Rise Of The Death Monarch

Dante watched as the giant collapsed to the ground, creating a mini earthquake that nearly sent Luna flying. He grabbed her before she could fall over, earning him a bright fanged smile. He noticed the beast was severely injured but not dead yet as it tried to get up, annoying him.

''Why couldn't it die?!'' he exclaimed under his breath.

He approached the monster, now getting a good look at it. The thing was massive, standing at 20 feet tall. It had a humanoid shape, but had a big head, long arms that reached below its knees. When getting even closer, he used Death Eyes on it, surprised at the beast's rank and message.

[Mountain Giant - A Rank - Good brute force soldier, claim it!]

''What is it with these things?''

Dante shook his head and pointed his hand at the Giant, which started to glow faintly, giving him a bad feeling. This caught his attention, but he didn't care and cast a dozen Death Blasts into its face. Blood flew everywhere, covering everything around them. Luna was spared as he covered the wolf woman.

Once that was over, she looked at him with an amused expression and questioned. ''Was that necessary? It was dying.''

''Yes,'' he instantly responded. ''The thing was charging its mana to attack, didn't you see the glow?''

''No?''

Dante chuckled. ''It doesn't matter, I don't care for those things like I used to,'' he admitted.

Following that, he cast Arise of the Mountain Giant, his death magic seeping into every part of the monster. Transforming it into something horrifying as its skin is charred black, thanks to the overwhelming magic. It stood up, and its glowing red eyes landed on him; it knelt in respect.

''Death Monarch, welcome to Bone Mountain,'' the creature spoke.

He was pleasantly surprised and decided to scan it again.

[Death Mountain Giant - S-Rank]

''Oh wow,'' he muttered. ''Strong.''

Dante turned to Luna, inquiring about something he'd just thought of. ''Should I get rid of the Forest Giant, now we have this guy?''

The older woman shrugged. ''That would be a waste of a monster, use it in the upcoming battles. We'll come up against more of the Light Sluts minions,'' she replied.

''You're right,'' he nodded in agreement.

Seconds later, Dante summoned his flying creature, happy not to walk anymore thanks to the increasing pain radiating from the left side of his body. After mounting the Death Wyvern, the duo pressed onward, their journey leading them through the rugged, mist-shrouded peaks of the mountains.

The creature's powerful wings cut through the crisp alpine air as they climbed higher, the wind howling past. Hours passed, the landscape below a blur of jagged cliffs and darkness-filled valleys, until a shimmer in the atmosphere caught his attention. They pierced through a mana shield, its surface rippling like liquid glass under the strain of their passage.

Just then, a wave of powerful spells sliced through the air, aimed at them. Dante panicked, grabbed Luna, and sent the Death Wyvern back to the Domain, causing the couple to plummet to the ground below. The wolf woman clung to him; she had no way of flying or saving them for the descent.

Without thinking, he summoned his mana, the air around him igniting in a red glow. The energy flared to life, coiling like a living flame as he used it to slow their descent. As they neared the ground, he channeled another burst of magic. The mana hardened just before the couple made contact, but the impact was still brutal.

The earth shuddered beneath them as they struck, a thunderous boom reverberating through the valley. Cracks spiderwebbed outward from the point of impact, the ground fracturing under the immense force. Dust and debris shot into the air as Luna rolled to the side, unharmed.

Dante wasn't as fortunate. He suffered a broken right leg and arm, and his head slammed into the stone, knocking him unconscious. The injuries were severe, and the wolfwoman began to panic as she rushed to his side. But before she could do anything, someone appeared from the shadows.

Luna let out a low growl, but the stranger held her hands up, eyes glowing. ''I come in peace, Wolf. I want to heal the Death Monarch, one of my kind.''

***

''Damn spells missed the intruders!'' a woman exclaimed in frustration.

A blonde woman was sitting on the balcony, hidden among the trees of Bone Mountain. She'd cast a shield around her home to watch out for any people trying to assassinate or bribe her with something. Her red eyes fluttered when sensing a familiar energy, something she hadn't experienced since meeting the Death Goddess.

With a sudden leap, she sprang to her feet, her dress billowing wildly in the relentless wind, its fabric dancing chaotically around her. Her sharp eyes darted upward, tracking the shadowy figures plummeting through the sky. A red glow cloaked the falling beings, its radiant hue sparking a flicker of recognition in her mind.

It was a shade eerily similar to the magic that pulsed within her, a power she knew all too well, stirring both awe and excitement. 'Another death user, but this one seems different, more raw, potent. Seems like the goddess has given me a sign,' she thought, amused at the whole thing.

Moments later, her form shimmered and shifted, feathers sprouting as she transformed into a crow. With a powerful beat of her wings, she launched into the air, soaring toward the chaotic scene to investigate the intruders. The wind whipped past her as she glided over the landscape, her sharp avian eyes scanning the horizon.

After a quick flight, she landed on a jagged ledge overlooking a deep valley where the glowing beings had plummeted. Below, her gaze locked onto a striking sight: a brown-skinned wolf woman crouched protectively over a figure sprawled on the valley floor. This was no ordinary human.

The young man, tall and commanding even in his silence, possessed an otherworldly presence. His short white hair highlighted his chiseled face, which was undeniably handsome despite the situation. His broad shoulders and muscular frame suggested strength, but it was the faint, dark aura pulsing around him that truly set him apart.

A chilling, unmistakable signature of death magic, swirling like a shadow that clung to his very being, marking him as something far beyond mortal. The woman's eyes widened in surprise, muttering. 'The Death Monarch!'

''Yes, Lilith Deathbloom, it's my Chosen,'' a soft voice sounded in her. ''Go and heal him if you wish, he'll bring so much death that you'll soak in that energy.''

When Lilith heard this, her red eyes glowed before turning around and seeing a shrouded figure, but she could tell it was a woman. She knelt, speaking respectfully. ''My Death Goddess. Your wish will be my command.''

The figure giggled. ''Oh, bless, stop with this stuff. We'll be closer in the future when he becomes stronger,'' she revealed.

Lilith's eyes widened in shock at the implication of the deity's words. ''But he's so young! I'm a hundred and twenty years old.''

Marzanna's laughter increased; she shook her head and questioned. ''You know of the nine heroes, correct?''

''Yes? Everyone does, the humans love bragging about it.''

''The real truth, they're all weak and not the true power,'' the goddess exposed. ''There were ten, and that young man's name was Dante.''

''What?! I mean, I've heard rumours but didn't think anything of them,'' Lilith muttered.

''Well, Dante was burned at the stake, betrayed by the woman he loved, thrown away by the people he saved,'' Marzanna said, anger lacing her voice. ''They tore down every statue of him, burned every book with his name. Wiped him from existence. I couldn't stand by and watch this happen to such a kind boy.''

''You turned the hero to our side?!''

''I did, but he's become something even I never foresaw,'' Marzanna answered. ''The boy who once saved towns from monsters now burns them down, slaughtering everyone. Men, women, children, he doesn't care anymore and has lost his humanity.''

''And this is what you wanted? A villain lying waste to the world?'' Lilith questioned, knowing the path the young man was on would destroy him.

She stepped forward and continued, her anger mounting. ''The amount of death surrounding him will consume everything, his personality, his love, his dreams. It will turn him into a monster that even scares me!''

Moments later, the Death Goddess's voice sliced through the air as she began to dissolve into a shimmering mist. ''He craves vengeance, he yearns to unleash death upon the humans who wronged him. That boy, oh, he embraced my gift without hesitation! He cares nothing for the cost, for losing the last fragments of who he was. That boy died the day they burned him alive, condemned for nothing but their fear. Yet, all is not lost. I guided him here, to you, for a purpose. Save him, Lilith, and you will claim everything your heart has ever ached for.'