Shudders: Reclamation Day

Chapter 23 - The King

(Y/N) whimpered when she heard that name and felt hands gently grab her body and lift her up. She shut her eyes and held her side tightly as she can feel cold hands move to inspect her wound. She hated how gentle he was being, removing her hands to see that the wound he gave her started bleeding again thanks to a manic Peach. A low growl came from him but she felt a cloth be placed on her side and her hands moved to where she was holding it.

"I'll get you patched up soon. Just keep this from bleeding." The dark demon spoke as he moved her hair out of her face. "Look at me."

She refused. That angered him.

Pressure was placed on her side and (Y/N) had no choice but to open her eyes and meet Ki's white one. When he saw her eyes he started to soften up and stared longingly into them while hers showed clear fear. "You're still beautiful. Even after all this time."

Peach, from where she was, saw this interaction between the two and gritted her teeth in jealousy. She glared at the human woman with so much hatred it could kill her.

(Y/N) broke away from him but backed into Akai who wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her neck. She heard him moan in pleasure as he took a big inhale of her scent like it was a drug to him. His hand moved to her thigh and gripped it but his clawed dug into her skin through the fabric of her pants causing her to yelp in pain.

"You don't know how much I missed this, babe~!"

"Fraternizing with the human, are we?" A low raspy voice spoke followed by heavy footsteps.

(Y/N) looked and widened her eyes at a huge bulky demon carrying a large metal mallet approaching them. Akai could smell that guy's musty stench from a mile away. "Brus, go the fuck away."

Brus chuckled to himself as he examined (Y/N). This was the human they brought back for Zankoku to interrogate? More like a plaything for them. "Do you two have no shame?"

Ki didn't react but Akai was irritated. He let (Y/N) go and pushed her to Ki while he stalked up to Brus. "The fuck you mean by that?!"

"Did you take that woman for your own desires or for Zankoku? You're letting your personal feelings affect your decisions. Again." Brus lectured but Akai wasn't having it.

(Y/N) could tell a fight was gonna start. She can see the blond ball up his fist and the taller demon grip his mallet.

Before anything could happen the room suddenly quieted down. Brus looked up and went to kneeling on the ground immediately. Akai rolled his eyes and turned around to start kneeling as well. (Y/N) peaked behind her to see Ki in the same position too. Everyone was kneeling, besides her.

Suddenly loud footsteps caught the woman's attention. She looked across the room to a wall with a tarp-covered hole in it. A set of black claws emerged from the tarp and pulled it to the side. The figure who came out almost made (Y/N) buckle down.

The demon was 8ft tall with rough dark brown skin that was covered in so many scars and battle wounds. It was muscular with large hands that gripped the concrete walk with the strength to break it into rocks. It had a deer skull for a head with large antlers draped in black bandages and decorated in tiny pieces of jewelry that dangled and shined in the light. The demon wore matching bandages that wrapped around its exposed upper body and tied around its wrists and hands that were deeply soaked in dried up blood. The rest of its clothing was large hand sewn bulky black pants that went to the floor to cover its clawed feet.

    This was the Demon King.

     This was Zankoku.

     (Y/N) was frozen where she stood. He reminded her of J'iraiya but even J'iraiya was at least friendly looking. This guy looked like a blood soaked monster.