The rain fell heavily, casting a somber and agonizing atmosphere over the land.
It was a wide-open field, filled with white flowers. Everything was dark, illuminated only by the pale light of the moon.
A boy was there, on his knees, trembling. In his arms, he held a lifeless figure. He couldn't believe what had happened, his face a neutral, emotionless mask.
Before him stood three heroes, staring at him in silence.
[Illustration: A boy kneeling in a moonlit field of white flowers, clutching a body in his arms. Three armored figures stand before him, their faces grim.]
"W-why?" the boy asked, his voice melancholic. It was clear he was holding back tears.
One of the heroes stepped forward.
"You caused this, Arthur. We never wanted this fate."
Arthur's head snapped up, his tear-filled eyes locking onto them. He stared in disbelief at what he had just heard.
"M-me? That's not possible… After everything, you still blame me? You still place the responsibility on me?"
"It's your fault. You are the mistake," another hero said with a confident tone.
"Now be a man and take responsibility. We need to go back—"
"SILENCE!" Arthur screamed, his voice thick with pain.
"You truly are useless. You're worms. None of you deserve the title of hero."
Arthur wrapped the body in a desperate embrace, searching for some comfort, but all he felt was a piece of cold, lifeless flesh. He gently laid the body on the ground and rose to his feet, facing the heroes.
"Ha-ha-ha… HAHAHAHA!" Arthur began to laugh, unable to stop.
The three heroes stared at him, their expressions a mix of surprise and confusion. They quickly drew their weapons and began to approach him.
"HAHAHAHAHA…." Arthur's laughter died down.
"Fall," he commanded, his voice deep and intimidating.
The heroes felt an energy they had never encountered before—an immense, overwhelming force. The moment they heard his command, they fell to their knees, struggling just to stay upright.
"What is this?!"
"I can't stand up!"
"Such power…"
The heroes cried out as they tried to understand their situation. When they looked back at Arthur, they saw something unbelievable.
[Illustration: Arthur standing tall, his body shrouded in a malevolent crimson aura. His eyes glow with power as the three heroes are forced to their knees before him.]
Arthur was no longer the same. His aura had completely changed, emanating an incredible and malevolent power, with crimson light pouring from his entire body.
He then drew his katana. As his hands slid over the blade, it began to glow red—a blood-red, something the heroes had never seen before.
Arthur extended a hand to the sky with a sad, yet wondrous gaze.
"My dear, my small, beloved dear. Here, I seal our bond for the rest of my existence. Lend me your strength. I will be yours, and yours alone."
Fwoooosh!
A wind blasted out from around Arthur, carrying an energy that could be felt for miles. An almost invisible hand could be seen grasping his, until a delicate yet imposing voice was heard.
"I will be with you, my love. Until the end."
Then, the gale ceased, and the heroes were freed from their invisible prison.
"W-what was that?" one of the heroes mumbled, confused.
"See for yourself," the other replied, pointing at Arthur.
The entire landscape had changed. The white flowers had turned red. The moon seemed to shine brighter and brighter, until it was almost like day. Arthur stood there, surrendering himself to this power, looking up at the moon, enchanted by the sheer might of his beloved.
"Thank you, my love. We will remain together for eternity, whether in heaven or in hell," Arthur said, his voice melancholic, his eyes welling up as he held back his emotions.
The young man's appearance had completely transformed. His black hair now had streaks of crimson red, like flickering flames—a representation of his power and fury. He wore a simple black overcoat, and his sword, now glowing crimson, dripped red drops onto the ground.
"It can't be…"
"How did he get so strong?" the heroes murmured among themselves, fear in their eyes.
"I will kill you," Arthur said with a confident voice.
"You took everything from me. Now, I will take everything from you… One by one."
The new Demon King had been reborn.
Feeling a chill run down their spines, the heroes took a combat stance. As terrified as they were, they could not show fear before their enemy.
Arthur took a single step forward.
THOOM!
A crater formed in the ground around his foot, and like a flash of lightning…
SWISH!
He lunged at the heroes.
CLANG!
His heavy blade collided with one of the heroes'.
"Kaien… Always wanting to be the protagonist. Fine. You will be the first to fall," Arthur said with a smile on his face.
The two exchanged intense, rapid blows, impossible to follow with an untrained eye. Arthur's superiority in the fight was clear. He relentlessly pressured Kaien, never tiring… he was no longer human, and Kaien could barely defend himself.
Soon, Kaien's emotions took over. Fear, terror—they controlled his thoughts. Am I going to die? To him? It can't be… Before he knew it, he was disarmed. Watching his sword clatter to the ground, Kaien could only watch as Arthur closed in. He shut his eyes, thinking it was the end.
But then, Alden launched a spell, blasting Arthur away.
"Millena, NOW! Teleport us away!" Alden yelled, desperate and visibly afraid.
Millena had never seen this side of Alden, so used to his arrogant, cruel, and confident demeanor. She understood at once that if she didn't hurry, they would be dead in moments. She struck the ground, opening a golden magic circle.
"Teleportation, now! Alden, grab Kaien and get in the circle!"
Alden grabbed his ally and scrambled into the magic circle with all the speed he could muster.
Arthur got to his feet and rushed towards the heroes, trying to stop their escape, but he failed miserably.
"Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit!" Arthur yelled, punching the ground relentlessly.
He looked up, imagining his consort, admiring her beauty, and understood what had to be done.
I need a demon army. I will hunt them down, even to hell if I have to. The world will know my pain. Our pain, my love. He smiled, looking at the illusion of his beloved in the sky.
Meanwhile, the heroes were teleported to the fortress in the capital. Still in a panic, they tried to calm themselves.
"W-what was that? Was that really Arthur? He didn't seem human," Millena said, exhausted.
"He was stronger. So much stronger. How could someone without magic be so imposing?" Alden said, clearly shaken by it all.
Then, Kaien frowned, an expression of anger on his face.
"You idiots. Didn't you realize?"
The other two heroes turned their attention to Kaien, confused and irritated by the insult.
Kaien continued his speech.
"Oh, let me spell it out for you, then. Arthur has become the Demon King."
The atmosphere shifted completely. Millena and Alden stared at Kaien, not believing his words. Eventually, they began to connect the dots and asked at the same time:
"What are we going to do?"
Kaien returned their gaze with a confident smile.
"We are going to do our duty. Our purpose in this world. We're going to kill the Demon King."
Millena and Alden looked at each other for a moment, then back at Kaien.
"Right. We will."
The heroes were decided. They would fulfill their role. A lot of training would be necessary to reach the level of the current Demon King.
On the other side of the world, Arthur wandered tirelessly towards the old demonic castle—a colossal structure, carved from stone and covered by the marks of time. The towers were now broken and empty. The main gate, rusted and ajar, creaked with the wind.
Arthur entered the empty corridors, his footsteps echoing through the halls. The almost agonizing silence followed him. Upon reaching the throne room, he walked slowly to the great seat, sat down, and left his blade by his side.
There, alone on that forgotten throne, Arthur was not merely resting.
He was being reborn as the new Demon King.
Surrounded by the silence, the dark throne, and the empty room, Arthur allowed himself to remember the past. Not the pain, but what came before it. His innocent and calm life, where he could never have imagined the events of today.