A long time ago.
The demon race highly valued and cherished their children as the future of their kind.
When a legion left their home dimension to invade another,
The youngest and most talented child was appointed as the future commander of the legion,
And the oldest and most experienced elder was named the 'Elder' to assist the young commander.
Before leaving their homeland,
The demon legion sent to this dimension was named the 'Cromwell Legion' because the young child chosen as the new commander was named Cromwell.
She was just a baby, but she was born with massive horns and unparalleled potential.
And the Elder had taken care of her since before they left their homeland.
A prospective commander destined for the throne and an old elder, filled with wisdom but dispensable.
The Elder was tasked with protecting and educating Cromwell until she matured. He devoted himself to raising Cromwell, fulfilling the last glorious role given to him.
And it was natural for young Cromwell to see the Elder as her father.
"Daddy!"
Every time she called him that, the Elder would awkwardly try to correct her.
"You shouldn't call me that, Your Excellency."
"We are not father and child. We are the Elder and the future commander."
"I am just a fortunate old man, and you are the future of our legion, brimming with talent and potential."
The Elder reminded her again and again, but Cromwell would just smile brightly and say,
"Alright, Elder!"
She changed the title but still acted like a child seeking her parent's affection.
The Elder accepted Cromwell's affection and taught her everything he could.
The royal path.
The conquering path. The grand vision of a legion to conquer and rule the world...
...
Time passed.
The Cromwell Legion safely arrived in the targeted dimension, and under the Elder's guidance, Cromwell grew into a strong and capable leader.
The day before the legion's inaugural ceremony and coronation,
"Elder!"
"Your Excellency, I am so proud. There is nothing more I can teach you."
"Hehe, it's because you raised me well, Elder."
The Elder looked up at the now fully grown commander with tears in his eyes and said,
"It is time for the final step, Your Excellency. Consume me as your sacrifice."
"...What?"
Cromwell asked in a puzzled voice.
She had only intended to seek the Elder's affection one last time before she could no longer do so as the commander.
"Take me as your sacrifice and consume me completely."
The Elder, who Cromwell saw as her father, was now saying this.
"This is my final joy."
"What do you mean..."
"This is our race's tradition."
The most talented child is chosen as the future commander, and the eldest and most knowledgeable elder is chosen as their mentor.
After the commander grows up under the elder's guidance,
the commander consumes the elder, inheriting all their knowledge.
For demons with the 'Sacrifice' ability, this was the most efficient way to pass down knowledge.
The youngest and most talented individual, destined to live the longest, would consume the predecessor's knowledge completely, becoming even deeper and wiser through this accumulated knowledge.
Repeating this process to create the most ideal legion leader... this was the long-standing tradition of the demon race.
"Proceed, Your Excellency. Step over my corpse..."
The Elder knelt before Cromwell and bowed his head.
"...towards a glorious future...!"
He had been waiting for this moment.
In a society where demons were despised just for surviving a long time, this was the final recognition of his value.
He would become the sacrifice for the completion of the commander.
There could be no greater glory for him.
The Elder hoped Cromwell would swiftly consume him, but instead,
"I refuse, Elder."
Cromwell declined.
"...!"
The Elder, bowing his head to the ground, looked up in shock as Cromwell spoke in an unusually cold voice.
"I will not consume you."
"But, Your Excellency!"
"Why should I consume the flesh of an old, tasteless, decayed soul like you?"
Cromwell turned her back. The Elder, lifting his head, cried out in despair.
"You must, Your Excellency! This is our race's tradition! You must consume me and take every bit of knowledge I possess!"
"I don't need such outdated traditions and knowledge."
"Your Excellency!"
"If that knowledge is necessary, you can continue to advise me by my side."
Cromwell's will was resolute.
"Live, Elder. Live long and watch."
The Elder's forehead hit the ground. Cromwell declared,
"Watch with your own eyes as the commander you raised consumes the entire world, not just you...!"
***
He couldn't die again.
He couldn't fall gloriously on the battlefield, and he lost the last chance to be consumed by the commander.
So, he survived.
In the powerless state of a retired soldier...
'What should I do now?'
In his lingering life, the Elder just watched.
Where the Cromwell Legion was heading.
They contacted the 'Doomsday Play Broker' from a higher dimension who had requested reinforcements in this dimension - the one known as the 'Demon King.' They began their invasion as his subordinates.
Cromwell was outstanding. She diligently assisted the Demon King for a long time, preparing for the world's downfall.
During this long process, Cromwell gradually stopped seeking the Elder.
Cromwell was busy, and the Elder was tired. Their relationship grew distant.
And then...
...
Cromwell died.
Caught off guard by the Black Dragon Legion, Cromwell, who was acting as the Demon King's proxy, was chewed to death by the dragon's teeth.
Without even retrieving the corpse of the commander, the Elder had to lead the surviving legion members in a desperate retreat.
While fleeing and struggling to keep the legion alive, the Elder thought.
He had followed Commander Cromwell out of their homeland and arrived in this dimension a long time ago.
And during all that time...
'What have I done?'
He couldn't tell what he had accomplished.
Was this meaningless end the final chapter of his tenaciously continued life?
'If my life was to disappear so futilely, then rather...'
Rather...!
***
Present.
Inside the abandoned cathedral.
"Graaaaah-!"
As Cromwell roared and charged, the Elder stood frozen, facing her.
The sight of her massive corpse.
To the Elder's eyes, she suddenly appeared as her very young self.
'Daddy!'
Thud-!
Cromwell's enormous body collided with the main entrance of the cathedral.
The impact was so tremendous that the entire cathedral shook. Inside, the young demon children screamed and hugged each other.
"Graaaaah!"
Thud-! Thud-! Thud-!
She repeatedly slammed her body against the door, shaking the entire cathedral as if it would collapse at any moment.
But the main entrance of the cathedral didn't budge.
Not only was it fortified with Ash's magic walls and the power of the Imperial Seal Ring, but it was also reinforced with multiple layers of various magic and artifacts.
No matter how powerful Cromwell was, as a zombified demon, she couldn't use any magical abilities. All she could do was physically break things.
And her physical attacks couldn't break through the reinforced main entrance of the cathedral.
"Graaaaah!"
But Cromwell, having lost all reason and driven only by the desire to kill the nearest living being, could do nothing but continue to charge.
"Don't worry. It won't break."
Dearmudin, who was observing the situation, said.
"Unless it's a stronger magical attack, no physical force can bring down this cathedral. So everyone, stay calm..."
Since the human side had connected this cathedral with a teleport gate, a hero took turns being stationed here. Currently, it was Dearmudin's turn.
'The commander herself showed up. I knew she was zombified, but what's with those antlers? I need to report to Prince Ash quickly and gather the mages for research...'
As Dearmudin thought this, he noticed something strange.
The Elder, as if in a trance, walked toward the main entrance and slowly reached for... the lever to unlock the door.
"...Elder?"
The other demons stammered as they watched in confusion.
"Elder, what are you doing-"
Click!
But the Elder silently pulled the lever, unlocking one of the locks.
Thud! Rumble...!
All the locks on the main entrance were immediately disengaged. Everyone was shocked.
This critical lever was magically bound to the Elder's authority since he was the leader of the survivors.
And now, the Elder was opening the main entrance with his own hands.
"Elder?! What are you doing?!"
Dearmudin urgently shouted.
As a fellow elder, Dearmudin had formed a bond with the Elder over the past few days, often sharing conversations.
He believed there was still a chance to persuade him.
'The locks are in two stages...!'
Though the locks were disengaged, the door wasn't fully open, and the defenses weren't entirely deactivated.
If the Elder stopped now and didn't pull the lever again, the cathedral could still be safe.
"Get a hold of yourself! What are you trying to do by opening that door?!"
"..."
"The one outside isn't your commander! It's just a revived corpse! You know that!"
"Dearmudin."
The Elder turned to Dearmudin.
"As an old man like me, you should understand. The feeling of being alive yet not truly living."
"What?"
"The feeling that the world is gradually abandoning you, saying you are no longer useful. You know that too."
"..."
"When your body is old, and you're retired from your duties, and you wonder what you've lived your whole life for... what do you do then?"
"If you're alive!"
Dearmudin's beard quivered as he spoke.
"You can do anything."
"..."
"Right now, you might be struggling, not knowing what to do or what you can do. You might be frustrated, feeling the world has abandoned you. But!"
Dearmudin desperately tried to persuade the Elder.
"If you stay alive, another path will surely appear...!"
"..."
"Don't give up. We are the youngest we'll ever be today. There's no day faster to start something new than today! So..."
"Thank you for the kind words."
The Elder nodded and gripped the lever tightly.
"They've given me the courage."
"See, Elder..."
"The courage to do what I've always wanted to do...!"
"Come to your senses, you fool!"
Dearmudin pointed to the young demon children huddled together, trembling in the middle of the cathedral.
"Aren't the children of your race behind you?!"
"The only child I have."
The Elder, with a sorrowful smile, tightened his grip on the lever.
"Is the one standing outside."
Dearmudin, possessing immense magical power, was slow in casting spells and couldn't stop the Elder in time.
Instead, other surviving demons, who were standing by with crossbows, urgently fired at the Elder.
Thunk! Thudthudthud...!
"Ugh...!"
Even as he was hit by dozens of arrows and coughed up blood, the Elder managed to pull the lever.
Click!
Rumble...!
The main entrance of the cathedral slowly began to open.
All the locks were disengaged, and the magic walls and the wall of will that Ash had set up split open, creating a path.
"No..."
The survivors whispered in shock, their mouths agape.
And then...
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Through the open door, Cromwell, with her enormous antlers held high, slowly entered the cathedral.
Her blurry eyes were fixed on the nearest living being... the Elder.
"Your Excellency."
The Elder, hit by dozens of arrows and coughing up blood, spoke in a weak voice.
"No, Cromwell."
"..."
"No... my daughter."
For the first time, he uttered the deepest, most hidden term of endearment he had for her.
The Elder slowly spread his arms wide.
"My lifelong regret was not being able to give you everything."
"Rrr..."
"Now."
The usually lifeless and dull face of the old demon broke into a radiant smile.
"Eat."
Cromwell slowly approached the Elder, stepping between his outstretched arms as if embracing him...
She opened her massive mouth wide.
Crunch!
She bit down.
Crunch, crunch! Splatter...!
She devoured the Elder's entire body, leaving nothing behind.
With a ravenous appetite, she ate it all, spraying blood and flesh everywhere.