It was a manifestation of terror itself.

Merely seeing its form sent shivers down the spine and made the legs tremble.

A "higher-tier monster" far surpassing creatures like Gardenpanthers or Mantises—demon lord.

A wolf's head dripping saliva, baring vicious fangs.

A long, thick serpent tail moving with autonomous freedom, as if it were an independent lifeform.

Limbs resembling powerful feline predators.

And with every growl it emitted, flames burst from its mouth.

Its size was roughly comparable to that of a Gardenpanther, perhaps around five meters in length.

I couldn't even imagine defeating it with my current abilities.

"Phantom Warrior!"

"Summon Knightbug!"

I activated two spells and set out to hold back the Demon King.

Quickly pulling the reptilian spirit stone from Shadow Storage,

"Create Undead!"

The spell to summon undead has a slight delay between casting and the stone actually transforming into an undead.

The Demon King stared at me intently, so it's likely I'm being targeted precisely because I'm the "beloved one." He seems uninterested in Refrea, who's nearby.

Perhaps because he's just ascended to the third layer, he hasn't attacked immediately, instead letting out a low growl as he observes me.

Maybe he's wary of the light from the Create Undead spell.

(But "beloved one"... Could the effect of Darkness Fog still be working...? Is it safe...?)

Whether fighting or stalling, this was crucial.

Either way, there's nothing else to do but try it.

"Darkness Fog!"

Deep darkness welled up from the space like ink bleeding through paper, gradually dimming the world of white mist.

I moved through that darkness without making a sound.

(How's it going...?)

　

The Demon King flinched slightly at the sudden appearance of darkness, swiveling his head left and right, clearly making gestures as if searching for me.

(Good... it seems the Fog is working.)

It remains a mystery what exactly the Demon King and the Great Spirit sense about the "Beloved One."

It might be scent, appearance, but most likely it's spiritual energy. If so, then spiritual arts created using that spiritual energy might also be susceptible to jamming.

Either way, if the Darkness Fog does its job, that's fine by me.

All I ask is for them to be incapacitated in the fog, but it's unlikely to be that easy.

　

In the time it takes to think, the Phantom Warrior closes in on the Demon King.

The Demon King, preparing for battle, takes a defensive stance against the approaching Phantom Warrior, who charges forward with a loud noise.

I immediately issue my command upon seeing the Lizardman take possession of a body.

"Engage that one! Fight defensively and buy time by avoiding being knocked down!"

This Lizardman undead is a shield-bearer.

It won't be defeated instantly, that's for sure.

"Shadow Bind!"

After giving the command, I bind the Demon King and dash forward at full speed.

The bind won't do much more than offer temporary relief, but it's better than doing nothing.

Refréa, who had fled ahead, glanced back with a worried expression.

　

Behind us, a collision sound echoed.

Probably, the battle between the Lizardman and the Demon King had just begun.

While running, I activated my status board and tapped 'Monster Identification'.

One crystal was consumed.

Markosias: Demon Lord — A demon with a wolf's head, a lion's torso, and a serpent's tail. It breathes flames and can wield magic, albeit of a low level, making it formidable even for average adventurers. The Demon Lord is a rare monster born solely from "Chaos Spirit Energy," humanity's natural enemy capable of manipulating Chaos Spirit Arts—commonly known as "Magic." It appears randomly within the labyrinth when the Chaos Turbulence level reaches a certain threshold. If the labyrinth's Chaos Turbulence is properly managed, such powerful Demon Lords will not emerge. Capable of moving between levels, it occasionally crawls out beyond the labyrinth's boundaries. When outside, it is typically destroyed by the Great Spirit, though exceptionally strong Demon Lords may even defeat the Great Spirit. In such cases, the land falls under Chaos control, becoming a demonic realm. This individual is a Viscount-level Demon Lord. Spirit Stone occurrence probability:"The rate is 100% chaos!"

"Long...!"

But just glancing at it was enough to know.

That thing was undeniably the Demon King.

And it seemed the Demon King used some kind of magic.

To use a mysterious technique meant "you never know what it'll do."

That meant I had to stay on guard.

Turning back, I saw the Lizardman being obliterated by the Demon King Malcosias's fangs.

I never thought I'd be defeated so easily—within just ten or so seconds. Though I'd anticipated a bad outcome, it felt like the worst-case scenario had actually come true. I should probably increase the Demon King's power.

The distance was barely within sight. Thanks to the undead, I'd managed to gain about 100 meters.

Still, the third floor was vast. The distance to the stairs leading up was probably around 1 kilometer.

900 meters remaining. I might just barely escape—

"Hikaru! Something's wrong!"

Turning back, Marukosias let out a sound that was half growl, half scream, bracing himself against the ground, tensing every limb.

It was as if he were on the verge of giving birth to something.

"Spirit energy... it's rising...? What...?"

I froze in place. Should I run or stay and watch? It was hard to decide, but I couldn't look away.

At the core of the swirling spirit energy, I could clearly feel the increasing density.

Something clicked in my mind.

"Ri... Refrea... The Demon King said what happens when you ascend a level, right?"

"Ah, that's right! As the Demon King ascends each level, they become stronger. I think it was something like 'an additional chaotic trait is added'..."

The moment Refrea said that,

a pair of pitch-black wings suddenly sprouted from Demon King Malcosias's back with a sharp snap.

"M-Major league...?"

It's apparently common knowledge in this world that "the more mixed they are, the stronger they become."

Then just how powerful is that Demon King?

A wolf's head. A lion's torso. A serpent's tail. And the wings of a great eagle.

"Gyaaahhhhhooooo!"

Crimson eyes locked directly onto me and Refrea.

Yet, the Demon King didn't immediately charge at us, instead repeatedly flapping its newly grown wings to test their movement right where it stood.

"Hikaru! ...Is he really going to fly...?"

"Probably. Damn it, we're not even prepared for aerial combat—just run!"

At the last moment, the Demon King was seen spreading massive wings and rising into the air.

Even Reflair's face showed clear anxiety.