“Interesting. This must be the power of the voice. Genesis, was it?” Eins asked no one in particular. The scene before them was nothing like before. It was calm and peaceful. Eins almost confused it for the afterlife. Of course, it wasn’t. The Demon Slime knew they wouldn’t die. It was why they were the one to deliver the final blow. It was why they took the full force of the final grand explosion. All Eins had to do now was understand where they were. Thankfully, the omnipresent voice was willing to communicate to the familiar.

“ERROR. YOU SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MOVE.”

“Oh yeah? I’m guessing you didn’t plan for this. Care to explain?” Eins asked. From what they knew, Genesis was an all-powerful entity that forced The Unnamed Team to become heroes. It was the system that told them to slay the Demon King. Now, it was that same system that was now telling them to become the next monarch. That said, Eins rarely interacted with Genesis. Whatever was said typically needed to be relayed to the Demon Slime via The Unnamed Team. They had only heard the voice a few times, but that was only because of their connection to Nicholas as his familiar.

“THAT IS…UNKNOWN. ERROR. NON-PARTICIPANT HAS RECEIVED THE FINAL MISSION AND IS ELIGIBLE FOR ITS COMPLETION.”

“Final mission? What’s that?” Eins said. They briefly remembered the voice saying something earlier, but the memory was hazy. Eins was still recovering from the blast at the time. They were watching for remnants of the Demon King. They were on guard against any other enemies. Most importantly, they were looking for their team. The others had gone missing, so Eins had plenty more on their minds than whatever Genesis could say.

“ASCEND TO THE THRONE AND BECOME THE NEXT DEMON KING.”

“Sounds good to me,” Eins said. They shrugged their shoulders and began marching over to the Demon King’s throne. Who were they to disobey the voice from above? Eins was given a prime opportunity to become something much bigger than themself. What aspiring monster wouldn’t want to earn such a title? The throne was practically begging for Eins to sit in it. The entire demon race needed a new leader, and the confident Demon Slime was more than willing to fill that role.

“ERROR. WAIT. YOU CANNOT ASCEND. ONLY MEMBERS OF [THE UNNAMED TEAM] MAY DO SO.”

“Aw, Genesis. Did you not read the fine print? I’m a member of the team. Same as everyone else.” Eins said with a coy smile. They were an official member of The Unnamed Team. There was no denying that. Nicholas had registered them back when the team was first formed. Of course, people only considered the team to have four members. It was an oversight that many made because of Eins’s origin. Even Genesis was quick to point out the Demon Slime’s role on the team.

“AS A FAMILIAR.”

“Part of the team is still part of the team. Plus, Goo could be Demon King. Why not me?” Eins asked. Even if they were successful, Eins wouldn’t be the first Demon Slime to obtain the title of Demon King. The position wasn’t locked to a specific race nor was it reserved for participants of the Genesis Program. Anyone could hold it as long as they met certain conditions. Eins was the strongest member of The Unnamed Team, and they were linked to the program via Nicholas. It wasn’t hard to see how they were qualified for the role, to the point that Genesis couldn’t refute it.

“ERROR. FAMILIAR [DEMON SLIME] MEETS THE AFOREMENTIONED REQUIREMENTS.”

“Demon King Eins. It’s got a nice ring to it.” Eins said. The few steps that led to the throne felt enormous. From a basic slime to the king of all demons. The Demon Slime couldn’t be happier to accept the role. They weren’t sure if this was what the others would have wanted, but it wasn’t as if Eins could communicate with them. All five of them were given the same goal. All five of them had the same time to complete it, yet the others hesitated. Whether it would be considered an act of greed or self-sacrifice, Eins was ready to complete the final mission.

With one final bow for dramatic flair, the Demon Slime sat on the throne and became the Demon King.

“ERROR. THIS IS…UNEXPECTED.”