Chapter 3A: The Undead Demon Meets His Companions: The Former Hero’s Party Members

The villagers ranging from grown men and women to children were happy, how one might ask?They were now living again and had become much stronger than before, they were avenged and still punishing the ones who killed them, they were satisfied but not only that but they were going on a journey something they never did because they were confined to one area that is to say their village. They were migrating from one place to another, if one was to ask where?That was to the ruined Demon King’s Palace. They had their savior the one who was like them and decided to prioritize having revenge against the ones who slaughtered them and caused them pain before they died, a boy of their own village. But as one wiseman said “The happiness of one group of people was the sadness of another”, the said other people was the tightened security of the border at the farthest reach of the country closest to the city of Albenick.

“DON’T LET THEM PASS THROUGH!!!”

“WE MUST STAND STR-“

The sound of a head exploding like a watermelon smashing into the ground from a large height could be heard as one of the leaders who were leading these people against these monsters instantly died from the smashing in of his head by the club of a boy who was barely thirteen, incidents like these were happening everywhere. At first the adult monsters had headed in and reduced a small amount of their number, then their children shouted in protest they would not have any play time if they battled them all thus leading to the current situation that they had landed themselves. These children had been slaughtering them all using rudimental weapons crafted from items one would expect to be the toys that they played with whilst their parents folded their arms and watched them with loving eyes.

“Oh look at how Gerald crushed that knight’s head!I taught him that swing!It’s my pride!”

“Oh that’s nothing!Look at my sweetheart Cheryl, look at those fine thrusts she is doing!!”

“And to think we were about to deprive these children of their play time how bad of us”

“Indeed, ah please pass the bread”

“Here this is beautiful”

To the parents this was akin to a large village picnic, they were even eating leisurely as their children “played” with the knights stationed here. They relaxed in the sunshine smiling and laughing as the dying screams of the knights echoed this showed how strong they were, they were strong enough to make a social event out of this. Were they vampires?No vampires would burn in the sunshine, what kind of monster would have this kind of strength? The knights couldn’t help but ask. To Alastor he noticed that the villagers were getting used to slaughter to such an extent they wouldn’t cower at the sight of it, some were reluctant to participate in the killing of the knights but very much eager to torture one of the people who killed them. One would get used to the blood and gore the more they saw it. This is his plan all along, they had to become stronger in order for them not to lose their lives again. This was a part of it.

“Some wine Allie”

“Ah much thanks mom”

“It seems the villagers are getting used to seeing people die”

“I was thinking about that “

“Makes them stronger, besides your mother has found some wonderful herbs and meat to make dinner with!”

“I am looking forward to it”

Alastor smiles as more of the knights are killed by the children.

☆

They finally arrived at the Demon King’s Palace, where it all started, the place where the Hero got betrayed and met his end at the same time birthed the beginnings of Alastor who awoke from his grave and into the world. An emotion was stirring within him, he understood why the Demon King fought so hard, he understood why he said he never had a reign of terror. Alastor opens the doors to the palace walking with the villagers close behind him.

“Alright, I want everyone to split up and find yourselves some good rooms. Those with appropriate jobs like the blacksmiths are to have the rooms which aid them.”

The villagers all smiled as they spread out from the entrance and into the various hallways. Alastor was left alone walking towards the throne room, the silence soothed his soul as he walked past the statues which he didn’t think of destroying. These were all of the Demon Kings who had ruled in this castle before. He was rather proud of the fact he preserved this history as he too was going to rise on that throne. Where the previous Demon King’s empty statue was filled with his image and beside it another empty place that was yet to be filled. He opened the door to the throne room and there they were standing close to the throne.

“David”

“Lord David”

They were different yet the same, Myne stood to the left side of the throne, her once blonde hair had turned into a blood crimson color which was let loose as compared to when she just tied it into a ponytail, her blue eyes had changed to match her hair, her magical garb was darkened black for some reason but seemed to fit her as if complimenting the red hair and eyes she had. Fiona stood to the right side of the throne, her skin had become even more pale, her pure white hair had turned black, her eyes were drowned in a sea of black with bright red seeping from within, her once pink blossom lips were black, the saintess robe she wore had suggestive rips to it with an excess of the robe’s cloth removed to emphasize her curves even more. They had all changed as he stood at the door still looking at them. He closed his eyes and drops his head to the ground.

“I am sorry, I led you through this journey. I am the one who is at blame for the current situation that we are in. I am blind to not even see the treachery of our own kind, I could have prevented it and…”

“Speak no more”

“It was bound to happen David, we were the sacrifices that were set in place for the world. We too were blind to the supposed kindness of our race, only after we have died and brought back and seen our families destroyed and loved ones killed that we have come to understand that the Demon King was right.”

“Fiona…”

He opens his eyes and stares at her and Myne, they both smile at him.

“Knowing you, Elaine is still not given a body right?”

“You’re afraid that you might lose her again if you do give her a body”

“Yeah”

“Well we have done the same to the ones we cherished, this goddess has given us a peculiar ability didn’t she?”

“She sure did”

“You two I am determined to conquering the nations that the humans inhabit. I will do so at all costs, will you two who also got killed just like me join me?”

“You don’t need to ask that when we have reached this far”

“It is kind of obvious what we will do next, after all we gave you all the time to execute your revenge on Isaac and his men. I can hear their screaming in the dungeons”

“You two idiots have certainly changed. Well then I will reintroduce myself to you two, My name shall be Alastor Steppenwolf, the new Demon King pleased to meet you both, I hope you take care of me well”

“My name is Marchosias Vainglory, the Witch of the Demon King”

“I am Byleth Nightslain, the Dark Priestess for the Goddess Ego Sors Aeterna, she who sits above all gods”

“Since we are now acquainted with each other, I do hope our guest comes out to introduce themselves too”

“?!”

Alastor and the others look at the far left corner with eyes that could cause someone to have a heart attack if they were weak. Their guest immediately undoes their invisibility spell in a haste as they move out from the shadows and walk into the moonlit light, the person in question was a young man with pale skin, pointed ears, wearing all black, crimson red eyes and fangs. This was a vampire or at least the subordinate of one.

“How did you notice I was there?”

“Ever since I came to, I always felt there was a gaze was silently watching me and I ignored it because there were other things that needed to be done”

“…….I shall introduce myself as well, my name is Matthew I am the subordinate of the Blood Prince Halphas, I was stationed here by the prince for the event that the new demon king was birthed from the Devil’s Gorge. “

“How do you know that I am the demon king?Don’t Demon Kings come from your own ilk?”

“No. I am afraid not, since time immemorial the Demon King was often the ones who tormented us in their previous lives, the ones who had burning hatred against us. The Former Demon King had planned his death and suggested the barrier to be put in place right after his life force was exhausted and that anything that crawls out of the Devil’s Gorge is the new Demon King. Of course as you already know all of the Heavenly Kings have been killed by yours truly with the exception of Halphas who resurrected himself using the blood of several virgins”

“Shall we go to this Halphas’ place then? I would like to talk to him”

“Certainly Your Majesty”

Matthew immediately bowed before Alastor and the others who felt uneasy at first being treated like royalty.