A wave of excruciating pain, accompanied by a profound sense of emptiness, crashed over the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord, almost overwhelming him.
"Wh... why...?"
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as his body trembled. He stared in disbelief at the dragon claw piercing his heart.
He could not understand what was happening.
Why had he been betrayed yet again?
Only moments ago, they had been fighting side by side against the Filth.
They were supposed to stand together, working toward the same goal.
Yet now, his supposed ally had dealt him a fatal blow.
The sudden betrayal had caught him completely off guard, leaving him bewildered and confused.
"Don't blame me. I'm simply carrying out my duty."
"You're exceptional, Deep Darkness. Your story shouldn't have ended here. Unfortunately, you made the wrong choice."
The Platinum Dragon Lord sighed, a trace of resignation in his voice.
Those words were meant not only for the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord, but also for himself.
[What's wrong with a world ruled by Players, as long as the ruler is a dragon?]
The Vampiric Dragon Lord's words still echoed in his mind.
That was right. If things could truly turn out as he hoped, what was so terrible about submitting to a Player?
His hands had long since been stained beyond redemption, but even so, he had no desire to repeat what had happened in the past.
It was time for a change...
The glory of the Dragon Race had to endure, and the world still needed protection.
The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord had undoubtedly become an obstacle to both.
"The wrong choice... Haha... Hahahaha..."
"So siding with the Filth like the rest of you is the right choice?"
"Answer me, Tsaindorcus Vaision! Is this what you call right?!"
Disbelief, shock, and every other emotion within him ultimately erupted into hysterical laughter.
The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord's shrill laughter echoed throughout the Sixth Floor.
Betrayed by his allies, mocked by the Filth, and ridiculed by his own kind...
What was this, his third betrayal?
Hahaha. How utterly hopeless.
The world was nothing but chaos. It was neither fair nor reasonable, merely repeating one farce after another without end.
But even if it was only for his own sake, he still wanted to struggle~
"Uraaagh!"
[Wild Magic: Elemental Explosion]
The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord roared and unleashed the Wild Magic he had previously obtained through a trade with the Brightness Dragon Lord.
Compared to [Wild Magic: Darkness], which focused on destroying a single target, [Wild Magic: Elemental Explosion] was capable of striking a wide area and was far better suited to the present situation.
Viscous black mist infused with demonic power erupted from the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord, engulfing the entire area in the blink of an eye.
Although the fusion had been interrupted, he had still acquired a portion of the Seven Deadly Sin Demon Kings' power.
However, that power had no foundation and would not last long.
The Platinum Dragon Lord had already moved an instant before the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord launched his attack.
He withdrew his claw, swiftly evaded the black mist, and shot toward the blood moon overhead like a cannonball.
The Wild Magic [World-Isolating Barrier] had severed the connection between the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord and the World-Class Item.
With no target to recognize, the enormous circular magic array began shrinking rapidly like a deflating balloon.
The phantoms of the Seven Deadly Sin Demon Kings vanished, while the crimson blood moon gradually faded into an illusion. Soon, only the small demon statue remained floating in midair.
The Platinum Dragon Lord reacted swiftly, snatching it up before rushing outside without looking back.
He broke through as effortlessly as a carp leaping from the water.
Although the World-Class Item could not be interrupted from the outside, that protection applied only to external interference. From within, the barrier could be breached directly.
"Don't even think about escaping!"
The viscous black mist pursued him like a shadow.
The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord was astonishingly fast. In the blink of an eye, he had caught up from behind.
Just as the black mist was about to touch the Platinum Dragon Lord, two figures blocked its path.
[Wild Magic: Elemental Explosion]
[Wild Magic: Blood Soul Annihilation]
The seven elements fused into dazzling multicolored light. Like a brilliant rainbow, it intercepted the advancing black mist.
At the same time, a fierce, stabbing pain tore an anguished cry from the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord.
Invisible flames were burning through both his Soul and his flesh.
"Deep Darkness, that's not how Elemental Explosion is supposed to be used."
The Brightness Dragon Lord wore a smug smile as he mocked him, manipulating elemental energy to neutralize the black mist.
[Wild Magic: Elemental Explosion] had originally been developed to fuse different elements, causing them to react upon collision and release a devastating torrent of energy.
The Brightness Dragon Lord had tailored the spell specifically for himself. Only he could unleash its true power.
Thus, even with part of the Seven Deadly Sin Demon Kings' power strengthening him, the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord could not break through the Brightness Dragon Lord's blockade.
Especially not with the Vampiric Dragon Lord supporting him from the side.
The Undead True Dragon Lord was pouring everything into his Wild Magic without the slightest concern for the strain on his Dragon Soul.
He stared fixedly at the screaming Deep Darkness Dragon Lord like a starving wolf watching its prey.
The humiliation of being ambushed and killed remained fresh in his mind. Combined with the Brightness Dragon Lord's mockery afterward, it had left him thoroughly enraged.
"Tra... traitors!"
The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord's face twisted ferociously, his eyes blazing with fury.
Yet against the combined efforts of two True Dragon Lords, he could not advance at all.
He could only watch helplessly as his World-Class Item was carried farther away.
Elsewhere, the Platinum Dragon Lord approached Naohara, lowered his head, and respectfully offered him the World-Class Item.
A World-Class Item from [The Twenty] had been successfully recovered!
"To be honest, I thought you might hesitate. I didn't expect you to be so decisive."
"I have to admit, that was a beautifully executed backstab."
Naohara weighed the demon statue in his hand before placing it in his inventory, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
There was no hurry to study it. That could wait until the current situation had been resolved.
He then turned toward the Platinum Dragon Lord and praised him.
"I... don't lie..."
The Platinum Dragon Lord spoke slowly and evenly, his voice as calm as an undisturbed lake.
That composure lasted only a few seconds.
Naohara's next words made the corner of his mouth twitch, nearly shattering his calm facade.
"Well said. Children who don't lie get candy. Father is very pleased. Here's your reward!"
The Platinum Dragon Lord fell silent as he stared at the offered candy, looking like a baffled old man staring at a phone on the subway.
This man's personality truly was... impossible to understand.
With the future of the Dragon Race in his hands, there might be reason for concern.
The Platinum Dragon Lord felt mentally exhausted, but he still accepted the candy.
Not because he wanted it, but because a certain young dragon beside him was already drooling.
Wait...
Was this his real objective all along?!
The Platinum Dragon Lord looked at the young dragon, then at the candy in his hand, and suddenly understood.
I see. Heh...
So he intends to win me over this way?
What a cunning Player.
"Awooo~"
"It's about time. So, what's it going to be? Are you two handling this, or should I?"
Herohero yawned and turned toward his two friends.
After a full day of work, he was starting to feel hungry.
"Hmm... Ah! What?"
Momonga froze for a moment, clearly distracted.
"What are you thinking about so intently?"
Naohara and Herohero looked at him curiously.
"Nothing. Something just feels strange."
"Strange?"
"Mm. Don't you think the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord has been acting a little... out of character? It was the same when he activated the item from The Twenty, and now he's behaving the same way after being stabbed in the back."
"He looks desperate, but it feels as though he still has something in reserve. According to our intelligence, he isn't the kind of person who would recklessly throw his life away."
Momonga explained his doubts.
The information they possessed about the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord had all come through hearsay, but every account described him as cautious and deeply protective of his own life.
Momonga had always felt that the dragon resembled him in that regard.
When he placed himself in the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord's position, he noticed something was wrong.
Momonga knew what true despair felt like.
He had experienced it when he learned that Naohara intended to take his own life.
That was why he could sense that the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord had not completely succumbed to despair.
His current behavior seemed less like genuine hopelessness and more like a Player whose health had fallen into the red, becoming so enraged and humiliated that he wanted to tear a chunk out of his opponent before dying.
"Of course, that's only my guess. I may simply be overthinking things," Momonga added.
"I see..."
Naohara and Herohero exchanged glances.
After thinking for three seconds, they began moving in perfect agreement.
"Demiurge, contact Nigredo and have her come here."
"Wrath, Envy, Greed. Separate the portions of your Souls bound by the contracts you signed with the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord. I'll compensate you afterward."
Naohara glanced toward the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord, who was still fighting the Brightness Dragon Lord and the Vampiric Dragon Lord in the distance, then immediately issued his orders.
Whether Momonga's suspicion was right or wrong did not matter.
As his companions, Naohara and Herohero would trust Momonga's instincts unconditionally.
"As you command!"
Demiurge acted swiftly.
The moment Naohara finished giving the order, a Gate opened.
It was clear that the Demon had already begun preparing while Momonga was speaking.
Several seconds later, Nigredo emerged from the Gate.
"Naohara-sama, Momonga-sama, Herohero-sama, what orders do you have for me?" Nigredo asked softly.
Judging from the marks on her body, she had been occupied with something moments earlier and had rushed over immediately after receiving the [Message].
"Nigredo, I assume you haven't neglected your analysis of the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord's blood."
"Next, I want you to combine it with a fragment of his Dragon Soul and perform a comprehensive scan of the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord as an individual."
(P.S. It was previously mentioned that Cocytus obtained the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord's blood. A small portion was given to Pandora, while most of it went to Nigredo.)
(The original plan was to use it to locate the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord, but since he walked into their trap himself, it was never needed.)
"Temporarily embed this [Caloric Stone] into your equipment. It will help with the investigation."
Herohero took out a dark-red stone and handed it to Nigredo as he quickly issued his instructions.
Nazarick currently possessed three [Caloric Stones].
Aside from this one, the other two were held by Rubedo and Momonga.
"As you command!"
Nigredo now realized the seriousness of the situation.
She accepted the [Caloric Stone] and the Soul fragments offered by the Three Demon Generals. After completing her preparations, she extended her hand and activated her magic.
Nigredo's magic functioned like an observation station.
The blood and fragments of Dragon Soul floated in the air as Nigredo combined countless information-type spells, using them to trace the target in reverse.
The World-Class Item [Caloric Stone] strengthened her detection abilities while also allowing her to pierce any possible interference from Wild Magic.
Two images appeared before them in succession.
The image on the left showed the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord engaged in battle.
The other displayed a completely unfamiliar location. Judging from its surroundings, it appeared to be some kind of sealed space.
Naohara and his two companions turned their heads.
No words were necessary.
The NPCs, who had long been ready to act, immediately used the location to open a Gate and rushed through en masse.
Even the Wyrm Dragon Lord and the other Dragon Lords who had merely been watching the spectacle followed them inside.
All right, time to earn some credit!
In the distance, the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord divided his attention between the battle and the events unfolding nearby.
A terrible premonition arose within him.
Why did the location shown on that screen look so familiar?
No way...
Could it be...?
The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord immediately sensed that something was wrong.
As his attacks became even more frantic, he silently prayed that it was not what he feared.