Darkness
Only darkness was to be seen anywhere you look, [ Eth ] who was floating or standing? It couldn't be stated out, there was just pitch-black every where in that mysterious *place*.
"...I didn't think I would die again so soon.". [ Eth ] started to get annoyed. First he gets kidnapped to another world, and then gets killed? Not a good start for a comedy genre.
"Will I go to heaven? I don't remember helping anyone but I don't do bad things either" [ Etha ] was thinking to himself as going to the promised places.
[No. You are not.]
[ Etha ] again heard the voice ring in his head or not? The voice was coming from somewhere but *where?*.
This voice wasn't the same, the voice was unbelievable high pitched but deep, as if the speaker was both a woman and a man, as if the speaker was both young and old.
He didn't feel the voice. He *heard" it.
"Who are you, now?" [ Etha ] asked with a little hint of confusion drawn upon his face, he was still trying to look around to find the speaker.
[Some speak of me as the king, others call me as the power bestower. What would you like to call me?]
"Power bestower. So I guess you are the guy who gives power to the demon kings, right?" [ Etha ] asked once again, with a smile on his face. He closed his eyes, having given up looking for someone he can't even see.
[ Etha ] stood — or floated — in the endless darkness, arms crossed, eyes closed. The voice had stopped speaking, but the cold and weightless feeling remained. It wasn't uncomfortable, exactly. Just… weird.
"So, Power Bestower," [ Etha ] started, his voice calm despite the eerie atmosphere. "You gonna keep the creepy silence going, or are we getting to the part where I get cool powers?"
The voice chuckled. Or maybe it shivered — [ Eth ] couldn't tell the difference.
[You're surprisingly composed.]
"Eh.., I've been through worse. Like just a moment ago."
[ Eth ] shrugged. "Also, if I freak out every time something weird happens, I'd probably die of stress before anything else gets me."
[Interesting.] The voice shifted, suddenly closer, like it was whispering right into his ear. [But tell me, Magnus Caffeine… do you understand what it means to become a Demon King?]
"Not really." He nonchalantly replied.
[Of course not.] The voice sighed, as if exhausted. [You are the first of your kind, after all.]
[ Et ]'s eyes snapped open. "First?"
[Sloth. The Seventh Sin. There has never been a Demon King of Sloth before you. And i am pretty sure you have no knowledge of this either.]
[ Et ] frowned. "Why?"
[Because Sloth… is different.]
The air shifted. The darkness around [ Et ] began to ripple, as if disturbed by some invisible current. The weightless sensation grew heavier.
[The other Demon Kings — Pride, Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Envy, Wrath — they are ruled by their sins. Their minds and hearts are bound to those desires. Their ambitions, their rage, their cravings — those forces shape them.]
Images flashed before [ Et ]'s eyes — distorted, shadowy figures. A regal form on a golden throne, head held high with unmistakable arrogance. A smirking figure surrounded by admirers, eyes gleaming with lustful delight. A beastly silhouette consuming everything in sight. Six shapes, six auras of overwhelming power and madness.
[But Sloth… Sloth is different. It does not control the heart or mind.]
The images vanished. The weight around [ Et ] grew heavier — but not on his spirit. On his body. His limbs felt sluggish. His breath slowed. Even his heartbeat seemed to drag, each thud echoing like a distant drum.
[ Et ] was taken aback by the sudden feeling of laziness.
[Sloth controls the body. Stillness. Lethargy. And the strength of absolute calm.]
[ Et ]'s fingers twitched. Moving even that much felt like pushing through tar. "This… is the power I'm getting?" he asked, his words slow and drawn out. Although it was all so shocking, [ Et ] couldn't help but feel a bit excited.
[This is only the beginning.]
The weight lifted. [ Et ] gasped, his body snapping back to normal — though his arms still tingled with the memory of the heaviness.
[The power of Sloth is not simply laziness, Magnus Caffeine. It is the power of stillness. Of patience. Of waiting until the perfect moment to strike — and doing so with devastating force.]
The voice grew quieter, almost contemplative.
[But even so… I wonder why you were chosen. Your soul does not seem… fitting.]
[ E ] grinned. "Maybe I'm just special."
[Or maybe you are a mistake.]
The words hung in the air. But before [ E ] could reply, the darkness began to shift again. This time, it spiraled — and in the center of that spiral, a light appeared. It wasn't warm or comforting — it was cold, distant, and electric.
[Come, Magnus Caffeine. Take your power. And prove whether you are worthy of it.]
The light shot toward him. [ ] didn't move. He didn't flinch. He just stood there. The light hit him — and it felt like his world exploded.
For a second, there was nothing but silence in the pitch black abyss. Then the voice spoke one last time.
[Welcome, Demon King of Sloth. Magnus Caffeine]