The master of the Doomhorn clan smiled. A demon that looked like his servant came and made a shallow incision on his forearm to draw some blood, then performed some strange ritual of sorts. A large circle of blood spread forth, and I couldn’t step outside the circle without first fighting him. I didn’t know how I knew, but I could feel the challenge from him after the circle took shape. “Hear me, Doomhorn! We stand strong, we stand brave, we stand together!” A huge eruption of cheers rattled the entire place. It was so loud, I felt like even other clans might’ve heard it. “My name is Barnod Doomhorn, and I challenge you to face death and the underworld. Do you accept, Lich God?”

“Just shut up and let’s get started.” I remained atop Dreadhoof and summoned an undead berserker. This one had a huge two-handed mace.

“Then,” he tied a chain around the end of his double-edged axe, “let us walk through the dark together.”

He sprinted forth and went straight for my neck, but my berserker tackled him out the air. They both landed and tumbled behind me. The berserker’s mace lit up and struck down, only managing to graze the Doomhorn leader on his side because he rolled away in the nick of time. His focus was now divided between the undead berserker and me. Based on what he saw of my undead thus far, he probably felt the berserker wouldn’t be more of a threat that the revenant.

He was wrong.

They began going at each other. Cuts, slashes, headbutts, kicks, bites, just about everything. It was becoming clear as day that the berserker and the clan master was about evenly matched. The only problem for Barnod was that he didn’t have an inexhaustible supply of mana and stamina. Even though he was demon, a full-on relentless fight without breaks was knackering, so the berserker would eventually win the fight of attrition if he continued like that.

He had one look at his followers who slowly lost their faith as the fight went on. He was barely making sure that my berserker didn’t land any fatal blows and defended more than he attacked. He chuckled a bit. “It’s come to this,” he muttered and let his arms dangle. His skin, began turning blood-red. In fact, I was sure his blood was crystallizing on his skin. Deathly leather wings sprouted out his back and his body grew more muscle-bound. “Agares, take me!” A blast wave spread forth and almost knocked me off of Dreadhoof.

Whatever Barnod Doomhorn did, was a serious problem; he was now dangerous. I knew this, yet, I couldn’t help but wonder… Did he just say Agares?

He put muscle back into lifting his weapon, then almost disappeared before my eyes. He assaulted my berserker with everything he had, and now my berserker was the one who had to get by only defending and dodging. But it wasn’t even good at that, not while Barnod was jacked up on whatever he just pulled off.

It was like my berserker got mauled by a bear. Swing after swing, Barnod continued to decimate his opponent until finally the bone was fractured enough to break from the tension. He cut through the berserker with all the strength he had, then glowered at me with eyes of rage and desperation. His body lit up, as well as his weapon; he was putting everything he had behind this attack.

He burst forth in speed I hadn’t seen before, swept some dirt up and pelted it up towards me to blind me, then went for Dreadhoof’s legs. The horse was down and he was just about to cleave me in half, but a simple teleport made that impossible. Without giving me a breather, he sprinted towards me again. Electrostrike made him stiffen up like he was petrified and Telekinesis dropped him to the ground like it wanted to kill him.

He breathed erratically and used his axe as a crutch to stand; he was on his last legs now. Whatever that power boost was, it was wearing off now. I summoned three more berserkers, and they shred him to pieces. They smashed maces to his head, drove axes through his leg partially, then savagely ripped the rest of it off, just so he’d feel the pain. Afterwards, they dropped their weapons and opted for nothing but hands and feet, then had a field day with him. He was beaten to a pulp, only hanging on by the healing I did just so I could prolong his life as much as I could.

“What was it? ‘Face death and the underworld’, right?” I changed my scepter into the rapier I always used as a warrior. Telekinesis held him upright, somewhat, just in perfect line with my sword swing. I grabbed him by a horn and forced him to look at the horrifying skull of the creature that was about to end his life. “You’ll experience those things by yourself!”

There was a bit of commotion going on outside the perimeter of the duel’s area, but I ignored it and raised my sword. One down. One more t—

“Don’t! Don’t hurt my father!” A little demon boy ran out, tripping on himself and barely managing to run to us properly. I had all the time in the world to end Barnod while that kid desperately tried his utmost best to save someone he loved. He was as confused as ever about what he was doing. He placed himself over his father in hopes of bracing any damage. He punched at my shin, even though he didn’t even match the height of my knee. The lad even held onto me and tried to bite me.

It stunned me. This boy showed the same fury I showed when someone I loved was hurt, and that scared me. What the fuck am I doing? For a moment, I forgot who I was. No, I was being the Lich God and not Deidre. I went and killed thousands, committed the same atrocities as those I was furious towards. Fucking hell, Deidre! I looked around at the sheer number of corpses.

Even though the kid was in here, trying his earnest to save his father, no one else entered and tried to do the same. I stooped down and was about to cast Pacify on the child, but I let it be. How could I rob him of his emotions too? “I’m sorry. I’ve been bad. We won’t fight anymore, okay? You were brave. You saved your father tod—”

Something suddenly busted through the boy’s chest and through mine, then cleaved my ribcage and cranium as it travelled upwards.