Chapter 249: Forgotten King

The silence was deafening to many, as they'd watch such a body become lifeless. The boys would stay in such solemn positions, with even Zazel and Solomon both knowing that even if such recovery was plausible, it would be a mere band-aid to the situation at hand. Gabriel clutched the body close to him, his tears being present, yet he remained quiet. The mask that was left for the group would be taken by Harvard, looking at its ornate design. A cluster of shapes and colors, all of which detailed a mosaic-like painting of a man falling away from the sun into a crimson hole, his wings broken apart and a face of anguish being what was left. The boy knew this was a hint, so he'd slip the mask into his suit, of course after wiping off whatever blood was present, and turned towards the False King. He doesn't have the heart to try and express his grief, yet when he was about to make an attempt, someone else spoke up.

His most known friend, Zazel. A look of pure conviction was on his face, an expression of determination. "Okay....I want to say in advance that I'm sorry for your loss...but I don't think they'd want you to be on the ground, kneeling." He would state, much to the shock of everyone around.

"The hell did you ju-" Natalie would respond, feeling insulted at such careless words, but the Demon held his hand up to let him speak his piece.

"I'll be honest with you, humans, I've experienced a loss like this before. To say it hurts is...an understatement. It's agony. It crawls up on your spine and doesn't let go, constantly haunting you until the end of time. It feasts on your mind and makes you go crazy. It hurts your very heart because, despite everything you've done to deny it, you know that they're gone. That's grief...isn't it?" The demon watched as Gabriel, despite remaining silent for a minute or two, nodded. The Little Devil took a deep breath as he kept talking. "Yeah, I figured that was the case. It ate me and my friends up too...It's not something I wanted to feel either. But.....someone has said something to me that stuck around. Something that we're currently doing at this moment: Taking revenge. You're not gonna let this guy get away with it, right!?" The words that came out of the demon sparked something within the Prince, prompting Stolas to add on further.

"Yeah....Yeah, Yeah! You can't! He's still in there, waiting!" He'd pause himself as he'd notice the crowd and would speak for everyone. "He's the one responsible for the murder of his people! The one responsible to your suffering! You can't let him get away with that, RIGHT!? You just can't! It's unforgivable! It's Sickening! THESE ARE YOUR FRIENDS, RIGHT!? They wouldn't want you to be on the ground, They want you to make sure that he gets what he deserves! Now is a time for action, Gabe! Now is a time for-"

"WILL YOU BRATS SHUT UP!? YOU'RE NOT HELPING!" Natalie barked, stunting the four. Just as she was about to approach them, she could feel a grip on her leg. Her own brother was stopping her.

Harvard took a deep breath as he'd get up, preparing to leave and having his friends follow, looking back towards the prince as he'd give his own words. "They're right, y'now? What you do next is up to you, but personally, I want them to at least be free of such suffering. I'm....I'm sorry, by the way, for thinking you were annoying. I hope that when we meet again, you can smile still." The boys leave without another word, prompting the crowd to watch them walk away, dissipating away, some still focused on the Monster that loomed above the area, some murmuring to one another about what was going on. Natalie was beyond frustrated at such words, before hearing her brother speak.

"They're right....They're right...." He'd murmur, shocking his sibling.

"What!? No, they're not! You need time to breathe, Time to assess your feelings! You can't seriously belie-"

"Natalie....You said it yourself best, remember?" The prince got up, softly placing down his fallen brethren onto the sidewalk. "I just have to suck it up, right?"

Natalie grew horrified at seeing her brother using her own words against her, understanding what he is going to do. She'd cling onto her sibling in a desperate hug, tears beginning to fall down hers. "THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAN! You don't have to do this! Please! We can just go home and do whatever you like! I can make us your favorite dish, we can go fishing like you always wanted, Hell, I'll even ask our Parents to remove you as a prince! Please, just don't throw away your life for-"

"What else would I do then? It would still be open, right?" Gabriel's words were soft, calm, and cordial. He looked upon the entrance of the hotel and stared at it blankly. "People would end up thinking it's a real hotel soon. People would die here, wouldn't it? It would be my fault then, having such lives lost..."

"It won't! They just...They just...." She broke down into tears even further when she couldn't find a rebuttal.

"It's okay. It's my fault, anyway-"

"NO IT'S NOT! ARE YOU HEARING YOURSELF!? IT'S THE DEMON!! THAT BASTARD IS THE ONE RESPONSIBLE!!"

"And yet....I accepted the contract." His somber words came as he'd hug his sibling close, patting her on the back, letting her cry as much as she can. Both she, and Satan would notice the shift in the Prince. A change that's permanently on his mind. "Listen to me. If I die, I want you to bury me back in Oaking. Okay? That is my one request. I need to do this, at the very least, for my people. I want to be a good king now..." He'd state, solidifying his decision.

Natalie would take a deep breath and create a hand appendage to wipe away her tears, not wanting to break such a hug. "If you die, I will venture to hell itself in order to drag you back. You better not make this a hassle..." She'd state, before shifting her expression to somberness once more. "You've grown so much...I'm so sorry you were forced into all of this..."

Gabriel, despite the depressive air, made a small smile. "It's okay. It comes for us all..." He'd let go of his sister and approached the Hotel, with the Monster deciding to provide Gabriel with its magic. As it did, it would take a look at how much his energy was surging. Something has awakened, a Magic Style untold by anyone else. A Magic Style that Satan himself would be mesmerized by, converting itself into energy to add fuel to the newly born fire.

No longer was he a Prince. Now, he serves to be a king.