A Fairytale for the Heavenly Demon (Oneshot)

A Fairytale for the Heavenly Demon

…

The Heavenly Demon is Reincarnated into a High Fantasy Otome Game

…

Verily, despite my status as unrivaled and unequalled, I perished at the pinnacle of my strength. The Sword Saint had fallen by my hand, the Axe God died by my blade, and even the Shaolin’s most sacred temple crumbled in accordance to my will. All semblance of opposition to my might and that of my underlings was thus crushed, and my forces reigned supreme and without peer. Thus established, my last recollection was planning to subjugate all Murim and upend the world entire by pointing my blade at the Heavens themselves.

My desire was to take the throne of the emperor for myself and rule over the entire Middle Kingdom.

Then, with that thought came nothingness, and then again… light.

Into a new world in its entirety as a new existence.

If it was the heavens themselves who struck me down for my insolence, before I could even mount a defense, they had a sense of humor.

I was reborn as an heiress to an empire in the new world I found myself in.

And, it was quite the interesting one.

“Lady Nia, are you alright!?” My servant’s voices reached me. As with every fine battle, I ruminated on my past life and my untimely demise. With every victory, I did my utmost to recall how I perished. So, that I might find a way to defend and counter against the attack in the future. After all, as humorous as I found the strike against me leading to my rebirth as future Empress, I could not let such an attack go unanswered. I will determine the identity of my attacker. And, I shall kill them. “The battle had been so fierce that I lost track of you, my most sincere apologies!”

“A week’s wages shall be docked for your negligence. However, there shall be no punishment beyond that, servant.” I did not deign to remember the name of the guard I was given. The rank of Knight meant he was akin to an accomplished warrior of a Sect. He was of adequate strength. A 2ndRate martial artist would be comparable to him. However, whatever potential he had was soiled by this world. He was swaddled in powerful armor and artifacts composed of the sorcerers and mystics of this world, which were far too ubiquitous. He shall never reach his true potential. “The threat is over. I have administered the punishment for a threat to my person by my own hand.”

Sorcery was disgustingly ubiquitous in this world, as were beings that called themselves gods that demanded prayer and supplication in exchange for power, and there were even creatures that declared themselves superior to humans while being only thinking beasts.

I shall rid my future empire of borrowed strength and ensure that it supplicates only to me, as well as vanquish all that oppose me.

Such was my will and desire in my new life, alongside making the one who ended my previous life suffer.

At least, the opponents were interesting.

“My lady, please. You should not leave the hunting party and venture out on your lonesome.”

“There is little influence to be found hunting with my peers. We are too strong together.” I shook my head and dusted my hands, while taking a leap from my latest prey.

With a whistle, I called upon my steed and the galloping of hooves reached me. I caught my descent upon the horn of a saddle, eliminated the excess force of my fall, and sat myself properly with both legs on one side of the horse. Atop my horse, named Chrysanthemum for her white fur, I surveyed my hunt as my servant marched next to me.

Clad in sorcerous armor that enhanced his physical abilities, he was eye-level with me as I sat on my horse. He wore enough metal that a whole troop could be provided with blades of fine make, and the massive halberd he wielded with one hand was nearly the size of a signpost. He looked ludicrous, but his power was without doubt 2nd rate.

“And, if I needed help, I would’ve called upon you. In fact, you should’ve been with me the entire time. That is why your pay shall be docked for a week.” I reminded him of his failing and he looked suitably ashamed, bowing from the waist at the reminder. I graciously did not raise his punishment for his words. Father undoubtably bid him to have me stay with those influential individuals of my age and urged him to protect me. “Now, tell me what this creature is. It was an interesting battle.”

When he raised his head, he looked up and beheld my latest addition to my legacy.

“An ogre of sorts with giant’s blood… and a mutation to have three heads instead of one. As well as an extra pair of arms.” Ah, of course. A giant was involved in the siring of this creature. Ogres I had fought before and it had looked the part, but it had a taller and wider frame and the three heads were strange indeed. Each one looked like that of a different individual. Three siblings in one body. Two each a caster of foul sorcery, while one a warrior. It had been an intrusion fight, especially as they continued to fight even after I smashed apart each of their skulls on by one. “These tree branches look like staffs. My lady, was it casting elemental magic?”

I furrowed my brow at my servant’s words.

“Did you think I would deign to use my power against this creature? I would not dirty my magic with this foul creature’s blood.” My patience wore thin at my servant’s insinuation, but I calmed myself. 2ndrate warriors were not individuals I could dispatch simply for annoying me. Father would have grounds to order me into seclusion and my reputation with the people would be frayed. Despite his weakness, he was lauded by the common folk. Thus, I stayed my hand… but I will remember this insinuation of my weakness for later. “This beast was dispatched by my hands alone. All the effects of magics you see around you now is of its own design. Not mine.”

The Heavenly Demon making use of sorcery, the power of their immutable soul, against a pitiful beast barely capable of thinking, equipped with scraps, and without proper training?

A truly demeaning thought to be aimed at my esteemed self.

I’ll have him whipped for his insolence, or perhaps gelded if I can gain enough reputation quickly enough to affect such a punishment before he spawns.

“My apologies, my lady. I know of your strength, but this creature could not have used magic without being taught. Its proximity to our hunting party today is no coincidence either. Ogres may have tribes in this region, but not giants. This creature was composed… presumably to ruin your hunting party with deaths that can be pinned upon the crown.”

Oh, servant, your surprising insight has saved you from quite the punishment.

“Send up the emergency flare, as well as the one for reinforcements. We will secure this corpse as evidence and ensure the safety of my peers.”

“Yes, my lady!” He acted and soon enough two magics were cast into the sky. An orb of bright red signaling and emergency retreat and a golden orb, which signaled the detachment of royal knights waiting at camp to come to me. After the spells were cast, he reached towards one of the satchels at his armor’s waist. “Here, your highness. An artifact of protection and your personal armaments.”

I wondered for a moment how he had my personal arms, before a smile split my lips.

“Remind me to express my gratitude to my mother later.” He bowed lowly and offered the satchel to me with both hands with perfect reverence. Indeed, he has saved himself much agony in the future. I undid the latch and took the finely-wrought golden necklace with a brilliant diamond and hung it upon my neck. As its protections layered itself upon me, I took my weapons with a smile. Two white gloves threaded with silver lines and blazing rubies wrapped in gold on their backs. I can reach out and crush my servant’s skull through all his protections both magical and material now. Wonderful. “Let us stay alert—ah.”

I turned with a smile towards a familiar whistling sound and reached out with my gloved hand.

I caught the arrow, which was long as my horse and wreathed with enough magics to shatter a building, and felt my heart race as I felt the faintest amount of strain in my arm just before I stopped it from hitting me.

“My lady!” My servant called out in panic, but I ignored him.

Instead, I leapt upward off my horse, curled my arm back, and felt my heart race with delight as I met the eyes of the archer who fired it at me.

Their fear and horror were sublime… and their absolute terror was sweeter than candied fruit as I threw their projectile back at them like a spear.

A spear sent forth with far greater power and might than they could muster.

And, once I killed the archer, I heard more bowstrings being loosed and more whistling sounds.

Finally, all my efforts have paid off.

The other nations of this world have decided that I must die for their future and thus have courted death by raising their hand against me.

My new conquest was to finally begin!

…

Interlude: The Emperor

…

“It has begun.”

An attempt on the life of my only child, of the heiress to the nation which I led, has taken place as I predicted.

“They moved in accordance with the information that we shared to the public.” My wife read the reports, while I looked over the weapons picked to slay my daughter. Enchanted elm with steel tips and with a core of silver. The silver core contained magics and inscriptions to hasten the arrow, to magnify its impact, and to overcome barriers of magical protection. “It seems it was the right choice to send her weapons along with her guard. Otherwise, they’d have realized she can use sorcery as well.”

“The day they realize that is the day that they can do nothing against her.” An ambush with a large monster, prey that my daughter could not ignored, and nearly a dozen skilled archers concealed and armed with weapons designed to kill the strongest of knights. The cost of the attack alone eliminated most of my lesser foes. Only my true rivals, those who held sovereignty over budding hegemons same as I, could’ve made the attempt. “All except the four she spared are dead, correct?”

“Indeed, but the four we captured ended their lives. Whoever sent them offered more than just money. Their families were likely held hostage as collateral, as to ensure that they wouldn’t think about confessing.” Clinical and cold, my wife recounted the ill news. I hadn’t expected them to talk. Matters such as this meant such skilled archers were disposable assets. I doubted that they knew their true employer, but the would’ve had information I needed. From where they gathered? How much were they offered? Who gave them their weapons? There were cracks that I could’ve used, clues to determine my foes, but in the end those how I intended to interrogate were dead. A pity. “We’ll need to be louder than I wanted.”

Indeed, such was the pity that I would have to use a hammer when a knife would’ve sufficed, but my enemies have already chosen the paths our nations would tread.

They sought to kill my heir, the strongest individual my bloodline has ever produced, and the future empress of the world entire.

I could only answer them with the strength that they could not hope to surmount.

“Tell our generals that the border kingdoms are to be subsumed. Immediately.” They have shown their hand and now it was time to show mine. My daughter’s survival meant they expended gold and precious resources only to fail. Gold and metals that I acquired through my own nation, which I invested into my armies. “The new divisions shall man the borders. Let our soldiers run rampant and take as much as they can.”

My wife curtsied at my command, and I felt her magic flash, so I knew that my message was sent forth to those who needed to hear them.

Then, after obeying my order, my empress spoke.

“What shall we do to the nation that attempted to kill our daughter once they are found?” They will be found. It will be easy. Others will see what has been unleashed, and they will pitifully try to make that nation their sole target. I will allow them to believe that, then I will turn my sword upon them once that nation is destroyed. “Death is too merciful.”

My wife’s words gave me pause, but soon enough I nodded and raised my hand to bestow upon her my blessing.

“Find the people who ordered this atrocity and do with them as you wish. As long as they are removed from power and their lineage no longer propagated, do with them as you wish.” My lovely empress came from the northernmost territories. Only a scant three hundred years ago, they were fierce, tribal peoples who wielded mere stone tools with such skill and power that they threatened the steel-armed armies of my forefathers. Only through war, only after did they acknowledge our strength, did they deign to join our cause and become part of our nation. Their kindness and hospitality to their friends and family is only matched by their cruelty and hatred for their enemies… and they have just tried to kill my wife’s only and most beloved child. In comparison, my hate was but a candle to her own. “You have my word that their fate is yours, my dear.”

My wife smiled at me and gave a curtsy, but her smile did not reach her eyes and there was no mirth in it. No, it was a false smile, which hid a terrible anger that was more than evident in her eyes.

I loved my daughter, and I held her in high esteem, and I would kill for her without a thought.

In her mother’s eyes, though, she was perfection personified. Strong and beautiful, idolized and feared, strong in both magic and physical might.

The perfect princess expected by the principles of the fiercest, northernmost region of my lands.

Of course, my wife’s hate would be that much stronger.

I saw Nia as my heir and my lovely daughter.

My wife saw her as her and her people’s dreams made manifest upon the world.

The retribution for the assassination attempt will be devoid of the mercy of death, of that I was sure.

With that my wife left to gather her own assets and prepare for the horrors that she will inflict, while I glanced at the map of the lands around my empire.

Death was soon to be the only mercy that most will know for the coming decades.

A/N: Small break from Apocalypse Reborn while I draft out Volume 7.