585. A Promise Kept
Vianna was in pain.
Her body burned with anger and hate— she mourned and grieved over those she had lost. She had drawn the power of her rage from the depths of her soul. Her very essence empowered her, forming her Grand Skill.
But anger was a fickle thing. It could cause destruction to others, while bringing about extreme damage to oneself.
And now, that was why she was lit aflame.
The [Hellreaper] burned from her own Grand Skill. Its effects should have come to an end, but she refused to let go of her anger. Her hatred could not be snuffed out. Her rage would burn forever. And by forcing it to continue even when it couldn’t, she began to hurt herself.
That was why she was in searing pain. She backed up warily as her flames continued to protect her and hurt her. She saw the red-skinned Archdemon raise a hand. He was huge— he was somehow as strong as her despite her best efforts to bring him down. She was frustrated. She was angry. She was scared.
She growled at him as he raised a fist.
And she paused when she heard the words leaving her mouth.
“Please— may I know your name?”
“Are you alright?”
The creature asked in a soft voice. Vianna backed away when she saw it, her eyes growing wide in terror. But the creature drew closer, trying to coax her out from behind the rocks.
“Do you have a name? I don’t want to hurt you.”
Vianna paused. She stared at the shadowed figures clustering around the first creature. They waited expectantly. But Vianna refused to move.
“It’s not speaking.”
“Maybe it’s one of the mindless Demons?”
“If it’s wild, we should kill it!”
Vianna heard the shadowed figures speaking amongst themselves. Their words made her flinch, and she curled up into a ball. They were so much larger than her. She was a mere Lesser Demon— a Level 16 [Hellhound].
And they were nothing like her. She could tell by their shapes and sizes that they had evolved. Each and every one of them were over Level 40. So she knew she couldn’t put up a fight. Not when—
“Be quiet, all of you! You’re scaring her!”
The creature at the front snapped, and the susurration died down. Vianna winced, but the creature turned to her with a soft gaze.
“Can you understand me? If you do, please— may I know your name?”
And Vianna stared at the creature’s face. She saw the way it was hunched over with a kind smile. It stood on two legs, but its knees were bent so that it was on level gaze with her. Its eyes were silver and blue— different colors on each eye.
It was a [Fiend]. And it was… no she wasn’t as terrifying as Vianna initially thought. So the [Hellhound] finally mustered up the strength to speak.
“Name…?”
The [Fiend] nodded as she gestured to herself.
“Yes. We all have names. My name is Hostia. This is Drith, and this is Granulas. What is your name?”
Hostia gestured at a pair of othe Demons behind her, before pointing back at the [Hellhound]. Vianna hesitated as she glanced between the group of Demons surrounding the boulder. And slowly, she began to speak.
“My name is— urk…”
And Vianna winced. She slumped forward as Hostia blinked a few times. The [Fiend] drew forward, gently scooping Vianna up.
“You’re… you’re injured!”
Hostia exclaimed. She stared at the open wound on the underside of the [Hellhound]’s belly. Vianna braced herself for the worst to come, but Hostia just brought a hand up.
“Hold on— [Healing Touch].”
And a calming warmth washed over Vianna. She blinked as she slowly watched the wound on her stomach heal. It took a moment— it didn’t happen instantaneously. But the cut on Vianna closed.
She stared for a moment as nothing remained but the dried black blood she had spilled. And Hostia lowered her back to the ground.
“Are you better now?”
Hostia asked, tilting her head. Vianna just looked up at the [Fiend]— at her savior.
“I…”
Vianna started. But she hesitated for a moment. Was this a trick? Was there a reason why these Demons were being so kind to her? She didn’t know. She couldn’t quite understand their actions.
However, she finally obliged to their questions.
“My name is… Vianna.”
“Vianna?”
Hostia drew back as she smiled. She turned to her companions— the other Demons who were with her. They nodded at each other, before looking back at the [Hellhound]. The [Fiend] proferred a hand out.
“Do you want to join us, Vianna?”
Vianna blinked back into reality. Even as Hostia’s voice echoed in her mind. The [Hellreaper] shook her head, before glaring back at the red-skinned Demon standing before her.
“I’m Haec. I want to help you. So please—”
And the [Hellreaper] lashed out. She screamed on top of her lungs, refusing to believe his words.
“No!”
Haec backed away as her claws missed him. She struck the air, missing him entirely. He watched as she stumbled forward, gasping in pain.
Vianna could hardly move— not with the flaming aura burning incessantly and unceasingly. It protected her. Her enemies couldn’t harm her even now. But she was killing herself. Slowly and surely. She was going to die if this kept up.
And yet, she still moved in her anger.
“I will not listen to your lies!”
“Should we really trust them?”
Hostia asked, and Vianna turned around. The two of them were the only Primeval Demons amongst their kin. They were the ones who had been called out of their sanctuary to speak with those Demons with the metal rings.
Vianna herself didn’t think it was a good idea to speak with them either. But after the landscape around their sanctuary changed— becoming just like the environment of their safe haven— they were discovered by these so-called ‘followers of Regnorex’.
The leader of the group— Maamon— had approached the sanctuary. He had assured them that they were friends. He promised them a world of safety that the sanctuary Vianna, Hostia, and their kin had created could only ever imagine.
After all, it was Maamon himself who had helped change the Netherworld. He was the reason why there was grass and trees and lakes now surrounding the sanctuary. Hearing such a promise… neither Vianna nor Hostia could resist hearing out the offer that was being given.
“Do not worry, Hostia…”
Vianna spoke slowly as she nodded at the other protector of their sanctuary.
“We are both Primeval Demons. If we must, we shall fight to protect our kin. Let us just hear out what they have to say, alright?”
And Hostia nodded slowly as they approached their meeting point.
“Alright then…”
“I will never trust you… liars!”
Vianna screamed as she unhinged her jaw. She tried to aim for Haec’s neck. But with her sluggish movements, she missed.
Haec stepped back, trying to get away from her. And she took in a deep breath. Tears streamed down from her cheeks, before evaporating in an instant. She looked up as she tried to bite away her sadness and despair.
She took a step forward as Haec spoke softly.
“I am sorry, Vianna. For what happened to you— for what they did to you.”
He didn’t raise a hand at her. Even as she continued to unleash her onslaught of attacks against him. Vianna screamed, and he spoke understandingly.
“It must have been horrible. They hurt you, and you did not deserve it.”
Vianna heard the screams. She saw the ground itself shifting. The world moved as space began to twist and turn. Through the fractal barriers, she saw the reflection of a familiar figure with her hand raised.
“Run, Vianna!”
Hostia screamed as a figure approached her from behind. As Maamon laughed— his cackling voice could be heard across the shifting landscape. Vianna tried to get back up. She wanted to save Hostia. But she was bleeding.
Her kin had been captured. Many of them— those who resisted— had been slaughtered. And now, it was just her and Hostia who remained. And even though both of them were Primeval Demons, they couldn’t put up a fight against Maamon.
Still, Vianna had to do something. Hostia was her savior. Hostia was everything to her. So Vianna had to—
And she paused when she caught a glimpse of Hostia’s tearing gaze.
“Don’t. Please. Just live. For us—”
The world warped around her. A fractal space formed around her as Maamon’s shadow loomed over her. His laugh could be heard echoing around the world.
“There you are!”
And Vianna turned away before she could see what happened. She ran— fleeing and leaving behind her savior as tears ran down her cheeks. Even though she wanted to stay, she knew she had no other choice.
She left her kin behind.
“You don’t know what they did to me.”
Vianna spat back as Haec winced. He shook his head, striding forward even as she growled at him.
“That is why I want you to tell me. So that I can understand.”
She couldn’t trust him. She couldn’t. Not for her kin. Not for Hostia. But she wanted to— Vianna so wanted to believe in his words. And she almost did. She slowly lowered her guard as Haec approached her unwaveringly.
“Please, Vianna… let us help you avenge your kin. We can do it together.”
Vianna thought of everything she had been through. From when she was a Lesser Demon until now. The time she had spent with her kin. The memories she had made in her sanctuary. It was all gone. Forever.
There was no going back. And she could only blame herself for that. But this was her chance at redemption. This was the only way she could save them.
So Vianna took a step forward as Haec nodded at her. The other three watching Archdemons stared in shock. The [Hellreaper] opened her mouth.
“I—”
And her flames flickered, before fading away.
“What…?”
Haec blinked, and Vianna paused. She stared down at herself, before whispering a single word.
“Oh.”
Her Grand Skill’s effects finally dissipated. It came to an end, after she refused to let it stop. Which meant only one thing.
The [Hellreaper] collapsed as Haec stared.
Haec didn’t react for a moment. He just stared in disbelief as Vianna lay before her, her body charred and burned. She barely even twitched where she lay. And finally, Haec glanced back, calling out to Taburas.
“She’s hurt! She needs healing, now!”
“R-right!”
Taburas moved into action. She ran forward with Haec as the two of them surrounded the fallen Primeval Demon. Vianna didn’t even react to their approach. She didn’t snarl or growl— her eyes were barely even open as they were.
Haec looked over her injuries as he gritted his teeth.
“Her flames were too powerful… they…”
He trailed off. Taburas brought an ashen hand out as a soothing aura overcame the [Hellreaper]. But Vianna didn’t react. The [Succubus] shook her head.
“I don’t know if I can save her, Haec…”
Haec bit his lower lip. He turned back to Vianna, speaking reassuringly.
“We can save you— we will find a way to save you.”
He tried to hold onto her clawed hand. But she pushed her hand away. The [Hellreaper] craned her neck weakly to face him.
“Please… save my kin.”
She spoke softly. Haec nodded back at her as he held her gaze.
“We will save them— and we will save you.”
But Vianna shook her head. She placed a clawed hand onto his chest, even as Taburas continued trying to heal her.
“And if Hostia lives…”
“I—”
Haec wanted to cut her off. But he stopped. Instead, he looked deep into the eyes of the [Hellreaper]. He saw the way Vianna said the name. And he nodded slowly.
She gasped out.
“Save her too.”
With that, Vianna’s body went limp. A notification resounded in Haec’s head. Two of them. But he ignored it. He refused to acknowledge it for a moment. And Taburas whispered softly, drawing back.
“She’s dead, Haec. I’m sorry.”
“I know.”
Haec nodded as he stared down at the dead [Hellreaper]. He took in a deep breath, before closing his eyes.
“I promise you— I will save them.”
And he paused, remembering the others who were enslaved by the Demon King. From the Dukes and the Duchesses to those who had been forced to fight in the expanse. He raised his head, staring at the broken sky of Revelation.
“I will save all of them.”
Haec spoke softly to himself as Taburas, Betrugil, and Aemula stared at him. They didn’t say a word. None of them spoke. Vianna lay dead— the [Hellreaper]’s corpse remained still.
And in that silence, Haec had resolved himself.
Thus far, he had only focused on a single goal, ignoring almost everything around him. But not anymore. He was not going to just ignore Regnorex’s evil any longer. He was going to change the Netherworld for the better. He was going to live up to his brand new Title as the Traitor of the Demon King.
Haec was going to—
His brows snapped together as he saw a blurred figure shoot across the sky. A dark shadow rapidly descended down the ravine as his [Dangersense] blared in his head.
“What’s that?”
Taburas cried out, backing up warily. Betrugil and Aemula glanced up in a panic. They readied themselves for battle as Haec narrowed his eyes. He sensed the overwhelming power. He saw the speed of the being— the way it seemed to have recklessly flown through the destruction of Revelation. And it only meant one thing.
“A Deathsquad H—”
He started. But the shadowed figure spoke in a familiar voice and cut him off.
“Haec?”
A soft voice. One that Haec would recognize anywhere. Even though it had felt like forever since he had last heard it, he would never forget her voice.
“Is that really you?”
She asked, and Haec stared at her, his eyes growing wide. He saw her familiar golden eyes. He saw her familiar silver skin. He saw the horns on her head— much larger than they had been when he had last seen her. And he saw the unfamiliar traits like the six wings and the scales on her arms.
But he knew who she was. He remembered her name. He would never forget her.
“Salvos…”
MelasD
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585. A Promise Kept
Vianna was in pain.
Her body burned with anger and hate— she mourned and grieved over those she had lost. She had drawn the power of her rage from the depths of her soul. Her very essence empowered her, forming her Grand Skill.
But anger was a fickle thing. It could cause destruction to others, while bringing about extreme damage to oneself.
And now, that was why she was lit aflame.
The [Hellreaper] burned from her own Grand Skill. Its effects should have come to an end, but she refused to let go of her anger. Her hatred could not be snuffed out. Her rage would burn forever. And by forcing it to continue even when it couldn’t, she began to hurt herself.
That was why she was in searing pain. She backed up warily as her flames continued to protect her and hurt her. She saw the red-skinned Archdemon raise a hand. He was huge— he was somehow as strong as her despite her best efforts to bring him down. She was frustrated. She was angry. She was scared.
She growled at him as he raised a fist.
And she paused when she heard the words leaving her mouth.
“Please— may I know your name?”
“Are you alright?”
The creature asked in a soft voice. Vianna backed away when she saw it, her eyes growing wide in terror. But the creature drew closer, trying to coax her out from behind the rocks.
“Do you have a name? I don’t want to hurt you.”
Vianna paused. She stared at the shadowed figures clustering around the first creature. They waited expectantly. But Vianna refused to move.
“It’s not speaking.”
“Maybe it’s one of the mindless Demons?”
“If it’s wild, we should kill it!”
Vianna heard the shadowed figures speaking amongst themselves. Their words made her flinch, and she curled up into a ball. They were so much larger than her. She was a mere Lesser Demon— a Level 16 [Hellhound].
And they were nothing like her. She could tell by their shapes and sizes that they had evolved. Each and every one of them were over Level 40. So she knew she couldn’t put up a fight. Not when—
“Be quiet, all of you! You’re scaring her!”
The creature at the front snapped, and the susurration died down. Vianna winced, but the creature turned to her with a soft gaze.
“Can you understand me? If you do, please— may I know your name?”
And Vianna stared at the creature’s face. She saw the way it was hunched over with a kind smile. It stood on two legs, but its knees were bent so that it was on level gaze with her. Its eyes were silver and blue— different colors on each eye.
It was a [Fiend]. And it was… no she wasn’t as terrifying as Vianna initially thought. So the [Hellhound] finally mustered up the strength to speak.
“Name…?”
The [Fiend] nodded as she gestured to herself.
“Yes. We all have names. My name is Hostia. This is Drith, and this is Granulas. What is your name?”
Hostia gestured at a pair of othe Demons behind her, before pointing back at the [Hellhound]. Vianna hesitated as she glanced between the group of Demons surrounding the boulder. And slowly, she began to speak.
“My name is— urk…”
And Vianna winced. She slumped forward as Hostia blinked a few times. The [Fiend] drew forward, gently scooping Vianna up.
“You’re… you’re injured!”
Hostia exclaimed. She stared at the open wound on the underside of the [Hellhound]’s belly. Vianna braced herself for the worst to come, but Hostia just brought a hand up.
“Hold on— [Healing Touch].”
And a calming warmth washed over Vianna. She blinked as she slowly watched the wound on her stomach heal. It took a moment— it didn’t happen instantaneously. But the cut on Vianna closed.
She stared for a moment as nothing remained but the dried black blood she had spilled. And Hostia lowered her back to the ground.
“Are you better now?”
Hostia asked, tilting her head. Vianna just looked up at the [Fiend]— at her savior.
“I…”
Vianna started. But she hesitated for a moment. Was this a trick? Was there a reason why these Demons were being so kind to her? She didn’t know. She couldn’t quite understand their actions.
However, she finally obliged to their questions.
“My name is… Vianna.”
“Vianna?”
Hostia drew back as she smiled. She turned to her companions— the other Demons who were with her. They nodded at each other, before looking back at the [Hellhound]. The [Fiend] proferred a hand out.
“Do you want to join us, Vianna?”
Vianna blinked back into reality. Even as Hostia’s voice echoed in her mind. The [Hellreaper] shook her head, before glaring back at the red-skinned Demon standing before her.
“I’m Haec. I want to help you. So please—”
And the [Hellreaper] lashed out. She screamed on top of her lungs, refusing to believe his words.
“No!”
Haec backed away as her claws missed him. She struck the air, missing him entirely. He watched as she stumbled forward, gasping in pain.
Vianna could hardly move— not with the flaming aura burning incessantly and unceasingly. It protected her. Her enemies couldn’t harm her even now. But she was killing herself. Slowly and surely. She was going to die if this kept up.
And yet, she still moved in her anger.
“I will not listen to your lies!”
“Should we really trust them?”
Hostia asked, and Vianna turned around. The two of them were the only Primeval Demons amongst their kin. They were the ones who had been called out of their sanctuary to speak with those Demons with the metal rings.
Vianna herself didn’t think it was a good idea to speak with them either. But after the landscape around their sanctuary changed— becoming just like the environment of their safe haven— they were discovered by these so-called ‘followers of Regnorex’.
The leader of the group— Maamon— had approached the sanctuary. He had assured them that they were friends. He promised them a world of safety that the sanctuary Vianna, Hostia, and their kin had created could only ever imagine.
After all, it was Maamon himself who had helped change the Netherworld. He was the reason why there was grass and trees and lakes now surrounding the sanctuary. Hearing such a promise… neither Vianna nor Hostia could resist hearing out the offer that was being given.
“Do not worry, Hostia…”
Vianna spoke slowly as she nodded at the other protector of their sanctuary.
“We are both Primeval Demons. If we must, we shall fight to protect our kin. Let us just hear out what they have to say, alright?”
And Hostia nodded slowly as they approached their meeting point.
“Alright then…”
“I will never trust you… liars!”
Vianna screamed as she unhinged her jaw. She tried to aim for Haec’s neck. But with her sluggish movements, she missed.
Haec stepped back, trying to get away from her. And she took in a deep breath. Tears streamed down from her cheeks, before evaporating in an instant. She looked up as she tried to bite away her sadness and despair.
She took a step forward as Haec spoke softly.
“I am sorry, Vianna. For what happened to you— for what they did to you.”
He didn’t raise a hand at her. Even as she continued to unleash her onslaught of attacks against him. Vianna screamed, and he spoke understandingly.
“It must have been horrible. They hurt you, and you did not deserve it.”
Vianna heard the screams. She saw the ground itself shifting. The world moved as space began to twist and turn. Through the fractal barriers, she saw the reflection of a familiar figure with her hand raised.
“Run, Vianna!”
Hostia screamed as a figure approached her from behind. As Maamon laughed— his cackling voice could be heard across the shifting landscape. Vianna tried to get back up. She wanted to save Hostia. But she was bleeding.
Her kin had been captured. Many of them— those who resisted— had been slaughtered. And now, it was just her and Hostia who remained. And even though both of them were Primeval Demons, they couldn’t put up a fight against Maamon.
Still, Vianna had to do something. Hostia was her savior. Hostia was everything to her. So Vianna had to—
And she paused when she caught a glimpse of Hostia’s tearing gaze.
“Don’t. Please. Just live. For us—”
The world warped around her. A fractal space formed around her as Maamon’s shadow loomed over her. His laugh could be heard echoing around the world.
“There you are!”
And Vianna turned away before she could see what happened. She ran— fleeing and leaving behind her savior as tears ran down her cheeks. Even though she wanted to stay, she knew she had no other choice.
She left her kin behind.
“You don’t know what they did to me.”
Vianna spat back as Haec winced. He shook his head, striding forward even as she growled at him.
“That is why I want you to tell me. So that I can understand.”
She couldn’t trust him. She couldn’t. Not for her kin. Not for Hostia. But she wanted to— Vianna so wanted to believe in his words. And she almost did. She slowly lowered her guard as Haec approached her unwaveringly.
“Please, Vianna… let us help you avenge your kin. We can do it together.”
Vianna thought of everything she had been through. From when she was a Lesser Demon until now. The time she had spent with her kin. The memories she had made in her sanctuary. It was all gone. Forever.
There was no going back. And she could only blame herself for that. But this was her chance at redemption. This was the only way she could save them.
So Vianna took a step forward as Haec nodded at her. The other three watching Archdemons stared in shock. The [Hellreaper] opened her mouth.
“I—”
And her flames flickered, before fading away.
“What…?”
Haec blinked, and Vianna paused. She stared down at herself, before whispering a single word.
“Oh.”
Her Grand Skill’s effects finally dissipated. It came to an end, after she refused to let it stop. Which meant only one thing.
The [Hellreaper] collapsed as Haec stared.
Haec didn’t react for a moment. He just stared in disbelief as Vianna lay before her, her body charred and burned. She barely even twitched where she lay. And finally, Haec glanced back, calling out to Taburas.
“She’s hurt! She needs healing, now!”
“R-right!”
Taburas moved into action. She ran forward with Haec as the two of them surrounded the fallen Primeval Demon. Vianna didn’t even react to their approach. She didn’t snarl or growl— her eyes were barely even open as they were.
Haec looked over her injuries as he gritted his teeth.
“Her flames were too powerful… they…”
He trailed off. Taburas brought an ashen hand out as a soothing aura overcame the [Hellreaper]. But Vianna didn’t react. The [Succubus] shook her head.
“I don’t know if I can save her, Haec…”
Haec bit his lower lip. He turned back to Vianna, speaking reassuringly.
“We can save you— we will find a way to save you.”
He tried to hold onto her clawed hand. But she pushed her hand away. The [Hellreaper] craned her neck weakly to face him.
“Please… save my kin.”
She spoke softly. Haec nodded back at her as he held her gaze.
“We will save them— and we will save you.”
But Vianna shook her head. She placed a clawed hand onto his chest, even as Taburas continued trying to heal her.
“And if Hostia lives…”
“I—”
Haec wanted to cut her off. But he stopped. Instead, he looked deep into the eyes of the [Hellreaper]. He saw the way Vianna said the name. And he nodded slowly.
She gasped out.
“Save her too.”
With that, Vianna’s body went limp. A notification resounded in Haec’s head. Two of them. But he ignored it. He refused to acknowledge it for a moment. And Taburas whispered softly, drawing back.
“She’s dead, Haec. I’m sorry.”
“I know.”
Haec nodded as he stared down at the dead [Hellreaper]. He took in a deep breath, before closing his eyes.
“I promise you— I will save them.”
And he paused, remembering the others who were enslaved by the Demon King. From the Dukes and the Duchesses to those who had been forced to fight in the expanse. He raised his head, staring at the broken sky of Revelation.
“I will save all of them.”
Haec spoke softly to himself as Taburas, Betrugil, and Aemula stared at him. They didn’t say a word. None of them spoke. Vianna lay dead— the [Hellreaper]’s corpse remained still.
And in that silence, Haec had resolved himself.
Thus far, he had only focused on a single goal, ignoring almost everything around him. But not anymore. He was not going to just ignore Regnorex’s evil any longer. He was going to change the Netherworld for the better. He was going to live up to his brand new Title as the Traitor of the Demon King.
Haec was going to—
His brows snapped together as he saw a blurred figure shoot across the sky. A dark shadow rapidly descended down the ravine as his [Dangersense] blared in his head.
“What’s that?”
Taburas cried out, backing up warily. Betrugil and Aemula glanced up in a panic. They readied themselves for battle as Haec narrowed his eyes. He sensed the overwhelming power. He saw the speed of the being— the way it seemed to have recklessly flown through the destruction of Revelation. And it only meant one thing.
“A Deathsquad H—”
He started. But the shadowed figure spoke in a familiar voice and cut him off.
“Haec?”
A soft voice. One that Haec would recognize anywhere. Even though it had felt like forever since he had last heard it, he would never forget her voice.
“Is that really you?”
She asked, and Haec stared at her, his eyes growing wide. He saw her familiar golden eyes. He saw her familiar silver skin. He saw the horns on her head— much larger than they had been when he had last seen her. And he saw the unfamiliar traits like the six wings and the scales on her arms.
But he knew who she was. He remembered her name. He would never forget her.
“Salvos…”
MelasD
Hey! Did you know that Salvos Book 11 just finished on Patreon? Well, I'm just saying... it's the perfect time to subscribe :)
You can now read up to 30 chapters ahead on my patreon and support the webcomic.
Join my discord or subreddit.
Follow me on twitter or instagram.
