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The demons of the Black Demon Lord have fallen. The Colorless Demon Lord that could be moved as an individual combat force was successfully suppressed by the Green Demon Lord and the others.

But we ended up losing our strongest comrade, Haiya, in the process.

It was hopeless to begin with, but now that we have lost Haiya, there’s nothing we can do to interfere with the space-time magic of Yugura anymore.

But everyone began moving at the words of the Green Demon Lord after he announced this reality.

— “Learn of the hero of this era and achieve what you want to achieve.” (Green)

The Green Demon Lord, who can bring forth the most possibility, left those words. That was enough of an answer for us.

When I told them I would be heading to the Serende Nether, His Majesty said ‘Counting on you with my friend’ and saw me off silently.

“…This is the castle of the Black Demon Lord, huh.”

That was there on top of a tall cliff far deep in the Serende Nether.

A castle is the center of a country for humanity. The center that people gather around.

But that castle exists all on its lonesome and there’s nothing around. There’s nothing more symbolic than a construction that exists in the Nether solely for the isolated Demon Lord.

“Sis, Ekdoik and Wolfe are apparently going to be taking a bit longer.” (Haaku)

“Your face says you really want to go ahead, but…you will wait, right?” (Rakura)

Haakudoku and Rakura who were following along on flying dragons were making worried faces.

The reason why we could arrive faster than anyone else was because we were a better match against Lazarikata than the others.

The commands of His Majesty were perfect, but the demons were still powerful.

Managing to survive and contacting Wolfe and Ekdoik should originally be something that I would be more happy about, but…my attention was directed at the castle ahead.

“…I really want to hurry, but the Black Demon Lord lies ahead. There’s no telling what traps there could be.” (Ilias)

“None, none. There’s only invasion in the head of Black, so there’s no way she would make preparations to face enemies.”

“?!”

We are far above the land and we are riding flying dragons, and yet, there was a man that suddenly showed up as if it was the most natural thing in the world and cut into our conversation.

I tried to draw my sword on the spot, but my sword was already in his hands.

The legendary hero that I saw in the Hero Index in Kuama, Yugura Nariya.

“This is a nice sword. It was created within the bounds of humanity, and yet, it is trying to get out of its bounds. The so-called stylish. Treasure it.” (Yugura)

My sword was returned to its scabbard because I could shout at him to return it.

It is not like this man is moving with clear hostility. But he is trying to use space-time magic to turn what has happened to the world into nothing. He is the common enemy of everyone in the present.

I should draw my sword just like this and take a battle stance, but my body is losing its fighting spirit for some mysterious reason.

Even though I should be perceiving him as an enemy, I don’t feel like cutting him down. It is as if I am in the face of a natural calamity like a hurricane. Left with only the choice to brace myself.

He is not someone I can cut.

Are you telling me Arcreal and Haiya confronted a being like this?

“I-Ilias-san, Haakudoku-san!” (Rakura)

I direct my gaze to the voice of Rakura and there was Haakudoku, who had fainted and was on the verge of falling off from the flying dragon.

Rakura was desperately grabbing onto him, so I hurriedly grabbed the body of Haakudoku.

“Ahaha, I see, I see. So you end up like that with just the danger detection. It is the truth that I wouldn’t lose if he were to fight me, but this is more of a defect than I thought. Uuh, tinker here and…there you go.” (Yugura)

“…Hah?! What in the world…?” (Haaku)

“I had your instincts go numb before you lose your consciousness. Resuscitating you is an extra. Man, I am impressed you managed to survive.” (Yugura)

Haakudoku woke up and looked around.

I could feel that there was some sort of interference with the mana of Haakudoku, but…are you telling me he tinkered with his talent as an Illegitimate?

“Y-Yugura?! Y-You…! What did you show up here for?!” (Haaku)

“Isn’t that something I should be saying? This is the territory of Black after all. Oh well. It is a welcoming. Saying hi to the guests that are wandering around outside your house is normal, right?” (Yugura)

“Wa—?!”

The scenery changed suddenly.

A plain hall with nothing around. You could tell the state of the Serende Nether from the big hole opened on the wall.

Considering the situation, this is most likely inside the castle.

Looks like we have been teleported inside the castle by Yugura.

“Welcome to the throne room. I would like to bring out tea and snacks, but the landlady here has unfortunately lost her welcoming heart. We don’t have tea.” (Yugura)

My body reacted to the mention of this being the throne room and I looked around. If this is the throne room, then…

“—Humans are coming to this land, to this place, huh.”

The throne at my back… The one sitting there has black long hair and black eyes. I can’t feel much mana, but I can tell instinctively from her appearance that she is the Black Demon Lord.

Even though this is my first time facing her, it felt somewhat familiar. This is most likely because she has eyes similar to that man.

But he had those eyes when he directed clear anger and hostility towards a specific enemy.

I can’t feel any emotions towards us from those similar eyes she is making.

“Black…Demon Lord…! This battle has been settled. I will have you return that man!” (Ilias)

“Settled…huh. Right. It looks like this time’s invasion was my defeat.” (Black)

“…You make it sound like there’s a next time.” (Ilias)

“There being a next time or not has nothing to do with me. I will destroy humanity. I live for that sole sake and will advance solely for this. That’s all there is to it.” (Black)

I could tell what those words have seeped into the Black Demon Lord’s soul from that indifferent tone.

Victory or defeat mean nothing to the Black Demon Lord. Even if it fails this time, she will go for the next one.

Even if there’s no next time, she will simply act for the sake of ending humanity.

There’s no humanity left in her.

“No matter how sturdy of a will you have, everything will be turned to nothing if Yugura uses space-time magic. There’s no way you don’t understand that!” (Ilias)

“…It is true that this history won’t exist if the man there uses space-time magic.” (Black)

“Then—” (Ilias)

“And what of it? My will to destroy humanity is here. Even if he is an otherworlder chosen by God, that reality can’t be erased. That reality will remain as long as there’s an observer.” (Black)

It is not like the Black Demon Lord is so adhered to eradicating humanity that she doesn’t see her surroundings at all.

Everything will be rewound if Yugura uses space-time magic.

Even though even the emotions she is holding right now would be made to nothing, why does she still try to walk the path of destruction even now?

“What’s pushing you to such a degree?” (Ilias)

“—If I am to answer that question… It would be for the sake of the world.” (Black)

“The sake of the world? What meaning does it hold to eradicate humanity…?” (Ilias)

“Yugura, give me back the sword you took from me. I remember you taking it from that mountain.” (Black)

The Black Demon Lord directs a cold gaze at Yugura.

Yugura laughed sarcastically with a refreshing face while he brought out a single sword.

There’s nothing decorating it. There’s just the handle and blade. And it was jet black like a dark night.

“I wasn’t planning on stealing it though. If you were to fight half-baked against someone like maybe Ofaro, you might end up just getting defeated instead. I was simply holding it for you just in case.” (Yugura)

“…Hmph.” (Black)

The Black Demon Lord caught the sword Yugura threw with no wasted movements.

The Black Demon Lord is currently using his body. I can clearly tell this reality from how little mana I can feel from her.

And yet, what’s with this pressure?

It is like the time when I was facing the Scarlet Demon Lord. The feeling of facing an absolute being.

“W-Wait a moment please! The Black Demon Lord is currently using the body of Counselor-sama, right?!” (Rakura)

“Ahaha, the unfriendly Demon Lord there would most likely omit the detailed explanations, so I shall explain it. As you already know, Black is using the body of my compatriot that you came to save. I created a layer on the surface, so the rights of the body will return to him if you destroy that. The resilience is on the standard of your barrier magic, so you should be able to destroy it.” (Yugura)

“Basically, if we land a good hit with mana, Brother will be free?” (Haaku)

“Right. One thing I have to warn you about is that sword. It is a demonic sword that gives power proportionally to the will of its user. She cannot use magic, but she will be able to use her original full power mana strengthening without issues.” (Yugura)

I can feel the desire to taste entertainment from the explanation of Yugura.

I don’t like this, but there’s no doubt he is talking about necessary information for the sake of saving him.

“Alright, let’s beat her up with everyone—” (Haaku)

“Stop it. You guys will only be hindrances. Also, it would be boorish.” (Yugura)

“Wa?!”

“Haakudoku-san, it is most likely as Yugura-san says. That Demon Lord-san…has no openings at all…” (Rakura)

I can understand why Rakura is faltering here.

The pressure I can feel from the Black Demon Lord is not something you feel from transcendental beings like Yugura and the Green Demon Lord, but the type that I feel from the Scarlet Demon Lord and Lord Ragudo.

This is most likely not from when she was a Demon Lord, but her strength as a warrior that she tempered herself when she was a human.

Rakura and Haakudoku should be able to fight properly against gigantic monsters, but they are a bad match against absolute experts that are hard to create openings against.

“…You two, please leave this to me.” (Ilias)

This is not out of conceit. I felt like there’s a need to do this.

It is not like the Black Demon Lord is resisting to not return that man’s body. It is not like she thinks of slicing us to death.

The Black Demon Lord is trying to speak to me through her sword. Her own will and the truth behind her words just now.

I came here to get that man, so I don’t plan on running away anyways.

I draw my sword and face the Black Demon Lord.

“—!”

The Black Demon Lord stepped in and closed the distance.

She unleashed a thrust. I normally would aim to deflect the trajectory of the sword to go for a counterattack.

But I was surprised by that form and was late in my reaction.

I judged that it would be difficult to repel, so I jumped to the side to evade.

“That just now… Could it be…the Taizu Knight’s…?!” (Ilias)

“Ahaha. Was it similar to a style you know? Many styles of swordsmanship, spearmanship, and martial arts can appear, but the only ones that remain for posterity are the outstanding ones. No matter how many times it branches out, you will end up climbing the original currents as you master it. If you master the swordsmanship that specializes in mana strengthening, you will end up in a similar place.” (Yugura)

The attacks unleashed one after the other overlapped with those of the knights of Taizu.

I was surprised, but that’s convenient for me.

I have been studying together with them and reached all the way here.

In that case…

“—Guh?!”

Even though it should be a form I am familiar with, I couldn’t react in time.

Even though I should have blocked it, the impact was going right through my body.

I understand the reason. It is because the technique of the Black Demon Lord is faster and heavier than that of the knights of Taizu.

“And one last thing. In the era when war was rampant between humans, Black was training from a young age in order to save everyone. Her talent that was honed by her sense of responsibility that was strong enough to shake away her instincts granted her the qualities to overcome the limits of a human.” (Yugura)

If we are talking solely about the quality of the technique, the knights are better than the Black Demon Lord. But her base physical specs are far higher.

It is as if…!

“Black is the same as you, a being called a Limit Breaker. Man, this is truly a sight to behold. A battle between the past and the present; a battle between the ones who have overcome their limits with their own power.” (Yugura)

——

Protagonist: (A battle between gorillas now…!)

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