Arthur Belmont (the hero)
We arrived at the castle of the demon king as the first rays of sun bathed the world in their warmth. The castle - like a black obelisk - stood out in the arid landscape of the Icathian kingdom. While we and our legion of the undead approached the obsidian-black gates, there was no army to stop us, not even a single guard stood outside. The ominous feeling that had haunted me the better part of this journey had returned - now stronger than ever.
I paced my hands on the gates of our last battlefield and pushed with all my might, but the gates didn't budge. This was one of the ritual tests to prove oneself before challenging the demon king for the throne, a test that must be taken alone. I've read somewhere before that any challenger that fails to open them isn't allowed to challenge the throne, but I wasn't here for that, so I ordered my companions to push as well.
The obsidian gates creaked and began to move aside, I brushed aside the sense of guilt for ignoring the rules of this battle. This isn't a fight for honor… I thought and looked at the ones standing beside me. I just want to go home and take all of them - all my friends and comrades back to where they all belong…
The gates fully opened and the first thing that I saw was a demon with raven-black hair standing in front of a bronze throne. That must be the demon king… I thought. Strange, from what I sense, he is 'B' class at best, was Vulcan really terrified of someone like him, or is there some trick messing with my senses?
The demon stood firm - not a trace of fear or doubt flickered on his face. He raised his sword and pointed the tip at me. "You, who broke the rules of this sacred duel, for bringing shame to the rituals of old, your brazenness reminds me of someone… If you are not versed in the ways of the warrior may you at least have the strength of one."
The demon took a low stance and prepared himself to strike at any moment. One against almost fifty he did not cower, I raised my sword as well. We stood like two beasts of equal strength sizing each other up, looking for a weakness, for the slightest falter, for the most minuscule of opening.
In my whole life, never did I enjoy fighting, nor did I once seek it, so what was this strange feeling welling up inside my heart? This burning desire to strike and to be stricken, to stab and to be stabbed, to fight as one man against another, to give it my all and to overcome. All my resolve to return home, to lead my friends to where they belonged, it all melted like a snowflake that was touched by fire - a burning desire, so fierce that it made everything else seem redundant.
My duty to my comrades, my duty to my family, my love towards Lina, it all felt irrelevant at this moment. It was like a trance, it felt like this very moment was the reason for my very existence, the reason for my birth, for the birth of my parents, my grandparents and all the generations before them.
I looked at the eyes of my foe and everything around us disappeared. Then I blinked. The moment I opened my eyes, the demon king was already before me, his raised sword, glimmering in the faint light of the torches, aiming for my neck.
I had made a mistake, it was already too late to block. One second, less than a single second, had just cost me my life. But… Why do I feel so content? Why am I this happy? What is this piece that I'm feeling?
I watched the descending blade of my adversary as in slow motion, I watched it, inch by inch creeping closer to my neck, then I closed my eyes thinking that this kind of death wouldn't be all that bad.
BANG! A sound of metal hitting metal rang in my ears and I opened my eyes. Eugene the 'Immovable shield' was standing in front of me, blocking the blow that was meant to take my life with his massive shield.
A deep regret filled my soul for merely a moment, then the illusion broke, revealing the world as it was, revealing the reason for why I was fighting and the friends that were fighting with me.
Eugene swung his shield at the demon king, knocking him away and giving me a clear pass. I charged at the still air-born enemy and delivered a vertical slash aimed at his head. The demon blocked with his sword and, using the momentum from my strike, landed his feet onto the stone floor.
Twelve swords flew around me - six from my left and six from my ring - and four of them plunged into where the demon stood. But the demon king was fast - he jumped back at the last moment. The remaining eight swords approached him and split - surrounding him and beginning their adult.
The demon king knocked the swords in front of him and charged at me, but was sent flying into one of the pillars supporting the ceiling when Rory the 'Sonic boom' slammed her sword into his side.
Where the demon landed, a cloud of dust arose, obstructing our vision. I looked at Rory, she shook her head, pointing at her now chipped sword, that had not even a drop of blood on it. So he was able to block in that split second… I thought. Truly worthy of a demon king.
The dust cloud churned and a figure with blood on his lips walked out holding half of a sword. He took up his low stance and was about to engage, when, suddenly, he bent backwards like a spring and stabbed what was left of his sword above him, then slowly retracted his blade that was now covered in blood.
The shadows flickered and Owen's body materialized as if from thin air right next to the demon king. Owen jumped back and inspected his forearm that was pierced staring through. Even though his arm was seriously injured, Owen didn't make a sound, nor did he drop the dagger that the pierced arm was holding, he simply looked at the demon king, wrapped some bandage around his forearm and disappeared again.
Another strike aimed at the demon king, another strike dodged, the demon king had no chance to rest, since Daria's blades were upon him again, but instead of retreating, he went forwards. The demon king threw his broken sword aimed at Daria, but a gust of wind from Silvia blew it away.
The demon dashed towards his blade that was now right above Daria, he jumped up high, caught it and stabbed it straight at Daria from above. The blade missed, embedding itself into the stone floor and the demon king slumped to his knees, struggling to get back up.
I looked at Caleb and he nodded. It seems that he has increased his control over sound magic once again. I thought. Caleb, while not remarkable in magic aptitude, or mana capacity, had one trick that only he could do and that was crucial in battle. He used sound magic bullets to mess with the inner ears of his opponents, causing them to lose balance, while not affecting anyone around them. A warrior, no matter how great, is reduced to an amateur when they can not even stand.
The demon king adapted, he gave up on standing on two feet and charged at Daria on all fours. Like a ravenous, slightly drunk wolf, he aimed to bite through Daria's jugular. He pounced just to receive a knee to the chin from Tania and be sent back.
Tania, after sending the demon king flying, went for the kill. She rushed towards the downed opponent with an axe kick. The kick connected, creating a huge cloud of dust, but the loud yelp and the expression on her face suggested that something went wrong.
As the dust cloud dissipated, I saw the demon king holding Tania's shin in one hand and her foot in the other, the joint was obviously dislocated. He forced Tania's leg up, forcing her off balance and was about to plunge his outstretched fingers through her chest, when one of Daria's blades struck him clean through the back.
The demon king winced in pain and momentarily loosened his grip on Tania's leg, letting her escape, then he swung his chest to the ground with all his might, dislodging the blade from his body. As the blade fell to the ground, the demon king grabbed it and, without a moment's notice, went for the injured Tania.
His movement became more sure and fluid, as if Tania's blow to the chin had fixed his balance issues. He swung at her head with all the strength he had left, but it was all for naught, because Eugene the 'Immovable shield' was there to take the blow.
More blades controlled by Daria launched a continuous assault on the demon, but neither one hit. The demon king, even though heavily injured, moved with the reflexes of a cat. But it wouldn't last, with every step, with every movement of his body, the demon king left a poodle of blood on the floor and every poodle was larger than the last.
I watched the demon king - this great warrior - fighting overwhelming odds and, instead of retreating, he advanced continuously. I understood then and there why a demon of merely 'B' class was able to climb to the stars. His relentless grit, his unwavering perseverance was awe inspiring.
I knew that I had to kill him, I knew that there was no other way about it, that, if he lived, this world would never know peace, but the thought of someone fighting so valiantly dying in my hands felt so very wrong.
I shook my head and forced these thoughts down. Home… I will go home… I thought and readied my sword. But I should make it right… I stepped forwards and positioned myself between the demon king and my companions.
"I am sorry for how we've been fighting you up until now." I said. "Let me make it right with you…"
The demon king - exhausted, battered and bloodied, but still standing, looked me dead in the eyes, smiled and spoke. "So you are versed in the ways of a warrior… Good, let the stronger one win."
One of Daria's blades flew from behind me aimed at the demon, I swatted it aside.
"What the hell are you doing, Arthur?" Daria protested.
"Let me handle this alone." I said, not turning my back on the opponent.
"What the hell? Weren't we supposed to fight as a team?"
"Indulge me just this once…" I said. "This pertains to all of you." I addressed the others.
"Are you trying to hog all the credit now that we've done most of the work?" Daria asked. "Or do you think that now that it's a one on one, the fight is fair? Look at him, he's barely standing."
"It's the intention that counts…" The demon king said and steadied his breathing. "Now then, one with the heart of a warrior, show me that you are better than the one that came before you… Show me that intent is more important than strength alone, show me that you are better than the brazen fool that defeated me before…"
We clashed blades, matching strike for strike, neither retreating, nor advancing, neither winning, nor losing. This status quo remained for a while, but the cracks in the demon king's strength began to show. As he lost more and more blood, he became slower and weaker. It pained me to see him deteriorate, so I became determined to end it at once.
I dodged one of the demon king's strikes and, while he was temporarily off balance, sliced through his chest with my sword. The demon king fell to his knees, panting heavily and I stood before him - the victor of this duel.
I raised my sword high, but before I struck the finishing blow, I asked one last thing. "Tell me your name, demon king, so that I can remember you until I die."
The demon king panted heavily, smiled and said. "My name is Yama, but… I am no king."
"What?"
A pillar of blinding light descended in the great hall. "That is the demon king."
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