Guy and Milim looked over at me and asked if I would consider becoming a demon lord.
A demon lord?
That's what they mean, right? The kind of demon lord from fantasy novels and popular media who stands in opposition to the Hero?
Once I reached that conclusion, there was one thing I wanted to clarify.
Come to think of it, when I evolved, I'm pretty sure the Voice of the World called me an awakened demon lord...
"...Why are you telling me this?"
At Vertis's question, Guy answered.
"In this world, there are beings known as the demon lord species—those born with the innate qualifications to rule. Once an individual reaches a certain level of strength, they are classified as a demon lord species. These beings can then awaken as an awakened demon lord by absorbing at least 10,000 souls. You have already achieved this awakening. With your current strength, there is no reason you cannot call yourself a demon lord."
Having explained this, Guy motioned for me to follow him. Milim followed close behind.
"But before we proceed, you, Milim, and one other person need to have a talk."
Huh. So there can be multiple demon lords in this world?
"Who is the other person?"
"You'll find out when we get there."
At Guy's words, Vertis said nothing more and waited for the third party to arrive.
Guided by Guy's maid, Misery, I passed through a door designed with the most obnoxious taste imaginable and took my designated seat.
...And so, three demon lords were gathered in one place. Rain served black tea to each of them and to me. The person sitting beside me kept glancing at me with curiosity, but I ignored her.
Guy and Milim were already there, and the third person Guy had mentioned had finally arrived. Unlike the other two, she was a tiny fairy.
"A fairy?"
Standing before Vertis was a female fairy about 30 centimeters tall. Her name was Ramiris. She had originally been the queen of the fairies and spirits, but according to her rather fantastical backstory, she had once tried to stop a friend who had fallen into a blind rage and was scattering violence everywhere. In the process, she was exposed to corrupted magic for a prolonged period, which caused her to transform into a demon lord. Her title was the Labyrinth Fairy.
The 'friend' she's talking about is probably Milim, right?
After listening to Guy and Milim's explanation, Ramiris twirled a lock of her hair around her finger and spoke.
"...Well, fine. So, does this guy actually possess power worthy of a demon lord?"
Milim answered Ramiris's question immediately.
"He does! If you want, I can fight him right now to prove it!"
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted as if a battle were about to break out on the spot. If possible, I wanted to avoid fighting. Besides, Milim seemed even stronger than Guy.
According to Prome, in terms of raw power alone, Milim surpassed Guy.
Whether she sensed my reluctance or not, Ramiris shrugged.
"If Milim says so, then I guess it's true."
As soon as Ramiris agreed, Milim began pouting like a child, insisting that I fight her.
"Vertis! You have to fight me!"
At this rate... I don't think I can avoid this.
Milim spoke in a playful, teasing tone. Guy and Ramiris watched from the sidelines, looking thoroughly entertained with no intention of stopping her.
"...What are the rules?"
"There aren't any. It's easier to just beat the opponent until they can't move, isn't it?"
Guy said this with a smile. He was easy to read, but his approach was... far too brutal.
Ultimately, it was decided that I would fight Milim in her territory one week later.
One week passed. As promised, Vertis arrived in Milim's domain.
Unlike Guy's frozen land, Milim's territory was a vast, barren wasteland. Guy, Ramiris, Velzard, and Gaia were all present as spectators.
Their reasons for attending were simple: Guy was curious, Ramiris was bored, and Velzard was interested in me. As a fellow member of the draconic lineage, Velzard had expressed a particular curiosity about my abilities and joined the others to watch.
"Are you ready, Vertis?!"
Milim shouted excitedly, rolling her shoulders. I sighed inwardly and gripped my spear in my right hand.
Crack!
"Anytime."
Milim immediately lunged forward with a punch. I dodged her fist and summoned a bolt of thunder to strike her directly on the head.
She didn't even try to avoid it. The lightning crashed down, leaving a small flicker of electricity dancing around her. I was momentarily surprised by her lack of evasion, but I quickly regained my composure. Assuming the attack wouldn't do much damage, I immediately prepared my next move.
"Hahaha! That kind of attack is useless against me!"
As the black smoke cleared, Milim stood there without a single scratch.
In an instant, Milim closed the distance. I remained on guard, striking back with my spear now wreathed in frozen lightning.
Will my attacks even land on her?
Prome provided the answer—
"It is possible. However, due to Milim Nava's multiple barriers, the attacks will likely be deflected."
Then there's no reason to hold back!
With that confirmation, I exchanged a series of blows with her. Her Ultimate Skill was [Satanael], the King of Wrath, which allowed her to create an infinite magicule reactor. In short, she possessed an inexhaustible supply of mana.
This phase of the battle was merely a probing exchange—a warm-up to gauge the opponent's patterns.
Now, I'll take the initiative!
I wrapped my right fist in red lightning and my left in blue, imbuing the energy with concentrated power.
I launched a punch straight at Milim. Initially, she seemed intent on taking the hit head-on, but sensing the danger, she suddenly pivoted out of the way.
Boom!
The impact gouged a massive crater into the earth, and flames erupted from the point of impact.
"She dodged it..."
"To think you could break through my multiple barriers. You're quite impressive, Vertis!"
At Milim's praise, I engaged her in a fierce fistfight while simultaneously calling down continuous bolts of lightning. Milim dodged the strikes from above, twisted her body, and launched a powerful kick at me.
I blocked the kick and managed to seize her leg.
"What?!"
"Even you can't dodge this!!"
KWA-BOOM!!!
I summoned a massive lightning strike to hit us both simultaneously. Thanks to our respective resistances, neither of us suffered significant damage.
Though black smoke rose from her body, Milim's expression was one of pure joy.
Watching from the sidelines, Guy and his companions calmly analyzed the fight. Ramiris, less familiar with the power scales, asked who had the upper hand.
"Um, who's actually winning here?"
Guy replied calmly.
"...In terms of tactical intelligence, Vertis seems to have the edge. In terms of absolute magicule count, Milim is overwhelmingly superior thanks to Satanael. Even in the mastery of her abilities, she is likely ahead... However, their compatibility is terrible. Both are power-types, but Milim risks going berserk, which prevents her from fully utilizing her Ultimate Skill. In this specific matchup, the advantage lies with Vertis."
Vertis and Milim continued to clash at close range, weaving magic into their physical strikes. Every collision sent massive shockwaves rippling through the surroundings, but neither combatant cared.
Velzard added to Guy's analysis.
"Furthermore, Vertis has evolved into an awakened demon lord. As a member of the draconic lineage, he may eventually surpass even my own capabilities in certain aspects."
The battle grew increasingly violent. When a particularly massive shockwave threatened to blow Ramiris away, Guy reached out and grabbed her to steady her.
"This is the end! [Dragon Buster]!!"
"You can't dodge all of this!!"
KWA-AAAAANG!!!
A deafening roar shook the land. Thick black smoke and searing flames engulfed the area, completely obscuring Vertis from view. Guy, Velzard, and Ramiris watched in silence.
Meanwhile, Milim felt something was off.
She didn't feel the sensation of a direct hit... Could it be?
A few seconds later, as the smoke cleared, Milim's suspicion was confirmed.
Emerging from the haze was Vertis, now transformed into his Dragon Form. His massive wings, larger than his own body, had acted as a shield to block the Dragon Buster.
He reverted to his dragon form in an instant to block the attack.
"Heeey! To survive my Dragon Buster and still be standing? Not bad at all!"
Milim's level of caution increased. By returning to his original form, Vertis could now fully leverage the innate strengths of the draconic lineage.
Guy and the others were equally focused on Vertis's transformation.
"So that is Vertis's true form."
"He truly possesses the aura of a True Dragon."
In his dragon form, Vertis soared instantly beyond the atmosphere and fired a high-output laser barrage down upon Milim.
"Pendrigan's Glory."
The exploding lasers engulfed Milim. She looked down to see a small wound on her skin and laughed.
"To think I'd actually be wounded... this is exciting, Vertis!"
While the attack had landed, it only left a minor injury. Vertis then enveloped himself in multiple barriers and began a steep, high-speed dive from the edge of space toward Milim.
"[Draconic Impact]."
Wrapped in the intense friction heat of reentry, Vertis slammed into Milim. The impact was comparable to a meteor strike, generating a colossal blast of wind pressure.
I hope this at least does some damage...
The moment the thought crossed his mind, the wind and dust vanished instantly. There stood Milim, radiating an entirely different, oppressive aura. In her hand, she held an ominous, long, curved single-edged sword.
"It's been a long time since I've had this much fun, Vertis. Now, I'll deal with you seriously."
As she spoke, Milim's appearance shifted. Gone was the revealing outfit; she was now clad in jet-black armor, and a single horn had manifested on her forehead.