The Garbage Collector Who Stumbled Upon Mythical Weapons! - Chapter 43
Van and his group entered the town, only to witness a massive horde of demons descending from the sky, swords raised high.
Being more skilled in magic than humans, some demons wielded swords engulfed in flames, while others wrapped their bodies in crackling lightning.
“They’re coming!!”
At Van’s shout, Clay raised his shield, while Sophia and Amber lifted their staffs.
“Die, you wretched humans!!”
A demon raised his sword in front of Van. Black flames ran along the blade, and a sinister, murderous aura filled the air as he swung it down.
“Tch!”
Van tried to block it with his sword but immediately sensed that the pressure was too much—he wouldn’t be able to stop it.
—Is this it?! Just as he thought that—Clay jumped in, intercepting the attack with his shield.
“Ugh… ah!” The shield groaned under the impact.
“Clay!”
“Now! Do it, Van!!”
Clay’s desperate shout brought Van back to his senses. Using Clay as cover, Van stabbed his sword from the demon’s blind spot.
The blade slid into the demon’s throat, piercing the vital artery.
“Gah…!?”
The demon let out a strangled cry, writhing in agony before collapsing to the ground.
Van let out a breath of relief—his teamwork with Clay had been flawless.
This level of coordination was only possible because they had fought together for years.
“We did it.”
“Yeah, but—”
Looking around, adventurers were being slaughtered by the demons. Some were cut down by swords, others burned alive by magical flames.
The adventurers fought back, but the enemy was both stronger and greater in number.
“This is bad… At this rate—”
As Van’s face twisted in despair, a powerful voice rang out from the battlefield.
“Uraaaahhh!!”
Swinging his battle axe wildly, Macaus cut down the surrounding demons in a single blow.
His burly comrades also crushed the attacking demons with overwhelming strength.
“As expected of ‘Albatross.’ No wonder they’re said to be close to A-rank.”
More demonic screams echoed from another part of the battlefield.
Van turned to look—there stood the B-rank party, Minazuki.
The female warrior Rosa blocked enemy attacks while Maria, strengthened by Celesti and Calvin’s support magic, cut through the demons.
In mere moments, they felled three enemies.
Impressed, Van scanned the entire battlefield. Most adventurers were C or B rank, but there were also several A-rank adventurers.
Their strength was undeniable.
A-Rank Party: ‘Gungnir’
A group of robed mages who wielded powerful lightning and ice magic, striking demons out of the sky.
Once grounded, the demons were trapped by shifting earth and then incinerated by flames.
A-Rank Party: ‘Adventurers of Dawn’
A balanced team of warrior, swordsman, mage, and priest, each fulfilling their role with precision.
In minutes, they had slain over ten demons. The remaining ones trembled in fear.
A-Rank Party: ‘Azure Guides’
A unique party with two summoners. They called forth giant bird-like creatures to attack airborne demons.
For those approaching on foot, they summoned packs of wolves to counter them.
By summoning multiple creatures simultaneously, they negated the numerical disadvantage.
“A-rank parties are truly something else.”
Van watched in admiration as Clay pulled his sword from its sheath and cut off the left ear of a fallen demon.
“Hey, Van! What do we do? Should we join the demon hunt?”
“No… We follow the army’s orders and prioritize evacuating the residents. We’ll eliminate any demons that attack in the meantime!”
The members of ‘Great Eagle’ all nodded in agreement.
Amidst the chaos, townspeople screamed and ran in panic, desperate to escape.
“This way! Come this way!”
Van and his group guided them toward the outskirts of town. But moving in large groups made them an easy target.
Two demons swooped down at high speed from the sky.
Clay braced his shield to protect the fleeing civilians. The demons crashed into it, causing Clay to grimace.
Still, he held his ground and pushed back with all his strength.
As the demon staggered from the force, Van dashed forward from behind Clay, slashing its neck.
It was a perfect, calculated strike. Bl00d sprayed from the demon’s throat as it collapsed to the ground.
But the second demon closed in on Van from behind.
—He can’t dodge! Just as Van thought that, a barrage of fireballs struck the demon.
Amber’s fire magic.
The demon shrieked as flames engulfed its body, yet it still reached out toward Amber.
Sophia stepped forward, raising her staff and unleashing a blinding light.
The demon, its vision robbed, groaned in agony, clutching its eyes.
Van seized the moment, slashing its throat. The burning demon fell, lifeless.
Van turned to his team.
“That’s three down. Don’t forget to take their ears! Let’s move!”
While leading the residents to safety, Van and his team pushed further into town.
◇◇◇
“Lord Johann!”
“Ah, the adventurers have arrived just in time.”
While cutting down a demon in front of him, Johann glanced at the adventurers rushing in from the rear. They were outnumbered, yet holding their ground.
Then, a large group approached the town, shouting loudly.
“They’re finally here…” Johann smirked.
The kingdom’s main force—three thousand infantry—had finally arrived.
Now, the real battle could begin.
Just as that thought crossed Johann’ mind, a demon descended from the sky.
“Are you the demon general?”
The demon said nothing, only smiling as he drew his sword.
“Fine, then!”
Johann gripped his sword tightly and spurred his horse forward.
The demon spread his wings, soaring toward him.
Their blades clashed in midair, sparks flying as the battle began.