User blog:Shadowblade777/Fanfic: Demonic Origins

Prologue: Dawn
''The original Demon Assassin, the Phantom, was a fable legend 500 years ago. Undoubtedly, Ilias removed all traces of her existence. But even so, the Phantom still had a grand tale...''

The sounds of a baby crying filled the Monster Lord's throne room. Several figures stood in the room as a motherly figure in the center was cradling her child. "Congratulations on your child, Your Majesty." one of the figures, a Kitsune, had said. "Teeheehee, she's quite beautiful isn't she, sister?" another figure, a big breasted succubus, said. "Why yes, she is. I'm quite excited to see the new era of Monster Lords prosper. Again, congratulations, Your Majesty." the taller, smaller breasted succubus said.

"Thank you..." the Monster Lord said as she held her child. "The Dark God will always watch over you and see you prosper. I'm proud to be your mother... Alice the Eighth."

Chapter 1: Ascendancy
"T-trouble!" a one-tailed kitsune shouted as she ran in the hallways of the Monster Lord's Castle. As she was panicking, she had bumped into Tamamo. "Hm? What's wrong little one?" Tamamo said as she knelt down beside her subordinate. "M-mistress... T-the front gate...!" the little Kitsune said as she led Tamamo to the Castle's entrance. There was a small group of residents gathered in the front, quivering as they peered out the windows: a mass of monsters approaching the castle. To Tamamo's surprise, these monsters were merely normal creatures living in Hellgondo: Vampires, Behemoths, Wyverns, and even a gigantic Kyoryuu. "W-what is this?!" Tamamo looked on in shock as she had exited the castle.

A few of the creatures had climbed the top of the steps. Without warning, they immediately attacked Tamamo. However, she did not flinch, and with a large shockwave she blew off her attackers. "They didn't hesitate... Something's very wrong here..." Tamamo muttered to herself. As more monsters approached the top of the steps, a wall of flame suddenly emerged, blocking their path. "Is this treason against your Lord?!" a booming voice had said: it was the current Monster Lord, Alice the Seventh, and was accompanied by her succubus bodyguards Lilith and Lilim, along with elder succubi and kitsune ready to defend the castle. "Unacceptable!" A chilling atmosphere had soon followed, causing the wings of the Wyverns to freeze over and a majority of them to fall to the ground, while a few managed to keep flying albeit slowed down. A torrent of darkness was launched at the Kyoryuu, striking it square in the face and causing it to collapse as well.

"My my... Someone's been misbehaving." Lilith giggled as she saw the fireworks raining by the 7th Monster Lord. "Teeheeheee... the punishment's just beginning." Lilim giggled as well. Tamamo then approached the Monster Lord. "My Lord... I'm not sure as to what's going on as well. It seems to me as if they're all... possessed." she said. "... Is that even possible? To affect a fair population of Hellgondo..." Alice the Seventh muttered to herself. "Then... all we have to do is find the one in charge, right?" another voice said. A humanoid figure appeared from the castle, wearing sleek, dark blue clothing decorated with silver intricate designs, and wore a blue bow on her head. A pair of demonic-looking swords with their pommels fused together appeared on her left hand. "Please, let me handle this... mother." the swordsman, Alice the Eighth said.

"I'm surprised you picked this style of combat... And your succubus loyalists an inspiration to your weapon's design." Alice the Seventh gauged her daughter before smiling. "I see you're ready to prove yourself as a Fateburn. Make me proud, my dear daughter." the Monster Lord had said before slithering back into the castle. "I have permission to hunt the one leading the attack. Please, defend my mother's home." Alice the Eighth said as she leaped over the flames. "Oh my... She's certainly grown up a lot~" Lilith giggled.

Alice calmly scanned the opposition as she casually swatted away the monsters that pounced at her. "Nothing out of the ordinary on the ground... What about in the air...?" she then looked at the air. Of all the flying creatures, one of them had caught her eye. Despite the distance, Alice saw the creature dropping a few feathers; Wyverns don't have feathers, so this one monster must be some sort of Harpy. Alice scanned her surroundings and spotted the Kyoryuu, slowly recovering from its weakened state. A small blockade of ground forces attempted to impede her path, but Alice easily leaped over them. The Kyoryuu made a swiping motion at Alice, but she jumped in midair and landed on the large dragon's claw, bouncing off of it and began running along the creature's long neck. The large creature made a biting motion toward Alice, but she too evaded that and jumped on its head, and leaped off. The Wyverns ahead were weighed down by the frost spell, allowing Alice to easily land and propel off of them as she got near her main target.

Indeed, the odd-figure-out was a Harpy, albeit camouflaged to look like a Wyvern. However, she quickly spotted Alice approaching her and flew back and created a heavy gust of wind, preventing Alice from advancing further. "Wailing Banshee." Alice cried out as her blade fired five dark energy waves at the Harpy. Piercing through the windstorm, the Harpy couldn't brace in time and was directly impaled by the blades, causing her to fall from the sky with a shriek. Alice landed on the ground at the same time as the Harpy fell, but the opponent quickly recovered on her feet. "Impossible... I was knocked out of the sky?!" the Harpy scowled as she engaged a martial artist stance. Alice simply pointed her own weapon at her and wagged her finger with her free hand. "Tsk tsk... You should know better than to defy Her Majesty..."

Alice the Seventh sat on the Monster Lord's throne, watching through a magic sphere of the events unfolding. She looked pleased as her daughter pressed the counterattack and her subjects driving away the attackers, but a grim look crossed her face once the mastermind behind the attack stood in a standoff with Alice the Eighth. "A high leveled Harpy... Damn, she has the nerve to invade Hellgondo with her wretched ambition?!" Alice the Seventh muttered to herself.

As the Monster Lord pondered a bit, a large crackling sound was heard in the room, accompanied by a large sphere that sparked with electricity. The sphere grew bigger and two figures emerged from it: the first was a feral-like land-based creature that landed on all fours, staring and quietly snarling at the Monster Lord; the second was an air-based creature brandishing a sword that emitted lightning and pointed it at the Monster Lord. "I see... the appetizer's almost finished, now the main dish is being served..." Alice the Seventh hissed at the two new enemies, slithered off her seat, and engaged in a battle stance. "I won't allow you to have your way! The punishment for your defiance is death!"

The Harpy charged at Alice and attacked with martial art punches and kicks, but Alice easily sidestepped. "Wow, a slow-motion Harpy!" she giggled tauntingly, only serving to anger her. "Tempest Kick!" the Harpy shouted as she swung one of her legs upward, generating a silver crescent wave. Alice simply moved to the side to avoid the attack, which struck a tree and cleanly severed it into two. "My my, what a squeak." Alice giggled, further angering her opponent. Seething with fury, the Harpy charged again, this time moving much faster, but Alice still evaded, narrowly avoiding damage. "Damn you!"

Alice took the opportunity to attack, but the Harpy crossed her arms in front of her and withstood the attack. Alice could feel her blade grinding into her feathers; quickly realizing that the feathers were hardened as steel, she backed away. This, however, would give the Harpy an opening, who immediately charged Alice again. This prompted a block, but the force of her opponent's punch made her slide back a great distance. "My my, aren't you eager? Very well, the fun starts now!" Alice giggled again.

"Tempest Flurry!" The Harpy shot out multiple silver crescent waves. "Wailing Banshee." Alice smirked as she retaliated with her own black crescent waves, offsetting each others. The Harpy again made a mad dash, but this time she slid to Alice's side and went behind her. Alice followed her movements and pivoted to slash, but the Harpy again crossed her arms and blocked the attack, following up with a heavy push. Alice took the brunt of the attack and slid backward, barely managing to stablize herself before her opponent made another follow-up. "Skyward Gale!" the Harpy made another charge as Alice was sliding backward, and made a heavy thrusting kick to launch Alice into the air, and then leaped after her.

"Oh no no, this won't do. Wrath's Shackles." Alice giggled as she regained her composure in the air and her weapon shot out a shadowy chain at the Harpy, restraining her and interrupting her advances. Alice then forcefully slammed the surprised Harpy into the ground, and with gravity taking effect shortly after, she dropped onto the Harpy, using her feet to pin her wings and plunged her blade down, stabbing into the flesh. A loud scream was let loose as the victim struggled; her legs were then lifted up and caught Alice in a vice-grip, and proceeded to throw her off and into the air again. "You... bastard! How dare you?!" the Harpy growled as she got back onto her feet. She then flung herself at Alice and wrapped her wings around, spinning the pair with great force as they descended to the ground. "Shattering Drive!"

"Haven't you heard the same trick doesn't work twice?" Alice giggled as she firmly placed her free hand onto the Harpy's chest. "Deadly Specter." An explosion then rocked on Alice's hand, impacting the Harpy and forcing her to release her grip, allowing Alice to stabilize herself on the Harpy and jump off, sending her to the ground once more. She struggled to stand back up and brace herself from another attack, but suddenly fell onto one knee. "I've had so much fun dancing~! But I think it's time to wrap this up now~ Abyssal End!" Alice came crashing down with a double sweep, generating a large explosion at the climax. The force was enough to cause the Harpy to tumble away.

Despite the beating the Harpy received, she was still on her knees, panting. "Hm? Even slowly rotting away from Ghastly Toxin... Even after all that damage, she's still alive..." Alice calmly said. "Hehehe... Hahahahahahahaha!" the Harpy suddenly laughed maniacally as she stared down Alice. "I've succeeded... Soon it'll... all crash down... Finish me!" the Harpy screeched. "Sheesh, now you're just being irritating and a bore. Farewell, trash. Astral Phantom." Alice sighed as her dark power formed five astral projections that assaulted the Harpy, finishing off her opponent once and for all. The Harpy collapsed backward, finally dead for good.

Following the Harpy's death, the creatures of Hellgondo attacking the castle suddenly ceased fire, all looking around confused. After a bit of pause, they all went away from the castle. "I knew it... mind control." Tamamo muttered to herself as the defenders cheered. "Teeheehee, Alice was such a splendid dancer." Lilith giggled. "Yes she is, big sister. Such a wonderful youthful girl." Lilim giggled as well. The three went ahead to meet up with Alice, who looked on the horizon with a little smile. "Mother... would be... p-proud...?" However, almost immediately after saying 'proud', Alice suddenly collapsed onto her knees, shivering and shaking. "Alice!" Tamamo cried out and went down by her side. "W-what is... F-fear...? W-why...?" Alice shivered and curled up even after Tamamo was trying to shake her to her senses. "M-mother...? Mother...! Mother!" Alice cried out as she suddenly ran back to the castle, running past the Harpy's corpse, a sly grin on its face.

"Mother!" Alice darted into the throne room, tears in her eyes. Before she could look around, a white blinding flash suddenly occurred, obscuring her vision. When it faded, Alice scanned the room; she discovered Alice the Seventh lying on the ground. "Mother!!!" Alice cried out as she knelt beside the Monster Lord, turning her body upright. The young Alice's eyes were filled with shock and horror as she saw her mother's corpse: heavy lacerations covered her entire body. She was clearly dead, assassinated; the whole mind controlling fiasco was just a diversion. "Mother... You can't be dead... Please... Mother!!!" Alice wept as Tamamo, Lilith, and Lilim arrived, all shocked to discover the horrific scene. "Damn it... I shouldn't... have left her side..." Alice begun to blame herself, but Lilith and Lilim approached her and hugged her, trying to calm her down.

"Her Majesty would have been proud of you, please don't weep." Lilith said. "You protected the castle. Of course Her Majesty would have been pleased." Lilim had said. "We can't blame ourselves, dear Alice. All we can do is investigate and move forward for the future. That's what Her Majesty would have wanted even if something like this were to befall her..." Tamamo said to Alice. She continued to sniffle and weep as the succubi pair continued to comfort her. "Horrible... Why didn't I realize it all sooner..." Tamamo muttered to herself as she scanned the deceased Monster Lord. But just like Alice, her eyes were filled with shock and horror once she came to a conclusion. "Harpy... These claw marks... and blade trails and burns... It can't... It can't be...!"

A feral-like creature let out an angry roar at its detainers, who locked it in chains and shot tranquilizers at it to keep it sedated. "Away, beast!" As it was trying to resist its cage, a winged creature passed by, her sword sheathed, as she entered a hut. Inside was another, regal-like creature. "Well, well. I'm surprised you finished the deed." she said, turning to face the creature before her. "She put up a good resistance by herself, but clearly no match for a battle-hardened expert and a ravenous beast." The winged monster had said. "I'll admit it was a smart ploy to divert the defending force to the front lines and send assassins to eliminate the leader. This is your plan after all, and seeing how well its going, I'll allow you to finish taking control." The regal-like creature said. "Once that seat is mine..." the winged creature had said. "Nothing can stop the world from meeting its demise."

The Monster Lord's Castle's citizens had finished burying Alice the Seventh's body. As the citizens were finishing their prayers, Tamamo spoke with Lilith and Lilim on the sidelines. "I hope Alice will be alright..." Lilim said. "Don't worry little sister. She'll be a strong woman these days." Lilith replied. "Tamamo... what should we do?" The succubus sisters asked with a hint of worry. "Hmph. For now we should repair the damage dealt to the throne room. With a somewhat large-scaled assault on the castle, I estimate it'll take a week for news to spread outside of Hellgondo. I want her Majesty to be ready for when that time comes. It's clear someone wants to seize the throne for their own gain. Whatever nefarious deed will it be, her Majesty must not allow that to happen. Understood?" Tamamo spoke. The two succubus nodded in agreement.

"Mother..." the young Alice knelt over her mother's buried body and placed flowers over her grave. "Please watch over me... I'll become the Eighth Monster Lord and make you proud of the continued line... I'll find that selfish bitch that took you away... I'll play with them lots... and give them a swift, clean death for what they've done... I swear... as the Demon Assassin: Phantom."

Chapter 2: Throne
"It's been a week since that dreadful day..." Alice the Eighth knelt beside her mother's grave. "I miss you, every day. That fox and those sisters keep watching over me, making sure I grow up to be a nice, healthy, young ruler like you wished me to. Today's that day... where I finally prove myself worthy as the heiress of the Monster Lord. Mother, please give me strength... I'll find whoever did this..."

Alice got up. A hand then placed itself on her shoulder; Alice turned to find Tamamo standing next to her. "I miss your mom and your grandparents too." she said. "But you've grown quite strong over the years I've watched you. Are you ready to show your worth to Alipheese the Seventh?" Alice the Eighth slowly nodded. Tamamo smiled. "Good. We're almost about to start the coronation."

The pair walked to the main hall, where numerous monsters were waiting and chatting. "Greetings, Lady Alipheese. The stage is set, ready for the star to shine." Lilith giggled, giving a curtsy. "Teeheehee! I'm sure you'll give a splendid performance, Lady Alipheese!" Lilim also giggled. "Ahem! Attention!" Tamamo called out, hushing the commotion as all eyes on her. "We will now begin the coronation! I present to you, Alipheese the Eighth!" Alice then stood in front of her aides. "Hello! I'm Alipheese the Eighth! It's very nice to meet you all!" she said as she gave a curtsy, smiling innocently as she held her stuffed bear and waved with her free hand. "As is tradition, if any feel as though they're worthy for the Monster Lord's throne, speak now or we shall continue the ceremony."

Alice simply stood before the audience as they murmured; in actuality she was secretly scanning the crowd through her poker face. It did not take long for majority of them to rear back in shock from merely her presence alone. "N-no way... She looks young but... What kind of power does she have? What the hell is she?!" voices said as their owners trembled and backed away slowly, fearful of Alice, her innocent look serving as a facade to her intense bloodlust. However, one of stood forward, unfazed. "Actually, I want to give it a shot." the figure said as she removed her hood and faced Alice. She was a dragonkin, with massive black and purple wings, long and curled horns, and a thick tail, and decorated with numerous black scales. "Monster Lord Abbadon the Destroyer. A brilliant title and governmental power to ensure the world burns." The entire throne room was shocked by the challenger's sudden proposal, even Tamamo, Lilith, and Lilim were quite surprised.

"Abby the Destroyer, huh? Tee hee." Alice giggled. She had recognized the name: a survivor of the Great Monster Wars, with a peerless skill in the lightning element and exceptional martial arts and swordsmanship. Despite her role in the war, nearly 50 years ago Abbadon attacked a sacred site while declaring herself as 'the destroyer of the world.' "Oh, what's a ceremony without some dancing?" Alice said. Despite the odds clearly stacked against her, Alice continued putting on an innocent smile to the seasoned war veteran. "Very well, you and I to the arena at once." Abbadon then bowed. "Is an oppressive aura all you have? Show me why they fear you Alipheese the Eighth!"

Everyone headed outside, following Tamamo, Lilith, Lilim, and Alice. "This wide outdoor expanse will be our battleground. The rest of you may watch from the top of these steps." Alice said as she handed her stuffed bear to Lilith and Lilim before showcasing the forest. She then levitated, gently floating down to the bottom of the stairs. At the same time, Abbadon spread her massive wings and took flight, landing at the bottom at the same time as Alice did. "Let's fight to the death, shall we? Or at least until one of us surrenders. Show me the power of the Monster Lord! Show me why our audience should fear you and not me!" Abbadon shouted as she cracked her knuckles. "Tee hee hee. Very well, challenge accepted! May the best monster win, Abby." Alice giggled. "The challenger, Abbadon, verses the heiress to the throne, Alipheese the Eighth! May the best mon--" Tamamo announced, but was eventually cut off by Abbadon. "Blah bah blah! Get on with it you stupid fox!" Abbadon shouted. "Tch. Ready, set, begin!"

Chapter 3: Light(ning) and Darkness - The Awakening
Abbadon made her first move. With incredible speed, backed by the force of wind on her wings, Abbadon suddenly grabbed Alice by her throat and held her up. "Voltage Choke!" she then administered a heavy dose of voltage shock on Alice, electrocuting her heavily before releasing her from her grasp. Alice landed and slumped on her knees, seemingly paralyzed, as Abbadon suddenly delivered a powerful kick to her, sending her flying into a tree. Alice recovered, dusting herself off. "My my, what a literal shock, Abby!" Alice giggled. "No pleasure attacks? I suppose we're skipping ahead in the dance, then~" She said as she fired blasts of dark energy from her palms. Abbadon evaded, but the blasts quickly turned around and darted back, impaling her from behind, almost causing her to lose balance. "Oof! Quite the mischievous little girl aren't you?" Abbadon smirked.

Alice continued to fire blasts of dark energy, but Abbadon, now more aware of the attack's nature, dodged the blasts with ease. Abbadon unfurled her wings and boosted toward Alice, grabbing her by the throat again. She lifted her up and turned her around toward the returning projectiles. Alice feebly struggled, only to disappear from Abbadon's grasp. "W-what?!" Abbadon looked on in shock as the oncoming projectiles pelted her instead, this time knocking her off balance. Alice reappeared from behind a tree, giggling. "Oh my, don't be so careless~" She said as she began to conjure magic, a swirl of flames beginning to form around Abbadon. "Disintegrate in the flames of hell! Omega Blaze!" Alice declared as a storm of flame engulfed Abbadon, charring her in a scorching whirlpool. "Argh!" Abbadon roared as she burst out of the top of the whirlpool, looking down at Alice. "Aww... You don't want to roast in the oven? Very well, how about chilling in the freezer? Let the icy touch of death embrace you! Frost Ozma!" Alice radiated magical power again and the temperature in the air rapidly dropped, freezing over Abbadon's wings and causing her to lose control of her flight and descend to the ground. "D-damn you!" Abbadon snarled under her breath as the frozen air began to freeze over her body. "Nearly cooked to perfection, frozen just right, what am I forgetting? Oh yes, the finishing touches!" Alice giggled and skipped over to Abbadon. "See for yourself, the power of the Monster Lord! Monster Lord's Cruelty!" Alice shouted and let loose a powerful blast of darkness onto the frozen-over Abbadon.

The sound of a powerful explosion. Shards of ice were flying. Screams were heard. A loud thump, followed by panting. Abbadon clearly took massive damage from Alice's magical power. "Oh... Is the dance over already?" Alice looked on curiously. Suddenly, thunder from the sky struck Abbadon, disintegrating the remaining ice on her body; she began to levitate back upright, letting out a berserker-like cry as lightning sparks flew out from her body, one of which grazed Alice's cheek and zapped her. "I won't deny... your strength..." Abbadon growled through her teeth. "But... you're starting to cross a line... you wish you hadn't crossed!" Abbadon let out a loud roar before darting at Alice at supersonic speed and grabbed her by the throat again. "Voltage Choke!" Abbadon immediately administered an electric shock on contact before slamming her into the ground. "Thunderclap Kick!" Abbadon quickly lifted one leg up and dropped an axe kick on Alice, creating a large electric explosive surge, its radiating power shacking the forest. Abbadon smirked as she picked up the now-paralyzed Alice. "Not so hotshot now, are you?" Abbadon forcefully threw Alice onto the ground, causing her to bounce back upward. "Thunderous Fist!" Abbadon generated lightning into her fist and used a powerful backhand punch on Alice, electrocuting her and sending her flying through tree after tree after tree.

Alice was now on one knee, panting after the relentless assault. "Hmph. Still breathing? Fine, no more playtime." Abbadon growled as she drew a black blade and charged it with lightning. "Behold, my blade. I named it: Deshimeta." Abbadon said as she brandished her sword and engaged a stance. Alice panted and managed to get back on her feet, glaring at Abbadon. "What a defiant little girl! Are you ready? I'll finish you off here and now... Black Lightning Assassination!" The black figure robed in lightning darted at Alice, who narrowly avoided the charge, but then quickly turned around and struck her back three times in succession. Alice generated a magic barrier to defend against the rear slashes, but cracked on the first and second hits and shattered completely on the third hit, Abbadon's blade striking Alice's chest, barely missing her heart. Alice let out a gasp as she grasped her chest and started to cough up blood, but still stood strong. "Impressive. But can you handle this next attack? Demon Stinger Blade!" Abbadon lunged forward and rapidly thrust her lightning-charged blade five times toward Alice, who once again tried to safeguard herself behind a magic barrier, but the barrage cracked and shattered her defenses again, the final thrust once again nearly grazing Alice's chest. She was now down on her knees, continuing to cough up blood.

"And yet you're still alive?" Abbadon approached Alice and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the ground. "Amazing... How you've managed to wriggle for so long." she said as Alice squirmed in her grasp. Abbadon shot lightning into the sky and flew up with Alice in tow. While high into the air, storm clouds began to surround the pair and Abbadon dropped Alice onto a cloud, which turned out to be a solid surface. Abbadon landed in her storm arena. "Take a good look at your surroundings. You cannot leave and any who try to enter will be violently dealt with by lightning." she said as her Deshimeta glowed with a red light and levitated beside its master. The blade then rushed into Abbadon as a light filled the area, a barrage of thunderbolts from the storm cloud repeatedly striking the light source. As the light faded, Abbadon had appeared to have merged with the Deshimeta; she was clad, head to toe, in a dark armor that appeared flexible, yet durable and was charged with lightning. "Ah... I haven't used this since the Great Monster Wars... You should feel honored to have an audience with the Lightning Bruiser!" Abbadon declared as she cracked her knuckles.

Small fragments of Abbadon's armor had split off to form Deshimeta. "Be shredded by the unrelenting storm! Black Tyrant Wyvern Blade!" Abbadon shouted as she spun rapidly, transforming into a black devastating cyclone approaching Alice. The attack slammed into her, a heavy barrage of slashes tore into Alice and sent her flying into the electric border of the cloud arena, causing her to scream in pain as she was electrocuted before jumping out. "Sheesh... I'm glad there isn't an audience now..." Alice muttered under her breath as she got back on her feet again. Abbadon glared in response. "I tire of your persistence! Thunderous Fist!" Abbadon roared and charged in with an electrified punch. Alice calmly materialized her double-bladed demonic sword in her hand and responded by directly slashing the fist; sparks of lightning and darkness flew off from the collision, cancelling each other's attacks and causing them to slide backward. "W-what?!" Abbadon was shocked to discover her attack was negated, and leaped backward in response. Her eyes stared down at Alice and was surprised at what she saw: her entire clothing changed from a gothic lolita dress to a dark blue clothing with silver-colored designs, and was armed with a double-bladed demonic sword.

"Lightning Bruiser, you say?" Alice asked. "After analyzing the crime scene of my mother's passing, there were traces of a powerful lightning. Am I right to accuse you of murder and treason against the Monster Lord?" Alice glared. Abbadon raised an eyebrow, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Oh, first you struggle feebly, then you change your get-up and now you're claiming I killed the Monster Lord? Things are suddenly getting interesting!" Abbadon continued to laugh. "Yes... I planned it all. I had a Harpy mercenary use mind control on the beings that roam Hellgondo to distract the front lines, all so I could assassinate your mother! She fought valiantly, but alas she was overwhelmed! A shame, too, the great Monster Lord easily fell to my lightning!" Abbadon's laughter slowly died down as small fragments of her armor had split off to form Deshimeta. "But you... the daughter of the Monster Lord... You're showing a lot of promise. Ah, my blood's boiling! It'll be quite satisfying to duel with you until the death!"

"I see..." Alice calmly gripped her blade as she stared down Abbadon, but then brought a hand to her mouth and giggled. "Tee hee hee... This Demon Assassin, this Phantom, bearing the Demon's Curse... I'll happily take my time toying with my new doll... And when I'm done, your life will meet a bloody bloom. Isn't that wonderful~?"

The sounds of loud thunderous booms and flashes of light were heard and seen outside of Abbadon's cloud arena. The spectators looked on in awe, but the most concerned one of the group was Tamamo. "Damn that Abbadon..." she muttered under her breath. "She's really going all out. I don't think any coronation in the past had been that intense before! But I'm sure you'll manage my dear Alice, even though you have different tactics as your seven predecessors there's no reason for you not to succeed further."

The Lightning Bruiser and Demon Assassin collided into each other at incredible speed, evening clashing their weapons. "For a young Cursed Sword user, I'm amazed you can keep up with me." Abbadon said. "But of course. I read books about magic and the Cursed Sword were I need to ever defend myself, and so I came up with this design." Alice replied. "I even read stories about Abbadon's involvement in the Great Monster Wars. Such a shame, a hero descended into violence and chaos." Alice leaped back and twirled her weapon. "Tch, I care not for heroism! The world is now a pointless endeavor, and I shall see it in its rightful place as mere rubble!" Abbadon darted toward Alice and took the offensive, but her attacks were parried off. "And you believe killing my mother and stealing my seat will support you? What a fiendish act. My dear Abby, I suppose listening to reason is beyond you, and for simply that you shall be executed." Alice leaped over Abbadon and thrust her rear blade at her, but Abbadon quickly turned around and parried the attack away.

Abbadon quickly reached to grab Alice while she was thrown back from the parry. "Voltage Choke!" Abbadon let loose a heavy voltage shock with Alice in her grip before dropping her, then raised her sword overhead, charged it with electricity, and proceeded to slam it downward with heavy force. However Alice quickly performed a tech and evaded the swing, and darted in as Abbadon pulled her blade back. "Wailing Banshee!" Alice cried as she fired dark energy blades at Abbadon with success, however, she did not flinch. "You managed to strike me with that flimsy blade of yours? How entertaining! Black Lightning Assassination!" Abbadon laughed as she dashed through Alice and turned around to strike her rear with incredible speed, however Alice narrowly evaded the frontal charge and before Abbadon could strike on the return Alice snapped her fingers. "Deadly Specter." Abbadon's attack was suddenly interrupted by an explosion on her person, causing her to trip and land face-first into the ground, granting a free opening for Alice to slice her. "Gah! You rotten bitch!" Abbadon shouted as she slammed the ground with a lightning charged fist that sent a shockwave outward, but Alice quickly backed off after scoring a few hits in.

"Tee hee hee..." Alice giggled as Abbadon got back on her feet, ready to attack again. "Demon Stinger Blade!" Abbadon charged again with rapid thrusts. "Wraith's Shackles." Alice's weapon fired a shadowy leash that wrapped itself on Abbadon's blade and she yanked backward, causing Abbadon to lose balance yet again and flew into the electric border of the cloud arena, causing her to scream in pain before she jumped out. "My my my, have I already discovered Abby's weakness?" Alice giggled as Abbadon was panting. "How dare you mock me! Be shredded by the unrelenting storm! Black Tyrant Wyvern Blade!" Abbadon shouted as she spun rapidly, transforming into a black devastating cyclone approaching Alice. "Astral Phantom." Alice calmly gripped her sword and fired five dark astral projections that assaulted the black cyclone, cancelling Abbadon's attack and causing her to slide backward. "W-what?!" Abbadon was shocked to discover one of her strongest attacks was negated, and collapsed on one knee.

"As I was saying..." Alice continued. "Terribly overconfident and reckless. Eager to finish me off, you burned away all of your power, anticipating that I wouldn't survive. But now that I've seen your attacks, I now know how to counter them with ease. A grave miscalculation on your part, Abby." Abbadon got back on her feet and stared at Alice with a menacing glare, manifesting red glowing eyes, her rage clearly pushed beyond the brink. "Oh Alice... You should just have stayed on the ground. If I can't have the throne, I'll send you and the rest of this island into oblivion!" Abbadon released a war cry before darting into the sky at blinding speeds, tearing a hole in the roof of the cloud arena. As Alice peered up, she noticed the skies were surging with lightning, and Abbadon rapidly descending like a lightning-charged meteor. "Black Alice! You fiend! Who's going to save you now?! Face your doom before I destroy the world! Oblivion Bomber!"

"Oh dear... She's really desperate now. Abyssal End!" Alice slashed her blade in the center of the cloud arena creating a black hole that vacuumed in the entire arena, causing Alice to drop from the sky as she watched Abbadon descend. The vortex pulled Abbadon downward, seemingly catching her with its gravitational pull, and created a large explosion that filled the sky. Alice looked on, but her eyes widened in shock as the lightning meteor continued to descend to the ground, slamming into Alice with full force and rapidly brought her down back to Hellgondo. Alice could feel her life flashing before her eyes, but she quickly shut them tightly. "D-damn...! I won't... I won't go out... like this...! I swear... I'll defeat you before that ever happens!" Alice screamed as the meteor collided on the island, creating a massive earthquake that shook the earth and released a massive shockwave that had a high probability of tearing down the Monster Lord's Castle and leveling off all of Hellgondo's mountain tops.

"Hahahahaha!" Abbadon laughed triumphantly as Alice laid down beneath her, seemingly unconscious but her body intact. "Now I hope you recognized the true terror of Abbadon the Destroyer!" Abbadon continued to laugh until she heard the sound of a groan. "W-what?! N-no!" Abbadon looked down on Alice as she was groaning. Her eyes opened and stared into Abbadon's as she slowly got back up again. "H-how can this be?! How are you still in one piece?!" Abbadon roared as she took a step back, but her wobbly, tired legs gave way and she fell on her knees, with fear in her eyes. "O-ouch... At least I... negated the disaster." Alice panted as she looked around her surroundings, a dark realm encompassing the pair. "Welcome to Phantom's World. I've... transferred majority of the impact into this... dimensional space, free from... society." Alice was panting, the pair clearly pushed beyond the limits. The realm's dark space began to distort, releasing the two from Phantom's World, now standing in a large crater that was created by Oblivion Bomber. Alice's clothes had also reverted back to the gothic lolita, while Abbadon's dark armor had vanished. The spectators were murmuring with themselves, witnesses of Abbadon's initial impact.

"D-damn you...! Black... Alice! You demonic cur...! I... I yield..." Abbadon snarled, but was heavily panting and clearly exhausted, stunning the audience into silence. "But... this... isn't... over!" Abbadon glared as she spread her wings and took off into the skies. "Abby... I... defeated her...? M-mother..." Alice muttered as she fainted, collapsed and worn from the intense battle, but with a smile on her face.

"Hm hm... It seems we have our victor!" Tamamo declared from the audience. "If no one has any objections to the outcome, then our Lady Alipheese the Eighth will be conferred the title of Monster Lord!" There were a few seconds of silence before a bit of muttering began. "W-what the hell... What kind of battle did they have up there?!" one person said. "D-damn... If she could make such a powerful dragonkin submit to her...!" Another said. "What power... no normal being should ever cross those two!" As the audience kept talking among themselves, Tamamo smiled. "Very well then! Please give a round of applause for the new Monster Lord: Alipheese the Eighth!" Tamamo shouted, which was shortly followed by the sound of clapping. Tamamo looked over the new Monster Lord, having passed out with a smile. "Astounding... To have even defeated of the greatest destructive forces since the Great Monster Wars..."

An insect girl stood atop a high tree. A large beetle flew from the horizon and latched itself onto the insect girl's arm. "Uh-huh. I see." she said as if she communicated with the beetle. "Amazing... To think the Eighth Monster Lord bested the destructive beast..." the insect girl smirked as she began to flutter her wings. "Curious. I want to feel her power for myself. I want to see if she if the throne rightfully belongs to her and not that destructive beast." the monster giggled as she flew off into the sky.

Chapter 4: Tranquility and Harmony
The coronation had ended after Alice's victory, and it only took three days for her to recover from her battle with Abbadon the Destroyer. Since then, she was quickly seated on the Monster Lord's throne, as the new leader of the monster race. "Mother... The one who slew you... I defeated her. I won't let her or any of her conspirators have the throne!" Alice spoke aloud to herself. "After I deal with them all... only then shall you be truly avenged..."

As Alice was pondering to herself, there was a knock on the door. "Lady Alipheese? You have a visitor." Tamamo's voice rang from the other side of the door. "Oh? A Visitor? Please do come in." Alice replied. The door opened and a sole figure approached the throne, placed one hand on her chest, and bowed. "Greetings, Lord Alice." She was an insect monster, a Butterfly Girl, with large blue wings, a two-piece white dress, short heeled shoes, blue short hair, sapphire eyes, and a flowered head wreath. A large beetle was latched onto her arm, and on her back was a double-bladed halberd with one short blue-colored blade and one long pink blade decorated in cherry blossom patterns. To Alice's surprise, she could sense a calm, serene aura from the creature's warm smile. "My name is Serenity, Insect Princess of Sectforest. I'm also known as the Tranquility Princess."

"My my..." Alice got off her throne and approached Serenity, observing her. "Tranquility Princess indeed! To be visited by such elegance!" Alice smiled and did a curtsy. "Oh no, the honor's all mine, your majesty!" Serenity replied. "I've come with a request. As you recall, a Harpy led an assault on the Monster Lord's Castle, correct? I've some information relating to that incident; I apologize, but I want to see for myself if Lord Alice is truly worthy. I have no doubts of Her Majesty's abilities, of course." Serenity said as she fixated her eyes on Alice. Alice gasped a bit before quickly returning to a calm, collected composure. "Oh? Interesting offer, Lady Serenity. Your complexion appears to tell no lies. Your apology has been accepted." Alice then closed her eyes. "I suppose to win your allegiance I must show you my capabilities? Very well, I agree to your terms."

"Splendid!" Serenity clapped before unsheathing her weapon while remaining in a neutral stance. "This weapon is called an Insect Glaive, and the beetle is my treasured friend, Harmony." Serenity explained as she sheathed her weapon. "You can expect gracefulness in my and Harmony's movements. In addition, Harmony serves as my 'third eye' and reconnaissance, and during your coronation battle with Abbadon she's seen your... true abilities. I apologize for uncovering your secret." Alice gasped again at the final mention, but quickly got into a stance and materialized into her Demon Assassin form. "Oh dear, do I have to hide my secret strength better? You're just full of surprises, Tranquility Princess!" Alice giggled, weapon ready.

"Please, have the first move." Serenity offered. Alice darted in with an aggressive thrust, but Serenity calmly walked to the side, evading with ease. Alice followed by a series of rapid attacks, all of which Serenity evaded with little effort. "By the fluidity of your attacks, I can tell you're no slouch, Alice." Serenity commented. "My my, someone's rather elusive, yet so calm at the same time." Alice said. "Clairvoyance." Serenity replied with a soft smile. "With my impeccable eyesight, I can see the movement of your attacks and know where they will strike. After that, I simply need to stand aside." Alice raised an eyebrow. "Oh...? Dear Abby would never play as defensively as this... Intriguing. You'll make a fun playmate for sure!" Alice giggled.

"Wailing Banshee!" Alice fired five dark crescent waves at Serenity, but despite their impressive speed, Serenity evaded all with ease, as if she was dancing around them. "Wraith's Shackles!" Alice smirked and quickly followed up with a shadowy leash from her blade, darting towards Serenity to where she would be heading as she waded around the crescent waves. "Aha! Caught you!" Alice smirked as the leash successfully ensnared Serenity, and proceeded to reel her in and make a wide slash across her chest. "A commendable effort, Lord Alice." Serenity said as she recoiled backward with a smile. "A mere moments since I displayed my abilities and you've already found my blindspot. Excellent, I no longer need to hold back!"

"Harmonic Resonance: Third Eye!" Serenity declared as the beetle on her arm unfurled and rapidly fluttered its wings, while Serenity unsheathed her weapon. "I see... Using your companion to cover your blindspots." Alice commented. "Correct, you catch on very quick. Of course, there's more to that than meets the eye." Serenity giggled as she made a thrusting motion with her glaive, prompting Alice to leap backward. While in the leaping motion, Alice's eyes widened in surprise as she spotted Harmony boarding the rear of the glaive. "Harmonic Resonance: Beetle Impact!" Serenity then swung her glaive forward with full force, sending Harmony flying at supersonic speeds toward Alice, directly impacting her chest and knocking her off balance. Serenity wasted no time approaching Alice, striking her cheek before using her glaive to vault herself away from Alice's retaliation as Harmony reattached itself to Serenity's arm.

"Indeed, the Tranquility Princess shows promise! How exciting!" Alice smiled as she wiped the blood off her cheek. "I'm glad I could please you, your majesty! Of course, you're doing far better than I expected!" Serenity replied with a curtsy. Alice calmly took a deep breath and snapped her fingers. "Deadly Specter." Alice smirked as a small explosion erupted on Harmony, disorienting the insect pair. "Ahh! When did-- During Beetle Impact...? Calculative even when surprised, how astounding..." Serenity said aloud to herself as Alice quickly went in to exploit the opening. "Abyssal End!" Alice attempted two wide slashes, but Serenity recovered quickly and leaped away; however Harmony, having received the brunt of the detonation, was too dazed to react and caught in the attack, becoming at mercy of a large catastrophic explosion.

"Ah... Harmony...!" Serenity gasped as the explosion cleared, at the midst Harmony was laying on its underside, apparently unconscious. "Mm... You did well, take your well-earned rest." Serenity smiled as she reattached the beetle to her arm before turning to face Alice. "Without Harmony in the way, your blindspot vulnerability returns. You fought very well, much better than the dimwitted Abby. Shall I end this once and for all? Astral Phantom." Alice calmly said as she fired astral projections at Serenity. "A well-thought out plan, Lord Alice. To eliminate the being that covered my backside." Serenity commented as she sheathed her weapon while closing her eyes. "However... Harmony wasn't the only coverage. Serene Demon Sword." As the projections approached, Serenity opened her eyes and pulled out her blade at an extreme speed, cutting down the projections in a single slash before they could reach her, ending with her weapon remaining on her back. "O-oh dear..." Alice's eyes widened in shock.

"Let's call it a tie, hm?" Serenity said. "I've only used a fraction of my power, and there's no need for me to go all out. After all, this was only a test of mettle, and you most certainly pass." Alice looked on, beginning to sweat a little and breathing a bit heavy. "She evaded my attacks with ease, she had perfect resonance with another creature... A Cursed Sword user that embodies the power of water... Tranquility Princess indeed." Alice muttered before taking deep breaths. "Do not worry, Lord Alice." Serenity bowed. "You're only in your youth, it's natural for you to continue to nurture your abilities. It took me a very long time to comprehend the power of water, too. But I have faith that one day, you'll master the power of darkness."

Serenity then knelt before the Monster Lord. "Lord Alipheese the Eighth, as promised for your showmanship, I offer you my undying loyalty as representative of Sectforest, and the Tranquility Princess. Please, allow me to aid you in your journey to defeat Abbadon." Alice looked a little stunned and shocked before regaining her composure. "Rise, Tranquility Princess Serenity and Insect Glaive Harmony! This Monster Lord welcomes you and your kin with open arms!" Serenity then took Alice's hand and pressed her forehead against its top, then looked up at the giggling Alice with a smile.

Chapter 5: Cursed Sword - The Deadly Deviants
The two new female friends stood atop the Monster Lord's Castle, gazing over the horizon of Hellgondo's mountains. "Beautiful, is it not?" Alice said. "Yes it is, my Lord." Serenity replied, standing next to Alice. "The world beyond is grand and vast. But alas, I have somber news to report. As you recall, a Harpy led an assault on Her Majesty's Castle. It appears the avian race has been increasingly active as of late, mobilizing in the southern regions. Even Sectforest was attacked recently. I doubt this is coincidental, and a direct assault on Her Majesty's Castle seems to indicate they intend to declare war on not only me and you, but against the entire world..."

"The whole world, huh? Oh how the birdbrains degraded into savagery and feral" Alice giggled. "From what I've unearthed, it appears that Abbadon the Destroyer had joined their ranks. Along with a Behemoth that has completely gone feral and berserk. The current Queen Harpy must possess incredible leadership and power if she has two dreaded beasts under her control..."

In Ilias Continent's Harpy Village, a black Dragonkin flew in and entered the hut belonging to the Queen Harpy. Her royal elegance appeared to be a facade, as numerous battle scars covered her body. "Well well, if it isn't Abbadon, the one and only from the Great Monster Wars. To what do I owe the pleasure?" the Queen Harpy sneered. "I've heard you grew careless when challenging Alipheese. Oh, how the mighty have fallen." she continued sarcastically.

"I'm just going to get to the point." Abbadon muttered. "You want to see the world burn, don't you? To bring the world into everlasting warfare like the Great Monster Wars. Let's join forces together, we'll bring everything back to zero!" Abbadon offered. "Fuhuhu... You're really desperate for my help aren't you?" Queen Harpy said slyly, wearing down Abbadon's patience. "Still, perhaps an alliance might help our cause. You see, my spies reported multiple powerful warriors scattered across the world, powerful enough to decimate my armies and rival my power. As long as all those other warriors are gone, there won't be anything stopping the wildfire from spreading. Despite your failure, you may be useful to me yet."

Abbadon growled under her breath. "So we have an agreement, then? I want to kill the one who abandoned me. I want to overthrow the Monster Lord and have her watch her world be destroyed right before her eyes..."

A loud roar shook Harpy Village. A Behemoth was kept in a cage, angrily slashing away at the bars. The Harpies tried their best to keep it detained with restraint magic and sedatives, but the cage finally gave away. The closest Harpy was brutally assaulted by the creature, her flesh torn asunder by massive claws, her meat and bone ravaged and gnawed upon the beast's jaws. The creature had no hesitation to feed on its Harpy prey, before releasing another feral roar. Harpy reinforcements quickly arrived, using magic to rebuild the cage and increased the restraints and sedatives. The Behemoth released one final roar before finally succumbing.

"Ohohoho..." Queen Harpy and Abaddon flew down to monitor the situation. "This is quite a prize, is it not? This dreaded beast with immense brute power!" Queen Harpy laughed. "She left quite a mess on the previous Monster Lord's throne, but also indiscriminately attacked me as well!" Abbadon growled. "Fufufu~ Perhaps she wanted to assert dominance~ After all, only strong creatures deserve to belong under my wing!"

In Gold Volcano, a Cerberus battled off a Basilisk and continued scaling the volcano. "Phew... This is harder than I imagined... Getting to Salamander and having her train me... The trial to just reach her is just overwhelming..." the Cerberus's three heads spoke as she continued upward. The Cerberus finally reached the top of the volcano. "Huh... Is this the end? ... Salamander! I've come to be your disciple!" There was no response. "Salamander!" Again, no response. But suddenly, loud footsteps were heard as the volcano felt like shaking as if it were about to erupt. A large figure then crashed in from the ceiling, landing several feet away from the Cerberus.

It was a large bipedal Dragon with muscular hind legs but tiny arms, armored with dark red scales and bony planes running along its entire back and a sturdy plating covering its face and mandibles. Its most distinguishing feature was its gigantic sword-like tail. Although a monster, the Cerberus noted that there was no human female part within the Dragon's mouth. The creature swept its tail along the ground and briefly formed a blazing flame along the tail's sword edge as the creature unleashed a fierce roar that shook the entire volcano, forcing the Cerberus to cover her ears.

The Dragon charged at the Cerberus, who drew her sword ready to fight back. The Dragon suddenly spun and dragged its tail along the ground, generating a flame along its entire edge, and struck the Cerberus's sword with a powerful blow. The sword instantly shattered, and the Cerberus was sent flying with a mighty force. "W-what is this...?! T-too powerful...!" the Cerberus panicked and quickly fled down the mountain. As the Dragon quietly watched, a flame spirit appeared next to it. "... That's another one running away after the first attack. It's happened so many times that I've lost count." Salamander said to herself as she gently patted the Dragon's sides, who quietly growled. "You've long surpassed me... But if no one can hold out against you for even a moment, they aren't worthy of my tutelage."

"Madam! There's a ship sailing close to our territory!" Another group of Harpies arrived before their Queen. "Oh? And why should I be concerned about a mere boat?" she asked with a gaze. "Our scouts have gone to intercept it, but all those have flown out have only returned watered and ragged!" the Harpy replied. "Hm, interesting... Show me!"

The Queen Harpy was led to the shores at the eastern side of her village and looked out to the horizon. There was an incredibly dense fog, with the silhouette of a ship barely visible. The Harpies in the sky that flew close to the fog were instantly wounded in a flash accompanied by incredibly loud sounds, and fell into the ocean below them, dying the waters red. "Hehehe... Another strong figure indeed!" the Queen smirked. "Ahahahaha!" a loud female laughter rang in everyone's ears; a silhouette of a figure could barely be seen standing on the ship. However, nothing else happened after, as if the ship was holding position. "And yet another unique warrior arrives... Watch and observe that ship!" the Queen Harpy commanded.

On the ship appeared to be a lone female, human in appearance. She appeared to be wearing a black leotard with dark gray stripes along the middle, with its sides bare and exposed, and long black leggings. A red necktie adorned her chest, along with a belt with a disc at the middle and a red flowing skirt attached to the right side. She wore large metal gloves, and a red eyepatch on her left. Her hair was unique, being twintail and twisted curls with bowties on each; the left covered entirely black and the right covered entirely white. Her left hand was on her hip, and her right carried what appeared to be a large, seven barrel rotary weapon over her shoulder. "Ahahahaha! Aww, are you okay? Looks painful!" she let loose a laughter.

"There really are powerful warriors around the world, aren't there?" Alice pondered, and Serenity nodded in response. "Does this mean you're willing to help fight the threat? Splendid!" Alice giggled and held the Butterfly Girl's hands. "Of course. "It'll be a fun tea party, wouldn't it?"

Chapter 6: A Hero's Start! The Divine Blessing
A soft light shone above a human. "Where am I...?" the human said. "Oh brave hero..." a female voice said. The next moment, an angel had appeared. "Oh brave hero... can you hear my voice?" the angel had said. "I can hear you!" the human replied. The angel had softly smiled.

"Soon, you'll be coming of age for Ilias's baptism." the angel said. "However, I bear a gift before the occasion." the angel closed her eyes and channeled magic. A gray-colored sword was then materialized, hovering before the human. "As you know, Ilias's baptism will send you on a journey to defeat the monsters that will defile the land. This is a special weapon I have prepared for you, I call it the Angel Halo. A sword with the added benefit of weakening and sealing away all those that are cut by this blade; they won't perish, should you desire."

The human stared at the weapon a bit before picking it up. "Thank you, miss angel! I'll put it to good use!" the human said. The angel softly smiled at the human again. "Thank you. I have faith you will succeed in your journey... Heinrich Hein. Now go, show the world the spirit of a hero!"

"Woah... what dream was that?!" the human, Heinrich, awoke. He rubbed his head a bit before realizing his free hand was grasping onto something. He looked down, and saw a sword, the one from his dream. "No way... It's real?!" Heinrich looked at the sword and analyzed it in awe. "Oh great Guardian Angel... Thank you! Please watch over me!" The human would then pray to Goddess Ilias like he did every day, before finally leaving his home. "Today's the day I start my journey... and finally be a hero!"