◆ Near Noibranz Royal Capital ◆
This sensation is different from the paralysis status ailment. My fingertips won’t move at all, and my breath is becoming increasingly labored. This must be the control of Doomneat; I think it’s doing exactly what its name suggests. But it’s clear that it can’t control us completely. If it could, we would have been killed long ago.
“Hehehe, it takes time, you know. I thought it was too early for a real fight, but this has really helped me out. You lot tend to underestimate someone like me. If it were Madias here, there wouldn’t have been any of this farce earlier, right?”
“That’s true.”
“You can’t even breathe properly, yet your mouth won’t shut up. What kind of environment breeds such a brat?”
“You’ve taken control of the battlefield with your power. Even without the Demon Sword, this kind of ability was once commonplace.”
Aboro spilled the beans. And to think it used to be normal—he’s indirectly mocking Formas. Just as I expected, Formas is glaring with his jaw clenched and eyes wide open. He often looks down on others, but when he’s the one being mocked, he makes that strange face and gets angry.
“I’ll tell you this: this isn’t something you can handle with sheer strength. But that damn Roel over there won’t die for free… Demonization, thirty percent!”
Scales began to sprout across the right side of Formas’s body, tearing through his filthy jacket. His right side was bulging with muscle and scales, creating a bizarre imbalance.
“With thirty percent, that’s more than enough for you, you damn Roel!”
Formas stuck out his tongue and lunged at Kurinka with his Demon Sword. He looked like a beast that had found its prey, ready to strike. Not only did he look like a monster, but his mindset was also closer to that of a beast. I find myself wondering what he truly wants, why he’s so desperate. What does he hope to achieve in this monstrous form?
“Ugh!”
“It hurts, it hurts, it hurts…”
Doomneat indeed slashed at Kurinka. But it was surprisingly tough. No matter how much Formas strained, it was like trying to cut wood with a dull saw—he couldn’t get any further.
“I see… Being the lapdog of the strongest girl makes you strong, huh! Then I’ll go to fifty percent! Hehehe! I’m curious to see how much you can endure!”
Now, the right half of his body transformed into a monster. His breathing was more ragged than before, and something about his speech felt different. The eyes of the monster side were bulging and lizard-like.
“Haaaaaah!”
“It hurts! Just give up already!”
“Even at fifty percent, it’s not much different! You, damn Roel, how dare you—!”
“I don’t really get it, but going from thirty to fifty percent doesn’t seem to change much! It’s like when I ordered a large stew at a restaurant, and it barely increased in size. When I asked, they said it was a twenty percent increase! It was practically the same amount!”
“Shut up! I don’t get what you’re saying!”
It seems he’s finally given up, pulling back to catch his breath. He’s starting to take a stance; is he finally going to use a skill?
“Hah… Hah… If I don’t give it my all, I can’t win… My level is over two thousand, unlike that damn Special Operations Unit… I should be on the same stage as Lua…”
“Having a high level and a Demon Sword doesn’t change anything… You don’t understand Lua-chan’s strength at all…”
“Emperor Slash!”
Formas’s blade, tracing a half-moon arc, once again descended upon Kurinka from above. With a level that boasts such arrogance, a strike like that wouldn’t just split the opponent in two; it would even crack the ground. As expected, a small valley formed with the impact.
“Hehe… I felt that. Well, if I really put my mind to it—”
“I almost fell…”
As if mocking Formas, Kurinka flapped her wings and soared up from the valley’s bottom. I thought she would continue fighting like that, but she transformed back into her human form. At this point, Formas’s control has been broken. I could move long ago, but it seems more entertaining to stay put for now.
Half-monster Formas twitched his eyes and mouth, frustration bubbling to the surface. In anger, he drove Doomneat into the ground before glaring at Kurinka again.
“You’re being controlled, aren’t you?”
“No?”
“You are, aren’t you?! Doomneat! Is that all the power you have?! By controlling this space, you should be able to restrict everything here!”
“…The King of Noibranz also possessed the divine nature of ‘control,’ but look at what happened to that country.”
“What?!”
“Power is indeed formidable, but if you can’t wield it, it’s meaningless. Lua-chan’s power of destruction, if used normally, would only attack enemies.”
I only recently became aware of the power of destruction, and since then, things have been smooth. Elmera’s Imagination Magic was also ultimately thwarted thanks to destruction. I don’t really understand what’s happening to me, but my instinct to destroy anything harmful to me has helped. Conversely, if I didn’t have that divine nature, could I have beaten Elmera? No, I could have. Even if my heart were crushed, I would stand back up.
“Shut up… I’m the heir of the Matere Trading Company, living without a care in the world, easily crossing the walls that mere mortals should struggle against… I was born with the right to control everything, and ordinary people should be beneath me… This shouldn’t be happening!”
“Neither Lua-chan nor I come from wealthy families, and our hometown was destroyed once. We lived lonely, painful lives. We had nothing to be grateful for. Yet you keep talking about levels and weapons, the Demon Sword… You’re only seeing the surface. What kind of person can stand above others with that mindset?”
“You… You’ve forgotten the favor I did by letting you join my party, you lapdog! King Spear!”
He unleashed a skill similar to my Sonic Spear. I mean, it’s a complete imitation. The speed is decent, and I don’t think anything could withstand that thrust. It shot through Kurinka at high speed, reaching the horizon.
“I crushed your heart! If you can regenerate, then go ahead!”
“I already did.”
“What?!”
“Just like before, I can recover from most attacks the moment they hit me! I worked hard to be able to do at least that much!”
Her clothes returned to normal, of course. No matter how they were torn or pierced, it was as if Kurinka had taken no damage at all. Still, the pain from the moment of impact wouldn’t disappear, so it must hurt like hell. Poor Kurinka. She needs to train more to avoid pain as much as possible.
“Take this!”
“Guhah!”
Kurinka’s staff struck Formas in the stomach. His cheeks puffed out, and he looked like he was about to vomit, flying away in a frog-like manner.
“Ugh! Cough… that hurts… Aaaah!”
“I held back, you know. I can’t go as easy on you as Lua-chan, but if I wanted to, I could kill someone with a level close to two thousand…”
“Why… do I have to be held back by someone like you?!”
Formas raised his arm and unleashed a tornado. Blades of wind spiraled around the tornado, and anyone caught inside would be turned to mush. He clearly intended to prevent Kurinka from regenerating. If he could deal damage faster than she could heal, even Kurinka would be in danger.
“Suu… Faaaaah!”
“Uwaaaaah! Fire, fire! Blaze—”
Before he could finish, Formas was engulfed by Kurinka’s Flame Breath. It swallowed the tornado whole, not only negating it but even giving back more than enough. Within the raging flames, Formas seemed utterly helpless, flailing around as he was consumed. When the fire finally died down, a nearly naked Formas lay there, gasping for breath.
“Hehe… Hot, hot… Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Yet he still clung to his Demon Sword, plotting to power up further. Scales covered most of Formas’s body as if to blow away the burns. The only human parts left were his elbows and knees. The rest of him was completely transformed, clad in a suit of scales.
【Demon Formas has appeared! HP 57,000】
“You damn Roel, you won’t die easily now.”
【Demon Formas’s Doomsday!】
Countless eyes appeared in the space around us, all staring intently. This wasn’t a physical attack like before.
“I can see every pore on your body, even the hair on your ass. From now on, your actions will be under my control—”
【Kurinka’s Blazemaker!】
In an instant, the space was painted red. No, it was yellow and blue as well, each flame flickering in the sweltering heat. Even without transforming into a Dragon, Kurinka could manipulate the breath she could unleash to its utmost limit. For now, she remained a girl, holding her staff horizontally with her eyes barely open.
“Burn!”
【The Demon Lord Formas is engulfed by the flames of Purgatory! You dealt 24,020 damage to Demon Lord Formas! HP 32,980/57,000】
“Oooh, ooooh! It’s hot, it’s so hot! If it’s not much different from the power earlier, then for me now…”
【You dealt 23,150 damage to Demon Lord Formas! HP 9,830/57,000】
“I can’t… endure this!”
【You dealt 24,558 damage to Demon Lord Formas!】
“Not yet!”
According to Kurinka, it was like being thrown into a Dragon’s breath. The heat alone ignited the enemies present, making it unnecessary for most to even attack. In other words, Formas was being defeated solely by the heat. However, it couldn’t last forever, and Kurinka had her own tricks up her sleeve.
【You have defeated Demon Lord Formas! HP 0/57,000】
“The match is over.”
“Haah… haah…”
As the flames extinguished, the blue sky returned. Kurinka stood gracefully with her staff poised, while Formas lay scorched, unable to rise. It was likely the opposite just moments ago, with Formas laughing triumphantly while Kurinka was treated as a failure. Now, Formas had suffered the greatest humiliation of his life. There was nothing left to maintain his pride, and the one he had looked down upon, Kurinka, was now looking down on him.
“Y-you’re an immortal Undead… With your blessed Divine Nature and the strongest girl as your lackey, it’s no wonder you’ve become so strong. And to preach about effort to others… You really are a piece of work, Roel. You’ve always acted like it was unavoidable that you were powerless, just looking down all the time. You haven’t changed at all.”
“If you’re going to blame your environment, then you’re the one who’s been more blessed… You haven’t changed at all since back then.”
“What you’ve been saying is strange, Kurinka.”
“Why don’t you just finish him off already?”
Aboro casually suggested the final blow. After all, Formas had only been focused on his own birth and environment. Not just himself, but also his opponents. When things were going well, he bragged about his good lineage, but when things turned against him, he said the opposite. But I thought that the environment really does matter. If I had been born into a wealthy family like Formas, and no one had ever opposed me, I might have ended up like him.
“I can’t move forward unless I kill you all. Don’t get the wrong idea; it’s not some grand obstacle. I can just walk around a stone lying on the roadside, but I, who possess the qualities of a ruler, can’t do something like that. No, I shouldn’t. So, what will I do? I’ll do this!”
I thought it was impressive how he could talk so much despite being on the brink of death. The answer lay in the Demon Sword. Even while Formas was suffering, the sword was glowing ominously and faintly. He gripped it tightly with both hands and thrust it straight up. The scales had begun to creep up his right side, and he was about to shed his human form. His neck cracked repeatedly, healing each time, while the scales on his right arm and leg grew, tearing through his clothing.
“I’ll kick and smash it… and make it all disappear! I may not have reached that level yet, but I can do it now! Demon Sword Doomnate… 100%!”
Something felt off again. He started referring to himself as “I” instead of “me,” and it was clear that the will of the sword was becoming stronger. He wouldn’t listen to any warnings, so the only option left was for Kurinka to take him down.
“Stop! You’ll be controlled by the sword in your current state. You won’t be able to return.”
“If I can’t control this, what can I dominate…! I will conquer everything… I will… conquer everything… I shall dominate!”
Finally, Formas’s entire body became covered in scales. Just when it seemed he had fully transformed, he would retract, his arm muscles writhing as if they were being stirred. Bones broke and healed repeatedly, and as he changed shape, Formas was being overtaken by the Demon Sword.
“At last, it has come to fruition. I, shall reign over this world!”
【Demon Lord Doomnate has appeared! Aboro attacks! You dealt 75,654 damage to Demon Lord Doomnate! HP 189,746/265,400】
“Whoa!”
“How annoying. What do you mean by domination, suddenly appearing like that?”
Aboro’s uppercut landed perfectly, sending Doomnate soaring. Just one hit, and already Doomnate’s jaw was on the verge of shattering.
“Ugh!”
“A mere lowly Demon Sword… I know not of your birth, but you are no match for Disballade.”
“Dis… Disballade?”
“You are Kurinka, yes? This is no longer that man. The conclusion is already at hand, isn’t it?”
“Y-yes. That’s fine, that’s fine…”
Aboro suddenly became aggressive, trying to take control of the situation. He staggered to his feet, glaring at Aboro, but there was no intimidation in his gaze. It was partly because he was facing Aboro. Kurinka cautiously stepped back.
“Rua, show him Disballade.”
“Can I take him down?”
“Say the name that crowns Disballade.”
“I-I don’t know…”
“…No matter how many battles you’ve faced, you must confront it. Sometimes, one’s own power is viewed as absolute, disregarding the difference in strength with the opponent. There were things I could kill, but couldn’t finish off. Let Disballade grant you that. Now… say it.”
I see. No matter how much I threaten that Demon Lord, he would surely attack. Among the opponents I’ve fought, there were those who wouldn’t be intimidated no matter what. To be shown to such an opponent is――――
“The name is―――――”
―――――”Despair”
It felt as if everything in this world had come to a halt. Aboro, Kurinka, the Demon Lord—everyone seemed to freeze. Not that they actually stopped moving, but everyone here felt it. The power that Disballade unleashed, the power I had mastered.
“Ah… ahh…”
“Demon Lord Doomnate.”
“W-wait, please!”
“I won’t wait.”
“We shouldn’t have confronted each other! The difference between you and me is too great! It’s too great, it’s too great, it’s too great, aaaaahhhhhh!”
【You have destroyed Demon Lord Doomnate! HP -】
With the tip of the Demon Sword piercing the Demon Lord, the battle quietly came to an end. His body, everything crumbled and collapsed, turning to sand in an instant before vanishing. The Demon Lord was no more.
“Once, countless demons must have wished to show this to humans. But now, the one who bears the name of Despair, Disballade, is in my hands.”
The Demon Sword Disballade—what I held was something far more terrifying than I could imagine. That something like this was in my hands.
“…!”
As if to take advantage of my weakness, Disballade responded. An overwhelming pressure seemed to bind my entire being, as if Disballade was trying to take control of me.
“Haah… that was close. Even if you do take control, I’ll fight back again, you know?”
Perhaps realizing the danger, Disballade quieted down. With this power, I could instill despair in anything. Yes, even against a Divine Being. Just like that Demon Lord, who was consumed by despair and on the verge of losing consciousness.
“There is no one left in this world who can wield Disballade. Even I, as a Demon, find it overwhelming.”
“Aboro, why did you suddenly attack Doomnate earlier?”
“I will not allow the fallen brethren to be mocked for the sake of that sword. A lowly Demon Sword is worthy of existence merely by being.”
I didn’t quite understand, but it was clear he was very angry. Now he had calmed down again, arms crossed.
“Now, do as you wish. Perhaps due to your will, that man over there seems to have been freed.”
If I were to kill someone like that, I would only end up tainted myself. I was astonished earlier, but now all I see is something filthy. Formas lay face down, his skin charred and blistered from Kurinka’s flames. And to top it off, he was completely naked, looking utterly pathetic—perhaps the most pitiful sight in this world.
“To conquer everything… to conquer everything… to conquer everything…”
He muttered to himself as if trapped in a nightmare. It certainly didn’t seem like he was having sweet dreams. But even if he woke up, the reality waiting for him would be far worse than any nightmare, Formas.
“Hmm? The fact that I managed to keep only Formas safe means…”
“Did you come up with something?”
“No, there’s no chance of survival for him now.”
It was just my imagination. The Power of Destruction knows no limits. Just realizing that was enough for me.
◆ Shin Report ◆
I can’t help but feel sorry for Formas. Kurinka says that he’s been a nuisance just by getting involved with her, but in reality, it’s Formas who has suffered such humiliation because of Kurinka. His only pride, everything about him, has been shattered. Perhaps there’s no longer a world where he can live.