“Then it’s goodbye.”
Marius, who had teleported to the entrance of Vayuta Forest, used magic to send the abashed messenger away.
Just as he was about to start walking into the forest, he felt an intense pressure.
(This feeling… it’s like Albert, like Franklin.)
It was likely the aura of a Demon. Moreover, unlike those two, he felt a power that was palpable even from an unseen distance, filling Marius with a bad premonition. Perhaps it was the strongest of the Demons, Rubens, or perhaps a Demon Lord had already resurrected.
“Detection.”
This magic, which couldn’t even detect plants, was reliable for grasping numbers and approximate locations. Two beings were a few kilometers away. If he thought simply, it would be the Demon King and a Demon. He had no choice but to go. Considering future events, it would be better to omit the incantations rather than use them without any.
“Attach.”
Just as Marius teleported, Rubens was exhaling his breath. “Disaster Venom,” an enhanced version of the Basilisk’s “Deadly Poison,” possessed destructive power capable of shattering fortresses and a deadly poison potent enough to kill even a Demon. Marius, having teleported right before it hit, instinctively cast a defensive spell. It was “Dimension Shield,” the strongest defensive barrier. However, as the purple breath washed over it, the shield groaned and put a strain on Marius.
(No way.)
Though it was audible only to Marius in his surprise, the barrier shattered with a sound, and the breath spread.
“Refrain; <...Repel all power.> Dimension Shield.”
Judging that he couldn’t defend with an omitted incantation, he used the effects of “Refrain” and the Ring of Divine Words to create a double barrier. One of the barriers shattered with a sound, and the final one held just as the breath disappeared. The more the incantation was omitted, the weaker the power, yet this was the first time two defensive barriers had been broken.
“Marius?”
It was a rare experience for Rubens as well for his breath attack to be completely ineffective. Realizing his name had been called, Marius surmised this must be Rubens and looked behind him, wanting to know why Rubens had attacked.
“Looks like I made it in time.”
Asteria, as if she had won a bet, spoke to him.
“What are you doing?”
Marius blurted it out before he could think. Based on his magical detection, there were no other living beings around, so it was clear Asteria had been facing Rubens alone, and by all appearances, she had been afflicted with a status ailment. It was inexcusable recklessness for a king of a nation. Asteria, questioned by Marius, shrugged lightly.
“Let’s talk after we get out of here.”
“That’s true.”
Marius erased the curse with “Cure All” and turned back to Rubens. Rubens glared at Marius with open vigilance. A man who could block his breath attack and erase his curses was as terrifying as he imagined.
“Congelatio.”
Considering the location was a sealed land of a Demon King, he chose and cast “Congelatio,” which allowed for flexibility in its area of effect. Rubens countered with his breath, and they succeeded in canceling each other out. Poison and ice shards scattered around, partially rotting or freezing the ground.
“Don’t underestimate me, brat. You think you can do anything to this Rubens with such a half-hearted spell?”
There was a hint of anger in Rubens’ voice, but he felt more like clicking his tongue. He had intended to use Marius’ widespread attack, which could easily defeat an upper-class Demon, to bring about Decarabia’s resurrection in one fell swoop. Marius hadn’t necessarily read Rubens’ intentions. He simply remembered the precedent of Zagan having actually resurrected, and figured it would be troublesome if a Demon King were resurrected now. Sensing this, Asteria stifled a laugh and used a magic item to retreat, so as not to interfere.
“Smash. Congelatio.”
Rubens evaded “Smash,” a first-class earth magic that crushed enemies with heavy load, and his breath canceled out “Congelatio.” The surrounding area was rapidly reduced to barren land. Merely by Rubens glaring, Marius would fall under a curse. Unlike Asteria and the others, he didn’t fall into immediate paralysis because “Sage” possessed resistance to curses. Still, if left unattended for too long, it would become a problem, so he dispelled it with “Cure All” at the first opportunity. “Cure All” was a light-elemental status restoration magic. In games, it could erase any status ailment, but in reality, one should consider it dependent on the caster’s magic power. The situation was in a deadlock. Marius didn’t want to use flashy widespread attacks, while Rubens was forced to play defensively. Both seemed to lack a decisive blow. Marius had already resigned himself.
(If this drags on, he’ll probably end up resurrecting them anyway.)
If they were going to be resurrected, he might as well use a high-powered attack that could inflict some damage. The fact that Asteria had safely evacuated, removing the risk of her getting caught, further encouraged him. On the other hand, Rubens had reached a point where he was overwhelmingly outmatched by Marius. He was barely able to avoid fatal blows. However, he couldn’t abandon his cherished wish of the Demon Lord’s resurrection. He made a certain decision.
“<...Ravage.> Exharatio.”
Blinding white flames engulfed about half of the forest.
“Guh…”
Rubens reverted to his human form and retreated a great distance, but the flames spread with instantaneous speed, and he couldn’t possibly evade them. The inferno, which had instantly killed Demons, evaporated the trees of the forest, inflicting great damage and intense pain on Rubens. The power was so immense that it seemed meaningless to distance oneself. The fact that it wasn’t a fatal wound was likely due to the life force of the upper-class Dragon Demon. However, if he survived, it wasn’t Rubens’ loss. From directly behind him, he felt a sensation unique to a Demon Lord. So Rubens fired “Disaster Venom” in that direction. Upper-class Demons could perform the same feat in their human form as in their true form. The power was greatly reduced, but it was enough to forcibly awaken the Demon Lord. Then, he plunged his hand into his own chest.
“De-Decarabia… the rest…”
He couldn’t finish his words. Decarabia’s skill, “Life Drain,” activated, and Rubens was absorbed by Decarabia. By the time Marius caught up, it was too late. At the cost of Rubens’ life, the Demon Lord Decarabia had resurrected with revitalized power.
“Your feelings, I, Decarabia, have received them!”
A deep, majestic voice echoed.
“I am the Demon Lord Decarabia, the one who rules over demons and tramples all under heaven.”
The ground rumbled, and the earth shook. Then, it slowly approached Marius.
“Humans who oppress my people, receive your retribution.”
Demon Lord Decarabia was so enormous that Marius had to look up significantly. It was a slime with a blue body.
“A slime Demon Lord…?”
Marius blinked in surprise, as this was certainly not what he had expected. He recalled the precedent of the Goblin Demon, Rebera. Decarabia glared at the astonished Marius with its black eyes.
“Do not mistake my power for my race, you fool. Perish!”
Decarabia unleashed “Rolling Crash.” It was essentially a slime’s attack method of rolling and charging, but its speed and destructive power were incomparable to Albert’s.
(Is it like a heavy tank charging at the speed of a fighter jet?)
Marius, having warped to safety in the sky, still felt a slight impact on his body. This was despite wearing the “Purgatory Robe,” which possessed physical defense. If he had been hit directly, his mage’s body would have been instantly killed. Seeing Marius, Decarabia unleashed a breath attack. It was “Acid Breath,” acquired through repeated evolution of slimes. A torrent of acidic liquid was shot towards Marius.
“<...Repel.> Dimension Shield. Refrain.”
Judging that evading would cause greater damage to the surroundings, he received it with a defensive spell. He had cast two barriers based on his fight with Rubens, but both shattered with ease. However, the breath was also nullified, and Marius went on the offensive.
“<...Ravage.> Exharatio. Refrain. <...Sleep.> Congelatio. Refrain.”
Facing a Demon Lord, this was a barrage of four first-class spells. First, two “Exharatio” spells to burn, then two “Congelatio” spells to freeze. Vayuta Forest was already in a disastrous state, barely recognizable as a “former forest.” When the ice shattered, Decarabia was still alive and glaring at Marius.
“I see, you’re quite capable. But merely this won’t defeat me.”
Decarabia let out a hoarse laugh and used “Life Drain” to heal itself. In this environment, it was likely absorbing from plants’ roots or microorganisms.
“Did you think I couldn’t recover with this environment like this? Too naive.”
Decarabia gloated to the surprised Marius and warped in front of him. Then, at close range, it unleashed “Acid Breath.”
“
The acidic breath was reflected by a mirror-like barrier that instantly deployed, striking Decarabia. Although the shield shattered, Marius took no damage.
“Wha!?.”
Despite being hit by the acidic breath, Decarabia merely looked astonished. Marius wondered if it wasn’t foolish to be damaged by its own attack, then began the next incantation.
“<...Return to nothingness.> Annihilation.”
His evasion to the sky was merely a prelude to using the ultimate Forbidden Spell. If it didn’t pursue him to the sky, he would rain down magic from above. Now, a forbidden black wind of destruction swept through, swallowing Decarabia’s massive body. When the black wind dissipated, Decarabia had not yet been annihilated.
“Gaaah… y-even using a Forbidden Spell.”
Its body had shrunk by about three times, and it was blackened in places, but it was still alive.
“To not die even after taking ‘Annihilation,’ you truly are a Demon Lord.”
Marius, having used magic consecutively and finally a Forbidden Spell, needed to catch his breath. Decarabia warped in front of Marius. It immediately activated “Life Drain.” Marius instinctively warped to evade, but couldn’t escape perfectly and had a small amount of magic power drained.
“You’re too conceited…”
For Decarabia, that was enough.
“Did you think this Decarabia would die from a mere Forbidden Spell?”
It seemed to possess self-healing skills, as it gradually regenerated.
“High Heal.”
Casting human healing magic, Marius was stunned.
“My skill is ‘Learning.’ I learn enemy magic and skills, develop resistances, and master them. I rose to the rank of Demon Lord with this skill.”
Decarabia let out a dignified laugh.
“I am learning your magic. Your chances of victory are steadily decreasing.”
“I see, so that’s why you could withstand my magic.”
The question of how a Demon Lord, not yet fully revived, could withstand Marius’ consecutive magic attacks was resolved. “Learning” grants resistance to attacks that have been taken once, reducing the damage or effect of subsequent attacks. It didn’t grant the ability to master skills, but that was likely a difference from the game.
“Did you withstand ‘Annihilation’ by learning my magic power?”
“You’re quick to the point, that’s correct. If you’d been hit with it in your incomplete state right away, you probably couldn’t have withstood it.”
Decarabia laughed cheerfully. Marius’ foolishness in thinking it was just a preliminary test. And then, the fact that he had received even a slight “Life Drain.” It could be said that Zagan being too weak had resulted in this, but Marius admonished himself, calling it an excuse. If he didn’t defeat this Decarabia, there would be no future for the human world.
