It was supposed to be a fatal wound. The final slash intended to slay the Demon King, but it failed. Clenching her teeth and twisting her lips into a sickening smile, the Demon King summoned her remaining strength. With a resolute pull, she activated the lever, setting into motion the final act of her scheme. Electric currents roared to life within the apparatus, channeling a torrent of energy into a device fastened to her chest.
“Hahahaha! Bear witness! Let it be known that I, Demon King Agnus, succeeded in the destruction of the world and eluded its consequences!”
Everything turned to white—a boundless void. It came and went in an instant. The Demon King collapsed. A profound silence followed, thick and absolute. Smoke curled from the fractured stone. Scorched banners stirred gently in the wind.
The Hero’s party advanced with hesitant steps, their faces etched with a blend of worry and bewilderment. They exchanged wary glances. Was this her end? Had she orchestrated her own demise? The air hung heavy with their unspoken inquiries until the stillness was shattered. Agnus twitched. Then, gathering her strength, she pushed herself upright. Her hand traced her head, a clear testament that her story was far from over.
“Ow… what the hell…? Where…?”
Yevon’s boots thudded against the ground, closing the distance between her and Agnus. With her eyes narrowed and jaw set, she launched herself at the Demon King. The air whistled around her clenched fist before it collided with Agnus’s cheek, echoing the sound of inevitable confrontation. When Agnus toppled back to the ground, Yevon paused, a flicker of doubt crossing her mind. This is the first time my strike has ever connected so squarely. Shaking off the surprise, Yevon turned her attention to her tossed sword. The sword equipped; her resolve was clear: the Demon King must die.
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“Yevon, wait! Something’s not right with her.”
Uriel, the group’s healer and a conduit for the spirits, had noticed a shift in the aura that enveloped Agnus following the blinding flash. Although he couldn’t pinpoint the cause, he was certain that ending Agnus’s life at this juncture would not bring the resolution they sought. Keeping her alive might offer them answers, he reasoned. Iris, however, was not convinced by this approach.
“This is the perfect time to snuff her out once and for all. We all know the havoc she will wreak upon awakening!”
The devastation wrought by the Demon King was all too familiar to Iris. The endless ruins of cities and villages set aflame were etched in her memory. Had Agnus not existed, perhaps Iris’s father—along with the Imperial King—might still have drawn breath. Yet, as her thoughts lingered on the late King, a realization dawned upon her. Actually, it’s better that he’s dead. That idiot would just send us straight to the gallows, branding us traitors in the process.
Confronted with the aftermath of Agnus’s devastating actions, the group grappled with uncertainty. Agnus’s demise wouldn’t erase her legacy of destruction; the world remained scarred by her actions. Her army might have dissipated, but the mark of her reign lingered.
“Damn it!” Yevon’s voice cracked through the air, a sharp note of frustration as she sheathed her sword with a swift, irritated motion. Her eyes darted among the party. “So what’s our plan? Bind her and force her to confront her crimes?”
“A public execution would at least solve a fraction of the people’s anger. Hells, maybe even alleviate the Imperial Prince’s wrath towards us.”
Uriel released a weary sigh, his gaze drifting away. “I… I can’t be certain. But there’s something off about her. We won’t know until she wakes up. So grab her and let’s go.”
Exhaustion permeated the party, yet Uriel’s guidance had always been their beacon. Trusting in his judgment, the Hero removed the device affixed to Agnus’s torso and hauled her from the throne room. Unbeknownst to Yevon, this act would seal the fate of the Demon King and herself.
