Pretending to be a noob in a world scaled by power level

[186] Betrayal

With the aftermath of my attack still echoing across the battlefield, the demon king let out a resonating growl, his gargantuan form starting to crumble and disintegrate. In a matter of moments, he seemed to shrink and fold in on himself, his monstrous, beastly form receding into the figure of the demon king in his original, humanoid form. His body was haggard and worn, and where my strike had landed, a gaping hole was visible in his torso.

The field around us was eerily quiet. The demonic and united armies had paused, their gazes fixed upon us, watching the battle between the two most powerful beings on the battlefield.

I collapsed onto my knees, my body sagging heavily onto the ground. The glow in my eyes flickered and went out, the ethereal sabre disappearing from my hand. My golden aura dimmed, and I was left there, an ordinary man in the midst of a battlefield, staring at the fallen form of the demon king.

The exertion of the battle, the energy I had poured into my ultimate move, had left me completely drained. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest, my energy reserves completely depleted. Even drawing in a breath was a monumental task, and I found my vision blurring at the edges. The world seemed to spin, and I lay there on the cold, hard ground, my chest rising and falling in rapid, shallow breaths. The realization of what I had just done - the magnitude of my victory - was yet to set in. For the moment, all I could focus on was the excruciating exhaustion that clung to me.

Barely able to hold himself upright, the demon king coughed violently, a spattering of dark blood staining the ground. He looked up, eyes meeting Asus's.

"My son," he croaked, the words scraping painfully from his throat. His breath came in shallow gasps, his body racked by violent tremors. "I leave this to you. Finish him."

"Yes father," Asus replied, his voice smooth and placid, yet carrying an edge of ice-cold detachment. His eyes, vibrant with an almost unnatural blue, shone with a cunning glint as they met those of the Demon King.

Stepping forward with a controlled elegance, Asus approached his father, towering over the weakened form of the once mighty demon. His lips curled into a crafty smirk, revealing a row of perfectly sharp teeth. "As you wish, father," he reiterated, his tone laced with a chilling and ambiguous promise.

He then turned towards me, lying battered and drained on the battlefield. His calculated steps echoed ominously across the eerily silent battlefield as he made his way towards me. His expression was inscrutable, the light in his eyes unreadable but undoubtedly cunning. This was a man who danced to his own tune, his intentions hidden beneath layers of charm and deception. The battlefield held its breath, unsure of what Asus' next move would be.

With a swift, almost casual flick of his wrist, Asus unveiled a slender rapier, its blade shimmering eerily in the weak daylight that permeated the battlefield. Its brilliant blue and white aura reflected off his icy gaze, lending an almost ethereal glow to his countenance.

His approach towards the Demon King was unhurried and seemingly devoid of malicious intent. A whisper of movement, and suddenly, Asus spun around, his cloak billowing dramatically around him. The rapier, now charged with a pulsating aura of power, was aimed unerringly at the Demon King's heart.

In a flash, Asus plunged his weapon into the Demon King's back. The impact resonated through the silent battlefield like a clap of thunder, shattering the fragile peace that had descended over the war-torn landscape. The Demon King let out an agonized roar that echoed across the vast battlefield, his demonic form convulsing in pain.

Struggling to keep himself upright, the Demon King turned his head towards Asus, blood frothing at his lips. His once fierce, glowing eyes were dimmed, but they held a mix of shock and betrayal.

"You... you are no son of mine," he choked out, each word laced with hatred and accusation. His voice echoed eerily around them, soon to be swallowed by the tumult of the battlefield.

Asus merely smirked, the corners of his lips curling upwards in a wicked grin. His icy eyes sparkled with amusement and a sense of satisfaction. His casual demeanor was a stark contrast to the dying demon beneath him.

"But I am your son," he retorted, his voice as cool and unemotional as the grave. He leaned in closer to the Demon King, his whisper barely audible over the battlefield's chaos. "A son that you underestimated."

With those final words, he pulled his rapier from his father's body and stood tall amidst the debris, watching as the once mighty Demon King drew his final breaths.

Asus turned away from his fallen father, a slow, deliberate swagger in his step. His boots crunched against the rubble, the sound an echoing promise of danger. His gaze, icy and calculating, found me sprawled on the ground, utterly spent from the battle.

He sauntered over, his movements as graceful and predatory as a panther stalking its prey. His rapier, slick with his father's blood, was leveled at my throat. The sharp point glittered ominously under the fiery sky, a mere breath away from my vulnerable flesh.

"I could end you right now," he drawled, his voice a hypnotic purr laced with an edge of malice. His eyes glinted with a feral joy as he savored the threat hanging in the air.

"But that would be no fun." The words echoed around us, a chilling promise shrouded in ambiguity. With a careless flick of his wrist, he sheathed his rapier, the metal slithering back into its scabbard with a soft hiss.

He loomed over me, his figure a dark silhouette against the flaming horizon, his victorious grin a chilling punctuation to the end of the battle. Then, as quickly as he arrived, he turned on his heel and strode away, leaving me in the wake of his treachery, the dying embers of the battlefield our only audience.

As Asus strolled away, he cast a final look over his shoulder. "Till next time...Friend," he sneered, the word rolling off his tongue with an almost saccharine sweetness that belied its venomous undertone.

Continuing his victorious departure, he called out to the remnants of the demonic army still standing amidst the wreckage of the battlefield. His voice rose high and clear, commanding attention, "Hear me, horsemen of the apocalypse!"

The four formidable beings turned their gaze towards Asus, their eyes glowing ominously in the dim light. They watched him, their stoic faces belying no emotion. Asus's smirk widened as he took in the silent watchers.

"There has been a change in leadership," he declared, raising his arms in a grand gesture. The glinting rapier in his hand caught the faint moonlight, casting a menacing glow around him. His voice rang out across the charred battlefield, reverberating with authority and power. "Your king has fallen. It is I who commands you now. Bend the knee or share his fate."

His proclamation hung heavy in the silence that followed, the echoes of his words dissipating slowly into the smoke-ridden air. Asus stood tall amongst the devastation, the new de facto leader amidst the ruins of his father's reign.

The battlefield held its breath in a pregnant silence, almost as if time itself had stilled to a halt. All around, the noise of war receded, replaced by the resonant silence of a tale coming to a close.

Asus, standing tall amidst the debris of battle, turned his gaze over the wreckage that spread as far as the eye could see. The expressions of the warriors ranged from stunned disbelief to anxious anticipation, all eyes fixated on the new usurper who had claimed the demon king's throne.

His voice, when it came, was loud and clear, its authoritative command slicing through the silence like a sharpened blade, "This battle ends here," Asus commanded, sweeping his gaze over the battlefield.

His gaze found the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, now under his command. Their faces remained as stone, stoic and unreadable, but there was no defiance in their stance. No counter-argument rose against his decree.

"We retreat!" Asus ordered, his voice echoing across the battlefield. His words seemed to release a pent-up breath, stirring the silent air with a renewed vigor. He turned, casting a last, lingering look over the battered battlefield before taking the lead, guiding the demonic army away from the remnants of a lost war.

Asus...

Then my whole world went black.

Q: Did you see that double twist coming?