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(Part 001)
...
Bael flops on the floor of the destroyed Hell Harbor Annex. Having recently demorphed from his Balrog form, the Duke of Pain is sapped dry of all his energy. He groans. "Aaaooo... I'm dead inside. You guys go on without me. I can't move a muscle."
I glance from him to the remaining demons — Barbatos, whose body is now controlled by his brother, Artorias, as well as Mephisto and myself.
Not ten minutes ago, I fought for my life against Uriel and eked out a win. Now the body she possessed stands across from me, as much of an ally as if it were Barbatos himself.
It amuses me how quickly the tides of battle can shift.
Artorias touches his chest. "My apologies, Emperor Ose. I was unable to stand against the Archangel. I could only watch as she continued her bloodthirsty rampage."
"Don't blame yourself. Until your brother wakes up, I expect you to take care of his body." I brush my long hair back and walk over to a nearby data terminal. Despite the fact Uriel destroyed its screen, I can still access its data. I touch my hand to the monitor and send a pulse of electricity into it, powering it up. A moment later, my mind interfaces with the machine.
I locate the one I'm looking for: a Baron named Orias. His current location shows up as a bright-red dot somewhere within the Labyrinth.
With my free hand, I weave a magic sign and transmit my mind into the machine, leaving my body to stand behind like a robot on autopilot. I travel through the magic pathways across the barrier sealing Hell Harbor from Hell itself and through a thousand miles of the Labyrinth until I reach my target.
My astral form pops into existence at the Baron of the Stars' right side. "Orias. It's Ose."
Orias sits on the ground with a series of gems spread out before himself. Each one is huge, nearly the size of my fist. Rubies, Diamonds, and Aquamarines mix to create a beautiful array of colors from every part of the rainbow. The Baron of the Stars polishes them quietly, using his fingernails to carve them down to the perfect size for his magic.
When I speak, Orias tilts his head slightly to glance up at me. The giant, multicolored gem embedded in his forehead shines even in the dim lighting, giving him a calm, regal appearance.
"Ose. You don't appear alarmed. Can I assume you've defeated the Archangel, or will you need my help?"
I shake my head. "No, you're fine. I only came to swap information. We defeated Uriel, as you expected."
The white-haired Baron smiles at me. His eyes reflect the tranquility of an ancient demon, one even older than myself. Having awakened alongside Satan and the other Emperors during the Ancient Era, his knowledge of demonkind's history touches back to our first moments of cognizance.
He is not worried about Uriel, nor was he ever.
"Good, I'm glad to hear that," Orias says, returning his attention to the aquamarine gem in his grasp. He continues gliding his nail across its surface, scraping it down to a perfectly symmetrical shape. "I thought I might have to dig into my hoard for once. Too bad. It's been ages since I saw any action."
A hint of guilt passes through my mind. "Sorry. In terms of seniority, rather than me, you should have been the next in line to become an Emperor."
"No, no, we need someone with bright, intelligent eyes like yours to guide us," Orias says, never taking his eyes off the gem in his hand. As he manipulates the beautiful blue jewel, I catch a glimpse of the various gemstones embedded in his wrist and arm when his sleeve retracts for a moment. Unlike the other demons, Orias lacks any innate magical energy. However, by pulling power from minerals dug from planets, he gains incredible abilities far outstripping those of similarly-ranked demons. I can only wonder how powerful he might become if he were to reach the level of Emperor.
"Sigh... I'm too old to be anyone's leader. I'm glad you've decided to take over in Diablo's stead. He'd want that."
Orias pauses.
"That reminds me. Now that I know you were successful, I can call off the reinforcements from the Hidden Alcoves. I'm sure they were feeling incredibly tense, wondering if you would succeed or not."
Orias reaches to his left, where a small heap of tiny, randomly assorted gems rests. He plucks a black onyx gem from the pile, crushes it in his palm, and closes his eyes. A faint burst of energy leaps out of his body, disperses a few feet above his head, and travels in several dozen directions simultaneously.
I watch as Orias completes his magic ritual. Once he finishes, I clear my throat. "I did have a small task to ask of you if you can find the time. I'd like to know how many demons Uriel slew during her latest appearance. If you'd be so kind as to gather the numbers for me..."
"Naturally," Orias says, smiling. He returns his attention to the aquamarine gem in his hand. "You need only ask, Emperor Ose."
"That's what I like about you," I say, turning away from the Baron of Stars. "Your straightforwardness."
With a motion of my hands, my astral body vanishes. A moment later, I reappear in my original form, inhaling reflexively. "Orias is going to count the casualties for us. I'm returning to the Labyrinth to search for survivors. Mephisto... if you're looking for corpses, you should come with me."
The Duke of Mist rubs his bony fingers together. "Yesss, I mussst replenisssh my ghoulsss."
"Fantastic. That's the go-getter spirit I'm looking for." I roll my eyes. "Bael, you stay here. You won't be any help."
"Damn straight," Bael grunts back. "I need to nap for a few months. Going Balrog twice in a row is tiring."
"You poor thing," I say, before beckoning to Artorias. "You're going to help me clean up Uriel's mess. Come along."
"I wanna go, too!" A chubby demon girl jumps out from behind a rock. "I have to find Mister Beelzebub!"
"Who are you? Never mind, I remember. You know Beelzebub is dead, right?"
"No, he can't be! Mister Beelzebub can regenerate from anything!" The girl runs over and grabs Bael's shoulder. He groans in pain, but she ignores him. "Remember? You crushed his head a bunch of times, but he kept coming back!"
Bael weakly swipes at her hand. "Urgh... no touchy... my body hurts. Anyway, sure, that kid can live through anything, but I doubt he'll return this time."
"Nnn!!" The girl kicks Bael's foot, which makes the big lunk howl in pain. "I'll show you! Mister Beelzebub is the bestest demon ever!"
I sigh. I'm surrounded by idiots.
..
A few minutes later, Artorias weaves several complex magic signs, and we step through his portal into a realm of pure darkness.
"Where is this place?"
I ask the question to nobody in particular. A massive void in all directions, and a floor charred black by a terrific explosion is all I can see in the darkness all around us. I shoot a bolt of electricity into the distance, and it fizzles out before it can hit a wall.
Artorias replies. "We're in the Labyrinth."
"Surely you jest. The Labyrinth has no wide-open spaces like this anywhere. The Slaughterseum is the closest, and this empty expanse dwarfs it."
The chubby young demoness stumbles over a loose rock and bangs her knee. "Oww."
I'm no fan of the darkness. Using my inner electricity, I transform my skin into an electric current, brightening the area around us. Despite my luminescence, we still can't see anything but the floor. No walls or ceiling appear even if I squint.
Mephisto cranes his neck to look in all directions. "Ssso much for corpsssesss. All that isss left isss asssh and dussst."
The Duke of Mist slides over and nudges a block of coal with his foot. "Forget sssurvivorsss. We'll be lucky to find a few ssscattered bonesss."
"Now now, let's not lose our optimism," I say dryly, though I know he's right. "Start poking around. Everyone go in different directions and-"
Suddenly, in the distance, a terrific BANG startles me. A momentary flash of light makes me jerk my head to the right. "What the hell was that?"
The sound of footsteps pattering away catches my attention. I can barely make out the plump demoness, Rosalia, running into the darkness.
"Where are you going?" I ask.
She doesn't answer, which annoys me. She'll probably get herself killed if that was an enemy. Maybe I should let her die. Survival of the fittest is my life philosophy, after all.
Artorias raises a hand. "Do not worry. I will protect her."
"You will?"
Instead of answering me, the Duke weaves a magic sigil with his hands, turning his body into a light-form, not unlike my electricity. He walks after Rosalia while illuminating the darkness. "Rosalia. Stop. Don't run off on your own."
Hearing Uriel speaking through Barbatos's body was unnerving. Her voice dripped with poison. But Artorias is more talkative than his brother and yet much more solemn than the Archangel. I don't know if I'll grow used to it anytime soon.
Mephisto looks at me. "I'll go thisss way." He trudges in the opposite direction. I wonder to myself if he'll hit a wall before Artorias and Rosalia do.
As for myself, I transform into pure lightning and jump into the sky. It barely takes me a split second to reach the ceiling and adhere to it, but when I do, I instantly calculate the maximum reach of the explosion. Beelzebub's detonation created a four-mile diameter crater. It must be eight miles from one side to the other.
I zip over to a wall at the far end and then to the opposite side to confirm. My calculations prove correct.
The distant sound of a male screaming at the top of his lungs turns my blood from electric to ice. I transmit to the source and arrive right as a small explosion detonates, knocking me back and stunning me.
When I wipe the spots from my eyes, I see a disgusting creature rolling on the ground. Several arms and legs extend from its body in all directions, and its head is misshapen and disgusting. After a moment, I come to the shocking realization that it is none other than Beelzebub himself. I only recognize him by his voice as he screams in pain. "Aaahhhh!!!! Aaauuughhhh!!"
Every few seconds, he grows a new limb and detonates one of the others, blowing the body part to pieces and sending blood and innards all over the place. The stench of rotting and burned innards churns my stomach.
"B-Beelzebub! What's wrong with you?"
He doesn't answer, and instead only continues to scream and wail. "Gahahaaaughhhh!!"
Rosalia comes into view, along with Artorias. Artorias recoils in disgust at Beelzebub's pitiful condition, but Rosalia moves in fearlessly. "Mister Beelzebub! I knew you'd be-"
"Stay back!" I warn her. "He keeps spontaneously exploding! I think he's lost control of his powers."
As I say that, one of his legs explodes even more intensely than the other limbs before it. Rosalia yelps, but Artorias forms a wall of light to protect her from the blast.
Beelzebub continues to flail about helplessly. Rosalia presses against Artorias's wall. "Mister Beelzebub! Get ahold of yourself! You're not supposed to scream and cry! It isn't like you!"
"The Duke isn't himself," I say, taking a step back. "Don't get too close. He's in hysterics. What happened?"
Artorias walks up behind Rosalia and stares uneasily at Beelzebub. "Spawn of the Devil. Give me a moment. I'll do my best to help ease this child's pain."
Before I can ask how Artorias plans to pull that off, the Duke takes three steps toward Beelzebub and shrugs off another explosion. He grabs one of the Duke's bloody arms and winces. Immediately, Beelzebub goes limp and breathes softly for a few moments as he wheezes for breath.
Rosalia leans down beside Artorias. "What's wrong with him? Is Mister Beelzebub going to be alright?"
Artorias wipes sweat from his chest. His breathing appears noticeably more labored. "A-aye. He... should be fine. I'm absorbing his pain into myself. He... he can't control his body right now since his mind is suffering. I don't mind a little extra pain if it helps him."
Rosalia nods and leans in to look at Beelzebub. For the first time, I notice an odd emotion in her eyes. Something very un-demonlike. Love.
I could be wrong, of course, but Rosalia looks at Beelzebub with more adoration than any mere servant should. It's revolting. I turn away and gaze into the darkness.
Love is a human characteristic. Demons shouldn't experience it. All it does is weaken the giver and strengthen the recipient. Demons care only about ourselves. It's what makes us strong, and humans weak. Supporting another demon instead of one's self is antithetical to our identity.
Disgusting. Ah, well, at least Rosalia's sentiments are directed toward a fellow demon, and not a filthy human. That would be where I draw the line.
A smile stretches across my face.
I should bar humans and demons from romanticizing one another. Then, when Belial inevitably breaks my rule, I'll sentence her to death. Now that would be a delicious twist of fate.
"Ose. Emperor Ose!" Artorias yells, interrupting my thoughts.
I turn back to the group of three. "What?"
"I stabilized Beelzebub's condition. However, we need to get him to the Healing Chambers. His body and mind have lost their resonance. It will take him several days to fully recover."
"Fine, fine. Do what you must. I'm going to continue searching for other survivors. Let me know if his condition worsens."
Artorias stares at me. "I doubt it could get worse than this."
Nodding, I pivot on my heel and stride into the darkness.
Several minutes pass. I find a piece of flesh and a few scattered bones, but the chance of finding survivors other than Beelzebub diminishes every step I take. Eventually, I reach the edge of the crater. Several tunnels that used to connect to our weapon factory line the wall. I don't immediately recognize which ones go where.
A buzzing sensation in the back of my head draws my attention. I close my eyes and connect to the microchip I implanted in my brain dozens of millennia ago. It's a unique device that allows me to use various computer terminals scattered around the Labyrinth remotely, even when in the Reality Dimension.
Several images appear in my head. One of them makes my heart catch. The face of a human appears. I don't recognize him.
Whoever he is, he's trying to access files regarding the Overlords. How would he know about those? Ah, it seems he already unlocked them. He's viewing them right now!
Confound it all. I hate humans who dig into things they shouldn't.
The man covers his mouth in shock and recoils from the screen. When he does, a second human comes into view. A black-haired youth. It appears that both of them have seen files regarding the Overlords. Seven Devils. I bet it was Belial who tipped them off. I knew she was up to no good.
I open my eyes and quickly weave several hand signs. My mind astrally projects outward and leaves my body.
After a minute or so, I fly through walls and race across the Labyrinth at an astonishing speed. Soon, the Core appears as a hotspot of computers and electricity, drawing my gaze. When I arrive, I immediately spot the intruder speaking to his friend. I enter his mind without a moment's notice.
His entire life's history appears before me. Jason Hiro. Human. Male. 18 Years old.
He's the bloody Wordsmith!
"Ah. I see. So you're the one who opened the files. I should have known."
The Hero stumbles around and clutches his head. His thoughts reply to my mental intrusion. What the hell? Who are you?!
"I'm Ose, the new Emperor of the demons. You're Jason Hiro, leader of humanity. I've heard about you in passing once or twice."
Yeah? It's nice to be famous. Get out of my head!
"I can't do that. You accessed files regarding the Overlords. For a demon, that's a death sentence. Your punishment will be far worse."
The human tries to open his mouth to speak, but I stop him from doing so. "Don't get cute with me. I know about your ability. Wordsmithing. You can make anything happen by uttering a single word."
He nods, but his motor control quickly falls into my grip. His movements become noticeably dulled.
Shit. I didn't know a demon like you existed. Leave me alone!
"That option isn't on the table, child. You're going to do as I say. I'll start by having you kill anyone who saw those files; then, we can erase the data. After that, I'll lobotomize you. You won't be a threat to the demons ever again."
I chuckle inwardly. A threat. Adorable. One human, no matter how mighty, can never meaningfully resist the power of demonkind. However, allowing him to agitate the Overlords would be unwise.
Jason struggles for several moments. It annoys me what a fight he's putting up as I try to move his arms and legs. I'm not doing shit, you crazy bitch! Get out of... of my head!
Heroes have access to Holy Energy, but that shouldn't prevent me from controlling him. After all, I've manipulated angels before. No, instead, something unseen fortifies his mind far beyond its natural limits. An artificial barrier of some sort. Perhaps he bolstered his mental defenses with Wordsmithing.
Cunning. I'll give Jason that much, but his feeble efforts will prove useless against my genius.
I weave a few signs with my physical body, and a moment later, the magic travels to my astral form. A bolt of electricity arcs from a nearby computer terminal and shocks Jason's heart. The man gasps and falls on his back, unable to think clearly for a moment.
Perfect. Jason's defenses are down. I'll start by overwriting his personality, then move on to his ego and motor controls. After that, it should be a simple matter of-
Hm? Something's not right. I still can't access his subconscious. Not even a Hero should be able to resist me. It's almost as if there are two minds here.
No... no it can't be. There's a second consciousness inside Jason's body! It's waking up. I must have disturbed it when I...
"Who's there? Where am I?"
The voice speaks. It's masculine. I don't recognize it, but yet, somehow, he sounds familiar.
I try to pull out of Jason's brain, but a barrier forms, sealing me in. What the hell? That shouldn't be possible! I'm in my astral form!
A phantasm of a human male appears in the darkness of Jason's mind. Elaborate robes of purple, gold, and red flow off his body and spill across the ground. A crown with dozens of jewels sits atop his head, and he carries a scepter in his right hand. His aged face, still in its prime, along with his black and grey hair, speaks to his age and experience.
He's a king. A human king. He looks familiar. Have I seen him before?
The man looks me up and down. "Why, hello there, good-looking! How are you on this glorious day?"
A sense of unease sprouts in my stomach. "Who are you?"
"Come now, ye beauteous one! Tis' shameful to ask a question before answering the one who asked first!"
"Ugh. I'm feeling dandy. Now tell me who you are."
The man twirls his scepter and does a little tap-dance. "What, you don't recognize me? I'm King Solomon, the most incredible, brilliant, and accomplished human who has ever lived!"
"Given what I know of humans, that isn't saying much."
Solomon slaps his knee. "Aha! You have a delightful sense of humor!"
"I wasn't joking."
The king stops his dancing. His face turns stern. "I died. I remember it well. The fact I have returned must mean you revived me. My question is, for what nefarious plot?"
"I did no such thing. You just happened to be in this Hero's mind, and you woke up. Release me at once, foolish human, or I will detonate my astral form and fry his mind to ash."
Solomon cocks his head. He stares at me curiously. "Nothing you say makes any sense. What Hero are you referring to?"
I wave my arms around at the void surrounding us. "Jason! You're part of his mind, are you not?"
"Hm. Perhaps I am. He must be the wearer of my Crown. One moment, please." He nods slightly at me. A barrier of light appears around me, sealing me in place. My heart pounds like a sledgehammer as the ancient king vanishes into the void.
A minute passes. Two minutes. Three. I bang against the barrier, but it saps my strength when I touch it. I can't break free.
King Solomon. His name is familiar. Is he another Hero? Why would two Heroes be in the mind of one? How?!
He reappears suddenly, his face as hard as steel. "I spoke to Jason. I understand, now. You don't belong here, 'Ose.' Trying to take over this young one's mind was quite the cowardly move, but luckily I've dealt with your type before. Begone."
The barrier vanishes. A weight I hadn't noticed vanishes from my chest.
But something else appears.
An emotion I haven't felt in ages.
Anger. Rage.
How dare this human make a mockery of me?
Me. Ose. The most brilliant demon who has ever lived. A prodigy far above her peers.
I crafted the Labyrinth into a finely tuned machine. I wrote the treaties that gave us freedom. I subjected the humans to carefully crafted routines that increased their soul output and kept them under our control.
And now... this so-called king thinks he can tell me to leave?!
Nobody... nobody tells me what to do. I make my own choices.
"Listen here, little human. It will be a frigid day in Hell before-"
Solomon holds his hand up, interrupting me. "I see that look in your eyes, but I told you to leave. When I issue a command, you obey. Leave. Now."
A whirlwind of pressure suddenly rushes against my mind. Ten trillion numbers and equations hit me, disorienting me with their relentless onslaught. Images of a hundred thousand animals, bugs, technology I can't fathom, images of the universe...
Every moment, the pressure increases dramatically. I stagger back and pull away.
My astral form returns to my body a minute later. I stumble forward and fall on my face, sweat drenching every inch of my body.
"Haah... haah..."
I can barely breathe! What the hell? Who... who WAS that human?!
He's powerful. Brilliant. I've never felt so small... so insignificant in my entire life.
...
No. That isn't true. I have. Once. When I was a child.
Once, I felt helpless in the presence of a human male.
However, that was a long time ago. I don't want to remember the past.
Slowly, I flip myself around to lie on my back and slow my breathing. My entire body aches. It's as if I haven't slept in a thousand years.
Whoever Solomon is... he's no ordinary human. He's more than a Hero. He's a genuine threat. He'll be the end of demonkind if I don't stop him.
.........................................................
I'm not doing shit, you crazy bitch! Get out of... of my head!
I squeeze my skull hard and roll around on the ground. The pain in my head intensifies as I battle with the woman in my mind. Gahh! It hurts! My head hurts!!
...
Suddenly, the pain vanishes. I breathe evenly and open my eyes to see Henry's panicked expression a few inches away. "Mister Hiro! Are you okay? What's going on?"
I blink twice to make sure I'm not hallucinating. "Someone entered my mind: a demoness named Ose. She tried to take control of my body, but something happened. I don't hear her voice anymore."
Henry nods. "Right, right. Is she gone, then? Did you force her out?"
"I think she is. Maybe." I sit up and rub my eyes. "Sweet, salty Christ. My head feels like someone dropped an anvil on it."
"Henry holds his hand out. "I'll help you to your feet, Mister Hiro."
I shake my head. "No... there's still something in my head. I feel it. It's like two gnats are buzzing in each ear."
A moment passes.
"Hello? Are you Jason?"
A man's voice speaks to me from my left. I turn and look, but there's nobody there.
Uhh... what?
"Can you hear me? Wakey-wakey."
The voice speaks again, this time to my right. I turn to look in confusion, but there's nobody there.
"I hear you. Who's speaking? Someone invisible?"
The voice replies. "Nope. I'm in your head. But worry not, young Hero! You have not developed schizophrenia! Focus your mind, and behold my wondrous visage!"
I'm getting so tired of people invading my mind. However, unlike the demon lady from before, this man doesn't hurt my head at all. Heck, his voice feels somewhat pleasant, like the warmth of a cozy fire.
I close my eyes. After focusing for a moment, the speaker appears in my mind. To my surprise, he wears Solomon's Crown, along with a bunch of kingly garments.
"Hey! Who are you? Why are you wearing my crown?"
The man stares at me for a few moments before cracking a grin. "Ahaha, a wonderful jest! Your crown, hm? I was not aware that your name was Solomon!"
"It isn't. Wait, hold on a second..."
I stare at him for a few moments.
"Are... are you Solomon?"
"Nailed it! Yahtzee! Goodness, how long have I slumbered? It seems nobody recognizes me these days. I used to be the talk of the world for thousands of years!"
"You did? No, more importantly, why can I see you? Or rather, how?"
Solomon shrugs. "I'm not yet certain. Shouldn't take me long to figure out, though. Nothing ever does! That's the beauty of being the smartest person in existence!"
A few moments pass. Solomon creases his brow. "Hmm. I see. After I sealed the artifacts of power in the Labyrinth, I placed a powerful barrier of Holy Magic around my crown and expired. Then, after some time passed, you came along and found it. Is that about right?"
I nod dumbly. "Uh. Sure. You died?"
"Indeed. It was quite the prolonged and unpleasant death, I might add. I couldn't take a chance that heroic artifacts might fall into the wrong hands, especially mine."
"I'm sorry for your loss."
Solomon waves his hand flippantly. "As Archimedes used to say, nothing lost, nothing gained, am I right? Anyway, let's get back to the topic at hand. I've got this unbelievably beautiful demon woman trapped in your mind. On the one hand, I despise demons, but on the other, I do love me a voluptuous lady. I don't know whether to kill or release her."
"You can kill her?"
"Oh, yes, without a doubt. The worst thing a psychic can do is enter a mind protected by my Crown. In fact, during my conquest of the seventh legion of Hell, there was an entire regiment of psychics I dismantled from the inside out! The poor fools didn't know what hit them."
I open my eyes and see Henry staring at me silently. The kid notices me stirring. "What's going on, Mister Hiro?"
"I developed a second personality," I reply. "No big deal. I've had several of those already. Solomon, get Ose out of my head. No killing, please."
A hazy apparition of Solomon appears before me, as though he's standing next to Henry. However, the youth doesn't see him.
"No killing, huh? Well, aren't you the principled one. If it were my mind, I'd obliterate any intruder ruthlessly. At the least, I'd turn them into a vegetable."
"By all means, make it hurt. Teach Ose a lesson about entering minds she shouldn't. No killing, though."
"Sure, sure. You're the boss."
Solomon flashes me an okay hand-sign and vanishes.
He reappears not fifteen seconds later and spins his scepter around, then does a little dance. "Tadahhh! 'Tis done! She'll be smarting for a while!"
"That didn't take you long."
"Of course not! Don't you know who I am? I'm the Knowledge-Seeker! The mightiest, most brilliant, cunning, dashing Hero who ever lived!"
I flick my eyes to Henry. He continues to stare at me in confusion, likely wondering why in the hell I'm talking to myself and looking to his side.
"Mister Hiro...?"
"Henry, nothing that's happening right now will make the slightest sense to you. Contact Hope for me. I need to chat with him."
The youth fiddles with his fingers. "Oh. I already did that. When you went into convulsions, I sent an emergency message to Neil."
"Perfect. What rank are you?"
"Rank? Do you mean military rank, Mister Hiro?"
"Mhm."
"...Private."
"Nice. You're a lieutenant now. I like you."
Henry's eyes widen. "What? A-are you sure, Mister Hiro?! I'm too young for such an honor!"
"Yeah, well, I'm too young to save the universe. Everyone starts somewhere. Go to the gates and wait for Hope and Neil. Let them know where I am when they get here."
The youth nods excitedly. "Yes! Yes, of course, Mister Hiro! Thank you very much!" He quickly marches away to wait for Neil and Hope, leaving Solomon and me alone.
King Solomon slowly scans the room. "Hideous. Absolutely hideous."
"I beg your pardon?"
He beckons toward the wall of servers. "Warp-gates, computers, men in military uniforms, but no decorations, gah! This appears to be a military center, yet I see no symbols of patriotism, no gold or jewels to draw the eye. How can you lead such a ragtag group of warriors? Where's your sense of heroic pride?!"
"I don't follow. Do you know where you are?"
Solomon rolls his eyes. "Of course. We're in the center of Hell, in the Labyrinth Core. You appear to have taken over the Devil's base from the inside-out. Not bad for a young upstart."
"Uh, thanks, I guess. We've only been here for a few months. We spent most of that time building technology to combat the demons. They could invade at any moment. I haven't had time to focus on the, err, aesthetics of the place."
Solomon groans. "Ugh. Well, lucky for you, I'm awake now. You're probably not aware, but I'm the greatest mind in the universe. I devised tens of thousands of military strategies. With me assisting you, we'll be unstoppable."
"You mentioned your brilliance a few times," I mutter. "Before that, though... I need to ask you a question. Ose appeared in my mind because I discovered a video file I shouldn't have seen. It pertains to the existence of these... these creatures. They look human, but they aren't."
"Alright. Go on." Solomon stares at me expectantly.
"They're called Volgrim. Have you heard of them?"
A moment passes. Cracks appear in the King's smiling facade.
"Volgrim. I hoped never to hear that name again."
"You know who they are?"
"I do."
"Are you going to tell me?"
A long silence follows. Solomon looks away. His expression turns somber.
"They're aliens, Jason. They come from halfway across the galaxy. And... they're... unstoppable."
I observe the King quietly.
"Unstoppable?"
"You haven't a clue."
My eyes drift to the monitor. It now sits on a black screen since we turned it off. The reminder of what I saw a few minutes ago floats in the blackness; that of two thousand demon heads exploding simultaneously.
"Tell me. I need to know what I'm dealing with."
"The truth hurts, Jason. Are you sure you want me to tell you?"
"I am."
Solomon traces a circle on his palm. "So be it."
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Author Note:
Submitted December 12, 2019 at 01:19PM by Klokinator https://ift.tt/34f4xna
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