Blood, Death, and Terror
Far from the royal capital, at the very edge of the continent. A place so remote that not even the kingdom’s security forces or the mercenaries who made their living through adventure would dare approach. This land, steeped in nothing but ominous energy, had long since fallen to the monsters.
In that dark, damp space, a streak of crimson lightning struck down.
Kwagagagak!!—Kugugu!!—
Sparks flew in every direction, soon giving way to a spreading cloud of pitch-black fog. Thick, clotted masses reeking of the most sinister and repulsive energy imaginable. Moments later, what stood there was a heavily charred skeleton, a man with a greatsword slung over his shoulder, and Prince Vlad—no, the second Fragment of the Demon God.
“We’ve arrived.”
“This… place… is….”
“A safe haven. There are no enemies here.”
After speaking, the Fragment examined its own body. The countless blood and fleeting lives spilled before the royal capital, combined with the madness of the Demon God worshippers and the hostility of the monsters. Though the composition was not yet perfect, it was strong enough. It would have been nice if they had attached a slightly more decent vessel, but the original shell had been such garbage that the inconveniences were too many to count.
“Since we’ve changed locations, shall we do some organizing?”
When the Fragment reviewed the memories and experiences it had completely absorbed, it found that it could easily handle the Hero who had crushed high-grade monsters with bare hands. As for the Hero with the shield and the one who used magic….
“Excuse me for a moment.”
As the Fragment approached, the greatsword Demonic Human reflexively tensed. It was an unavoidable reaction after having just been in battle. The second Fragment let out a sigh as if exasperated.
“Don’t get any strange ideas. I won’t be devouring or absorbing you or anything like that.”
“That’s not it. Actually, you may devour me if you wish. It wouldn’t be bad at all. But please fight me until I’m on the verge of death, break all my limbs, and only then absorb me. That would be ideal.”
“…You’re insane in a very peculiar way.”
“For a madman, that is the highest compliment.”
With those words, the greatsword Demonic Human let out a ferocious laugh. The Fragment shook its head and grabbed the Demonic Human’s skull.
“Stay still. Just recall the battle scenes. As detailed as possible, down to the finest points.”
“I don’t usually keep that kind of thing in my head. I just fight.”
“Didn’t you just finish an intense battle? You’ve already forgotten it?”
“I make it a point to forget useless things quickly. My body remembers anyway.”
“Still, try to recall it. The more you remember, the more I gain.”
The greatsword Demonic Human let out a low groan. He wasn’t joking; he truly did not store anything in his head. He simply clashed, learned with his body, and moved according to what his body remembered. Being told to recall something by the Fragment left him genuinely flustered.
…
The expression on the Fragment’s face was far from pleased. It seemed the results had not been entirely satisfactory. Slowly releasing his grip, the Fragment clicked his tongue.
“…Still, you remember every single movement. The problem is that everything unrelated to combat is too hazy.”
“Isn’t that enough? What more do I need to remember?”
“Not just the enemy’s power and movements. Even the smallest habits or changes in expression would have been better. They could be used effectively later.”
Having said that, the Fragment now moved toward the skeletal Demonic Human. The skeleton rattled its bones, muttering that it was different from ordinary humans. The Fragment, however, paid no mind and grasped the skeleton’s skull.
“…Hm. You possess quite useful memories. Yes, this should be helpful.”
The Fragment absorbed everything the skeletal Demonic Human had witnessed and experienced while fighting the magic-using Hero. It closed its eyes for a moment to organize its thoughts.
“…For now, three. No, four? Hmm, but one is far too incomplete. All it could do was wield two swords, so this is far from sufficient. Three it is.”
“What… will… you… do… now…?”
“Unfortunately, we lost this time. The picture you all desired did not come to pass. The greater power I needed did not arrive, and my sibling, whom I was supposed to encounter, has vanished without a trace. Having become a public enemy of the continent, movement will be difficult. In every way, this is the worst possible situation.”
“That twin bitch and bastard. They acted so high and mighty, yet died without a sound.”
The greatsword Demonic Human spat on the ground with a loud ptoo. They had said they would follow the first Fragment while telling the others to go suffer. All those who had uttered such unlucky words were now dead. He had wanted to tear apart those disgusting mouths side by side at least once.
“If any of them had survived, they would have been truly useful. Regrettably, that is not the case. All I know is information about the Heroes you fought.”
“You… don’t… even… know… who… destroyed… your… sibling…? That… should… be… the… most… important… thing….”
“Knowing who it was is important, but not knowing how they fought or how they finished it off is truly regrettable. If I had arrived just a little earlier, I might have been able to share even that fleeting moment. Things have become very difficult.”
The second Fragment clicked his tongue in deep disappointment. Rather than sorrow over losing a sibling, what radiated from him far more strongly was regret at not knowing the process.
“What shall we do now?”
“It’s simple. We need power. But we have now become public enemies of the continent. We must adopt a different method than before. Until now, we sowed anxiety in the world with our tongues. From now on, we will imprint terror upon the world with blood.”
“That means….”
“The world is vast. No matter how brave and fierce the watchdog, it cannot protect every inch of land or every head of livestock. Bare your fangs and thrust your maw forward to hunt the livestock. Make them flee madly at the mere sight of a shadow, make them scream and wail in terror at the slightest breeze.”
The first to react was, of course, the greatsword Demonic Human. The corners of his mouth split into a horrifying grin, his eyes rising with insane delight. How difficult it had been to restrain slaughter while spreading the teachings of the Demon God’s cult. Those foolish monsters did not know how to properly use fear and slaughter. They could only kill, kill, and kill again, never guiding things in a more entertaining direction.
Killing the child in front of the parents first, thoroughly breaking their sense of powerlessness, then forcing one parent to kill the other while promising to spare the survivor—only to kill the last one at the end. That was the best method. Yet they had left all the slaughter to mere monsters and beasts. To the greatsword Demonic Human, it felt like his insides would burst from frustration.
“Is that true? We no longer need to hold back?”
He asked for confirmation once more. Could they truly kill without caring about anything? The Fragment let out a short chuckle.
“Rampage as you wish. Spill more blood, reap more lives, and drench them in terror. Everything we have done until now was to plant seeds of doubt in their hearts. From now on, we will water those seeds with blood and let the sprouts rise.”
“Kekeke. Kyaahahahaha!!”
“This… will… be… fun….”
The greatsword Demonic Human burst into maniacal laughter while the skeletal Demonic Human rattled its bones as if laughing along. They had told everyone across the continent the same thing: if you come to our side, you will not die painfully. Though the peace might not last forever, there would be no terror of a horrific death.
That era of informing them with words and tongues had ended. What remained was to inform and imprint with power, with fangs, with claws, with blood. If you do not submit, only death awaits—so bow your heads at any time and praise death.
“We shall become the new world. We will establish our laws upon this land and teach them that life is fleeting, that only the final moment of exhaling one’s last breath—death itself—is the most beautiful thing.”
The second Fragment of the Demon God spoke with a delighted laugh.
“Yes. We shall become the new heavens.”
At the southern tip of the continent lay a small port village. The world was in chaos with monsters, Demon God worshippers, and Heroes—events ordinary people could scarcely imagine. Yet because this place was so remote and insignificant, none of the villagers paid the slightest attention to any of it.
Even people from the south probably didn’t know a village existed in such a secluded spot. Famous ports were usually surrounded by large cities, but a tiny place like this, barely worthy of being called a port, was simply ignored.
Until yesterday, the few fishermen would go out to catch fish. Their wives would prepare the catch for sale. Their children would travel to distant cities to sell the fish and buy daily necessities. It was an extremely quiet and peaceful life that repeated day after day.
But now—
“Aaaaaah!!”
“Kyaaaaak!!”
It had become a scene straight out of hell.
“Mom! Mom!”
“No! No! Urk!”
The few remaining villagers screamed as they were torn apart and devoured by monsters. Their blood, terror, and death soon drew even more monsters. Though their numbers were small and they were nothing but low-grade monsters, they were more than enough to destroy other small villages.
“Shall we kill them all?”
“Of course we kill them all. Most of our brethren have fallen in distant lands. With our current power, targeting larger places is difficult. As payment in blood for that, from now on we will kill everything and offer it all as sacrifices.”
In the past, they would have infiltrated the village and converted the people into Demon God worshippers. Using them, they would have targeted larger villages and cities. In such chaotic times, religion had far greater influence than expected. Although there were churches, they showed no interest in the poor, ragged, and starving. Approaching them first, laying the foundation from the bottom and climbing up step by step—that was how they had gathered so many brethren until now.
But that method had become difficult. The attack on the royal capital had failed, and they had all become public enemies. In this situation, luring people with words was no longer possible. All that remained was to bring calamity through their blood.
“From the edges, from the furthest corners, little by little, bit by bit. As the shadows spread and deepen, the world we have dreamed of will finally arrive. A pitch-black sky will cover everything.”