What is the price of killing? The one who can answer this question best was none other than Lucas himself. Once a leader of an organization who killed thousands, who could understand better? Though many deaths weighed on him why was it that he was only said to have murdered one person his entire life?
The world had once been in complete chaos. Life was as cheap as dirt and the two superpowers of the world duked it out with no regard to the deaths caused. The smaller countries were nothing but pawns and battlegrounds for them.
On one side was the Anganeese Empire- an age old institution that had been revived. Absolute monarchy and cruel nobles that leeched of the populace like vampires were widespread again.
On the other side was the Pastene Stratocracy- a military dictatorship where you either followed the rules or died for insubordination.
In such times the smaller nations banded together and the United Hope Federation was born. Led by the nations of Pensam and Hograsia, they soon rose as the third superpower of the world, and once they did the entire world came to a standstill. A delicate balance of a triumvirate was formed and all wars were stopped.
Suprisingly in the process the hope federation that was supposed to save the world become something it most despised. In order to ensure smooth functioning many assassinations and schemes had taken place. Though called a federation, it had evolved into a one-party rule. Most of Pensam was crushed by Hograsia in a fashion similar to what Diablo was probably planning by surrendering and merging with the human empire of Saforia. In the new world only the strong survived and those who advocated for mercy and cooperation were too soft and had no place in it.
Lucas had learnt that lesson at an early age. Those were the exact words of his fathers' killer. "Only the strong would survive. He was too weak for this world." His father had once been an important leader of Pensam and as he was too soft he had to be removed. With his death it was an open road for the radicals. They steamrolled all opposition and the hope federation became a the biggest hope. The hope federation didn't provide hope, it took way all hope and crushed it under their heels.
Disillusioned but unwilling to give in, Lucas had joined a rebel group. A resistance of sorts against the cruelty of the world. He soon got close to them. Their leader even treated him akin to a little brother. He had even thought his father had been right. Heroes would always come.
It was as futile as one would expect. They were extremely mild and advocated non-violent protests. They robbed the rich and helped the weak. They tried to bring hope.
The only thing they got were insults. They were 'just another terrorist group'.
They were never heroes. The world didn't deserve any. All it should get was anarchy.
It was all about power.
Those that held power could do everything and those who didn't were useless. In order to embrace that truth Lucas had to cross a line of no return. He had to pay the price to get rid of all hesitation to achieve his goals and unleash the inner devil.
He picked up a dagger, not a gun but a dagger and stabbed the leader right in the heart from the back.
The dagger slowly pierced through the flesh, bypassed the ribs and pierced the heart. However that wasn't the only heart that was broken back then.
Blood slowly trickled down his hand onto the cold hard floor.
He pulled the dagger out.
The body fell to the ground, a pool of blood forming around it.
His tears mixed with the blood as his hands were dyed a deep crimson. The soulless eyes seemed to asking him 'why?'.
He knew that he had to pay the price of killing.
Who that held power didn't have blood on their hands.
He had to start where it hurt the most.
The price of killing was losing all of your restraints.
It was losing your humanity.
It was crossing an invisible line in your heart.
Once you have killed, you will no longer hesitate to do it again.
No method would go against your morals when trying to achieve your goals.
Because you no longer had any morals left.
All the deaths the anarchists had caused, all the anarchists that had died in the line of fire, were nothing more than collateral damage to Lucas.
The murder still haunted him, but it also empowered him. Once you pay the price of killing, absolute power would be in your grasp, no weakness would be left in your heart.
Or so was what Lucas had once thought.
Power never equated to victory. No weaknesses didn't equate invulnerability.
Why? because that was the price of power.
Power corrupts.
It enslaves you, intoxicates you and leaves you wanting even more.
Lucas had still preserved. He never forgot the reason he wanted the power. Too raise anarchy destroy all superpowers and unite the world.
However, before he could reach it. the hero had snatched it away.
Without killing innocents. Without being hated by the world. The hero had defeated him.
The world had been united. Not by the anarchists but against the anarchists.
Thus this time Lucas had decided to take a milder approach, this time he would try to make the anarchists loved and not hated. He still wasn't sure how but he knew he would figure that out eventually.
---
Lucas and Lilith's first mission in the realm was to get rid of some demon extremists. Those that had kept beastmen and human slaves. Those that treated the lives of all other races as dirt. The absolute scum of demonkind. The 'true demons'. These were mostly rich businessmen, landowners.
The army don't really have time for these pleasures, but the rest- Lucas rubbed his hands gleefully. This time they would all fall down without him personally spilling a single drop of blood.
"Are you sure you can do that? Wouldn't it be easier if I just assassinated them?"
"No my dear Lily! We need to uproot this problem from the roots. We will use their guilty conscience and fear for revenge against them."
"Most of these people have never seen what the real battlefield is like, and thus have extremely weak wills."
Lucas phased over to the bedroom of their first target. "Patrick Lecherson"
"Let the show begin!"
---
Patrick Lecherson was a 52 year old successful business magnate of the demon realm and like most others a big pile of shit. He kept countless slaves and abused a lot of human and beastmen. If not demon they don't deserve to live. That was his motto. They were of course many businessman who thought that idea was ridiculous and understood that the only reason for war was the dwindling amount of resources in Grimoria. He couldn't care less. He was excited he had been told that a new slave shipment would soon be coming over and they were quite a few pretty girls in them. Though slavery had been long banned by the demon lord, he often turned a blind eye to those in power. He didn't know that his doom was coming soon. He slept peacfully until-
Lightning cracked in his room, he could see a dim shadow looming over him with a dagger in hand. He tried to attack the figure but soon realized it was incorporeal. It soon condensed to form a little human girl. Her eyes were black all over and blood slowly trickled down her mouth.
She tilted her head to the side and spoke in the most bone-chilling voice he had ever heard.
"Master... do you remember me?"
She was the human slave that he had recently killed for accidentally pouring tea onto his clothes.
"How are you here?"
"Why did you kill Lucy master? What was Lucy's fault. Lucy's parents were all killed why did you kill them all. Why did Lucy have to die.'
He soon started seeing scenes of Lucy's parents being killed brutally in front of her eyes. He saw himself from her perspective, abusing her, and ordering her death.
He saw various scenes from the battlefield. Demons and humans killed each other, rivers of blood flowed. Many grieved over their fallen comrades.
Captured demons were tortured in human cells. Some demons were also turned into slaves.
"Why did you kidnap my family. Release the slaves! Release them!"
Various voices joined together into a dreadful cacophony echoing in his ears.
Numerous hands seemed to crawl up the ground and claw at him. He was slowly being buried.
"Release them! release them or else demons would be treated even worse in the human realms."
"Retribution will come for the damned! Die! Die! DIE! Why don't you release them? Just DIE!
"Stop it, stop it please!" Patrick was drenched in sweat completely pale and crying dreadfully. He had pissed himself and was shivering in his sheets.
All the sounds stopped.
The girl stepped closer to him, leaned forward and whispered in his ears. "Release them....."
"....or die!"
She used her claws and pierced his chest, slowly squeezing his heart until stopped beating.
Her abyssal eyes seemed to be overflowing with hatred and malice.
Patrick woke up in a start! Drenched in cold sweat he looked around but no one was there. He muttered to himself "Was it just a dream?"
"It was, but it would become the future of you and all demon-kind if you don't mend your ways." a voice sounded from the darkness.
Patrick slowly composed himself. He wasn't stupid, he realized that everything that he had seen and experienced was because of the voice he just heard.
"Yes sir. I will immediately release them and mend my ways. Please don't kill me."
The voice just humphed in disdain and vanished altogether.
Patrick finally relaxed when the voice left.
"A true devil!"
The ability to manipulate people and make them see illusions was something characteristic of true devils. They were mysterious existences only said to exist in myths, but Patrick was sure that he had just met one.
Patrick hadn't always been rich and powerful. He had been a normal merchant before the war started, he even had a few human friends that helped in his smuggling business.
However power corrupts, he too had to pay the price of power and fell into depravity. The visions he just had were like a wake up call to him. The conscience that he had long buried under his temptations seemed to have suddenly reactivated and hurt him all over.
How hypocritical, when he had sinned the conscience never seemed to exist, and now that his life was being threatened it pop up like an annoying b*tch screaming 'I told you so'.
---
"Do you think that will work?"
"It should, I have given him a chance. It depends if he is willing to take it."
"and if he doesn't?"
"We kill him and hang his body for everyone to see."
"We should have done that in the first place"
"Relax Lily, too much bloodlust isn't good for your health. Moreover, I choose my targets carefully. He would be even helpful during the merger. If he has to be killed that would be mean my failure because I win all wars before they even start."
"But not all in the list are redeemable, what about them?"
"Kill a few , scare the rest. People like Patrick will also help spread the word."
"The demon was right, you are a true devil indeed."
"..."
"But I like it, nothing less is to be expected of the next demon lord. Only a true devil can lead us out of this cycle of war and death. You looked really cool back then!" Lilith gave Lucas a thumbs up.
Lucas was a bit taken aback. It was the first time that someone had actually praised his schemes. Though Vincent and Martin both respected him, none of them really praised him for that. Vincent was too stupid to understand the intricacies and Martin never commented.
Lucas smiled genuinely and replied
"Thanks for the appreciation Lily. Don't worry there is more where that came from."
Lilith's eye slowly twitched at that but she nodded her head in approval nonetheless.
'He is just like father when he was younger but slightly different at the same time. If he can truly save our realms with minimal bloodshed we might just, ever so slightly have a fighting chance when the others' come.'
"Come on, this is going to be a long night." Lucas snapped her out of her reverie as he was looking at the list and names he had circled.
Lilith glanced over and couldn't help but agree.
"A long night indeed."