Violence Warning ⚠️
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"The last... loyal... member I had."
"DON'T YOU LEAVE ME!" A scream shouted through the cold winter air and choked back their sobs. The chilly wind blew and left shivers traveling up their spines. Pale white hands gripped the snow below as tears landed into the snow and became one with the cold.
They watched in pain and betrayal as a tall figure walked away from them, heading for the treeline of the clearing that would soon separate them from each other. The figure's hands were clenched tightly into fists as they were forcing themselves to just walk away. To leave the death, destruction, and violence all behind. Years of abuse at the hands of the King, years of watching someone they love fall deeper into their obsession and madness, and years of not being able to stand up for themself.
Those years of pain have finally come to an end. The King was dead.
And so was the connection to her sister.
"DOLORES!" Peach screamed as she choked back her sobs. "DON'T LEAVE ME!"
But the demon known as Dolores kept going, her fists clenched as she forced herself forward and refused to turn back. Peach was just too far gone to save...
The crazed demon watched her go helplessly as she gripped the snow tighter and screamed out her pain. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. They were supposed to be together. A team. All three of them till the end of their days. Her, Bis, and Dolores.
But Bis left and didn't even say goodbye. No sign of where they were going or when they even left. How could they leave her after all they've been through? Their childhoods as humans before they were given the gift of becoming demons. It was what they all wanted and cherished. But Bis was gone and she couldn't stop them from leaving.
What made her pain worse was the death of the King. Those humans slaughtered him like the savages they were and took her only idol ever away from her. What was going to happen to his kingdom now? The hold that was placed on her heart had crumpled up and forced its way out of her mouth once the King had stopped breathing and it felt like a missing piece to her soul was now gone.
But the ultimate betrayal, the most pain she has ever felt, was being caused by the demon she caused by her sister.
First Bis left her, then the King, and now Dolores...
Her figure disappeared behind the trees and never once looked back. She was throwing everything they had away. She was leaving Peach all alone...
"You're... the last one..." Came the slow and raspy voice of Bodhi who approached the crying demon. "The others... are dead... or traitors..."
Peach's hair covered her face as she sobbed and shook. She felt Bodhi's hand rest on her shoulder, a hand that was even colder than the snow around them.
"But you... you stayed... loyal... to the King..." Bodhi spoke.
"They killed him..." Peach cried as anger washed over her. She was there when it happened. Watching from the trees as the two Zones opened fire on the King with bullets that tore him to shreds. She wanted to save him. To teleport him away and save him but she was too late. That human woman got to live. That mutt got to live. Even the doctor got to live.
But not Zankoku. He was just left to die.
She swiped her claws at the snow and let out a snarl. "THOSE HUMANS KILLED HIM!"
"They did..." The hunched-over demon moved closer to her and firmly held her shoulder to get her to settle down. "And they won't... get away... with it. None... of them will..."
Peach glanced up at Bodhi, her many eyes drenched from her tears. "I'll kill them. I'll kill all of them! Anyone who's ever crossed the King has to die!"
"Good..." Bodhi whispered as he motioned for her to rise up, she stumbled to her feet and had a wild look in her eyes. The humans, the demons who helped them, and the lackeys who undoubtedly took the opportunity to run. They all deserved death.
But Bodhi's hand started to point toward the forest ahead of them. The exact direction that Dolores had gone in. "First... kill the traitor..."
"D-Dolores..?" Peach stepped back as she glanced in the direction her sister left. A pit forming in her stomach. "But-"
"She... was never... loyal..." Bodhi cut her off. "To... avenge the... King, we... must kill all those... who opposed... him..."
"But she's my sister!" The female demon tried to protest. But Peach said so herself. Anyone who has crossed the King... deserves to die.
Bodhi held up his hand and she soon stiffened up as her blood began to run cold and tighten up. It felt like her insides were crushing her and she started to struggle under his grasp. He got closer to her until the heat emanating from his body was warming the winter air on her skin. "She left... you. She left... Zankoku."
Whatever Bodhi was doing to her seemed to be painful as she felt incredibly weak and writhed in pain. She was the last loyal scout left. If not, the last completely loyal member left. Bodhi has had his plans for what will happen upon Zankoku's death. Some he told the King who laughed at them, but one that he never told him at all. One that involved the deaths of humans. One that obtained the complete and utter loyalty of the followers that Zankoku had never achieved.
One that'll create the kingdom that should have been. And all he needed was a puppet.
Slowly, Bodhi used his claw to cut his palm before he grabbed Peach's head, allowing the toxic iron in his blood to travel through her skin and into her brain. Zankoku may have been able to turn humans into demons and force others to bend to his will with the holds, but he was never able to create a monster.
When Bodhi pulled his hand back, Peach fell to the ground as her eyes rolled up into her skull and she struggled to catch her breath on the ground. The toxic iron seeped through her skin and merged into her system. It grabbed a hold of her genes and genetic makeup and will take some time to fully turn her into what Bodhi wanted.
But for now, there was a matter to be dealt with.
"Kill her..." Bodhi ordered her. "Kill... the traitor. You will... avenge your... King."
When Peach's pain and writhing started to settle, she slowly looked up and her eyes weren't as gold anymore.
She looked to the trees her sister had disappeared into and started getting her feet. Tears fell down her face as she marched forward, then sprinted, and soon she disappeared into a portal while Bodhi was left to watch.
Days turned into mouths as months turned into years.
Peach slowly lost her sense of self. It was like night and day. Her loud and erratic way of talking started to fall into light whispers that became deeper, her fast and ecstatic movements slowed to almost a stop, and her way of thinking and free will became completely shadowed by Bodhi's control.
But it wasn't just her personality that changed, her appearance did as well in a rather morbid way. She slowly grew from her short height into a size once held by Zankoku himself. Her bones, muscles, and tendons were forced to stretch and expand so fast that it left her legs and arms completely mishappen and disfigured looking. Blackened blood from her baths that contained the toxic iron of Bodhi built up around her limbs, giving her a bulkier look that was heavy to carry. But her face received the worst treatment.
Despite her lack of consciousness, her deformed face was the only thing that triggered her old self. When eyes looked at her, she would freak. Go on rampages and attack anything that moved with the abilities she was inheriting from Bodhi. This would be a problem.
So Bodhi took her to get a mask. A rather special one that will surely keep her in check.
And once he knew she was ready, they began to recruit.
Demons rarely grow up with parental figures so why not give them a mother? Why not give them a sense of security? A sense of hope? Demons were easy to fool and easier to take advantage of when they are distressed. Bodhi knew this and commanded Peach to become what he envisioned a leader of a kingdom should be.
Zankoku couldn't do it. But Zankora can.
"The last... loyal... member I had." Bodhi spoke. "The one that... didn't leave."
Yama gritted his teeth. He knew something was off about the leader. Zankora wasn't the target nor was she responsible for the Elitists' creation. It was all Bodhi. From the very second the King died, his plan had begun.
Zankora was just the face, Bodhi was the true leader.
If he wasn't stopped soon, they'll only continue to grow and manipulate more demons into joining. Yama never had faith in Zankoku's success, but Bodhi was someone that was different...
The doctor kept working on getting a hold of the pipe without Bodhi noticing before the old demon kills him right here. He had a promise to keep and he wasn't going to break it.
But noticed knew all along what Yama was doing. As the pole broke out from the spike and came shooting toward his back, it stopped in midair which put a strain on Yama's hand.
"You... were always... a... smart one, doctor." Bodhi muttered as he went to tighten his grip one final time. "But never... clever."
"Charges set!" A muffled voice shouted from behind the blocked set of doors behind them. "Fire!"
In just a second, a loud blast came and the doors were blown open, rubble included.
Yama felt himself get quickly dropped as dust and old drywall covered the entire room. His lungs demanded air but he couldn't breathe with the air so cloudy and harsh. He pulled himself to the side as shouts entered the room before gunshots followed. Bright lights flickered and loud bangs filled his ears. It was only when he heard the painful and surprisingly loud shrieks and growls that Yama was able to focus.
Zankora was forced out of B's eyes as waves of pain washed over her. It felt like holes were being created in her body and they wouldn't stop coming. She let out a loud shriek of pain like Bodhi and pulled away from (Y/N) to dig her claws against her aching chest.
Some of the guns became jammed and forced to stop while bullets on the ground were sent back at the shooters. Two got hit as they all quickly ducked behind objects for cover and Yama could make out the large figure of Bodhi through the cloudy air who was trying to slip away again
But Yama growled and reached for the pipe again.
Bodhi pushed past the first set of doors leading to the hall, bleeding uncontrollably from the bullets. His heavy breathing and growls of pain filled the hall and Yama trudged out behind him with the pole in hand.
All that talk about the King for him to die the same way.
Yama tsked and tossed the pipe into the air before it twirled around and directed its sharpened rusty end into the back of Bodhi's neck.
Zankora harshly choked up as her body tensed furiously and her eyes rolled back into her skull. She felt a sharp pain enter her neck as more of the same pain from before covered her back.
(Y/N) quickly from under her with the help of B who pulled her away. They both watched as Zankora started falling to the ground and writhing in pain so bad that it completely hindered her and left her vulnerable. Her voice went from the deep whispery one to brokenly high and screaming in pain and agony. Her body felt on fire, she couldn't breathe, she felt like she was dying but her body wasn't allowing her to.
(Y/N)'s eyes stayed on the leader who was now crumbled to the ground. Broken and in morbid pain. Not even close to the proud and strong demon she was a second ago.
Yama said Bodhi was the weakness. If Bodhi was dead, then she will be too.
The girl got to her feet and slowly approached Zankora, her milky (e/c) eyes never once leaving the leaders. Zankora struggled to even move as her claws dug into the floor and she could feel herself growing weaker by the second.
B went to go help Dog up but they both kept their sights on (Y/N) whose face was devoid of any emotion.
She used her boot to push Zankora onto her back which made the demon cry out in pain. Her large arms pathetically tried to push the leg but it only made (Y/N) put more of her weight into it just to make Zankora feel the pain she has caused to others. To her family, to her community, and to many innocent humans who didn't deserve what these monsters had done.
Tears built up in (Y/N)'s eyes as she aimed her vines toward Zankora's head. "That's how it feels... To have everything ripped away from you."
The doors to the throne room opened which made B and Dog turn around but (Y/N) didn't falter. Her eyes glared intensely at Zankora's. Lip quivering, breath shaking, and a growl forming in her throat. "That's how it feels!"
"She's mine." A voice came from behind her as a hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. (Y/N) was so caught up in her rage that she didn't register what happened until a familiar tall demon with dark skin and long white hair reached down to grab onto Zankora who weakly struggled in her grasp.
Zankora's eyes fell took in the demon and it was like she saw a ghost. It made her whimper as she slowly reached her claws up to touch their face. Their face held so much anger, grief, and a feralness that reminded her of the demon she wore on her face.
"Ki..?" A small high pitched voice whispered through her lips.
But the demon only snarled as the grip on Zankora tightened. "His mother."
Then the two disappeared into a cloud of smoke. (Y/N) let her rage and vengeance go. She wanted Zankora dead.
And Edith will be sure to do just that.