"Eternities have passed, but never drop the sword. Shoulder my infinite hatred, and thus I give you the way to end the Wicked Dragon."

"None shall wield greater wrath, raging infinitely as the skies finally cracked, and the son faced the wicked Star."

"Feast upon the font of life, Consume. Devour. The wicked Lord will be your prey. Let the hunt...begin."

Sunlight fell upon an ancient and cracked sarcophagus placed in the center of a pristine room devoid of dust and debris.

THUD.
"Hoooh"
The air in the room was pulled towards the lid as some unknowable monster breathed an impossible amount of air in, devouring oxygen, mana, and light alike.

The lid abruptly launched into the air, revealing a single humanoid fist wrapped in bandages raised to occupy the space it once occupied. "Haaah..." came the exhale before a woman sat up. She wore a simple martial artists garb which held close to her less than impressive frame. Her eyes slowly took in the surroundings with a look of confusion.

She was alive. That wasn't correct, she knew better. She had been punished and paid the price in the Endless Battle. A martyr who came back to life was hardly a martyr. A roll of the shoulder caused countless popping noises which continued as she twisted and pulled on her arms, then her fingers. Stiffness receeding as she examined her body.

"Rise, Slayer of the Damned. The Demon Lords army has consumed the world. The Goddess of Dragons walks the land. The gods have failed. They have chosen you as their successor. The last hope. If the resistance fails then nothing will remain. Welcome...To Anfitrian."

Tanya kipped up, soaring out of the sarcophagus onto her feet on the floor below. Now she tilted her head this way and that shaking out the last of the rust. "So they provide the means to repay my debts rather than let me rest. Figures." came her tired voice, before the walls of the room began to glow. The roof retracted and the voice spoke once more without response to her statement.

"Let the trial begin. Potential champion, face your foe. Prove your worth."

A creature stepped through one of the shining walls. Ten feet tall counting the horns atop its head. Its skin was bloody red and its form malnourished. It hissed as it blinked under the intense light of the sun, before abruptly its eyes locked on Tanya. "They have provided me a meal finally!"

The demon darted towards her. She frowned at the display...It was so slow.

She dropped into the Wolf Fang stance and the moment it began to throw its fist towards her she stepped forward into its guard, kicking off the ground and tearing into its chest with a strike. The moment her fingers tore into its flesh she smelled something intoxicating. She began to grind her teeth even before landing, looking at her hand now painted a vibrant red. Her pupils dilating. "Hhh..."

The demon let out a roar of pain, lunging oncemore but she simply stepped to the side before putting her fingers in her mouth. It was delicious. The lifeblood of an enemy. As long as she could remember she had always had a taste for it but now it was all she could think of.

Tanyas eyes fell upon the demon and he suddenly took a step back "W-Whats with that look, have you finally snapped from fear?" it spoke with confusion tinting its voice. Why did he suddenly feel like the one being hunted? Sure he was weak from captivity but he was still a member of the demon lords army! It must be some trick of the mind. A petty trick!

And yet as she took a step forward the demon pressed back against the wall as if hoping it would dissapear.


The proctor of the trial entered some minutes later, most who went through them needed time to come to terms with their return and recover from the battle they faced. An old man in white robes stepped through one of the shining walls as they disappeared one by one to reveal the new hero to the waiting villagers. "Great champion, congratulations on your first victory of hopefully many. I am-" His jaw gaped as he parsed what he was seeing. The new hero was sat atop the mangled and torn asunder chest of the demon, its limbs strewn across the room with a huge pool of blood beneath...And she was eating its arm raw.

The citizens who had come to see their new hero were equally rendered speechless. Mothers shielded their childs eyes from the sight and the guards hands found their way to their weapons.

Surely there must have been some mistake?

Edit

Pub: 04 May 2025 05:16 UTC

Views: 149