It takes time to navigate the demonlands. But, soon, I come upon the demon lord's castle.

Demons of every kind patrol and I feel tension in my shoulders.

"It'll be fine, bearer. I've got a feeling about it."

I make my way to the open gate and hesitate as a fel hound approaches me.

The beast sniffs at me before snorting and walking away.

"Looks like you've still got a bit of demon in you," the sword notes.

I don't know if that's a relief or not.

I navigate the compound to find the field of punishment.

Belquess' shadows are disbursed and pale skin is matted with dried blood.

I rush to her, drawing the attention of the guards on duty.

I see her labored breathing and hold out some hope for her recovery.

I cut the base out from under her.

As the crucifix falls, I hold its weight to ease it to the ground.

"Stop!" I hear from behind me.

Sword in hand, I turn on the demons as they approach.

They charge en masse.

I watch their movements as if it were slow motion.

Two heads roll on the green grass as I move towards a third.

The alarm goes out and I see a horde of demons rushing me.

It is almost comical how slow these monsters are.

With minimal effort, my flaming sword carves through the heart of the horde.

Minutes. Hours. I can't keep track of time as I fight.

"This," the sword says. "This is what I'm talking about. You've leveled up, partner."

The proud demons stand back, afraid to be the next corpse that populates the battlefield.

I glare at them all for a minute, before turning back to Belquess.

I see her eyes looking at me. But, she can't express herself.

"It'll be fine," I promise her.

The stakes numb my hand as I pull them from her frail form.

Her wings hang limply from her back.

Even with a demon's fortitude, she will need a long time to recover.

I carry her over my shoulder, with my primary hand carrying the blade.

Not the most glamorous way to carry a woman. But, it will have to do.

A few demons think to take advantage of my handicap and charge forward.

Anger wells up within me as I shred the fools.

I march my way past throngs of intimidated demons.

As I reach the gate, a roar shakes the castle.

Rage and hate penetrate my soul.

Thunderous steps make the ground tremble.

Just outside the castle wall, I set Belquess down.

She looks at me with fear.

I know she wants to tell me to run. But, I refuse to.

I leave her to face the doom that comes out to face me.

"Little demon," the thunderous voice sounds. "You would steal from me?"

I feel a trickle of sweat run down my neck.

The shadows on the creature concentrate on its claws.

The house-sized spider might as well be a halfling before this Mao.

"A behemoth!" the sword says excitedly. "You sure know how to pick your enemies."

My blade is engulfed by pure flame as I hold my weapon against this demon lord.

It inhales deeply.

"What is that in your hands?" the Mao demands.

"A legendary sword, bitch."

Much as I want to share the sword's confidence, I am feeling no small amount of fear right now.

With a roar, the behemoth pounces at me.

I evade. But, find the ground unsteady as I move.

A paw swipes out at me.

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I present the sword to block the blow and I'm sent flying.

I land on my feet and recover just in time to evade the next attack.

"Gotta go on the offensive, bearer."

I nod my understanding.

The qilian's gift sends me like a streak to one of the monster's hind legs.

I slash into the limb, eliciting a roar of anger.

It turns on me and I use the qillian's gift again.

I project out a beam of energy to cut at its face.

The blow runs shallow. But, blood flows freely from the wound.

"I will eat you by inches," the demon bellows.

I meet the fel infused claws and manage to cut down to the marrow.

A loud yelp escapes the demon lord's throat.

I push the advantage and slash a sequence of strikes into the behemoth's paw.

The giant retreats under my attack.

"Demons," the Mao roars. "Kill this pest."

The crowd looks impassively at the battle.

"I command you!"

Some move to obey. But, when they realize that most will not join the battle, they fall back.

The demon lord roars its indignation.

"Demons only respect power, bearer. If you don't have that, you're no lord."

I hold my blade out as the demon stares me down.

The qillian's gift breaches the distance. And, I cut at the creature's underbelly.

Hot blood sprays me as, once more, I pass as electricity away from the enemy's attack.

"You're not a demon," fear sets in on the monster. "What are you?"

"I'm Askilar."

The beast growls.

We trade attacks and the demon gradually weakens.

I chip away at it, taking slabs of flesh away.

It limps on one of its paws as I move with agility to cut into it.

It slumps to the ground and I raise my sword above its head.

Chi and fire empower my weapon as the sword exults in this moment.

The demon lord shows resignation in its eyes as I hold its death in my hands.

Some, human, emotion tells me to show mercy on a defeated enemy.

But, this is a fight between demons.

My blade comes down with an edge longer than its length.

The behemoth's skull is cut in half and blood flows freely.

There is no roar of cheers. The demons are silent as they watch me leave the corpse of their former master.

I find Belquess where I left her.

Her fear is replaced by wonder.

Again, I take her, unceremoniously, over my shoulder.

I walk a ways into the woodland before making camp.

A spring brings fresh water and I set some traps.

Nursing a demon back to health is something I never would have thought I'd do.

But, I want her to recover from her trauma.

She looks at me quietly while I stare into the fire.

My eyes leave the fire and find hers.

"Hi," I say.

She smiles a pained smile.

My eyes drift to her wounds.

Holes torn into her body that, were she human, would never heal.

I'm haunted by memories of her screams.

As night passes, her eyes close and I'm left alone with my thoughts.

The fire dwindles as the sky warms.

I move to check the traps and roast the critters over the fire.

Belquess stirs and I come to her side.

"Hi," she says weakly.

I smile down at her, "You should eat something."

She accepts the offer and eats a small amount.

Rather than hunger, she is thirsty.

I make several trips to the spring to satiate her thirst.

"Thank you," she says with more strength.

She looks away, "For coming back."

"Of course."

The days pass in this fashion.

She grows stronger with every passing day. And, I see the holes in her flesh mend slowly.

I can tell she likes being taken care of. And, I can't help but wonder if she's pretending to be weaker than she actually is.

All the same, I see to her needs.

One day, a sprinkling of snow coats the land.

I can maintain my body temperature with chi. But, I see my companion shiver in the cold.

I gather the camp and hook my sword to my belt.

She groans when I pick her up.

I try to be gentle. But, we need to move.

The only place I can think to take her is the demon lord's castle.

I'll cut down any demon that would try to stand in my way.

The gate stands open. And, I march past hellhounds and other indescribable creatures.

I remember the path to her bedroom.

It stands undisturbed from how it was when Belquess first brought me to her plush room.

As I set her on the bed, I hear hurried footsteps down the hall.

My hand goes to my sword as several human-type demons come to the door.

"My lord," says a demon with white hair.

His eyes go to my hand on my sword.

"It is good that you have returned," he says nervously.

I merely stare at the man and his entourage.

"How," he asks, "is Lady Belquess' health?"

My eyes turn back to the unconscious demoness.

"Leave."

The man straightens, "As you command, my lord."

Time carries on as I find an attendant at the door who procures supplies that I need.

I put thoughts of why they call me lord out of my mind.

Now, I need to care for only one person.

Weeks pass and Belquess is far stronger than she was.

I help her test her legs after the wounds seal.

She winces with every step.

"Why are you doing all this?" she asks.

I look at her with uncertainty.

"I-" I stop myself short.

She looks disappointed.

Her head rests on my shoulder.

Her lips part and she says, "I like you."

I hear myself say, "I like you too.

She chuckles, "Took you long enough."

I share in her mirth.

Her wounds heal quickly from here and she can walk on her own.

We leave the bedroom to find the attendant.

"My lord. My lady," he greets us.

Belquess looks to me, confused.

I shrug as we make our way around the castle.

Our path leads us to Mao's grand hall.

Demons of every sort gather in the open space.

A platform with an ornate chair stands before the masses.

The white-haired demon sits on the throne.

The room goes silent as our presence is recognized.

A gap forms and we walk through it.

The white-haired demon hastily stands and bows.

"My lord."

I find myself dreading the reality of the situation.

"Well," the sword says. "This is a first. A bearer that's a demon lord."

The sword laughs at me.

Belquess looks at me with awe.

The white-haired demon presents the throne to me.

I take a breath and Belquess squeezes my hand.

I look out at the masses and see expectant eyes.

I let a chuckle out. This really is a first.

My companion at my side, I sit on the demon lord's throne.

"My lord," the white-haired demon says. "My name is Rel. It is my pleasure to serve you.

I look blankly at the man.

He continues, "There are many matters to attend to. The campaign against the human lands..."

"Recall all forces from the empire's lands. The war is over."

Rel nods solemnly, "Of course, your excellency."

I listen to the briefing of this administrator.

I find myself numb to it all.

By killing the previous Mao, I inherited its kingdom.

Even the purification of my soul, by the sword, didn't purge me of my demonhood.

Were I human, I would be the valiant hero who would return to the human lands and marry a princess. But such is not my fate.

The briefing carries on and I grow tired of hearing about all the factions and broods that make up the demon lands.

It's surprising how many fiefdoms make up the land.

Belquess never leaves my side as I learn about my new kingdom.

Finally, the briefing ends and I stand.

"I leave oversight to you, Rel."

The man bows, "Yes, my lord."

As I leave, the man takes my throne and deals with the minutia of leadership.

Belquess draws me closer, looping an arm through mine,

"My lord," she mocks.

We find her room and Belquess looks up at me with mischief in her eyes.

Her head tilts back and her lips look enticing.

Like magnets, our bodies come together as I kiss her.

Our tongues play, her scent intoxicating.

The shadows that hide her form evaporate and my hands roam.

She pulls at my robes.

My clothes fall to the floor and she pushes me down on the bed.

I may be lord. But, she commands in this moment.

Our passion is bestial and lasts through the night.

As the rays of dawn peek in through the window, she rolls off of me.

We lie together, sweat on our brows.

She smiles at me.

It's a sweet smile. Like a young peasant girl would smile.

No words pass between us as we let exhaustion ease us into slumber.