I was a Nerfed Hero in Another World

After saying those words, Merleen rested her eyes. She wasn't dead, but took a nap in the middle of this battle. Since it had come to this, I didn't want Merleen to participate in the upcoming war.

Meliodas, who recovered from the damage, went to me with open arms. "Let me take care of it. I will bring her, Lilith, and Guinevere to safety….Basically everyone. You may be on your own, Arthur. Everyone's injured, except for you."

It was what Meliodas had mentioned. When I glanced at my surroundings, my eyes greeted the lying bodies of my friends. Lilith, Merleen, and Guinevere couldn't continue for any longer. Those mages tried squirming on the ground, but failed to stand on their feet. I could only guess that those three can't join me on the battlefield, regardless if those wizards wanted to.

I could also say the same situation regarding Fenrir. And since she uses her body more, Fenrir needed it more than those mages. But with that, I doubted Fenrir could still fight beside me.

"It's fine," I answered Meliodas. "I can handle it myself….And besides….Arthur isn't aiming for the demonic war to happen."

Everyone who had heard my statement widened their eyes in disbelief. Even Mordred, who claimed himself as a knight of the round table, couldn't believe my words. 

Mordred shook his head and asked, "King Arthur is heading towards the demonic border. He will claim the demon's life and cleanse the world's misery!"

"No. I've realized something while fighting you….King Arthur just used you to slow me down. He knows what he needs to do to win this war. That man is a crooked guy who doesn't want to lose a war," I retorted, and stared at Lilith. "King Arthur wants to kill your father, Lilith….He wants to take the Holy Grail's information from your father. Even though I came from another world, I don't know the exact location of that holy grail. Only Abaddon, the demon lord, knows where it was contained. And we need to stop King Arthur before he reaches a teleportation portal."

The information we had all made sense now. King Arthur knew and used a teleportation device despite being an ancient knowledge. He was the one inside my head, browsing through the information about this game. That man knew that I came from another world, and the Holy Grail's existence. 

It didn't take a genius to connect the dots, which led straight to the demon lord's citadel. Abaddon was the only one who had knowledge of all things in this world.  Despite this knowledge, Abaddon couldn't get the Holy Grail from himself, since it was the curse of this game.

The game had a simple goal for players playing Magique. Anyone who could defeat the demon lord would receive the Holy Grail, which would end the famine. 

The game's descriptions also didn't include instructions on how to complete the game. It only meant that you could use violence or communication to obtain the Holy Grail.

And since players could do whatever they wanted, choosing a side was an option. Players could be on the kingdom's side or the demonic side. These people could also resign that commitment and focus on various dungeons.

Some players chose the kingdom, while others defended the demons. But before that war could even start, the game turned into reality.

It was the reason Abaddon remained neutral despite the pressure of those demons. Everything had finally made sense now.

But it was too late for those thoughts, since this game became my reality. Even though there were no players in this world, King Arthur still had his goal. King Arthur remained a king that wanted to annihilate all demons inside the castle. And since those shrewd thoughts remained inside King Arthur's memory, he would do anything for his goal.

It didn't matter if King Arthur would use underhand tactics. As long as it does the job, King Arthur would eliminate anything standing in his way. 

"King Arthur is on his way right now inside the demonic castle. He may have already killed Abaddon….the demon king as we speak. After squeezing Abaddon for any information of the Holy Grail, he would order his troops to retreat. And when King Arthur retrieves, he could control everything on this land….He may also seize the foreign countries. But that's a problem we'll focus on another day," I explained, hoping everything got the idea.

"I have a lot of questions about that, Arthur!" Mordred interrupted, and rushed towards me. "What are you saying about the otherworld? Holy Grail? And King Arthur killed the demon lord without riding with the plan! King Arthur said it himself that we will fight against the demon's front and conquer their land!"

"And that's just a bluff. He needed some pawns as sacrifice and distraction. When those forces entered the opposing border, those demons would bring their entire army for the humans. And that would be the perfect time to attack," I answered, and continued my sentences. "And you've heard me right. I came from another world. That's why I knew nothing about the customs of this world. The Holy Grail is a magical container that grants the holder bountiful crops and unlimited source of food. King Arthur doesn't plan on taking the demons head on. He wants to squeeze the demons dry until they become desperate enough to fight the soldiers. And once the demons take the bluff, King Arthur would effortlessly win the war. If he fights right now, the soldier's family would crumble. We don't even know who would win that clash, thanks to the demon's curses and powers. And the demonic king only knows that vital information. Abaddon's the only one who knows the Holy Grail's location."

When Mordred heard my narrative, he lowered his head. That boy knew that the words I mentioned had truth behind it, crushing everything he believed from the king. It even lowered Mordred's guard around me, relieving us from his pressure.

Fortunately, everyone nodded their heads. Although my explanation had confusing lines, it still gave out the gist. And when everyone understood the context, I scanned my system.

"So the system that you gave us was an otherworlder power?" Mordred asked.

I gave him a nod. But before I could continue, I tapped Mordred's shoulder. Afenos returned my gaze while widening his eyes. Despite battling to death earlier, he still saw me as a friend. Well, at least, for now.

"I want you to trust me, okay? I really hate what I plan on doing, but we have no other choice. If we want to reach King Arthur and stop his madness, this is the only way!" I shouted.

"What are you talking about?!" Mordred yelled back. "I don't even know what's happening already! This shit is happening too fast! Yesterday, I was fighting against demons! Right now, I don't know who I am fighting for!" 

Mordred hated the demons because of what they did to the town. But after hearing King Arthur's goal, he wanted to rethink his choices. 

After a few seconds, I finally found the data from someone I needed. My system revealed that individual's name and pasted it on the side. It was a demon who specialised in offering ludicrous deals. That part was not something special, since it was a deal with a devil.

Even though time had passed by, I still didn't forget. There was no time for me to regret my decision, since the situation demanded it. And I had no other choice but to accept a risky deal coming from this devil.

"Crayman! I remember you! Show yourself and offer me a deal!"

Upon saying those words, an obsidian cloud surrounded my figure. A hysterical laugh followed afterwards, which echoed throughout our surroundings. 

Mordred and the rest of the people surrounding me readied their weapons and prepared for another battle. But I yelled at those people, which made them stop doing what they did.

"Stop! I know he's a demon. But he won't do anything else besides talking to me, and accepting his deal," I roared. "And, Mordred! I think this demon knows who sent out that attack on the town. Maybe we could find some leads about it."

When Mordred heard my words, he returned his blade inside his scabbard. Even though we exchanged swords earlier, Mordred placed his fate on me. After what Mordred had heard from me, he wanted to, at least, hear the rest. And Mordred's interests sparked when he heard the latter part of my sentence.

"That would be delightful," Mordred commented, as he marched near my side.

That knight was still not on my side. But the two of us were still in a temporary truce, thanks to the words I spouted. 

And when the time came, the demon revealed itself to us. Crayman, who my team met in the cabin, extended his arms to me.

"Greetings, Arthur. You called for me?" the demon uttered, while flashing me a grin.