I'm a hidden boss

Amelia swallowed, the metallic taste of blood still present in her mouth. The battle… no, the encounter with Alfil had been strange. Too easy. The young Chess, normally clumsy and inexperienced with the sword, had demonstrated superhuman skill, a strength disproportionate to her build. But the most disturbing thing had been Bishop's disappearance after the fight. As if he had vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a void where seconds before there had been fury incarnate.  

She tried to find her, to search every corner of the academy grounds, but Bishop was a ghost, an illusion. Frustration ate away at her, helplessness nestled in her chest. What had happened? Had it been a hallucination? A cruel joke in bad taste? Doubt tormented her, a weight she couldn't shake off.

To calm her nerves, Amelia decided to go to the lake, a place of calm and serenity where she often went to train. The fresh air and stillness of the water promised a respite from her agitated mind. She sat on the shore, closing her eyes, trying to find the peace that eluded her.  

But the calm was short-lived. Movement at the edge of her vision, a flash of deep red, snapped her eyes open. There he was. Bishop. But it wasn’t the Bishop she knew. Before her stood a demonic figure, pointed horns crowning his head, a tail of dark red energy whipping in the wind. His eyes, once calm and golden, now burned with hellfire, blood red, piercing, piercing into Amelia’s very soul. Horror washed over her, a cold wave paralyzing her, preventing her from moving, preventing her from screaming. The silence of the lake was broken only by the whisper of the breeze and the frantic beat of her own heart. Darkness emanated from Bishop, a sinister aura that dulled even the glow of the setting sun. Amelia felt as if the very essence of the young girl, the one who had once seemed so weak and harmless, had transformed into something monstrous, something terrifyingly powerful.

***

Bishop, with a speed that surprised even his own enhanced perception, grabbed Amelia by the collar, his fingers, now unnaturally strong, squeezing firmly. Amelia's gaze, reflecting absolute terror, met Bishop's red eyes. "What are you doing here?" Bishop's voice echoed, cold and sharp, yet lacking the malice one might expect from a demon. Amelia, paralyzed by fear and surprise, stammered an incoherent explanation, stuttering about her usual training ground here.

Bishop, from her internal perspective, felt a chill of panic. She had not anticipated being seen in her demonic state. The transformation, though powerful, had been risky, a secret she needed to keep hidden. With an effort of will, she deactivated the demonic power, the red glow receding like a dark tide. A bright, warm golden light, wrapped in magical energy, enveloped her body, hiding the vestiges of the transformation. Her red eyes returned to their natural golden color, calm and piercing. Her grip on Amelia loosened slightly, though she still kept her under control.

“I won’t kill you… unless you say something you shouldn’t,” Bishop said, his voice now calm, though with an undeniably authoritative tone. A heavy silence filled the space between them, broken only by the gentle splash of water. Bishop watched Amelia with a piercing gaze, gauging her reaction. “Starting tomorrow… you will sit close to me.” The statement was not a question, but a soft, yet firm command, delivered with the assurance of someone who had already laid out their plan.

***

The next day, Bishop woke up with the certainty that her plans would be altered. However, a deep confidence flooded her. Amelia would not give her away. She knew it. Amelia, in her obsessive search for power, had begun to investigate demonic summoning circles earlier in the year. Bishop knew this, because in the game Amelia becomes desperate and decides to summon demons. Thus is born the final boss of episode 1-4 of the game.

Demons, extradimensional beings, could not directly influence this world with their raw power, though it was possible to create channels for it to manifest. Those channels were contracts. As a Demon Lord, Bishop possessed the ability to transfer some of his demonic power, though the amount was modest, equivalent to that of a lesser demon. Amelia would seek out a mid-level demon named Grifin, who would possess her, but now she may seek out Bishop.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Without bothering to fix his hair or his dress, Bishop flung the door open. Amelia was there, just as Bishop had anticipated. A smile, wide and triumphant, spread across Bishop's face. In his mind, a single thought echoed: Just as I anticipated.

"Come in," Bishop said, his voice soft but firm, before closing the door behind Amelia. They were now in the room, the stage set for the next act of the game.

Amelia, stunned, sat up in Bishop's bed, her gaze fixed on the young girl. Struck by Alfil's unusual beauty, even stripped of her demonic aura, she stammered out an awkward explanation for her presence in the room. "Wh... Do you want to make a contract?" Amelia's question was direct, cutting through the tension of silence.

The frankness surprised Bishop but instead of unsettling her, it increased her satisfaction. “For what?” Bishop asked, his voice soft and curious, waiting for the answer. “I need… I need to be more powerful,” Amelia replied, her whisper barely audible.

Bishop nodded in understanding. He knew Amelia's story, her ambitions and her insecurities. Just as Bishop prepared to speak, a holographic screen, invisible to Amelia, appeared before his eyes.

[Villain Creation] 

[Amelia - Devil's Route] 

[Depending on the level of the demon you make a contract with, the reward will be higher.] 

Bishop's smile widened, an expression of pure satisfaction. This was getting interesting.