Ramiris's [Labyrinth].
Her dwelling, which took a form similar to the personal world of an [Ultimate Skill] that held dominion over space, was not a space made through a [Skill], but one created through authority itself.
That authority, which [Veldanava], the [Creator God], had personally bestowed upon the [Spirit Queen], possessed almost the same abilities as the mutant life-forms that did not follow the laws of the world, and it was just as powerful.
That was precisely why Ramiris, despite lacking the highest-tier [Ultimate Skill]s that Guy and Milim possessed, could stand on equal footing with them. There was no need to explain further.
"...Whew, it's finished."
The magic power Ramiris had been weaving through the air was completely drawn beneath the floor of the [Labyrinth].
She had created one more layer beneath this entrance level.
A new floor that would serve as the sparring arena where Milim and I would exchange a single blow.
"I've placed every barrier I can use on the new floor. Even if one of you gets hurt, you'll recover right away."
As she said that, Ramiris opened a staircase to the lower level right in front of us.
I nodded in thanks, then slowly descended the stairs with Milim.
Sure enough, with every step downward, I could see with my own eyes that the place was covered in absurdly powerful barriers, just as she had said.
That was only natural. Even if [Elemental Magic] had less versatility than [Dark Magic], its barriers were stronger in both defense and recovery.
"[Odin]. Can you analyze these barriers?"
<Yes. I can analyze all of them.>
"Then analyze everything for now and tell me about it later. I think I might be able to use it together with the Hero's Egg."
Analyzing magic was different from copying it, so I couldn't use [Elemental Magic] immediately. But demons were called a race blessed by magic for a reason, so that hardly mattered.
If a human needed years of training to learn a spell, a demon could learn it in barely a week.
"Even Ria and Guy never learned [Elemental Magic], so I couldn't learn it from them... This is a better haul than I expected."
For the [Primordial Demons], there was no need to learn other systems of magic when they already had their own original magic-type [Arts] that they had created themselves. But since I possessed the power of a [Hero], it was better for me to learn whatever I could.
As Leon's case had shown, the power of spirits had excellent synergy with the power of a [Hero].
*
Standing at the far edge of the floor, I drew [Overlord Black Star] and looked at Milim, who was beaming brightly from the opposite side.
Ramiris, acting as both judge and spectator, was watching from right in front of the staircase leading back up, together with the young [Pixie] children.
"There is only one rule for this spar. You each strike the other once with [Arts], and the one who takes even a little more damage loses."
Since neither of us would be using [Ultimate Skill]s, there was no chance either of us would die.
Besides, Milim was nowhere near weak enough to be seriously injured by a single blow, and I was a demon, so I wouldn't take fatal damage either.
"A one-strike match... good! Ending it all at once sounds fun in its own way!"
Apparently pleased with the condition, Milim nodded vigorously, her bright blue eyes gleaming.
Then she drew out her storming pink magic power and summoned armor that looked [God-grade], along with a single demonic sword.
The demonic sword [Heavenly Demon].
The most fearsome demonic blade, said to stand equal to the holy sword [Earth God] wielded by the first [Hero].
That demonic sword had once been gifted to Guy by Veldanava. Later, believing Milim needed a weapon to protect herself, Guy passed it on to her, and now it had become a legendary blade that had cut down countless nameless [Demon Lord]s.
"..."
"...Chronoa's [Moon Mistress] was powerful too, but that thing is on another level."
If [Overlord Black Star] had not possessed the property of indestructibility, it would have already shattered the first time I sparred with Milim.
"Heh... stop spacing out and get ready already!"
With the armor on and red horns now sprouting from her head, Milim raised [Heavenly Demon] straight above her and began condensing magic power into the demonic blade.
It seemed she intended to face me with pure swordsmanship rather than magic-type [Arts] like [Drago Buster] or [Drago Nova].
"...All right. Then—"
Gripping [Overlord Black Star] tightly, I lowered my stance, drew one deep breath, and wrapped the blade in magic power shining gold and ash-gray.
Long ago, those two powers could not mix.
But not anymore.
The two opposing currents of magic power slowly began to blend, and before long they united into a blue radiance that called the vast heavens to mind—
"Come at me."
—and with that, the spar began.
Fwoooosh...!
The instant that short phrase left my mouth, Milim's magic power seized control of the entire floor.
My own magic power, which had been like a lantern barely giving off light beneath the sun, was overwhelmed in an instant.
"Hahaha!!"
A laugh tinged with madness.
With a peal of laughter befitting a tyrant, the [Demon Lord] spread dragon wings and charged.
Without even a feint, she came straight at me, as if flaunting her overwhelming magic power.
"..."
I, on the other hand, did not move a single step.
It did not matter that my magic power had been overwhelmed.
I only had to recall it.
The instant when the powers of [Hero] and monster became one.
The only instant in which I could defeat her, the one who stood at the summit of this world.
[Arts].
The only ability in which I surpassed Milim—
"..."
—when it came to swordsmanship alone, to the realm I had built up until now... there was an absolute difference.
Just as the [Hero] called the [Sword Saint] had been, and the [Hero] called the [Sword King] had been,
there was something a natural-born monster like Milim, strong from the very beginning, could never obtain.
The will I possessed, though I had once been nothing more than a mere demon,
was a power she did not have.
And that was why my new epithet was—
[Sword Emperor Heavenly King].
—because I was the [Sword Emperor].
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