At first, there was only cold, the iron tang of blood, and the agonizing pain of impending death.
Her field of vision was a swaying grid of iron cage bars stained with filthy blood.
Outside, torches flickered, illuminating the excited and cruel faces of human Demon Hunters.
She could not remember what she had originally been. A creature of the Underdark, unfortunate enough to be discovered?
Or perhaps a half-finished failure of some dark ritual's transformation?
It did not matter.
What mattered was that the rune-inscribed spears and swords were about to thrust downward, their purifying light searing her inhuman essence and tearing at her very soul.
Fear choked her throat, leaving her unable to utter even a whimper, as despair engulfed every sense like the deepest waters.
Just as her consciousness was about to sink completely into darkness—
BOOM!!!
The top of the iron cage and half the cellar's vaulted ceiling were violently torn open by an irresistible, pure force!
Moonlight and dust surged in together, but arriving ahead of them was a majestic figure.
It simply waved a hand, and those Demon Hunters who had just been flaunting their power—along with the holy relics in their hands—shattered like ceramic dolls struck by an invisible sledgehammer, leaving not even a scream behind.
There was only the wail of the night wind rushing through the hole.
The figure turned and walked toward the cage.
As it drew near, that suffocating pressure strangely receded, replaced by a deep serenity.
A hand covered in etched markings effortlessly snapped iron bars thick as a child's arm, extending to reach toward her.
Palm facing upward, it waited calmly.
She trembled, curled into a ball, not daring to move.
"…Nowhere to go?"
A deep voice resonated directly within the depths of her consciousness, dispersing the last remnants of biting cold and fear.
"Then, come with me."
As if possessed, she gently placed her scarred hand into that palm.
Warmth instantly enveloped her, restoring her near-collapsing existence.
"From this day forth, you are Huang Quan."
The voice said:
"Serve me."
Huang Quan.
She had a name, a place of belonging, and a King who had given her new life.
...
Later, as she gradually adapted to her new form of existence, her power grew slowly under the lingering aura of Lord Demon King. Yet she remained silent and vigilant, accustomed to hiding in the shadows.
But on her way to the armory under orders one day, at the corner of a fork in the path, she encountered that figure.
He appeared immensely tall, his entire body covered in blue-gray scale armor with a cold, hard metallic luster, sharp bone spurs jutting from his joints.
A double-bladed battle axe, nearly as tall as he was and featuring a horrifyingly wicked edge, was casually slung over his broad shoulder. Blackish-red stains lingered on the blade, radiating a faint stench of blood and malice.
Sensing her gaze, he slowly turned his head.
Beneath his full-cover helmet, two points of crimson light flared like the eyes of a beast awakening in the abyss, landing calmly upon her.
In that gaze was neither curiosity nor scrutiny, only a calmness settled over countlessly waged slaughter.
He looked at her like that for a few seconds, then gave a barely perceptible nod of his massive head, both a greeting and a recognition of a colleague's identity.
Then he turned back and continued leaning against the wall, as if merging into the shadows and stone, with only the massive axe on his shoulder silently attesting to its master's lethality.
Rock Spike.
A Scaled Demon warrior and a rising vanguard of the Demon King's Army.
That was their first meeting.
No conversation, no pleasantries.
Yet over the long years that followed, they fought side by side time and again.
Facing the encirclement and suppression of human forces, quelling internal rebellions, driving off intruding Dragon race warriors...
He was always at the absolute front, his battle axe swinging like a storm of devastation that crushed all obstacles.
Meanwhile, she lurked on the flanks and in the shadows, using undead magic and poisoned bone spurs to handle troublesome enemies or set lethally dark traps.
They still rarely spoke.
In battle, a single look or a minute adjustment of stance was enough for each to grasp the other's intent.
Resting between fights, they might sit meters apart, silently wiping their weapons, or simply lingering in silence.
Yet without her realizing when it began, Huang Quan realized that this big guy, quiet as stone, was the sole presence in her long, dead life to whom she could entrust her back with absolute peace of mind.
Perhaps he could be called... a comrade.
...
Later still, Lord Demon King's order descended.
In the solemn throne room, even the air seemed frozen solid.
High above, the Demon King's figure was enveloped in shifting shadows. His calm voice, carrying an unquestionable, absolute will, echoed through the empty hall:
"Huang Quan, Rock Spike."
Both dropped to one knee, lowering their heads to listen.
"From this day forth, you have an additional duty: assist Melina with all your heart."
The Demon King's voice paused slightly, seemingly carrying a faint, barely imperceptible trace of complex emotion:
"She is the continuation of my bloodline, and perhaps... one of the keys to the Demons' future."
"Yes, My King."
The two answered in unison.
Shadows beside the throne undulated, and a young girl stepped out at a leisurely pace.
She possessed long, pitch-black hair like a waterfall, skin pale almost to translucency, features as exquisite as a doll's, and violet eyes shimmering with a mixture of innocence and strange malice.
Dressed in a form-fitting black dress, she offered the kneeling pair a smile that seemed warm enough to melt snow and ice.
"My, I'll be relying on you two a lot from now on~"
Melina's voice was crisp and sweet, like wind chimes:
"Father really is something, assigning two such impressive people to me... I'll try my best not to be a burden, okay?"
Huang Quan raised her head and met those violet eyes. Yet beneath that sweet smile, her sharp undead instincts caught a scrutinizing glint—as if assessing an amusing toy.
The crimson glow beneath Rock Spike's helmet also seemed to flicker slightly.
From then on, their loyalty and mission became complex.
Absolute loyalty to Lord Demon King was a principle etched into the core of their being, beyond any doubt.
But toward Princess Melina, it became a complicated duty mixed with obedience and a faint, subtle anxiety.
Following orders, they assisted her, fulfilling her varied demands—some eccentric, others dangerous—and witnessing her growing power alongside her increasingly inscrutable mind.
...
The final clear vision settled before a desolate realm.
It was the edge of the Demon Realm's deepest forbidden zone. Merely approaching it caused Huang Quan to feel her soulfire sway violently.
Melina stood right at the verge of the dungeon entrance, her black hair dancing wildly in invisible energy turbulence.
Her back turned to Huang Quan and Rock Spike, who towered like an iron fortress beside her, she stared into the dark depths of the dungeon entrance, her profile bearing a fanatical look of anticipation and joy.
"For Father's great cause, I must take a trip inside."
She spoke abruptly, her voice light and lively:
"Many things out here will be troublesome to handle next, so I'll be relying on your hard work, Huang Quan, Rock Spike."
Turning around, her violet eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled at them both.
That smile remained beautiful, yet against the ominous backdrop of this place, it exuded a sinister quality that chilled one to the marrow.
She had initially thought it was just her imagination, but when Melina emerged from the dungeon, she realized it wasn't.
But by then it was too late, for Her Highness had turned her only friend and the rest of her subordinates into her marionette puppets.
She offered her usual beautiful smile:
"For their sakes, you have to keep this secret for me, Huang Quan~"
Rate on N.U.
