Chương 33: Chapter 29 - Not So Final Showdowns

Even now, I can't help but doubt myself. I still ask myself questions like, "Am I doing the right thing?" And that's a stupid, pointless question. Of course, I'm not. I haven't been on the side of "right" since… since I died my first life if that even counted. But I've been cast as the [Demon Lord], and that's the part I'll play until this whole tired tragedy plays itself out. I'll either prove this whole thing is rigged against me or take everything down once and for all.

And in the end, I won't hurt or kill anyone who actually exists since we're all just bits on a server. Or maybe that's just the lie I tell myself because I'm not sure I could go through with it otherwise. Not what I plan to do, and even more who I plan to do it to. Excerpt from my journal Demon Slayer didn't wait long after his introduction. As soon as he was done speaking, he dashed forward and cut down the unlucky greed demon nearest to him. Fast. Was all Alder could think as he barely tracked the movement.

He was sure their new ally was level 25, just like his party. More than that, he appeared unaffected by the slow and even hasted somehow. However, the swordplay seemed... awkward.

It was as if Demon Slayer was unused to his weapons of choice, and he took a few slashes to the back from the greed demons who got around behind him. He seemed unperturbed by that. His swords glowed red for a moment as he took his retribution on the enemies that had injured him. Then, they returned to their previous blue and green.

"Back him up!" Alder shouted as he charged in behind their new ally. Despite his speed, no one could take on an entire army alone. The cloaked figure suddenly swung his sword in an arc at no one, and Alder thought he simply missed the demon in front of him... until he heard the end of his chant.

"[Air Cutter]," the cloaked figure intoned, and a blade of wind sliced through the enemy ranks. It slew few of them, but Alder was sure that was a good chunk of damage. And then Alder was in the thick of things behind the mysterious figure.

"I didn't ask for your help," the distorted voice stated as Alder pummeled a demon who was about to attack the stranger from behind.

"Yes, but you could still use it," Alder replied, taking up a position back-to-back with Demon Slayer. It didn't last long. No sooner had he got into position than the cloaked figure [Flash Stepped] away, right back into the thick of things. Alder cursed under his breath but followed. The two took down demon after demon, Alder almost matching his pace despite the slow, and things were looking up... until Alder killed one demon and scarcely avoided a paladium sword that was going for the same target.

"Stand aside or be cut down," the distorted voice hissed. Demon Slayer was focused solely on Alder with a sword pointed in his direction, and a demon stabbed him from behind. Demon Slayer didn't even spare the enemy a glance and slew it with the sword in his off-hand.

"We're on the same side!" Alder shouted as he punched one demon and sidestepped another's attack.

"A common enemy doesn't make us allies," Demon Slayer stated.

"Take your party and get out of here." The talk of his party drew his attention back to them. He got a quick feel for things through the party link and things were not looking good. The rest of them were even more mobile than him... as long as they could move unseen. And Shadow Alchemist didn't have enough smoke to cover the rapidly shifting battlefield. Alder was torn between retreating and helping Demon Slayer when a new voice called out.

"I've been looking forward to our rematch, [Hero]," came Avarice's sneering voice.

"You've cost me everything, and it's time you paid for it!" Demon Slayer immediately darted towards the voice, cutting down any demon that stood in his way, and then he clashed blades with the commander of the greed demons. It was one blade against two, but Demon Slayer didn't seem to find much of an advantage even so. His off-hand attacks were awkward, and he couldn't create an advantage against a demon that was almost as fast as him. Fortunately, he had Alder there to help.

A group of demons clustered between them to give their boss space, which suited Alder perfectly.

"[Thunderstrike]!" He shouted, instantly slaying everything in his path to Avarice and landing a heavy blow on the demon. Avarice screamed in pain, and Demon Slayer had his opening... only to ignore it and take a swipe at Alder.

"What are you doing!?" Alder shouted as he blocked the incoming blow and its follow-up with his knuckles.

"I told you to leave," the distorted voice came again as the attacks stopped, and Demon Slayer pointed one blade at him.

"Are you insane?" Alder called out.

"You can't take him on alone!" Avarice used that opening to take a swipe at Demon Slayer, who simply blocked it with his free sword and then turned his attention back to the greed demon. Alder rushed in to flank...

"I warned you," Demon Slayer stated flatly. Then, pointing the sword back in his direction, continued.

"[Air Drill]." Internally, Alder scoffed. The Grandmaster had ensured that he knew the limitations of his armor, including its actual resistance values in each mode. In mithral mode, his preferred one, it was V across the board including air. A spellcast from an enemy that wasn't using a wand would be at I, which he was literally immune to. At least, that was what passed through his mind in the brief moment before the rapidly spinning circles of air from the [Air Drill] reached him.

Alder was tossed like a rag doll, and he flew over the heads of dozens of astounded greed demons before finally landing on one with a crunch. Ow. Alder thought as he quickly slew his unfortunate landing cushion with a quick [Earth Strike]. He regained his feet and found himself surrounded by nervous-looking demons. Damage type was higher than I, then. He thought as he took his fighting stance. But not much higher. He continued internally as he examined his HP and saw that he wasn't missing much.

That means that he had to have a wand somewhere. Alder's eyes widened as he quickly replayed the spellcast in his mind. Those swords are wands!? How did he even fit so many enchants on- His thoughts were cut off as the first demon seemed to find its courage, or maybe it was the fact that another one shoved it from behind towards Alder. Either way, the fight was rejoined as Alder easily sidestepped its awkward swing and killed it with a single [Earth Strike] blow to the face. Alder was done conserving stamina.

He needed to get back to Avarice immediately. Powerful sword/wands or no, Demon Slayer was going to need his help to defeat a powerful enemy like Avarice. [Earth Strike] after [Earth Strike] sent demons back to Hell, and he simply ignored their attacks in return even though they were doing small amounts of damage. When [Flash Step] was off cooldown, he used that to get closer, reappearing in the middle of a group of demons who weren't as brave as the others and took off running.

He was just in time to watch as Demon Slayer batted Avarice's blade upward and then drove both swords into his chest. But he wasn't finished. There was a buildup of magic and a sudden boom as he cast lightning directly from his blades into the greed demon. Avarice fell to the ground and then turned to dust moments later.

"Retreat! Leader has fallen!" shouted an imp. The horde from Hell would likely have taken that order from anyone at that point. They all started scrambling away, and Alder turned to chase and put the rout to good use. At least until he felt Shadow Leader's intent through the party.

"Leader, no!" Alder shouted as she reappeared right behind Demon Slayer. Alder's shout must have been enough warning. Demon Slayer spun around her [Backstab] and retaliated with an [Air Strike] elbow that tossed Leader a dozen feet. She was back on her feet in a moment, and she wasn't alone. The rest of the shadows had followed her plan and surrounded the stranger.

"Stop!" Alder called again as he approached.

"What are you doing?"

"He's a threat to the [Hero]. He must be contained," Shadow Knight replied in lieu of Shadow Leader, who was catching her breath.

"And while you stop me here, my quarry gets away," the distorted voice droned, its owner's rage leaking through.

"Let him go!" Alder said, coming alongside Shadow Leader and Shadow Knight.

"He's been fighting the demons. That makes him an ally!" Shadow Leader shook her head.

"Not if he himself is a demon," she said, pointing at the stranger or, more specifically, at the gauntlets with which he gripped his swords. They lacked the red scales that set apart the [Demon Lord's] armor as unique, but the underlying metal was recognizable even in the dark once he got a close enough look.

"Black mithral," Alder whispered.

"I suppose I should have been more careful, Analulellia Lorarel," the distorted voice replied. Shadow Leader's eyes shot wide.

"How did you-""Leagues above the others in your training, you were the perfect little child soldier, weren't you?" Demon Slayer mocked.

"And that only compounded once you got your hands on [Shadow Step], didn't it? None have ever figured it out quite like you have." Shadow Leader was ready to [Shadow Step] in again and knife him, while Shadow Warrior barely held Shadow Rager back.

"Everyone calm down," Alder stated with finality.

"He fought demons alongside us, so we'll give him the benefit of the doubt." Alder stared into the stranger's hood but saw only shadows… and was that a mask underneath? The others were starting to protest, but Alder forestalled that.

"Demon Slayer, or whatever your real name is," he continued.

"You have about 10 seconds to start giving us answers, or I'll stop holding everyone back, and you'll have a fight on your hands."

"How generous, [Hero]," the voice mocked.

"Or should I say, Alder Orinala? Son of Calyx and Dahlia. Brother of the Rose triplets." Alder could feel the blood drain from his face.

"How did you-" he started.

"I've heard enough! You're dead!" Shadow Rager shouted as he charged in. He charged straight in, no longer burdened by the oppressive slowness from the [Demon Lord's] music. Demon Slayer practically blurred around him and sent him sprawling with an [Air Strike] kick.

"Shadow Rager, AKA Rolf Mullen," Demon Slayer stated as if he were discussing the weather.

"Do your allies know about your violent past that led you to flee the United North?"

"You're dead!" Rager shouted as he fought to his feet. Things would have escalated to a 10 on 1 fight immediately if Leader hadn't suddenly stiffened in a familiar way.

"Yes, sir," she replied sourly.

"Rager! Back off!" And then, when he was about to reply she simply added, "Orders." Rager clenched his fist but didn't say a word.

"I'm betting the orders were to not attack him, but what about a friendly spar?" Shadow Fist asked, and the tone of his voice told Alder that he wasn't planning on it being very friendly.

"I'm more than willing to spar all of you," came Demon Slayer's distorted voice.

"Sorrel Besti, illegitimate child of the Besti line and-" Demon Slayer suddenly stiffened.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, barely loud enough for Alder to hear.

"Fine. I'm leaving." He turned and walked straight for the gap between Alder and Shadow Knight. Alder moved to intercept… and he simply [Flash Stepped] past him. The shadows were forbidden from following him by their orders, but Alder wasn't. He ran a few steps towards Demon Slayer, who turned around to look at him.

"Who are you?" Alder called out.

"Really?"

"The Grandmaster," came the distorted voice, and Alder heard a sharp intake of breath from behind him.

"He's lying. He couldn't have [Messaged] me while he was busy talking," Leader replied.

"Don't put so much stock in what [Message] can and can't do, little elf," Demon Slayer mocked.

"But you're correct. I'm not the Grandmaster. I'm not some cowardly oaf who gives orders while hiding behind scries and [Messages] while others go out and-" Demon Slayer suddenly cut off mid-sentence, and he jerked upright. His swords vanished into his inventory, and he whipped around like a puppet on the string of an irritated puppet master. Without further delay, he began sprinting away at top speed.

"What was that all about?" Alchemist was the first one to break the silence that followed.

"I do not know," Leader replied.

"But we have our orders. The Grandmaster says that we are not to engage if we see him again. He will help us kill demons, but he is not an ally." She paused.

"We should head back. We need to resupply and get to the next hotspot." Their side had won a great victory. Avarice was slain, even if it wasn't in the manner that they initially wanted. However, the mood was somber on the way back.

"The Grandmaster warned me there was a leak," Shadow Leader muttered.

"But I had no idea it was this bad. Names of four of our party. Details of our past. And given to a demon no less."

"At least the Grandmaster seemed to know about him?" Alder asked hesitantly. Shadow Leader raised an eyebrow in response.

"I mean, he knew enough about his motives to call you off," Alder continued.

"That should count for something, right?"

"Or it meant that he was not happy about our chances of keeping you alive should we fight him," she replied sourly. That killed all remaining hopes of conversation on the way back… were it not for Shadow Fist, who came strolling up to Alder and threw an arm over his shoulder.

"And I think he's underestimated our [Hero] here!" Fist cajoled as he gently shook Alder.

"What do you think? I bet you could take him on 1 vs 1, don't you?" Part of Alder was astounded that Shadow Fist had bounced back from having his full name revealed like that, but he had also spent enough time with Shadow Fist to know when he was putting on a show. He humored him.

"With [Thunderstrike]?" Alder asked.

"I think so. He's fast, but not faster than lightning. And the fact that he's wearing armor makes me think that maybe he doesn't have quite as much HP as the other demons." Shadow Fist nodded along.

"But what about without it, or if he has some kind of counter?" Alder shook his head.

"Then, I don't know. I don't think paladium swords would get through my armor, but he's also a spellcaster. I don't have a counter if he attacks from range." Alder was also unsure whether he would even be able to touch the hooded figure in melee, but he didn't want to lower morale any further than it was.

"Hmm," Fist replied.

"Well, maybe he'll do us a favor and find the [Demon Lord] and kill him instead." Alder raised an eyebrow.

"Him? Kill the [Demon Lord]?"

"What?" Shadow Fist replied defensively.

"It's what I would do if I went around calling myself Demon Slayer. You can't just claim that title and not go after the biggest demon of them all!" He gestured dramatically, and Alder sighed.

"Sure, Fist. Maybe he'll kill the [Demon Lord] off for us. I, for one, wouldn't mind."

"You're going to be the death of me," I stated as I teleported in next to Demon Slayer after making sure we were alone.

"I sure hope so," he replied, folding his arms.

"Take off the mask. You sound ridiculous," I sighed. Unfortunately, it wasn't an illusion. It was a [Confusio] spell that literally distorted the speech. That meant I had to deal with hearing it too. Demon Slayer removed the mask and flipped back his hood, and I soon started staring at my reflection. Or at least, my clone. More particularly, my simulacrum from the spell of the same name, [Create Simulacrum].

"Of course, I sound ridiculous," he replied.

"You frickin' named me something ridiculous! Demon Slayer? Really?"

"That's a perfectly functional name for what you do," I scowled.

"You slay demons. Therefore, you're Demon Slayer. Besides, no one in Placeholder has grabbed that name. It's free real estate."

"Maybe it's free because no one wanted it!" my clone complained.

"You could have at least asked me what I would call myself! I nearly died of cringe during that introduction!"

"Your introduction was fine," I waved him off.

"Besides, you would have probably named yourself something stupid like Burning Fighting Fighter." He crossed his arms.

"I have better naming sense than that!" I crossed mine.

"You do realize that you have my naming sense, right?" He deflated a bit.

"You're right. I was doomed from the start."

"Hey!" I started to protest, but he continued.

"Could you at least have done a better job enchanting the swords?" he complained as he pulled out said weapons.

"The resource drain enchants leak when I use them, and some of the output goes off as a harmless lightshow."

"You're asking the greatest enchanter of Placeholder to do better than something he calls a masterpiece," I growled as I looked over the perfectly crafted blades.

"Of course, there's some leakage! Do you have any idea how much magic I had to pack in those runes to get them to handle superposition and count as a spellcasting focus?"

"Or, hear me out," my clone replied, stowing the swords and holding up his hands.

"You could have just had me use one sword and then a wand like a normal person."

"Pretty sure that normal people don't use both of those at the same time," I snarked.

"You know what I mean!" Demon Slayer protested.

"It was awkward as heck trying to figure out two-sword fighting in the middle of all those demons! You could have at least let me use something we're already proficient with!"

"You know why," I replied with a roll of my eyes. And that was an understatement. He had the majority of my knowledge available to him, and there was even a constant connection between our minds. The only reason that we weren't just standing there staring at each other and having a mental conversation was that he was proving irritably competent at ignoring my commands when I made them that way. The price of cutting-edge magical spells, I suppose.

"I had to give us different fighting styles so that people don't put the dots together," I continued, mostly because it was weird not saying stuff out loud… which was the other reason our conversation wasn't just mental. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Demon Slayer snorted.

"As much as I want to give you away, do you honestly think that they'll figure it out when they haven't even put two and two together about the-""Shut up," I ordered my clone. The magical compulsion took effect… with a bit of resistance. I quickly clamped my will down.

"Now, I know you're just trying to delay the inevitable and get me off track. I know that because I'm inside your head." He tried to fight the link again, and I doubled down. From the outside, there were just two identical [Demon Lords] in different clothes staring each other down. On the inside, it was a battle of wills for dominance. Definitely not making another one of these. I thought.

It had been a stretch goal of my plan to create an entire army of simulacrums because if being in two places at once was a boon, then surely doing a hundred tasks at once was even better. That idea was shot down by reality, though. Another one or two of these, and they really would be the death of me. I thought with a shake of my head as the resistance finally died, and I was left staring at a sullen copy of my own face.

"So, what was so important that you called me off killing demons?" he finally asked. I barely held back from strangling… myself. Yet another reason not to make another. I thought. Apparently, I don't get along with myself.

"You know why," I said after taking a few unnecessary breaths.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" He made to reply, but I cut him off.

"Because if you wanted to die, that could easily be arranged," I growled.

"Maybe I do!" he blustered.

"Really?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I never asked to be created dad," he mocked. I'm not sure it's possible to describe the twelve different types of revulsion I felt at that statement.

"Never call me that again," I said with a shudder.

"Ever."

"Alright, pops. Father. Daddio."

"This was a mistake," I muttered. I held my fingers up, prepared for a [Disrupt], and he cowered a bit. I relented soon and put my hand back down.

"So, you are afraid of death," I muttered.

"Everyone's afraid of death!" he snapped back.

"Except for psychos and lunatics! Even if you made me to die, that doesn't-" I forced him to shut up through our link.

"Do not talk about that," I stated.

"Or perhaps I will reconsider letting you live that long."

"We're the only two here!" he protested when I released him to speak.

"Or are you still holding on to that BS theory about the purpose of the OmniverseEngine and-" I shut him up again with a glare.

"I've made my decision," I said, and he cowered again.

"You'll live… but there will be some changes to your orders. You will not speak unless I specifically command you." He started to protest, but I held up a hand.

"And I will also give you some other missions besides just killing demons. I could tell that was weighing on you." That eased up his resistance quite a bit. Amazing. It turns out that I just have to be a bit nicer to myself. I thought, then paused. No, that can't be right. I'm sure he's still plotting something. Maybe I just need to give him hope. I nodded as I dismissed my clone to go hunt down the demons that had escaped. Defeat the [Hero] in your showdown and win your life. I sent over the link.

I felt some grudging acceptance, which was good enough. I prepared another [Advanced Teleport]. I had spent enough time dealing with my clone, and it was time to get back to work.

It's not an exaggeration to say that I spent most of Alder's remaining lifespan, and therefore my time limit, fighting. There were demons to kill as Demon Slayer, armies to fight as the [Demon Lord], and angels to forcibly return to Heaven. The trick I'd come across of sparing a city for a year if the angels fought to the last never stopped working.

The angels were too duty-bound to the people of Placeholder to let it go, even though their morale sank lower and lower as the years went on, and they provided less and less of a fight. Meanwhile, my skill levels kept increasing, but not as fast as my early gains. Getting tier 2 spell schools leveled was a pain, and the most surprising entries for that list weren't in the utility schools like the ones for communication and detection. No, my main problem was the elementalis skill tree.

Though, it didn't exactly take a genius to figure out why. I had difficulties spending enough mana on it. It turned out that once I got a sufficient number of skill levels the amount of mana I could spend buffing an entire army and debuffing a whole opposing one was much less than the amount of mana required to simply obliterate the enemy army off the face of the map with [Arcane Barrage].

Turns out that there was a good reason that most mages in Placeholder focused on those spell schools instead of the more esoteric ones. Dead enemies don't deal any damage, which makes direct damage spells the most useful in combat point for point. The good news was that I still had the undead to practice those spells against. The bad news was that their respawning wasn't quite as unlimited as I was first led to believe.

Every time a zombie was revived, it siphoned just a hint of the death mana that permeated the air. The end result was that I had more staying power than an undead heart and left behind areas in the deathlands that were mostly purified of the taint of undeath. That meant I had to find alternatives. That mostly took the form of super high spawn rate areas like Starry Forest, where I could gather thousands of bodies quickly and then force an undead heart to spawn.

However, to keep the demons on my side for at least a while longer, there were occasions that I… well… that certain cities had to fall. I'm not one to shy away from telling of my misdeeds, but those are also not times that I care to remember in detail. Anyway, a few other things kept me busy in the intervening years aside from strict fighting. To practice skills in the detection and communication tree of magic, I helped the armies of Placeholder set up encrypted channels for communications between each other…

and then broke them for even more practice on the other end. I gathered so many magicite crystals that I lost count and defeated so many Crystalline Calamities that I was pretty sure that I started noticing hints of hesitation and fear from those special bosses whenever I came around. I moved some of my defenses from my island to my castle and prepared even more turrets and summoning stations. Then, I let it leak that I was preparing something big, all for the next stage of my plan.

Finally, I continued practicing teleporting with the goal of being able to solo cast [Grand Teleport]. That was the one area in which I didn't make satisfactory gains, even though I had the benefit of functionally being in two places at once. And yes, I confirmed that any levels or experience that my clone or I gained was reflected on the other.

I hadn't been certain that that portion of the spell had worked, but I was glad that he counted as "me" for all intents and purposes (except for the use of [Demon Lord] skills, curiously. He couldn't make use of [Disrupt] or [Reflect Attack], but that seemed to be the only noticeable difference in our skill sets). Anyway, with Alder pushing into his late 60s and having a maximum lifespan of 75 due to [Short-Lived], I was running out of time to get [Grand Teleport] ready.

So, I had to meet up with a few old friends one last time.

"Why, if it beeth not our most favorite interloper, visiting again within a century!" Secondavia said as I appeared right by her in the middle of the fey forest. I gave a slight smile.

"Hello to you too, Secondavia."

"Pray tell thou hast finally come to redeem thine final favor," she begged.

"I will," I replied, and she beamed.

"But before we do that, I have to ask for a different favor." She frowned.

"That beeth not how the transaction works. Telleth me thine favor and wipe the slate clean first!"

"Ah, but this favor is so much smaller than the others," I replied.

"I merely want some help with spell practice. Surely that isn't worth one of the three favors I gained for saving your entire people?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. She grumbled a bit, so I continued.

"In turn, I will repay you with three small favors as well," I replied.

"Though, I'm afraid you'll need to wait a decade or so before I'll let you redeem them. I'm going to be rather busy here soon."

"Bah," she rolled her eyes.

"Thee and thine silly plans of world domination." I raised an eyebrow.

"You know about that?"

"I believe half the world knoweth of thine plans by now," she said dryly. I furrowed my brows a little. I knew the fey paid some attention to things outside their forest, but I didn't think that leaking my preparations to the world would impact my relationship with the fey. I looked back at Secondavia and then readjusted my thoughts.

"But, that doesn't bother you?" I asked.

"Wherefore shouldst thy plan be a bother to me?" she asked, stifling a yawn.

"If thou wishest to rule the world of mortals, I find myself devoid of care. And as you swore an oath 'gainst harm to my people, it beeth no business of mine. Doth it?" Guess I forgot who I was dealing with. I thought. Aloud, I said, "So, back to my proposal. One small favor from you in return for three small favors from me to be granted 10 years from now." She glared at me. I sighed as if I was giving something up.

"And I'll finally call in my last favor, so I will officially owe you for once in a few centuries."

"Thou hast a deal!" she shouted as she flew up to me and shook my hand with her tiny one.

"Let us begin post haste! What beeth the spell that is troubling thee?" She's going to be ticked.

"[Grand Teleport]," I stated nonchalantly. She gaped at me for several seconds before she flew over and started pounding on my shoulder ineffectively.

"Knave! Ne'erdowell! Insignificant impudent ill-mannered imperceptive infantile insipid ingrate!" she shouted. My feelings were almost hurt. And if her oaths didn't keep her from finishing the spell she was casting alongside that, I would have been actually hurt.

"Were you casting a pure mind magic attack?" I asked as I watched the dissipating mana.

"You have to teach me-" I shook my head. No. No time for that. I need to learn [Grand Teleport] ASAP. I coughed.

"Anyway, let's get started. I swear that I'm close, okay? I just need a few pointers." She grudgingly agreed.

Despite my assurances, it took a lot more work than I expected before [Grand Teleport] was ready. The good news was that it was all hands on deck for learning, and I happened to have 2 pairs of hands. While I couldn't have magicite crystals in the fey forest, I could have Demon Slayer on standby outside the forest with the extractor ready to test out every little tip or trick that Secondavia gave me. Eventually, Demon Slayer made it to my target destination and back, and I was finally ready. …

And not a moment too soon. The year was 432, and Alder was 71 years old and not looking too great, with only 4 years left in his lifespan. It was time to say my goodbyes to the fey and begin my plan. Once I started it, there would be no stopping. I would either take down the OmniverseEngine… or I would die trying.

"Thou shalt be sure that thine small favors asked of thee will be of coequal magnitude," Secondavia grumbled after Titus finally confirmed her favor was complete.

"That's fine," he replied. He had the slightest of smirks on his face, and Secondavia's stomach soured a bit. That malapert hath somehow cast myself as the fool once more. She thought. However, she wasn't sure how. She had gotten 3 favors for 1 out of the deal! Moreover, training the knave in magic wasn't as loathsome as she enjoyed to pretend. She herself had learned a good deal. She put those thoughts aside. She had one more matter to deal with.

"Now, thy final favor," Secondavia proclaimed with all her pomp. Even summoning an illusory throne that she alighted upon. … Not that the blind fool could see a shred of illusion, but it was the principle of the matter.

"For my final favor," her immortal brethren, the most enjoyable interloper of the fey forest, started.

"I want you and your people to not contact any mortals, cast any form of [Teleport] for them, especially not [Grand Teleport], or otherwise help them in any way for a span of 5 years starting from now and using the standard mortal calendar in Placeholder." Secondavia blinked in surprise. A part of her mind instantly tore apart the wording for a loophole, but Titus continued.

"As a part of this favor, I want you to hold to the spirit of this request and not just the words. That means no trying to find loopholes, no attempting to get out of it, and most certainly no mental gymnastics." Secondavia was flummoxed.

"Wherefore hath thou asked such of us?" she asked cocking her head.

"We hath remained neutral, and never hath we interfered in thine affairs."

"A certain flying horse and a certain [Hero] who was suddenly transported from the ashlands say otherwise," Titus stated dryly. Secondavia gave a small laugh while hiding a grimace.

"It shalt be done," she stated after a moment.

"We shalt not interfere with the mortals for the next 5 of thine years." It seemed safe enough. After all, the fool hadn't so much as touched a time magic ritual in centuries, so there were no world-ending portents of doom. Her eyes widened as it all clicked. Why he was willing to give her such a good deal of 1 favor for 3 favors later on. Why it seemed as if he was holding back from curing Primavia, even though he could have done so faster. And why he only wanted 5 years of non-interference.

"Thou moon-possessed maniac," Secondavia said in disbelief.

"Thou hast not made plans to overtake the world… thou art planning its destruction!" Titus sighed.

"Well, this world's a bit small, so not exactly, but I guess I won't split hairs with you." He turned his gaze upon her, and as a weight pressed on her, she was no longer face-to-face with Titus. She was face-to-face with a monster.

"So, [Queen] of the fey," he continued, his voice measured, his tone even, but ten thousand chills were sent crawling down Secondavia's spine.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"We shalt oppose you!" she mustered, fighting through the oppressive aura of fear.

"And not honor your third favor?" he asked.

"I revoke it!" she replied.

"That works, too," Titus replied.

"But then I'll need a replacement favor. And the only one I'll accept is the removal of my oaths to you."

"Thou… thou wouldst not," Secondavia said, backing away from the monster.

"I'll even remove your oaths to me as well," he continued.

"Make it a nice fair fight." He reappeared right in front of her using one of his skills.

"Don't make me do this," he whispered.

"I don't want to kill you all, but I will if I have to. Just take the first favor." Secondavia was backed up into a tree and on the verge of tears.

"I granteth thee no favor yet, not until thou hast given up thine foolishness," she stated. Her entire body quaked in fear.

"And thy oaths-""My oaths aren't as constricting as you may think," Titus stated.

"A single [Disrupt] and I can get a lot of damage in before they restore themselves." He held up a hand.

"Please. Don't make me do this."

"I… I…" Secondavia stuttered.

"I… yield. Thou shalt have thine first request."

"Good!" Titus said, a smile back on his face as if he hadn't just blackmailed Secondavia with the fate of her entire people.

"I'm going to want that as an oath, though. Just to be sure." Secondavia swore it. There was no other way. Titus had nearly murdered Primavia on their first meeting… and that was when he was but a boy. The juggernaut of war before her would surely slaughter her entire people without issue. And then, just like that, he was teleporting away from the fey forest. Likely for the last time.

"Thou hast made an enemy of the fey this day," Secondavia stated with simmering rage.

"Our oaths may restrict us now, but we shalt surely spit on thine grave someday." Titus gave a dry chuckle.

"If after all of this you want to spit on my grave-" he shook his head.

"You're probably going to have to wait in line." And just like that, the once favorite interloper of the fey was gone. There was silence in the fey forest for several moments.

"Mine own court," Secondavia called to the scattered fey that had watched all the happenings.

"Mine hands and wings beeth bound in this case." She paused and closed her eyes.

"But thine are not," she stated, raising her voice and opening her eyes.

"I beeth only one fairy. [Queen] though I mayeth be. It is surely not within my grasp to corral our entire people." The gathered fey murmured to each other, and Secondavia decided she needed to be more blunt.

"Take care lest I catch thee in thine acts and be forced by mine oaths," she stated.

"But otherwise." She clenched her fist, and a jet of flame rose up behind her.

"Make him regret his treachery."

One year later Alder was tired. He'd probably been tired for the past decade or so, or maybe even before that, but it was doubly true now. The ashlands were no place for an old man.

"How are you doing?" Leader asked, coming up alongside him and taking his hand. He wanted to reply that he was better now, but the cursed wind picked up, and he got a mouthful of ash instead. System: You are blighted His reply was instead a coughing fit that was bad enough that Shadow Healer came over and gave him a quick [Restore]. He nodded his thanks before replying to Leader.

"I'll be better when this is all over. I don't know how much more I have left in me."

"You will have enough," she replied with certainty.

"You always do." Alder gave a soft smile. She was just as beautiful and wise as always.

"And after your glorious party defeats the [Demon Lord], you can retire to fame and fortune, just like you always wanted!" Shadow Fist said as he came up and slung an arm around Alder's shoulder.

"I'm pretty sure that was your dream," Alder stifled a laugh and shook his head. Fist was still as bombastic as ever. The party continued to the [Demon Lord's] castle alone. With the message from System a few months ago about the [Demon Lord's] ritual and the subsequent countdown available for all to see, they would have preferred to have an army at their back since they knew the [Demon Lord] would too. Unfortunately, an army wouldn't move fast enough to get there in time.

So, while the whole of Placeholder was mobilized and heading to assault the [Demon Lord], they were two weeks behind. And that's how they arrived in view of the [Demon Lord's] castle, its gate shut with no way in and with mere hours to go. They also had no backup… at least… not from any of the nations of Placeholder.

"We call the full contingent, right?" Shadow Knight asked.

"That is what the Grandmaster approved," Shadow Leader nodded.

"And if there was ever a time for the full host of Heaven, this is it."

"I will begin the prayer," Shadow Healer replied.

"No, not yet," Alder interrupted with a shake of his head.

"We don't have a plan yet, and once we summon the angels, they'll know we're here." If they don't already. He thought to himself. The group gathered up around a map of the [Demon Lord's] castle, and Alder nodded to Leader.

"The plan is straightforward," Shadow Leader said, continuing the role that she had played for decades.

"Storm the castle under as much smoke cover as Alchemist can provide us with personal elemental shields up. Recovered Gram intelligence says that those artifacts up on the walls will shoot spells of various elements." Alder nodded. The one good thing about being sent off alone on this mission was that they were afforded the best of gear. Eye-watering amounts of it, in fact.

The price of an artifact that projected a shield that would block not just one but all four types of elemental spells could bankrupt a small city. They each had one.

"From there, when we reach the gate, we'll either fly over it with the help of the angels, or Fist and Alder will need to reach its top with [Flash Step] to open the way for the rest of us." Fist and Alder looked at each other and then nodded.

"Once inside, we'll fight our way to the center. The [Demon Lord] is most likely in his throne room, where our intel states that he is even stronger than normal. He will also likely have the demon underlords close at hand." That got a few worried looks, but Shadow Leader quickly followed it up.

"The good news is that as System has helpfully supplied, the [Demon Lord] is currently busy with a ritual. He should be a limited combatant in the fight. In addition, we do not need a kill on the target here, though that is a secondary object," she said, looking at Alder.

"If you have a kill shot, take it. Otherwise, we can settle for interrupting the ritual, buying time for our reinforcements to get here, and then retreating with the help of the forces of Heaven." This was the most important mission of his life, and the fate of the world was in his hands. However, a part of Alder was just excited to finally answer one question. How will I stack up against the [Demon Lord]? He couldn't help but wonder. Not that there was enough time to wonder about that.

"Any questions?" she asked. Everyone shook their heads. This wasn't their first mission.

"Then we move immediately!" she continued, nodding to Shadow Healer.

"For Placeholder!"

"For Placeholder!" Alder and the others called back in unison. Then, as the angels descended from Shadow Healer's prayer, the [Hero's] party charged. They ran in two ranks, with Shadow Knight and Shadow Warrior leading the way, elemental shields up and ready as Shadow Alchemist threw vial after vial of smoke ahead of their run. The smoke ended up being a mistake. However the [Demon Lord's] artifacts worked; they didn't seem to rely on sight.

Bolt spells from the walls found their way through the smoke with no issue, slammed into their frontliners' shields, and took out dozens of angels flying overhead. Leader had to order a stop to any further smoke, and soon they were running across a flat plain with no cover as the artifacts shot spell after spell and finally overwhelmed Knight's and Warrior's shields. But that was still a part of the plan.

"Switch!" Leader called and she and Shadow Rager pulled out their own shields as Knight and Warrior dropped back. In addition, a familiar face dropped by. Mishael flew down to them.

"Greetings [Hero]," he stated as he cut down dozens of spells meant for the party.

"I will join you." It probably should have been phrased as a request, but no one was in position to doubt the abilities or strategy of the archangel. He took his place at the front with no objections. With their defensive artifacts and the archangel of Placeholder in the vanguard, the party made it to the castle gates with no losses to HP. And there, they saw yet another familiar face as the castle gate suddenly came crashing down.

"You're late," came Demon Slayer's distorted voice, twin swords at the ready and dissolving demon bodies at his feet.

"Quickly! This way!" As he turned, demons started pouring out of everywhere, and he cut down the ones in his way. The party immediately followed after… except Shadow Leader and Mishael. Alder turned to them after a moment. Mishael was the first one to put it into words.

"He is not trustworthy. Something is worrying about this situation," he stated.

"We don't have time!" Alder shouted back as he punched a demon in the face and dusted it.

"We need to move now!" Alder turned and ran… which wasn't a fair way to approach that discussion since both of them were duty-bound to protect him. However, he didn't have the time. With a shared look, the two followed soon after. And it was good they did. Aside from the missing presence of the demon underlords, the [Demon Lord] had pulled out all of the stops inside his castle.

There were more spellcasting artifacts in strategic hallways, hordes of demons and other hellspawn, and a wider variety of summoned creatures than Alder had ever seen him deploy. There were wolves, bears, daves, hundreds of chimeras and flaming bats that seemed to have been summoned instead of coming from the portal, and even a giant flaming snail that blocked their path at one point. The party chose to go around that one.

Anyway, the party of 12 cut a swathe of destruction to the [Demon Lord's] courtyard, with Demon Slayer in the lead, until he suddenly stopped and backed up at the courtyard's edge.

"Giant summon in the courtyard," he whispered to the party. That led to Shadow Leader and then Shadow Wizard taking a look, with the latter trying to get an [Appraise] on it.

"It is a giant 3-headed hellhound," Shadow Wizard whispered to the party.

"It is level 25, and if I am correct about the indication from its stats, it is meant to be a level 25 boss monster." The party gave each other grim looks at that. Alder was sure they could defeat it, but he wasn't sure at what cost.

"Can you subvert the summon and take control?" Leader asked. Wizard shook his head.

"That thing costs more mana than I have seen in the entirety of my life. Even tapping myself out, the best I could manage is likely getting it to follow a single command for a few seconds." The party was stumped… until Demon Slayer growled.

"We don't have time for this," came his distorted voice. Then, he immediately sprinted into the courtyard.

"That maniac is going to get himself killed!" Alder whispered harshly as he almost followed behind. He was stopped by Shadow Leader, who held out an arm and shook her head.

"Hey, doggy!" Demon Slayer shouted.

"Why don't you come out and play!?" All three of the hellhound's heads perked up, and it bounded towards Demon Slayer, who took off running into one of the other hallways. There were bangs and crashes as the monster forced its way through hallways that were definitely not designed for a being of that size, but the way forward was clear.

"We will remember you, mighty warrior," Shadow Knight stated, but that was all the eulogy they had time for. The [Hero's] party and Mishael quickly made their way to the double doors, forced them open, and entered the throne room. The doors slammed shut behind them.

"You've done well to make it this far, [Hero]," came the [Demon Lord's] voice echoing from the top of his throne. Arrayed on the steps were all of the demon underlords. Avarice. Anger. Spite. Desire. Voracity. Tiredness. Hysteria. Trickery wasn't visible, but that was to be expected. He was likely waiting to ambush them somewhere in the room. But as Alder walked forward, he stumbled a bit, and Shadow Leader quickly caught him.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"It's… nothing," he replied.

"I just felt like… the ground moved under me all of a sudden."

"And you even brought Mishael," the [Demon Lord] said while lazing on his throne.

"Good. I'd hoped you would. That means that every single being that is a threat to me is here in this one room." Alder watched Shadow Leader's eyes go wide.

"No," she whispered. Then, with no warning, she flung one of her knives all the way across the room and into the [Demon Lord]. A useless gesture. His armor would surely block it… but that was only if he had ever been there in the first place. The knife went through the illusion and hit the back of the throne.

"It's a trap!" Leader shouted.

"Everyone out! Now!" Rager and Warrior immediately forced the doors back open… and the party stared out into an inky void.

"Nuhuh," the [Demon Lord's] illusion wagged a finger.

"No walking out of my pocket dimension just like that. Though, I am quite impressed Ana. You figured it out much faster than expected. You ruined my timing." System: The Demon Lord has begun casting a ritual that could destroy Placeholder! Stop the ritual in the northern sea before it is too late! Alder watched as a countdown appeared no more than a minute before he cast it.

"I suppose that gives you the time to say your goodbyes before this entire pocket dimension explodes," he stated.

"Make good use of it." The illusion winked out. Alder knew it. He was going to die. Yet, he felt strangely at peace. Not so for the demons who started arguing amongst themselves. Nor for Shadow Leader.

"Wizard! Find the explosive! We have only a minute to neutralize it!" she shouted.

"Ana," Alder said gently.

"Are you crazy?!" Wizard replied.

"The entire room is suffused in explosion magic! It could be the entire thing!"

"Then disarm it!"

"Ana," Alder continued, gently grabbing her arm.

"I'm not going to let you die!" she shouted, rounding on Alder.

"You protected me for 50 long years," Alder said as he wrapped her in a hug that she struggled against.

"You've done all that you could, and I could never have asked for a better companion by my side all this time." Leader stopped struggling and returned the hug.

"I love you, my dear sweet Ana, and thank you for being by my side until the end," Alder finished.

"I…" Ana choked out.

"I love you too." And then the world went white.

The entire world of Placeholder was treated to a slew of System messages. System: The Demon Lord has slain the Hero! As the Hero has named no successor, a new Hero will be chosen System: No suitable Hero has been found. No Hero has been chosen And then, as the timer for the [Demon Lord's] ritual cut out, two more joined them immediately after. System: A new Hero has been summoned System: The Demon Lord has begun casting a ritual that could destroy Placeholder!

Stop the ritual in the northern sea before it is too late! The countdown began ticking down at 9 months. However, that wasn't the biggest surprise of that night. No, the bigger surprise was the giant images of the [Demon Lord] that appeared above every major city.

"Greetings, people of Placeholder," he began, his voice being projected clearly to everyone within dozens of miles.

"For those of you who have been around a while, you may have been lured into a false sense of security around those System messages, so let me just spell this out for all of you right now. Unfortunately for you, this time, that little message from System is not an overstatement." He gave a mirthless chuckle.

"No. This time, it is dead serious. Unless you stop me, this little world will be destroyed. It and everyone in it." He spread his hands.

"But why would I tell you all this? Why spoil my grand plans from the start?" He gave another chuckle with a slow shake of his head.

"Because I want you to try to stop me. Take all of your puny little armies. Bring your newly summoned [Hero]. Ally yourself with the now-leaderless angels and demons! Do all of that and mount your final desperate defense of this worthless world called Placeholder." His gauntlets appeared and he put them on, one after the other, becoming cloaked in black flame.

"So that in the end, you can know that it was all for nothing." The images cut out, and the panic that the entire world had been suppressing during the message poured out. However, the new [Hero] was panicking for an entirely different reason. There were some differences, but he recognized that voice and that manner of speech. But that was impossible. Because they belonged to a dead man.

"Little bro?" he asked in disbelief as the world around him devolved into chaos.