Before Bazi could finish his sentence, his head rolled on the ground.
The area fell into a deadly silence. Everyone watched as the head skidded to a stop. "Kufufufu My apologies," A sinister chuckle broke the silence. "My hand just happened to slip."
In the blink of an eye, the two men surrounded the figure, blades pointed at his neck. Parch demanded, "Who the hell are you?" His mana blade inches away from Diablo's throat, ready to slice it off at any moment. "How did you find our hideout?"
The figure smirked. "Knowing who I am would only cause you despair," he spoke sympathetically.
"Stop kidding around and answer!" shouted the guy, his blade pressed firmly against Diablo's throat. Hidan stood at his side, prepared to strike with his dual blades if necessary. Diablo stood there unflinching, without blinking an eye.
"Hey, you two," the head snarled in a commanding tone. "You better not lay a finger on this bastard. He is all mine!" Hearing that, the two men withdrew their weapons and retreated. The headless body picked up the head and reattached it seamlessly. The fully healed Bazi glared at Diablo. If only eyes could eat you alive.
"Kufufu, It looks like the fat worm is still squirming," said Diablo mockingly. "Very well. I shall entertain you for a bit longer." He taunted the big guy to come at him with a wave of his hand.
"Why you!" Bazi lunged at Diablo, aiming for his head. He raised his fist. Struck a blow from above. Diablo caught his arm and twisted it. The big guy spun twice and crashed. He quickly got up. Jumped back to make distance. Looked ahead. No one was there. Looked right, looked left, looked all around. Still no one. "Where are you hiding, you bastard?" He shouted angrily.
"What do you mean?" came the voice from behind. "I am right here."
Bazi spun around. Punched the instant he saw Diablo. Diablo bent backwards to avoid, grabbed his arm, and tossed him behind. He crashed into the wall and growled angrily.
"Ugh"
"Hey Bazi," taunted Parch. "D'ya need help?"
"Shut up, Parch," retorted Bazi. "I was just getting start-"
"Too bad," interjected Diablo. "Your time is up." he declared, his voice deeper and more serious than before. He strode towards the boss, who sat in his position unmoved.
"Hold it right there, you bastard!" shouted the big guy at the top of his lungs. He stood in front of Diablo, blocking his path. "Let me show you my Ultimate skill. Ultimate skill - God of..." His words were cut short. He couldn't speak anymore.
As he looked around in confusion, a shallow whisper entered his ears, "You are already dead." Those were the last words he heard before his body disintegrated into a cloud of dust. The atmosphere was filled with silence as everyone waited for the guy to regenerate. Except he didn't.
"WHAT IN THE HELL?!" Parch shouted in astonishment and disbelief. "What happened to Bazi? Why isn't he regenerating!?"
"This guy is bad news," said Hidan. His tone reflected the seriousness of the situation. "We can't afford to hold back. If we underestimate him like Bazi, he'll destroy us before we even get the chance to unleash our Ultimate skills," he asserted. He drew out his blades and took an attacking stance.
The two of them fixed their gaze on the foe in front, who brushed off his clothes elegantly, clearing the remnants of the disintegrated Bazi. His golden pupils locked onto Parch and Hidan like a predator. "You two are next," he declared.
"Shut up, you bastard!" Parch erupted, his voice filled with anger and grief. "Don't get cocky just because you caught Bazi off guard. You won only because he couldn't unleash his Ultimate skill in time. But we won't make the same mistake." Parch activated his Ultimate skill.
"That's right," agreed Hidan and activated his Ultimate skill as well. "You will regret coming here all alone, servant of that foolish slime."
Hearing those words, Diablo fumed with anger. But then, he remembered Rimuru's advice.
[Flashback] "Remember, don't let your anger get the better of you. Face your opponents with a calm mind, and never underestimate them, especially if they possess an unknown Ultimate skill. I have complete confidence in your abilities as my strongest subordinate but it never hurts to be careful."
"Ah You have put me in quite a dilemma," he said in a sorrowful voice. "I wanted to enjoy toying with you, but doing so will mean going against Rimuru sama's advice." He was lost in deep thought, not moving an inch.
What in the hell is this guy up to? Thought Hidan. He was a very cautious guy, always analyzing his opponents before making a move. That's what his Ultimate skill was suited for. As a result, he was hesitant to take the initiative. Parch, though eager to strike, knew better than to dive in all by himself and waited for his signal.
"Fine," after a minute of deliberation, Diablo finally broke the silence. "I will give you 10 minutes, 5 minutes each," he declared, pointing towards them.
"What do you mean?" asked Parch, annoyed by the remark.
"That's all the time I need to dispose of you while being careful," Diablo responded, an evil grin spread across his face as he swiftly closed in on his prey.
"10 minutes? How dare you look down on us, you bastard!?" And thus, the battle began.
*
1 minute later-
"Looks like I overestimated you," he said dejectedly. "How can my calculations be this off? How disappointing." He walked on, leaving behind the motionless remnants of the two. They lay on the ground, unrecognizable and withered, like dead leaves.
Clap Clap Clap
"That was quite a spectacle," commended the boss. He broke his stillness for the first time since the fight began. "Was that spatial manipulation? Reality alteration? Fascinating," He remarked, rose up from his seat and stood in front of Diablo. "But you know what? That's not enough to defeat me. I am in an entirely different league than those fools you just fought," he declared, smiling malevolently.
"Hoh? If you are so confident in your abilities," asked Diablo with a serious expression, "then why didn't you help out your fellow worms when they were being annihilated?"
"Huh? They have already served their purpose in my grand plan," the boss retorted. "Why would I go out of my way to help them when they are completely useless now?" he said as if it was an obvious fact.
"I see," Diablo responded, his voice filled with disappointment. "You are even more underwhelming than I expected."
"Shut up," the boss exclaimed. "You are about to die anyway so it doesn't matter. Ultimate skill - [ ̶B̶e̶e̶r̶u̶s̶ Hades - God of Destruction]"
In an instant, Diablo found himself trapped within an imaginary space, surrounded by countless fists from all directions. From the left, from the right, from above, from below— they rained at him endlessly. He had no way to escape. Not that it mattered. It was Diablo. He didn't need to escape. He dodged left, dodged right, spun around and deflected the blows elegantly. It was a seamless cycle of rinse and repeat.
"Is that all your Ultimate skill has to offer?" he asked with a bored expression. To him, it was nothing more than a child's play. He could continue this effortlessly for all eternity.
"Of course not," replied the boss, a wicked grin spread across his face. "This is just the beginning." Suddenly, the fists underwent a transformation. They glowed red, glowed blue, glowed green, and multiplied. Each new one glowed a distinct colour. Though some appeared colourless, it was only because they existed beyond the visible spectrum of light.
"It changed colours, interesting-"
Boom
Diablo's words were cut off as the fist he tried to block exploded. It hurt. He tried to deflect the next one without making contact. It still exploded. And it still hurt, albeit the pain was different from before. This went on and on. Diablo tried spatial manipulation. It didn't work. The fists still hit him and exploded. Reality bending. No use. Anything else? Nothing worked. It was no use at all.
"Hahahaha," echoed a sinister laugh. "Behold! My Ultimate skill pierces all immunities and interferences. Each strike is guaranteed to hit the target and cause massive damage, regardless of its nature as a lifeform. While active, it blocks the target's skills and abilities, even low-tier Ultimate skills like yours. And this is merely a fraction of power wielded by my astounding Ultimate skill." His victory was assured. He was fully confident.
"Kufufufu Impressive," commended Diablo. "You are the first insect to have made me resort to using my Ultimate skill in a thousand years. To be able to witness my power while you still live, you are quite a fortunate little worm."
"Hmm?" The boss was confused. "Didn't you already unleash your Ultimate skill while fighting those two?" he asked, believing it to be true.
"No," replied Diablo calmly. "Those worms weren't worthy enough for such an honour."
"Stop bluffing around," exclaimed the boss. "It is common sense that to defeat an opponent with an ultimate skill, you must utilize your own. If you think you can intimidate me with your lies, you are mistaken. But I suppose it's natural for weaklings like you, who are so weak and powerless, to resort to such trickery." He chuckled.
There is no way this punk defeated two guys with Ultimake skills without using his own. He thought. He found this notion to be preposterous.
"Kufufufu, you ignorant little worm. How I pity you. Ultimate skill - [Azaelloth - God of Temptation]"
The boss waited for something to happen. Nothing happened. The demon simply stood there, smiling amidst the countless fists bombarding him.
So it was a bluff after all. He was relieved. It looks like he has finally given up and accepted his fate. Fully assured that the battle had concluded, he took out his magiphone.
Peru Peru Peru Peru
The phone buzzed in his hand.
"How is the prog-"
Before he could finish his words, a chilling sensation ran down his spine. The phone slipped down his fingers as he became frozen in place. W-what is this overwhelming aura, this intense pressure? I have never felt anything like this before. Someone stood behind him but he didn't turn. Rather, he couldn't turn. He couldn't even move a hair. He was too terrified.
He gathered every ounce of courage to look back. But he wished he didn't. Before him stood an embodiment of nightmares, a being that personified fear itself. It stood there, smiling. But anyone with a shred of sanity could discern the terror behind that sinister grin.
It was at this moment that he realised, he'd fucked up.
Author's note: Remember to share your thoughts in the comments and upvote if you liked the chapter. If you want to chat with me or are interested in beta reading, join my discord. Link in the profile. Thanks for reading.