A small demon statue, barely a foot tall yet radiating a spine-chilling aura, floated silently in midair.
Its material was unknown. The surface was smooth as a mirror, reflecting the faint candlelight, while a heavy stench of sulfur hung around it.
Its twisted body seemed to writhe in agony. Its wings were spread as though it wanted to escape, yet some unseen force held it firmly in place.
Its goat-like face bore a hideous grin, revealing sharp teeth that sent chills down the spine. It seemed to be mocking the ignorance and frailty of all living things.
Seven horns grew from its head, each representing one of the Seven Deadly Sins: Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, and Lust.
A rune was carved into each horn. They flickered with a strange, sinister light, as though recounting the sins of all creation.
Whoosh!
Aura drew her longbow without hesitation.
An arrow blazing with dazzling light streaked across the night sky like a meteor, flying straight toward the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord with terrifying force.
But just as it was about to strike, the small demon statue erupted with crimson light.
A blood-red pillar shot violently into the sky.
It resembled a crimson moon rising into the night, shining with blinding brilliance and illuminating the entire sky of the Sixth Floor.
An enormous circular magic array appeared, enclosing the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord and the Platinum Dragon Lord within a sealed space.
An invisible wave spread outward like a raging hurricane. The instant the arrow drew near, it shattered and dissolved into countless motes of starlight.
Aura frowned slightly.
She was about to join forces with Mare and the two Gacha Dragons beneath them when a voice stopped her.
"Stand down."
A familiar touch came from above.
Aura and Mare's expressions instantly changed, their faces lighting up with delight.
"Father-sama."
Although they had not seen him in a long time, that presence remained as warm and familiar as ever.
Aura and Mare obediently raised their heads, looking nothing like the ruthless figures from moments before.
Naohara stroked their heads while gazing into the distance.
"A World-Class Item related to Demons. But it seems somewhat different from what we predicted."
[Wild Magic: Soul Devourer]
Momonga's expression turned grave. He shifted into his skeletal form and immediately unleashed Wild Magic.
Tier Magic was useless here.
Aside from another World-Class Item, only Wild Magic, its opposing force, could influence a World-Class Item.
The Power of Faith could also achieve the same effect.
Soul Devourer was a gift from the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord.
It corroded flesh like a Demon while greedily consuming the Souls of nearby creatures like a starving wolf, converting them into fuel for Wild Magic.
Thick black mist surged forward like a tidal wave.
Yet an instant before reaching its target, it vanished like an illusion, leaving no trace behind.
Whether Momonga targeted the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord or the blood moon overhead, neither was affected.
"Oh? So this is the type that cannot be interrupted from outside."
Momonga and Herohero approached Naohara and observed the scene before them.
"It's in a casting state. Judging by the scale, this is no ordinary World-Class Item."
Herohero spoke after a moment of thought.
Casting time, also known as channeling time.
This was a common phenomenon in Yggdrasil. The more powerful an item was, the more likely it was to require such a process.
The same applied to magic.
Super-Tier Magic, for example, required an extremely long casting time.
Without summons or companions to provide cover, the caster could easily be interrupted.
Unless, of course, they used Cash Shop Items to shorten the casting time.
There was a reason Yggdrasil's game balance had been criticized as complete garbage.
High above, a dull sound began echoing through the air.
It resembled both the beating of a heart and the low murmur of a Demon.
Seven demonic phantoms emerged from the blood moon, each radiating an ominous presence.
Their eyes remained closed as they floated silently in midair.
"This is... What a nostalgic sight. The World Bosses, the [Seven Deadly Sin Demon Kings]!"
"It seems our guess was half right. However, this World-Class Item is a superior version of the one we remember, one of The Twenty. No wonder the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord kept it hidden so carefully."
Naohara studied the seven familiar demonic phantoms thoughtfully.
Demons were one thing, but these were specifically the Seven Deadly Sin Demon Kings, former World Bosses.
That could not be dismissed as mere coincidence.
During the game era, a serious incident had once occurred involving a World Champion.
Among the nine World Champions, the World Champion of [Muspelheim] was ranked first overall.
He had once used a World-Class Item dropped by the [Seven Deadly Sin Demon Kings] to transform himself into a World Boss, drawing a force of thirty Players to hunt him down.
After a prolonged battle, he was defeated and lost his World-Class Item.
Dissatisfied with the result, he caused numerous problems throughout the game, and the developers eventually deleted his account as punishment.
After another public tournament was held, the second World Champion of Muspelheim became the first female World Champion, at least in appearance.
They had previously believed the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord possessed that same World-Class Item.
Now, it seemed they had underestimated it.
That item could only transform its user into one of the Seven Deadly Sin Demon Kings.
It certainly could not summon phantoms of all seven at once.
The two were fundamentally different in concept.
"So the World-Class Item from back then was merely an inferior version of the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord's item. This really is an unexpected windfall."
The slime covering Herohero's face rippled as amusement entered his voice.
Yggdrasil contained an immense variety of items, so naturally, some shared similar functions.
The same was true of World-Class Items.
For example, Nazarick possessed the World-Class Item [Millennium Rod], while another World-Class Item was known as [Downfall of Castle and Country].
Their effects were nearly identical.
One could be activated remotely through magic, while the other required direct physical contact.
There were also [Five Elements Overcoming] and [Ring of Ouroboros], both counted among The Twenty.
Despite both being members of The Twenty, [Five Elements Overcoming] could essentially be considered an inferior version of [Ring of Ouroboros].
[Five Elements Overcoming] allowed its user to submit a request to the developers to alter the magic system.
[Ring of Ouroboros] possessed the same function, but with even greater authority.
"Mm. It seems we're quite fortunate."
Momonga nodded.
To be safe, he took out the World-Class Item [Eternal Seal].
If anything unexpected happened, he would activate its power.
Before the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord's World-Class Item completed its casting, Momonga would force a one-for-one exchange and prevent it from fully activating.
After all, he did not trust the Platinum Dragon Lord.
He had heard plenty about that dragon's tendency to switch sides.
(P.S. This refers to the Platinum Dragon Lord allowing the Theocracy and the Elf Country to wage war, but preventing the Theocracy from defeating the Elf Country. He secretly supported whichever side was weaker to maintain an unnatural balance.)
As they spoke, more NPCs began arriving one after another.
The first were Sephis and Demiurge, who approached while chatting and laughing.
Next came Cocytus, maintaining his solemn samurai bearing.
Shalltear arrived while speaking with the Three Demon Generals.
Sebas came holding the young dragon's hand.
The Vampiric Dragon Lord was being relentlessly mocked by the Brightness Dragon Lord.
The Heavenly Dragon Lord walked along while eating snacks.
The White Dragon Lord held his head high and puffed out his chest.
The Wyrm Dragon Lord, Diamond Dragon Lord, and Ancient Flame Dragon came merely to watch the spectacle.
The Swordmaster Dragon Lord was also present, bound and imprisoned. He kept his head lowered throughout, looking completely withdrawn.
"What...?"
Inside the sealed space created by the World-Class Item, the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord stared wide-eyed at the scene before him.
He could hardly believe what he was seeing.
The NPCs were one thing, but why were there so many dragons?
Aside from the Swordmaster Dragon Lord, none of the others looked as though they were being forced.
And those three over there...
Weren't they the Original Sin Demons he had summoned?
Why had they also joined the Filth?
Damn it!
Every last one of them was a fucking traitor!
So they had all been acting from the beginning.
Had he actually been too conservative in his suspicions?
Endless rage surged from the depths of the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord's heart.
He wanted to roar, to unleash all his resentment and fury.
As though sensing that emotion, Wrath, one of the Seven Deadly Sin Demon Kings within the blood moon, slowly opened his eyes and looked down.
"Damn you, Filth and traitors! You will pay for your arrogance!"
The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord spoke through gritted teeth, completely unaware that the Platinum Dragon Lord's expression beside him was gradually changing.
"Heh. Deep Darkness, do you think you're some kind of savior?"
"Make us pay? Aren't you being a little childish?~"
The Brightness Dragon Lord burst out laughing as though he had heard an excellent joke, his face filled with mockery.
The surrounding NPCs and dragons also began laughing, filling the area with a cheerful atmosphere.
"All right, that's enough."
"His resolve is still worthy of encouragement, even if... it is completely worthless."
Naohara smiled as he spoke, every word cutting straight to the heart.
"You...!"
The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord glared at Naohara, making no effort to conceal his killing intent.
"You can sense it, can't you? The cost of activating that item. I'm curious why you're so... calm."
Momonga carefully chose his words.
There was no denying the power of The Twenty, but such power did not come without a price.
For example, [Longinus], one of The Twenty, could directly delete another Player's account.
The cost was the deletion of the user's own account.
Momonga had been observing the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord closely.
Aside from rage, the dragon showed no fear whatsoever.
He looked completely confident, which prompted Momonga to test him.
"So what if there is a price? Even if it costs me my life, I will not hesitate."
"The world's evil must be severed by the wicked!"
The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord declared righteously.
Oh, so there really was a price...
Good.
They had obtained the information they wanted.
At the same time, the demonic phantoms representing Pride, Envy, and Greed opened their eyes.
Five of the Seven Deadly Sin Demon Kings had now awakened.
A faint aura of curses began spreading from within the blood moon.
"The casting is almost complete. It took longer than expected. Is that because we're inside Nazarick and it's being suppressed by [Throne of Kings], another World-Class Item?"
"And this presence... a curse?"
Naohara narrowed his eyes.
He then looked toward the Platinum Dragon Lord, who had deliberately kept himself inconspicuous the entire time, and gave him a meaningful glance.
The conversation had gone on long enough.
Elsewhere, a roar shook the air.
The blood moon descended, and the phantoms returned to their places.
The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord released a tremendous roar, sending visible ripples through space.
Power!
An overwhelming amount of power was surging through him!
Deep Darkness Dragon Lord, [Original Sin Fusion]!
He had gained the power of the World Bosses and acquired the magical skills of the Seven Deadly Sins, though only for a limited time.
This was power capable of shaking the sun and moon.
Power capable of shattering the earth.
Looking back, his former self seemed so insignificant.
He had been no more than an ant.
Buzz!
The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord's mind suddenly blurred.
He sensed something vanishing from within him, flowing upward into the phantoms of the Seven Deadly Sin Demon Kings.
Was this the price?
It did not matter.
If death was required, then so be it.
He still had another contingency plan.
If he could destroy the Filth, then this body would have fulfilled its purpose.
Just as the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord reached that conclusion, something unexpected happened.
While he remained unable to move during the fusion process, a figure that had been preparing for this moment moved like a ghost.
A hand pierced straight through the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord's heart.
At the same time, the Wild Magic [World-Isolating Barrier] enveloped his entire body, severing his connection to the World-Class Item.