Chapter 535: Keres The Demon King

A gust of wind swept through the open doors behind him, stirring the Unknown King’s cloak as his gaze settled on the man seated upon a throne at the far end of the rectangular hall.

Two rows of square pillars led towards him, and seated on either side of his throne were two little girls with snakes for hair.

The snakes hissed at the Unknown King, their voices faint across the distance.

His gaze moved over the throne and the two smaller seats built into its sides, lingering briefly on the girls. They looked no older than twelve or thirteen.

Beyond the pillars stretched a sea of lit candles, filling almost the entire length of the throne room. Hundreds of tiny flames surrounded the three-seated throne as well, forming a glowing circle around the Demon King and his daughters.

Only then did the Unknown King settle his attention fully upon the being who had forced him to come here.

Even seated, the Demon King appeared to be around his height. His skin was a faint red, crossed by pale golden markings that flowed over his body in wavelike patterns. A white hood framed his face, while bone-like armour covered one shoulder and wrapped around his waist. In one hand rested a long staff crowned by something grotesque.

His daughters wore white garments clasped over their right shoulders, the fabric wrapped around their petite bodies while the cords of their sandals coiled around their shins.

"I warned you. You ignored my words," the Unknown King said as he entered the hall.

"You might not know this, but anyone can make you do anything." The Demon King smirked. "I killed a bunch of people, and here you are, just as I expected. Less of a king and more of a simple-minded peasant."

His smile remained.

"I’m Keres. And you? What is your name?"

"To you, I am a simple-minded peasant. Address me as such," the Unknown King replied calmly.

Keres’s daughters burst into laughter, while their father merely chuckled.

"You are interesting. You’ve made my daughters laugh. It’s been a while since anyone other than me managed that."

The Unknown King tilted his head. "I doubt there lives a man sane enough to try in this city of yours."

He began walking towards the throne.

"People weep because of what you’ve done, Keres. People I have sworn to protect. You took their lives and sent them into an unfair Afterlife, damning them to eternal suffering."

He stopped.

Nothing about the hall actually changed, yet to Keres’s daughters, it almost felt as though the temperature had fallen when he spoke again.

"You had no right."

Keres leaned forward, his amusement giving way to a frown. "You take this too seriously. I wanted to test your words. I wanted to see if you would summon me to the gathering, but you did not. Just as you said."

"And what did you think would happen when I came to meet you here?"

Keres’s expression grew solemn.

"You threaten me before my daughters. Do not make an enemy of me, peasant."

The Unknown King lifted his chin.

"There are daughters who are now orphans because of you. Fathers and mothers have lost their children, all for a test."

"There are billions of humans on that world!" Keres snapped. "You provoke me with these worthless arguments. What are a few thousand in the face of billions? I did not come for the extinction of that race, and doing so is well within my capability."

Keres leaned back upon his throne, his gaze drifting across the countless candles burning throughout the hall. "Besides, I also do it for growth. These candlelights bear the pain and suffering I have inflicted upon others. They are my tribute. Demons cannot simply sit around and feed me miasma. I have to collect it through the mediums you’ve seen."

Keres shrugged. "We all have reasons for what we do. You have yours, and I do not question them."

"Show me the wrong I’ve done? I seek a reason not to end you, Keres. Help yourself."

"What?"

Keres rose to his feet. His daughters bared their teeth at the Unknown King as the snakes upon their heads hissed ferociously.

"You would kill me before my daughters?"

"I am here as judge and executioner. I will perform my duty regardless. Do not speak to me of your attachment to your daughters when you have deprived so many of theirs."

"And tell me, who made you judge over me?"

"I did," the Unknown King replied. "And I have seen what your daughters have done. This world itself is twisted. Whatever is born here is born of a twisted nature. That field of petrified people was their doing."

"So what?!" one of the girls snorted.

"You heard her," Keres said.

The Unknown King remained where he was.

"Tell me, Keres. If I were to enter your city, kill your people and simply leave, what would you do?"

Keres’s expression darkened. "Leave!"

Step by step, the Unknown King began approaching the throne.

"It is unfortunate that my presence will bring pain to you and your family. But I have weighed your actions, and my judgment is a life for a life. I will take yours alone."

His gaze shifted briefly towards the girls.

"Send your daughters away."

"Haa!"

Keres leapt from the throne and brought his staff down towards the Unknown King’s head. The King shifted his weight onto one foot and snapped the other upward, striking the descending staff hard enough to knock it off course. Before Keres could recover, the Unknown King planted that foot and drove the other into his face.

The impact hurled the Demon King into one of the square pillars. Stone cracked behind him before he collapsed to the floor.

Keres’s eyes widened.

He slowly pushed himself back to his feet, staring at the Unknown King.

"You spent quite some effort building your home, it’s durable." the Unknown King said.

Keres chuckled, ignoring the pain coursing through his back. "I wouldn’t want to destroy everything I touch with the slightest effort."

His daughters climbed down from their seats.

They moved towards one another, their bodies joining until the two girls became a single unnatural creature with four arms and four eyes. The snakes upon their heads merged with them, growing larger as they reared back and hissed in unison.

The Unknown King’s body began to petrify.

Stone spread across his limbs and torso as Keres approached. The King’s gaze dropped to his petrified arms, and whatever Keres saw in those golden eyes, he could only interpret it as shock.

"I like your arrogance," Keres said as the last of the stone consumed him, "but arrogance can also be foolishness."

The Unknown King stood completely petrified.