Chapter Ninety: Sacrifice, Part 2


    The halls were not empty, and so Reza had a pleasant time with her companion as they traveled through the halls eliminating servants and petty men. Each fell quickly, unprepared for any attack. Soon, word spread throughout the castle. The Black Demon, some called it. Others used the world Purple. Reza liked it, of course.


    She smashed another servant’s head in and savored the blood dripping from the wound. “Are you happy with me, Goddess?”


    A little crude, champion, Eva told her, responding for the first time. But if this is how you must take them down, then I am happy to see you do it.


    “Thank you, amor,” Reza smiled, climbing the steps to the second floor, where she oped she would find people of import. “I will wipe the filth that is the Revanchist and his God from this mortal plane.”


    Thank you, my daughter.


    Reza and Roberto moved on, him using his Ancient powers, Reza wielding her daggers and herself. She moved through, finding a servant and gouging out her eye before stomping on her chest. The servant died quickly, and Reza looked in the next room, but, finding it empty, she hurried on quickly.


    “There’s someone in here,” Roberto exclaimed to her as she passed on. “And he’s armed. Do you recognize him?”


    Rea looked in the room he pointed in, finding a small, thin but well-muscled blonde man sitting on a chair with a sword on his lap, waiting for her.


    “So, you’re the Purple Demon, eh?”


    “A little,” Reza replied. “I’m also the Black Demon, the Sangue de Monstro, Champion of Eva, the Revanchist fighting the Revanchist, take your pick.”


    “Cheeky, too,” The man said. “It will be a pleasure taking you down.”


    “You think you can take on me, much less both of us? Pathetic.”


    “My father will be so proud of me,” The man replied. “I’ll be the heir for this.”


    “You’ll have nothing to inherit,” Reza spat. “Not to mention you’ll be dead.”


    The man, yawning, stood up, and grasped his sword firmly. “We’ll see about that.”


    Then, with a strange speed, he advanced on Reza, who stood her ground, her fists crossed in front of her. The man slammed into her and struck at her, but she grasped his sword, and, with one flick of her wrist, she bent it. The man was hurled to the ground as Reza threw the sword down.


    “Pesky heirs,” Reza groaned. “Always arrogant. All bark and no bite.”


    “Wait, don’t kill me,” Roberto begged as she pinned him. “I was a worthy foe!”


    “You were no such thing, I beat you in one swoop.”


    “You can use me as leverage!”


    “That I can!” Reza smiled. “But not necessarily alive.”


    With that she cut into him, watching as his blood began to flow as she slit his neck then dug deeper. Bone, sinew, muscle, everything gave as, finally, his head came off. The entire time, he struggled and screamed but to no avail. He even pissed his pants, judging from the smell.


    His face was fearful and teary-eyes, even in death.


    “This will be easier than you thought,” Roberto told her.


    “Just wait,” Reza replied. “When we meet the Lord and his cronies, then we will truly have a fun battle.”


    The corridors and rooms were now completely empty, everyone hiding from the demon. Quickly, she ran through and up to the third floor, where she finally broke the silence.


    “Lord of this castle, I call for you!” She screamed. “Show yourself and I spare your kid. I hold him here, and unless you tell me where you are, I will gut him.”


    For a few moments, silence. Then a voice responded.


    “Spare my son, I am the one you want.”


    “Yes, that’s what I said,” Reza called. “Where are you?”


    “If you return my son, I will spare you,” The man called. “I am on the door three to your left and down the hall.”


    “He’s using an Ancient to boom his voice,” Reza whispered. “And an Ancient to hear us.” He’s a liar, of course. He has no plans in sparing us.”


    Gesturing for Roberto to follow her, she moved to the door he mentioned, and crossed the hallway. There it was, a massive ballroom, the doors partly closed. Reza could see nothing inside, but she didn’t need to. With a grunt of satisfaction, Reza threw the lord’s heir’s head into the chamber. Not long after, a roar called to her.


    “WHERE ARE YOU, DEMON!” The Lord screamed. “I’LL GUT YOU FROM THE INSIDE OUT. I’LL MURDER YOU!”


    Reza looked at Roberto, who was staring at her in fear.


    “You have a plan?” He asked.


    “Of course I do, but you’re not going to like it,” Reza said.


    “What do you have in mind?” Roberto wondered.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Grimacing, Reza sheathed her daggers and touched Roberto on the shoulder.


    “You have been a good companion. Sometimes, sacrifices must be ade, of course.”


    “What do you mean?” Roberto’s eyes widened. “What are you saying, Reza?”


    “I’m saying your time is up, may Eva smile down on you. You’ve been a horrible companion, Ancient Roberto, but I may miss you.”


    “You can’t kill me! I have so much t o live for. I can help you!”


    “I’m not going to kill you,” Reza laughed. “They will.”


    And with that, she pushed him inside the room, where he was immediately peppered with arrows, a few daggers, and hails of magic spells, all collapsing on him at the same time. He didn’t even have time to think. His eyes showed betrayal as weapon after weapon hit, dismantling his body piece by piece. A gush of blood followed a dagger’s piercing, while a spell ripped his entire arm off. An arrow even caught him in the eye and his head flew back as he was pinned to the wall. He stood there as if crucified, bleeding everywhere, a lone tear falling from his eye. He died quickly, but not painlessly, Reza grimaced. What irony?


    It took only five seconds for the fifteen people in the room to notice that the man was not, in fact, the demon, but that was all the time Reza needed, to throw her daggers, killing two, and rushing forwards and catching two others with her armored fists, crushing their skulls on the ground. She then retrieved her daggers. When she got up, the others had finally noticed her.


    “What do you want?” The Lord snapped, wearing his own armor and wielding a sword.


    “Your death, and the Revanchist’s,” Reza replied, her daggers already out of her hands once more and killing one, the other dodging it. “That’s five of yours I killed now. You still want to fight?”


    “Oh, honey, I still have ten!” The Lord smiled. “You’re hopelessly outmatched, and I have Ancients with me.”


    “Good, I love breaking new toys,” Reza exclaimed, then moved forwards. She saw, more than felt, as a magic spell flew at her, and she tried to dodge it, but it was too late. To her surprise however, it simply dissipated. “Well, seems your ancients are useless.”


    “No!” The Lord screamed. “Not impossible.”


    Smiling, Reza moved through the Ancients, throwing her dagger and punching, ending lives quicker than she could blink. One fell as she stabbed down on his chest, and another when she flung her into the wall. There were five Ancients, and before they could even think of throwing a magic spell she could not dodge, she’d taken care of them all and she was now moving on to the last five remaining, including the Lord, who all used their swords with ease.


    “Who was that?” The Lord teased her, pointing to Roberto. “Your lover? Mad we killed him?”


    “Not really,” Reza grinned, advancing. “I would’ve done it eventually.”


    “You’re a monster,” The Lord narrowed his eyes.


    “No, I’m a champion to the true God,” Reza grinned as she took on the first two swordmen. “I am here for you to face your judgment.”


    The two men swung at her at the same time, and, while she was able to stab one in the head, she was just too late as the other caught her on the chest, deflecting off of her armor. She then turned around and crunched her foot on the man’s leg, breaking it. Her next foot landed on his head, and by then, she was already stabbing another in the neck, sending him gurgling to the ground.


    “What are you the every blow deflects from you?” The Lord asked.


    “I am a demon and an angel!” Reza screamed. “I am the one you will see in hell!”


    There was just one swordsman in the way of the Lord, but he trembled at the sight of her, and she almost felt pity for him.


    “If you want to leave, I’ll spare you,” Reza told him, lowering her dagger. With a squeal, the man did just that, running away. Shaking her head, Reza picked up a dagger and sent it sailing towards the man, clocking him on the back. There he fell. Never to move again. “Bleeding traitor.”


    “Please stop,” The Lord said. “I’ll give you anything. Gold, men, women if you want it. Anything.”


    “It''s too late for you, bastard.”


    She advanced on the Lord, who swung at her. She kept moving, but, surprisingly, he was an excellent fighter, only moving forwards when he stood a chance. Reza had gotten rid of her daggers, so she was using just her fists, but the Lord gave her no opening, and he was a head taller than her, and would be stronger, if she hadn’t been wearing her armor.


    He swung again at her neck, and, knowing this would be one of the armor’s weak spots, she ducked the blow, and punched the Lord in the stomach. He grunted as he was pushed back, but it didn’t actually hurt him. His armor was strong, and Reza smiled as she anticipated a real challenge. Thus, she brought the black lightning to her, ready to throw it at him. He kept stabbing at her, and, although none hit, he just kept going. Reza admired his perseverance, but she still had to kill him.


    The next time she dodged him, she punched him again, and this time th black lightning arched through her and into him. Jittering, the man cursed as he was thrown back into the wall, where he collapsed on the ground. Before Reza could catch him, though he was already up, his sword waved in front of him.


    “I will kill you before you can get me,” The Lord spat.


    Once again, Reza advanced on him, and the injured Lord tried to attack, but he just didn’t have the strength anymore after hitting the wall. Reza grabbed his arm and twisted, sending the lightning around him. The bone crunched as it broke, and the Lord screamed as he dropped the sword.


    “Who do you work for?” The man gasped. “Why are you killing me?”


    “You have no jurisdiction here,” Reza responded, grabbing his head with her hand. While her hand  barely fit on his head, it was enough for what she wanted to do.


    “The Revanchist will kill you,” The Lord said. “When he knows what you’ve done, he will punish you.”


    “Thank Goddess you won’t be here to see it then, amor,” Reza grinned. “Any last words?”


    “I—”


    “Don’t care, your time is up, bleeding hypocrite.”


    Then she squeezed with her armored hand, until finally—


    POP!


    The Lord’s head exploded, blood, bone, and brain matter spraying everywhere, once again, staining the castle. Reza’s armor left her and she went to retrieve her daggers, licking them clean before shething them.  With a kick, she knocked the Lord to the ground, then moved on to Roberto.


    “I think I’ll let you stay there,” She said to the limp form. “Thank you for your sacrifice.”


    There was a window in the room affording a view of the city, so Reza opened it to see the carnage she’d created.


    She smiled.


    The city, in fact, was on fire. Shouts emerged from all over, and bodies littered the ground, though there were still many more still standing. To her satisfaction, the Peacekeepers were mostly dead now.


    The city was well and truly rid of the Revanchist’s grubby hands.


    “I have done it, my Goddess.”


    Thank you, my champion. You have done well. Now you have a much harder job to do.


    “I’m ready, amor,” Reza said. “Just give me a day to appreciate what I’ve done.”


    Take you time, daughter. But remember that we don’t have much time until the Revanchist truly unleashes his power.


    “Of course,” Reza smiled as she sat back and watched the room. Sixteen dead bodies, and she’d killed every single one.


    It felt good to punish the unbelievers.