Ever since Arwin had been summoned as a child, all he had known was war. He had killed enemies. He had killed friends. And now, to kill the demon queen, he was going to kill himself.
Corpses covered the ruined battlefield around Arwin, strewn about like the discarded toys of an unruly child. Thousands had stood strong that morning, and across from him was the only one that still remained.
The demon queen. A faded scar ran down her right eye, left there from a battle they’d had years ago. Her armor smoldered with embers that had once been roaring flames, and the dark, leathery wings sprouting from her back were shredded to bloody ribbons.
“Hero of Lian,” the demon queen said, coming to a stop ten paces away from Arwin. Her voice lacked the thunderous presence that it normally carried. There was no need for it. Nobody was left from their armies to hear them, and so she spoke in a normal, weary tone that matched exactly how he felt. She raised her sword and pointed it at Arwin’s throat. “Today–”
“Is there a point?” Arwin asked, cutting her off. “I have energy for one last blow, not a conversation.”
A small, wry smile tugged at the corner of the demon queen’s lips. “As do I. Good riddance.”
Arwin readied his sword. His armor creaked around him, the enchantments covering it sputtering with effort to keep themselves active. The only thing that even kept his body standing were the considerable number of Titles and Achievements that he had built on the graves of friends and enemies alike. But today, as Arwin’s exhausted arms raised his sword one last time, he knew that it would end. The fifteen-year nightmare would finally be over.
They charged. In truth, it was more of a sad stumble. They both reached each other at the same time, driving their blades for each other’s hearts. Neither tried to block or dodge, lacking the energy to do any more than what they’d already mustered.
Arwin’s blade pierced through the demon’s armor, driving straight through her chest and grazing her heart. In the same instant, her sword shattered the cracked surface of his breastplate and did the same to his.
[The Maw within you hungers for power. If you do not consume a magical item within 1 hour, your body will collapse.]
Arwin stared at the glowing words with dread. He shoved his hands into his pockets, but he already knew what he would find. They were empty. Arwin didn’t have a single thing of worth to his name.
In fact, the only thing he did have of worth was his name – and if he used it anywhere, the guild would come for him. He grit his teeth, waving the words away and turning away from the inn to stumble into a dark alleyway nearby.
I might be in trouble.