Ace shook his head baffled. The lord of the East? They must mean the new lord. He couldn't even remember their name. What could they possibly want with him? No, it didn't matter. Throwing yourself at the mercy of any demon lord was usually certain death.
"Tell your lord I have no business with them," Ace swallowed, "Just leave me alone,"
"But Lord Varseille has business with you," the demon grinned.
Ace held up his sword to their throat as they boldly stepped forward.
"I SAID NO!" he yelled viciously, "Fuck off back to your lord. I'm not going anywhere!"
"Look at him!" the demon replied with a laugh. "He wants a fight! The lord said to bring you alive but he never said we couldn't cut off a few pieces,"
Ace felt a shiver go down his spine. A sudden thought occurred to him. Though he knew little of this new lord, what if they had picked up where Lord Terre sol had left off? What if there was a new nursery filled with children locked inside?And What if this new lord was calling him back for this same purpose?
It didn't make sense, but his mind began to spiral. The thought of returning to the east was so overwhelming it made his whole body shake.
Just the idea of another lifetime lived only in darkness, confined to the palace of coins day and night was like a hand wrapped around his heart. It gripped him so tightly, all other thoughts escaped him. He had no magic left but one thought remained vividly clear in his mind: he wasn't going back...
Ace flew at the demon in front of him. He sliced through him with ferocious strength and callous disregard. The blood sprayed out drenching Ace in red. The sound of his own blood pumping in his ears was deafening.
For a moment Ace stared down lost in a trance. All he could see was red. All the anger. All the pain. Everything he had been pushing down for years and years came up mercilessly and brutally. He cut through every single demon without hesitation. It was then any semblance of light disappeared completely.
The other demons stared at him momentarily taken aback. Their disbelief quickly vanished. They unsheathed their weapons and set upon him. However, it was already too late.
All the darkness he had been fighting spiralled around him like an anchor dragging him down and it felt good. His hands stopped shaking. In a terrible rage, he threw himself at the remaining demons.
He cut through one after the other with his full strength. Blood splattered left and right. He kept cutting and slicing till the demons didn't move anymore. He didn't know where the strength had come from but when it was done he stared down at his hands covered in blood.
Everything felt numb...
"Ace," came a small voice.
Ace turned around slowly still holding the blade. The rush of blood was overtaken by silence. A little girl was staring up at him. There was no fear on her face. She stared up at him with red eyes.
"Yona?" Ace said softly. "What are you doing here?"
"It's time to come home," Yona said sweetly, "Lord Varseille is waiting,"
Ace glanced down at the sword in his hand still dripping with blood. He still felt the power coursing through his veins. He still wanted more...If the lord of the east wanted to see him so badly, then he would go. And this time, finally he would free himself from that place forever.
"Okay," Ace replied darkly. "Far be it for me to keep the demon lord waiting."
A portal opened and they stepped through. Yona took his hand and led him to the gates of the palace of coins. It was just as he remembered it. It wasn't like the tall harsh buttresses of the west. It was a curved dome structure with bronze walls and ornamental arches.
Inside the great hall leading up to the throne were great golden pillars leading up to peeling fresco designs burnt beyond recognition. Ace at once recalled the night he had escaped from the palace. It was burning bright, with hollow screams calling from its metal casing. The palace was now stripped back to nothing but its metal skeleton. Ace almost expected to see Terre Sol sitting upon the golden throne with his dark repugnant gaze.
Instead, sitting upon the golden throne, there was a stranger leaning back on one hand. They were short and dressed in white. Not bulbous like Terre Sol but slender, almost elegant.
Their face was covered with a white mask. Painted upon it was a ferocious beast with a harsh black line. quite contrary to their appearance. Ace was guided by Yona who went over to the throne playfully sitting upon the occupants lap.
"Good girl. You can go out and play, " they said and bade her to go. She left the room obediently returning it to silence. Eventually, the figure on the throne turned back to Ace.
"My name is Varseille," he said, "I don't believe we've met,"
"I know who you are," Ace said in a low voice.
"Then that will save us some time," Verseille tilted his head to one side taking in Ace from head to foot.
Ace was still soaked in blood. The look in his eyes held unspeakable darkness. His fist was clenched around the blade trembling with anger.
"I told them not to hurt you," added lord Varseille.
"It's not my blood," Ace replied flatly.
"You killed them?" Lord Varseille asked curiously.
"And now I'm going to kill you," Ace smiled.
"You came here to kill me?" Lord Varseille laughed. "How amusing!"
However, Ace didn't waste any time. He flew towards the throne. He stabbed the seat upon which lord Varseille was sitting with such force the sword became lodged in the metal. Ace pulled it back with a grunt. He glanced at lord Varseille who was now standing beside him.
"You weren't joking, "Lord Varseille said flatly, "but what have I done to garner such hostility?"
Ace wasn't listening. He turned in rage thrusting the sword in Varseille's direction. Lord Varseille caught the sword in their hand with ease. However, Ace pulled the sword back with such force with sliced Varseille's hand. It dripped with blood...
"That wasn't very nice,"Varseille stared down at his hand then back to Ace.
He smacked Ace with the back of his hand. Even though the hit appeared light, Ace fell to the ground with a thump. For a moment his ears rang. He tasted blood in his mouth. He glared up at Varseille about to attack again.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Varseille warned in a low voice. "You don't have the power to kill me. Not yet anyway... So I'm only going to tell you this one, sit down over there and be quiet like a good boy. We need to have a little talk."
Ace grinned darkly, "we have nothing to talk about. So why don't you sit down, shut up and let me drive this sword through your fucking heart?!"
Ace flew up once more and lunged with the blade in hand. This time, Varseille hit him across the face even harder. Ace struggled to rise upon hitting the floor this time. Blood streamed down his nose. Varseille knelt down beside him lifting his face to theirs. Ace blinked stunned and barely able to see.
"Oh, look what you made me do," Varseille sighed, "You are quite vicious for a human. I was hoping we could talk civilly but I see that is not the case."
"Fuck you," Ace exhaled viciously.
Varseille stood up letting Ace drop to the floor.
"I didn't want to hurt you but I suspect pain's the only thing you'll understand,"
Ace struggled to rise. The adrenaline that had been goading him on was waning. He could feel the pain of Varseille's blow acutely. His arm gave way and he hit the ground once more. Varseille watched him quietly for a moment before returning to the throne.
" Are you....demon...?"
Ace could only see a blurry figure of white before him. He couldn't hear the words. Varseille's hit had been more severe than he realised.
Then Ace felt a jolt at either side. He was being dragged away somewhere. He was covered in shadow and the white figure on the throne disappeared from sight. There was nothing but darkness then faint candlelight.
Finally, a familiar golden figure appeared in front of him. Ace knew its wretched golden face at once. It still haunted his dreams. It was what Terre Sol called his black fairy.
Ace was shoved into its pitch black depths and the hatch closed behind him. He held out his hand trying to get his footing but was at once rewarded with sharp pain.
It was claustrophobically tight with only enough space to stand. The walls were covered in nails from every side giving no respite. Ace knew it well. How many times had Terre Sol punished him with it? He had thought it was destroyed by everything else. Of all the things to have survived...
When Ace was a boy, this was the place where disobedient children were brought. Standing for days with no place to rest. Then without food or water was punishment in itself. However it was the impenetrable darkness of the black fairy that gave her her power.