Xior approached the palace slowly, he had took off the clothes of the demon generals and had gotten himself a new sword as well.
The door to the palace opened itself, he entered it and arrived at a huge hall with stairways leading up and corridors on the left and right leading to the other places. At the far edge of the hall stood Andromalius, his pale white skin glistening under the light inside.
"Welcome to my humble abode, uncalled visitor. May I ask the purpose of your visit?" He questioned while turning towards him.
"I came here because before dying this one told me that you won't let me live if I killed him." Xior responded as he threw the severed head he had originally carried.
The head was of a boy, around nineteen with hair which looked like snakes and the same pale white skin as Andromalius. One of his snakes lowered itself and grabbed the head in its mouth and brought it to him.
He brushed his finger against his cheek as he closed his eyes and remembered when he sent his son out. If only he didn't have done that. Even evil was helpless against the grief which comes with the death of a child.
"What is your name?" Andromalius asked as his snake ingested the head.
"I tend to ask the people who are about to be killed by me their name."
"Xior...Xior Arden is my name but you're mistaken about me dying here Demon King.
Neither I'm going to die nor you until you give me the way out of this place" Xior responded as he took a fighting stance.
Andromalius's eyes changed, his irises changed into vertical slits like those of a snake. His snakes moved to attack Xior but he blocked and dodged. He had fought so many monsters and demons that his reflexes were great when it came to evading attacks.
But he failed to notice Andromalius had closed the distance between him and Xior. He hit Xior's chest with a palm which threw him back as he bounced on the floor and hit the wall.
"Are you still holding on to the thought of walking alive from here, human?
You're a mere human and yet you have the guts to not only trespass but also offend a Demon King greatly by throwing his dead sons head at his feet." Andromalius roared as his body grew larger. He then continued as he watched him run towards him.
"To defy me is to defy centuries of dominion. Your arrogance knows no bounds and the smell of blood which is deeply rooted in you, that's a dangerous blend."
"You demons sure have a good sense of humor." Xior responded as he got up and stretched his body.
The wounds all of his body had already started to heal. This time he didn't let the demon attack him first, he broke a sprint towards him. With his left hand he conjured a fire ball and threw it at his face.
Andromalius stopped the fireball with ease but he didn't anticipate Xior's speed. A punch right to his gut made him throw up. But he didn't back down, the snakes bit him all over his body and he too assaulted his body with multiple punches and kicks.
Xior did the same, he'd destroy one snake but it got replaced just like it was coming out of the factory. A sudden hand covered Xior's face, it was the third snake which came out of Andromalius's chest.
That was his special skill, he could turn anyone into his obedient slaves as long as he touches them and activated his skill. Xior resisted but it was too powerful. Xior's struggle finished as he stopped moving altogether.
*****
There was complete darkness but despite all that there was a oppressive aura in the surroundings, then he saw two huge eyes in the distance and then a white snake which ate him. Xior found himself in a barren land just like the Abyss.
Andromalius once again showed in front of him. He had a smirk on his face, which was mischievous.
"Why do you look confused? You're my obedient slave now." As soon as he finished that multiple chains came out of the ground and wrapped around Xior.
Despite all that Xior didn't stop, he always pushed forward, the chains broke and because of that Andromalius's most powerful skill was rendered useless.
But that was not all, from the ground emerged a hundred or so skeleton. These were all the souls which he took control of. They attacked him altogether, the skeletons and Andromalius. Xior was pushed back and eventually his back hit the wall.
He didn't want to fight the souls which weren't even evil as this was done against their will. He didn't speak a single word and punched Andromalius, the world around Xior shattered as he returned to the waking world as the skeletons dissolved into nothing.
All three of his snakes had gone limp, their heads had been crushed by an oppressive force. The Demon King lost all his cool and rushed him. His attacks missed him and Xior in between punched, kicked and pushed him.
His body bled but he didn't stop, Xior was in the same position but his wounds healed pretty quickly. His arm was torn off a dozen times and he was impaled by his hand a dozen times as well but in the end his body regenerated quicker than him.
"Wh-what are you? You're no normal human, how do you have such a regeneration." Andromalius expressed his astonishment while he grabbed the place where his right arm used to be.
"I'm very normal, Andromalius. Before you die tell me, do you have a void run which can open teleportation gates?" Xior asked as he crouched in front of him.
"N-no, but there is a natural rift in the room behind me, that would take you outside of the Abyss."
Xior nodded, he had all the information he wanted. He stared into the demon kings eyes, the same eyes which commanded legions of demons.
His eyes couldn't even meet Xior's eyes without looking away, the pitch black irises felt eerily similar to the black hole he was used to see looming over for as long as he could remember. Xior nodded slowly,
"Your role ends here, Demon King of Nothing." The air pulsed as he raised his fist, and what came next was execution.
And he had done it, he had killed the 72nd Demon King of the Abyss, Andromalius. He looked through his wardrobe and found a grey suit and to go with it a high collared black buttoned up shirt.
He changed into better clothes and then looked around for useful things. He got two skill runes from Andromalius which he didn't use yet. He found a silver ring which he picked up and wore and finally grabbed the katana and spear which hung on the wall inside his room.
After finishing he walked to the room Andromalius mentioned. He saw a indigo colored rift open, flickering ever so slightly. Xior hurried and entered it.
*****
Becca's hair was now reaching her knees. She had just turned twenty, for the past three years she worked hard for the Dragon Guild, earning fame and popularity among hunters.
She continued her performance from before and now was at a point that it was rumored that she was an S-Rank by now. There was no A-Rank who could go toe to toe with her. Inter-guild spars which happen monthly validated her as the strongest A-Rank among the hunters of the world.
But just like how there's likeability, there are people who hate because of jealousy or just for the sake of it. Numerous scandals were tried to be ignited which were obviously fake but Maria took care of those quickly. Becca had risen to become one of her favorites.
It was Becca's final mission before she would be sent to the tower to help the Dragon Guild members inside to clear the next floor. There was an Indigo gate which had opened up in Sector C.
Dragon Guild had bought the rights to it and so Becca had to clear the gate alongside two other S-Ranks from her guild, her seniors. Hunter Thomas and Hunter Ming.
They had just arrived at the gate site, all of the three hunters wore the same uniform. A black and gold tactical suit with a dragon sigil on the left side of the chest, utility belts with food and spaces for their weapons.
Hunter Thomas was a tank but had impressive skills when it came to offense while Hunter Ming was a support, healer with limited time buffs. They stood in front of the gate as they finished their preparations.
The indigo gate spilled out intense mana that the Hunter Association members had to back away. The three hunters walked through it and entered the gate to clear it.