In the beginning, there was only cold, the scent of rust, and the agonizing pain of near-death.
Her vision was filled with the swaying bars of an iron cage, stained with filth and blood.
Outside were flickering torches, illuminating the excited and cruel faces of human Demon Hunters.
She couldn't remember what she originally was. An unfortunate creature from the Underdark caught by chance?
Or perhaps a failed byproduct of some dark ritual?
It didn't matter.
What mattered was that the rune-etched spears and swords were about to strike. The light of purification scorched her non-human essence, bringing a soul-tearing agony.
Fear gripped her throat, making it impossible to even whimper. Despair was like the deepest ocean, drowning every inch of her senses.
Just as her consciousness was about to sink completely into the darkness—
Boom!!!
The top of the iron cage, along with half the cellar's vaulted ceiling, was violently torn open by an irresistible, pure force!
Moonlight and dust poured in together, but descending even faster was a majestic figure.
It simply waved a hand, and those Demon Hunters who had been posturing so arrogantly just a moment ago—along with their holy relics—shattered instantly like clay dolls struck by an invisible hammer. Not even a scream remained.
Only the night wind whimpered through the broken ceiling.
The figure turned and walked toward the cage.
As it approached, that suffocating pressure strangely retracted, replaced by a deep sense of tranquility.
A hand covered in intricate patterns easily snapped the iron bars—each as thick as a child's arm—and reached out toward her.
The palm faced upward, waiting calmly.
She trembled and curled up, not daring to move.
"...Have you nowhere to go?"
A deep voice sounded, echoing directly in the depths of her consciousness, dispelling the last of the cold and fear.
"Then, come with me."
As if guided by fate, she gently placed her scarred hand onto that palm.
Warmth instantly enveloped her, mending her collapsing existence.
"From this day forward, your name shall be Huang Quan."
The voice said:
"Serve me."
Huang Quan.
She had a name, a place to belong, and a King who had given her a new life.
...
Later, she began to gradually adapt to her new form of existence. Her power grew slowly under the influence of the Demon King's aura, but she remained silent and vigilant, accustomed to hiding in the shadows.
But once, on her way to the armory as ordered, she encountered another figure at the corner of a fork in the path.
He looked extremely tall, his entire body covered in bluish-gray scale armor that glinted with a cold, hard metallic luster. Sharp bone spikes protruded from his joints.
A double-edged battle-axe, nearly as tall as he was and with a terrifyingly jagged edge, was slung casually over his broad shoulder. Dark red stains that hadn't been wiped clean remained on the blade, emitting a faint scent of blood and murderous intent.
He seemed to sense her gaze and slowly turned his head.
Beneath the full-face helmet, two points of crimson light ignited like the eyes of a beast waking in the abyss, landing calmly upon her.
There was no curiosity in that gaze, no scrutiny—only a sense of indifference settled after countless slaughters.
He looked at her for a few seconds, then gave a nearly imperceptible nod of his massive head, acknowledging her as a fellow colleague.
Then, he turned back and continued to lean against the wall, as if merging with the shadows and the rock. Only the giant axe on his shoulder silently spoke of its master's lethality.
Rock Spike.
A warrior of the Scaled Demons and a rising vanguard of the Demon King's Army.
That was their first meeting.
No conversation, no pleasantries.
But in the long years that followed, they fought side by side many times.
Facing the encirclement of the human alliance, suppressing internal rebellions, driving away intruding Dragon warriors...
He was always at the forefront, swinging that battle-axe like a storm of destruction, crushing all obstacles.
Meanwhile, she prowled the flanks and shadows, using necrotic magic and poisoned bone spikes to deal with troublesome enemies or lay deadly traps.
They still rarely spoke.
During battle, a single look or a subtle adjustment of movement was enough to understand each other's intentions.
During breaks, they might be meters apart, each silently cleaning their weapons or simply existing.
But at some point, Huang Quan realized that this silent, rock-like brute was the only person in her long, dead life whom she could completely trust with her back.
Perhaps, he could be called... a comrade.
...
Later still, the Demon King's command descended.
In the solemn throne room, the air seemed to solidify.
The figure of the Demon King, seated high above, was shrouded in flowing shadows. His calm voice, carrying an absolute will that brooked no question, echoed through the vast hall:
"Huang Quan, Rock Spike."
The two knelt on one knee, heads bowed as they listened.
"From this day forward, you have an additional duty. You are to assist Melina with all your heart and soul."
The Demon King's voice paused slightly, seemingly containing a trace of hard-to-detect, complex emotion:
"She is the continuation of my bloodline, and perhaps... one of the keys to the future of the Demons."
"Yes, my King."
The two responded simultaneously.
The shadows to the side of the throne rippled, and a young girl stepped out gracefully.
She had cascading black hair, skin so pale it was almost translucent, and features as delicate as a doll's. A pair of violet eyes shimmered with a mixture of innocence and eerie brilliance.
Wearing a form-fitting black dress, she gave the kneeling pair a smile that seemed capable of melting ice and snow.
"Oh, I'll be in your care from now on~"
Melina's voice was clear and melodious, like wind chimes.
"Father is really something, sending two such powerful people to me... I'll work hard not to cause everyone any trouble, okay?"
Huang Quan looked up, meeting those violet eyes. Deep within that sweet smile, her keen undead instincts captured a hint of scrutiny, as if she were looking at an interesting toy.
The red light beneath Rock Spike's helmet also seemed to flicker slightly.
From then on, their loyalty and mission became complicated.
Absolute fealty to the Demon King was a principle etched into the core of their existence, beyond all doubt.
But toward this Princess Melina, it was a complex obligation mixed with obedience and a faint, underlying sense of unease.
They followed orders to assist her, fulfilling her various eccentric or dangerous requests, witnessing her growing power and increasingly unpredictable thoughts.
...
The last clear image was frozen before a desperate land.
It was the edge of the deepest forbidden zone in the Demon Realm. Just being near it made Huang Quan feel her soulfire flickering violently.
Melina stood at the edge of the dungeon entrance, her black hair dancing wildly in the invisible turbulence of energy.
Her back was toward Huang Quan and Rock Spike, who stood like a steel tower beside her. She gazed into the darkness within the dungeon entrance, her profile showing a near-fanatical look of anticipation and joy.
"For Father's great cause, I must take a trip inside."
She spoke suddenly, her voice light:
"Many things outside will be quite taxing for you two in the meantime. Huang Quan, Rock Spike."
She turned around, her violet eyes curving into crescents as she smiled at them.
The smile was still beautiful, but against the ominous backdrop of this place, it exuded a bizarre quality that chilled one to the bone.
Huang Quan had thought it was just her imagination, but when Melina walked out of the dungeon, she realized it wasn't.
But by then, it was too late, because the Princess had turned her only friend and the other subordinates into her own marionette puppets.
She wore that same beautiful smile as always:
"For their sake, you must keep this secret for me, Huang Quan~"
Rate on N.U.
