"Lucian."
"Yes?"
"Today's the day huh?"
Lucian bowed his head slightly, "Yes. It is."
[Name] sighed and walked out of the House of Lamentation, Lucian followed.
"Where are you going, [Name]?"
"Going to Desmond. It's showtime."
The two got into [Name]'s car and hit the gas pedal.
*********************************
It did not take long for them to reach the Palace where the brothers were already there and waiting.
When [Name] and Lucian walked in, they were late, making quite the entrance. Desmond and his brothers glared at Lucian whilst Lucian only returned the gaze, only filled with slight disdain.
"Sir, will we meet later in the Abyss?"
[Name] chuckled as he responded, "That is where I go, is it not? One goes there when dead, correct?"
Lucian nodded, "It seems as if you had this planned out," he commented wryly.
[Name] rolled his eyes, "Of course."
They headed up the stairs to where the brothers were waiting.
Desmond headed over in big strides to stand next to [Name] and held his hand whilst asking, "Where have you guys been? You're twenty minutes late."
"Sorry about that, I had to do something."
"What was it?"
"Nothing of concern," came the disappointing response.
"Alright then."
[Name] smiled and kissed Desmond's cheek, making the other flush slightly as the other brothers jeered and whistled at the public display of affection.
Pulling away and pushing Desmond gently to go and enjoy the party with his brothers, when asked if he would join, [Name] said he would watch.
[Name] smiled as he watched the brothers play and dance, gambling or eating off the wide variety of food on the banquet table. Sipping some squash until Lucian's voice sounded in his head and notified him of a group that were slowly surrounding the brothers. There were seven. One each targeted to a specific brother.
[Name] sent a text out into the group chat and made sure all the brothers knew what was going on and to be prepared for anything. Desmond notified Lord Diavolo and Barbatos.
[Name] and Lucian looked at each other from across the colossal hall.
"Ready?" he mouthed.
They nodded and summoned their swords. Receiving some looks at because of their tense posture and gaze.
Sprinting over the balcony as Lucian copied his actions on the opposite side whilst [Name] cut down the assassin closest to Satan in half and stabbing the one that was about to shoot Leviathan in the head.
Decapitating the demon that was about to stab Mammon and stabbing through the chest of the one that was about to suffocate Belphie as the Belphie was asleep.
[Name]'s ears were ringing; all sound was muffled.
The whole hall erupted in chaos.
Lucian and [Name] never felt more alive. It turned into a massacre. Although the guests were now just mere illusions; the originals were all safely escorted out after the notification from Desmond.
As the illusions disappeared, there were only two assassin's left.
Knowing this would happen as Lucian had told him, [Name] was prepared for his inevitable demise.
One of them changed into a Basilisk and the other changed into a Minotaur.
[Name] heard the brothers gasp, seeming much further than it really was, and let himself get thrown into the wall.
Lucian winced ever so slightly as he heard the snapping of bones; [Name] glared at the two beasts in front of him. Biting back a scream, being certain that he broke a few ribs.
Stumbling forward, [Name] felt very weak all of a sudden and dropped to his knees as he saw the brothers and Lucian all fall to the floor.
The whole room was suddenly engulfed in a purple hue, his vision swam. Black dots appeared at the edges. His head fell forward.
Although his body was roaring at him to not get up. Forcing himself to get up; stabbing the Minotaur in the back of the knee and then slicing open the achilles tendon. Using the last of his mana he threw the Minotaur away from the brothers and Lucian before getting flung into another wall again by the Basilisk.
[Name]'s face pulled into a snarl. His eyes turning into slits, horns materialising, wings flaring into existence, a beautiful [Favourite Colour] pair that almost glistened in the purple hue.
Going down onto all fours, [Name] bounded up the back of the Basilisk, digging his claws into the body of the serpent and ripping off scales as he clamped his jaw down onto the underside of the Basilisk's jaw. Before forcing it through the windpipe and ripping it open. Showered in blood and gore.
The Basilisk gave out a last dying shriek before falling to the floor with a ground-shaking thud.
[Name] was high from the temporary win until he felt a white-hot pain in his chest. Looking down there was a spike going through it. The metallic taste of blood got stronger, [Name] felt so woozy and exhausted.
There was panicked screaming coming from one corner of the hall, and although his hearing was muffled, he could almost taste the anguish and pain in the scream.
He knew it was Desmond. Thinking on it, he thinks he would have the same reaction if he had watched someone he loved get beaten to a bloody pulp and be thrown around in a rag doll; unable to do anything. He would go insane, that suffocating feeling of helplessness would make him lose it. He would try to kill the assailant in kind; [Name] felt himself crying, his tears mixed with his blood.
Desmond really cared for the original goods, [Name] thought to himself, a small smile creeping on his bloodied face, as he was thrown harshly into the floor. His body had given up on him, [Name] couldn't move even if he wanted to.
'I wish someone would care for me like that.'
Maybe that's why he was in this world, and then going to the next one, maybe there was a reward for him at the end?
Desmond screamed as he watched [Name]'s body finally fall limp in front of him, landing with a dull thud. His brothers all looked on helpless at their eldest brother's anguish, even Satan and Belphie winced at the scream. Belphie only heard that scream when he watched Lilith get killed in front of them. It hurt too much for them to listen, they tried holding back their tears. To them, they were watching a close friend get killed right in front of them and they were up the creek without a paddle.
Desmond pushed his body up and ran over to [Name], cradling the other's bruised, battered, and bloodied body as gently as he could.
"[NAME]! PLEASE! GET UP! [NAME]!"
The purple hue in the room was fading rapidly and the brothers could feel their mana coming back to them.
Desmond looked up at the ceiling and roared. He was in his true demon form, any traces of humanity was gone.
Everyone could feel the tremor in the ground below them. They could feel the fury that was oozing off of Desmond.
Fangs bared, eyes fully red, "I will show you why, I, Desmond, the Avatar of Pride, is one of the most powerful demons in the whole of Devildom. I will show you, why no one, no one apart from the Demon King Diavolo, can be my match!"
Desmond flew at the Minotaur, ripping one of its horns off making the Minotaur screech in pain. Landing on the other side, Desmond turned, calling out to his brothers, "Help me, for [Name] has done enough. Lucian, please, heal [Name] the best you can, please."
The brothers flocked to help Desmond and Lucian rushed over to [Name], bringing him to the sidelines and pretending to heal [Name]. He already knew his Host's physical body was dead and, in the Abyss, waiting for him.
Lucian looked at the brothers who were also showing no mercy towards the Minotaur, they were furious, partly because they hurt their eldest brother and they killed a close friend, seeing that they were occupied he faded away, and into the Abyss.
"Everything went alright, right?" asked [Name].
"Yes. Everything went accordingly."
"Thank you."
"…"
Ignoring the guilt that was gnawing at him from inside, [Name] just watched from a viewing portal showing how Desmond cradled his body and observed all the faces of grief. [Name] sighed, before looking at his System.
"How many points do I have now?"
"You have been awarded 550. 550 + 127 = 677. So, 677 points in total. You also have the choice to upgrade some skills of your choice, as well as being allowed to choose two new skills to master."
"Alright, I choose-"
"Oh! Before you choose, a hint is given about the next world. It is heavily based on magic so I would suggest you choose something along those lines," advised Lucian.
"Alright, I choose sword fighting, playing the guqin and the weird package thing," [Name] motioned towards the parcel icon, which was floating along with the bundle of icons, representing the other skills.
"The package increases natural grace and etiquettes and increases the levels of all your current skills by five levels."
"Oh wow. Thank you."
"Shall I send you off now?"
"Sure."