Pitch-black clouds blanketed the sky like an endless sea of darkness.
They were thick and oppressive, as though they intended to swallow the entire world.
Within the clouds, lightning flashed violently like countless threads. Each bolt resembled a winding silver serpent, carving a dazzling streak through the darkness.
Those threads of lightning intertwined into an enormous electrical web that covered the entire sky.
[BOOM!]
A deafening explosion sent towering waves surging across the sea.
A colossal figure plummeted from the sky and crashed into the ocean, throwing up wave after wave. The impact was so powerful that it pierced straight through the seabed, producing another earth-shaking roar.
"How unreasonable. Before power of this magnitude, even a dragon seems so small and helpless."
Pandora's voice echoed across the ocean.
His appearance had undergone a complete transformation.
His entire body was covered in a crimson carapace that glowed like molten lava even in the darkness. His two ferocious heads each bore a twisted red horn, while wings resembling disaster-laden crimson lotuses spread from his back.
This was his new form, a dual-fusion transformation created through his Talents.
Using his opponent as a reference, he had stacked Naohara-sama's template upon itself, creating an effect greater than the sum of its parts. This removed the original eighty percent restriction and unleashed power exceeding one hundred percent.
To commemorate the occasion, Pandora had gone out of his way to give his new form an imposing name:
[The Incarnation of Catastrophe at the End of Days, True Crimson-Eyed Twin-Burst Dragon.]
"My father's power represents the pinnacle of dragon slaying, and it is also the goal I will pursue for the rest of my life."
"But imitation will always remain imitation, nothing more than an empty likeness. This body carries on my father's blood and soul. I cannot lose to a counterfeit like you."
Without warning, an enormous whirlpool formed on the ocean's surface, and the massive silhouette of a dragon slowly rose from the depths.
The colossal dragon was covered in brilliant white scales and fur. Lightning coursed across its body like a flowing suit of armor.
It possessed a pair of wings that embodied both catastrophe and sacred grandeur. Four massive horns formed a radiant crown upon its head, giving it the majesty and beauty of a divine Dragon God.
As its low voice faded, ominous red lightning began spreading through the surrounding air.
Within its body, a bone covered in mysterious runes shone with a vivid crimson light through its chest. The dormant Dragon Crystal also began trembling violently.
[Catastrophe fills the heavens. Darkness spreads and devours the blue.]
[Scarlet lightning shines upon the highest sky.]
[The solar disk sinks into corruption.]
[The ancient world is the court of truth.]
"You've reforged Catastrophe, and while you were beneath the sea, you took the opportunity to channel the power of the ley lines. Are you finally getting serious?"
"Hahaha! Then come! Let us unleash it without restraint, this power that shares the same origin, bestowed upon us by a Supreme Being!"
Both dragon heads erupted into eerie laughter, their voices reverberating through the entire space.
It had been a long time since Pandora's blood had boiled like this. He did not dislike the feeling. On the contrary, he found it exhilarating.
Right now, he desperately needed to release the power surging inside him.
Besides, Naohara-sama, this must be what you were hoping to see as well.
At that thought, Pandora willed his Talent into action.
His ability to divide his attention activated instantly. Under immense pressure, he read the weapon memories a second time and initiated a third-stage transformation.
(P.S.: The second reading refers to accessing two abilities, his original transformation ability and the Dragon Lord Transformation ability from the equipment Naohara gave him.)
Come, the pinnacle beyond all convention. This is the absolute limit of what I can achieve now!
Pandora roared inwardly.
As a magic circle appeared, the center between the two ferocious dragon heads began writhing violently, as though something were about to break free from within.
At last, a new dragon head slowly emerged from the center, radiating a terrifying aura.
Pseudo-True Crimson-Eyed Ultimate Dragon, officially taking the stage!
Thick black mist spread like a raging torrent, engulfing the entire battlefield in the blink of an eye.
As the mist expanded, the world seemed to split in two.
On one side surged a violent sea of black fog. On the other, crimson lightning wove together into a terrifying spectacle.
The red lightning, infused with the power of the ley lines, transformed into several enormous Lightning Dragons. They roared through the sky, twisting their massive bodies through the air.
The black mist refused to yield. It rolled and churned like a savage beast baring enormous fangs, ready to devour everything in its path.
The two powers, born from the same source, confronted one another and formed an eerie balance.
Time itself seemed to freeze.
Only 0.0001 seconds passed, yet it felt as long as an entire century.
At that instant, the two dragons moved in perfect unison. They lunged at one another at speeds impossible for human eyes to perceive and began the most primitive and bloody form of combat.
...
Outside, a barrier spanning fifty kilometers sealed off heaven and earth, transforming the region into an independent miniature world.
Naohara sat cross-legged in midair, calmly observing the deathmatch before him.
"Don't you find it boring to watch the show alone?"
A voice suddenly broke the silence.
Without warning, space began to distort.
The previously tranquil sky seemed to have a veil torn away, revealing its true appearance.
Countless eyes emitting an eerie glow densely covered the sky. They looked as revolting as oozing pus, enough to make anyone's skin crawl.
A deep voice echoed from the void, carrying an unsettling, sinister quality.
As the words faded, a figure appeared beside Naohara.
His body had no fixed shape and constantly writhed like a mass of flowing darkness.
This was Herohero's true body, his most primal form.
"Not at all. You're here, aren't you?"
"I thought you would remain hidden as a spectator and quietly watch this farce through to the end."
Naohara turned toward his friend and chuckled softly.
As he spoke, countless crimson pupils emerged across the surface of his body. They continuously twisted the void, as though they might tear the entire space apart.
Every crimson pupil glowed with an eerie light, meeting Herohero's ghostly eyes and creating a chilling sight.
Tens of thousands of crimson and spectral pupils turned in unison, producing a strange and indescribable beauty.
A conversation should take place between equals. That was the most basic courtesy.
"When did you notice me? You shouldn't have been able to detect my presence."
Confusion appeared in Herohero's eyes.
He had complete confidence in his concealment abilities. This time, he had even used Zesshi Zetsumei's Talent to read the weapon memories of his former companion, Nishikienrai.
"During Pandora's passionate performance, Blackie, you let out a hint of killing intent. It was faint, but not faint enough to escape me."
"When did you realize something was wrong?"
After explaining, Naohara turned the question back on him.
"I see."
Herohero nodded. He then produced a plate of specialty pastries from the orphanage, passed one to Naohara, and continued speaking while he ate.
"As for when I first noticed something was wrong, it began when you forced Albedo to take a vacation."
"At the time, I found your reasons strange, but I didn't look into it any further. Later, however, several things happened that made me suspicious again."
"Rubedo's deployment request was particularly flimsy. The whole thing fell apart under even the slightest scrutiny. It was practically treating me like an idiot. Momonga was probably the only one who never suspected anything."
Herohero sank into his memories as scene after scene flashed through his mind.
Solution's unusual behavior, especially her sudden and excessive interest in his opinion of Rubedo.
Then there was Albedo's vacation, which showed no sign of ending, along with those endless tea parties.
"So I tacitly approved the request involving Rubedo and decided to watch how everything developed."
"Then, not long ago, Pandora and Sephis left Nazarick, so I followed them."
It was not unusual for the Guardians to leave Nazarick from time to time. Had Sephis departed alone, Herohero might not have paid much attention.
However, when he saw Pandora and Sephis traveling together, suspicion immediately arose in his mind.
The two of them leaving at the same time, combined with their connection through the earlier tea parties, made it difficult not to consider the implications.
[Clap! Clap! Clap!]
"Impressive deduction. You might have a future as a detective."
Naohara applauded.
How should he put it? This was entirely in keeping with Herohero's usual style.
"So, what do you think?"
Naohara tossed the pastry in his hand and continued questioning him.
"I don't think much of it. You've already cleaned everything up, haven't you?"
"Personally, I would have preferred to erase Albedo outright, or at the very least use Downfall of Castle and Country on her."
Loyalty that was not absolute was absolute disloyalty.
Unless the matter involved Naohara or Momonga, Herohero would not tolerate any possible threat.
"The Charm effect of Downfall of Castle and Country would be flagged by the Guild."
"But now that we can use Guild weapons, we could simply alter the system and redefine that abnormality as a normal default state."
"Hm? That's possible?"
"I asked Momonga directly. It can absolutely be done."
This guy had really thought everything through.
"Then why did you change your mind?"
"Because you were using the passive effect of the World-Class Item [Millennium Rod] on Albedo the entire time, weren't you? It's obvious that her affection for you is quite high. With you around, I'm not worried."
"Come to think of it, if you put in a little effort, perhaps you could even... Hehehe."
Herohero's tone gradually became teasing.
Although Momonga had modified Albedo's settings, that did not change the fact that she had originally been written as a bitch.
"No way. You never make a move on a friend's wife. That's an ironclad rule!"
"But they're not married yet."
"Then how about lending me Solution to play with?"
"Uh... You may have a point."
After that exchange, the previously somber atmosphere melted away like snow.
"By the way, I specifically told Pandora and Sephis to knock Albedo out of the fight first so you could feel a little better."
Naohara pointed toward the charred body floating in the sea below, his words carrying a deeper meaning.
"Sending two dragons after a Succubus. That certainly sounds like you."
Herohero glanced at Albedo, who was already on the verge of death, and acted as though he had heard nothing.
As long as she was not completely dead, it was fine.
(P.S.: Information regarding an NPC's death and resurrection appears within Nazarick's central system. Refer to Shalltear's resurrection in the original story for details.)
"That's not quite right. Albedo is an Angel."
Naohara corrected him.
Albedo had originally been designed as a highest-tier Angel, but after merging with a monster from the Land of Dreams, her form became distorted.
(P.S.: This is from the original setting.)
"An Angel fused with a monster and radically transformed into a Succubus... Is that another example of Tabula Smaragdina's love of contrasts?"
What kind of absurd nonsense was that?
Herohero knew Tabula Smaragdina was obsessed with elaborate character settings, but even this concept was outrageous enough to leave him speechless.
"Hahaha. She's a member of Nazarick, after all. Aren't we all a little strange?"
Naohara patted Herohero on the shoulder and smiled.
As the saying went, Nazarick was overflowing with talent. You could lack anything, but never a flair for the absurd.
There was no arguing with that...
Herohero wanted to defend himself, but after remembering Solution's settings, he realized he was not much better. He could only nod helplessly.
"So that's why you were acting so secretive before and asked me for one of Zesshi Zetsumei's Talent Seeds."
"It's an excellent idea. Unfortunately, only a Doppelganger can accomplish it."
As they watched the deathmatch inside the barrier below, Herohero and Naohara began chatting casually.
"A wild idea is useless if you leave it untouched. You have to test it, right? You might even get a pleasant surprise~"
Now that he was a Supreme Being, he could naturally do whatever he wanted.
Resurrection magic existed as a safety net, so there was nothing to fear.
"Judging from the results, though, they're still a little rough around the edges. They'll need time to adjust."
Sephis had an exceptional affinity for the Power of Catastrophe. Not only had Naohara's bone been implanted into his body, but the Dragon Crystal he had yet to fully digest was also continuously supplying him with strength.
However, perhaps because his power had increased too quickly, his control had suffered.
Pandora's situation was even more extreme.
He had jumped straight into a third-stage transformation without any adjustment period whatsoever. The fact that he succeeded at all was already miraculous.
As a result, neither of them could currently use magic properly. Any attempt would cause an explosion, leaving them no choice but to rely on their physical bodies and fight head-on.
By copying Naohara's dragon-specialized classes, Pandora could barely contend with the half-trained Sephis, even though he lacked the most crucial class, [Dragonslayer].
"That's why you made them fight to the death, isn't it?"
Combat was an excellent way to integrate everything one had learned.
It could stimulate hidden potential and accelerate adaptation to new powers.
Compared with slow, gradual training, this method was undoubtedly faster and more efficient, though it carried much greater risks.
However, with sufficient power standing behind them, those risks were insignificant.
"Since we have the ability to handle the consequences, why shouldn't we be a little bolder?"
"You seem to be growing more arrogant by the day."
"Look who's talking. Aren't you the same?"
Arrogance was not the same as blind conceit.
True arrogance was founded upon overwhelming strength.
It required the power to justify it, and they happened to possess exactly that.