"Well well well, if it isn't The Unnamed Team. I see you’ve also brought my brother. Welcome, Skull. It’s good to see you again." the Demon King said with an eerily charming voice. His words echoed throughout the throne room and tugged at a person’s heart. From what could be seen, he looked human. His face was remarkably handsome. His hair was sleek and brushed to the side. His body was tall and slender. A modern tailored suit covered him and sharpened his figure. The Unnamed Team would have been surprised by his outfit, but they had seen enough out-of-place objects to ignore this new one.
The throne room was a magnificent area. The floor was comprised of fine tiled stones. Stained glass windows slowly told the long tale of demonic history with artificial light always illuminating them. A long red carpet flowed through the center of the room and stopped at the throne's feet. The steps leading to where the king sat didn’t narrow, allowing for multiple people to stand by the ruler’s side. Once, there was a king with his harem of wives to populate the platform. Another king kept his generals and security close to him. That was where the current Demon King was different. All of his sins, who would have stood with him, were gone. He was completely alone.
"Same to you. Haven’t seen you since our master’s funeral. Have you been?” Skull said with a smile, not that he actually could. The joy behind his voice was genuine. The two hadn’t seen each other in quite some time, but that didn’t dull the bond of having the same master. Truthfully, neither expected to live long past their master’s death. Most people understood that a familiar would vanish simultaneously with their summoner, but this was different. For some reason, the two survived. They then decided to live their lives upholding their late master’s legacy. One took the title of Demon King. The other continued to develop and comprehend the mystical technology that Demon King Chris left behind.
“Exemplary. You see, I had already anticipated you aiding the heroes. I predicted you would bring them through alternative routes to avoid detection, but I never expected you’d pull it off so flawlessly. You’ve done well in assuring their demise. This day will be paramount in demon history. For too long, our brethren have been-” the Demon King started to say. He was excited to finally deliver the speech he prepared weeks ago. He planned to regale the heroes with an abridged version of his legacy and how he helped bring the demon race back from near extinction. Unfortunately, his tale was promptly interrupted by an inconsiderate human.
“Uh, mister Demon King? Do you mind backing up to the whole demise thing?” Nicholas asked. A recap of demonic history was appreciated but not necessary. If the team was to listen, they’d need a topic that interested them, and there was nothing more attention-grabbing than their own deaths. It was best to be prepared for anything, and the Demon King seemed to be a talkative person. Why wouldn’t they exploit that fact to learn as much as they could?
“I- Well…Yes, you will face certain death. There is no hope for you heroes here. That is because of my meticulous planning. All of this preparation has not been wasted on-” the Demon King started to say. He was proud of the level of planning that went behind this event. Truly, only a genius could have created a plan as tactical and thorough as his. The Demon King was more than willing to boast about his abilities and the futility of his enemies, but they interrupted him once again.
“Yeah, but we’re ahead of schedule. Doesn’t that affect anything in your grand scheme?” Robyn asked. Both Lust and Gluttony had mentioned that the best strategy to use against the Demon King was to rush him. He prepared everything to its fullest extent. If the team caught him outside of the scope of his plans, he’d theoretically fall apart. That was why everyone rushed to the castle. It was why they were in a hurry. Robyn was curious if the team’s hastened actions had an impact.
“Also, if you had a rough idea about Skull’s actions, why didn’t you send the demon army to surround and defeat us?” Rex asked. It seemed that the team was full of questions. Whenever one surfaced, they simply blurted it out without finesse or timing. Still, it was hard to argue with Rex’s question. The Demon King had full control of the castle. He had already mentioned how he knew Skull would guide the team. That meant that the path was obvious from the start. Why not obliterate the heroes with the power of sheer numbers? It seemed like the most logical option that essentially guaranteed success.
“That is…because…I wanted to see you…despair. Yes! I wanted to see your faces twist in despair when you realize how futile your lives have been. All of that training. The years of struggle. Friends lost along the way. It was all meaningless. You will fall before me and my unique power. A power of which there is no known resistance-” Demon King started to say again. He wasn’t ready for the random questions to continually interrupt him. It was why every interjection thus far had worked so well.
“Hate to break it to you, but none of that applies to us. We’ve only been around for a little less than a year.” Xander said. He started counting on his fingers. Only three seasons had passed: Autumn, Summer, and Winter. Spring had only just arrived a few days prior, so The Unnamed Team was closing in on a year of adventuring together. It was funny to think about how time seemed to speed past them. They were barely able to keep track of the months at this point. The four had only known each other for a short while, but they were practically family to one another.
“We also haven’t lost any friends,” Rex said. It was only by some miracle that no one on their journey had died. The sins were the obvious exception. In total five people had died, with Greed’s death being the only emotionally impactful one. Even then, The Unnamed Team wasn’t fazed. It wasn’t as if anyone close to them died. One notable person that perished was also someone that wasn’t technically a person. Eins and their previous forms, the slime and Predator Slime, expired from time to time, but those deaths had little impact. It was hard to feel remorse over a creature that died often and could be resurrected immediately.
“We also didn’t train a whole lot,” Robyn said in a low voice. It was probably best not to tell her opponent that the team lacked experience. Most of their strength came from their skills which derived from the odd scenarios the team found themselves in. The team frequently fought against powerful opponents, but their unorthodox tactics were the only reason why victory was ever achieved. Only two fights were what some would consider to be fair. That was against Envy and Pride, but even those matches were unbalanced as the struggle reached its climax.
“Our outfits and recent new skills would also object to your ‘no known resistance’ argument,” Eins said. They were irked by the notion that something could bypass their skill [Total Damage Resistance IV]. There was nothing in the world that was exempt from the system and categorization of damage. The only thing that could apply was something so minuscule that not even the world considered it to be dangerous. Besides the king’s audacious claims, there was something else about him that bothered Eins.
“Enough! I demand silence! What kind of heroes can’t even comprehend the importance of a good villainous monologue?! You’re all about to die! I know for a FACT that you can’t resist my powers because no such skill exists! Only an absolute idiot would devote the time to-” Demon King started to shout but another voice cut him off.
“Temper temper. You’ll pop a blood vessel if you stay this grumpy.” Nicholas said with a coy smile. It wasn’t hard to tell that The Unnamed Team had gotten under the Demon King’s skin. Aggravating him may not have been the best course of action, but it was certainly entertaining. An angered opponent was easier to predict than a clam and collected one, so that was another reason to taunt him.
“Fine! Die arrogant fools for all I care! Because you have no hope of defeating me! The previous Demon Kings prioritized special elements to slay their respective heroes, but I’m even wiser than them.” The Demon King said as he rose from his throne. He was seething with anger. Now was the time to make history, and The Unnamed Team ruined it. The perfect dialogue had been flushed down the drain. All the Demon King could do was give his final, shortened, declaration, “I am Demon King Goo, familiar of Demon King Chris! The strongest being in this world and master of an element that there is no known resistance to! Prepare for the final battle and your deaths! By my slime!"
