We walked closer to the burned area.
"You know...maybe I don't want to fight this demon. I've already had far too much bother me lately, so I would prefer it if we just...didn't..." Isabella said.
"It'll be fine. Just use your holy magic to banish it. Then we're good to go right?" I asked.
"I don't want to fulfill any more prophecies!" Isabella said.
As soon as we set foot in the burned zone, I heard a voice.
"WHO GOES THERE!? SPEAK YOUR NAME OR FACE MY WRATH!"
Here we go...
"We're just passing through. If you let us go-"
"SILENCE! YOU HAVE INVADED MY TERRITORY! YOU MUST SEEK TO DO BATTLE WITH ME!!! OF COURSE YOU DO!!!" The voice said as it interrupted me.
"No. No, we don't! Please just let us go!" Isabella said desperately.
"Wha...YOU!? THE ONE I AM FATED TO DO BATTLE WITH!? I SEE! YOU HAVE FINALLY COME HERE FOR ME!!! HA HA HA!!!" The voice boomed again.
His laugh sounded really forced. Like a child acting like an evil villain...
Suddenly the ground shook and a tornado of fire appeared a short distance away.
When it cleared, I could see a creature that had the head of a dragon and the wings of one too.
He was massively well built with the body of a man. He had glowing armor and molten skin. This demon towered over us at around nine feet tall.
"Hm! So you have finally come! My arch-nemesis, Isabella the Divine! You foolish woman! The Time of your defeat is now!" The demon said.
"Please just... Wait, why are you talking like that? Are you acting or something?" Isabella said.
"HOW DARE YOU! I AM MALZEKAD THE INFERNO! BURNING DEMON KING OF THE HELLISH REALMS! I AM THE ULTIMATE INFERNO DEMON! MALZEKAD OF THE FIRES THAT BURN SO HOT THEY CAN MELT ANYTHING!!! I AM THE BURNING KING!!! THE MOST POWERFUL-"
"WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP!?" I shouted.
Malzekad stopped and looked at me.
"WE GET IT! YOUR ELEMENT IS FIRE! GIVE IT A DAMN REST!" I said.
"I...I am Malzekad... The burning...umm...fire of..."
Suddenly, he seemed pretty depressed. I was starting to feel bad for him.
"Look...just finish what you're saying...okay?" I said.
Malzekad perked up immediately.
"FOOLISH HUMAN! PREPARE YOURSELF FOR A BATTLE THAT YOU SHALL NEVER FORGET! I AM THE ETERNAL FLAME! THE BURNING HELL-LORD OF THE INFERNO! AND THE COOLEST DEMON TO EVER LIVE!"
What was that last part...?
"Umm...are you done?" Jallah asked.
"Yes. That is my introduction. Now you all give yours and we fight to the death!" Malzekad said.
"I am...Isabella Iratus... Enforcer, First Princess of Albatross...The Divine Crusader...wielder of Bravery... Yeah...I have too many damn titles at this point..." She said with a defeated look on her face.
"I'm Mizik Iratus. Her husband. Enforcer seat..."
I turned to Jallah.
"Am I the fourth or fifth?" I asked him.
With everything going on lately, I genuinely can't remember!
He just shrugged.
"I don't really care anymore. You could claim to be seat one, and I wouldn't give a shit at this point, man," Jallah said
"Fine..." I turned to Malzekad. "I'm the Prince of Albatross, and an Enforcer. The Warmage... Oh, and I wield Vengeance."
"I'm Jallah O'Brien. Enforcer seat 3...no, 2, and former head of investigative...whatever...The Thunderfist..."
"I thought you said it doesn't matter!" I said angrily.
"It doesn't! I'm just used to saying it!"
Fine dammit!
Rune just stood in awkwardly and played with her ponytail.
"Mine is kinda underwhelming by comparison... I'm just an Attendant. My name is Rune O'Brien. I'm Jallah's wife. I don't have a designation or anything, but I'm pretty good with a gun though..." She said.
I just sighed.
"Good effort. But it needs work. Why not put some more feeling into it?" Malzekad said.
I glared at him.
"I don't need lessons on how to be a weirdo like you!"
Malzekad seemed to pretend that he didn't hear me.
"VERY GOOD! NOW WE SHALL COMMENCE OUR EPIC BATTLE OF DOOM!" Malzekad said.
Immediately, he raised his hand, and I felt the temperature increase drastically.
"I really wish Leiso was here right about now..." I said.
"BURNING CHAOS AURA OF DEATH!!!" Malzekad shouted.
He slammed the ground and fire erupted all around him.
I'm speechless... I don't know whether to be worried or freaked out...
"Mizik...I miss Ignitus..." Isabella said.
Me too...
Once the fire had stopped erupting around Malzekad, he was enveloped by a burning aura.
The air around him warped and shifted from the heat as he stood still, waiting for us.
"Alright. If it's fire, then I have something to deal with you," I said.
I manifested a large number of ice javelins and threw them all at Malzekad.
They melted and exploded into steam before they could even touch him...
I pulled out Vengeance and started shooting at him, but every time the bullets impacted him, his body just regenerated. Next, Jallah tried dropping lightning on him while Rune also tried shooting him with regular guns.
The lightning had no effect while the bullets melted as soon as they touched Malzekad.
I was starting to wonder what the hell this thing really was. The aura around it was so hot that it was melting everything in the vicinity.
Was this guy actually a Demon King!?
"GIVE UP? HAVE A TASTE OF THIS! INFERNAL ROAR OF DOOM!" Malzekad shouted.
He opened his mouth as molten lava dripped from his jaws and roared loudly.
A column of fire shot straight at us and Isabella blocked it with a combination of barriers and her shield.
"Mizik...I was really hoping you could beat this thing for me..." She said.
"I'm out of ideas. He's a demon, right? We can't go near him because of the heat, and I don't have a working light element. Also my ranged attacks seem ineffective..." I said.
Isabella groaned.
"Just...go away, Malzekad..." She said.
Isabella held out her sword as a pillar of burning light enveloped Malzekad.
"HA! THIS ISN'T ENOU- AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! IT BURNS!!!! NO...WAIT! THAT'S NOT RIGHT! NOTHING CAN BURN ME BECAUSE I AM THE INFERNO DEMON KING OF HELLFIRE!!! BUT THIS HUUUUUUURTS!!!!!" He screamed.
When the attack finished, he dropped to his knees.
"YOU ARE INDEED POWERFUL, MY ARCH-NEMESIS! BUT CAN YOU WITHSTAND MY ULTIMATE ATTACK!?"
Isabella just enveloped him in another pillar of light.
"GAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! HELLFIRE BURNING DEMON KING ULTIMATE BLAST OF DOOM!!!!" Malzekad shouted.
He ran at us and tried to punch Isabella.
She blocked it with a barrier before he came too close and it exploded into light...sending Malzekad back a few feet. Thankfully, we had scattered before the immense heat radiating from him could do us any harm.
WHAT THE HELL KIND OF ATTACK NAME IS THAT!? ALL THAT FOR A PUNCH!?
"MY ENEMY! YOU ARE A WORTHY OPPONENT! I WILL NOT FALL HERE! YOUR FATE HAS ALREADY BEEN DECIDED! I-"
"OH MY IRIS! JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!!!" Isabella shouted angrily.
Malzekad paused for a second, and before he could respond, he was hit by numerous streams of burning light.
"GAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
Then Isabella paused in place with her hand extended.
"I can't believe I'm doing this..." She said.
A glowing circle appeared at Malzekad's feet and formed a barrier around him. Moments later, his body began slowly dispersing.
"NO! NOOOOO!!!! I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED HERE! I AM THE ULTIMATE HELLFIRE INFERNAL DEMON KING OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION! I AM THE BURNING DEMON KING OF THE INFERNO! I AM-"
"PLEASE JUST GO AWAY!!!" Isabella shouted.
The magic circle glowed even brighter and Malzekad began to fully disperse.
Before leaving, I could swear he smiled.
"You have fought well... My strength wasn't enough...but we shall meet again! Some day, we will put aside our differences and be allies! Together, we will face the darkness! We will-"
His body dispersed before he could finish talking.
Isabella dropped to her hands and knees.
"Ugh...I didn't want to fulfill another prophecy..." Isabella groaned.
At the same time, I started conjuring water and Ice to cool the terrain ahead of us enough to cross.
Once I was done, I helped her up and hugged her.
She cried on my chest.
"I hate this island! It's worse than the ship! Worse than when Cassandra pervs on you! I hate it!"
"I know...just bear with it for now... It'll be over soon. We still have a lot of climbing to do, though..." I said.
"I promise to do everything in my power to help you two. Especially Isabella, right now," Jallah said.
"Me too. These cultists are really just a bunch of perverts and weirdos, aren't they?" Rune said.
"They are! I feel like I'm constantly being watched!" Isabella said.
"Whatever the case may be, we should endeavor to finish our work here as soon as possible," I said.
"Agreed...let's go..." Isabella said.
We continued onward and went higher up on the mountain.
We learned much later that there were multiple paths and fighting Malzekad wasn't actually necessary.
* * *
A few hours went by as we walked and eventually, we stopped at one of the mountain villages while the sun was setting.
They flooded around Isabella and started cheering.
At the same time, they started glaring at me.
"What?" I said.
"Green-Eyed Demon!!! You defile our Lady Isabella!"
"MIZIK IS MY HUSBAND! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Isabella shouted angrily.
Immediately, the people dropped to their knees and begged for forgiveness.
"Look, if you want to attack Mizik, you can do so at your own risk. But be warned, he is a warrior of great strength. You won't survive once he starts fighting back," Isabella said calmly.
Several of then looked at me and I could tell a certain realization hit them.
They could probably feel some of the pressure that my power granted me.
I hadn't realized it for a long time, but I caused normal people to feel like they were suffocating at times with it...
I made no attempt to hide it here.
"Now then. I command you all to grant us two rooms for resting. One for Mizik and I, and another for Jallah and Rune. Can you do that?" Isabella asked.
"We shall! And we will prepare a feast to celebrate the banishing of that horrible and strange demon!" A man said.
"We didn't...mention the demon..." Isabella said.
"Our scouts have been observing you since you started up the mountain! We know your every move!"
Isabella looked about ready to end someone's life at that remark...
That meant even if she had to go behind a tree to...do what humans typically have to do in the bathroom...
They might have been watching.
Honestly, I wanted to shoot these bastards...
"You people aren't spying on me when I stop to relieve myself, are you?" Isabella said with a completely neutral look on her face.
I could tell by the murderous aura that she was about to lose it...
"We wouldn't dare! It's against our laws to spy on the perfect goddess in her private time! Only the grand seer is allowed to do that!" One man said fearfully.
"Grand seer? Where is he? I want to meet him!" Isabella said with a smile.
"Her smile is so lovely! I'm in love with the goddess!" One man said.
"Her radiance is so pure and holy! She can't be anything but loving and compassionate!!!" Another said.
"She's so perfect! I wish I could compare!" A woman said.
Easy now. That smile looks sweet and innocent, but she's actually ready to kill someone.
"Lady Isabella! The Grand Seer is the one who gave us the prophecies! He is the prophet, Jin Takemoto!" A man dressed like Irwin said.
"I see...so it's the pervert again. Where is Jin? I would very much like to meet him," Isabella said with another sweet smile.
"He would be so happy to see you smile! And to hear that you wished to meet him! He...unfortunately passed away fifty years ago. His tomb is located in the Temple of Isabella atop this very mountain. We humbly request that you visit him before leaving this place. It was his final wish that you would go there and grace his tomb with your radiant presence!"
"Oh, I'll go alright..." Isabella said with a slightly more sinister smile.
"She is so compassionate and caring! Truly the perfect woman! I can never love another!" A man said.
Just give it a rest...
Shortly after that, we ate food with everyone and were taken to our rooms.