When I said, "You can be a hero," to a child with no talent, he really started to become a hero, so I acted like I knew what I was doing, like I was a wise master.

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“I see, so you intend to use your master’s sword as a mental stabilizer in challenging the Demon King.”

Demon King Balkan is under the mistaken impression that Will is Hero Dan, and he has also mistakenly concluded that Dan is the hero’s disciple. However, correcting that seems troublesome, and Dan, who thinks that demons are crazy and don’t make sense, doesn’t particularly try to elaborate on the conversation.

“…Then show me. Show me the power of a hero’s disciple.”

The next moment, he was conscious of death.

There was an illusion. The moment he tried to take a step forward, the Demon King realized his own death. The fear that the sword of the young man with spiky hair and a face as common as weeds might reach him caused him to stop his foot.

(…Could it be that I, myself, backed down…?)

He felt in his gut that humans, an inferior species, were like monsters containing an enormous energy within their thin skin that even he could not believe.

“Ho ho ho, very well. Then let me also get serious!!”

◇

He abandoned the act of walking and showed an explosive increase in speed as he stepped in. It was a strike that could be called a kind of encouragement, something he would only do against an enemy he deemed as an equal. With a big wind-up, he lashed out at Hero Dan.

(It landed!)

The fist had already approached close enough to his face that it seemed unavoidable. No matter how much of a monster he might be, it seemed impossible to recover and evade or defend at this point. However, the answer was that his body had somehow been driven into a rock bed.

“Ka, kaha!”

Coughing up blood on the rock bed, the Demon King recalled the unbelievable phenomenon he had seen a split second before.

(I thought I had hit him, but his sword was already against my stomach…)

An overwhelming speed that made it seem as though cause and effect had been reversed. Of course, he didn’t think that he would defeat that monster with that single blow at that moment. However, even so… he couldn’t explain this phenomenon. He had won, but only slightly won. When he thought he had struck first, it was like “playing rock-paper-scissors after the fact,” and he found that he was the one who had been struck first.

(Ho ho ho ho ho ho, very well. To think I would find an opponent who could draw out my full strength…)

“It’s dangerous for Will if we have a showdown there, so I moved him out of the way.”

He said lightly. Before he knew it, he was several meters ahead, sheathing his sword. Seeing this, the Demon King unleashed his trump card.

“Score buff, multi-layer deployment… Ho ho ho, my physical abilities will more than double every second.”

“Sounds like a strong ability. Demon Kings usually have something like that.”

A red glow, like an incredibly bright sun, enveloped the Demon King. A brief conversation, a momentary respite in the midst of extreme combat. During this time, the opponent’s strength doubles, quadruples, and increases eightfold. The Demon King felt that even a monster like his opponent would be chilled to the bone upon hearing this.

An ability that seemed to ignore reality itself. Responding to it, the Demon King took one step forward, causing cracks in both the atmosphere and the earth. He unabashedly demonstrated strength that seemed capable of controlling all fate. Against an overwhelmingly strong opponent, he showed a slight respect and pride in himself. He channeled this into his foot and leaped again.

The earth cracked open widely. It was not a phenomenon that could be caused by stepping in with one foot. The Demon King continued to jump towards the Hero’s face.

Already one second, two seconds, three seconds, even tens of seconds had passed since he activated his score buff. Therefore, his physical abilities were doubled, quadrupled, multiplied by hundreds. And yet, once again, a sword was laid against his body, and he was cut. Not split in two, but sent flying through the air.

“Ho ho, this is amazing! You are the strongest in the world. If I weren’t here, that is!”

“…”

Landing on the ground again, the Demon King struck out. However, even that was nullified as he was struck with a left-handed blow that didn’t carry a sword.

“Heh, you won’t die from this, huh? Among the Demon Kings I’ve faced, you might be one of the strongest.”

“Ho ho ho, there is no Demon King stronger than me.”

“That might be true.”

They run rampant in all directions. Striking from above, below, right, and left, attacking directly. Yet, nothing reaches the target. Using nefarious means, rocks are hurled, and the earth’s bedrock is overturned, raining rocks down from above.

(Just a little more, just a little more… More than a minute has already passed. If this continues, I will eventually surpass him, in the number of moves, in abilities, and in sheer strength.)

The rain of rocks is turned to sand in an instant. Seizing the opportunity to move behind Dan, the Demon King is sent flying again by a spinning kick.

(Ho ho ho, he touched me indirectly. The debuff has taken effect. Now…)

A weakening effect is applied to the opponent. In contrast, the Demon King can become stronger without limit, doubling in strength as long as there is magical power.

He was sent flying and tried to strike again, but before the thought even formed, his opponent was there. Again, a flash of the iron sword. He continued to fly through the air.

(But it’s just a little more. A little more, and I will surpass him…)

Another minute passed from that point.

(Just a little more…)

Another ten minutes pass. By this point, the Demon King has grown to the point where he could destroy a planet. He has clearly seen his path to victory. He will win shortly.

(Just a little more, it should be…)

He had grown to the point where there was no existence stronger than himself in this world. He had added to his strength. He himself knew that no previous Demon Kings had reached this level of strength. He was neither arrogant, nor carried away, nor overconfident, nor overestimating his own abilities.

But, he realized that his opponent’s sword was already at his belly. He couldn’t catch up, as if causality had been reversed.

(It should be just a little more, a few more seconds, a few more minutes, no, a few more hours… If I can endure…)

“Ha, a bad habit came out…”

Dan said as he dusted off the dust from his tuxedo. The man was at ease. He hadn’t shown his true potential, and the atmosphere suggested that he didn’t even need to.

That “lightness” was rather unsettling. Although he was supposed to be an overwhelming existence, it felt as if he was looking down on everything, observing from a god-like perspective from above. What on earth was he?

“Are you serious, no, that can’t be… Why don’t you get serious?”

“I don’t want to ruin the tuxedo I took the trouble to prepare, there’s an adventurers’ exchange meeting after this.”

He didn’t particularly want to toy with his opponent. He only wanted to make the minimum necessary movements.