"I always keep my word," elarion said. With that, the guard moved in, surrounding him from all directions.
Their swords were pointed at him as a tall black man with an emblem on his war clothes stepped ahead of the group.
"Put your spear down and surrender."
Elarion threw the spear to the ground, lifting his hands in surrender.
"I surrender. Take me to your king," he said with a small, provoking smile.
The leader pointed his sword at Elarion.
"Kill that human."
With that, the guards rushed toward him, swords drawn.
Elarion sighed, clicking his fingers and canceling the sleeping spell he had cast on Cael and Hadeon, both of whom were still dazed in the carriage.
"It's time for you guys."
Cael sensed the mana from below as he woke up. He got off and struck the ground with his fist, making it tremble. Hadeon followed right after him.
"Kill everyone who won't surrender," Elarion said in a firm tone, then looked at the woman and man in the distance. "And protect those two."
Cael dashed toward the leader, grabbing his collar and throwing him into the sky. Hadeon cast inferno magic on the ground, burning everything until there was nothing left but ashes. Hadeon grinned.
"I'm back!" His voice echoed. "Tell everyone that the lowest demon lord has become stronger. I came to burn everything to ashes."
Cael, with a single burst of radiant light, erased the leader's existence. There were no ashes, no bones left behind.
"Tell everyone that the Angel of Destruction has appeared."
Elarion slapped his hand to his forehead, groaning.
"These two... they've learned to act cool," he sighed.
Elarion walked towards the castle. Everywhere he stepped, new ground appeared. He huffed, annoyance clear on his face.
"I'm getting bored of you all. Either your lord shows himself, or you scatter."
He took a single flowing step toward the new guard leader, holding his face with one hand, looking deep into his eyes through the space between his fingers.
"Kill all your followers."
Dark mana washed over the man's body. He barely collapsed to the ground before standing again, swinging his sword like a berserk warrior at his own guard party. His eyes were dark and filled with red light, unable to see anything except the demons he was killing.
"Stop! I don't want to kill them!" he tried to resist, but the spell was taking over him. Elarion jumped toward the tower, sitting on the edge, whistling.
"Demon lord, demon lord, hurry and show yourself before I kill everyone."
Cael sat next to Elarion, a small smile on his face.
"Master, I'm really enjoying my time," he said, turning toward Elarion, gazing happily. "Can I kill them all? Of course, I won't kill these two, the ones you want."
Elarion sighed but couldn't hide his smile.
"You really have become something else." He looked at the running demons. "But of course, you can kill them all."
Cael flew, halting his wings in the sky, glowing with light, appearing above them.
"Listen, you lowly demons, I am an angel who goes against gods. I shall eliminate you all, but not in the name of god, but in the name of my joy alone!"
Hadeon, still fighting the guards, looked up, shouting in fear.
"Hey, wait! You twisted angel, I'm still here!"
"Don't worry, you won't die easily, right?" Cael winked.
Hadeon released inferno toward the guards and jumped to the top of the tower, sighing in relief.
"I could make it in time."
The unholy white light covered the city, lowering in on points toward the ground. A single lady with red hair and a gloomy expression vanished the light with a single strike from her hand, then scratched her messy hair.
"Who dares to wake me up from my beauty sleep?"
Elarion clapped his hands. She was surprised to see him behind her.
"Great show," he wiped imaginary tears from his eyes. "The demon lord cares about her people's lives. It's really touching, I might cry."
She narrowed her eyes, scanning his appearance, then laughed angrily.
"Who might you be? You look like a dying man to me."
Elarion smiled back, stepping closer to her.
"Maybe I've been dying for a long time and came here to haunt you," he pinched her nose. "What would you do if I told you that?"
She grabbed his collar, slamming his body to the ground and pinning him with a magic chain that attached to the ground. Cael flew toward him but stopped when he heard him.
"Don't come here. I'm enjoying my time," Elarion chuckle.
The demon lord poisoned her hand like a blade and thrust it deep until it touched Elarion's heart.
Elarion rolled his eyes.
"Do you want my heart for yourself, greedy girl?"
She pulled her hand back, his heart between her fist, veins still attached to it.
"I'm greedy, lord, after all. Tell me, what will happen if I crush it now?"
Elarion cried with a low voice, sobbing ever so quietly. His voice was barely above a whisper.
"Don't crush my heart, please. I want to live."
She pulled the heart from the vein, stepping back, eating Elarion's heart bite by bite.
Elarion's earlier act didn't last. He laughed loudly, casually freeing himself from the chains. He stood before her.
"You really shouldn't eat something you can't handle."
Surprise was clear on her face as she saw his body slowly healing. Her body began to shake, wounds suddenly appearing all over her, blood pouring from everywhere. Her mouth was full of blood. She moved her hands toward him, but they didn't reach him. She collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.
"Save me!" Her voice was low and weak.
Elarion looked at Cael with a grin.
"Take it as a lesson: when you make your prey think they've got you, it becomes far more enjoyable to break them."
Cael shouted out loud, "I will remember it in my heart, master."
Elarion lifted her face with his boot, then kicked her hard, sending her flying toward the tower, where she crashed into it.
"It's your time for rebirth."