NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1263: The Unparalleled King
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Erebus rushed across the abandoned ruined castle within the netherworld gate, quickly reaching the end, led by his new miasmic undead army, they reached the throne room.
In there, a huge skeleton was awaiting them, clad on black armor and holding a gigantic, blazing hammer, the skeleton seemed to be huge, of over fifteen meters of height.
Yet another giant, one of the many that serve the Demon King of Death, and who served him even when he was alive and known as the King of the Kingdom of Sorrow.
The Skeleton, whose eyes were made into red jewels, glared at the small fairy leading black colored bone beasts with disbelief.
"Just what the hell is going on?!"
He roared in disbelief asking the question, his voice sounded like some unruly old bandit or a Viking, definitely not a formal man, or someone with manners.
"…"
Erebus only glared at him.
"You just stole my damn undead?! And came all the way here to just kill me! Damn girl… or boy? You’re insane."
"Join me or die," Erebus said. "I’m the Demon King of Miasma. The predecessor of your master."
"Hah! Prove it!"
The giant skeleton stood up, swinging his massive hammer against Erebus.
BAAAM!
The hammer hit the floor, shattering and releasing shockwaves of dark mana everywhere, however, Erebus managed to evade and escape the attack, reaching the skies with his very useful wings.
"I’m getting more used to this body, it’s really helpful to fly however I please."
"You evaded that?! Let’s see if you can evade this one!"
The giant charged forward, swinging his hammer against Erebus repeatedly, giant shockwaves of phantasmal flames and darkness reaching Erebus with each blow.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions of such shockwaves engulfed him completely, only to be easily blocked by the crystalline cocoon covering his body.
CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!
"Why can’t I damage you?!"
"Because I am the Demon King of Miasma, fool."
While talking with his cute girlish face, Erebus swung his hand forward, swinging the massive bone blade he stole from Gaston and slicing through the hammer coming down at him.
SLAAASH!
"Ah?!"
The giant stepped back in disbelief as not only his hammer was split apart, but he lost his two arms instantly!
"Can’t you see who I truly am with those jeweled eyes of yours?"
Erebus glared at the giant skeleton, who gave another step back as he sensed the small fairy’s tremendous, overwhelming miasmic aura.
Like miasma, his aura wasn’t ethereal but liquid and sludge-like, slimy, it spread around and constantly contaminated his surroundings.
"I-I can’t believe it…! You’re truly…!"
The giant suddenly fell to his knees, in disbelief and awe.
"The Demon King of Miasma!"
"Of course I am. I told you so… What is your name?"
"I am… Hertfeltann, Unruly Bandit of the Sorrow Mountains… I was once defeated by my King, and then swore my loyalty to him, or either I would have died."
"How funny… so now you’ll either die against me following the promise you made because you wouldn’t die, or well… you break such promise and join me."
"That’s… the King of Death is more powerful than you, and you died, didn’t you?! How are you… a fairy now?!"
"A long story… but I am now allied with the forces of Yggdrasil, she has given me new life after all… I promised her I would do good now, to compensate for all the bad. Your King is doing atrocities, do you truly want to follow him? Was he a just king before?"
"He was… yes, he was good," sighed Hertfeltann. "But after the betrayal of the Kingdom Alliance and the Cult of Yggdrasil’s schemes, he and his entire family died. After dying, he awakened his true powers as a Demon King, tainted by death, he embodies such an element."
"And since then, what happened?" asked Erebus.
"He awoke and destroyed everything, only to be slain again later by a Hero wielding a Holy Sword," said the giant. "That is how it always goes with Demon Kings, right? A Hero with a Holy Sword will always come to slay them, guided by the gods themselves."
"Hmm…" Erebus sighed, recalling the valiant hero that once stood against him in the past, Luminous.
He could not kill him, but he was defeated and sealed, while Luminous gave his life to finally win, despite everything, Erebus would have never thought that such a sacrifice would stop him.
Then later on, another "hero" appeared, one carrying the will and even the same presence as his mother… despite his many attempts, he ultimately lost, and Planta defeated him.
Unlike Luminous, she had the power to completely destroy his soul and end him for good, but she chose to forgive after learning of his past, and to give him a second chance.
"Heroes… are indeed a complicated matter," sighed Erebus. "I had been slain twice by them, never have I won against one of them, they always have the last laugh."
"You remember such times, Demon King of Miasma?" wondered the giant.
"Yes…" sighed Erebus. "This time… it’ll be different, I will become a Hero, to make up for all the things I’ve done as a Demon King. So? Will you follow me? My master, Planta… will surely forgive your king too, maybe even given him a second chance like me… but that’ll depend on if we can defeat him first. So?
Will you join me, live, and see that day with your eyes, or die right now? I know how you Undead work, I won’t let your soul return, as I shall eat it."
"Guh… You don’t leave me much of an option…" the giant sighed. "I yield… and I swear loyalty to you… Demon King of Miasma."
Erebus smiled like a mischievous little gremlin.
"Good."
He touched the skeleton’s head, imbuing Miasma into his body, and evolving him into an even stronger, dark form.
"Now rise, my new Knight," he said. "I shall now do as I didn’t before and create my own army."
Erebus always worked on his own, or by using monsters he controlled, but this time, he was going to raise an actual army.
And become the first Demon King to be a Hero.
"Luminous…" he sighed. "Your sacrifice was not in vain; you have truly changed my heart."
Although Planta was also the reason he became like this, he couldn’t deny that Luminous had influenced him greatly.
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