Chapter 20: Demon Lord As Jerry and his rag-tag army charges down the hall, they’re met with light resistance consisting of undead and sometimes skeletons. As they killed the undead as they pushed forward, they attack all at once like a swarm of bees. They eventually stand outside a large door, towering above them a solid 5 meter. Jerry put his hands on the door, feeling it’s smooth, detailed carvings as it was engraved before giving it a push. It was heavy. Way too heavy intact as the door didn’t even budge but it was able to open. Jerry turned around to face the men to give a small speech that he could think of. He was nervous, scared, and probably terrified if he thought on it too much. “Men, we are about to fight the Demon Lord and end this war. The last few weeks have been mounting to this day and we’re here. Although I wish it had been under better circumstances, we are here. Now, follow me through this door and fight to our last breaths. Those that survive can have drinks on me” Jerry said before facing the door. “Now come! Push this door with me into the Demon Lord’s face!” He said as he dropped his backpack on the floor and pushing with all his might. Soldiers quickly dropped their swords or bows before coming to the door and started pushing. Soon, the hall was filled with grunting and screaming of the soldiers as they push the door, cheers from the soldiers watching and swords and shields banging on each other to motivate the men. The door soon opened by itself with inertia giving the men a small crack they could fir through. Jerry held his longsword in his hands with a tight grip. His plan was to kill undead and grunts with his longsword and kill High-Value Targets with his guns. “Charge!” One of the soldiers said before everyone pushed in. Jerry stood however, taking deep breaths. Jerry pushed in after he was done, giving a large scream alongside the men as he entered the room. As he entered, he was met with the clashing of metal as men were fighting with a large hoard of undead. “Archers! Start moving with an Infantryman and shoot undead as you see them!” Jerry said as he moved in with his sword. He walked down the room, avoiding undead with quick stabs, counters, or deflects as he walked down. Jerry looked ahead and found large flights of stairs. There was a 3 platforms that broke the stair’s ascension that led to a large, black seat that resembled a throne. In the center sat a dark armored man with no face visible on the throne with 5 men on each side. Jerry pushed forward and onto the stairs, each step he took filled with anger as he remembered the betrayal. As he reached the first platform, a dark wall appeared, surrounding the platform. A undead could be heard to Jerry’s right as it made a growl. Jerry looked to the right to find a red eyed undead with steel armor covering it’s chest, legs, and arms. In it’s hands held a sword and a shield. Jerry got into a fighting stance, placing his right foot forward, and left foot facing out to the side. He held the longsword down, pointing the ground, resting the pommel on the left side of his hipbone. The undead quickly moved in, raising it’s sword high into the air while keeping it’s shield up. As the undead’s sword was brought down, Jerry brought the sword up, making contact with the undead’s before side stepping to the left and letting the undead charge forward. This placed Jerry to the side of the undead as he brought the sword up to strike the undead. As the sword made contact with the undead’s head, it cut through like a hot knife through butter as the sword went through it’s neck before decapitating the undead. The undead fell to it’s knees before dropping it’s sword and having it’s head hit the ground. The black walls soon lifted, allowing Jerry to continue. Jerry looked behind him towards the men. So far, they were doing well with more soldiers visible than the undead. Jerry pushed forward, stepping onto the second platform. The black walls appeared again, but this time spawning an undead with black armor, and green eyes. This one had the same thing but this time, it had a helmet with a slit where the eyes are visible. Jerry took a deep breath before going into the same stance as before. The undead started to sprint towards Jerry, sword raised and shield at the ready. The undead did a right slash and Jerry reacted. Jerry brought his sword up, causing his sword to make contact with the undead’s before doing a quick stab to the undead’s helmet. The blow to the undead made it tumble a little and Jerry capitalized on it. He dropped his sword and forced the undead’s arms out before pouching on it. The undead was pinned on the ground and Jerry had his knees on it’s shoulders thus immobilizing it. Jerry took out his tanto knife and started to stab the helmet’s open visor until the green light would faded away. Each stab made Jerry angrier and angrier as each strike became more and more violent. Before long, he noticed that the green lights had long faded and the black walls were long gone. Jerry slowly rises and picked his sword off the ground before continuing his journey up the stairs. Each step was heavy as Jerry let the blade rest on his shoulder. Jerry looked at the man on the throne with dead eyes as he was filled with rage. As he reached the third platform, he met someone familiar again. “Jerry” The voice said. Jerry looked at where the voice came from. It was Kasune. “Yes?” Jerry responded. “Please, give up” “Why?” “Larmen is the one he wants” “Larmen?” “Yes, Larmen” At this point, Jerry dropped his sword. “Thank yo-” Before Kasune could finish her sentence, a round bang rang out. The other nine commanders looked at Jerry with shock. Soon after, 5 more shots rang out, each shot followed by a thud or clank as bodies fell and their armor hit the ground before he had to reload. As each body fell, a clank or thud could be heard depending not their armor. Moans and groans could be heard as each person fell down. “You know, Kasune. I’ve been thinking. Why did I save you that day? Why am I doing all this work, for nothing?” Jerry said. “And you know what? I’ve decided that I might split off” The sound of the magazine could be heard entering the gun. “I’m gonna kill you guys, make the Empire rely on me, then fuck off” Jerry pulled back on the slide before the gun was cocked and ready to be fired. “So, you four that still stand. Anything you want to add?” Jerry raised his gun to them. There was silence between them. “No? Then fuck off” 4 more shots could be heard ring out followed by thuds of their bodies falling down. Jerry put his gun in his holster before he raised his rifle to the man on the Throne. They both stood there for a while, staring into each other. Jerry could see the Demon Lord’s eyes as they were filled with anger, hatred, and fear. The Demon Lord took a deep breath that was audible before standing up. “When you’re ready” Jerry said. The Demon Lord then raised his hands and a red sphere appeared in it. Jerry took a shot at the Demon Lord but he did not fall. Jerry took several more shots before emptying an entire magazine. The red circle then exploded, causing Jerry to be met with shrapnel and a wavy feeling surge through his body causing Jerry to be launched down the stairs in a deadly tumble. ‘Fuck, this hurts’ Jerry said as he struggled to recover. Just then, two hands tucked under his armpits, bringing him up. Jerry’s head slouched down, staring at the ground. Jerry could hear the Demon Lord’s footsteps inch closer and closer towards him. Jerry looked to his left, then his right to find undead and soldiers lying on the floor, lifeless. ‘Ah fuck’ The Demon Lord was standing in front of him now. Jerry looked at him in his eyes before the Demon Lord’s hands were placed on Jerry’s helmet. The Demon Lord raised his hands to reveal Jerry’s face smiling, battered and bruised from the fall. “Hi there” Jerry said before spitting on him. “You dare threaten my plans?” The Demon Lord said in a low and grizzled voice. “You did try to kill me” The Demon Lord stared at Jerry’s eyes. “I see hatred in you. Tell me, what is your problems?” The Demon Lord asked, looking into Jerry's eyes with a cold, dead stare. “The fall down the stairs hurt. I think my legs and arms are broken. Maybe the skull?” Jerry said in a joking manor. “This is not a time for jokes” “I guess not” Jerry said. “Now tell me your problems” The Demon Lord said. “Nah, I’m fine” The Demon Lord sighed. “Send him away” The Demon Lord said. The undead quickly moved towards the exit before Jerry remembered that he left his backpack outside. Inside had some things he could use to heal. As they exited the door, Jerry fought back. He pushed with all his might to his right side, throwing off the undead to his right before grabbing his pistol his holster. He quickly shot the undead to his right in the knee before aiming it to the undead to Jerry’s left. Another bang could be heard as the undead fell to the ground. Jerry put his foot onto the undead that was shot in the knee as it was on the ground before finish it off with a bullet in the head. Jerry lost his rifle on the fall down so he had to improvise. Jerry slowly moved to his backpack, and took out a nanobot shot. He quickly injected it into his thigh and let the juices go into his thigh. He could feel the bots do their work as they surged through his body. The feeling was almost euphoric as he tried to stay awake as it happened. Soon, the feeling was over, and Jerry could move again. He put the shot back into his backpack before taking a box of AP for his pistol out and started to reload his magazines for his pistol. As he finished up, he walked back into the room. “I’m back mother fucker!” Jerry screamed as he walked up the stairs. Undead was being summoned but each time they were, Jerry shot them in the head. As he approached the Demon Lord, it stood up. ‘Oh no you don’t’ Jerry quickly loaded in a magazine with AP and then started to unload into the Demon Lord. The Demon Lord fell back onto his throne, raising it’s hand still. “Fuck you” Jerry said before raising his pistol again. Before he could finish him off, Jerry was met with an explosion that came from the Demon Lord’s hand. He was flung down the stairs, but flew through the air, causing the only impact Jerry felt was the one at the very bottom. Jerry tried to move, but couldn’t. His eyes grew heavy, as the pain from before still caused him to still be tired. Soon, Jerry faded into a small sleep. When Jerry came to, he noticed something was different. He was on what seemed to be clouds and if he looked, he found that he was in the sky. On the cloud with Jerry was a man with 9 women behind him. Jerry sat up straight before the man faced Jerry. “Hello there” He said. “Hey” Jerry said as he rubbed his eyes. “Why did you foil my plans?” “I’m sorry?” “Why did you foil my plans?” The man said as he looked at Jerry. “What were they?” “Create an equal world where everyone can live in. Undead, Skeletons, Goblins, and Humans” “Oh, you’re the Demon Lord?” “Yes, I am. And I prefer the term Demon King” “Yea, I don’t give a fuck” “How rude, I want you to know this is our last time we will speak” “Cause I shot you?” “Yes!” “Well, shouldn’t have had someone betray me” “Speaking of which, why is Joselen not here?” “Oh, Kasune?” “If that’s her name with you, yes. Why is she not here?” “I don’t know” “What do you mean you don’t know?” “I shot all of them. Don’t know why she ain’t here” “Is she unconscious?” “What’s that gotta do with Kasune being here?” “To be here, you have to be unconscious” “Oh, then maybe not. I don’t know” The Demon Lord sighed. “Anyway, my time has come. In return, I leave you the Demon Lord’s power and the ladies here.” The Demon Lord then turned to face the girls behind him. “Ladies, I leave you in this man’s care” The Demon Lord said before he bowed down to them “Sir, please don’t go!” “Don’t leave us like this!” “Don’t abandon us, my Lord!” “Please, we’ll kill him and rejoin you!” “Anyone but him!” “Demon Lord, we haven’t finished our duty!” “What about the equal world?!” “Please, don’t leave us!” “Wait for us!” The girls said as the Demon Lord walked away. “I’m sorry ladies. But this is my time to go. I wish you all the best” The Demon Lord said. The Demon Lord’s path soon had a blinding light as he soon disappeared, along with the light. ‘Fa ha huck. They hate me already’ As the light faded, the girls then turned to Jerry with a hostile intent. “Is this the part where I get shanked in the chest multiple times and die a horrible death?” Jerry asked. Before anyone could answer, Jerry’s consciousness faded back in and Jerry awoke to Kasune’s face crying with each tear falling in Jerry’s face. “Bah! Your tears are salty!” Jerry said before rolling over to the side, avoiding Kasune’s tears. “Jerry! You’re alive!” Kasune said, trying to clear her face up. “Not for long though. The other 9 want to stab me when I’m asleep.” Jerry said as he got up off the ground. “T-Then I will protect you!” Kasune said. “Ha, I’m okay” Jerry said as he patted his pants. “Fuck, my helmet. Where is it?” “It’s here, Jerry” Kasune then brought the helmet out. It had a cracked visor. ‘No no no no no no’ Jerry then took the helmet and put it on. The crack went across the entire visor’s center, rendering it unusable. “Fuck!” Jerry said as he threw the helmet down, making the crack worse. “What’s wrong, Jerry?” Kaune asked, sitting in a Seiza position. “The visor is cracked. I can’t see through it now” Jerry said as he put his hands on his head. “May I take a look at it?” “Sure, go for it” Kaune then picked up the helmet before placing her hands on the visor. Kasune then whispered and a blue hue radiated from her hands before she raised her hand. The visor had been fixed and there was no evidence of it even being there. “Jerry, it’s fixed” Kasune said. “What?” “I fixed it. Here.” Jerry took the helmet and examined the visor to find it like it was before. He put it on to find that the visor was fixed just like Kasune said. “Holy shit, that’s pretty cool” Jerry said. “Thank you. I mostly stay in the castle fixing and cleaning things. Before, the Demon Lord would get hurt a lot, so that’s why I could heal” “Hey, while you’re at it, do you know where my rifle is?” “Ah, that must be what this is called” Kasune said as she brought out Jerry’s rifle from behind her. “Yea, that’s it. Thanks” Jerry said as he picked the rifle up and inspected it. It seemed okay with no damaged on it visible. “Thank you, Jerry” “That’s cool. But, I gotta go soon. I don’t want the other 9 people to stab me in the che-” Jerry cut himself off as he felt something hot behind his back. Jerry looked behind him to find the 9 Demon Commanders looking at Jerry, bowing. “Fuck” Jerry whispered, drawing it out. “My Lord, what do you mean go? It would be wise for you to stay the night. It is dark out after all” They all said in harmony as they bowed. Although it sounded nice, Jerry could clearly hear the hostile intent. Jerry faced Kasune mouthing ‘Help me’ before Jerry was taken by the arms and dragged off.