We went to the other town and repeated the formula. Phlum started to scream at the villagers, they surrendered and gave us our things back while swearing that they'll work hard to pay their debts. Then, Phlum asked for the family members of the culprits, executed them mercilessly, and ordered the villagers to put their heads on the cart.

At this point I couldn't even move myself, this is so fucked up. I know the culprits must pay for what they've done, but their family? I know, Phlum wants to send a message so this won't happen ever again, but even so, this mess is really big.

We parked the cart under a tree near the last town. This is clearly the biggest of all three, if I must guess, there are at least 1000 people inside, and mixed with them were all the soldiers that started this fight. We weren't going to try to save them, we were just taking a rest after all the things that happened today.

Phlum told me to lay on the grass by her side. She looked lonely and thoughtful, a rare view if we are talking about Phlum, the girl that's always smiling.

“Say, little human, will you miss me?”

“Huh? What are you talking about? Are you going somewhere?”

She stood silent for a while, looking at the clouds. She looked beautiful, though it was a different kind of beauty than her normal one. She has a fleeting and ephemeral aura, like a snowflake under the sunlight. I didn't know it at this time, but when this war is over, she would have to go.

She looked at me with a cold smile.

“Just say it, little human."

“Of course I'll miss you, we are friends right?”

“Friends? I see… Let's stay here until everyone comes, I don't want to go back to the castle.”

As Phlum asked, we stayed there laying on the grass until night came. At some point we both fall asleep. When we woke up, the town was already besieged by a swarm of Demons.

“You did that Phlum? I think there's no point asking that”

Asked the Demon Lord with an indecipherable expression while pointing at the cart. Phlum stood and walked towards our Lady until they were a few centimeters away.

“Yes, I did it on my own, my Lady. Humans need to be teached.”

“You know what's going to happen next, right? Of course you do, and you did it anyway…”

“I know…”

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“I hope you don't come to hate me then.”

“I never will, my Lady.”

The Demon Lord walked away, and then shouted to all the Demons.

“Put those heads on spikes and light them all, we’ll wipe this town full of sinners! We won't spare anyone. Be cruel, be merciless, make them cry and beg for their lives, just like our people did! Make them suffer!”

A ferrous war cry crawled through my ears before the Demons started following our Lady’s orders. Their blood was boiling and they were blind by the thirst of vengeance. At the gate of the town were soldiers and adventurers prepared to fight.

I could see some adventurers running away when our army started to move, and our Lady let them do so. But when a soldier tried to run away, well…

A rain of fire lances fell upon him, letting him snared, unable to move and screaming for the pain that the flames and wounds were dealing him. He tried to crawl away, but her limbs started to tear, he was nailed to the ground after all. He let out a heartbreaking cry, but none of the demons’ hearts was moved by that, because their hearts were already broken.

A demon stabbed him with his weapon when passing by. But the soldier wasn't dead yet, so the next one who passed by his side did the same. Every demon who passed the soldier did the same until he finally died, they were really careful not to kill him, because the poor soldier was stabbed at least thirteen times before passing away.

When the Demon Lord’s army was at the town gate, it stopped. Our Lady jumped over the city gate and screamed from the top.

“You all are going to perish for the sins of a few. You all knew that they made something wrong, but chose to protect them behind your walls anyway… Stupid humans, now your parents and children must pay for your mistake. Now, die!”

After the Demon Lord finished those lines, the Demons rushed against the town. All you can hear were growls, screams, blood splatters, and the clash between claws and iron. No one used magic, just their weapons, bare hands and fangs to kill the humans in the town.

I couldn't stand this anymore, but just when I was about to run away from this place, I saw a girl running for her life in the middle of the carnage. She was carrying a stuffed animal and wearing pajamas tainted with blood and mud. She fell to the ground, but just when a demon was about to kill her, a soldier took her place and protected her. She quickly got up and kept running away.

Honestly, I don't know why but I runned towards her. She had a lot of wounds on her arms and legs, so she could barely keep on her feets. I took her wrist and started running away from this massacre.

We arrived at a tree and laid our backs on it to take a rest. But it couldn't be that easy. The Demon Lord herself reached us a few seconds after we arrived at the place.

“What do you think you are doing? She must die, you know?”

“B-But she is just a child!”

“I-Im 16, y-you know?!”

“You are not helping me!”

I couldn't help but retort to her, why would she clarify her age at this moment? Does she think that being 16 instead of a child could save her life?

“Are you stupid, kid? This man is trying to make me spare your life, and you can't stay silent?”

“I-I know, I-i don't want to die, my Lady. B-But what these people did was really cruel, so I can understand why you guys are so mad…”

“Do you really get it, kid? Or those are just empty words?”

The kid showed an angry face, she had tears in her eyes. It was so obvious, but no one wanted to say it, pain can only bring more pain after all. But she said it, she was brave enough to shout those words to the Demon Lord’s face.

“Of course I know! How couldn’t I? You guys just killed my family and friends, everyone I knew! How couldn't I understand your pain?!”