ㅤ
ㅤlugging his sword behind him, peering down at the other, his voice heaving with fury, he'd stop just in front of him.

ㅤplacing the tip of the blade against his much smaller figure, head titling to the side with a small flick of the flames adorning his cranium.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ" ... 𝙗𝙚𝙜. "
ㅤ

ㅤ
ㅤas the saying goes, an eye... for your life.

ㅤforcing the other demon back down to the ground, just how this all started, only now his fires burned a far more familiar red. a display of the pure rage that ate away at his soul. the insult he had felt digging away at him from under his skin.
ㅤ

ㅤ
ㅤa sneer tainting his features as he'd swing his blade around to meet the center of his torso.

ㅤonly just lucky enough to endure the dull backside of the claymore, likely crushing through bone and puncturing into vital organs. a pain that would not kill him, but would remind him of this moment.
ㅤ

ㅤ
ㅤin a swift motion, he'd bat his pawn away, viscously shaking his head through low grumbles and snarls.

ㅤblood trickling down his cheek, seeping into the crevices of his jagged fangs, he'd peer back at the spirit as he was flung through the air. eyes reflecting the burning color of his flames.
ㅤ

ㅤ
ㅤ" consider this the end of our bargain. "
ㅤ

ㅤ
ㅤas claws closed around the hilt, his flames would condense in on the two, signifying to the idol that there would be no escape.

ㅤclosing the distance between the two, unguis seizing the other's frame within his grasp, already tempting the reaper to destroy what was left of him.
ㅤ

ㅤ
ㅤ" 𝙞 𝙙𝙤 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝... "

ㅤcraning his arm up from his side, serrated talons extending from his palm as the colossus sword residing behind his throne would manifest within his grasp.

ㅤ" ... 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙞 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪. "
ㅤ

ㅤ
ㅤhe couldn't hide it. there wasn't a part of him that could stay hidden - his fear, his pride, his shame, and his regret.

ㅤthere was more inferiority than there would ever be satisfactory.

ㅤhis soul would never fit his body. it would always be too small to fill the holes within his heart.
ㅤ

ㅤ
ㅤ" ... 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙟𝙤𝙠𝙚 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 ? "

ㅤhis maw did not split, for he did not speak. instead, his flames echoed, battering against the other's cranium, ringing in his ears.

ㅤthere were no more warnings for him.
ㅤhe was set to die here. fleeing was no longer an option, even if he were to beg.
ㅤ

ㅤ
ㅤhands clenching into fists, standing from his contention, certain to strike terror into his pawn.

ㅤ" 𝑫𝑶 𝑯𝒀𝑼𝑵. "
ㅤ

ㅤ
ㅤ" 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙬 - "

ㅤwithin an instant, he was taken aback.
ㅤthe spirit jumping into his flames, acting as if he wasn't riddled with fear - he hadn't witnessed such disobedience in all his years ruling.

ㅤpardoning his astonishment, room for wrath was made within soul.
ㅤ

ㅤ
ㅤ" 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙩 𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚... 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 ? "

ㅤdid he need his memory jogged ?
ㅤif he couldn't recall, he lost a member of his hodge podge band for the very same reasons.

ㅤa demon, doomed to always be the monster of the story, attempting to become the noble knight.
ㅤ