I walked to the front of the prison where Sylvene was being held. There I saw her chained by both hands, her arms still broken from the previous fight. Her body looked exhausted, but her green eyes still radiated an undying fire of defiance.
"Why are you here, Demon King?" Sylvene asked in a hoarse, yet determined voice.
"I simply wanted to see how you were doing," I said with a cold smile that didn't reach my eyes.
Sylvene stared at me for a moment with hatred, then shifted her gaze to the cold stone wall. Even in her imprisonment, she still refused to show weakness before me.
"How about you fight for me? Surrender your body and soul to me," I asked, stepping closer to the iron bars.
"I will not surrender my soul to you. I would rather die than worship you!" Sylvene replied loudly, her voice echoing through the narrow prison corridor.
"What a shame... perhaps a little torture will change your mind," I said, raising my hand.
I channeled dark power through my palms and created complex runes on the floor of the prison cell. Ancient, blood-red symbols began to glow, emitting a terrifying aura. These runes were specifically designed to amplify the sensation of pain tenfold.
As soon as the runes lit up, Sylvene immediately felt the effects. Her body jerked violently, and a heart-rending scream of agony echoed throughout the prison.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Sylvene screamed, her voice tearing through the silence of the night.
I stood there for a moment, watching her suffering with dark satisfaction. "I'll see you in a few days," I said coldly before turning away and leaving Sylvene still screaming in agony.
Elsewhere - Riversholt Village
Night fell quietly on the border village of Riversholt. The full moon illuminated the wheat fields swaying in the cool night breeze. The villagers went about their business as usual—a few merchants had closed their wooden stalls, while children ran merrily through the muddy streets. They had no idea that tonight would be the end of everything they knew and loved.
Heavy footsteps began to sound from the dark wilderness. Black shadows appeared one by one among the trees, their red eyes glowing like embers in the darkness. A low, terrifying roar rang out, setting the livestock in the pens agitated, while the guard dogs barked hysterically—but it was too late.
BOOM!
The village's main gate shattered, battered by the ferocious demon army. Shards of wood and metal flew in all directions, crashing into the simple houses nearby. Panic spread like wildfire through dry straw, and terrified screams rang out from all corners of the village.
Zereth stepped at the forefront with a deadly, imposing gait. His jet-black armor glinted ominously in the moonlight, while the greatsword in his hand was imbued with an abyssal aura that emanated like black smoke. His eyes radiated a cold, cruel red light.
"No one shall live," his voice echoed coldly and decisively throughout the village.
Without hesitation, he swung his giant sword in a single, deadly horizontal motion. Five villagers who had attempted to flee were instantly cut apart in a single blow. Their fresh blood spurted high, soaking the ground and staining the previously clean wheat field.
Rena leaped with supernatural agility onto the roof of one of the wooden houses. Two dark swords made of pure energy formed in her hands, emanating a terrifying aura. With a sinister, cruel smile, she swooped down, slashing rapidly.
[SHADOW EXECUTION]
she shouted in a resounding voice.
Black shadows extended from her swords like giant, living blades, cutting down dozens of villagers in one terrifying attack. Their bodies fell in a heap like puppets whose strings had been cut, while the previously brown village ground turned a deep red, soaked in fresh blood.
Heartbreaking screams echoed throughout.
"DEMONS!! DEMONS ARE ATTACKING!!" "SAVE THE CHILDREN!!" "RUN!! EVERYONE RUN!!"
But the desperate screams were short-lived. An army of fifty ferocious demons flooded every narrow street, slashing and tearing anyone who tried to escape with their razor-sharp claws and fangs.
Rena, still on the roof, plunged one of her dark swords into the roof tiles of the house. From the ground, chains of darkness emerged, moving like giant snakes, wrapping around the feet of the villagers as they frantically tried to flee. One by one, they were pulled down and then chopped to pieces by other bloodthirsty demons.
On the other side of the village, Zereth, with his brutal strength, tore down a small church that stood majestically in the center of the village. The sacred structure collapsed with a deafening roar.
From the still-smoking ruins of stone and wood, he pulled out an old iron box with intricate, dimly glowing sacred carvings.
"A precious artifact," he murmured with satisfaction, then handed the box to a patiently waiting demon mage. "Take this directly to My Lord. Do not let it fall into the hands of the elves again, or your heads will be on the line."
The demon mage bowed deeply and vanished in a swirl of darkness, carrying the precious artifact back to the dark palace.
Rena slowly walked into the village square, now littered with corpses. She watched with satisfaction as the blood flowed freely, forming red puddles on the muddy ground. "So fragile, and they once called themselves the protectors of the world?" she asked, her voice filled with sarcasm and contempt.
Zereth thrust his greatsword into the ground with full force. A pitch-black aura spread from that point, withering the green grass and dying instantly. "This is just the beginning of total destruction. Let the blood of this village be a warning to all other races that the power of demons cannot be resisted."
The fire began to devour the wooden houses one by one, furiously. The villagers who were still hiding and not yet dead screamed hysterically in their final panic, before utter silence engulfed the once-peaceful small village.
By the time dawn broke with a golden glow, the border village of Riversholt was no more. All that remained were charred ashes, pools of dried blood, and the faint echoes of screams carried by the morning breeze.
In the far distance, a large black raven flew hurriedly, bringing terrible news to the greater elven cities. News that would finally cause the holy church and its brave knights to rise up and take action against this growing demonic threat.