The chamber of summoning still stank of incense and blood. The pentagram etched into the floor pulsed faintly, a dying ember of the ritual that had dragged Sai here against his will.
Now it was crowded with members of the Obsidian Palace, a cult known and feared among the clans and kingdoms, but now they were no more than prey.
Prey to the very entity they had brought into this world.
The entity that would now kill them.
They stood, robes torn and stained from the chaos outside, eyes wild, hands shaking as they clutched grimoires and jagged infernal weapons. The chanting was gone; in its place, silence stretched, broken only by their shallow, fearful breaths.
Sai stepped into the room with an almost casual stride, rapier loose in his hand, violet eyes glowing faintly in the gloom. The corners of his lips curled into something between amusement and hunger.
The High Priest, pale as chalk, swallowed hard before stammering:
"M-my lord! Why… why have you slain your loyal subjects? We—we summoned you to glory, to power out of devotion, out of reverence to your greatness!"
Sai tilted his head, almost pitying, and then chuckled. The sound wasn't warm—it was hollow, low, and it crawled across the walls like a draft of cold wind. The cultists stiffened as if their very bones had flinched.
"I didn't ask you to summon me," he said simply, voice cutting through the air like a blade dipped in venom. "To me, that counts as disobedience. And disobedience—" His violet gaze swept over the trembling crowd. "—deserves punishment. Don't you think?"
The priest's mouth opened, but the words died as a sharp bang cracked through the chamber. A ripple of abysmal energy lanced forward—Abyss Bullet. The dark projectile ripped through the skull of a cultist at the priest's side. The man collapsed without a scream, eyes wide in stunned silence as his body hit the floor.
The rest stumbled back, panic rippling through the group. Some drew jagged daggers. Others raised their grimoires, muttering incantations with quivering lips. Sparks of dark magic flickered to life around them.
Sai advanced one step. His aura leaked violently, shadows coiling around his body, pressing against the air until even breathing felt heavy.
"You see... I'm a lazy person. I hate excess work and trying to avoid it as much as possible," his voice dropped even lower as his aura blasted outward, chilling them all to the bone. "So what do you think happens when you try and force your own work on me..."
"I snap."
The torches dimmed, their flames shivering as though afraid to burn too brightly in his presence.
Then he stopped, his head tilting slightly back as though remembering a forgotten chore.
"Ah… Vyriss." His voice was smooth, almost playful. "I think it's time you earned your keep. As a true demon, you should have some skills too, right?"
From behind him, her laughter spilled like honey laced with venom as she stepped forward.
"Finally, master gives me permission to prove myself useful to him." She stepped forward, her blonde hair catching the low light, but her crimson slit pupils glittering like a predator's in the dark. Her smile widened unnaturally. "I've been aching to assist master for a while. It would've been terribly rude to interrupt before, but now that I have your blessing…"
Her eyes flicked toward the cultists, who shrank back as though she were already upon them. She licked her lips slowly, smile never fading.
Sai turned back to the crowd, lifting his rapier with a languid grace. The cultists faltered; even those with weapons raised found their arms trembling.
"Now," Sai said, aura sharpening, scales beginning to creep across his arm. A black horn pushed out from the side of his forehead, his features sharpening as his demon form stirred.
[Partial Demonic Transformation] "Let's begin."
---
The first wave came in a panic—a bolt of shadow magic hurled toward him like a spear of cursed vengeance. Sai merely raised his free hand, and with a flick of thought, [Dark Tiles] shimmered into existence. Thin, rectangular barriers stacked neatly before him, absorbing the spell with a hiss before vanishing. He stepped forward through the smoke.
"Pathetic."
He lunged, rapier flashing like a silver whisper. A cultist's staff split neatly in two; before the man could register shock, Sai's boot caught him in the chest, launching him into the wall. He didn't rise again.
Another screamed and charged, blade sheathed in cursed talismans overhead. Sai sidestepped, barely glancing, then pressed the tip of his rapier against the man's side and dragged it upward through flesh and blood. The weapon slipped free in one clean motion as its owner dropped with a grunt of disbelief.
From the shadows, Vyriss finally pounced. Her nails lengthened into onyx claws, her smile feral with dark hunger. Black tendrils of shadow unfurled from her back, writhing like serpents. They lashed out, wrapping around a pair of cultists mid-spell. Their grimoires fell to the floor as their throats constricted, air cut short. She lifted them effortlessly before dashing them to the ground with a sickening crack.
"Ahhh, music to my ears," she crooned, stepping lightly over their bodies.
The High Priest shrieked for his followers to hold their ground. Desperation replaced faith in their eyes. Dozens of hands lifted in unison, channeling a coordinated volley of curses and hexes.
Sai's lips pulled into an excited smile. "Good."
He snapped his fingers.
Dark Tiles spread in a lattice above him, forming footholds. With a sudden burst, he leapt upward, running across the mid-air platforms as curses exploded beneath him. From this perch above the chaos, he raised his clawed hand, abyssal energy spiraling violently as he tapped the platform beneath him.
"[Abyss Rain]"
The ceiling darkened. An unnatural storm unfurled overhead, and suddenly a hail of black bullets rained down upon the cultists. Each impact struck with bone-shattering force, dropping bodies like marionettes with their strings cut. The chamber shook, the pentagram splintering under the onslaught.
When the smoke cleared, only a handful remained—burnt, bleeding, terrified beyond reason. Vyriss was among them, claws dripping shadow as she smiled through her fangs, cleaving another cultist into silence.
Sai landed lightly, rapier poised, his aura pulsing like the heartbeat of a monster barely restrained. His violet eyes glowed brighter as he stepped toward the High Priest, who collapsed to his knees, clutching his staff as if it could still protect him.
"You wanted a Demon Lord." Sai's voice was casual, playful even. He leaned closer, letting his scaled face fill the man's vision. "Congratulations. You got one."
The priest's scream never finished before the rapier silenced it.
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Aiden: Sorry guys, I really had to make another fight scene, we'll soon get on to the siblings now. Plus I kind of fell asleep in the middle of work today so bear if there are any errors.
Vere: Did he really have to kill all of them like that? Scary(٥↼_↼)
Aiden: ┐( ˘_˘)┌ Let me know your thoughts in the comments section. Plus, I'd appreciate if you took a second to vote for me, I need the stones⟵(๑¯◡¯๑)