Final Battle ⑬

The day after defeating Kyoya, we returned to the Elrow Great Labyrinth via Lord Ronant’s teleportation and hastened forward.

We had been forced to retreat, delayed by Kyoya and wounded from the battle—our stamina and health required recovery.

Yet the battle continued even as we rested.

The clash between Water Dragon Iena and Sophia had reached a stalemate.

Iena focused solely on stalling time; Sophia could not break through.

The upper levels of the Elrow Great Labyrinth were in chaos—flooded zones, frozen water zones, and intact zones coexisting.

Stepping into that space would likely result in immediate death due to some environmental trigger.

Though Iena and Sophia remained locked in deadlock, the battle on the surface had concluded.

Queen Talarect had been defeated.

The combined human and demon forces fought valiantly, but suffered severe damage from the lingering remnants of nightmares spilling from the Great Labyrinth of Elro. They were forced into retreat.

Even so, with the upper levels of the Elro Great Labyrinth now resembling hell, the combined forces could not have advanced into the labyrinth even if they had won.

The same applied to the nightmare remnants that had repelled the combined army—they were also reportedly struggling to maintain position on the surface.

The situation remained at a stalemate.

This would not last, however. Only until the outcome of Iena’s battle with Sophia was decided.

Iena is said to be the strongest among the dragons. Yet in combat, Sophia holds the advantage.

Water and ice.

Similar attributes, but ice has the superior matchup.

All attacks based on water are frozen solid and blocked.

As a result, Iena is unable to advance.

However, Sophia must also contend with the flooding within the Elrow Great Labyrinth.

She is freezing the incoming water to suppress the inundation, preventing full focus on her battle with Iena.

Result: stalemate.

Yet Sophia holds a slight advantage regardless. Iena will inevitably fall, sooner or later.

When that occurs, the situation shifts.

Once Sophia is free and the upper levels of the Elrow Great Labyrinth stabilize, the nightmares lingering aboveground will return to the Elrow Great Labyrinth.

At that point, the balance will tip decisively.

Sophia’s strength surpasses even Iena, the strongest of dragons.

Her soul is in tatters—likely due to Kyōya defeating Gokā, and my excessive use of merciful resurrection.

Resurrection capacity is now limited to perhaps a few uses.

With the Demon King still waiting in reserve, Sophia lacks the strength to fight her.

The battle between Yena and Sophia must end before the demon lord is defeated—no matter what, the system core located beyond the lower levels of the Elro Great Labyrinth must be seized.

But...

I stepped back at the sight of it.

Having defeated Kyōya, I too had my soul worn thin—I had just come to recognize my own lack of resolve.

I had believed I had resolved myself this time, but before this sight, resolve began to dissolve like mist.

Can resolve this with nothing but resolve alone?

The lowest level of the Elrow Great Labyrinth.

The Demon Lord was waiting in ambush.

Flanked by two Queen Talatectors.

Surrounding the demon lord and the queen in a ring, a line of spider-like creatures stood in formation.

The total number was not discernible at a glance.

The majority were weak, small individuals, yet their sheer number was overwhelming—sufficient to evoke visual despair.

We must break through here…?

"Ah, welcome. Human representatives."

The demon lord's voice echoed.

Though the tone had been heard once before during a world quest announcement, the dissonance remained—this being, a girl not yet of age, embodied the demon lord.

In novels, one might encounter a beautiful young demoness, but encountering such a figure in reality caused unease.

A more overtly sinister appearance would have made the confrontation easier—no hesitation.

Perhaps that thought revealed my resolve was still insufficient.

No matter the form, no matter the opponent—blade must not dull.

Yet the demon lord seated in the chair was nothing more than a frail girl—her form alone was enough to dull my resolve.

“You said you came well, yet I truly didn’t wish for your arrival. But since you’ve come, I must proceed. The dragons are unavoidable. Still, I’d have preferred you, the reincarnated, remain far from this battlefield.”

The words carried sincerity.

From the tone, I sensed it instinctively.

Through them, the demon lord’s nature became visible—again, my resolve wavered.

This conflict arose not from choice, but necessity: a breaking of an unchangeable state.

The demon lord had not summoned it willingly.

Neither side was inherently correct. Only that some sacrifice was unavoidable, and thus a decision made.

Cut one side. Preserve the other.

To save a human—or a god.

The choice was merely the result of a fracture.

"Unless we proceed as-is, we’ll have to fight. Still, just to confirm one last time—ah, right, when it comes to a Demon King, there’s a standard line, isn’t there?"

The Demon King clears his throat once.

"Welcome, Hero. Join me, and I shall grant you half the world. What say you?"

It was a parody of a famous line from a Japanese game in a previous life.

A strange sense of nostalgia surfaced. The line fit the current situation with unsettling precision. A wry smile escaped.

The Demon King must have learned this line from the girl named Hayashi.

The humor of saying it here felt misplaced, yet the words were spoken with genuine intent. Therefore, a genuine reply was required.

"Sorry. The answer is no."

I have come this far to prevent half the world, half of all humanity, from being sacrificed.

So that's how it is. Too bad.

Saying that, the Demon Lord shrugged lightly.

The Demon Lord likely did not expect this proposal to pass.

There must have been no choice but to speak, despite the slenderest hope.

I understand that feeling.

Then, shall we begin?

Responding to the demon lord’s voice, the spider monsters, beginning with Queen Talatekt, commence movement.

It has begun.

It had begun.

The battle between hero and villain, wagering the fate of the world.

A battle that cannot end in defeat.

My strength as a hero is small, but even so, I cannot afford to lose.