The temple was burning, and the demon lord walked through the flames with the hero in his arms. As he held her to his chest, hand over her eyes, he sung.
She knew he came alone. He came alone, but the temple had been full. The cloth over her nose couldn’t block out the smell of burnt flesh, and she could still hear the screams.
She was supposed to kill him.
This is the safest she’d ever felt.
If I were to write and record it, would folks want to download the story from my Ko-Fi? It’d be pay as you like.
Years ago, I was browsing through the local DnD wiki, and stumbled upon an article about him. The idea of dangerous, yet sexy, powerful, tall Demon Lord with cool, unique design spoke to me, and I've become interested in him. I started looking for fanfics, and searching for official images and fanarts, and before I known it, I was a fan. What about you (and other fellow Graz'zt fans)? Share your stories, if you want!
Manhua by: Li Hyeon Min / Mun Baeg Kyeong
Hello, isekai.
This one is playing on the field of ‘woke up as a villain’, as seems to be a popular trope at the moment. But, I can’t complain about it. I like a good farming manga. Silver Spoon tends to be up there on my shelf of favorite manga, so when some sort of agriculture manga or manhua shows up, I’m willing to give it a chance.
This one takes…
The part where the Big Bad Demon Lord finds out about another friend of the duo and decides to pay them a visit.
Gazing off into the distance thoughtfully, the towering archdemon gave a twisted grin as a devious thought came into his mind.
Glancing over at his undead protégé, the demon announced: "I think it's time we gave your former sensei a visit..."
(Meanwhile, in the mountains.)
Pedro sat in his library, finally placing the tome he had been reading down and rubbing his tired eyes. Yawning, he glanced over at the clock in the corner. It was past 2am.
Letting his head rest back onto the plush leather armchair he was sitting on, Pedro momentarily shut his eyes, exhausted.
But suddenly, just as he felt himself starting to drift off, his honed senses noticed something.
Fainter than most would assume. But it was distinctly a noise. From outside. Pedro knew he was the only person here.
Opening his eyes, he sat still. Waiting. Staring up at the ceiling for a deliberate moment longer.
Finally, Pedro sat up to confront this intruder, only to be greeted by something out of a nightmare.
Pedro had been expecting a hapless burglar or wandering vagrant. Or even perhaps, a surprise visit from his student. But the creature that stood terrifyingly tall within the doorway was something much worse.
Bahl's stature was indeed intimidating. Like a creature out of a nightmarish painting or horror fantasy novel. So tall his horns almost scraped the ceiling. His frame a mass of hulking muscle, midnight black scales and fearsome claws. Like some kind of bipedal draconic monster.
Pedro lifted his stricken eyes to behold the demon's. Which was a mistake. The moment he met the towering archdemon's poisonous golden gaze, he balked and shrank back as though threatened by a physical blow.
Despite Pedro himself standing at a lithe 6"2, the spectre of this fantasy creature towered over him by at least another foot. Not to mention he was at least four times his mass. Which was certainly impressive.
Seeing his adversary's distress at his appearance, the archdemon grinned. Only enhancing the terror of his beholder.
It was the grin of a wolf eager to attack and devour his cornered prey, and relishing in its distress.
Splitting his fang filled maw into a grotesque facsimile of what could vaguely be considered as a comforting and friendly smile.
For a few moments, neither of them moved or spoke. One due to the fear coursing through him and rooting him in place. Blue eyes locked onto the monster before him.
The archdemon seemed to impossibly fold himself in half as he gave a mocking bow.
"Ah... Mr. Winter, I don't believe we've met...? I assure you, the honor is mine..." the archdemon's voice was a deep, mocking hiss.
Hearing it sent a shiver through Pedro's being. A chill that reached deep into his core.
Finally overcoming his shock, Pedro immediately reached to draw the knife from his belt. His instincts kicking in.
He held firm, all traces of fear gone. His gaze and arm both determined and steady.
"What are you?" He demanded.
Here the demon gestured theatrically. Mockingly.
"Ah, I believe that we haven't actually met face to face... But I believe your compatriots might have mentioned me. I, am Bahl. One of the five lords of the infernal pits, and master of air. And I have come here to finally lay claim to the world your friends denied me the last time..."
Here the demon's countenance scowled, as though still angered by the memory. His gaze darkened, somehow making the monster more menacing. Glaring into the corner of the room.
Luckily for him, Pedro thought, that the demon's baleful gaze wasn't fixed on him. It was a look that could certainly kill, he thought wryly to himself.
Pedro didn't waver. He tried his best to appear disinterested.
"Yes, I think Thomas or Guy-Man might have mentioned it. So. Where are they?" He replied, trying his best to appear blasé. Despite the circumstances.
Here the archdemon grinned knowingly. "Oh, I'm afraid they're unable to join us tonight."
"And I believe I have someone you know with me..." the archdemon grinned mockingly, standing aside and gesturing into the shadows behind him for his assistant to enter.
As Pedro frowned into the darkness, trying to discern the demon's trick, he froze as he beheld the hidden figure approaching.
They were smaller, far smaller, than the hulking archdemon. They appeared to be a person, though they moved awkwardly and stiffly. As though they were in great pain or exhaustion.
Finally, the shambling figure stepped into the dim light and Pedro's face fell in horror at the sight he now beheld.
A woman stood there. Even from this distance he could see the unnatural pallor of her skin, and how it now hung from her bones. Her hair was starting to thin.
And when she finally raised her head, Pedro gasped in horror as he beheld the glassy, lifeless orbs of the revenant. A milk white film distorting their once clear gaze.
The zombie closed the distance with unnatural speed. She still obviously retained her impressive skills, despite now being undead.
Pedro leapt away as the twin blades came slicing downwards, barely able to dodge out of the way.
But suddenly, the zombie halted, slowly turning its head to look at him. No life or recognition showed in its glassy dead eyes. And yet...
The zombie gave a moan. A hollow, sickening sound that forced itself from still lungs and dry, cracked lips. A true lament of the dead.
And yet, Pedro managed to hear two distinct words.
"....Sen....Sei..."
Pedro almost dropped his weapon in shock. He could only watch, aghast, as the revenant shambled over to the desk he had been sitting in, to the book he had been reading.
Haltingly, stiffly, the puppeteered corpse reached out to stroke the embossed cover with its wrinkled, decaying hands. Again, it wordlessly gave a moan, as though unable to express its now lost pleasure. As though some remmnant of its lost humanity remained.
Once again, the zombie of his former apprentice raised her head to gaze over at him.
And for a moment, a mere moment, Pedro swore he could see a spark of recognition in her dead eyes.
And then the moment was gone. All that stood before him now was a corpse.
Trembling, Pedro finally conceded defeat. He lowered his arm, staring almost imploringly at the archdemon and his zombie minion. Eyes welling with tears.
He finally broke, falling to his knees and sobbing. His mind reeled, unable to comprehend the knowledge of three of his closest friends now being gone forever. Almost to the brink of insanity.
But something, some tiny shred of determination pulled Pedro back. His logical mind taking over.
Looking up to glare enraged with tear filled eyes up at the towering archdemon, the despicable monster that had taken them from him.
Stoically, he stood. Then he swiftly struck out at the tower of hide and muscle with one of his kunai, glancing off the obsidian scales.
Before they could stop him, Pedro turned and raced out of the door, into the dark night and the foreboding woods.
"No, let him go." The archdemon told his undead minion as she made to follow him. Her programmed undead mind wanting only to hunt down and destroy her prey.
Part 3 (rough draft)
Bahl returns to his home plane.
He sees that his undead apprentice's appearance has deteriorated further. Bone started to show from her rotting flesh.
Soon there would be nothing more than a skeleton.
Bahl decides to reconstitute her body. Remake her into what she was. Turn her into a literally soulless machine. But one that was still flesh and blood. But something more. Literally shoving dark energy straight into her chest.
Bahl summons a pillar of light that practically vaporises her form. Flesh melting and sloughing from her bones. Until only her skeleton remains. But almost like sculpting clay, her flesh is rebuilt and infused with dark energy.
Bahl even provides some of his own blood, in a twisted way giving part of him and her own stolen essence back to her.
Now Phoebe stood, once again back to how she was when she had been alive. Flesh unmarred and reborn. But now as a dark, twisted amalgam of demonic energy and a human shell.
Emerald light blazed from her eyes, that had now been restored. No milk white, dead orbs. They were still blue, but blazed with that evil light.
She was a true automaton now. But still flesh. Yet unable to bleed.
Dark magic coursed through her empty veins, replacing her stolen life fluid with demonic ichor. Pulsing through her and pumping through her reanimated, dead heart. Once again revived in defiance of nature.
Still an undead zombie, but a renewed revenant. As strong and as skilled as she had been in life, but stronger now she was undead and imbued with demonic energy
