I can still vividly recall the battle of Palin.

It started in the morning when the winged demons first attacked the row of defensive archers that stood in front of the camp. They shot most out of the sky, but that left the soldiers at the front completely unguarded. Then the demon king’s army attacked all at once.

It was a full frontal assault with demonlings and ogres ravaging at the front and wingedlings soaring down from the sky and spewing fire to the camps. I remember Celine waking me up, and I walked out of my tent just as a grey wingedling soared above my tent. From there onwards it was chaos.

When I got my battle armor ready and joined the frontlines I was jumping above heaps of corpses while slashing at anything that looked demonic. The demon king’s army also had Selian soldiers, so I attacked anyone who decided to attack me back. Behind me, the sorcerers sent sparks of magic flying across the battlefield to the front gates while both me and Celine used the clear path to charge forwards with the few soldiers that remained.

We had waited a week for the assault. We waited till the front gates of the demon king’s castle opened to greet us. But after a week that wariness had faded to some extent, and my whole army suffered the consequences of it.

“The army’s clearing at the front,” Celine yelled at me, cutting a troll in half. Blood was splattered across her blue hair, and the energy in her eyes look demonic. “I’ll clear you away.”

The soldiers that were charging behind us seemed to fall behind as the two of us raced for the gates. As we crossed the main bridge, a horn blew from the distance and the iron gates began to close.

I gritted my teeth. This was a war that was waged for three years. I won’t let it end now.

I focused on the Solris rune from my belt and aimed my hand at the closing gate.

Solris, I cast the rune from my mind.

Giant ice crystals sprang out from the ground, blocking the path of one gate. Demons crept up behind it, but Celine charged faster, cutting them down.

After a heaving run, we both entered through the gates. The demon king Dalos’s castle wasn’t massive, but it was still majestic with its obsidian tiles and golden etchings.

“Are you hurt?” Celine looked at me, pulling her shield from her back. Only then I noticed we had been running with our skins wide open.

“No,” I said, following her advice and grabbing my shield. “But I doubt we have time for a chat.”

I pointed at the demons charging from the front door. We heard a shriek from behind and saw the battlefield was occupied by an even larger demon, who was now charging at the gates.

“An Angst,” I muttered, my hand moving to the runes in my belt. Only I could kill one of those.

“I’ll keep it occupied,” Celine said, tapping her shield. “That bastard is right inside those doors. Kill him for me.”

I would have argued, but I knew Celine could handle herself against Angst. Besides, I wasn’t about to let the opportunity to kill the demon king pass away so easily.

“Thank you,” I said. “I’ll repay you once I finish that bastard off.”

“Buy me a good drink later,” she grinned, charging at the horde of demons, who scrambled past the Angst.

Her first swing cleared the entire first row of demons. Her silver sword slashed in a thin arc, cutting the heads of the demons in one clean strike. I used the chance to dart from the side. Before the demons could turn their attention to me Celine was onto them, hacking them with the edge of her sword.

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“DALOS!” I yelled, entering through the great doors of the castle to an impeccably designed throne room. It was very similar to the Holy Hall at the Capital - with large windows, carved roofs, and walls with banners and tapestries.

I didn’t expect the demon king to sit so calmly on his throne. He wore a fashionable black coat with a cowl that covered the face underneath. From his size, I could tell he was in his late teens - the same age as me. Funny how the man who shook the entire world within three years was just a teenager.

“Face me!” I said, pointing my sword at him. I let my other hand brush against the runes on my belt. As long as I had them I had an advantage.

He lifted a finger and bent it.

Something landed up from the top. I had a moment to roll to the side before a blonde-haired woman carrying two blades landed right on the spot where I was before, slashing the thin air with deadly ferocity.

Ekta - the demoness with the blades.

She looked perfectly human, with long flowing blond hair and wide eyes. But the deadliness in her eyes and the sharpness of her blades were enough to prove her reputation. She had killed an entire batch of soldiers in one night. I wasn’t about to take my chances with her.

“Bastard,” I snapped at the demon king. “Letting your minions fight while you sit there.”

Ekta charged. She was beside me in an instant, bringing both her swords to my head.

“Watch your mouth vermin,” her voice was thin and deadly. “I’ll present your head to Dalos.”

I lifted my shield just in time for the blades to greet it. The impact of the attack might not have been sharp but before a fraction of a moment passed Ekta launched into a flurry of blows that kept pushing me towards the wall. Each new attack was swifter than before, and my eyes could only focus on the edges of the blades.

I heard the first crack in my shield at the same time my back hit the wall behind me. I gripped the pommel of my sword, closed my eyes, and concentrated on the runes.

In my mind, I cycled through each of them until I found what I needed.

“Fight back vermin,” Ekta was sweating, but her attacks didn’t seem to slow down. The cracks on my shield spread through the metal like cracked glass. Only a few attacks more to break the shield.

But I would be ready.

Ekta’s next attack landed right at the center, sending one final crack across the sheen surface before the weapon shattered to pieces. Her other blade hit my elbow. The pain was sharp enough to bring tears to my eyes, but I took the chance to drop my sword and aim my hand at her.

And I called the name of the rune.

Igni.

I only intended the attack to give me an opening to attack her, but the angle of my fingers made it more disastrous and horrible. The fire that sprang out of my fingertips reached Etta’s face, scorching her skin and sending her back screaming.

It was the proper punishment for a demon, but my heart lurched as she fell down to the floor, gripping her face and letting out a painful shriek.

I forced my eyes away from the scene and picked up my sword. I could live through all the regrets later if I finished off the bastard who was responsible for all of them.

“DALOS!” I yelled, charging at him. “You die today bastard!”

As I charged I was looked warily at his hand to see if he had anything else in store. But he simply stood there, watching me approach like a man waiting for his own death.

Just when I was two steps near the dais, black energy fizzled around him. I slammed into an invisible wall, and another force pushed me back. It sent me flying several steps behind, and I cursed as my back hit the ground.

Behind me, Ekta screamed. “Yelna! Kill him!”

I cursed again as I pushed myself up. I was so close. I couldn’t stop.

But when I looked at the demon king, some strange apparition was in front of me. It was a girl but with long teeth and long flowing-back hair. Her nails were long - long enough for me to see their glinting edges. But her face was the scariest of them all. She was grinning like a madwoman, and the grin reached her sparkling red eyes that reflected my horrified face back at me.

I grabbed my sword, and she sprang at me. I swung my sword, hoping for a clean cut to her head. But just as my sword was near her face she held it by her teeth. She clenched her teeth, and the hilt of the sword snapped into two.

Did she just break my sword with her teeth?

At that fraction of a moment, I realized Ekta’s horrible plan. Perhaps she never intended to kill me. Perhaps she just wanted to break my defense.

I howled in pain as Yelna’s claws dug into my hands, pinning them to the ground. She lifted them up back again, and I realized the pain that was about to come was much worse.

I vaguely remember the next few moments. All I could do was to scream as Yelna’s claws dug into my skin over and over again. She tore off my armor then tore off my skin. Bits of flesh and bones flew in front of me. And my mouth tasted my own blood. I screamed until my throat turned sour and drool rolled down my cheeks. I screamed until the pain spasmed over and over again as the demonic girl tore off my flesh like a lion tearing its prey.

Then she aimed one of her claws at my throat.

And I was dead.