He felt an unpleasant sensation, like a hand pulling him downward. He tried to shake it off, but he couldn't. His eyes were closed, but he could see the enormous, dark abyss into which he was slowly sliding. Then, out of nowhere, a second hand, stronger and more robust, reached out, grabbed his legs and began to haul him upward, away from that cursed abyss.

  He hesitated to believe that it was actually something good.

  He faltered.

  He rejected.

  He brooded.

  He faltered again.

  He rejected once more.

  He continued to refuse the invitation of that hand until he heard a voice.

  "Druso?"

  He recognized it immediately. He couldn't believe it; it couldn't be her. He feared she had followed him to that horrid fate. However, something didn't quite add up. Why was he rising upward instead of falling downward—toward oblivion?

  Then there it was, a voice still female, but different—one he had never heard before.

  "Great Resurrection!"

  He saw a third hand approach him, an ally of the second. He was grabbed by the arms and dragged upward, straight into a milky-white light. Even with his eyes closed, he could clearly feel the irritating brightness of the aforementioned light source. It was the same feeling as when you want to sleep in the morning, but the first rays of dawn continue to disturb your well-deserved rest.

  "Druso!"

  When he finally opened his eyes, he was no longer in the abyss, but instead in the arms of his beloved, in the center of the village of Combust. Those who hadn't participated in the fight were there, watching in shock as he resurrected.

  "Lulu...W-What happened?"

  His eyes shifted to the figure behind his beloved. It was Almodeus himself- a powerful demon who proclaimed himself the Absolute Lord.

  "Best wishes for your resurrection, Druso."

  "W-Was this your doing?"

  "Not me, but a dear colleague of mine."

  Druso's gaze followed the Absolute Lord's, falling on a shorter figure, almost entirely covered by a purple cloak. Part of her purple skin was visible, along with her undistinguishable eyes and her silvery-white hair. Despite being introduced as a servant of Almodeus, the woman seemed different from the others he had previously encountered. She lacked an aura of confidence and bravado; instead, she seemed anxious and frightened, as if afraid of even being looked at. She seemed decidedly uncomfortable in that environment.

  "Her name is Anxy, and she is an excellent magician."

  "Thank you, Lady Anxy!"

  Druso rose and knelt before the two. This action made the shy woman blush, so much so that she hid behind Almodeus. Due to the general astonishment, no one paid attention. Everyone's eyes were focused on the dead man who had just come back to life before their incredulous eyes.

  "Lord Almodeus, please accept my loyalty."

  "I'm glad you submitted so willingly. Excellent choice!"

  "If I may ask, why did you resurrect me?"

  "Why? Because you're useful to me..."

  Druso didn't entirely believe that answer, but he wasn't in a position to say anything to his new master. He was tired of fighting and understood that a clash would only lead to another massacre. Submission was the right choice, the one they should have made from the beginning.

  "So, could you resurrect the others too?"

  "The others? Do you really want me to resurrect more than two thousand lizardmen?"

  "N-No! I'm not that disrespectful! But I ask you to at least consider the Heroes: my brother Tiberio, Kan, Sakka, and Shark!"

  "The Heroes, you say? I don't see the point..."

  "They're strong! They can be useful to you."

  "They might actually boost your morale. I'll think about it...anything else you want to ask me?"

  "Bring us prosperity, please! No more wars...no more death."

  That desperate plea came from the depths of his very soul. Druso was exhausted from fighting for nothing. Almodeus nodded to that request, coming from the heart of a soldier weary of fighting, and answered calmly.

  "Alright, I promise on my name! I, Almodeus Fearterror, will bring you peace and prosperity!"

  The audience began to applaud, happy and also a little fearful. Lulu had given them a little speech before bringing Almodeus to them, and they had all seen the extent of his power. No one had the courage to fight anymore, and even if some had, they would be killed by their companions before they could even draw their swords against their new master. The survivors' fear reached such a pitch. Nevertheless, the most uncomfortable was Anxy, completely unaccustomed to such attention or to being in such close contact with people.

  "Very well. I'll leave you to the celebrations. A subordinate of mine will be there to give you instructions very soon. Give him a warm welcome."

  “C-Certainly!”

  With that, the demon turned and walked out of the village, followed by Anxy, still quite embarrassed.

  "Am I really...alive?"

  Druso asked, still shocked by the events. Resurrection was an advanced and very difficult magical art. He had always thought it impossible until that moment, and yet here it was.

  "Yes, you came back to life to stay...it's a miracle!"

  Lulu hugged him, then kissed him on the lips, starting to cry. She felt guilty for hiding the truth from her beloved—the father of her child—but in that moment she was so happy to have achieved something so important: a second chance at happiness.

  "Now rest, Druso. They said that the resurrection weakens you greatly."

  "Yes...I'll do as you say, Lulu."

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  "What do you mean the army has surrendered?!"

  Prince Gabiru roared in shock, directing his anger at the hapless messenger who had brought him the news. It was absurd that the bulk of their forces had been defeated. The worst news was that they had been forced to surrender; there was no greater misfortune. If the heroes had come to tell him in person, he would surely have them arrested.

  "Six days ago the enemy stormed the front with an armada of over fifty thousand undead and our men, left fewer than ten thousand, surrendered."

  "Fifty thousand undead? Impossible! They must have been an illusion!"

  "Even if that were the case, we were told that the Six Heroes fought against a powerful enemy and were all eliminated."

  Those words made Gabiru's heart stop for a few seconds.

  "What? The Six Heroes...eliminated? By a powerful enemy..."

  The prince slumped in his throne as if fainting; suddenly, his strength was draining. Were they truly dead? How had they lost? If the Six Great Lizardmen Heroes—the crown jewel of the proud lizardmen race—had been defeated by a single enemy, what hope did they have against an entire army? An undead army, no less! It was a truly horrifying situation for one in command to find himself in.

  "My King! What do we do?!"

  The messenger's question fell on deaf ears. Gabiru was too busy trying to figure out what to do. He was completely lost. What could he do to fix the situation?

  They're dead. How could this happen? Is this Almodeus so powerful?

  "Majesty?"

  At the messenger's umpteenth call, Gabiru snapped back to reality. He shook his head and stood up, trying to maintain the image of a confident and strong king—even though he was shaking like a kitten; his tail bore witness to it. He had only one card left to play. Gabiru was forced to reveal that he had formed an alliance with the trolls, explaining how his father had ordered it. Hearing Lizard's name, no one dared question the alliance. Some remained skeptical, finding it strange that a race as powerful as the trolls would make pacts with other species, but no real objection was raised regarding hosting the troops arriving to support them.

  -At the end of the day, the enemy was Almodeus.

  "We need the trolls' support! When is Sir Vennominon's army arriving?"

  "It should arrive in eight days, theoretically."

  "Order all troops to return to the palace at once! We'll build a fortified area around it to defend ourselves until reinforcements arrive!"

  "Yes, Your Majesty!"

  With that, the messenger left Gabiru alone with his thoughts, which were anything but happy.

  When my father finds out that I lost the Six Heroes, I'll be in deep trouble!

  The prince raised his hands to his head. His father considered the Six Great Heroes—and their relics—as treasures. They were the jewel in the crown of their kingdom; their pride...and now they were dead. Gabiru had lost them, like money from a leaky purse. What could he say to his father?

  He immediately began to think of a thousand excuses. He could have said that the Heroes themselves had decided to go to the front, and that he had complied with their request out of the deep respect he felt for the best of the species.

  No…my father would never believe it.

  Gabiru had always been a rather self-centered person. He'd never seen heroes as more than mere pawns at his beck and call, and now that he'd lost them forever, he bitterly regretted it. His father could have kicked him out for his negligence, and Gabiru couldn't have said a word. He wasn't the King, he was just a snobbish prince playing at being one, nothing more.

  It's my responsibility! I'm the one who sent them to the front! Shit! Shit! Shit!

  He cursed his bad luck. He had only been on the throne for a couple of weeks, and already the troubles had begun.

  "Damn the ill-fated fate..."

  He muttered under his breath, almost on the verge of tears.

  “No! I-I have to be able to find a solution to every problem, one at a time! Let's think calmly!”

  The prince took deep breaths and began to consider each issue one at a time. First came the most pressing matter: Almodeus's army, which was advancing unhindered into their territory.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  “Fifty thousand undead, plus a creature of devastating power capable of even eliminating the Six Great Heroes…”

  Gabiru already knew full well that the rest of their forces would be unable to defeat such an army, not to mention the presence of the mysterious creature. The only way to survive was to ally with the trolls. He had no idea when the enemies would come knocking on their door, but he had to hold out for at least eight days to allow the support troops to reach him.

  However, the alliance itself wasn't something to be entirely proud of. Gabiru had no idea what arrangements his father had made and hoped with all his heart that they wouldn't be to the detriment of their kingdom. Furthermore, if the trolls proved decisive in the victory during the battle, it wouldn't be surprising if they tried to demand compensation: "We've done the hard work; we deserve more!" The prince could already imagine their foolish demands.

  I can't think about it now. That'll be a necessary evil for later!

  He shook his head vigorously and tried to think of something else.

  “Almodeus problem solved, but the Heroes' death problem remains.”

  They could recover the relics after the battle, hoping no one else would take them in the meantime. As for how to report this to the King—Gabiru had no idea. The wisest course would be to tell his father everything immediately and then arrange the most honorable funerals possible for the deceased Heroes. Finally, the prince would have to hope he could still call himself as such once this was over.

  “I'll tell him everything...it's my fault in the end.”

  Gabiru's pride was shattered. Where before he'd been happy with his successes as acting ruler, now he could only think about how foolish he'd been to go to war without consulting his father. He'd seen it all as a means to increase his own power and gain support for his own throne.

  I was an idiot! I did everything wrong, damn it!

  His father had told him over and over again: a king's first duty is to bring happiness to his subjects. He'd been foolish to put himself on a pedestal he'd built with his own hands and think that everyone else was just a pawn. The reality of a kingdom wasn't like that. A king needs his subjects, just as they need him. The worst part was that it took a war and the deaths of his best soldiers to make him understand this. He deserved every single punishment his father would dish out.

  “It doesn't matter. The milk's spilled now. However..."

  A small flame of hope lit in Gabiru's eyes. He felt his heart pounding, but it wasn't fear. It was an emotion he'd never felt before: a desire to assert himself. He ardently desired to set the situation right and save his subjects from their suffering, and he would do anything to make that wish come true.

  “...I refuse to be remembered as the prince in power when the Lizardmen Kingdom fell! I, Gabiru Abiru Magnus, will do everything to lead my armies to victory, even if it means sacrificing my throne.”

  Gabiru gripped the trident next to the throne tightly and let out a roar of pride.

  Father...I will make you proud!

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  The cold night wind blew against her face, blowing her hair slightly. Her clothes were dirty, and her forehead was smeared with sweat. She was trudging along wearily, as if she'd been fighting all night. Despite her aching muscles, she clutched her trusty mace, ready to slam it into the face of the first troll or orc she encountered.

  “Anf...Anf...”

  Shion leaned against a tree to catch her breath. Under normal circumstances, she could have fought for days before becoming so exhausted, but for some reason she felt really tired. She gave the trunk a mighty punch to recharge her combat spirit. The tree collapsed as if it had been cut in two immediately afterward.

  At least I have some strength left...I must find Lady Almodea!

  She should have looked for the others, too, but right now Shion's thoughts were all focused on her mistress. She was worried she might be in danger. It had all happened so quickly...

  Damn trolls and orcs!

  Shion gritted her teeth and continued advancing toward the city of Almy. They had been attacked in the middle of night by a powerful enemy army. Panic had set in, and she had lost Almodea in the chaos. Honestly, she couldn't remember anything, except that she had slept with her mistress shortly before the attack.

  “Lady Almodea? Lady Almodea! Where are you?!”

  The Oni continued to trudge through the devastated streets of the city. They were surprisingly deserted. There was no sign of the attacking trolls, nor of any casualties. There were pools of blood and burning buildings, but nothing more. Shion was completely alone.

  “There's no one left...”

  Her heart sank as she saw such devastation. Over the past few weeks, she had grown fond of the town of Almy. She enjoyed training with Hirashi in the mornings and hanging out with Almodea the rest of the time. Yet now everything was in ruins. It had become her second home, and its owner had brought her nothing but joy—she had to save her at all costs.

  A hot wind blew against her face. Shion looked toward a column of smoke in the distance. It rose high into the sky, towering over the city. The Oni's heart skipped a beat when she realized where it was coming from.

  “No. No... No!”

  Seized by the blackest terror, Shion began to run toward the point where the column of smoke was rising. Her legs protested the movement, but she ignored them completely and continued forward. She reached the small dwelling in a flash, even though it should have been quite far from her previous position. Shion herself was surprised, so much so that she thought she had teleported, but she quickly dismissed the idea: she was a physical fighter, not a mage.

  She passed the small mailbox in front of the burning house. Shion had no idea what it was for, only that Almodea had written her name on it to let the others know they should put their messages there. It was an impractical method, but worthy of the young demon's mind. Even though the mailbox remained intact, Shion couldn't read the writing on it as she passed, as if it were blurred. She blamed it on fatigue and simply shook her head: she had more important things to worry about right now.

  “Lady Almodea? Lady Almodea, where are you? Lady Al-”

  Arriving in front of the small house, Shion's heart nearly stopped. The house was completely ablaze, and right there, in front of the door, lay Almodea's body. She was lying on the ground, lifeless.

  No…please let her still be alive!

  Shion moved to the girl's body and took it in her arms. She moved Almodea's face slightly to look at her. Her eyes were closed and she didn't appear to be conscious. The Oni's soul hoped with all its might that her master was merely senseless, and no worse.

  “Lady Almodea, wake up... please.”

  She shook the demoness's body lightly, but nothing happened. Shion pressed her ear to the other girl's soft chest, listening for a heartbeat—but heard nothing. The Oni's grip grew more possessive and desperate.

  “No, you can't die on me. I had to defend you...”

  She had failed—Shion had failed miserably again. Just as she had failed to defend her comrades during the attack on her village, she had failed to save Almodea in this situation. She clutched the girl's corpse to herself, as if afraid her mistress might disappear at any moment.

  “Forgive me, please...I-I...”

  Shion sighed sadly.

  “I have let you down.”

  Almodea hadn't just become her new boss: she treated her well and did everything to make her feel comfortable. Shion almost cried as she thought back to all the time she'd spent with the demoness over those weeks. After morning training, they'd help each other out at the town hall, then spend the rest of the time reading strange black-and-white books called manga and watching strange moving images called anime. These were all moments Shion couldn't quite describe, but she loved them...and now she'd never be able to enjoy them with Almodea again.

  “Forgive me...Forgive me...Forgive me!!!”

  She couldn't say anything else. Shion was stuck in that limbo. Everything around her had gone dark, and she could only ask her late mistress for forgiveness. She had failed her, despite everything she had done for them—the Oni. She had given them a home, a new life, support, and happiness.

  -And how had Shion repaid her? By letting her die... She hadn't even tried to defend her!

  “Forgive me....Forgive me...Forgive- “

  The Oni's misery was abruptly interrupted when she saw Almodea's body begin to melt in her hands. Shion tried with all her might to squeeze it tightly, but the black liquid seeped through her fingers, until the beautiful girl was nothing more but a dark, putrid puddle.

  “No, don't leave me...”

  Shion held her hands up, as if she were still holding Almodea's body in her arms. She could barely believe she was dead, just as she could barely accept that now she would never even be able to see her again. Shion didn't want to forget Almodea.

  “Don't leave me...”

  Despair welled up in Shion's heart, as everything around her grew darker. But she was so desperate she didn't even notice. She had lost everything, again. Shion had been given a second chance, and she had squandered it.

  “Don't leave me!”

  The woman collapsed to the ground, then…darkness fell over everything.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  “Don't leave me!”

  Shion awoke with a start, shouting those words aloud. She suddenly found herself in Almodea's room, sitting on the bed where she had been using for a few weeks by now. It had been her mistress's request to sleep in the same bed for "safety reasons", and she couldn't say no. She was covered in sweat to the point that the night clothes she had been given were stuck to her skin, but Shion didn’t notice, too caught up in the memories of what she had experienced a few moments before.

  “W-Where? What? Was it really all a nightmare?”

  She found it hard to believe that what she had just experienced was just a bad dream, but it was the only logical explanation. Shion breathed a sigh of relief knowing that none of what she had seen was real. She shifted her gaze to the wall beside her, where her trusty mace was kept. As per orders, if anyone attacked the house, Shion had to intervene immediately to protect Almodea.

  Still unsure of the safety of the situation, the Oni continued to look around, as if trying to determine if the reality she was witnessing was real and not merely an illusion. Shion's gaze fell on the strange screen her mistress had installed on the wall opposite to the bed.

  She called it television, if I remember correctly.

  Shion wasn't sure how it worked, but it was a powerful magical object. It allowed them to see scrolling images called anime, and a longer version of them, called movies. Shion herself had understood very little when Almodea explained how it worked; she only knew she had to press the red button on a small object called remote control to turn it on—nothing more.

  She said that many of those programs were based on strange little books...

  Shion's gaze automatically moved to the large wardrobe on the other side of the room. It was filled with what Almodea had called manga, black-and-white books that read strangely. The Oni had never been a big reader, but she had to admit she liked the manga style, not to mention the action scenes.

  “Hmm?”

  It was then that she felt a hand touch her on the shoulder.

  “Shion? Is everything okay?”

  “Ekkk! Lady Almodea! You scared me!”

  “Are you all right? You look like you saw a ghost...”

  "Well, you see..."

  It didn't take long to explain the situation. Shion described the nightmare with embarrassment, certain her mistress would see her in the wrong light. She must be Almodea's guard, the sword that cuts through her enemies, not someone frightened and hesitant. It was the first time a nightmare had troubled her so much.

  “I see. You had a bad dream...you couldn't read and it felt like you were teleporting when you ran. Dose things work differently in the dream world. It all makes sense!”

  Almodea muttered, bringing a hand to her chin.

  Now she's going to tell me that I have disappointed her...

  “Too stupid to have a trauma, uh? Huna doesn't know what she's talking about!”

  Eh?

  Shion was stunned. What did Huna have to do with it now? And why wasn't Almodea scolding her for her weakness? Instead, she seemed to be taking it out on the other Oni, for some reason.

  “It must have been all that bloodshed we've seen these past few days. The lizardmen war must have reminded you of the massacre in your village. I'm sorry, Shion! I'll be more careful next time with what I show you, I promise.”

  Ehhhhhhhhh!?

  Shion's jaw dropped. Was Almodea apologizing to her? For what? She truly couldn't understand why her mistress hadn't called her a useless, incompetent woman yet. In her old village, you had to be good at something to be useful. If Shion hadn't been good at fighting, they'd surely have considered her only a burden.

  “L-Lady Almodea...Aren't you angry with me?”

  “Hm? Why should I be mad at you?”

  “Because I am weak! I-I mean...I got distracted by the nightmare!”

  “So? It's true that I like strong women, but I'm not stupid enough to pretend you can't feel emotions. Besides, you weren't weak! You managed to wake up before I had to intervene and eat your nightmare.”

  “That's true! Thank you for the kind words, Lady Almodea! I...Wait! Did you say eat my nightmare?!”

  “Yes, why?”

  “How can you eat my nightmare?! I mean...is that even possible?!”

  “Well, in my case yes. I'm a Fear Demon, after all.”

  “Weren't you a Demon Princess?”

  “That's my evolutionary stage, not my class.”

  “Your what?”

  “Fear Demon is a class, something I've had since birth. Demon Princess is my evolutionary stage on the demon ladder. It's complicated to explain...Let's do this! I'll use you as an example!”

  “Um...Okay?”

  “You are a Great Oni at the evolutionary level, but your class is that of a physical warrior. Understand?”

  “I think so…”

  Shion patted her head, still slightly confused by the reasoning. The only thing she had clear about the explanation was that Almodea could eat nightmares—and that she wasn't angry with her. For that last thing, she could only be grateful.

  “Now that this is settled, how about we go back to sleep?”

  "I don't know if I'm still sleepy, Lady Almodea. You can go back under the covers; I'm going to patrol the area."

  She started to get up and grab the iron mace, but something grabbed her arm first. In less than a second, Shion found herself being dragged to the bed by some herculean strength. She would have gotten up if Almodea hadn't climbed on top of her.

  “Nope! You're not going on patrol! Stay here with me!”

  “O-Okay, Lady Almodea.”

  “Perfect! I need some cuddles.”

  The demoness clung to Shion like a parasite and began rubbing her head against the Oni’s arm.

  “So comfy!”

  “Thank you, Lady Almodea.”

  She couldn't deny it: she loved being pampered and pampering her mistress. Shion never expected to enjoy physical contact with another woman so much, yet here she was, massaging Almodea's wings.

  “Ahhh! This is really nice! What would I do without you, Shion? I’d be bored to death here, that’s what!”

  “I don’t think so, Lady Almodea. There are plenty of people ready to serve you in the city of Almy. I am not essent- “

  Shion was silenced by a finger placed gently on her lips.

  “Shhh! Don't say stupid things, or you'll prove Huna right! You're indispensable here!”

  “You say? Thank you, Lady Almodea!”

  “You're welcome! Now..."

  The demon girl's face tinged with a mischievous smile, but Shion sensed it was only an illusion; her mistress meant no harm. The Oni felt a gentle touch on her neck: a kiss. Many more followed, until Almodea reached her cheeks. Shion could only let the moment take over and squeeze the other girl in a grip that prevented her from pulling away.

  “Shion...do you want to try something new? Something we've never done before?”

  “Something new...what?”

  “It's a surprise! I'll try to make it enjoyable for both of us. This is my first time trying something like this, so if anything doesn't work, let me know, okay? It should be pleasurable for both of us, not a torture for you!”

  “Of course! I'll let you know how... I adapt to your surprise.”

  “Perfect! The safe word is Strike It Rich.”

  “Um...Strike what?”

  “Let’s just do Strike and that’s it, okay?”

  “Okay, Strike and that’s it!”

  Almodea let out an amused sigh, never losing her smile.

  “Okay, let's forget about that and get started...”

  Shion felt her mistress's hands slip under her pajama top, like two hungry lions searching for prey in the prairies. She tried to raise her head, but something soft pressed against her lips, forcing her head back onto the pillow. She was used to being kissed by Almodea, but she had never been kissed on the mouth.

  -That was Shion's first real kiss.

  As she felt a strange warmth creeping up her lower abdomen, the pressure on her lips intensified. Shion began to sweat and almost couldn't help but moan. She had never felt so much pleasure in her entire life. It was such a pleasurable sensation; she felt like she had entered paradise. She couldn't help it at that moment. She gripped Almodea's back tightly and returned the kiss with a passion that surprised even Shion herself.

  That would be a night neither of them would ever forget.