Kotohood

Here it is. Just a simple chapter on the Alliance's side. Note that I didn't want to post this in the first place(Coz I think it's bad), but I might as well since people are asking for it. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 75.5: The Story of a Foolish Human

On the Plains of Fate, after a devastating loss for the Alliance, was a prince, now the king of a defeated army, sitting on the ground. On his face was an expression contorted with the look of despair and defeat. He, who had let his guard down after defeating the demon lord, was not prepared for the sudden ultimate spell casted by a demon with the mighty banner. He just sat there lifelessly, without the energy to even move from the spot.

In his arms was the burnt body of his lover and nearby him, the bodies of his closest friends. Only one person was alive next to him, a man with a large shield— though it cannot be said that he was fine either. Multiple burn wounds could be seen on his body. He managed to protect himself and the Prince, now king with all his might. However, that was all that he managed to protect. The others, his uncle the dwarven general, his future wife, the elven princess, his childhood friends and many more were now among the dead.

Within the space of a few seconds, a big portion of his entire army, an alliance between various countries and three separate races, were annihilated by a pillar of fire that formed a lemniscate— his army scorched by flames as if coming from the sun itself.

In his mind was only regret and sadness. He shouldn’t have come here for petty revenge. He should have just fortified his borders when he drove the demons away and ended the war in a stalemate. If he just did that, then maybe everyone he ever knew and love would have still been alive by now. 

Now, it was too late for the young king. There was no way to come back from such a defeat, he took too many losses here. Morale was sure to take a hit and if the other countries knew of how many high profile soldiers died that day, they would back away from the alliance and call a retreat. Several tens of thousands of soldiers were not something easy to replace. His rash offensive was met with a harsh defeat.

“Dammit!” Alex, the young king shouted as he slammed the ground with his fist. 

His best friend, Dominique, only looked away, having no words to say to him. The king, in his anger, bit his lips so hard that blood dropped to the ground. Suddenly, as the drop of blood hit the ground, his world turned into pure darkness. His body suddenly felt light and soon he noticed himself floating in the void.

“What in the…?” He muttered to himself. Although reeling in despair, he still has enough of a conscience to question the strange turns of events.

“I can feel your anger, human, It called out to me,” a matured, majestic female voice came from behind him. It was as if it belonged to a goddess, though hidden within that godly voice was a hint of amusement.

The King turned around to face the voice and there he met with a naked woman whose private parts are covered by her very long white silky hair. She was a beauty without any rivals and can only be said to be sculpted by a god— maybe she was even a goddess herself. Alex felt compelled to bow down to her. The only reason he didn’t was because the woman carried an ugly smile with her, completely opposed to her beauty— it was an expression that disgusted the king. The only way to describe it was as if someone carved out her mouth and sew it into a permanent smile. She looked at the king not as someone would look to another equal but with a look akin to a person looking at a toy.

“I am the Supreme Cadenza, pleased to meet you human,” she said as she floated above Alex in arrogance. Her tone and action showed no respect to the human.

Alex knew of the gods of old, Supreme as they called them. Ageless immortals and beings of immeasurable power. It is said that one of them is enough to destroy an entire country and a group of them can destroy entire continents. There were some that still walked the world, but they never bothered themselves with the lives of mortals. If Cadenza was as she said she was, why would she appear in front of him?

“I can see your confusion, human, and I’m not going to beat around the bush. Let’s make a deal, the both of us. I’m sure I can strike a good bargain.”

By all rights, Alex should have rejected her proposal without even giving it a thought. A foul being like her was not to be trusted. She was no god, just a being with the power of one and the temperament of a child. However, Alex knew that the Supremes' powers were no joke. If she truly has the power of the gods, then surely she has some way to bring someone back from the realm of the dead… right?

“...what are you seeking in exchange?” he asked the foul being.

Upon hearing the king’s response, Cadenza's smile curved upwards even further.

“I want every single Ak’him on this continent gone. I want them dead. I want them exterminated. Annihilated. Every single one of them. In exchange, I’ll grant what you want the most, the ability to bring people back to life. I’ll even add a bonus and grant you an army to help with that. Lifeless and will follow your every order without question, ” Cadenza replied.

Alex’s eyes peeled wide open when he heard her. The deal sounds too good to be true. If what she says was true then he could bring everyone he knew back to life again. Things would be the same again! He was very close to accepting the deal.

“...why?” He asked the one thing he felt weird about. “Why do you want all of them dead? What’s in it for you?”

For the first time since he met her, Cadenza’s face turned into a frown. Unsurprisingly, her frown made her even uglier than when she smiled. 

“What does it matter why?” She said with a displeased tone.

“You are a supreme are you not? You should have been able to single-handedly destroy any country. Why make a deal with me?” Alex sneered towards the fake god.

Cadenza kept quiet for a moment, giving off a terrifying aura.

“...”

“...”

“Why? Then let me tell you why....”

It was then out of nowhere that Alex crashed towards the floor. He could feel himself be crushed by an unknown pressure. He tried to yell out in pain, but he couldn’t even move his mouth due to the heavyweight on him.

“Those ungrateful experiments! I’ve raised them, enlightened them when they were nothing more than simple lizards! But they dare go against me. That man especially! The so-called First Demon Lord. He led the rebellion against me and defeated me on this plains. I want the kingdom that he built so hard to crumble, his entire race exterminated for even going against me. Those useless experiments! Arghhh!” Cadenza lashed out.

Then, just as sudden as her outburst, she went back to her calm self. “Either you help me or I find someone else. Now do you agree with the deal or not?” She flashed him an ugly smile.

The next thing that Alex could remember was him being in a tent filled with the people he knew and loved. Unbeknownst to the king, he himself was carrying an ugly smile as well. At his side was a golden sword with a sinister aura surrounding it.

* * * * *

Time passed and in exchange for the power to revive people, the king had no other choice but to fulfil his end of the bargain, to exterminate the continent of every single Ak’hims— the civilians, the innocents, the soldiers. Everyone dies, no one is exempted. That was the deal and that is what he will fulfil to the foul being, Cadenza. 

Persuading his friends and allies about the matter turned out to be easier than he first thought. He expected serious resistance against the idea. Doubly so after the defeat at the Plains of Fate. Instead, all of them agreed with little to no objections. His newly revived allies even managed to convince the people of their country to continue with the war.

With the power to revive people, what do they gain to lose? They can just fight the demons in a war of attrition and win. With the power within the prince’s hands, they would finally be able to get rid of the demon threat within the continent.

With that logic, the king and his allies led waves and waves of attacks on the Ak’hims.

How many times has it been that his friends had died and he used his newfound powers to revive them? During the sudden explosion at the castle in Prashyufa? The trap at the bridge where he and his friends fell to the bottom of the chasm and their supposed doom?

Every time they died, he would just swing his sword and revive them. Weirdly, it did take seemingly longer and longer to revive the dead the more they died, but he only shrugged it off.

It was only when his friend Dominique was slain by the demon with the mighty banner that he finally found out that something was wrong. He was the only person that has yet to die until that point. As usual, the King would just wave his newfound sword in an attempt to revive him— only to find out that the person he brought back to life was not his best friend. It was just something that looked like him, but none of what made him his friend in the first place.

It was then with this small suspicion that he realised that the people he have been reviving have been nothing but fakes as well. They were close to the real thing, but easily fell apart under scrutiny.

They would mimic the personality and the physical shape of the original as best they could, but the prince could tell they were nothing but fake puppets made to please his every ego. His beloved lover who would often confront him when he makes a mistake was nothing more than a fake that supported his bloodlust over the demons.

“It’s not the same… These are not my friends… These are not my men… these are just...” Alex muttered to himself in his tent, both his hands scratching the scalp of his head. In front of him was a knife.

‘Of course, the power to revive someone would come at a price. If this power could even be said as revival.’ Truth be spoken, he had noticed himself for a while now, but he only ignored it. He didn’t have the will to face the truth. Now after knowing the truth, what was even the reason for him to live now? The supreme had lied to him, there was no reason to continue on with this stupid bloodshed. With no more will to live, he took the knife and tried to end his life.

Only to find out that he couldn’t. 

No matter how hard he tried, his hand would not move. An unknown hand grasp at his soul A covenant, a contract binded him, preventing him from ending his life.

“That foul being… I’ve been ensnared in her trap…” Alex said as he clutched his chest. 

He then looked upwards before closing his eyes, tears dropped from his eyes. In his mind he could only imagine the person who killed everyone he ever cared about: 

The demon with the mighty banner. 

He would go forth to finally finish his revenge. For that is all the man had left.

Kotohood

Thanks fo reading!