The Doom Orc had now stopped moving completely. He had fallen to his knees, with his skin completely devoured, and now his skeleton was being dissolved. Tears had welled up in his eyes, but they were immediately absorbed by the dark ink that was slowly eating him alive.

  Everyone presents could only stare helplessly at the sight. Some watched in awe, others in sadness, and still others with tears in their eyes. Shen and the Oni were awestruck by the fall of such a powerful beast at the hands of their mistress; Lizard Magnus and the lizardmen had finally witnessed the strength of the leader of the city of Almy; and the orcs could only watch their king in silence. Gherd was the closest, watching his father's body being devoured.

  He lost...

  Gherd should have been happy, but how could he? That monster was still his father, transformed against his will. Almodea had released him in death and had not guaranteed his survival. Gherd knew this and had asked her to act himself—he could only feel respect for that girl who had helped them without asking for anything in return directly. He truly hoped he could repay that help.

  Goodbye, father.

  Gherd raised his right arm, as if to join the one the Doom Orc had raised toward him before he stopped moving. It was a silent farewell, but not without meaning. The prince had to hold back his tears; he would have preferred to save them for when the punishment dictated by the victors of that conflict arrived. If Almodea's faction won, they would be punished as enemies; if Yeddu's faction won, however, they would still be punished for having betrayed the trolls.

  -There was no happy ending for the orcs.

  “Huh?”

  As he mused, Gherd noticed two shadowy wings materialize behind the now-immobile Doom Orc. Soon after, the figure of a large dragon with red eyes and dark scales appeared: it too was made of shadows, as if were merely a projection not truly present there. The dragon wrapped its arms around Gherdmiude's motionless body and took flight, carrying him high into the sky.

  The two majestic creatures slowly began to disappear, leaving behind only drops of black ink that fell like early morning dew. After a few minutes, there was no trace of either the dragon or the Doom Orc—it was as if they had departed or ascended to a higher spiritual plane. Gherd didn't believe in heaven or the afterlife, but in that moment, he truly hoped his father was in a better place.

  "Lady Almodea!"

  He looked from the sky to the ground before them. The Oni woman named Shion had made her way to the spot where the ink drops had fallen. Gherd watched in amazement as the small blobs coalesced into a humanoid figure—like a mannequin—which then took the form of none other than Almodea.

  What magnificent magic...

  Shion lunged at the newly appeared demoness and hugged her, lifting her up as if she weighed nothing. The girl smiled back, letting her handle her with care—like if she was a precious object.

  "You were fantastic, Lady Almodea! I knew you were the best! I never doubted it!"

  "Thank you, Shion!"

  The two shared a quick kiss, while the others began celebrating the victory. Lizard Magnus and the Lizard Heroes began cheering along with Shen's group. They had supported each other during the fight, and a mutual respect had grown.

  -Everyone was happy: everyone except the orcs.

  They had won that battle, but at what cost? Their race was still at the mercy of the eventual victor of that conflict, and their King – the only beacon of hope they had ever had – was no longer among them.

  "Oh, my dear Father, you are finally free."

  Gherd commented, kneeling, showing respect for their deceased king. Scylla was the first to do the same, and all the other orcs followed suit; even the wounded gritted their teeth and bowed, enduring the pain of their wounds to pay their last respects to the greatest of the kings.

  “I’m sorry I couldn't save him..."

  Almodea had approached them, also paying her respects to the late Gherdmiude. Gherd nodded and stood up, shaking his head. He couldn't hold Almodea responsible for what had happened; that would be wrong. Now they had to think about the future, but first he wanted to give his father a proper funeral. He started to propose this request to his new mistress, but Scylla was quicker and spoke first.

  "You don't have to apologize, Lady Almodea!"

  The ogre declared, slapping her chest.

  “You will be remembered as the one who did everything to save our King! We couldn't have asked for more!”

  “Scylla is right.”

  Gherd declared, finally joining the conversation.

  “We are all in your debt-"

  "Yes, I doubly! You saved me twice! How can I repay you?"

  At Scylla's question, Almodea looked her over quickly, then smiled and flapped her wings three times.

  "I have a little idea, my dear Scylla. But let's talk about it later. I have something to do first."

  The girl opened her right palm. In her claws was a small yellow sphere. It almost looked like a firefly, in fact. Gherd had never seen anything like it, yet he felt a strong connection to that small, glowing object.

  “This is Gherdmiude's soul...or what I managed to recover of it.”

  Almodea declared, slightly sad.

  “I'm not yet proficient with the Absolute Devourer skill, but I think I've managed to recover most of your King's essence. It was difficult to purify it from Ruthless Devourer without damaging it too much.”

  “Is my father's soul in here?”

  “Yes, it’s his conscience. Forgive me if I couldn’t do more. Here…I believe it’s rightfully yours.”

  Gherd grabbed the sphere Almodea handed him, holding it tightly in his own hands.

  “I can feel it. It's like he's still here with me.”

  “Before he died, Gherdmiude told me to tell all of you that he was proud to be your King, and he apologizes for not being able to do more.”

  Almodea's gaze moved towards the prince and the ogre warrior.

  “Gherdmiude is proud of you. He is proud of the woman Scylla has become and of the leader his son Gherd will be when he becomes the new Orc King. He asks your forgiveness for what happened.”

  He couldn't hold back the tears as he brought the small light to his chest. Gherd could faintly sense his father's thoughts, could hear his last words echoing in his head. Without him realizing it, the sphere had moved from Gherd's hands and passed through his chest, merging with him.

  We are one now, my dear father. I will not disappoint you! I will give us orcs a happy future, no matter the price I must pay.

  It was then that he saw the woman next to him lower her head while muttering something.

  “No, my King. You must forgive me for not defending you.”

  Scylla said regretfully, before Gherd admonished her.

  "Don't say that, my faithful friend. I'm the one who needs to apologize here. I allowed my father to make a mistake, so I'm no better than he who actually made it."

  The Orc Prince then looked at Almodea and bowed to her; all the other orcs and Scylla did the same without being asked. They all already knew what their new King would do first, and no one was against it. They only hoped to be happy and never again suffer the hunger or despair they were now experiencing.

  -He didn't care about anything else.

  “Lady Almodea.”

  Gherd began, bowing his head.

  “We orcs of the Dark Jade Forest are ready to submit to you unconditionally. Punish us for our crimes, if you must. I ask only, not as King but as your devoted subject, that you punish me instead of my companions. I will accept death if I must, and— ”

  “Wow! Calm down! Calm down! Stop the record for a second, Gherd!”

  Almodea interrupted him, moving her hands nervously.

  “I have no intention of punishing you. And even if I wanted to, it's not for me to decide.”

  “Isn’t that up to you? What do you mean?”

  “I should ask my father first, Almodeus.”

  “A-Almodeus?! You mean the powerful demon who wiped out the lizardmen army?”

  Gherd looked at Lizard Magnus and the rest of the troops. He knew they'd lost to Almodeus, but he hadn't realized the city of Almy was in league with a monster even Laplace feared. He didn't truly believe Almodea was the daughter of that demon, because it was well known that demons didn't produce children, but he wasn't going to argue now. He just had to lower his head and nod.

  “Don't worry! I'll ask Dad to be lenient with all of you! I can't guarantee anything, though”

  “Thank you, Lady Almodea! When may we speak with your father?”

  “I don’t know, but I think soon enough.”

  Gherd followed Almodea's gaze, as she began to observe the troll mountain. Above the gigantic central mountain, home of Yeddu, the Troll King, a gigantic red A had appeared. With dark clouds obscuring the sun, the letter seemed to be standing in for it. In the heat of battle with the Doom Orc, none of them had noticed the change in climate, but even if someone had, it wouldn't have changed the outcome of the conflict or their decisions.

  "I feel the final battle begin now!"

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  Almodea declared, clapping her hands enthusiastically.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Two trolls stood guard just inside the main entrance to the central mountain. The two demi-humans were large and powerful, armed with battle axes and large shields, and clad from head to toe in armor as dark as night. They were part of the Troll King's elite guard. Normally, they would have served under Ipaka, the army's supreme general, so they should have been with the rest of the army for the invasion that was due to take place soon. However, by Ipaka's own orders, they and about fifty other trolls from the elite faction had remained deep within the headquarters, to defend the King.

  Given his strength, the ruler didn't need a real defense; it was simply a way to ensure no uprisings or attacks occurred. It was Laplace's idea to leave someone to support Yeddu—from what they knew, it was because of a dangerous demon commanding an army of undead. It was doubtful that the troll base could be attacked, but once the army set out the defenses would be minimal.

  “Hey, I’m hungry!”

  The first one muttered to the second one, staring into his eyes.

  “Call some females and have them bring us some food!”

  “Hey! Who are you to order me around, huh?”

  Seeing the other troll respond in kind, the first one decided to raise his battle axe, making himself bigger and more menacing. He believed himself stronger than his companion, and therefore the leader of the two; it was the simple law of the forest.

  “I said go, before I smash your face!”

  “Oh, yeah? You couldn’t win even if an unknown magical attack reduced me to a pair of lifeless legs!”

  The first guard raised a confused eyebrow, completely putting aside the reason for the argument.

  “It’s... a very specific eventuality. How could that occur to you, pal?”

  “I don't know myself, you know? I don't even know how I thought of something like that.”

  The other replied, equally confused.

  “It's like someone put words in my mouth. It's a strange feeling and— “

  Suddenly, a beam of black light appeared out of nowhere and struck the speaking troll squarely, reducing him to a pair of smoking, lifeless legs. The other could only stare in horror at the disgusting sight. What the hell had happened?

  "Eh?!Who's there!"

  He raised his shield and readied his battle axe, ready to defend himself. For some reason he, a mighty troll, felt threatened. He was certain he could defeat anyone who faced him, but an inexplicable feeling of fear had crept into his heart. Could it be that the candles illuminating the path before him had suddenly gone out? No... it was just a trick; it had to be!

  “Who’s there?! Show yourself, you coward!”

  He took a step forward, ready to strike whatever emerged from the darkness before him. The troll stopped suddenly when he heard a simple whisper. He didn't understand its meaning, but it didn't matter—after that moment, life left his body forever.

  "I hope this little trip of ours turns out to be fun, you know?"

  Nikusa commented, approaching the corpse of the troll on the left. She then examined the one on the right, fiddling with its jaw. The poor thing lay dead with his mouth wide open, a terrified expression on his face. He conjured up a small cigar and placed it on the troll's lips, then placed a mafia hat on his head.

  “Mafia Troll! New class unlocked!”

  “Okay, this was a fun one.”

  Commented a male voice behind the woman.

  “Yeah! What else can I do? Let's see...”

  "You can have all your fun you want, but the Troll King is mine. Remember that, okay?"

  Almodeus reiterated, approaching the cave. He had to keep Nikusa under control; she was more dangerous than the entire world put together. Honestly, if he hadn't intended to subdue the Troll King, he probably would have sent Nikusa alone, without even an army.

  It would have been a massacre. It would have been like sending a nuclear bomb into a little house...or even worse.

  He looked at Nikusa, noticing that the pale woman wasn't listening at all. It was always like that; there were very few people Nikusa truly respected, and Almodeus was one of them...sometimes, at least.

  “Did you understand what I told you?”

  "Yes, yes! You've already told me a thousand times – Ohhh!"

  The woman brought her hand to her nostrils, making a disgusted expression.

  “What a stink!!!"

  “True, there is a terrible smell.”

  Unlike the other one, Almodeus didn't complain about the smell and continued onward.

  Could it be a gas trap? No, it would be too difficult for such limited beings to devise...

  He could sense a light in the distance. It was probably some trolls having an untimely meal. What could he expect from such unintelligent creatures? That they had a bathroom and didn't shit where they ate? Almodeus could have killed them from a distance, but he avoided it. For now, they weren't a threat.

  "Therefore..."

  Nikusa began, waving her hand as if to chase away the stench. She was acting like a classic showbiz diva who dared not set foot in the ghettos of the poor to avoid getting dirty. It was all an act, at least in part. Rule number three when dealing with Nikusa was not to dirty her; it drove her crazy.

  "What do you intend to do, Almodeus? Exterminate everyone?"

  "No, I will try to force the King into submission. But if he gives me trouble, I will kill him. A Doom Troll is powerful, but unreliable."

  “Are you sure? It might come in handy in the future. It’s not like you to waste it.”

  “Hmph! You sound like you're the boss here! Anyway, we have plenty of deadlier and higher-level monsters at our disposal; losing Yeddu won't hurt us.”

  Almodeus knew what he was talking about. In their world, Doom Trolls were a species of demonic troll pretty common in Hell; extremely powerful, but also unstable and mindless unless they were of a high enough level. It all came down to the skill Ruthless Devourer, which, if learned by a troll, allowed them to evolve into a Doom Troll. It was a long, bloody and painful process, but whoever had led Yeddu on that path had helped him every step of the way without making him suffer any hardship.

  As they proceeded up a slope, they noticed two creatures where the descent ended.

  "It seems we're disturbing their lunch break..."

  They were two ordinary trolls, probably lower-ranking than the previous ones. Both were tearing apart carcasses that looked like goblins and Oni. If it had been up to Almodeus, he would have killed them instantly, but his plans were different.

  "Hey, you trolls! Sorry to disturb your meal, but—"

  The two turned in unison and saw him, then let out a cry towards the back of the cave, receiving a roar in response.

  "What a cheap intercom...holy patience!"

  Watching the two charge at him, Almodeus remained still.

  "Enemies! Enemies!"

  Uttering hoarse screams, one of them tried to strike him, but Nikusa punched his head off, killing him instantly.

  "Why...he doesn't regenerate?"

  The other muttered, backing away in fear. Not only had the woman before him just killed his friend with a single punch, but his colleague hadn't even regenerated, as if he were truly dead once and for all. Trolls weren't particularly intelligent, but they knew what they could and couldn't die from.

  "Because I make and break the rules as I please, didn't you know that?"

  Nikusa laughed in his face, before being passed by Almodeus.

  "I'm here to see the Troll King. Take me to him...now!"

  The troll nodded and began to lead the way, terrified. The demon's aura of terror, combined with the woman's display of strength, were the perfect ingredients for a recipe for spontaneous submission.

  "Listen, what are you going to do with this forest when this is all over?"

  Nikusa asked softly.

  "I have a plan in mind, but it will be a surprise!"

  "Ohhh! I like surprises!"

  “It's not for you... Sigh.”

  Almodeus and Nikusa advanced confidently through the cave, as if an ambush couldn't happen at any moment. It was an eventuality that, even if it did come, wouldn't pose any problem for them.

  "Mh?"

  "Have you felt it too? This energy is frightening by this world's standards."

  "Yes. You're right, Nikusa. But I wouldn't worry. It doesn't come from the Troll King."

  "Who cares? It's not our problem! And even if it were, it would be easy to solve!"

  "Um...S-Sorry?"

  The conversation was interrupted by the stammering of the poor fellow they were using as a guide.

  "We're here! The throne room is through that door!"

  "Okay. Stay here until further orders. If you move, you're dead."

  The troll trembled at Almodeus's blunt threat, then hurriedly opened the door in front of him. It revealed a vast room with a colossal throne in the center, upon which sat an even more colossal troll.

  "Here he is, King Yeddu."

  "Can I take care of this, Almodeus?"

  "No, I'll take care of it! You kill anyone who tries to escape..."

  "Ok, ok...how boring you are!"

  A normal mountain troll easily reached five meters tall, but Yeddu exceeded six meters, nearly being twice Nikusa's height. The colossus had arms as big as tree trunks and legs as hard as stone. He wore a granite crown and steel armor stained with the remains of his hearty breakfast.

  The ceiling had been raised, creating several upper levels, filled with tunnels that presumably led to every corner of the cavern. About thirty trolls stood near the supporting columns, watching the spectacle from above. It felt more like a clandestine fighting pit than a throne room.

  "I suppose you're Yeddu, the Troll King! And who's that in the corner?"

  To the untrained eye, it would have looked like Almodeus was pointing his finger into space, but his sight didn't deceive him; someone was there.

  "Can you reveal yourself and not waste my time?"

  "Curse you!"

  The wail was borne by Vennominon, who appeared out of nowhere at the spot indicated by the demon.

  "A snake man?"

  "You've eluded my camouflage! You're no ordinary—"

  "Intruder! What are you doing here?"

  The snake's complaints were quickly drowned out by the King's shouts, who rose from his throne. He wielded a huge sword, likely enchanted and very powerful, a sign that Yeddu was anything but a charlatan. Such a weapon required skill in fencing to use effectively.

  "I'm anything but an intruder..."

  Almodeus replied, with a detached tone.

  "For me you are an intruder and an intruder you will remain!"

  Yeddu answered him back, barking like a mad dog.

  "The King's words equal law! Now tell me who you are and what you want! The great Yeddu, King of the Trolls and of the Dark Jade Forest, gives you permission to introduce yourself!"

  King of the forest? Don't make me laugh...

  He moved his arm and conjured what looked like a simple walking stick – which, considering Almodeus's height, was at least as tall as an average human

  "My name is Almodeus Fearterror! I'm here to negotiate..."

  Laughter stopped the demon from continuing his speech. First the King, then the heavily armed guards, and finally the troll spectators, all stared at the demon, as if he'd said something stupid.

  "You're such an idiot if you think you can come here and make demands!"

  "I am a demon, not an idiot."

  Almodeus retorted hotly.

  “And I am the one who commands the undead armies and squads targeting your base, so logic dictates that I would be in a position to request—and be granted—an audience with you.”

  Yeddu frowned in irritation, while the laughter in the background completely stopped as everyone realized they were under attack, something they hadn't fully grasped until then. They were so far in the cave that they hadn't even realized their large army camped outside the mountain had been almost entirely exterminated.

  "You have a lot of nerve to come here and attack me! I know who you are, mister: the forest is not yours to conquer! If the snake hadn't made such a fuss, I would have killed you long ago!"

  Yeddu roared, spitting everywhere.

  "Really? May I know what stories that snake was telling?"

  "I was only speaking the truth, mysterious demon!”

  The snake man began, in a helpful and reverent tone, as if he were in the presence of a god.

  “Not knowing your true strength, it would have been suicidal to attack you!"

  Vennominon pointed out, extremely intimidated by Almodeus. Unlike Yeddu, he had immediately understood that this was not a demon to be underestimated. Few beings could detect a camouflaged being without the use of magic or enchanted objects, and Vennominon knew better than to underestimate those who could.

  "You just saved yourself with that answer. I liked your words, snake..."

  Almodeus concluded, turning his attention back to Yeddu.

  "I say we come to the point, Troll King. Submit to me and I promise you prosperity and a long life."

  "Are you an idiot?! I will never submit to a weakling like you!"

  "Weakling?"

  "Trolls, by tradition, consider those smaller than them and those who do not distinguish themselves in battle to be weak."

  Vennominon said, huddling against the wall and trying to make himself smaller and smaller so as to be excluded from the impending conflict.

  "Understood...So Yeddu, I challenge you to singular combat!"

  "To what?"

  "Sigh... I meant to duel. I challenge you to a duel!"

  Yeddu smiled at the proposition and gripped his enchanted sword even more firmly, approaching the demon.

  "All right! Come on, you idiot!"

  Almodeus remained unperturbed and raised his staff, which seemed completely harmless compared to his opponent's gigantic sword. A red beam shot out from the tip of the object and infused itself into the ground before them, spawning two Giant Skeletons. They weren't as large as Yeddu, but they were still two undead above level 40.

  “I’d like to test your strength first, what do you say?”

  Without waiting for a response, Almodeus sent the two undead into the attack. They were armed with enchanted swords with incendiary enchantments and armor that reduced damage from melee weapons. He had summoned them specifically to gain the upper hand against Yeddu, allowing him to assess whether it was really worthwhile to waste time in a duel with him.

  “You dare send me such ordinary skeletons? You're just a coward!”

  There was a roar, followed by a sword strike. The two undead soldiers, called "ordinary skeletons" by Yeddu, were shattered to pieces in a single blow. All their resistance had been completely useless; the level difference between them and the Troll King was too great.

  Interesting. I was sure he'd defeat them, but I didn't think it would take just one attack. Not even Golden Bones would stand a chance against him.

  A satisfied smile spread across Almodeus's face. As the two skeletons he'd summoned transformed into negative energy, he advanced confidently toward Yeddu, pointing at him with the common walking stick he held in his hand, using it as if it were a sword.

  “You've earned some of my time, you meat bag!”

  He declared with a tone that was a mixture of irony and satisfaction.

  “Prepare to face Almodeus Fearterror! Fear itself! The end of all things! And above all…”

  He glared at his opponent with a macabre smile that would have struck fear into even the darkest of overlords of the afterlife.

  “...The one who has never been defeated!”