CHAPTER 4 - Nightmare

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“Core Seed of Gluttony? Look down? Hold on, I just got fucking scamm–” Rei was going to complain, unable to keep her quiet because of the surprise at the naming nature of the item she received, and jolted up from her seat, and that’s when it happened.

Rei fell down from her seat, failing to grab on the table as she did so, holding her own neck.

“Eh?” Zaren looked at this, confused for a moment, before thinking fast and catching Rei’s body before it actually fell to the floor.

‘What just happened …?’ Zaren thought, confused at everything that was happening.

Rei was just talking about how she received the favour of the Gods, but was that not the case?

Well regardless, Zaren knew his duty, assigned to him by his liege Lionel, and his King sovereign.

“What are you all doing!? Get the healers! One of the Heroes is–!” Zaren shouted towards the other people, who quickly complied, before being interrupted as she felt a cold, yet rough hand around his neck.

He turned his head around, back to Rei, whose head was slowly rising as Zaren held her in his arms, ignoring the light hold on his neck as just a natural reaction of Rei trying to grab onto something for support.

“It’s okay Lady Rei! The healers are coming soon and you will be fi–” 

And that’s when Zaren saw it.

Rei’s eyes, which formerly held the cold, yes mysterious beauty that caught everyone’s attention, now turned black, surrounding her red irises which were the only thing in her eyes that remained unchanged, expressing a feeling that triggered all of his body’s instincts, wrapping him in fear.

And it was a result of that fear, which froze him for just a while, that resulted in his demise.

With a simple squeeze of Rei’s fingers, that would have been the last thing he would ever feel, as the bones in his neck were crushed, and his body’s connection to the brain were severed.

A nightmare had descended.

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Her surroundings comprised a grassy plain at the world of a sunset. A world painted red, not by the rays of the setting sun; but painted by the bloody deaths of the armies that currently trampled across it.  The crimson paint seemed endless as it filled massive puddles here and there.

The grassy field … the battlefield, was dyed in the horrible colour palette of death, pain, and other contortions and synonyms of all things horrible. It was hell in the mortal world, where only death thrived and the strong barely survive.

A lone figure, a girl by the name of Rei, stood silently and spectated in awe and terror from a distant hill as the bloody and visceral battle waged on, her expression showing one of amazement as she observed every event; the colliding of metal on flesh and bone, soldiers rushing at each other with uncontrollable bloodlust, officers frantically trying to rally a formation only to get shot down or cut in half.  

Weapons and bodies formed small hills that drizzled blood like a water fountain onto the now soggy red ground.. Neither side had any leeway to move their own comrade's bodies away, they just kept throwing themselves at their enemies. Dying one after the other, only making the ground slicker with fluid. 

“Keep fighting! We can’t let the demons win!”

Soldiers fought on the corpses of their own comrades that seemed to stretch out for miles like a fleshy ocean of death and despair.. The sounds of bones snapping, metal grating together and the war cries and death screams of soldiers echoes over the valley in the familiar symphony of war.

The gruesome battle consisted of two radically different sides of  armor, clothes, and racial characteristics. The first side ,which was overwhelmingly more in number, was an army of humans swinging their swords valiantly, dwarves who brandished their axes and hammers with strength, elves who shot arrows and a barrage of magical spells, and beast-men who fought with their spears, shields, and even with their fangs and claws when their weapons broke.

Chanting hymns and shouting curses, even Rei had trouble deciphering the numerous languages they were using, and although the diversity of the speech of every individual brought up different subjects during the hellish battle, the general similarity was of the chants and attempts of inspiration by the mere attempt that the Gods supported them.

Then, there was the second side. Pale horned humans in black clothing and armour who used a much more diverse selection of weapons. With their uncanny and devastating martial prowess, they trampled their opponents skillfully, even if they were outnumbered by ten to one. But even then, the fact was that mattered little in the face of their overwhelming might, as for every demon that died, they took ten of the opposite side with them, a majority of them even bearing a final smile that seemes plastered with the belief that they accomplished their duty as their corpse falls to the ground.

Some of them even continue fighting on momentarily moments after their death, their bodies moving to cut down the enemy in front of them even when they are beheaded with a single thought of taking down as many of the enemy as possible before their body falls over.

At the centre of all this, were eight figures who moved at breakneck speeds, flashing in and out of the central figures' range of attack like gnats pestering a spider. The situation seemed to be a seven-on-one, the figure in black not having any leeway to move forward or back, only having time to deflect.

Rei glanced at the black clad figure, fighting its seven opponents with an imposing sword clad in black smoke, any blood it soaks up seeming to be absorbed into the blade itself. As well as six extra limbs that seemed to resemble weapons swayed from her back, each of them moving flawlessly as if each had a mind of their own, deflecting attacks left and right with satisfying cracks and whips.

The figure clad in black fought with her seven opponents, but despite having the overwhelming odds stacked against her, she seemed equally matched … or rather, to be more accurate … it looked more like she was playing with them.

“Reina!! You shall be punished for all your vile crimes, we’ll make sure of it!” A man with long and luscious red hair shouts at the woman in black named Reina. With a flash of light and a burst of energy a shot of magic shoots from his hands with a low drone, getting deflected up into the sky with a swing of one of her arms. 

The magic explodes over the battlefield, casting a harsh red light over everything as the red haired man slams his sword into hers with all his might. Sparks fly as the blades grind together as Reina grunts under her breath. 

“Die!!” The man grunts out triumphantly.

A ‘What?’ of mild confusion barely escapes Reina’s lips before the hero’s sword lights up with a flash of red energy that radiated outward with enough force to send the other six heroes and surrounding soldiers flying.

An explosion with the scale rivalling that of a modern hydrogen bomb arrived after the flash, although the red-haired man's head was plucked off by Reina straight after. She took the head, it’s spinal cord dangling under it in the wind while his tongue hung outside the mouth that was frozen in a scream, and the corners of her mouth extended up to her ears in a devilishly satisfied grin. 

Raising the head over her own, her mouth unhinges and expands as black smoke rolls out of it. Letting go of the head it falls into her mouth and with a crack her jaw closes around the skull, sending fragments of flesh, brain and bone outwards away from her. Reina ate the red-haired man's decapitated head.  

“So, which one of you is next?” Reina licked her fingers, laughing in a tone which only served to mock the opposing forces.

Rei thought eating the head was a risky move, considering it seemed to enrage the opposing forces even more. But because of that, Rei could finally see a clear image of Reina when she stopped for a moment to eat.

Her intimidating cold aura was paired with the dark colours of her military uniform. Consisting of a crimson red cloak which was now worm from the battle, a black uniform which was also sullied from combat and covered in stains. 

“That’s … me?”

Rei saw her the stature of her neck up to her head, her skin looked as smooth as porcelain, it had no visible defects, it’s color was a beautifully pale white, which rivalled the tranquillity of snow.

It was a face that naturally mimicked her own, if only one didn’t look at the part below her eye, where there was supposed to be Rei’s own tattoo that resembled a barcode.

However, even with all of this, what captured Rei’s attention was not the face that was unnaturally similar to her own, but rather the look of her eyes …

Her eyes were not that of a human, no … They were too savage and starved looking to classify as “human” or even “animalistic”. They were the eyes of something far worse, with them alone making Rei feel like Reina was always in constant hunger, a bloodthirsty animal who saw every opponent in the field as food, all to fill the bottomless pit in her stomach.

Rei found herself taken aback, disgusted at the savagery her eyes depict despite having a much similar beauty. Yet it was hard not to be amazed, yet severely unsettled by her appearance and the aura she emanates around her.

'Was my eyesight always this great?' Rei thought to herself as she saw every detail down to the smallest level. The red veins bulging on Reina's black sword, and the white teeth that riddled the edge of her blade showed up crystal clear in her vision.

Reina quickly used one of the black limbs growing out of her back, made of a substance called Aether, to deflect arrows that looked like glowing translucent laser beams, and with a bored expression she shouts–

"--If this goes on, your pathetic little lives will end y'know? You'll die without having accomplished anything significant...WHICH IS THE WAY ALL HUMANS SHOULD PASS!"

"Dodge her Aether! If you get hit by it, you'll die!" One of the seven heroes shouts frantically while trying to get her spear through Reina’s guard.

The black limbs protruding from Reina's back … Aether converged and started sweeping the battlefield, each moment a hundred of the spectators falling under the massive weight and sheer velocity that each one carried.

However, instead of body parts flying everywhere, it seemed like everywhere the black appendages ripped through simply absorbed them, instead of

The remaining six heroes put in everything they have to dodge the barrages of black, barely avoiding death with each stroke and strike.

Reina was so sure of her victory, the result was almost sure and certain

However, the remaining six enemies did not falter, even upon the next event.

*WOOOOO* (warhorn sounds)

A sound of a warhorn was heard near the distance. A grand total of six armies arrived at the plain.

“Aha …” Reina scoffed, somewhat smiling even further with the arrival of the new party.

They had the same type of uniforms as the demons who are currently crossing swords with the enemy, however their colours were all different. At the next moment, they all simultaneously started charging into the fray. Each one with a face that seemed to display determination to fight until the very end.

"See, my reinforcements have already arrived. You can't hope to stop me now! How are you supposed to defeat all the Demon Lords … if you can't defeat just one!?"

"Fufufufufufu..." A man with dark blue hair had laughedstarted laughing...his name was Seo Yoon-hwa and one of the seven, now six heroes.

"What's so funny? Ah it must be one of those situations where humans lose their sanity upon being near-death, Isn't it Yoon-hwa?" Reina carelessly said, her arm being raised to poke at her own head, seemingly mocking the person’s cognitive abilities.

From the tone of Reina when speaking to the human called Seo Yoon-hwa, Rei deduced that this was hardly the first time they met, or fought with their lives on the line, for that matter.

"Hahahaha! No, no that's wrong Reina … has the Demon Lord of Gluttony become senile?"

"...what are you on about?" Reina asked back.

"Well, it's unfortunate that Apollus died, but he achieved his duty nonetheless."

"..."

"Don't you get it Reina? Our goal was to buy time...time to turn the tables around!!"

At that moment, Reina knew what the dark blue-haired man was talking about, the newly arrived 'reinforcements' started attacking the demons in black … Reina's army from one side while the other side was being attacked by the enemy. The demons in black clothes were thrown into disarray and confusion, wondering what was happening.

'Betrayal' Rei muttered under her breath, finding the whole affair to be nothing short of amusing.

'Was it because she was too weak?' Rei pondered, but then quickly discarded that absurd thought.

'She was betrayed simply because she was too strong.' Rei thought as she watched the situation unfold.

Six other prominent figures … the remaining Demon Lords rushed to the centre of the battlefield, making it a twelve-on-one situation for Reina.

As strong and fast Reina might be she couldn't face against twelve opponents that were close to her amount of skills.

Reina swung her sword at the Hero of Beastmen who lost his balance after being startled by Reina's scream but it was repelled by a thick armour almost impenetrable, it was her friend, the Demon Lord of Wrath, Grido.

"Grido get out of the way! Can't you see that--" Reina tried to tell off Grido however she was quickly cut off.

A lightning spear narrowly missed her head, instead it punctured a hole on one of her Aethers...It was the Demon Lord of Sloth, Grani was one of the fastest known beings on the planet, being only being second to Reina at the time.

"You!" Just from Reina's spiteful expression when looking towards the lightning-covered youth, Rei could tell that Reina didn't quite like him, and as to serve as evidence she adjusted her posture and began to charge towards Grani, However...

A morning star was flung from a great distance, while her legs were bound in vines...It was the Demon Lord of Lust Dewydd’s morning star and the Demon Lord of Greed Alrus' Spirit Magic which made use of spirits instead of the conventional use of mana which relied on one's mana capacity.

Reina regenerated her Aether but was quickly sliced off by a sword, it was the Demon Lord of Pride, Meridus. She tried to retaliate by using magic spears but they were dispelled by Erei, the Demon Lord of Envy.

'The 6 of them had truly gathered … just to kill me.' At this point, Reina had comprehended her dire situation …

Reina had sliced off the vines with her sword, and deflected the morning star with her Aether.

Reina understood the situation by then, her closest friends, who she had promised to make a kingdom and unite the continent with, had now turned on her and were trying to kill her.

“Pffft, hahaha!” Meanwhile, Rei who was watching, simply laughed at the foolishness present in Reina’s face as her usual mocking attitude was replaced by one of despair …

However, even despite Reina’s emotions rapidly changing into something worse, battle did not stop as it does in books and series, and a hail of attacks were released only having one intention, and that is to end the Demon Lord Reina.

"I'll fucking kill you all!" Reina shouted out, and her beautiful red eyes turned dark, with visible veins connected to her red cornea, not only that but the whites of her eyes had also turned dark, making her face look something more horrifying … 

“[Embodiment: Gluttony]”

It was known as [Embodiment], a state where Demons push their physical and magical capabilities to their utmost limits, like this Reina could fight against twelve of the most powerful beings in the world however it was then that the other six Demon Lords had also released their own Embodiments and quickly caught up the difference of speed and power.

Reina fought with all her might as she got wounded more and more.

*boom* Grani's spear shaved off a part of Reina's neck.

*clank* Grido defended against Reina's every attack.

*bam* Dewydd's morning star caught Reina's figure wherever she stood.

*gruuuuu* Alrus' vines accurately led Reina around by the noose, leading her to be more wounded.

*gnash* Meridus' sword bit off any regenerating Aether whenever Rei tried to defend herself.

And every time a magic spell was created, it was forcefully destroyed, courtesy of Erei.

And while Reina took attacks from every side, the 6 heroes also joined in the fray, giving Reina more and more injuries.

'It's almost painful to watch' Rei believed.

And eventually after a few hours, Reina's army managed to drop down to three digits, as opposed to the millions fighting, carrying her own banner previously, it wasn't even a fight anymore, it was an extermination.

Reina herself was severely wounded, she could no longer use her eyes to see, and her limbs are barely being kept stuck together with her Essence of Gluttony, her movements which used to be the most refined that Rei had ever seen were now reduced to nothing more than the movements of a marionette.

But even so she kept fighting until she could no longer, and then eventually her last soldier died.

Reina looked up into the red sky and looked across the red field. It was then that something extraordinary happened.

Rei didn't hear it because of the low volume, however Rei clearly saw the movement of Reina's lips, They clearly said.

'How unsightly.'

Reina declared that she would eventually 'Devour all that there is and make everything hers'. The Demon Lords and the Heroes simply brushed this off, nearing for the final strike that would end all the bloodshed brought about by endless hunger.

However she exploded … no it was more accurate to say that she imploded, and destructive energy was kept at a small space so it was released in all directions.

The red plains were dyed with a bright red light swallowing everything like a nuclear explosion.

Rei herself, even though knowing that the blast would kill her nonetheless, put her arms up as if trying to block the red light, however when the red light engulfed her as well as a sharp, shrilling, and definitely deafening booming sound penetrated her eardrums.

Rei was completely unarmed though, and after many minutes of her ears ringing and blindness followed, until the grassy plains were once again in view.

"...!" When Rei's vision was no longer blocked by the red light, a specific scene came to her eyes. The once red grassy battlefield was now burnt black, charred from extreme heat, not even skeletons or their armour remained.

All the Demon Lords and the Heroes presumably died, their armies with them, and not even a strand of hair was left.

The grassy plains which was once filled, brimming with life as far as the eye can see was mercilessly trampled by armies and then reduced to nothing but a dark crater as far as the eye can see.

No, despite the destruction that unfolded, it was not only charred and smoking soil that were the remnants of what life that remained.

In the centre of the deep crater was a sword, a black sword which seemed to be alive due to it's pulsating red veins on it's blade.

It slowly morphed, its veins embedding into the ground, a the edges transforming into branches, leaves, and the stalk forming into reality little bit little, and from its small branches, a fruit sprouted from one of them.

‘An apple?’ That was the last thought that Rei had, as she was snapped back into reality.

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Rei opened her eyes, and finally she could finally feel that she was really, well, back in reality.

“Wait …” However, from the fact that her injuries were aching, a sign of too much movement, the fact that she was no longer in the library like she used to be before she was drifted off for some show, and most importantly, the fact that she was covered in blood …

“No … no no …” Rei looked behind her, and just like what her suspicions confirmed, numerous corpses of recent damage lying throughout the floor, it could only mean one thing.

“--Goddammit …”

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