『—So, that’s how I managed to get their cooperation!』
“I don’t know how, but… that’s a stroke of luck.”
“You did it, Kouya-kun!”
I reported the results of the battle with the “Demon Lord” to the two of them.
We were in the Imperial Castle’s courtyard. Apparently, they had sensed the intense clash of 〖Mana〗 in the sky after we disappeared and had been watching from this spot.
We had worried the two of them and the Imperial Castle officials quite a bit, but since everything worked out, let’s just call it all good.
After a while, the “Demon Lord,” who had been talking with a civil official-looking person, walked over to us.
Even just that simple action had a certain dignity to it.
“I shall take a two-day rest from now on. If the Chaos subjugation takes longer, I may extend it.”
“We are grateful.”
“Now, you said earlier that there would be about half a day for preparation. What exactly will you be doing?”
“We will be coordinating our abilities and making arrangements for the battle with Chaos. It would also be good to confirm our teamwork.”
And so, we steadily proceeded with our measures against Chaos.
Half a day later.
“It’s finally happening, isn’t it?”
『Yeah, it’s finally happening.』
While waiting for the damage inflicted on the “Ancient King” to completely heal, Paula spoke to me.
We were on the beach. I nodded in agreement, listening to the sound of the low waves.
Originally, there was a fortress on this coastline.
However, it had been moved back nearly a kilometer by the Margrave’s magic. It was a feat of great magic that manipulated the ground.
Thanks to the “Demon Lord” being here, they readily agreed to evacuate.
“I don’t know, things have gotten so crazy. I used to dream of enrolling in magic school. It feels like a long time ago that I was kicked out after taking the 〖Political Territory〗.”
『When I heard that, I was surprised too. By the way, why don’t you ask the “Demon Lord” to help you out? He could easily get you reinstated.』
“Hmm, he probably could… but right now, I need to focus on what’s in front of me.”
『That’s right. Paula is one of the pillars of the Chaos battle. I’m counting on your support.』
“Leave it to me! …Though I’m not confident enough to say that, I’ll do my best. It’s for Kouya-kun, who showed me the true value of my 〖Attribute〗. I absolutely can’t hold back.”
Paula said with a voice full of determination.
Her sky-blue eyes were glaring at the horizon.
『…It’s over there, beyond that horizon, right?』
“Yes, I can feel it tingling at the edge of my 〖Spatial Awareness〗. A murky, ominous power that keeps encroaching, the 〖Zone Control〗 of Chaos is approaching.”
『Then, we should start getting ready.』
“Are your wounds okay now?”
『Yeah, they’ve mostly closed up. Now, go, Obia Mark II.』
Following my thoughts, the winged dog-type Pseudo-Golem Machine took flight.
◆ ◆ ◆
In the Great Eastern Demon Realm. Chaos, having defeated the “Green King,” continued its westward advance.
Although its 〖Speed〗 was low—compared to other 〖King Beasts〗, of course—Chaos had reached the vicinity of the coast in about a day, partly because the battle location was relatively westward.
There, it noticed an object flying in the sky.
A mysterious quadruped was flying at a high altitude, far beyond the reach of any ground-based attack. It looked like a Pegasus, but its base form seemed to be that of a dog.
—Consume, consume, consume, consume.
But its true nature was irrelevant.
What occupied the mind of Chaos, a 〖Karkinos〗, was the obsession to consume all living things.
It raised its branches to the sky like a child trying to catch an airplane.
If there was a difference between Chaos and a child, it was the presence of power.
The raised branches changed shape many times as they stretched higher and higher, reaching the altitude of the flying dog while looking like a patchwork.
The flying dog desperately tried to evade using the 〖Skill〗 given by its master, but the difference in speed with the 〖King Beast〗 was obvious, and it was quickly caught by Chaos’s demonic hand—
『—I won’t let you.』
At the last moment, a hole opened in front of the flying dog, and someone who jumped out of it caught the branch.
The dog immediately dove into the hole, and the hole itself disappeared the next moment.
After seeing that, Fue Toukouya reversed his buoyancy and began a high-speed descent.
“(Altitude measurement complete, 300, 200 to optimal bombing altitude—)”
Chaos remembered that figure. The impudent one who had stolen a portion of the “Green King’s” ‘Experience Points’ and its corpse.
An enormous number of branches, far more than those aimed at the flying dog, rushed to swallow Kouya.
And just as the two were about to intersect, Kouya made the first move.
“(This is it, activate—)”
The preparations had been perfectly completed since he appeared on the scene.
This wasn’t just about enhancements (buffs) like Electrification or 〖Solar Lord〗.
The long charge needed for his trump card was also finished.
“(—〖Colorless Royal Authority: Timeless Brilliance〗!)”
Over 900,000 〖Mana〗, including 〖Storage〗. The true maximum firepower, pouring almost all of it in.
The extreme attack, which could evaporate even a 〖King Beast〗 in one hit, was unleashed at the optimal altitude that scholars had determined to be the most efficient for destroying the ground.
The battle that would decide the fate of the star had begun, with a flash of light that dyed the heavens and the earth.