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That Ekdoik revealed his name brazenly.

Ekdoik must have had a lot on his mind. I have no choice but to just give it up as this being his way of life.

It will only be changing one or two moves in the process, so it won’t be that big of an issue.

More importantly, I have to concentrate on watching over the state of Ekdoik. Ramyugureska’s strength is without doubt that he is in a different realm to the Great Devils until now.

He is the Nose of Sniffing. It is not a destructive power. It basically amplifies the sense of smell.

Basically, he has the ability to discern things like people within specialized trades such as a merchant or a bandit.

He excels at detecting danger and seeing through chances. It is kind of like a sixth sense.

If the enhanced physical power of a Great Devil is added to the equation, it can easily reach the tops.

Dyuvuleori may be the strongest in terms of plain specs, but it should be safe to assume that the power of Ramyugureska holds the advantage when it comes to one-on-one battles.

The reality is that Ekdoik’s attacks have been completely invalidated, and he has dealt severe damage just from a few hits.

With this much of a difference, I feel like it should be fine to withdraw him, but the chains in my pocket that Ekdoik gave me were moving.

‘I can still fight as long as my chains grind’ -is what Ekdoik said.

In other words, this is a message from him. His fighting spirit isn’t gone yet.

Well, he dissed a storm on Rakura, so that goes without saying.

“Oh my, so his name was Ekdoik? Was that a countermeasure for my Enticement?” (Purple)

The Purple Demon Lord spoke to me. This is not just mere small talk.

Taking off the Superhuman Glasses here makes me uneasy when watching over him, but I should answer her here.

I take off the glasses and speak to her.

“Yeah, just in case.”

“You miss nothing. But is it okay to let him continue like this? The difference in power between him and Ramyugureska is astronomical. If the next hit lands, there’s almost no doubt he will die, you know?” (Purple)

“Maybe.”

“Unfazed, huh? You believe in him?” (Purple)

“I do want to believe in him, but if it is plainly in terms of power, the opponent is above him.”

This conversation is in order to regain her initiative and standing. She has currently been shaken by me.

She felt the danger of this and is trying to regain her footing.

But I won’t let her do that.

“So you are abandoning him?” (Purple)

“If it looks completely hopeless, I will make him withdraw. However, I will let him go on as long as he wants to continue. That’s all there is to it.”

“And that will go exactly as you plan?” (Purple)

“No. In the first place, it has nothing to do with who wins or loses here. Regardless of whether Ekdoik wins or losses, it won’t even turn into a margin of error for me.”

“…”

That’s right, what’s important is to measure the power of Ramyugureska.

Judging from the difference in power between the Great Devils, there’s no doubt he is one of the Great Devils that the Purple Demon Lord tinkered with.

Ekdoik has drawn his high strength to a satisfying degree and has fulfilled his role. He is teaching the others.

What comes from here on is a stage where Ekdoik himself can fight until he is satisfied. Even if it involves his life, I should grant it to him if he so wishes.

Ekdoik had begun unfolding his chains at some point in time.

In that case, let’s watch over him -at the very least, in the time these chains are grinding.

I put on the Superhuman Glasses again and decide to watch over him.

——————

What did that guy say? The true Eyes of Blindness?

I know the power of Beglagud’s Eyes of Blindness. By instilling illusions onto the target that meets your eye, you mess with their perception.

Things that are there are not, things that are not there are there; if you are made to perceive something, even if it is an illusion, it will confuse you.

The demonic eye that blinds you. Its killing power is low, but it is a versatile power that matches my nose.

But I currently have crushed both of my eyes. Even if he were to obtain even more powerful illusions or effects, it can’t affect me.

I concentrate my sense towards my symbol which is my nose.

I can analyze all the information within this limited space.

He is currently not doing anything. It is not like he has deployed his chains while talking.

The change would be that the mana gathered in his eyes has grown even more massive.

There’s more than when shooting an offensive spell. The burden on the eyes is most likely not normal.

Is it a bluff or is he speaking the truth here?

“Doesn’t matter. My nose can sniff out anything that exists in this world. In that case, I just have to believe in that and step up.” (Ramyugureska)

He has taken distance from me. I can jump in in one go, but in order to bring out my fastest speed, it would be better to take one step more.

First, I will half the distance in one step.

After getting momentum, I will use the next step to bring out my fastest speed and unleash a kick on him immediately to finish him.

I took a step on the ground…but I stepped on something at that moment.

“—Hm?!”

I was almost on the verge of losing balance there, but it is not an obstacle. However, this is impossible.

It isn’t my nose but my instincts that are ringing bells of danger here?

I unconsciously jumped to the back instead of the front and gathered my senses to my nose again.

—There’s nothing between me and him. The ground is also flat. Then, what did I step on? My instincts felt something.

Did he make my nose go haywire? That’s not possible.

This nose wouldn’t have missed traces of that. Then just what…

I restore one eye and my vision returns.

The information I got from my vision was no different from what I felt with my nose.

“What’s the matter? Not coming?” (Ekdoik)

“I don’t know what you did, but you have set a trap, huh. Now then, what should I do?” (Ramyugureska)

I try to reconfirm that off sensation with my memories.

That sensation was…right, chains.

I stepped on chains. But I couldn’t see those chains with my eyes…and couldn’t even smell them with my nose.

Am I already caught in his illusions? Impossible. How?

Has he messed with my sense of touch? I should at least consider the possibility.

But that’s no reason to wait for him to recover. I can tell that he is also healing his body even if faint.

It won’t be that big of an issue, but it would be a pain if he were to recover from the wounds I worked on inflicting. I should go in here.

I strengthen the mana coursing through my whole body even further and grant all my might to mine body.

If it is an illusion, I will phase through it without even giving time to feel it, and if it is a trap with chains, I can just kick it away and go to his place.

This will be my first attack with everything I have since being given this power. I might even break through the barrier of devils with that, but what happens happens.

“I will crush you with everything and your petty tricks!” (Ramyugureska)

If I am going full power, one step is enough. The next time I take a step on the ground is the time your life ends.

I take a step…and jump.

That speed is one which even I wouldn’t be able to react properly with my amplified reaction speed. It obviously leaves behind even the sound.

I just think of bringing my leg out and blowing away his whole—

I received a shock through my whole body the likes I have never felt before.

“Gohah?!” (Ramyugureska)

“That was a bad move, Ramyugureska.” (Ekdoik)

An explosive sound reverberated. The sound caught up.

There’s the sensation of my body all around being destroyed and the pain reaching my brain.

I immediately confirmed the situation with my nose and one eye.

My distance from him is a bit further to the front compared to the time when I stepped in, but I haven’t reached him.

It feels as if my whole body is caught by something. But my eyes and nose are not giving me any information.

My body is simply floating in the air and staying in place.

My brain swiftly draws out a conclusion.

“—Invisible chains. But that’s impossible!” (Ramyugureska)

I have considered this possibility: that he has employed chains that can’t be detected in some way.

But this efficiency is impossible. There’s no way he would be able to stop my full power rush with chains made out of iron.

However, the sensation wrapped around my body is without doubt that of chains.

I grab the invisible chains with my hands. They certainly are there.

Touch…no, chains that can only be detected physically are certainly present here.

I gathered mana onto my arms and tried to destroy it, but it didn’t budge at all. There’s no sign of him having used sealing magic.

It is just the chains being plain tough.

“It is pointless. Those chains are there yet are not. You can’t break what’s not there.” (Ekdoik)

“What is this? What’s going on?!” (Ramyugureska)

I look at him with my one eye. I will end up looking at his eyes, but there’s no issue with that.

I have to think about how to solve this mystery first. My nose is not detecting anything. In that case, I have to get as much information as possible—

“What’s…with those eyes?” (Ramyugureska)

His eyes are without doubt the same Eyes of Blindness of Beglagud.

But that’s not what surprised me.

The reflection of me shown in his eyes was weird. His eyes are showing me, but I was caught in chains.

Chains that only show in his eyes. I see, so that’s what it is.

“Looks like you understand now. The chains trapping you only exist inside my eyes. The true Eyes of Blindness is not used on others, but to project things that only exist in your own eyes and transgress the world with that vision. Fill up the world with your own imagination and blind your own self. This is the true way of using these eyes.” (Ekdoik)

Blood began falling from his eyes.

He is in a similar situation from me who crushed my own eyes, but his is from having used way too much mana. The veins in his eyes couldn’t take it and exploded.

Obviously. If it is exactly as he says, what he is doing is creating something into the world through his eyes. He should be feeling  pain equal or greater than having chains popping out from his eyes.

“Something like that…can’t be achieved with just the power of your eyes… That’s…?!” (Ramyugureska)

A massive mana interference happened in my whole body. Power from all manners of places was being stolen away.

This is just like the time when Gugugeguderstaf was captured…

“Six Towers of Binding. A technique that I have formed over and over. If I can create chains within my vision as I will, then I can also create this in a single process… With this, your defensive power has lowered.” (Ekdoik)

He takes out a single chain. I can see it, so it must be a real one.

There’s a stake at the end of it, and it seems like it has already been enhanced by purification magic, it is shining white.

Impossible. There’s no way there would be a human who can finish this level of sealing magic in an instant.

There’s no way me, the Nose of Sniffing Ramyugureska, would get outdone by the human Beglagud left.

“You bastard. Did you throw away your humanity and became a devil?!” (Ramyugureska)

“I have had no involvement with that. The only thing I am involved with is my own values.” (Ekdoik)

Chains rattle…

The tip of the stake headed straight towards my face and—

————

The fight was settled.

Ramyugureska tried to forcefully get through the chains set around, but was hampered by them.

And then, he was completely held down by the Six Towers of Binding that suddenly appeared and, at the end, right on the face… Uegh.

Ekdoik said before that it took time to activate that technique, but it appeared in an instant, you know.

Forget the creation of chains, it was if they just appeared there like magic—wait, the chains are gone now.

“…Just what in the world happened?” (Purple)

The Purple Demon Lord looks confused.

It should be just as we saw, but…well, that certainly was a mysterious sight.

It was as if Ramyugureska couldn’t perceive the chains at all… So that’s how it was.

I stand up, beckon Mix over, and head to where Ekdoik is.

Ekdoik was being supported languidly by the chains even after winning and isn’t moving at all.

“Ekdoik, are you okay?”

“…Comrade, huh. I have won as you can see.” (Ekdoik)

Both of Ekdoik’s eyes had blood flowing out of them in large quantities, and the person himself is completely exhausted, giving off a light horrifying look.

He must have used some sort of straining power.

“Ekdoik-dono, are you oka—hiiih!” (Mix)

“It really is scary, huh. Mix, please cast healing magic on Ekdoik. He probably can’t move anymore.”

“There’s no need to worry… No, he certainly won’t be able to move for a while.” (Mix)

Ekdoik undid the support of his chains, and me and Mix carried him on our shoulders.

“Ekdoik, Ramyugureska couldn’t perceive those chains because of your new technique?”

“They were chains? For me, it looked like he interfered with his mind or something.” (Mix)

“So you could see it, Comrade… Ah, it is because of my mana imbued in those glasses, huh.” (Ekdoik)

Ekdoik reveals the trick. He projected the chains in his own vision and influenced the real world with them.

Yup, that’s quite the dangerous stuff that ignores the laws of physics.

It seems like the reason I was the only one who could see the chains was because the mana of Ekdoik himself was imbued in the Superhuman Glasses.

Ramyugureska could sniff out anything, but it seems like he couldn’t sniff out a projection that’s only reflected in the eyes of the bearer.

“Such a power…even if it is the eyes given to you by a Great Devil, it goes beyond reason.” (Mix)

“There were signs of it at the time when Father gave me these eyes, but the burden was terrible. In the end, I had to use it within the range of what Father told me. But after I lost to Rakura Salf, I secretly trained in order to obtain a new power… I am glad it went well.” (Ekdoik)

“The power to burn what you have imagined into your eyes and make it real, huh… Doesn’t that make everything possible?”

“Not really. I can’t materialize something unless I have a really clear image of it. I currently can only bring out chains.” (Ekdoik)

Those chains are resilient enough that they can’t be destroyed by a strengthened Great Devil. You could say that’s plenty.

We bring him to where everyone is and have Mix begin the medical treatment.

“…Comrade, was my victory within calculations?” (Ekdoik)

“No, to be blunt, I assumed you would lose.”

“Figures. Meaning that I overcame your imagination, huh.” (Ekdoik)

“Yeah, you really are amazing. I really wonder how you lost to Rakura.”

“Don’t say that.” (Ekdoik)

Ekdoik’s victory was a happy miscalculation. I can omit steps in one go with this.

That said, the developments have accelerated, so it would be difficult for the person himself to participate anymore.

“Well, just take a most deserved rest. I won’t waste your victory.”

“You are talking as if someone died. But please do that. Don’t waste my win.” (Ekdoik)

I return to the table where the Purple Demon Lord is sitting at.

The person herself and Dyuvuleori were showing unrest in their faces.

Ramyugureska losing must have been way too unexpected for them. I am the same.

“Now then, with this, you only have 4 pieces remaining. How does it feel to get checkmated?”

“Checkmated? The match isn’t over yet, you know?” (Purple)

“The one on the same level as Ramyugureska is Ears and Dyuvuleori who is above that. But the remaining two aren’t that big of a deal, right? In other words, if those two are gone, your piece will appear on the board. And you know what that means.”

That’s right. The unbreakable barriers for the Purple Demon Lord were Tongue, Ears, and Nose. These 3 Great Devils pride on their overwhelming power and they served as the last defense line.

But one of them has already collapsed.

If we defeat the Right Leg and Left Leg, she will have no choice but to bring out the Purple Demon Lord piece.

“…Why do you think Right Leg and Left Leg have not been strengthened like Ramyugureska?” (Purple)

“Simple. Dyuvuleori has been especially strengthened, but that’s not the case for the others. Your criteria of giving them power isn’t the amount of loyalty, but the original strength of the Great Devils themselves.”

The Purple Demon Lord said she was giving them power depending on their loyalty.

But based on what I have heard from Ekdoik and the Gold Demon Lord, that’s not all there is to it.

They have clearly been selected with their original specs in mind.

“Hey, Dyuvuleori, what was the name of the Great Devil that fought Rakura in the second match?”

“…Fokudulkura.” (Dyuvuleori)

“Right, right, the name of you Great Devils is hard to remember, you see.”

“What are you trying to say here?” (Dyuvuleori)

“A dedicated Great Devil like you could remember the names of others, but do you think the Purple Demon Lord can remember the names of the lives that she is using like pawns?”

“My Lord has drawn out the name of each individual for the sake of using Enticement when necessary. It is obvious that she would be adept at remembering names.” (Dyuvuleori)

“No, actually, the Purple Demon Lord isn’t that interested in the names of others. Purple Demon Lord, can you tell me the name of the Taizu merchant that Tort-san has been negotiating with?”

“…”

“Right. You don’t remember the names of people who are outside your interest.”

The Purple Demon Lord normally doesn’t say the names of others. It is most likely in part because she doesn’t want to use her Enticement carelessly.

You remember the names of others by calling them with their names.

Taking out that process and remembering the name as it is is actually pretty difficult.

“It is pretty impressive that you can clearly remember the names of that rebellious Gugugeguderstaf, and the traitors Feibyushasu and Hasharyukudehito.”

“I can remember them if I want to.” (Purple)

“If I were to believe what you said, then it would be strange for Fokudulkura to show up in the second match. I was observing him, but his surface level loyalty was far better than that of the two that followed after. You knew…that the power of Fokudulkura was not too compatible with the strengthening of the Pawn Mask. That’s why you brought him out in the beginning.”

“What of it?” (Purple)

“Dyuvuleori, after you Great Devils were called, were you made to show your powers? You didn’t, right?”

“That’s…” (Dyuvuleori)

“The Purple Demon Lord knew from the very beginning. Your names, powers, and strengths. You are Uniques that were born from her Nether, so she knew there was a high chance she would have a use for you guys in the future…since the time she was hiding in Kuama.”

That’s why she managed to formulate a match today like this despite the suddenness of it.

She was preparing for the last match by enhancing the originally strong Tongue, Ears, and Nose Great Devils even further.

“…Right. But that’s something you can guess after hearing the information from Gold, right? Are you trying to shake me up by making it look like you saw through it yourself? Or are you trying to shake the loyalty of Dyuvuleori towards me?” (Purple)

“No, no, I know that the loyalty of Dyuvuleori was present since before you came back. Even if he were to learn that you have become a bit more discreet, couldn’t trust the Great Devils and hid in Kuama to see how things played out, it wouldn’t be shaken, right?”

“Of course.” (Dyuvuleori)

“I simply proved that Right Leg and Left Leg have not been enhanced. What are you getting all riled up about?”

“Riled up…?” (Purple)

“Right Leg, Ears; I will predict those two next.”

“—?!”

I eloquently say those words with an implicating tone, and after fanning the frustration of the Purple Demon Lord, I declare my next move.

“By the way, you can just not use them if you don’t want me to be right. You would have to bring out your piece if you want to prove me wrong though.”

The pieces the Purple Demon Lord can use are Tongue, Ears, Left Leg, and Right Leg. She needs to choose between these 3.

If she wants me to make my declaration miss, she just has to not use either the Right Leg or Ears.

But she can’t. Now that it has been declared, now that she has been provoked, she will definitely use those two.

—I have read that.

“…Fine. Try to predict them if you can.” (Purple)

And so, we both set the pieces inside the drawer.

After we finished, we closed the drawer.

The pieces that showed up were…

“So you brought out your last fortress, huh. Doesn’t matter though.”

“No…way…” (Purple)

The pieces of the Purple Demon Lord from left to right are: None, Right Leg, Ears, Tongue, None.

Over here are: None, Wolfe, Rakura, None, Me.

As per the rules, Wolfe and Rakura will be having a team battle with Ears and Right Leg.

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