As the days passed, Lily walked through the halls of the human kingdom, a shell of the girl who had once lived there. The court celebrated her return, ignorant of the storm brewing within her. They saw her as a rescued princess, but she was no longer that helpless girl. Every smile she gave, every word she spoke, was a mask. Beneath it, her grief festered like an open wound. The thought of Azaroth, his dying smile, haunted her every waking moment.
Unbeknownst to Arthur and the others, she began plotting her revenge. She spent her nights alone, poring over ancient texts she had managed to take from the demon kingdom during the collapse of Azaroth's palace, Arthur was to busy flaunting his victory to his soldiers to notice. The lessons the Demon King had taught her came rushing back. She began to study dark magic in secret, learning the ways of demons, how they harnessed their power, and how she could claim it for herself. She realized that Azaroth's strength, the power that once seemed so terrifying, was now hers to wield.
Lily also sought out the remnants of Azaroth's forces—those demons who had survived the human invasion. In the shadows, she forged alliances, promising them vengeance in exchange for loyalty. She would not rest until the kingdom that betrayed her and took away the only person who saw her as more than an object, who loved her, was destroyed. And Arthur, the prince who had killed Azaroth under the guise of "saving" her, would pay, with his life.
Months passed, and Lily's power grew in secret. The human court remained oblivious to the dangerous path she walked. They still saw her as the fragile princess in need of protection, and Arthur—blinded by his own righteousness—never suspected the darkness she had embraced.
But the time for secrecy came to an end. Lily had gathered enough strength. Her alliances with the remaining demon forces were solidified, and her mastery of dark magic was complete. She was ready to take her revenge.
One night, under the cover of darkness, Lily confronted Arthur in the same palace where they had once been betrothed. The golden halls, which had once felt like a prison, now echoed with the cold silence of inevitability. Arthur, unsuspecting, was in his chambers when she arrived. Her presence was different now—commanding, powerful, and filled with purpose.
Arthur turned to her with a smile, still blind to the truth. "Lily, I'm glad you're here. I was just—"
She cut him off, her voice cold as steel. "Arthur, do you really think you saved me?"
His expression faltered. "Lily, what are you talking about? I rescued you from that demon, from—"
"From the one person who treated me like a human being? Who loved me, for me?" she snapped, stepping closer. "You didn't rescue me, Arthur. You destroyed me. You destroyed everything."
Arthur's confusion quickly turned to anger, and he reached for his sword. "What are you saying? That monster—"
"That monster," she hissed, her eyes glowing with a dark, unnatural light, "was more human than you could ever be."
With a flick of her hand, the air around them crackled with dark magic. Shadows twisted and coiled around her, and Arthur's sword was ripped from his hand, sent clattering to the floor. His eyes widened in shock as he realized what she had become. The innocent princess he thought he had saved was gone. In her place stood something far more dangerous.
"You don't get it, do you?" she whispered, stepping closer until she stood directly in front of him. "You were never my savior. You were just like the rest of them, thinking I was something to own, something to control."
Arthur lunged at her, and Lily evaded his strike, shooting dark beams of energy in response. But he seized a moment of distraction to grab his sword again, pointing it at her. "You don't have to do this, Lily," he pleaded.
"You didn't have to kill him," she shot back, her voice laced with anger.
"That's different!" he replied, lunging at her with all his might, his form transforming into a flash of golden light.
"Is it really?" she challenged, also moving so fast that only a shadowy blur could be seen. Yet, she was faster. With a swift kick to his abdomen, she sent him sprawling backward, making him lose his grip on the sword. The blade flew through the air, and Lily caught it deftly, testing its weight as she swung it with practiced ease.
"This is what you killed him with," she taunted, her eyes narrowing.
"Lily, listen to me! This isn't worth it!" he implored, desperation evident in his voice.
Ignoring him, she lunged forward, a flash of darkness slicing through the air as she severed his arm. He fell to the ground, a scream tearing from his throat as blood gushed from the wound.
"Was that the arm you used to kill him?" she asked coldly, unbothered by his cries.
With a swift kick to his head, she sent him crashing into the wall, the impact sending a reverberation through the entire palace. "Was that the head in which the thoughts of killing him festered?"
She became a flash of darkness again, reappearing in front of him in the blink of an eye.
"AGHH! YOU DEMONESS! YOU'RE NOT LILY! YOU'VE BEEN POSSESSED!" he cried out in terror, his eyes wide with fear.
"Ah, you've already gone mad? No use dragging this out, then," she said, stepping closer with deliberate slowness.
"NO, NO, NO, WAIT, WA—"
Before he could finish, Lily raised her hand, the radiant sword still in her grip. With a swift, clean motion, she brought it down, severing his head with a precise cut.
Standing over Arthur's lifeless body, Lily felt a bittersweet mix of satisfaction and emptiness wash over her. The revenge she had longed for had finally been fulfilled, but it did little to fill the void left by Azaroth's death.
As the echoes of the battle faded, a heavy silence enveloped her. She had avenged Azaroth, but the weight of what she had done settled in her chest like a stone. While a part of her relished the power she had wielded, another part mourned the loss of the person she used to be. In this moment, victory felt hollow, and she was left standing amidst the ruins of her choices, knowing the cost of her revenge would haunt her forever.