The air is thick with the metallic smell of blood.

The courtyard is enclosed by crumbling cobblestone walls covered with twisting veins of ivy. Gnarled, skeletal trees stood in neglect, their branches twisting in every direction as if searching for something long lost.

[Analyzing traits…]

[Bestowing new skills…]

[Convergence]

Combine compatible skills to create new skills

[Monarch’s Manifestation]

Manifests a symbol of the Demon Lord

Sprout wings at will

Sleek, black wings erupted from my back, just below my shoulder blades. Trying them out, they seem to be controlled by a sort of modified back muscles.

‘Pretty cool. I’ll need my clothing retailored though…’

Luckily, the robes still proved useful. After every battle, it slowly self-mends and grows with me to suit my needs.

“Urgh just stay still!” she shouted.

A lance of blood just narrowly missed me, pulverizing the long forgotten dried-up fountain.

Well, we needed to remodel this place anyway. The statues give me the creeps, this whole Demon Lord’s castle thing is honestly kind of cringe.

Slitting her wrist, Asmodeus formed more lances of blood.

“It’s not cringe!!” Asmodeus screeched, seemingly reading my mind.

It’s less a spar and more like target practice.

Now that I could see her up close, I noticed how short she was. Like I’d seen taller dwarves.

“Get back here!!”

‘So precious.’

Flapping my wings, I weaved and dodged between the blood lances. They move erratically, seeming to home in on their target (me). I needed to concentrate.

“[Plagiarism].”

[Blood Queen’s Blessing]

Unlocks the potential to control blood

Drinking blood restores stamina and mana

I raised an eyebrow. ‘Quite a useful passive. Could she be royalty?’

Before I could ponder this question further, I sliced my palm with the rapier, now infused with demonic energy. Creating a shield of blood, I absorbed her attacks.

“No fair,” she pouted, stumbling. “Blood loss…”

We’ve been going at it for quite a while now, and Asmodeus is clearly exhausted.

I rushed to catch her as she collapsed mid-air. Asmodeus wrapped her arms around me, sinking her fangs into my neck.

I frowned. “Heyyy-”

A sharp sting is followed by a shiver down my spine. A wave of dizziness rushed over me—though not unpleasant—intoxicating. My brain seemed to be in a haze, with the world seeming to become more rosy and softer at the edges. My senses blurred as she retracted her fangs.

She dabbed at her mouth with a napkin. “Your blood… Has a strange quality to it,” Asmodeus said, licking her lips. “Like nothing I’ve tasted before. I’ve seen this happen before. I don’t know how you can control blood, seeing as you aren’t a vampire, but try not to drink from the same person too often. It could cause an addiction.”

Asmodeus clapped her hands. “Bernard, bring me some snacks! My blood sugar is low again.”

Peeking out from behind the row of ruined statues lining the edge and the courtyard, he quickly obliged, running for the castle.

She rubbed her eyes and yawned. “I’m getting sleepy again…”

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Dawn is fast approaching. Under the moonlight, vampires were at their peak, but daylight drained their energy quickly, even if it didn’t hurt them.

I followed Bernard, carrying Asmodeus over my shoulder. Her soft snoring was the only thing accompanying my thoughts.

Setting her down in her coffin bed, I stumbled over to the balcony. Pressing a hand to my neck, I steadied myself on the pillars.

I coughed to clear my throat. “Attention! Attention! Listen up guys! I, uhhh, am the new Demon Lord! I’m going to keep the speech short, and I just want to say I look forward to working with you all, and uhhh, that’s all!”

A few lukewarm claps and murmurs spread throughout the crowd.

“As the first order of action, let’s start building a brighter future together.”

We all worked together to prepare the land. We started chopping down trees for building materials. The few scarce mages worked together to start controlled fires to clear the brush.

Construction was going smoothly. The minotaurs used wood to build the framework of the homes. The walls were made of fire-dried mud bricks. The harpies finished the building with a thatched roof.

“Why don’t we let them stay in the castle? There is plenty of room and it’s getting cold,” I asked, rapping my knuckles against the coffin. “Hey, are you ignoring me? Wake up!”

Bernard sighed, leaning against the door. “Just do whatever you feel is best, she’ll probably sleep through it anyway. You don’t need to get her permission.”

We cleaned the castle and assigned rooms for temporary housing, earning words of gratitude.

Everything was going smoothly as the first snow of the winter blanketed the landscape.

“We have visitors,” Bernard said, closing the curtains. “Go ahead, greet them.”

With a mix of confusion and anticipation, I exited the castle. Noticing a party rapidly approaching the front gate, I quickly retracted my wings.

“Hello!” I called out. “Who are you guys? What are you here for?”

He narrowed his eyes, exchanging a brief word with his party members.

A human swordsman, a priest, a half-elf mage, a dwarven paladin, and a beastmen priest.

The swordsman kicked down the door and rushed towards me. “Kill her.”

Clashing swords, the half-elf shot a magic-imbued arrow at me, which I dodged.

A golden light shone over the party, and the miasma in the air cleared. “The holy magic isn’t working against her!” he shouted.

[Increased health and mana recovery over time]

Clank. Clank!

Blades of wind flew towards me, tearing at my arms and legs.

[Hardened Carapace]

[Hardened Carapace]

[Hardened Carapace]

‘Fuck, this is rather annoying.’

Casting wind magic of my own, I split up my blood into multiple chopstick-length spears, shooting them at the swordsman.

Suddenly, the dwarf bashed into me with his shield, knocking the wind out of my lungs, and sent me flying into a reverse somersault.

Quickly sprouting wings, I caught myself in mid-air. Although it didn’t do much damage, it still stung like hell.

“Demon Lord!” he shouted, pressing his palm on his now limp right arm. “Get down here!!”

“As you wish,” I replied, forming an orb of blood behind me. “Don’t regret it.”

Creating a shield of blood, I protected myself from incoming projectiles, causing the shield to ripple and contort.

“[Azure Dragon Shunpo].”

Targeting the isolated priest in the back, I lunged for him, cocooning us in a dense layer of blood. Trapped within a few feet, he desperately resisted. His rosary whip had little effect in close quarters, merely stinging slightly.

I screamed as I lurched forward. I abruptly sank my new fangs in his throat. Slowly draining the blood out of his body, his fingers loosened and went limp. Tearing out his throat, he shuddered in ecstasy, not realizing that he was already dead. He lay limp on the ground, his eyes wide open with a smile.

Tasting the blood in my mouth, I felt alive—rejuvenated, even. It was as if the past couple of years were nothing more than an unpleasant dream. The smell of blood doesn’t seem to bother me like it used to. It smelled rather pleasant, like a sort of high-end perfume that I couldn’t quite place my finger on. The taste of warm blood lingered in my mouth, like a blend of fruit punch aged with childhood trauma. Or at least that’s what I thought.

An increasingly large pool of blood seeped into the snow, painting a grotesque image. I’m surprised at how much I liked the taste. I want to drink more, but now's not the time, of course.

Finally, the shield gave out from the impact of their combined strikes.

“Dwight!” the swordsman shouted, his voice tinged with desperation.

“He is already dead,” I said, biting my lip. “Oh and if it makes you feel any better, he was delicious. I wonder if you would taste as good.”

He turned towards me with a newfound hatred in his eyes, charging towards me with a war cry.

The dwarf raised his warhammer and rushed towards me alongside the swordsman.

Jumping back, I slightly hovered in the air as I casted water magic, causing the floor to become damp and muddy. Their feet sank into the ground, as they desperately defended my strikes.

I flicked my fingers, and a dagger made of blood embedded itself into the swordsman's thigh.

He grunted in pain, slouching forward.

I casted a wall of earth to block the dwarf as I snapped the arrow out of the air with my free hand. The party stared in shock.

Stabbing the arrowhead into his carotid artery, he instinctively pressed his hand in a desperate attempt to stem the bleeding. He tried to slide away, pushing against the ground in futility. I kicked him in the chest, letting his body sink into the ground. Grasping the dagger of blood, I stabbed it into his spine, feeling his body twitch and go limp.

“You run away!” the dwarf shouted behind him, a tear streaming down his cheek. I’ll hold her off!”

Grabbing the sword of the fallen swordsman, I started my assault.

Freezing the ground, I swept him off his feet with a low kick as he desperately defended himself.

Transforming into a midge, I snapped him up into the air, swallowing him whole. His body and armor cracked in my jaw. With a final scream, he died. I spat him out afterwards, his body unidentifiable and bloody.

Cancelling the transformation, I spat. “Ughhhh, dwarves taste nasty.”

Like a weird mix of salt, alcohol, and musk.

Spotting the half-elf flying away, I gave chase, transforming into a hawk, diving towards her while using shunpo to close the distance.

Looking back behind, her eyes widened in a mixture of fear of terror. I almost felt bad. Grabbing her by the waist, I kicked her in the back, cracking her spine. Following it up with a quick strike to the back of her neck, I knocked her out, tossing her limp body over my shoulder.

With a feeling of curiosity and a newfound craving, I tried a bit of her blood. Immediately, I regretted it. It tasted like a veggie smoothie, yuck. I still drank her blood though to replenish my stamina and mana. Remember to eat your veggies (literally), kids!

As I approached the castle, Bernard started to clap enthusiastically. “Congratulations for surviving! You’ve defeated your first hero party.”

He paused for a moment. “But be forewarned. Now the real heroes will come.”

He explained that when a new Demon Lord appears, everyone in the world, including intelligent monsters, would receive a system notification.

“They would often send a novice hero party to scout for the more experienced older heroes,” he explained. “Quite tragic and a waste of life, but that’s just the way things are. Don’t feel too bad.”

I let out a sigh of relief, feeling the weight of the battle settling in. The first lives I’ve taken in months. The scent of blood lingered in the air, which felt oddly comforting.

The world was already moving against me. If they want a fight, they’ll get a fight.

I cracked my knuckles, letting her body slide onto the floor with a thud.

He eyed the half-elf as his lips curved into a smirk. “And you brought a guest back safely, well done!”

‘Huh, she did better than expected.’

The castle loomed in front of me, as a fresh snowfall covered the remains of our battlefield. My wings twitched in anticipation.

‘But this time, it’ll be different. I’ll be ready this time.’