(Merlow's Perspective)
"That wasn't how things were supposed to go, why did he have to get in my way?!" Merlow yelled in frustration as he traversed the outskirts of Dsor.
"The universe operates in mysterious ways, perhaps that was a fated encounter." Drelmoth reassured.
"Screw fate!" Merlow snapped.
Drelmoth began cackling. "I couldn't agree more!"
It good to know that someone detest the idea of fate as much as I do. The concept of attributing misfortunes and postive outcomes to some ethereal force always pissed me off.
Although there's something I'm still wondering. "Why are we in this forest in the middle of winter?"
"Patience, there's something I'm looking for...speak of the devil."
As I wized past trees, the once winter foresty scenery vanished and I was now in an open field.
I stopped running to look around. "Spatial magic?"
"Precisely, it's good to see that this place hasn't changed." Drelmoth said, sounding sarcastic.
I turned my sights upward and managed to bear witness to the largest, brightest full moon I've ever seen.
I walked over to the center of the field on a whim and just looked around. In that instant, something felt incredibly off.
A familiar darkness rose up from the ground and began to swirl around me in a vortex.
"I'm borrowing the body for a little while." Drelmoth stated.
"Sure, but why?" I asked.
"I need to have a 'chat' with an old friend."
I relinquished control of my body, becoming a spectator as to what was about to unfold.
The next thing I knew, we were surrounded by an army of monsters. Drelmoth turned in the direction of one particulat monster, a huge red orc.
"Sonahg, so good to see you again!"
I'm guessing Sonahg is the Orc.
Sonahg remained silent.
"Come now, is that anyway to treat an old friend!" Drelmoth stated as he approached Sonahg and a casual walking speed.
Sonahg slammed one foot down causing the ground beneath us to break. Drelmoth and I staggered to keep our balance.
"A mortal acting so familiar with me? No...that's not it. That mana...that can't be right," Sonahg now sounded on edge.
Drelmoth dropped the friendly demeaner. He titled his head and cracked a crooked, sadistic smile.
"Y-you! But Asmodeus banished you to the void of non-existence!" Sonahg exclaimed.
"That he did, but after so long in there, it no longer held any meaning, so I chose to leave."
"Impossible, you cannot simply choose to leave the void!"
Drelmoth taunted Sonahg. "Take it as you will, but that doesn't matter right now. I need a favor from you. Tell Asmodeus and the other demon generals that I've returned. Oh, and I won't be so reserved this time around."
"Big talk for someone who won't be leaving here alive." Sonahg flatly stated.
"Ho~"
"Asmodeus stripped you of your true power, what do you hope to accomplish in that pathetic state?"
"True power or not, you were always the weakest of the demon generals, so you're no threat. Besides, I have plans as to regain my former glory, but the concepts beyond a meathead like you." Drelmoth insisted.
"That's enough out of you!"
Sonagh appeared within our immediate line of sight, launching a flaming fist down at us.
Drelmoth side stepped it, letting it destroy the ground where we once stood.
"Oh come on, after all these centuries and you still haven't gotten any faster?" Drelmoth mocked before landing a heel strike to Sonahg's right cheek.
It sent him 6 or 7 yards through the dirt. Sonagh staggered to his feet and wiped the blood away that was now around his mouth.
"This strength..."
"Let's just say my host isn't exactly a push-over."
In a flash, I had my elbow in Sonahg's gut, causing several bones to break and for him to go flying again.
"The demon generals were always such a joke."
Sonahg managed to rebound and charged at us again, throwing a barrage of punches out anywhere we would be.
Of course, Drelmoth had no problem dodging the onslaught of attacks.
"I'll crush you!" Sonahg began steaming until eventually bursting into flames.
His attacks noticeably got even faster. Drelmoth began struggling as a fist would graze us every now and then.
After maybe 30 seconds, a strike landed, crushing my sternum. I crashed through several yards of dirt, but that didn't stop Sonahg from keeping us his attack streak.
As we rolled through the dirt, he appeared beside us, punted us into the sky, slammed us down, grabbed us by our right leg, and whipped us into the crowd of monsters.
Afterwards, the combo was ended by a massive fire ball that devasted any of the surrounding monster. We managed to land in a weird four-legged manner.
Luckily, Drelmoth put up a barrier of darkness and absorbed the fireball.
"You can have this back."
A fire ball erupted from a dark portal behind Sonahg and struck in the back.
He grunted in pain, but it didn't really seem to faze him.
Drelmoth stood straight up and began stretching.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Just watch."
Drelmoth took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Sonahg rushed us again, this time filled with pure rage. "Accepting death already?! Fine, then die!"
When Sonahg was about 1 meter away, Drelmoth opened his eyes and struck Sonahg in practically ever vital in under a split second.
We appeared behind Sonahg as he collapsed with his foward momentum. The flames that once enveloped him, dispersed in every direction.
The old man's style. "Fist of the Gentle Demon..."
"It's rather fitting." Drelmoth protested.
"..."
"Something the matter?"
"No, not really."
I already disgraced it by using it against someone and causing them pain.
The rest of the monsters surrounded us, each showing more animosity than they had before.
"Welp, let's get this over with." Drelmoth said, shrugging his shoulders.
He picked Sonahg up by his feet and threw him into the army of monsters, killing a lot with just that alone.
I feel stronger, and the previous pain in my body's going away.
After that, it was just hours of limbs flying, blood rain, and the mana of monsters flowing into me.
All the while, Drelmoth's enjoying himself.
*Maniacal laughter* "It's been so long since I've let loose!"
(Hours Later)
Drelmoth relinquished control of the body and retreated into my subconscious again.
"What was all of that about?" I asked out of curiosity.
"Just a simple argument with an old friend is all."
"Seemed like a lot more than that to me."
"Truthfully, I detest Asmodeus, therefore I detest all that is his. His soldiers, his name...his world." Drelmoth coldly stated.
I see, but what does that have to do with me?
I need to know what all of this is for. "What's your goal in the end?"
"The same as you, a world of fairness, and equality. A world without Asmodeus."
"Asmodeus is behind how the world is?"
"Not entirely, but he's a major keystone."
Hmm...my paradigm's been expanded quite a bit from all of this. I wonder how things will play out from now on.