“Gyahahaha!” I laugh, my voice echoing out across the packed stadium.

Oh, what a wonderful turn of events this has been! ‘Tis an unexpected yet welcome turn of events indeed! And I know I have but one person to thank for it. The black-haired, crimson-eyed demon of whom I shared a most wonderful battle back at the prison in which I was held... Pepper Black, Daughter of Gluttony! The woman standing across the dirt from me in this very moment!

Because of her, I was finally freed from my slumber! Because of her, I was allowed to fight Wrath! And most importantly, because of her, I was reunited with my beloved Gluttony once again!

The series of most wonderful events leading up to this most wonderful moment flutter through my mind as I begin to fondly recall them.

It all started at that prison—Surstrom Spire—a most wondrous place, simply oozing with an unending miasma of pure bloodlust! Tens of thousands of restless souls, all begging for the sweet release of violence! To beat their fellow man into a bloodied pulp beneath their bare feet! A truly wonderful place indeed!

My body quivers as I recall the feeling of being there. The sensation of raw bloodlust prickling beneath my skin and tickling my blood...

And, of course...

I recall my beloved Gluttony, staring down at me with her cold, crimson eyes. That piercing glare alone contained a larger lust for blood than the tens of thousands in the prison combined. ‘Tis a glare that could have killed a man simply by being cast their way!

“If I find a single hair missing on my daughter’s head, I will personally slaughter every single living creature across this entire land.”

In that moment, a feeling of nostalgic ecstasy ran through my body. ‘Twas truly her. The Gluttony of old. Unable to help myself, I ignored the fatal wound she had dealt me and lunged at her, assailing the Demon Queen with all my might.

And yet, I was still no match! In the end, we tore into each other in a brief but violent exchange, and I was quickly cast aside once again. ‘Tis true that I had been weakened due to my eighteen years in slumber, but that is a result of my own weakness to begin with. There are no excuses in mortal combat! I must simply become even stronger!

After my body was cast aside, I felt my vision fade to black as I sunk into the lake, the entirety of the Spire collapsing down upon me. As I succumbed to my fatal wounds and my life slipped away from my body, I realized I was not yet ready to die...

—And so I lived!

As one who has faced Gluttony many a time in the past, finding myself on death’s doorstep is not an uncommon occurrence. And though the embracing warmth of death’s bosom may seem inviting, ‘tis not the bosom I wish to be embraced by!

Lifting the wreckage of the Spire away, I walked across the bottom of the lake until I found myself on the shore, collapsing onto the soil in a wet heap.

After taking but a moment’s rest, I dragged myself into the nearby forest where I proceeded to live off of the land. Slurping at the bugs beneath the dirt. Gnawing at the roots that sprout beneath the trees. Eventually, I had gained enough strength to move freely once more.

The wound running from my abdomen through to my back had started to fester, and I would often vomit thick, viscous chunks of blood and bile. ‘Twas a nostalgic feeling, and I treasured each chunked retch that left my lips as a symbol of Gluttony’s passion that she had so deeply carved inside my body.

Spending many a moon recuperating amongst the trees, I noticed something different in the air one night. ‘Twas the feeling of battle. Of bloodlust. I could feel it in the distance. And so I went in search of it. Seduced by the prickling sensation beneath my skin, I stumbled my wounded body toward the miasma of bloodlust. But before I was able to reach it...

I found a woman. Alone. Sitting upon a felled tree in the dark. Quiet sobs escaped her trembling figure, muffled by her hands clasped across her face.

Hearing me, she immediately shot up, staring blindly out into the black of the night towards the vague direction of my approach.

“Wh-who’s there? Show yourself!” she said.

And so, show myself I did!

Swiping an arm out in front of me at tremendous speed, I watched as the very air bent to my might, bursting outward and shattering the surrounding trees that stood in my path from the sheer force of pressure.

“Gyahahaha!” I laughed, standing amongst a shower of raining splinters. “Much better!”

Unlike demons, wolfmen, and other night-faring species, elves do not have strong vision in the dark. Similar to humans, as I understand it. And so, without any light to guide me, I must simply make use of the one most readily available!

“The moon!” I shouted, grinning up at the hazy orb of translucent blue standing high up in the sky, now free to shine its light upon my path, unimpeded by the trees that no longer stood in my way.

I remember a time when the moon did not yet exist. It was a time before Curses. A time when oni and demon still roamed the land. One night, without warning—as if it had always been there the whole time—a moon was sitting. High up in the sky.

Where did it come from, I wonder? How did it get there? Perhaps ‘tis something that was placed there by somebody! Who knows? ‘Tis amusing to think about once in a while though!

“W-what was that? Who are you?”

“Hoh? You still live?” Looking down, I noticed the woman who had been crying was still alive. She seemed to have instinctively ducked to avoid the tree-shattering attack that decimated her surroundings in an explosion of wood and splinters. Whether on purpose or by accident, it was still an impressive feat to have lived through one of my attacks. “Truly wonderful!”

From the light now shining down upon us, I was able to make out the features of the woman. Her long blonde hair swayed gently in the cool night's breeze, and she was looking up at me with puffy grey eyes, reddened by the tears that stained her pale cheeks. Much like her reddened eyes, the once-white dress she wore was stained a deep crimson. Blood.

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“Ah, my apologies! I haven’t yet introduced myself!” I gave the woman a bow. “Choco Valentine, Queen of the Desert Elves! Or, as most have chosen to calling me—!”

“Lust...” The woman interrupted, blinking back at me in shock.

“Gyahahaha! ‘Tis warming to see people still remember me after my eighteen years in slumber!”

“But why are you...? How are you...?” The woman’s eyes widened as she came to the realization. “Of course... The Spire...”

I simply grinned back at her in response, before leaning down to her height.

“Pray tell me,” I began. “Why do you sit and weep out here amongst the trees when the thrill of battle burns brightly over yonder?”

“W-well, I was... betrayed,” she replied, head hanging low in recollection. “I fell in love with a woman, and in the end, I found out she was just using me the whole time...”

“Hoh? Is that so?” I scratched idly at my festering wound in thought. “I’m afraid ‘tis not something I can relate to or provide a helpful perspective on. For I have just recently shared a most wonderful and passionate exchange between the woman whom I love after a long-awaited reunion.”

“I—I see...”

“Hmm... Have you tried fighting her in mortal combat, perhaps?”

“...Eh? N-no. I’m not sure if that would...” The woman paused for a moment in thought. “Wait, you mean, like, get revenge?”

“Well, no. ‘Twould just be a friendly fight to the death between two passionate lovers with no hard feelings involv—”

“That’s right!” she said, digging her bleeding nails into the bark of the fallen log at her side. “Since she broke my heart, it’s only fair that I get to break her in return!”

“Gyahahaha!” I laughed, turning towards the feeling of bloodlust in the distance once again. “’Tis not a sentiment I fully understand, but I respect the strength of the feelings that accompany it! I will not so rudely intrude upon your battle, so farewell, and may you have a most wonderful night!”

As I made to leave, I was suddenly halted by the woman running out in front of me.

“Wait!” she said, spreading her arms out to stop me. “I need you to help me. The one I want revenge on is... strong. And I don’t think I can do it on my own.”

“Hoh? Strong are they? Hmm...” I closed my eyes in thought for a moment, before opening them again with a shake of my head. “Though the offer of a strong foe is tempting, ‘twould be most rude of me to intrude upon your personal battle! So farewell, and may you have a most wonderful—!”

“I’ll give you an oni.”

I stopped in my tracks, turning towards the woman once more.

“... What?”

“I know your type. You’re the type that likes to fight, right? A few months back, I was tracking reports of somebody who said they spotted an oni while scaling the peaks of Mount Kyuri-Cumber. It turned out to be true, and I managed to thaw it from the ice, capture it, and I've been keeping it hidden and locked away at one of my more discreet slaver dens. If you help me get revenge, I’ll give you the oni. Fight it, kill it, do whatever you want with it. I don’t care anymore. I just want her to pay.”

An oni... After so, so long... A living, breathing oni...

The grin on my face widened into an ecstatic smile.

“Truly wonderful!”

From there, I followed the woman to a carriage she had waiting nearby. I was provided bandages for my wound, clothes to wear, and a cloak to hide and obscure my appearance as we immediately made our way directly to the city of Gran Torte.

It had truly been an age since I stepped foot in this city! And I’ve always lamented the fact that I was not around to share in my beloved Gluttony’s rampage alongside her and her Blackspawn those twenty-four years ago as she slaughtered her way up its streets, washing the dusted rubble of every house and home down the paved roads in a cascading river of blood!

As we were allowed through the gate and into the streets in the early hours of the morning, I felt many a giggle escape my lips beneath my disguise. Hiding myself away, peeking out from beneath my cloak, not wanting to be seen or caught. ‘Twas like a child’s game! I felt as though I was a little girl again. A truly novel experience!

Arriving at the large dome-like stadium further into the city, we departed the carriage and made our way inside, passing many a guard and soldier on duty.

“Gyehehe...” I giggled softly as I passed by. “Take no note of me, sir knight! I am but a small and frail young child beneath this cloak! ‘Tis none to be concerned about! Gyehehe...”

“O-okay...? Since you’re with Mistress Thea, you’re free to go right on ahead. We don’t need to check you or anything...”

“Gyehehe...”

Truly a novel experience indeed!

As we descended the stairs, I was taken to a private level beneath the stadium. Although it was very spacious and allowed for a lot of movement, there was nobody else there to fight. ‘Twas just me.

“The next guardsman we pass, I wish to pull the cloak away and surprise them! ‘Twas not a child concealed beneath this cloak as you had thought! ‘Twas a grown woman all along!’ Gyahaha! The look on their face would be quite amusing, don't you think?"

“No, you have to wait down here. I’ll bring you everything you need, but you have to stay hidden until it’s time to face her in the arena. The tournament starts in a couple days. I know she’ll be here. And I know she’ll make it through all of her matches as well. It’s just a matter of time until we face her. I’ll bring the oni to you as soon as there’s a break in the tournament. But you can’t let anybody know you’re here, okay?”

“Very well, Mistress Cinnamon! I will try to contain myself!”

And with that, I was left alone.

Every now and then, Cinnamon would come down and provide me with food, as well as more bandages for the wound that continued to fester and bleed, but ‘twas awfully boring on my own, so I often snuck up above ground to make fools of the knights once again.

“Gyehehe... Though my face and body are obscured from view, you can trust that I am but a small, dwarven peasant of common lineage beneath these garbs! Do not mind me!”

“S-sure... You’re with Thea, right? You’re fine to just pass on through any time you want...”

“Gyehehe...”

As I continued to wait below the stadium, I could feel the vibrations of the audience up above. Feel the sensation of bloodlust in the air, ready to burst.

“Hoh? ‘Tis the morning of the tournament, is it? I wish to go see it...”

It seemed I would have to break my deal with Cinnamon. I wanted to be up there too. I wanted to fight! I wanted to bathe in the blood of my opponents as I scattered their innards across the cheering crowds in a jovial match of mortal combat!

Just as I was about to exit the stairs back up—

"Hoh?" I found a young girl standing in my way. A wolfman, it seemed. Her hair was white, matching the colour of her tail and the ears springing up from her head. Her eyes were a sparkling yellow, and her skin was beautifully tanned. A little shade lighter than my own. I had seen this girl before... "You are from the Spire, are you not? I remember you!"

In response, the girl’s tail started happily sweeping the ground behind her.