[Western Nations].
More precisely, the skies above the Kingdom of [Ingrassia].
High enough that the crowds filling the city below looked smaller than ants, a single pink figure shone in the air like a star.
"Hmmm... I'm sure it was this way..."
Pink hair inherited from the bloodline of the first [Hero], and vivid blue eyes passed down from the first [True Dragon], [Holy Emperor Dragon].
Her name was Milim Nava, a girl whose lineage was so overwhelming that calling it the strongest would not have been an exaggeration.
She was the world's only dragonoid, known by the [Demon Lord] epithet [Destroyer], and one of the strongest monsters of the age.
"There are too many people, so it's hard to tell..."
There was only one reason she, who should normally have been staying in [Dragon City] in the eastern part of the continent, had come all the way to [Ingrassia] on the opposite side.
Inside Shizue, who had contracted with a higher fire spirit, she had discovered the [Hero]'s Egg that should have belonged to her old friend, Adelio.
When the battle-priest attendants first found Shizue, they had nearly started a fight, thinking one of Leon's subordinates had invaded, since so many of his followers used spirits. But Milim, who knew his personality, stopped them, and bloodshed was avoided.
And after seeing Shizue up close, Milim became half certain that she was the very first disciple Adelio had casually mentioned years ago.
On top of that, Walpurgis, the banquet of the Demon Lords, had not been held lately, leaving her with nothing fun to do. Bored out of her mind, she had taken this connection as a chance to come find Adelio.
Thinking that since she had helped his disciple, he might repay her by playing with her.
"If it comes to this... then I've got no choice but to blast everything away with [Drago Buster] and find him th—"
"—Absolutely not."
Just as Milim's eyes flashed dangerously and she began gathering magic power, an ash-haired demon with enormous demonic wings spread wide rose up behind her.
"!! Rio!"
That demon was, needless to say, Adelio.
The moment he heard from Shizue that she had met Milim, he had been half certain that Milim would tail her all the way to [Ingrassia]. So he immediately traced her magic power and flew over.
Unlike Luminous or Sylvia, Milim's thoughts were as simple as Ramiris's, which made them easy to read.
"Milim, I told you not to use [Arts] carelessly in places full of people. Especially since you're one of the primordial [Demon Lord]s, humans are naturally terrif—"
"Hey! Your nagging doesn't matter right now! It's been forever since we met, so play with me!!"
As Adelio's lecture threatened to drag on, Milim lunged at him and started shouting at the top of her lungs.
A moment later, baring her fangs as if she were about to bite through the coat he was wearing, she spoke again.
"I've already heard plenty of nagging from Guy and the attendants! I don't want to hear any more!"
"Okay, okay, I get it... I get it now, so please stop trying to bite me... It's not like you're some kind of wolf monster, so quit bit—"
Barely managing to stop Milim from pouncing on him again, Adelio took her with him and slowly descended to the ground.
**
"Mm! It's delicious~!"
After arriving at the [Ingrassia] mansion, Milim smiled brightly as she ate the food Adelio and Cien had prepared.
The attendants in [Dragon City] preferred the taste of food in its natural state, so Milim had rarely had the chance to eat properly cooked meals. That was why she had asked Adelio for it.
The cooking suited her tastes perfectly: Adelio had learned little by little from Rain and Misery, and Cien was an excellent cook in his own right. For the brief time she spent eating, Milim actually quieted down.
"Can't I just live here instead?! I like this place way more than [Dragon City]!"
"...Sorry, but no. You have to protect your territory and your subordinates yourself, and this place isn't strong enough to endure your power."
Letting out a short sigh as he said that, Adelio pulled a handkerchief from his subspace and wiped the sauce from Milim's cheek.
Receiving his touch like a tame puppy, Milim puffed out her cheeks and chewed the food packed into her mouth like a squirrel.
"Then doesn't that just mean Rio has to keep me company once in a while? Your barrier could probably hold up!"
"That only works if you're not using your full power... Maybe Guy could handle it, but I still can't."
Milim's power, inherited from the [Creator God], surpassed even the [True Dragon]s.
Adelio had sparred with her several times since evolving into a [Deva Lord], but whenever Milim drew her demonic sword [Heavenly Demon], the best he could manage was a draw.
Even that result was only possible because Milim had not used her [Ultimate Skill].
If she truly went berserk and unleashed her full strength, then only the first [Hero] at the height of his power, Feldway, and Guy Crimson could defeat her for certain.
"..."
'As I am now... against Milim at full power, maybe I'm about half.'
Half, or maybe a little more than half.
That was about where his current limit stood.
Of course, in the two hundred years since becoming a [Deva Lord], he had hardly experienced any life-or-death battles, so it was not an exact measure...
'...At this rate, forget Guy—even if I fought Velgrynd, I probably couldn't settle it with a clear victory or defeat...'
...In any case, it meant he still could not be said to have fully reached the [Catastrophe] class.
......
"...Milim."
After closing his eyes for a fleeting span of less than a minute, Adelio slowly called her name.
With an expression that said he had just thought of something good.
"Hm? What is it?"
When Milim tilted her head with an innocent look, Adelio drew a faint smile and pointed out the window with his index finger.
"It's been a while, so... want to go to Ramiris's [Labyrinth] together?"
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