The Demon King’s Throne Room

The towering obsidian palace loomed over the blood-red horizon, its jagged spires piercing the dark sky. As Henry and I stepped through the massive gates, the guards, monstrous in size and power, parted without a word. They knew why we were here.

At the heart of the palace, the Demon King sat upon his throne, his presence alone suffocating the room with raw power. His crimson eyes gleamed under the dim torchlight, his massive horns casting long shadows across the dark chamber.

As we approached, I spoke first, my voice unwavering. "Baron's Right Hand and Left Hand have been defeated. Now, only Baron remains."

The Demon King let out a deep, rumbling chuckle, his voice like grinding stone. "Impressive. Few could accomplish what you have."

Henry crossed his arms, his gaze sharp. "We held up our end of the deal. Now, it's time for you to hold up yours."

The Demon King's eyes narrowed, amusement flickering in his expression. "You two are bold, I'll give you that." He leaned forward slightly. "But before I give you your answers, tell me—how did Baron's generals fight? Did they seem… stronger than expected?"

I frowned, recalling the battle. "They weren't just strong. They had powers beyond what they should have. It felt… unnatural."

Henry nodded. "It was as if something—or someone—was amplifying them."

The Demon King's expression darkened, his clawed fingers tapping against the armrest of his throne. "Then my suspicions are confirmed. Baron has made a pact far worse than mere betrayal."

Henry and I exchanged a glance.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

The Demon King exhaled, his aura flaring for a brief moment. **"Baron isn't acting alone. He has made a deal with a force that even I do not dare to trifle with—the Abyss."

Silence filled the room.

I clenched my fist. "The Abyss? That would explain why his power feels… off."

Henry's expression hardened. "Tch. So he didn't just betray you—he sold himself to something even worse."

The Demon King's gaze burned into ours. "And that is why you must kill him before it's too late. His strength is growing at an unnatural rate. If you do not stop him soon, he will become something far beyond either of us."

I smirked. "We were planning to kill him anyway. This just makes it more fun."

Henry chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, at least now we know the real danger."

The Demon King's expression remained unreadable as he rose from his throne, his towering form casting an imposing shadow. "Then go, warriors. Fulfill your purpose."

As we turned to leave, his voice echoed one last time.

"And be warned—Baron is no longer the enemy you once knew. He is now something much worse."

I exchanged a glance with Henry.

After leaving the Demon King's throne room, Henry and I found ourselves standing on a jagged cliff overlooking the burning wastelands of the Demon World. The distant glow of molten rivers cast eerie shadows, and the ever-present hum of dark energy buzzed through the air.

We needed a plan.

Henry sat down on a large boulder, arms crossed. "So, Baron has made a pact with the Abyss. That explains his unnatural power boost. If we just rush in blindly, we'll be walking straight into a death trap."

I nodded, deep in thought. "Yeah. We've dealt with strong enemies before, but this is different. The Abyss doesn't just give power—it consumes everything. Baron isn't just stronger. He's something else entirely now."

Henry sighed. "Tch. And here I thought killing him would be simple. Guess we'll have to be smarter about this."

Breaking Down the Battle Plan

I crouched down and began drawing rough outlines in the dirt, marking key points of Baron's stronghold. "We need to isolate Baron from any remaining forces. If we get swarmed while dealing with him, even we'll be in trouble."

Henry leaned in, studying the rough map. "Right. So how do we do that? His army isn't just going to sit still while we waltz in."

I smirked. "That's why we're going to force them into chaos."

Henry raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I like the sound of this."

I tapped the drawing. "Step one: We divide his forces. His army still operates under standard chain-of-command tactics. If we take out key officers before attacking the stronghold, they'll be leaderless, confused, and vulnerable."

Henry grinned. "Simple but effective. What's next?"

"Step two: We create a false assault." I drew a second attack path. "We use illusions and explosive traps to make it seem like a full-scale invasion is coming from the south. While his army scrambles to respond, we infiltrate from the west—where the defenses will be weakest."

Henry chuckled. "That's dirty. I like it."

I smirked. "Step three: We take out Baron's power source."

Henry's smile faded as he caught my meaning. "Wait… you mean whatever link he has with the Abyss?"

I nodded. "Exactly. He isn't just running on his own strength anymore. Something is feeding him power. If we can sever that connection, we weaken him significantly."

Henry ran a hand through his hair. "Easier said than done. The Abyss doesn't give power without a price. If Baron made a deal, then something is anchoring that power to him."

I exhaled. "Then we find that anchor and destroy it."

Henry smirked. "And step four?"

I cracked my knuckles, my eyes glowing with an eerie red light. "Step four? We rip Baron apart."

Henry chuckled. "Now that's a plan I can get behind."

Final Preparations

With the plan in place, we reviewed our strengths.

Henry's Role: He would be responsible for decoy operations and targeting Baron's officers. His speed with Celestial Blink made him perfect for assassinations.

My Role: I would handle the direct infiltration and locate the Abyssal anchor. Once I destroyed it, Henry and I would converge for the final battle.

We stood up, shaking off the exhaustion from our previous fights.

Henry stretched. "Alright, let's get this started. The sooner we take him down, the sooner we can leave this cursed world."

I smirked. "Agreed. Let's end this."

With one final look at the wastelands, we vanished into the darkness, ready to bring the war to Baron.