You are now Brandon and you stand outside of an emmense castle that waited on the other side of your eighth gate.
"So why are we all here?" Mark asks, "Shouldn't you face your denizen alone?"
"Why do that when we can have a fun team-building exercise?" You reply.
"Because we don't need to help you fight your denizen."
"I'll make you a deal, you guys help me fight my denizen and I'll still be kind enough to warn you when you're going to die?"
"Something tells me that's not an optional deal."
"I don't know it's plenty optional. I just hope you like stab wounds."
"Fine, I'll help."
"I don't really prefer dying so, I guess I'm in." Jeremy says.
"I already went grimdark so I'd rather not add dying to terrible experiences." Alex adds.
"I already died once, rather not again." Jon follows.
"I'll help only because I think you'd actually let us die." Nate remarks.
"What about you, Duncan?" You ask.
"No," he responds, "I think I'll just watch you guys fight this guy. I'm not to scared of dying to be honest."
"Alright, let's go guys!"
You all march into the castle and are greeted by silence. Nobody says anything, this silence is all too unnerving, the absolute absence of sound. It sent a chill down your spine. In spite of this eerie silence you keep moving through the great room. The walls are painted black with great paintings hanging upon them. Each painting depicts a death of some kind. Talk about a morbid dude.
You look forward and see, sitting at the head of the table that stretches the length of the room, a tall man in fine clothes with wings protruding from his back.
"Ah, you have come." Says the man.
"Yes, I have." You reply, "Are you Thantos?"
"Indeed, I am, boy."
"I have come to fight you!"
"I see, but you weren't confident enough to come alone? Fine then, I shall crush you all."
"Look here!" Duncan yells at Thantos, "I can't understand a thing you're saying but I don't like the tone in your voice."
"You're not supposed to understand what he's saying." You say correcting your brother's idiocy.
"Then what the hell is he saying?"
"He says he's gonna defeat us all, but clearly he hasn't seen what we can do!"
You draw your rifle and fire off a few shots but Thantos quickly steps to the side. He doesn't show any change in emotion, he's completely unphased by the attack on him.
"How rude," Thantos says, "Do you know how much it will cost to have those bullet holes filled?"
Before you can reply Thantos is on your side of the room. He makes a swipe with a massive broadsword. Everyone ducks. Alex raises his sword and stops the blow. The only person who was too slow to avoid the attack is Jon.
"Humans are such weak creatures." Thantos says as he looks upon the halved teen.
"He's dead!" Mark observes.
"Well clearly he's dead, Mark. How many people do you know who have survived being chopped in half."
"But how can you be so calm about this, we're doomed now! How can we win the game without a player. Not to mention one of your friends just died and you act so calm about it!"
"Because I this was the vision I told you about!"
"You know this is where he would die, and did nothing!?"
"Mark! Calm the hell down! See, Thantos, what you don't realize is that while humans are weak bodied. We are strong minded!"
"How so?" Thantos asks with a smirk on his face.
"Just watch!"
Jon begins to glow and levitate.
"Well," you continue, "I had an idea. So last night I went to Jon's planet and found his quest bed. I stole the comforter and combined it with his jacket while he slept. Because his jacket was a breath aspect hoodie it looked the same and he put it on in the morning like nothing had changed. So now Jon has died while in contact with his quest bed—or at least part of it!"
Joon then opens his eyes and lands on his feet.
"Well played, human!" Thantos responds with an irritated look on his face, "But can you out-think this!" He takes a slash at you with his sword.
"Actually, yes!" You say right as the slash connects. The blade stops when it collides with your side and it begins to wither. "You see, Thantos. I am the Heir of Doom. I am one with demise and death. This means I can turn on the doom powers and anything that touches me will die or decay. Your sword? Now a worthless peice of metal!"
"I see. Well then. Perhaps I shall start fighting seriously."
He draws another sword and lunges forward, his path is cut off by Jeremy though, "Cool move, Brandon, but I don't think showboating is gonna kill this guy."
"Yeah," you reply, "I think it's time to kick this guy's ass!" You raise your rifle and fire. It hits Thantos in the shoulder and he recoils in pain.
"Come on!" Alex yells at Thantos, "Let's see what you've got!" He charges and light clashes against bronze. "Monado Cyclone!" With that an emmense wave of energy comes from Alex and knocks Thantos back.
"You'll have to do better than that to kill me you pathetic bugs!" Thantos roars in anger.
"Fine," you yell at him, "Mark, get ready!" You change ammo type to the mind control rounds and fire one at your brother, who's been standing in the corner watching. It hits and Mark is given control. Your brother's body jumps toward the monster and lands a punch straight to the face. With a loud crack Thantos is thrown to the floor.
"You think I'll die that easily?" Thantos asks with malice in his voice, "I'm just getting started!" He stands and takes to the air with his wings.
"Nope!" Jon yells as a gust of wind knocks the demon out of the air.
"Your friends are strong," Thantos admits as he regains his footing, "But you couldn't defeat me without their help!"
"Guy! Stop!" You yell to the group, "He wants to take me on by myself. I think we can show him at least a little mercy." Everyone takes a step back as the angel lunges forward. You step to the side and pull the rifle up behind him.
"This still is an unfair battle, I say we only use weapons of bronze! I'll even give you the specibus of choice."
"I choose a scythe!"
"A schythe? As in a farmer's tool? Why?"
"I think it's befitting for someone who takes the life of others to use a scythe."
"Alright! I give you a scythe of bronze and the scythe-kind specibus." He is true to his word and gives you both. "Now! Let us do battle!"
He lunges forward once more and you once again dodge to the side. This time he adjusts his course to move for you and you place the schythe in front of you. He makes a slash with his sword and hits the weapon against your own. In this opening you make a quick kick to the head of the enemy.
"I cannot lose to such a weak being!" He yells, "I refuse defeat at your hands!"
"I agree, only a weakling would fail to win a fair battle! So maybe you should have lost the first time, and stayed down!" You advance and slash with your weapon, he guards and you swipe with your foot and he falls to the ground.
"Wait! Wait! Please don't kill me! I'll give you power! Emmense power, wealth, even women!"
"Who do you think I am? Someone who believes in the scared yelps of a coward? You die today! This is the day I claim my inheritance!" You bring the scythe down through his head and he falls still.
"Fine!" You hear Thantos's voice in your mind, "I am forced to accept defeat, I will give you your reward for defeating me. I knew this day was coming, so I have left your reward in a display case in the observatory."
"Come on!" You yell to your friends, "Looks like today's my birthday!"
Tge seven of you wonder the building until you come across a room that protrudes from the building and has the three outer walls and ceiling made of glass. In the center of the room sits a glass case with a black staff incised within.
"This is a weapon I personally crafted. It resembles the weapon your friends uses. The Monado as he called it? While the staff is simple in design it can turn the user's desires into temporary realities. It will take the form of whatever weapon the user chooses. My soul is now bound to this weapon, use it wisely."
"What's it called?"
"It has no determined name. I simply referred to it as the weapon of my successor."
"Then I shall deem it The Reaper's Crown."
"Why?"
"Because it has gone from owner to successor, much like a royal crown. Except it's like the crown that decides who's the god of death to come.
"I think that will serve as a perfect name, wield it bravely, my successor."
"What's this thing?" Nate asks as he pokes at it with his staff.
"This is what I receive as a reward for defeating my denizen."
"What is it though?"
"It's a weapon." You pick it up and it begins to feel warm in your hands. Without warning a blade emerges from the side of the staff. It's a scythe of stainless steel. A weapon befitting a god of destruction.
"Come on guys. We're done here."
END OF CHAPTER 30