Ascension Of The Villain

"I am Vyan, who else?" the imposter said with a smile, standing up.

"Maybe you should say that once you have got Vyan\'s scar on your forehead," Iyana sharply responded.

"Ah." The imposter touched his forehead and a black spark emanated from his palm, forming a scar on the side of the forehead. "How is this? Good enough?"

"It\'s the wrong side," Iyana let out, clenching her fist.

"Too bad then. I was hoping to play along a little more," the imposter smirked and tilted his head. "Take over now, Azazel."

"What?" Iyana murmured under her breath as the name sunk in like lead. "What do you mean by that?"

The imposter disguised as Vyan remained silent. Soon, shadows began to creep in from every corner, coiling around him like serpents.

His eyes, once human, transformed into dark voids with a single, piercing white dot in the center.

The sight sent a chill down Iyana\'s spine, and for a moment, fear gripped her tightly.

The realization struck her like a lightning bolt— she knew this was not Vyan, but she had no idea it was even a human she could reason with; it was a demon of unimaginable strength and darkness.

A voice, deep and malevolent, echoed through the ward, emanating from the now-demonic being before her. "Hello, Iyana. Since you were asking for my name so much, let me tell it to you now. I am Azazel," the demon declared, the name dripping with an ancient and terrible power.

"Azazel," Iyana whispered, her breath caught in her throat. Her mind raced, trying to figure out the person who had a contract with the malevolent entity before her.

Well, it didn\'t matter right now who the owner was. In fact, what would be the point in knowing if Iyana couldn\'t even escape alive?

She had not been too scared earlier as she assumed it was some mere mage taking on Vyan\'s form. But now that she knew she was facing off against one of the strongest demons from the Book of Diabolos, it was hard to remain composed.

Steeling herself, Iyana forced her fear aside. Letting fear take over now would be utterly useless. She would rather face off with all she has got.

She squared her shoulders and met Azazel\'s gaze. "Okay, Azazel, what do you want from me?"

The room seemed to close in around her, shadows thickening as Azazel\'s eyes bore into hers. "I only want what my master wants."

"And what is it that your master wants?" Iyana stood her ground, her tone calm.

"Your life."

Iyana\'s heart pounded, but she kept her face impassive. "Well, that\'s a bit cliché, don\'t you think?" she quipped, trying to buy herself some time.

Azazel\'s lips curled into a sinister smile. "Your sharp words won\'t save you, girl."

Iyana took a deep breath, focusing her divine energy. With a flick of her wrist, her bracelet glowed, and her sword manifested in her left hand. "Maybe not, but this will."

Azazel wasted no time anymore and lunged at her with a speed that defied belief, his shadowy claws outstretched.

Iyana parried his attack, but the awkward angle and the unfamiliar weight in her left hand made her movements less fluid.

Her blade hummed with a fierce, ethereal light, but each strike sent jolts of pain through her injured right shoulder.

Despite the pain and her weaker grip, Iyana moved with as much grace and precision as she could muster. Her movements were like a deadly dance within the small cramped room.

Azazel\'s attacks were just as relentless, and though she met each one with equal ferocity, her left hand wasn\'t as strong or as fast as her right.

Sweat dripped down her brow, but she didn\'t waver.

"You fight well for someone so injured," Azazel taunted, circling her with ominous shadows.

Iyana smirked through the strain. "You haven\'t seen anything yet." She launched herself at him, her sword slicing through the darkness.

Azazel blocked, but the force of her strike wasn\'t enough to push him back this time.

The room seemed to pulse with energy as their battle intensified.

Shadows twisted and writhed around them, the air crackling with raw power. Iyana knew she couldn\'t keep this up forever, not with her dominant hand out of commission.

Azazel\'s eyes gleamed with malevolence as he pressed his advantage.

He swiped at her with his claws, and though she dodged, the impact jarred her arm painfully. Her grip faltered, and she barely managed to deflect his next attack.

"Your left hand is weaker, isn\'t it?" Azazel sneered. "So, how long can you keep this up?"

Iyana gritted her teeth. "Long enough to take you down."

But even as she spoke, she could feel her strength waning. There was not even enough space to perform flash-steps as the demon had every space covered with his deathly shadows.

She blocked another vicious swipe, but the force of it sent her stumbling back, her back colliding against the wall.

Azazel took advantage of her momentary imbalance, lunging forward and slamming his fist into her injured shoulder.

"Ahh!" Agony exploded through Iyana\'s body, and she cried out, dropping to one knee. She could feel the wound reopen and start to bleed out.

Her sword wavered in her hand, the heavy loss of blood starting to affect her consciousness.

Azazel stood over her, his eyes cold and triumphant. "This is the end for you, girl."

Panting, Iyana looked up at him, and her eyes slightly blurred from the pain. She clenched her jaw, hating the fact that this demon was still in Vyan\'s appearance.

But at the same time, being able to think of Vyan in that moment was a blessing. It gave her the motivation she needed to keep going.

Defiance burned in her eyes as she gasped, "Not... yet."

As she struggled to raise her sword again, Azazel laughed, a chilling sound that echoed through the room. "Pathetic."

He kicked her sword out of her hand, sending it skittering across the floor. Iyana\'s heart sank as she watched it slide out of reach.

She was weaponless, injured, and at the mercy of a powerful demon.

Azazel leaned down, grabbing her by the collar with two black shadow hands and lifting her off the ground. "Any last words, warrior?"

Iyana\'s mind raced, desperately seeking a way out. Her body screamed in pain, but her spirit remained unbroken.

She had to find a way to survive, to fight back, to win. No matter what…

But let\'s face reality. Who was she kidding? What could she even do at that moment?

The shadow hands tightened around her throat, lifting her higher. Iyana\'s left hand clawed at them, but their strength was overwhelming. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, each one more strained than the last.

"You are a fool to think you could stand against me—a demon. You humans are nothing in front of an omnipotent existence like me," Azazel hissed, his eyes burning with cruel delight.

Iyana\'s vision blurred, darkness creeping in at the edges. She struggled harder, her movements growing weaker with each passing second.

Her lungs burned, desperate for air that wouldn\'t come. Each breath felt like a mountain pressing down on her chest. She could feel her life slipping away, the world fading into a haze of pain and suffocation.

Everything was so painful.

She just wanted all of it to just end at the moment. She had a good time in the last few days, and that was what made her life worth it.

She had learned what it was like to have her heart flutter at the smallest things. She was lucky enough to experience what it was like to have someone care about something so insignificant as her wet hair, feeling cold, eating habits, knowing her hobbies, her walking routine, and her favorite flowers.

Thank you, Vyan, for making these last few days memorable for me. It probably didn\'t mean much to you, but it was a lot to the me who doesn\'t remember anything else.

Maybe we will meet again in the next life. No, not maybe. I hope we do. I really hope fate won\'t be as cruel to us next time.

Just as her world was just seconds away from entirely collapsing, she mustered a smile.

Since I was content with this life, I accept my ending.