The Tale of how I Assaulted the Demon Lord's Castle.

" I wonder if he'll be the one. I would hope so, otherwise this is gonna be almost as quick as last time. " Thanatos said to himself as he looked down at a hero he reincarnated. Partnered with one of his high priestess with a weak stomach.

 " Oh come on Tokuma. How do you even know if we're still going the right way. " Graxia complained basically dragging herself along.

 " We just started ten seconds ago. For a priest you seem quite faithless. " 

 Graxia shrugged off what I had just said. " I guess since we're here you might as well check out your spells. You always could have casted, but now you know what you can cast. "

 My heart about skipped a beat. I knew how this went I'd read manga before. I was a hero from another world I'd have dozens of overpowered spells and abilities for sure!

 " ...How do I do that? " 

Graxia had this look on her face that was calling me an idiot but she was too polite to say it aloud. " You uh. You read it. Like this. " She grabbed her skill slate/dog tags which emitted a faint golden glow. " Oh but only you can see your own stats. "

I repeated what she did, my tags however, didn't glow. I saw a weird interface though, along with a disappointingly little amount of spells and professions. My spells consisted of, vanish, greater illusions, spatial manipulation(a cool name for a rather straightforward spell), and heroic reflexes(lvl7). My professions included, knife throwing(which I was most graceful for) rank A, Deception rank A, persuasion rank A, edgy catchphrase(I kid you not) rank S, and seduction rank A. Don't ask what I'd use the last two on but I had them. Lastly my stats. To be honest there were so many different stats that meant the same thing I couldn't keep track, but from playing the video games I loved so much I would surmise my build was an assassin, high agility, intelligence, and charisma. But low strength, and endurance.

 " So. How many spells do you have? Ten? Twenty? Wait your a hero I gotta think big. You must have well over a hundred!? "

 " How about four? " as soon as I said that I saw the excitement drain from Graxia's face as it was replaced by disappointment. " But they're very cool... sounding. "

Inbetween puke breaks and playing with my new vast collection of spells we found the area my sensations led me to. But there was nothing but the continuation of the beautiful green plains.

" Is it invisible? " Graxia asked, I was halfway convinced she was being sarcastic but she made a good point.

As I walked on I disappeared from Graxia's sight. But I saw a towering castle, it's whitewashed outer walls scaled about fifty feet high, it's black steel drawbridge was protected by a menacing gatehouse which wouldn't be complete without proper machicolations on it's crenellations to better defend directly below it, the ramparts had decent crenellations as well such as proper area to find cover and arrow slits. All around it was not a keep I'd want to assault. But the drawbridge was down and I couldn't see a single soldier defending anything.

I relayed the information I somehow knew to Graxia.

 " Wow. You actually know something? I'm so proud. " She teased... I hoped at least.

 " Of course I know things! " I retaliated but I didn't even remember what I said only what it meant. " We should be careful, especially navigating through the gatehouse, stay away from the holes in the roof. "

 " Holes in the roof? "

 " Murder holes. They're added on gatehouse roofs to reign hell on the enemy force in the gatehouse below. " Again I mumbled out knowledge that I had no idea I had. 

Sure enough there was a murder hole in the gatehouse but nobody was there to use it.

The interior bailey looked deserted, several houses presumably smithy, a few granaries, stables, a mess hall, barracks, each disturbingly vacant. All in all the place definitely had a earie feel.

 " I have an idea. I'll use vanish from here on. Don't. Get. Me. Caught. " I emphasized on the last part to really let it sink in.

 " What do you mean? I can be stealthy? "

 " Your actually glowing! Just. Don't do anything dumb. " In spite of my warnings Graxia insisted she followed me as close as possible basically rendering my spell useless.

Vanish is a spell which completely obscures me, it's impossible to see, smell, hear, or all around sense me. It's the pinnacle of stealth magic.

The rest of the castle continued with the earie feel. Between the shear emptiness and how clean the place was, it was an area that would haunt my nightmares for many nights to come.

Finally after what felt like an eternity of traversing the terrifying castle we got to the keep. It was lacking in battlements outside of a gatehouse and drawbridge made of more of the black steel, I'd hate to fight against the utter monsters capable of lifting these drawbridges.

The inside of the keep kept on going with the creepy vibe. You'd think that an old abandoned castle would be disgusting and covered in cobwebs but the place was so clean I could almost see my reflection on the white marble floor. Which was another thing, the place was very white and elaborate not at all what you'd imagine a Demon Lord's palace to look like.

" Is now a good time to say I'm scared of ghosts? "

Just as Graxia spoke a loud creaking moan of old wood echoed throughout the palace.

" Oh God. Thanatos please don't let my journey end here. " Graxia prayed as she started hiding behind me, her glow completely eliminated any hopes of me sneaking.

" Don't be a wuss. Your a high priestess your probably more useful against ghosts then anyone else. "

The keep consisted of a ballroom, a waiting hall presumably where people would gather in line to complain to the reigning Demon Lord, a feasting hall with a long table capable of comfortably seating fifty people, a creepy servants chamber, and more. But we found a room with a massive black steel door and stopped in our tracks.

 " Could be the treasury. Could be the Demon Lord's chamber. " I said anxiously staring at the door.

 " You should open it. Your the hero. "

 " I have four spells. And none of them are offensive. What if you wai... "

 " No way in Tarterus! I'm not staying alone in a creepy Demon Lord castle! " She argued interrupting me.

" Fine. Come on. "

I slowly opened the door, not for dramatic effect or fear, but because it was stupidly heavy.

On the inside were piles of guld, no mountains would be more accurate. I swear Graxia's eyes went blank. Suddenly she was no longer afraid, she was making guld angels in the mounds.

" You know it could be cursed. Or protected by some kinda dragon. " I said as I cautiously navigated the room.

" What do you think your doing? Don't ruin this. " Graxia shrugged my generous warning to the side and continued to make guld angels.

Meanwhile I noticed yet another door, but it was even taller, at least fifteen feet tall. And though seemed like it was made of a strong metal, it was also blood red.

" Hmm. I wonder what's behind here? " as my hand made contact with the oddly warm door the whole room began to shake violently. " Wasn't me! " 

A mound of guld began to move before a monstrous creature stepped from it. With one horrific yellow eye in the center of its bronze skinned head it was clear I was facing some kind of cyclops and an ugly one too, to make matters worse all it was wearing was an old decayed toga, but that would hardly matter because I unfortunately saw right up HIS skirt because of his size. The whole dude was so ugly it wouldn't be a mercy in hell if I described him in greater detail.

I figured the strongest spell I had against someone like him was greater illusions so that's what I cast.

Greater illusions is a spell which allows me to create a illusion for just about anything, I can make things that are there, appear not, or things that aren't there, appear, the illusions I create also can have physical effects as well, and can have smell, shadow ect.

The cyclops grabbed a club from a pile of guld and slammed it on me with enough force to wedge pieces of guld coins into the red door.

" Tokuma! Are you dead!? " Graxia screamed with genuine concern, what was she expecting though? I'd tell her if I was?

" Huh. Such a lousy blow. " I brushed some imaginary dust from my shoulder. " Come on. Give it to me. " I spread my arms in a taunting stance.

The cyclops roared and unleashed a chain of relentless blows, each with enough force to shake the whole room. But I couldn't feel any of them. Since he was hitting a decoy.

The real me was on his back completely vanished waiting for him to stop moving so I could line up a shot to stab him inbetween his cervical vertebrae and pry them apart.

" Well well well. Are you done yet? My turn. " Decoy me said as he raised his hands in the air dramatically.

The cyclops backed up in anticipation and waited for my decoy to do some kinda overwhelming stunt, allowing me the chance to initiate my plan.

My dirk slid inbetween his vertebrae with no difficulty whatsoever. Before he could even scream I twisted my blade and with a stomach turning pop I dismounted the cyclops leaving my dirk in him.

 " There's a reason you loss. " Suddenly a breeze came from nowhere in the middle of a closed off keep blowing my hair dramatically. " In the absence of knowledge lays needless fear. And where fear lurks. Failure lies in wait. " unaware of what I just said I pulled my sword from the cyclops and Graxia started laughing hysterically.

" Wow. So edgy! " Graxia teased clapping her hands.

" What? " It took about half a second before I had realized what I said. " Don't tell anyone I said that. "

" Must've been your rank S profession. Edgy catchphrase. "

" Don't make me regret telling you that. I still kicked butt. " The cyclops finally stopped thrashing his head around making matters worse. " Oh God he still alive!... Wait no, I think he just died. "

The giant red door groaned open.

" That's definitely the Demon Lord's chamber. "

For once Graxia agreed with me. " Yep that's where he is. "

A few seconds went by where neither of us moved. But eventually my eyes needed rehydration so I blinked.

" Hah! Saw that! I win! " Graxia jeered excitedly. " Go on! I'll be making guld angels. "

Knowing full well that I'd never convince Graxia otherwise I entered the next room and it was just as I feared.

A beautiful long dim lit court hall with stairs ominously leading up to an admittedly gorgeous throne where a guy in a set of crimson red plate armor sat with his visor down.

" My name is Bulbyr. I'm the Demon Lord of this castle, have you came as an attempt to slay me hero? Because you won't succeed. " He spoke in a menacing tone.

Upon him standing up I saw the Demon Lord had a extravagant longsword on his side I took a few steps back in anticipation while grasping my dirk.

" Your hero level can't be any higher than eighteen. In other words. I'm going to kill you. "

I stood there quivering in dread. At least a decoy did. The real me was already circling around him.

I can't risk any strikes that takes too long to prepare, such as going for his visor, I should disable his defenses by cutting the straps on his armor. Then while he's defenseless I'll go for a quick roundhouse to his chest. 

" Poor cowardly hero. " The Demon Lord slowly walked to my decoy without even drawing his blade. " Run now and I'll spare you. I'm true to my word. Go. Scurry off scum. If you want to live. "

He got dangerously close to my decoy. I couldn't know if he had some kinda ability which cancelled out greater illusions. But I couldn't risk it.

In two synonymous cuts I removed the straps on his armor and in a third movement I kicked his chest with enough force to launch him unto his throne and launch his helmet off.

I took a moment to congratulate myself for such a well executed roundhouse especially since I had no prior marital arts training " Whoa. Wait he's not dead. "

I rushed to the throne and pointed my blade to his throat. The first thing I noticed was his eye-catching crimson red hair flowing just beyond his shoulders, it was a shade of red I'd never thought possible outside of manga or anime and yet there it was.

" What red hair you have Demon Lord. " I said in a state of confusion as an odd sensation of doubt came over me. 

" All Demon Lord's have red hair. Better to hide the blood. " Without his helmet to disturb his voice, it was obvious he was terrified, and he had to have been the most feminine sounding Demon Lord in history, but my blade did not waver from his throat as he remained in a position concealing his face.

" But what adorable fox ears you've got. " I continued desperate to stall and find out what the odd sensation telling me to stop, was.

" Better to hear the screams of my foes they are. " Finally he faced me, and boy was he a trap.

" B.. bu... But what a fine pair of boobs you got! " 

" That's cause I'm a girl! " he, or rather, she said trembling in fear yet obviously irritated as well.

I must admit I was taken off guard but I carried forward, my blade positioned directly on her throat. That's when I noticed something or better yet everything. 

Her scarlet eyes were full of fear, not resentment, nor hatred, or even a desire to kill, pure unadulterated fear. Her blade remained in her sheath in spite of the fact that she had ample time to draw it when I was catching up to her, which meant to me that she wasn't going to kill me. Her skin was smooth which was a clear sign that she'd never been in a fight, she couldn't have been any older than me, and yet she was terrified. It was beyond the fact that my blade was at her throat it was the fact that a hero's blade was at her throat. But why would she be afraid of heroes if she'd never fought one before?

" So it is you than? "

Time stopped all of sudden and a voice echoed in my head a familiar one. Thanatos.

" Your the rogue hero. Fitting I must say. Don't worry I don't mind, actually it makes everything infinitely more entertaining. You should know though, with her at your side you'll draw a lot of negative atattention. "

 " I never said I wasn't gonna kill her. " I protested though I knew he was right, even if I could, I wouldn't, the world I was in was far too gorgeous to pass up. I had already decided I was gonna stay before I even got to Bulbyr's castle.

" Yeah. But you won't. " He spoke as though he was reading my mind while he crossed his arms arrogantly " You can kill her now. But like I said. You won't. "

Time resumed and my blade remained at the Demon Lord's throat and Thanatos was right I couldn't do it.

" Tokuma! Is that the Demon Lord? A girl? She's cute. In a non gay way. "

I lowered my blade and turned to Graxia. " I can't kill her, she's innocent. You understand? "

Graxia nodded in comforting agreement. " I'm the high priestess bound to you, I don't really have a choice but to agree. "

Suddenly the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Without even noticing I extended my arm and blocked a blow heading for the Demon Lord.

" An ordinary person couldn't block that. With speed like yours you'd need heroic reflexes, at least level seven. " The man speaking was already across the room from me, he was dressed in a tattered tan cloak just barely showing a wooden oni mask, not knowing much about eastern armor parts at the moment the most I could say is that he was wearing white samurai armor, he also had a katana which he used to assume a kendo stance, one I recognized as Jōdon-no-Kamae, he raised his blade to the sky holding his right hand close to the tsuba and his left hand close to the kashira. 

In a troubled voice I came to a conclusion "That stance is from my world, could he be another hero? "