Page 101 of Fated to the Demon Lord

“See?” he said. “It’s a little ways away, but the height helps us see above the demons.”

“It’s a good spot,” I said.

“Who do you think is going to win?” he asked.

I looked out across the field. The eight of the twelve contestants were divided into sets of two. Vaelor was on the far side. He was up against a minotaur. The demons had created enormous rings in the grass made of gathered stones.

“The abaddon with blood on him will emerge victorious,” I said with certainty.

The boys squinted. “He does look scary, but I’d place my money on that troll-minotaur demon or the giant—he’s huge.”

My stomach dipped as I took in the other bulking contestants. Shit. Vaelor had his work cut out for him.

Vaelor, I found Mira and was able to talk to her. She seemed nervous but willing.

So she will aid us?

I believe so. I’m sure she wants to be free.

Where are you now?

In the trees to your left. I’m going to watch the fight.

Even though I saw him across the field, he didn’t turn to look. Stay hidden.

I bit my lip. You can do this.

Throk rose and raised his massive arms. The crowd quieted. “Today we begin the last phase of the Final Proving! You have claimed your body and have become one of us, but we must find the demon who shall lead such an enormous force. We have twelve contenders.” Throk gestured to the demons gathered inside the stone circles. “Let the contest begin.”

A horn blew, marking the start of the fight. And so it began.

Vaelor held his sword at the ready. The minotaur across the ring stood large and angry. His glowing eyes and cracked torso only added to his intimidating appearance. With his horns, he was taller than even Vaelor. My grip on the tree branch tightened.

The minotaur emitted a roar and rushed toward Vaelor, head down, horns ready to strike my demon. But Vaelor flapped his wings and lifted out of the way. The minotaur snorted and spun, rushing back again as soon as Vaelor landed. Vaelor danced to the side. As the minotaur was about to face him, Vaelor lunged, ramming his blade into the heart of his opponent. The minotaur stumbled and then collapsed onto the grass. Vaelor stood over him. He gripped the sword and yanked it from the minotaur’s body. The wounded creature let out a loud cry of pain.

But as Throk had said earlier, a simple stab wound, even through the chest, wasn’t enough to end an embodied Spiritu Malignos demon. Their bodies were designed to take the brutalist of hits and keep going. After all, they were already dead.

Vaelor stepped up and brought his blade down on the minotaur’s neck. The bull’s head rolled across the grass, spurting black liquid.

A spirit rose out of the minotaur’s body—a random abbadon. Vaelor raised his sword, which glowed a brilliant blue, as he swung it through the spirit. The abbadon opened his mouth to scream but didn’t get the chance as he dissipated into nothing.

My heart stopped pounding, and my hold on the branch loosened. Vaelor had made it through the first round with hardly a scratch. That was a promising start.

The demons in the other rings concluded their fights, disposing of the demon spirits rising out of their defeated opponent’s bodies.

When all had finished, Throk stood and shouted, “Very good. We now move on to round two.”

The giant moved over to Vaelor’s spot, and my heart sank. He was massive—standing higher than the treetops. He loomed over Vaelor and my mouth went dry.

“Oh, your favorite against one of mine,” the boy said, excitement dancing in his eyes. “This will be interesting.”

My nails dug into the bark. “Yes, interesting,” I whispered.

The horn announced the next round.

The giant wore the armor of the earth, a breastplate made of stone that was larger than Vaelor was tall. His arms, though, were armorless except for sharp-pointed knuckle rings on his left hand. Gods, those looked deadly. The black cracks in the giant’s skin and his angry, glowing eyes caused me to shiver. He swung his fist, one that was large enough to crush my entire body in its grasp. Vaelor jerked back and flew into the air.

The giant swung again. His movements were slower, halting. It must be difficult to coordinate actions inside a body so immense. Vaelor, though smaller, used his wings to stay out of his opponent’s reach. He was good. He’d always known how to fight creatures larger than himself. It was what the sons of Aeria had been trained for.