The Demon Lord's Successor

Within the safety of the gates you don’t waste much time considering what to level up. Considering that you’re in the middle of a warzone, fighting a literal undead army, increasing the presence time of your minions seems like a no-brainer.

“That went surprisingly well,” Epsilon says.

“Yes, but none of the imps are returning,” you say, realizing that they’ve been overrun.

“I suggest we keep going with this strategy for now,” Elza says and nudges Rosetta forward.

“Aw, these ash monsters don’t seem that much of a threat anymore,” Rosetta says, itching for a fight. “We can just power through them.”

“No,” Eisheth disagrees with Rosette. “We might end up fighting for days.”

“Agreed, we continue as we were for now,” you say, satisfied with the success of your strategy thus far.

You sneak from the gateway straight into the alleys, and once there are no other options, you summon a diversion of imps. Though this district of the city is much larger than the previous one, the strategy works pretty much exactly like last time. Though this time you do not gain the desired level up. On the plus side, upon reaching the gatehouse, and before you head forward, one of the loli imps joins you. Just the one though, as the battle behind you calms.

Before your party moves on, Rosette stops you and says, “One of the gates to the higher level of the capital is just a little bit ahead.”

“But what’s that?” Elza asks pointing at the massive dark further ahead in the city, standing like a statue.

“A statue?” Gorrazsh asks.

“That statue just moved,” Eisheth says.

The dark figure is over forty feet high, even taller than the gates you’re standing in the shadow of. Straining your sight, you realize that the creature is made of countless mutilated human bodies. But not ash-like bodies that roam the streets beside it. The exposed meat and guts, soaked in blood glisten in the light coming from several burning buildings to the right of it. It’s gaping, misshapen maw is half-open. From the inside a light of a dying fire is emanating and a dark, red ooze is seeping through its teeth, made from several rows of human ribs. The creature lumbers at a glacial pace away from the wall separating this section and the higher level of the city, and deeper into this district.

“William, this foe… Can we not fight this please?” Gorrazsh asks, growing paler by the hour you spend inside the capital.

“Maybe we shouldn’t fight it if there’s no need,” Elza agrees.

“Let’s see how dangerous it is before me make a decision,” you say and turn to your remaining imp with the short pink hair. She has a few bruises but otherwise seems able and ready.

“Ready for more?” you ask the loli. She instantly salutes you with a grin.

“Go there and show that pile of corpses what you’re made of!”

The loli nods, passionately ends her salute with a smile, and dashes at the monster.

“You’re sending her to her death,” Epsilon says to you while standing behind you.

“… I know,” you agree with the obvious.

The girl approaches the monster fast, takes out her dagger with her right hand, with her left hand she launches a fireball larger than she is at the monster. The fireball scores a direct hit and the monster roars, spewing blood out of its maw. However, no visible damage is done.

The monster swings its left arm in an arc in front. From that arm two mutilated corpses detach and hit the little girl’s body, not only stopping her advance but also suddenly sending her flying back several feet. Before she can even get to her feet you see the two corpses come to life and grab her tightly and hold her down pinned to the ground. The girl’s arms are pinned above her head, she desperately squirms trying to break free. Then both corpses open their jaws and bite into the little imp girl—one into her stomach, another into her left thigh. The girl lets out a piercing scream of agony and her body shatters into a thousand tiny crystal-like pieces. They disappear before hitting the ground.

Gorrazsh gulps and says, “Let us wait a bit and let that monster pass further away.”