Apocalypse Reborn: Demon Lord 14

Apocalypse Reborn: Demon Lord 14

…

The moment my eyes met Morgan, I knew that I was dealing with a bonafide Demon Lord. Though she tried to look like meek with large glasses, messy hair, and covered herself up with a massive coat, with a single glance I knew that she was skilled, powerful, and talented. I didn’t know exactly how I did it. My gut just screamed at me that she was a possible threat, and looking her over had my instincts register her as a priority target.

But, maybe most importantly, my senses all told me that she wasn’t strong enough to kill me.

Not nearly strong enough.

Since I was going to keep getting stronger, and she was hilariously behind, that meant that meant that while she was a threat… she could also be an asset.

“Leave us.” I commanded the rest of the court. Khanrow seemed surprised for a moment, but bowed and left without another word. He glanced at his kneeling granddaughter, but moved with the rest of the dismissed crowd. His intentions were clear as day. He hoped that I would take her as a wife or mistress, despite me never having shown interest in such a thing. He had no clue that he brought a dangerous beast into my court.

I waited until everyone was gone, even my guards going along with them after a single glance their way, and soon enough only she remained before me.

Kneeling and with head bowed, it would be easy to swing my sword and kill her now.

But I’m not stupid enough to waste the opportunity.

“Enough. I see through your disguise. I see your strength and power and potential. It will be of use to me. Tell me what you desire.” I opened with dialogue as strong as I could muster. Being seated on a throne helped, but I still needed to keep my voice steady and betray no fear. “Speak, Morgan of House Ghor, I demand it.”

I halfway thought she’d start spouting off the intro speech for the game, but thankfully that wasn’t the case.

“I wish for this land to be pacified and for peace to reign throughout it once more. It is a wish you are already fulfilling, so I offer you my loyal service.” She did not raise her head. She spoke with head bowed and subservience apparent. I did not let my guard down. My silence must’ve gotten to her, as she spoke again after a long lull. “My desire is to see the age of warlords ended, to see the system made by the Academy undone, and for my generation to begin work towards recreating what was lost.”

She tripped up just a little and I latched onto it.

“Your words betray you. You believe that I would cede my authority and power over the masses? That I would allow them to rule themselves?” I would really like to do that, but people are fucking stupid. If I just conquered the continent and vanished, we’d just see everything fall apart. “Do you believe that the foundation for what will emulate the Ancients will come from a single generation? Especially when the enemies of the Ancients remain and hold the rest of the world?”

Though she had great control over herself, the tensing of her body at my proclamation that we were surrounded was too quick for her to fake.

Or, maybe, she already knew and was prepared from the start.
That would mean that I lost this conversation already and was just playing in the palm of her hand.

I elected to believe that I haven’t lost yet.

“I see. You may be blessed with the talent and body of the Ancients, but you have none of their spirit. I do.” I raised up my hand and willed the court to shift. A great globe came into being between her and myself. The entire world was between the two of us, and though she continued to kneel, she raised her head to look at the stark-white globe. I made her look at our continent. Then, all around it, I shifted the lands to show what I knew lay beyond. Horrors. “We are not alone. This was meant to be the cradle from which our people would launch a crusade to retake the world. A place of plenty… squandered by petty conflict and war. Now, I must seize all that has been left behind, so that when the defenses fail we are ready to slaughter them all.”

Morgan looked up and stared at the globe for a long time, before looking directly at me.

This time she spoke without guile.

“How?”

How did I know?

No.

How I’ll kill them all.

“With a tide of endless constructs, supported by the might of Ancient technology regained, and all the mortals of this land united behind common purpose. I will retake the planet by killing all that remains of the Ancient’s foes. Crippled and cursed as they might be, it will take all that I have… and all that this realm possess.” I held up my hand. Four rings glinted. Control over four of eight Citadels before any other faction could rise. “I require four more. The Merchants will surely find one, and so will the Wardens, Guardians, and the Forgers. They will impede my path from unleashing the Citadel’s armies upon the land.”

I clenched my hand into a fist.

“They will fail. I will crush them. Then, I will make this land mine, slay the enemies of the Ancients, and guide this world into what it was meant to be.”

I had to give the Demon Lord credit.

That little speech would’ve had everyone else I’d met bowing.

Instead, Morgan stood and drew a dagger that she had at her side… before kneeling once again and holding that dagger towards me with both hands.

I stood up from my throne.

“I will slaughter everything and everyone that stands in my path.” I told her. “You are strong. The moment you oppose me, you die.”

“Never.” She said, and I took the first long step towards her. “This is the correct path.”

“You will earn my trust through trials I will give to no other.” I took another step towards her. My bare feet were cool against the floor of my court. “If you fail, you will die. I cannot abide by someone with your strength and potential being inept and useless.”

“I will not fail. Not while I draw breath.” The Demon Lord swore and I stood before her. The facsimile of the world cast a shadow above us, while I stood before her. “Use me as your blade. Everything that I have and will have. Call upon it all.”

I took the knife from her hands and looked at its razor edge.

I gave her my first command.

“Look at me.”

She did so without any fear or hesitation.

She didn’t even flinch as the tip tore into her right eye’s cornea and lens.

It blinded her, but more than anything I looked at her reaction to the pain of having one of the most sensitive parts of the body cut.

She shivered as she held out against the pain and continued to look at me… and confirmed that my fears that she was manipulating me was paranoia.

And, again, if I was wrong I’ve already lost, so no point in worrying about it.

“Let that be the last wound you take uncontested.” I reached out with my free hand and healed her eye. Blood ran down her face, but that was the only sign that harm befell her. She blinked only once after confirming her vision returned. “You will be my right hand. I will go north to see if the Guardians can see reason. You will go south and find the control ring for the Citadel there before the Wardens, do.”

I took the knife, snapped it half, and in the palm of my hand reshaped the metal of the blade into a badge. A simple one of a hand holding a sword.

“Take this. You speak with my authority. Do not misuse it.”

The Demon Lord nodded and bowed her head at my words and accepted the badge.

Yeah, I’m going to have my best assassin watch and report on her.

Won’t be able to kill her, but she’ll probably be able to cripple her enough to make the fight a whole lot easier.

…

Interlude: Justinia

…

“The King has ordered me to go south, locate the Citadel there, and take it for our realm. Who can aid me?” Khanrow’s granddaughter had received an audience with the king as a meek, bespectacled woman. When she re-emerged from the court, half her face was covered in blood, and a wicked grin was on her features, and unbridled lethality rolled off her in waves. My guards were unable to stay calm and put their hands on their swords. Her gaze, unclouded by the large glasses she didn’t need, turned my way. “Ah, Lady Justinia, it’s an honor to meet you.”

I knew this feeling already.

There were two of them.

Or, they were similar enough.

I curtsied and bowed my head.

In the corner of my vision, I spotted a symbol of authority on her coat.

A hand clutching a sword scorched black and composed of warped metals.

“The honor is mine, swordbearer.” I motioned for my people to bow, they did, and so did the rest present. The wide smile on her face did not falter. “I can provide transport, resources, and a team of archeologists as well as retrieval experts. They have enough for six months of operation.”

“Who can provide me with six months more supplies for Lady Justinia’s gift?” She nodded briefly at me, before looking around.

“I-I can, Lady Morgan.” Harper spoke, nervousness filling her voice, and with her ears tucked against her scalp. A single glance at the Merchant confirmed my earlier suspicions. This one was much like our king. Another Ancient born to the Descendants. I could only wonder how many of them were born into the Descendants across the ages. The Academy’s hegemony over the continent made far more sense now more than ever. “The supplies will be ready for you at our southern-most Citadel. I will lead the caravan to reinforce you myself.”

“Very good. Very good, indeed.” For a moment, I feared that she was mad, but her smile faded and her gaze sharpened. I faced trained killers across my office before. Many tried to intimidate me. Before Lady Morgan, they were like children pretending and playing. All she had done was remove her glasses and stand tall, yet much like our new ruler, that was all she needed to do to become the nexus of all our intentions. “Grandfather, our king intends to go north and speak with the Guardians of the Moon. They are not below duplicity if they view someone as lesser than them.”

Khanrow, despite being her grandfather, had knelt along with the rest of us. Some pride filled his eyes, but he kept himself calm and constrained.

“We already have agents there, and emissaries as well. Our lord has everything prepared, but I will be sure to check everything thrice over.” Morgan’s response to her grandfather was a simple nod of her head.

He had the opportunity to ask something of her, but instead he bowed his head and waited with the rest of us.

Completely confident in his family’s place and future.

I gritted my teeth.

I knew that my people did not need to give more, but I spoke nonetheless.

“I have experience with the Warden’s culture and people. If you will have me, I shall accompany you.” I volunteered for the task. We helped secure a Fourth Citadel, but the more swiftly we secured the rest the better. The more that we had, the less likely it was that any other force would try to work against us, and prevent us from doing what needs to be done. Every delay stops us from leaving this planet… or securing it from the foes of the Ancients. “I need only a week to see all my work handed to my subordinates.”

The gaze of the swordbearer settled upon me, and I felt myself searched for any ill intent.

Judgement was rendered within moments.

“Wonderful. I shall make my own preparations and meet with you at the region at our closest settlement there.”

Then, she left, and I released a breath that I had not known I was holding.

I raised the hem of my dress and moved to leave when the doors to the court opened and our king came forth.

We all moved to kneel when he raised a hand to stop us all, before addressing me.

“Evaluate the Wardens. Their fanaticism has its uses, but if they learn all pass into paradise after death, they will turn their blades upon us as an endless horde of cultists.” He spoke and the world changed on its axis. Gasps spread across the room. Even his new appointed minister, Morgan, stared at him with wide eyes. He met her gaze. “If they are a threat, they are to be culled. None past the age of twenty will be permitted to live. Burn their scriptures and eradicate their culture.”

I bowed my head and yelled out my assent, but then someone I did not know suddenly spoke.

“But, if… if we can reach the Ancient’s Paradise after death, why fight?” The man’s question turned every gaze upon him. But that hardly mattered. In a moment our king in all his glory loomed over him like a titan of inestimable might. Clad in light robes, and unarmed, I had no doubt he would be able to kill us all before we could react. “I-I am sorry, your majesty, I sh-should not have asked—”

“Paradise is safe and has not been breached. But if this planet is lost, if the Ancient’s foes take it all, then it will only be a matter of time before it is undone.” Horror suddenly filled my insides at his words. He was right. Paradise was created by the Ancients. Their enemies will see it as a target once they regained all their strength and none impeded them. “We will fight here and now, because here and now we have power to secure not only our souls and our children’s, but the souls of all those who came before. I have decided this.”

He bore down on the trembling man before speaking once more.

“If you choose to enter Paradise by ending your own life and your family’s, I will tear you all from it myself and cast you into its antithesis. It may be closed now, but I can and will open it for our foes to suffer within.”

With just two sentences, he claimed the gates of Paradise as his to control.

And, none doubted that it was.