The Beginning of the End- Erebus Valefor

When I was born into this despicable world, I was blessed with a kind and gentle family, albeit a weird family where my father is a demon lord and my mother a human, but a happy family nonetheless.

My days were filled with innocent joy together with my loving mother and respectable father.

From my father, I was taught what it meant to be strong, and from my mother, I learned what it meant to be merciful.

Even though they are the polar opposite of each other, not once have I seen them argue with each other.

I remembered what my mother once told me when I asked her why she loves father.

‘My baby, when you discover what it means to love a person, then you will understand why I gave up everything for your father.’

No matter how hard I tried to wrap my head around such a foolish idea, I could not understand even a fragment of it. When I continued to pester her about it, my mother would tell me that it was something that I would not be able to learn, but rather it is something that I had to experience.

While her words were confusing, I believed her. The mother who would gently smile at me as I drifted to sleep every night-the one who caressed me with her love and read me bedtime stories, who was concern over my health, who took care of me when I was sick- how could she possibly be wrong?

And father, who would watch silently whenever mother put me to sleep, would never refuse my mother’s request. Whether it was because of the guilt of taking mother from her home, or not being able to give her the happiness she deserves, he never left mother’s side.

Even though father and mother never once said it, I knew that mother had sacrificed everything to be with father. No matter how hard my mother tries to hide it, I knew that my mother would cry on occasion when she remembers her families and friends; but, even then, she would smile and love me.

I could clearly remember the day when my mother found me watching her cry. She beckoned for me and, even though she was crying her eyes out, she would smile and hold me tightly.

I was her miracle, she could say over and over again.

In truth, I was a miracle. The birth rate of a demon lord is said to be very low. It was the way the world worked. For the strong and less likely to die, they were less likely to reproduce. If the balance did not exist, the world would have been destroyed by now. Demon lords are said to be at the top of the hierarchy of the demon race, and while we are sacred and revered by those underneath us, we exist as few.

Not only is our blood sacred, it was a sin to dilute it with the blood of other races. In order to keep our sacred blood amongst each other, it is normal for demon lords to marry their offspring off to other demon lords.

My father, however, never thought of such matters.

Not only was mother a human, our race’s worse enemy, my mother had a weak physique and giving birth to me drained most of her energy. It was impossible for my mother to give birth a second time, and even though my father was pressured by his vassals to seek out another partner, he would refuse wholeheartedly.

As the years pass by me, I grew to learn what it means to be a demon lord, and the duties that I would inherit along with the title of Valefor, the 6th demon lord.

But I was clueless of the fact that I was an abomination, a disgrace to both humans and demons.

My father kept me a secret from the other demon lords, and for that matter, I did not ask him.

After a while, it was something that I noticed.

No matter the occasion, I would never be allowed to leave the castle.

Besides the servants that lives with us, mother, and father, I never once interacted with others.

The outside world was as distanced as the sun and moon that rises and falls every day and night.

Even though the world beyond the castle was separated by a single glass window, it was far too distanced for my hands to reach out and grasp.

*****

I remembered the last day of my innocent youth.

My mother, who I loved, hung under the chandelier like a broken marionette whom string had snapped. My mother, who would constantly smile no matter the wrongs that I committed, who would gently brush my hair, who put her love into taking care of me, who treated everyone with kindness, was reduced to a broken, hollow vessel without a soul.

My father, who I had respected, was butchered. His body was twisted in ways that I could not have imagined. With weapons piercing through all of his joints, he looked like a bloodied ragdoll.

It was a nightmare that I never thought would occur. I could not hold back the tears that trickled down my face.

My heart felt empty, hollow, as if someone had carved it out with a small dagger.

Standing before my father was a group of people.

Their expression was cold and merciless. The moment they laid their eyes on me, my body trembled. It was as if I was staring at death itself.

“The abomination has shown itself,” one of them spoke.

“Let’s hurry up and dispose of him,” another responded, drawing out his weapon, “I already feel sick to the stomach just looking at him.”

“A pity, to lose one of the seventy-two houses,” another grumbled, “I guess this is the end of the Valefor bloodline.”

Even though I wanted to scream, to call out for help, I found that my voice would not obey me.

I was frozen, petrified by the fear of what would come next, that I could not muster the courage or energy to speak. My body was trembling as if someone had tossed a bucket of ice water onto my body. I wanted to run as far away as I can, to hide from their watchful, disgusted eyes, but I could not look away.

All I could do was watch blankly as they drew closer to me.

“Enough,” one of them said, moving between us, “there is no need for us to kill the child.”

“Agares, you understand what you are saying right?”

“You wish to save this child?”

The others spoke out, disappointed by one of their comrade’s decision.

“I do not need you to question my action,” Agares replied, “this innocent child does not bear the sins of his father. We have already dealt with the sinner. This matter is already settled.”

“It has not Agares,” another demon lord responded, “as long as that hybrid remains alive, this matter has yet to be concluded. You understand that this abomination must be killed.”

“He is a half-breed, but he is still one of us,” Agares shouted, “there is no reason to kill a child who bears no sin. He was not given the choice to be born!”

“He has sinned. His sin is being a human.”

Agares sighed, “If you want to kill an innocent child, then you have to go through me.”

“Agares… do you plan to betray us?”

“Far from it,” Agares answered, “he is a male demon lord, one of the few from the next generation. If we kill him, who is the last of his bloodline, then we are simply killing ourselves.”

“… Then, what do you suppose we do? We cannot possibly let him live after having killed his entire family in front of him. That would be the most nonsensical thing to do.”

“If he wants revenge, I’ll gladly wait for that day,” a giant man laughed hysterically.

“Give him to me,” Agares proposed, “as he is now, he is useless to us. But given the proper training, he’ll be a valuable asset.”

After a moment of silence, the man who stood beside the cold corpse of my father said, “… Very well.”

He had not spoken a single word before.

“You can’t be serious Bael!” One of the demons protested, “if he continues to exist, our name will be thrown into the ground!”

“I oppose this decision,” another spoke out, “we have killed his parents. I am sure that he wishes for nothing more than for our death. Let’s tie up all the loose ends and kill him.”

“I have already made up my mind,” Bael glared at the few who protested, “if you wish to make a move on him, you shall be killed by me.”

“…”

Rather than being grateful, Agares glared at him, “what are you possibly thinking Bael…”

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Hello, this is my first work, and being a newcomer, I hope that if there is any error, you would kindly point them out. I would like to hear everyone's feedback if possible in order to make my story an enjoyable experience for everyone.! ^0^ Thank you for reading.