It was the night of the final day of the year 876
Of the continent of Versalis in the Kingdom of Herial.
This was the moment my dominion crumbled.
I was a duke, a powerful one, and if I had to describe myself, it would be like seeing a storybook villain come to life.
Not exactly something to brag about, I personally found it fairly awkward. My entire existence was literally being a stereotypical cold Duke of the North.
A red banner, a bloody domain, and currently being invaded by another House that was quite literally the living version of the color blue.
"Protect the duke!"
Jarvis, one of my greatest champions, yelled out beside me.
All of my personal guards surrounded my throne room. It was my last stand; there was no more escape.
Every single possible escape had been blocked off.
And now I was left with two choices.
To surrender, or to die fighting.
And the first one isn't really an option; I would get the death penalty, I was sure of it.
BANG!
A fireball blasted through my throne room's doors, the entire army of the House of Lyon funneling in the narrow entrance as the final battle to decide the strongest ruler of the whole kingdom had now begun.
"Tristan Greymoor..."
Arthur Lyon barked out, even in the midst of dozens of other soldiers, he was particularly conspicuous.
A man wearing a steel plate etched with gold, with white hair that flowed like silk, and with eyes that were like winter itself.
If a bard were to see this sight, he would call it a cliché and boring story, because after all, who hasn't seen this setup countless times already?
"To what do I owe the pleasure, Arthur?"
I laugh, walking towards Arthur as we slowly close the distance between each other, eyes locked.
"You still jest, even now?" Arthur raised a brow.
"I personally find a throne room covered in blood the perfect time to crack a joke," I replied.
CLANG!
No fluff, no dramatic speeches, that was our last words to each other. We clashed blades in a fight I was sure I would lose.
Even someone as prideful as me can see that I wasn't an idiot, but I wasn't a genius either.
Probably the reason why I even got into this situation in the first place.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Blow after blow we traded, the battle ongoing around us, acting like nothing more than background noise as we focused on each other's blades.
The two greatest swordsmen on the continent, even just the smallest distraction, would be enough to cripple the other heavily.
CLANG!
A simple parry, then a counterattack.
CLANG!
Of course, my opponent expected that, easily weaving past my blade.
SLASH!
"D-Damn..."
That simple hit was all it took to take me down, a very minor nick to the hand, but that was enough to be the reason for my downfall.
SLASH!
SLASH!
With two simple swings of Arthur's blades, both my arms were severed in an instant, and before I could even scream or cry out in pain.
THRUST!
A simple poke to my head.
And now I was dead...
Even I couldn't believe how anticlimactic that was...
So...
Is this it?
Just... darkness? No spirits? No demons? Not even my life flashing before my eyes? Just instant darkness that I had to spend an eternity in?
Well, I was more surprised, even still to be conscious...
How am I even talking right now?
Well... I guess being conscious while spending an eternity in darkness would be a fitting punishment for a tyrannical duke like me.
But hey, at least I have self-awareness.
[Next Destination: Hell]
'Huh...?"
I... I just saw that, right?
Am I going crazy? Can I even go crazy while I'm in the afterlife?
Actually, why in the world does it even bother telling me that my next destination is hell in such a boring manner... can't I at least get the generic scythe-wielding death to bring the news to me?
[...Transferring...]
'I never expected the life to be so... stiff.'
FLASH!
And before I even knew it, I was now moving once more, and it didn't even give me a warning or a notice that I was suddenly going to be able to exist again.
FWOOSH!
"W-What...?"
I dashed to the side, and to my surprise, saw a literal geyser of lava.
And now that I'm thinking more clearly, that isn't the only one.
"Is this hell?"
I asked, but to be honest, that was a dumb question.
A land full of fire, lava, and very red rocks that formed the entire terrain around me, there was no other answer.
This was hell itself.
I looked at my hands for more answers, and that only confirmed my suspicion even further.
My hands were twisted, like a hybrid of a human and a beast; my skin was covered with spikes, and it was as durable as stone.
I was now a demon.
How did I get to that conclusion? Well... it was exactly how they were described back in the holy scriptures, the same scriptures I wholeheartedly ignored and burned while I was still ruling.
"I guess my entire worldview was incorrect then..."
I chuckled.
Not sure why, but it felt correct. I'm not even sure why I was so calm about now becoming a demon in hell itself.
[Hell's Trial]
[Rewards: Entry]
[Failure: Erasure]
I looked forward after reading the text, and beyond the horizon at the edge of my vision was a huge gate, guarded by a three-headed minotaur wielding a mace.
But that was the least of my concerns.
Because the path to the gate itself and its gatekeeper was already filled with other threats.
Namely, other demons, but they were surprisingly more distraught than I.
SCREECH!
WAIL!
Every second I stayed, the more restless souls began to gather all around me, some even feeling... familiar in a way.
Are some of them my own soldiers who died while fighting inside my throne room?
GRAB!
"Huh...?"
I looked down to see my feet being grabbed by a very rotten, outstretched hand.
And when I looked behind to see where the hand was connected.
Well... I wish I hadn't done that.