Demon Lord

The menace that has terrorized the two worlds.

The villain that aims to eradicate all life in the universe.

The one who just killed Eryth…

The Demon Lord descends from the rafters, his body radiating an aura of red lightning. I can feel the strength of his magic in the air. The moment his foot touches the ground an explosion of crimson delivers a shockwave launching the four of us as well as Eryth’s scrapped body crashing into the back wall.

As the dust settles, and the electricity dampens, we see where it all converged to…

The Demon Lord now stands with armor just as I once did, red electricity forming a complete set of gauntlets, leggings, chestplate, helmet, all taking on the humanoid form of a dragon! … And his shovel, its something greater–now more akin to a polearm yet still having the digging edge. The length of the weapon now appears more jagged, almost as if it's moving ever so slightly with the constant stream of electricity running through it.

“Ahh, that really hit the spot… Strider, I’m happy to see you’ve made it to my party! Just in time too! It's time for the main event.”

“NO! Whatever it is you’re planning to do, we’ll stop you!”

The Demon turns toward the dark spire, but upon hearing my threat turns back.

“Oh? You’re going to stop me? Is this how you treat all your hosts?”

“What you’re doing will kill us all! Of course we’re going to stop you! … And you killed Eryth!”

“WAAA WAAA SOMEONE MISSES THEIR GIRLFRIEND!”

The Demon Lord mocks us, pretending to wipe away tears from his face.

“Damn you!”

“Come on Strider, we both know who’d win this fight.”

Lala and Gil step forward readying themselves by my side.

“Maybe alone he’d lose. But with us by your side, there’s not a chance in hell!”

“TOGETHER FOREVER! ME, LALA, AND KING! WE’LL SAVE THE WORLD!”

“Hahahaha! HAHAHAHA! What’s all this baby talk, power of friendship and the like? This world’s powers come from the Soul. If you don’t have a way of getting more of it you are done for.”

The Demon Lord points a thumb behind at the pillar of darkness.

“You see this piece of darkness right here? This is the reserves, if I needed it, I could take all of the broken withered Souls and charge myself up here and now… But what would be the fun in that! You’d be dead in an instant. I’d rather watch you struggle to even hit me as I am now, it would be more enjoyable that way.”

“You really think that highly of yourself? You underestimate my power, Demon Lord.”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t try it… ah who am I kidding I’d attack the wall of death too! Go on Strider and co! Take your best shot!”

…

“Let’s do this guys!”

“RIGHT!”

No incantations this time, it's time to get serious–spells never needed to be named, or spoken aloud. It was just a thing Eryth always did, Almza too. Even the Demon Lord did it on his entrance… All I need to do is imagine myself winning!

[Electrostatic Discharge] –the lightning recharges across my body, my armor just a weaker version of the Demon Lords, but I’m not alone this time.

Gil’s body begins to glow with golden light, the giant within blooming out of him.

Lala’s bat shimmers in our magic’s glow, he’s prepared to buff us when the time comes!

SNAP–

My shovel becomes electrified, Lala gives me a look telling me he’ll amp it up. I nod and throw!

ZOOM–

The shovel flies at such extreme speeds it hits the Demon Lord the instant it leaves my grasp!

SNAP–

Snapping up close I feel a pressure I never felt before. Just standing near the Demon Lord sends this ripple of dread across my body, draining me to my very core. The ripple soon turns to my entire body feeling as if it is on fire! A pain unimaginable… But I cannot lose.

With the shovel returned to my hand I’ll strike with everything I have with my [Voltaic Arc]!

ZAP–

The shocking shovel comes crashing down on his red armor, leaving it looking still completely untouched.

The Demon Lord waggles his finger, in a taunting manner.

It only serves to piss me off even more, attack stronger! Attack faster!

POW–

The Demon Lord’s back hand strikes the side of my face with such force it launches me quickly into the wall of the arena, nearly breaking through the wall itself!

Damn it…

“KING! Gil, we need to get in there!”

Gil’s sense of heroism seems to be draining, he’s terrified.

“Bu-but King’s attack…it didn’t make the monster flinch!”

Lala looks to me then back at the enemy, deciding what the best course of action could even be.

In a sudden instant the towering Demon Lord appears right before Lala and Gil!

“RUNNNN!”

A ball of red lightning forms instantly on the point where they stand!

“[MAGIC BAT ATTACK]!”

Through the arrays of red currents a massive explosion of magic restrains me from rising from the crater…

“GIL, DO IT!”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH”

Rapid punches erupt from the kicked up storm–each sounding stronger than the last! With each attack the clouds clear to reveal the battle in front of us.

The glowing figure summoned behind Gil punches to no avail! Each attack hits but nothing comes of it! His armor still appears undamaged! Even as each of his punches breaks his own arms, and regenerates there’s still nothing!

OH NO! He’s going to attack again!

SNAP–

I’ll block the attack!

Throwing my weapon to the square between Gil and the Demon Lord–I’ll deflect it, with my [Electrostatic Discharge]!

The Demon Lord’s spiked arm slams down and my electrified fist counters–agh it burns, his deadly current of red piercing through me.

CRACK–

I hear something break–is it my arm? No, I feel fine, just a bit burnt.

The attack sent both of us recoiling backward. Him to the pillar and us to the door.

His gauntlet and mine have both been destroyed…

“My my look what you made me do. You broke my armor… No worries though, I can just replenish it.”

He holds out his hand in the direction of the pillar, as sparks of red lightning begin reforging the gauntlets.

I have to be able to do it! I dive within my Soul, searching for a way to rebuild…

But it fails.

Even if I tried harder than my hardest, I’ve been weakened too much. My magic is at its limits…

Dr. Creeks emerge from the blast door corridor. She fled with Eryth’s upper torso as the Demon Lord spoke to us…

“This is a start, King… Nice.”

“Nice? Doctor–this isn’t nice, we-we’re… done for…”

She stares straight ahead toward the electrified crimson giant looming before us.

“You and the Demon Lord appear to share similar capabilities, with his draining skill springing from his shovel… Have you tried using the withering for yourself as he does?”

“No–I haven’t.”

“Well could you try it?”

“No I don’t think I could, the only withering thing here is that pillar–”

“My eye, take it.”

“What?”

“If you can, use it to defeat him.”

“I won’t do that!”

“If I can be used to defeat the enemy, then I want you to use it!”

“NO! Nobody is sacrificing their lives here…”

That’s only for me to do.

“There’s gotta be another way…”

“King–my friends, they have an idea…”

“Gil? Your friends? What do you mean?”

“It's what my power is, I think–they grant me my strength. If the Demon Lord can steal the broken Souls of the withered with his shovel, maybe you can take the Souls of the living with yours.”

“Gil… You’re a genius! That makes so much sense, King’s shovel only works on living land! And the Demon Lord’s only works on withering land. King, we’ll do it, me and Gil will give you anything and everything to defeat the Demon Lord!”

“Guys… okay, just don’t over share it, I don’t want to be losing you.”

“It’s okay King, my friends have plenty of Soul within them, we all want to help you! And look at it this way… This way we’ll all be defeating the Demon Lord together.”

Gil places his hand on the body of the shovel.

“Hey King, you better amp it up, I don’t know how this transfer thing is going to work but, knowing it's you to lead the charge–that loser Demon Lord doesn’t stand a chance.

Lala places his hand on the blade of the shovel.

“I may not have magic yet, but all living beings have a Soul. But if it is my Soul’s power that is the tipping point that alters the fate of this battle, I’ll gladly weaken myself for your victory!”

Dr. Creeks places her hand at the handle of the shovel.

“NOW EVERYONE–GIVE KING EVERYTHING YOU’VE GOT!!!”

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

Thank you, everyone…

With this, with the strength of everyone…

We will win!

END CHAPTER 37