves, hence why they're asking us." Grace looked around trying to gauge what her party's reaction was to what she was saying.

"Will and I have been talking trying to discuss whether we can trust the trading company or whether we should accept the mission, but in the end I think that we probably should. It checks a lot of boxes for us from helping us get used to more humanoid targets to pushing towards our larger strategic objectives. There's a lot of risk involved, because there's not some sanctioned rank stamp out there for the mission like there is on dungeons saying we won't face opponents above a certain level, but we've all grown a lot both individually and as a party and I think it's about time for us to try taking it to the next level."

"What do you all think?"

Leticia raised her hand meekly. "W-would th-this mean, we have to kill p-people?"

Grace nodded gravely. "Very likely so, yes."

Several faces turned down gravely.

"Ayy, but that's what we came here for, right? Demons, bandits, slave-traffickers…there's not that much of a difference, right?" Shawn folded his arms.

Leticia's hands tightened around her staff, and Almara put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"If we're going to kill people." Kelichi spoke up. "I think it's best if we find some way to steel ourselves before hand. If we're unprepared, it may end up being the hesitation that kills us."

Grace nodded. "You're absolutely right, though…" She scratched the back of her head. "I don't know exactly how we'd do that. It's not exactly easy to get a good chance to, um…kill someone."

Grace closed her eyes trying to push down the feelings that rose up at those words.

A grave silence fell over the room.

"We could…ask the lord if there are prisoners to be executed…" Almara said, her throat dry.

Leticia collapsed down to her knees. "Do we really have to do this? Is this what the gods wanted!? Why are we here!? Why are we here?" She said softer, breaking into sobs.

Grace tightened her fingers around the grip of her sword guiltily. Why were they here? What were the gods up to? She tried to push down the feelings once more when she heard a clamouring rising quickly in volume from outside.

"What's going on?" They paused for a moment as the clamours continued and then Grace pushed towards the door, and opened it out into the street. Her party followed her only to find people standing and pointing out to something far in the distance.

They turned to see a black and white star shooting slowly across the heavens. They watched it for a moment, unable to understand why everyone was making such a fuss.

"What's going on?" Grace had to shout into the ear of a neighbor to be heard over the noise.

"The star!" The person shouted back. "It means a new god has been born!"

The clamours grew louder, people cheering or crying or yelling between eachother. Some people were afraid others seemed outright joyous, but Grace nor her party could make sense of the reactions.

Finally the star that was moving across the heavens stopped in a particular stretch of the sky, pulsing black and white light.

All of a sudden all of the party members suddenly stopped clutching their heads in pain as a voice shot through their minds.

"Attention all heroes. To all heroes. An emergency announcement. A new god has been born. Demon King Vengeance of a Falling Star has arisen to the seat of godhood. Attention all forces of the divine armies against the Demon King, retreat and ensure your safety before the situation can be assessed. The Demon King has ascended the divine, beware of his newfound power."

The voice splitting through their heads stopped as each of the party looked around at eachother, their faces pale as the crowd around them continued to surge.

Grace's eyes in particular were wide and heavy. What are we going to do about this? She wondered breathlessly. But then she clenched her fist around the hilt of her sword. We need to get stronger. Whatever happens, we need to be able to meet it.

***

"My lord, the army awaits your command." The demon general knelt before the newly ascended god, his eyes fixed on the floor.

"Haaaa," the god sighed contentedly as magic overflow sparked and popped all around him. "ahahahaha. AHAHAHAHAHA. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! A HUNDRED THOUSAND YEARS I HAVE WAITED FOR THE FRAGMENTS TO BE GATHERED AND NOW I HAVE RETURNED." He bellowed, his voice shaking even the depths of the castle's deep dungeons.

"Haaa, have the human gods grown soft in my absence letting a demon rise to such a rank? Have the heavens forgotten the terror of the name that used to shake them to their foundations—Melfador, God of demons, lord of chaos and tyranny? HOW MANY GODS HAVE I SLAIN AND HOW MANY MORE WILL FALL UNDER MY BLADE BEFORE MY CHILDREN RISE TO THEIR PROPER PLACE IN THE COSMOS?"

"M-my lord?" The general quivered before the raging god.

"Your lord is dead." The god said coldly, raising a magic construct sword to the general's throat. "Serve me and advance our people's glory or burn in the ashes of our ascension."

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