Dancing on the golden ashes

"How kind of you, but there's a catch, right?" I said indifferently, my voice calm and unwavering, though my grip on the scythe tightened, the weight of it grounding me in this moment. My fingers wrapped around the cold handle, feeling the slight hum of power that coursed through the blade, ready for whatever came next. I could feel the world around me shift with each word, the air growing heavier as his words drew closer.

"Hmm, you could say there is," he responded smoothly, his voice laced with an unnerving calmness, as though this was all part of his plan. "But you will need to go yourself and find out. After all, it's your dream, right?"

His words hung in the air, the weight of them almost suffocating. The space between us seemed to stretch and bend as he spoke, a ripple of power washing over me like a dark tide. So this was the game.

"To think that a human had turned a demon and turned her fellow human into the garbage of this world. Perhaps I had overestimated you, but also, I made a mistake in the system when you gained your ability. I made it random. But to think you were so suitable to... well. Go ahead, try it yourself."

His smile widened, and I could feel it—this underlying sense of arrogance in his every movement, a smugness that made my skin crawl. It was clear now, the game he had played, the pieces that he thought he could move around as he pleased. And yet, even in his confidence, something shifted. The words he spoke revealed something darker beneath. Something had changed. Something was wrong.

I stood still, as unmoving as ever, though the gears in my mind turned quickly. The weight of his words settled over me like a thick cloak, but I pushed it aside, forcing myself to focus. The truth hit me like a jolt.

The world of the demons… must be gone. Or at least their inhabitants, but who cares right now, I need to go there with my demons and see for myself. I thought carefully, but I knew that I had to go there anyway, perhaps he was just trying to frighten me, but without the heart in my chest there was no fear.

"Farewell, until the time I slice your head off your shoulders," I muttered, my voice cold and final as I prepared to move. But then, something shifted in the air. I felt it—a pull, a restraint. I could no longer leave the fourth dimension. My body remained suspended, unable to move forward.

"Who said you can leave so easily?" His voice was threatening, the weight of his words pressing down on me. I could tell he had something else in mind, some final trick to keep me here longer, but I was beyond his games.

"I did." My words cut through the tension, my voice firm, unyielding. The energy within me surged. My body exploded with power as I pushed myself to the absolute limit. I flooded the space with my strength, tearing through whatever binds he had placed on me. Whether it was his full body or just some illusion of power, it didn't matter. I knew he wasn't anywhere near his full strength, and I could move as I pleased without consequence. And deep down, he knew it.

With a focused burst of energy, I forced myself to leave the fourth dimension. My body snapped forward as the bonds shattered. The moment I broke free, I was back in the reality I could control. My demons stood by my side, waiting, observing, their eyes scanning the massive crimson rift beneath us.

How interesting, I thought. It was above, and now it's below. This world is so magical.

I couldn't help but marvel at the shift in reality, at the power I wielded. The fourth dimension—what a place. It was incredible, beyond anything I had expected. My wings flared wide, and with one mighty flap, I prepared to ascend. But then, something strange caught my attention.

I could feel it—the fire bell. It wasn't responding to my will. The fiery, burning orb that had always been under my control was slowly drifting away, pulling itself from me as though it had a will of its own.

"So you're taking him away again…"

I murmured quietly, more to myself than to anyone else, but I knew it would reach him.

"Fine, no matter how many times he comes, I'll kill him that many. You should just give up on that trash and do things yourself. Because in my eyes, you're the only worthy opponent to me."

I didn't wait for a response. The words hung in the air, a declaration, a challenge. With a powerful, resolute motion, I flew downward, diving into the crimson rift below us. The world around me pulsed with energy, and I felt the rush of the unknown pressing against me.

Whatever happens next, happens now. I'm coming, demon realm.

I could feel everybody following me without a hint of fear. They moved swiftly, the air around us crackling with the energy of our descent. Soon, we were all enveloped in the twisting and tearing fabric of the universe, the very reality we once knew unraveling around us. The space we passed through was jagged, distorted, a wild blur of light and shadow, as if the cosmos itself was struggling to hold its form.

Then, before my eyes, it hit me—the crimson light. It was as red as blood, vivid and overwhelming. It saturated everything in sight, drowning the world in a hue that could only symbolize destruction. The sky, once limitless and bright, was now a violent shade of red, pulsing with a terrible energy. The ground beneath my feet cracked, scarred and lifeless. The clouds were dark and heavy, hanging like a mournful shroud over the land. The rivers and lakes stretched out before me, their waters stagnant and black, a twisted reflection of what was once natural.

Everything—all of it—was dead. The land itself had been drained of vitality, as if it had been through endless wars, each battle carving its wounds deeper into the world. The very air seemed thick with the scent of decay, the aura of death hanging high and oppressive, as if it had become a permanent fixture here, lingering in every corner.

I stood at the edge of this bleak world, my demons close behind me, watching silently as I took it all in.

"So this is a demon world, huh?" I whispered under my breath, my words floating in the air, almost as hollow as the world around me. No wonder he let me come here...

The realization hit hard—it had all been wiped out. Whatever this place once was, it was gone now, a mere shadow of its former self. All that was left was a barren landscape, and the remnants of what was lost.

A world stripped bare. A world forgotten by time. And now it was mine to claim.