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I could feel my flesh and blood boiling.

The chains leaking out the mana of a different Demon Lord have pierced my body.

This negative reaction normally would make your body implode.

The reason why I am coming out of this with just this much is because I have spent most of my power.

I have used the light burst that was my hidden trump card, and I am already hitting the bottom of my mana.

A part of my core was damaged by the spear.

“Kah!”

The blood accumulated in my throat overflowed into my mouth when I took a breath.

Ah, I am still a living being that has blood flowing in him, huh. It felt strangely fresh even though it should be obvious.

But that doesn’t matter.

It is still too soon to get all sentimental.

I still have a path to victory left.

I haven’t used everything yet.

I have only used that power in my personal world. If I were to use the complete awakening in the real world, I can become the very sun.

Ekdoik and the others won’t be able to win when that happens. Even if he manages to escape to another dimension, it is impossible to protect everything from the sun that has descended into the surface.

I will be losing my sense of self completely as a price. Just like how Demon Lords can’t go back to being humans. But it is not like there’s no hope at all.

That’s because me staying completely awakened in this world shouldn’t be a development ‘that being’ would want. They would have to deal with me once everything is over.

I have been of use to ‘that being’ and they have acknowledged my worth. They might think it would be better to return me to normal from my sun form instead of finding a replacement.

It is normal to think it is impossible, but it would just be one more job for ‘that being’. There’s enough worth in trying.

…No, that’s not it. It is not because I have such schemes that I am trying to cross the line here.

This is just me justifying it to myself.

The pathetic sight of me trying to win even if it means throwing everything away. It is my excuse for my apprehension from exposing everything as an evil being.

“Ek…doik…!” (Ofaro)

I had a lot of advantages as a demon: the time I have lived as a demon and as evil, my understanding of the laws and how to use them, the gap of our ranks as symbols of the complete awakening and the pedigree of it.

The distance that should not have been possible to close no matter how much he struggled…and yet, he managed to stand on my level.

He is trying to threaten my position.

I won’t allow that.

A being that threatens my way of being that I finally managed to reach should not exist.

I must erase this man even if it means losing everything. If I don’t, I will end up feeling this unpleasant sensation whenever a man like this appears.

“I shall praise you…for having gotten…this close to me…but! I won’t let you escape anymore! I don’t care what happens to this world! That’s right! This is your fault! You have brought the sun down to this world! The sun that will burn it all!” (Ofaro)

“…”

What’s with those eyes?

It is not the eyes of that man, and also not the eyes of the people who have been looking at me until now.

He is just looking straight at me and it is as if he is trying to tell me something…

I…I don’t know those eyes.

I don’t remember them.

“I am sorry, Ofaro.” (Ekdoik)

“…What are you saying?” (Ofaro)

“I can’t save you. I couldn’t be by your side when it was possible to save you.” (Ekdoik)

“D-Don’t joke around! What do you understand?! What…can you comprehend?!” (Ofaro)

I stammered for a second at my words.

Ekdoik became a demon with that man as his symbol of fear. If he could overlap himself with others like that man does, I thought that it might be possible.

“I can’t comprehend everything about you. It might be possible if I were to awaken completely, but it would still be difficult. Even so, there’s still things that are transmitted.” (Ekdoik)

“Stop, don’t look! Don’t look at me with those eyes!” (Ofaro)

I feel discomfort just by looking at the eyes of Ekdoik without even knowing the reason behind it.

It is not like I dislike his eyes. I don’t want him to look at the current me with those eyes.

Why? Why does it overlap? It feels just like the person that left those cursed words on me…that old—

“—Haha, so stupid! Is this your attempt at superiority? Are you pitying me since you alone were saved? You must want to flaunt your guilt and bask in self-satisfaction, don’t you?” (Ofaro)

“…”

I must talk. I must maintain my self…or I will break.

Aah, Ekdoik must have overlapped with myself. And then, he must have felt sad about how I ended up when I wasn’t saved.

Don’t joke around.

Those feelings are held arbitrarily by the people who are in better positions. They are just one form of superiority.

And yet, it is as if his words, his eyes, felt like they were directed at me. They are destroying an important support of mine inside of me.

“Don’t think me the same as you, Ekdoik? Do you think you have obtained an omnipotent power? You are saddened by the fact that you couldn’t save me? There should be a limit to being conceited. I am not a child. I can properly accept the conclusion of the path I chose. Don’t just assume by yourself that I am below you!” (Ofaro)

I can kill Ekdoik if I step into complete awakening, and I might even be able to resurrect with ‘that being’. But I won’t allow this ending while he is still pitying me.

I squeeze out my remaining strength and have the wound pierced by the spear move to my arm.

I grab my own core and take it out.

“Ofaro…?!” (Ekdoik)

My core has been hit and is already on the verge of crumbling. It looks as if it is giving shape to how my heart currently looks.

I raised this right in front of Ekdoik’s eyes and crushed it.

“Someone like you can’t change me. Someone like you can’t save me. I won’t run away. I have decided to walk this path. And, I will continue being myself until my very last moments. I have acknowledged that my path was the very best for me. As if I will let anyone overturn this…!” (Ofaro)

I could feel my consciousness disappearing.

I can end the path that I have walked on until now with my own hands.

There’s no more perfect ending than this one.

That’s right. I won’t let anyone steal my path.

Aah, how refreshing. What a feeling of achievement. It feels far more refreshing than when I become the sun.

That’s why, Ekdoik, stop looking at me with those eyes.

It would make me feel jealous, thinking that I might have been able to make those eyes myself.

◇◇

I have been observing this world until now.

Keeping tabs of just 3 troublemakers when I feel like it is a piece of cake.

But I was still somewhat startled by the amount of information that came in. I still have a human heart left after all.

“Seriously? Even Ofaro died.”

Honestly speaking, Zahava and Lazarikata are just idiots that managed to reach complete awakening.

Even if the output is outstanding, mistakes will happen somewhere if the users are ordinary people.

You can show that evolution only after facing that power and preparing the conditions to use them perfectly like Ofaro did.

He was the most hopeless one when it came to personality, but he was strong enough to pit alone against even the Green Demon Lord.

To think that Ofaro would lose in a one-on-one.

No, serves him right. It saved me the trouble of killing him.

“I am beginning to see a time limit to my battle as well. Man, this is troubling, troubling.”

I am actually troubled here, but I laughed and kicked the head of Arcreal who is on the ground.

“Guh?!”

“Come on, don’t act like you have lost consciousness. It is obvious you are trying to invite me to do a killing blow to counterattack. Your body won’t answer with just this much skinship, right?”

The way to deal with Arcreal has already been established a long time ago.

The talent to be able to counter any attack by instinct is impressive, you know. But that’s only within your own range.

If I throw slash waves at a distance, the only thing Arcreal can do is avoid instinctively.

That evasion has super human speed, but if I throw a wide range attack, he can only defend.

It definitely won’t reach his vitals, but it is enough to shave away at the stamina of Arcreal who is relying on his talent for defense.

“That’s a nasty fighting style…!” (Arcreal)

“Why do I have to feel bad and make a man happy?” (Colorless)

Arcreal will obviously try to fight me at close range, but I just have to keep it at just stopping those attacks.

He will counterattack if I retaliate, but blocking is easy-peasy.

There’s no way swordsmanship that even an ordinary person like Ilias Ratzel could take on would work on me.

“Then, should I have crossdressed?!” (Arcreal)

“I would just want to kill you more. Also, don’t just do gardening all stealthily, Green Lord!” (Colorless)

I shoot slash waves and slice up the plants that were growing.

Green Lord is making plants creep on the floor and ceiling, and having them grow in one go with Prosperity to attack.

It is true that I wouldn’t come out unscathed if I were to get hit full on by that speed and mass, but they are in the end just plants.

The growth of them will drop sharply if I just lower the temperature to freezing point.

Him trying to make them grow despite that would make the signs of an attack more obvious, so it is easy to deal with it.

It seems like he is making them grow outside the room to make preparations for one powerful blow, but I already know that.

He has made it so that I can’t escape from this room with teleport, but a wall is a wall. I can easily send vibrations and sound.

I have prepared several methods for detection that don’t rely on mana. I have a grasp of this whole room on the same degree as looking all around it.

It seems the black wolfkin that defeated Zahava is looking for an opening, but something like that won’t show up even if you wait for a century.

“You have prepared awfully thoroughly, Colorless.” (Green)

“Obviously. Just how much free time do you think I have? I have had consecutive victories in my imagination against guys like you who might become my enemies.” (Colorless)

Yugura is the incarnation of being self-centered. A guy you easily end up hating. That’s why it is not strange for anyone to become an enemy at any time.

I have decided to be by the side of Yugura, so I have been watching the world with that intention.

I would assume that any person would stand in my way whenever they are strong or have the potential.

Obviously the Demon Lords that were granted power by Yugura are on top of that list.

They may not reach the level of Yugura and Black Sis, but I already assumed that they might reach at least my level.

“Well, well, what were your results when fighting me in your imaginary battles?”

But there’s a problematic one.

It is Haiya.

A monstrosity created from the blood of Yugura and granted the talent to alter the laws of the world that could be said is the essence of Yugura’s power.

Even though he was just sneaking behind the Taizu King in order to escape from Green Lord, he is more battle seasoned than I imagined.

Being able to alter the laws means that he also excels in utilizing the magic that abides to the laws.

Battle oriented generic magic, detection magic, mana strengthening; he is top of the world in all parameters.

It is cheat level to the point that he can recreate all the strengths of the Illegitimates by his own power.

I took on completely normal sword slashes with my scythe, and yet, the flesh in both of my arms tore and my bones broke. Even a few of my organs are exploding each time.

Just how many spells is he stacking there? Trying to analyze seriously feels stupid. It would be easier to just use those resources for healing.

Moreover, this martial art is using the techniques of the top of the world as base, the Taizu Knights. And it has been adapted for the use of the inhuman.

“Right, half too drawn out, half my wins.” (Colorless)

“I see. With such high speed regeneration, it doesn’t seem like it is a lie.” (Haiya)

“I properly use magic as well to support me, contrary to the normal demons after all.” (Colorless)

The truth is that 80% ended because it was too drawn out, and I only managed to grab victory in a few simulations where I seriously wanted to win.

Moreover, my estimations were a bit shallow from what I see now.

He may be an inferior version, but he is still a copy of Yugura, so I did put him a bit high in my estimations though… Things beyond the boundaries are seriously born whenever that guy has a direct hand on it.

He does unreasonable attacks, and would even protect Green Lord and Arcreal from the stronger techniques.

He really is omnipotent like a certain someone, damn it.

Well, the thing I dislike the most is that his face is that of Yugura though.

Yugura has stopped aging after becoming a Demon Lord, but he probably would have looked like this man if he had grown normally.

His face is seriously hateful. Or more like, I would like you to share a bit of that cleanliness with the person himself.

“Haah, this is such a drag. Trying to locate the core by crushing the organs of someone. Your aim was way too obvious. I am moving it at each attempt.” (Colorless)

“So it seems. Right now it is on the left side of your chest?” (Haiya)

“Ooh, correct, correct. You even saw through my habits. I am so scared I might cry.” (Colorless)

They are using Arcreal, who I don’t want to attack or retaliate against, as a distraction, and Green Lord is aiming to use big moves from the back.

This alone is already a pain, and yet, an abnormal monster is attacking as he pleases within all that.

Even my advantage that should be altering the laws is also being hampered by both Haiya and Green Lord, so I can only do physical combat.

That’s the same for them though.

And so, he is pulling my leg with his talent.

“Throwing slashes all the time. There’s no charm in it!” (Arcreal)

“Shut up. Zone deployment, shooting in intervals, overlapping attacks; I am doing a lot here! In the first place, it is because you guys are making it so that I can’t alter the laws!” (Colorless)

Offensive magic doesn’t work on these 3 people, so I naturally move towards physical combat.

They are masters in swordsmanship, so I am avoiding close combat and just shooting slashes.

I also want to show off a lot of other moves, but it ends up being all simple brute force.

“There’s no charm in it.” (Haiya)

“So you say, but you guys have been doing the same moves the whole time now! Don’t just seek that from me!” (Colorless)

“Fumu, then, how about this?” (Haiya)

“Hah? There’s no way such a telegraphed move would hi—?!” (Colorless)

Slashes with unbelievable precision flew from behind the swings of Haiya.

I tried to block them, but I couldn’t make it in time and my left arm was sliced off.

The one who did that was Arcreal.

That sharpness just now was clearly from his talent as an Illegitimate.

This bastard. He used his own attack towards Arcreal as if it were my attack, didn’t he?!

“Uoh, impressive. It looked as if Colorless had one more arm for a second there!” (Arcreal)

“Don’t joke around! Why is it being treated as if I attacked you when you were the one who did?!” (Colorless)

“Haha, I tried to mirror your presence and mana. Looks like I managed to deceive his instincts well.” (Haiya)

“Such cheats are not good! I am a pitiful civilian that was hit with a false charge!” (Colorless)

“You have been shooting so many annoying slashes. There’s no pity here.” (Arcreal)

I was flustered from the sudden increase in sharpness, but there’s no doubt it was a desperate attempt.

It is possible to block compared to the original counterattacks of Arcreal.

That said, the sharpness of that sword could match the past Yugura.

Just imagining that they will now be hiding in the shadow of Haiya from here on makes my head hurt.

Ah, this is bad. I got excited from the pettiness of Haiya and forgot to direct my attention outside the room.

Uhm, hm? The position is completely different from before…

“Looking elsewhere in the middle of a battle to the death. It really makes me feel that you are not a warrior.” (Green)

“No, looking at 3 places at once is tough wor—” (Colorless)

Plants broke through the walls both up and down in all directions and came at me.

I could only cut away four directions.

I was swallowed by what I think were more than a hundred trees and vines, and was smashed on the wall.

I protected the core with several layers of barriers, but isn’t my whole body crushed here? He seriously doesn’t hold back.

I changed my crushed body into a bomb and detonated it.

I immediately regenerate my body after securing space, call my scythe, and pull it towards my hands.

Damn those bastards. Where have I been sent flying to?

My sense of direction is a complete mess…

“Wait, I am upside-down?!” (Colorless)

I regenerated faster than the free fall from gravity happened, and was startled by the sudden floating sensation because I displayed a cool trick like retrieving my scythe.

There are attractions where you can enjoy this sensation on Earth, right? They are thirsting too much for entertainment.

“It is true that you are strong. Enough to be called the Colorless Demon Lord. But having so many idle thoughts is a complete fault of yours.” (Haiya)

“Shut up! Don’t just read my thoughts on your own!” (Colorless)

Haiya came at me as I fell.

Wait, why is even Arcreal behind him?!

“It was an attack of yours this time. I shall be returning it.” (Arcreal)

Merciless slashes I had no means to block sliced up my body into pieces.

The plants of Green Lord, and Haiya, who is running in the air, approach me, matching that moment.

They seriously don’t have a shred of mercy.

“Aaah, so annoying!” (Colorless)

“!”

I create a fake core within my sliced up body.

I detonate the sliced up parts and have my body escape in a different direction.

Most of it was crushed by Haiya and Green Lord, but the following attacks couldn’t reach my real core, and I finished regenerating in the place I went to.

Man, I really have the devil’s luck. Still got bad luck though.

“Aah, damn it. I was seriously close to dying.  Can you not swing your sword all naturally in the midst of an exploding body?” (Colorless)

“Didn’t manage to kill you, huh. I could have pinpointed your core more precisely if you directed more caution to your core though.” (Haiya)

“You idiot. That’s why I laid all of my attention flat, whether it is the real core or the fake core, because I knew that.” (Colorless)

I have been polishing my battle skills in these centuries. But I am barely managing to hang on even after pulling all stops here.

I should be the stronger one here if I were to bring it all out, and yet, I am being cornered this easily.

Seriously, I don’t have talent.

In the first place, it is not that I have a lot of idle thoughts, but that I can’t concentrate.

Even so, I am keeping my wariness outside just in case.

If that mana pool monster were to come in as well, who knows what other method they will use to corner me.

“Wolfe-san, you can come in. It seems like it won’t be possible to do a surprise attack, so let’s go from the front.” (Haiya)

“Okay!” (Wolfe)

“—Ooh.”

The wall near Haiya changed into a door and the mana pool monster showed up.

Isn’t he completely reading my complexion and my thoughts?

This is weird~. I for some reason remembered Black Sis in the long past when she was still cute.

Oh well, it is refreshing, so who cares.

——

Protagonist and Yugura: “(He has the face of someone who would have his life flash before his eyes when he is about to die.)”

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