Ding dong ding dong…
With the sound of the bell, Nero’s consciousness, which had been drifting for a moment, returned.
“Where is this…?”
It was a room that resembled a classroom.
Though some unfamiliar structures and objects caught his eye, the large blackboard covering one wall, the teacher’s podium, and the neatly arranged desks and chairs immediately made it clear that this was a school classroom.
Whether at Avalon Academy or the Royal Spada Academy, the layout of classrooms didn’t differ much.
The dimly lit classroom was bathed in a reddish light reminiscent of a sunset. Nero clearly remembered that the last thing he had seen was the battlefield of the Great Grassland. He had no recollection of coming to such a place on his own. In an instant, his location had changed. It felt as though he had stepped into one of those rare teleportation traps found in ancient ruins.
“…I see. So this is your Dimensional Magic, huh?”
“Yeah, welcome to my world.”
When Nero turned around, there sat the black-clad Demon King Chrono.
He was seated on a simple chair placed at the back of the classroom. His appearance was no different from when he attended classes at the School of the Gods without changing into a uniform—unassuming and relaxed. There was no trace of the majesty one might expect from a Demon King sitting on a throne.
“Pathetic. Is this your idea of a Demon King’s Blessing?——『Holy Sword: Crimson Lotus』”
A crimson flash swept horizontally from Nero.
The roaring wave of flames engulfed not only Chrono in his chair but also the entire, not-so-large classroom.
The wooden desks and chairs, the fluttering white curtains, the notices written in an unfamiliar language—everything in the world Chrono had created was incinerated by the scorching flames of the Holy Sword, as if to deny its existence.
The classroom was quickly reduced to ash, but before it could completely disintegrate, it faded away as if dissolving into the air.
What remained was a space dominated by only two colors: black and red.
The ground resembled black water. When Nero stepped on it, he didn’t sink, but gentle ripples spread outward.
The sky was crimson. The burning red sky lacked the beauty of a sunset, instead evoking the ominousness of fresh blood.
It was a desolate wasteland, with nothing but a black horizon stretching beyond the red sky. Nero stood in this empty, hollow space.
“Sorry, there’s nothing here yet.”
When Nero turned toward the voice, he saw Chrono standing there without a single burn mark.
“Dimensional Magic is said to recreate a divine realm or reflect the caster’s mental landscape… but it seems all I can manifest right now is that classroom.”
“So, is this the divine realm of the Demon King Mia?”
“No, it’s nowhere. Just an empty space.”
An empty space. Nero sensed that Chrono wasn’t being sarcastic when he said that.
It wasn’t that he believed the words, but his own senses confirmed it.
“Did you really prepare this place just to keep me from escaping?”
As Nero spoke with irritation, a silvery aura erupted from his body.
The White Magical Power coursing through him was flawless. It felt as though it was surging endlessly from the depths of his soul, unchanging.
The greatest advantage of Dimensional Magic was its ability to weaken an Apostle by sealing their Blessings. Nero had assumed that was why Chrono activated this magic, but… there was no weakening effect in this space at all.
Indeed, this was truly an empty space.
Neither the Blessings of the Dark Gods nor the White God were obstructed here. It was no one’s domain.
“Thirteenth Apostle Nero, I prepared this place just for you. Make yourself at home.”
“Yeah, it’d be boring to cut you down in one strike.”
Nero responded with a sneer as he slowly raised his sword.
A one-on-one duel. There was no need for a massive blade to mow down an army. Nero concentrated his White Magical Power into the beautiful, sacred blade, transforming it into a gleaming white edge———
“『Instant Flash』”
“『Black Calm』”
A pale flash of light and a red-black afterimage exploded simultaneously.
In Chrono’s hand was his favorite cursed great axe, 『Grudge Demon Blade “Neck Sever”』.
Acknowledging that this level of attack wouldn’t faze him, Nero activated the boosters on his ancient armor.
“『Thousand Mile Dash』”
Using his signature movement-enhancing Martial Arts combined with the booster’s acceleration, Nero closed the distance at ultra-high speed.
But the black and red eyes of his opponent tracked his movements precisely.
“Ha! You talk big, but is this all you’ve got?!”
A dance of white and black. Or perhaps a sword dance.
Nero unleashed relentless, high-speed three-dimensional sword strikes that no ordinary person could endure, while Chrono deftly parried with 『Neck Sever』.
Despite leaving countless afterimages as he darted and dashed around, attacking from all directions, Nero’s strikes were all deflected by Chrono, who remained rooted in place.
The clash of 『Holy Spirit Blade “White Star”』 and 『Grudge Demon Blade “Neck Sever”』 continued for a while before Nero was the first to make a move.
Chrono was on the defensive, but his guard was solid enough that simply slashing wouldn’t be enough to break through. However, battles are decided by overall strength, not just sword skill alone.
And Nero was no mere swordsman; he was a magic swordsman. It was only by wielding a magic sword that he truly excelled.
“Do you think you can handle this with just that axe?——『Holy Sword: Gale and Thunderbolt』!”
A storm enveloped the 『White Star』 in Nero’s right hand.
The activation of both the wind-based 『Gale』 and the lightning-based 『Thunderbolt』 created the dual-attribute Holy Sword, 『Gale and Thunderbolt』.
A tornado swirling around the blade hid countless vacuum blades, while intense purple lightning crackled within. With a single swing, wind blades and lightning spears would simultaneously strike.
“『Holy Sword: Flowing Water and White Snow』”
Extending his left hand, a freezing white rapier appeared.
Transparent like crystal ice, the rapier emitted a pure white chill, with several water orbs floating within like clouds.
“Can you keep up with my dual-wielding?”
Two blades, but four attributes of slashes.
From 『Gale and Thunderbolt』 came multiple wind blades and lightning strikes. From 『Flowing Water and White Snow』, ice spears and high-pressure water jets shot out like beams.
Facing this overwhelming onslaught of elemental attacks, Chrono muttered a single word.
“『Magic Sword』”
Rising silently from the ground was a black longsword.
An ordinary, mass-produced iron longsword—something that could be bought in any country, any town. Familiar to both soldiers and adventurers, it was no different for Chrono. This was the one that felt most natural.
Before the storm of four elemental attacks, Chrono commanded ten blackened swords.
“Cut them down.”
Following the Demon King’s command, the black swords cleaved through the storm and blizzard.
But they were merely reinforced mass-produced swords. Facing wind blades, lightning strikes, ice spears, and water jets head-on, the black swords shattered with a loud clatter, scattering into fragile black fragments.
Blades chipped, but the swords themselves did not break.
The blackened swords endured all the attacks, remaining in the air, their tips still aimed at the enemy.
“Do you really think you can block everything with parlor tricks like this?!”
Without pause, Nero unleashed another barrage. This time, the attacks were even more powerful and numerous.
In response, Chrono sent out more blackened swords to intercept. This time, many of the swords shattered upon reaching their limits of durability, but replacements emerged from the shadows to maintain the count of ten.
Occasionally, when the blackened swords couldn’t block everything, Chrono used 『Neck Sever』 to defend. The situation remained unchanged as Chrono stayed purely on the defensive.
“What’s the matter? You came all this way just to throw around cheap swords? I’m just getting warmed up.”
Despite the relentless onslaught, Chrono was holding up well. In the past, Nero might have been frustrated by Chrono’s unshakable composure, but now, as an Apostle, it was different.
His Magical Power was infinite. His body was filled with even denser White Magical Power, enhancing the potency of his techniques. Theoretically, as he grew stronger, there was no limit to how much he could enhance his abilities.
And since becoming an Apostle, Nero had yet to unleash his full strength. Even he couldn’t see where his upper limit lay. The bottomless pit of strength. Or perhaps, the ceiling of frustration had crumbled.
Boring feelings of confinement were forgotten. All that remained was a sense of liberation, a freedom that came with being the strongest.
No matter how strong the self-proclaimed Demon King Chrono had become, it didn’t matter. He might be holding on while conserving his strength, but how long could that last?
This was a good opportunity to test his current strength. He would take his time to see what Chrono was capable of—and how far his own power surpassed it.
“Don’t expect to be blown away so easily——Oraaaah!!”
With a wide swing of his dual blades, an even more devastating attack raged forth.
Chrono was still blocking with the blackened swords, but the rate at which they shattered was increasing. Of course, Nero’s attacks were growing stronger.
“Haha, that’s it. This is the power of a god… the true power I’ve always wanted!”
Nero’s attacks became even larger, fiercer, and more overwhelmingly violent.
He was certain he had reached a realm that his former self could never have attained. There was no limit to his strength. Even now, in this moment, his power continued to grow.
He was likely drawing out more strength as an Apostle than even Misa or Mariabel. The endless White Magical Power surged like a tidal wave, and his body, descended from the Demon King’s bloodline, was the perfect vessel to contain it.
“Disappear without a trace——『Holy Sword: Crimson Lotus Mountain』”
In an instant, the 『Flowing Water and White Snow』 in his left hand transformed into a holy sword of fire and earth.
The wide blade, polished like marble, resembled a blunt instrument more than a sword. However, the glowing magma patterns on it gave it a scorching sharpness.
With the force of a great leap, Nero brought the flame-wreathed giant sword 『Crimson Lotus Mountain』 crashing down upon the black earth, as if to split it apart.
Boom, rumbling————
With tremendous impact, the black ground momentarily boiled, and pillars of fire and molten lava erupted.
The impact site had become a small volcanic crater, and Chrono was unmistakably at its center.
The sheer force and scorching heat of the attack were beyond what could be blocked with mere sword tricks. A direct hit would surely obliterate Chrono, no matter how sturdy his body was, leaving no trace of bone behind… Nero had no doubt about that.
The feedback confirmed it.
“…Impressive. You’re strong.”
Muttering that even in terms of raw power, Nero had surpassed Ai, Chrono stood calmly in the center of the lava-filled crater.
The black Demon’s Robe he wore showed no signs of singeing, and his fierce visage bore not a single streak of soot.
He had merely used ten blackened swords to encircle his feet, blocking the heat from the ground. Only the spot where Chrono stood remained, like a lone island in a sea of magma.
“Why… how can you, who isn’t even an Apostle, remain so composed…?”
This was a battle in a realm that only those chosen as Apostles could reach—something no ordinary human could ever attain. Yet, Chrono remained as unshaken as ever.
He should have long surpassed Chrono’s strength.
He could feel that much power within himself.
Lost in the exhilaration of his ever-increasing strength, Nero hadn’t noticed until this very moment.
He realized it. The undeniable fact that none of the numerous attacks he had joyfully unleashed had dealt any damage to Chrono.
“Is this the Demon King’s blessing?! To think that you, too, could so easily obtain the ultimate power I finally acquired…!”
The same power as an Apostle. The infinite power granted by the gods—there was no other explanation.
What surged within him in that instant was pure rage.
Even with such power at their disposal, when he had truly needed it, they had not lent him even a fragment—no, they had abandoned Rin. Yet for Chrono alone, they bestowed their power so effortlessly.
Unforgivable. It could not be forgiven.
This absurdity. This unfairness.
It almost felt like returning to his original resolve. He had wanted to become the Demon King to overturn this ridiculous logic—yet it was Chrono, not him, who had reached that pinnacle.
Nero felt as though he had been confronted with the cruel reality once more. You were not chosen. The one the gods selected was not you, but another man.
“Is that how it seems to you? That this is the same power as an Apostle?”
“If it’s not, then what the hell is it?! No one but an Apostle could stand on equal footing with me!”
Chrono was being supplied with infinite Black Magic Power directly from his soul by the Demon King Mia Elroad.
Thus, his strength had no upper limit. He had stepped into the divine realm of surpassing limits—a privilege reserved only for Apostles.
Chrono could tell that Nero had interpreted it this way.
“…You’re a fool.”
And so, he laughed. He couldn’t help but laugh.
“Do you really think such a convenient power would be allowed?”
It was tragically absurd.
But Nero, who had already obtained unforgivable power in reality, would no longer understand such basic logic.
And so, it had come to this. A farcical battle built upon countless sacrifices and tragedies.
“That’s why… you will no longer be forgiven————”
From this moment on, I will kill you.
For the first time in this battle, a murderous intent radiated from Chrono’s sinister dual-colored gaze.
“————It was the White God who first broke the world’s laws.”
And so, with power that defied the world’s order, he would slay the Apostle.
—
**Dark Moon, 24th Day————No, the hour had already passed midnight. It was now the 25th.**
“Merry Christmas!”
The one who appeared before me with those words was the ancient Demon King Mia Elroad.
Clad in a black uniform, a massive jet-black mantle billowing behind her, the petite Demon King wore a radiant smile.
“…You’re not about to ask me to hold you or something, are you?”
“Sorry, but I already have seven wives and seven hundred seventy-seven lovers.”
Given the circumstances leading up to this, I immediately regretted blurting out something so ridiculous.
Calm down. This was probably a dream.
December 24th in another world—usually fraught with strange fate—had seemed like it would pass peacefully this year. But then Sariel rebelled, incited Lily and the others, and before I knew it, everyone had gathered in the bedroom tonight.
Unable to retreat, I had gone through Lily, Nel, and Fiona before the real battle began with Sariel, who had rightfully earned her title as the strongest in nighttime engagements… Anyway, after thoroughly indulging, I must have fallen asleep.
And now, upon waking, here was Mia cheerfully celebrating Christmas.
Of course, this wasn’t on a bed. This had to be a dream—but I knew better than anyone that it wasn’t just any ordinary dream.
“Why are you here?”
A red sky. Black earth.
That was all. A desolate expanse of nothingness.
“‘Black Demon King’—this is the Demon King’s blessing you’ve obtained. There’s no place more convenient for me to appear.”
Right. This was the power I had forged after overcoming the seven trials.
A dimensional magic that created the Demon King’s domain—this was the ‘Black Demon King.’
“I don’t remember activating it.”
“Well, half of it is my power, you know?”
I see. So she could appear whenever she wanted, huh?
Though I’d prefer she didn’t show up at such weird times…
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to read the mood from now on. Besides, I’m a god—I only appear when it’s truly necessary.”
“Stop reading my mind… So, is this one of those ‘necessary’ moments?”
“Your next opponent is the Thirteenth Apostle, Nero. I figured you’d want a little more practice before facing him. Consider it my Christmas present to you.”
So the present is you, huh?
Well, if the real thing is willing to spar with me, I couldn’t ask for more.
“Heh, not bad magic.”
“Compared to Fiona’s, it’s still an incomplete dimensional magic.”
Yes, there was nothing here yet.
No power to strengthen me, no environment, no effects to seal Apostles. Right now, this was just an empty lot.
In terms of merely isolating space, it wasn’t much different from ordinary spatial magic.
“Hmm, an empty lot. Maybe that’s for the best.”
Mia grinned mischievously, like a little devil.
As the one who had granted the blessing, she undoubtedly understood the mechanics of the ‘Black Demon King’ better than I did.
“Originally, I planned to test it against Misa.”
“Fortunately or unfortunately, you never had to use it.”
After overcoming Lily’s jealousy and completing all the trials, I had spent a long time thinking.
The seven blessings, now complete. What could I do with them?
At first, I focused on mastering each one. Even though I had acquired them, many were still difficult to wield properly. Especially the ‘Demon King of Light’—its recoil was immense, making it powerful but hard to control. Fine-tuning it was even harder.
But the seven blessings weren’t the full extent of my power. There had to be something only possible because all seven were gathered. And that something would surely be the key to defeating the White God’s Apostles.
After all, defeating Ai wouldn’t end the Apostles. He was only the Eighth. Even with Sariel gone, more than half remained in the homeland of Sinclair.
Among them, the Second Apostle Abel, the Third Apostle Michael, the Fourth Apostle Judas, and the Fifth Apostle Johannes—these four were known as the legendary Hero Party, the strongest of the Apostles. Even Sariel had admitted they were clearly on another level.
I needed power. Enough to face them if they came—and so, in secret, I had devised the ‘Black Demon King.’
It had only recently taken shape as dimensional magic. During the battle in Varna, I had hoped to test it against Misa.
But in the end, I was trapped and cornered, barely crossing blades with Misa before the battle ended.
So honestly, I still wasn’t sure if the ‘Black Demon King’ would work against Apostles.
“That’s why I came—Release, ‘Terminus God Key.'”
Whoa, the last time I saw this was against the Golden Demon God Karamala.
Normally, it appeared as a short staff hanging at his waist. But once drawn, it spiraled open, forming a massive crimson blade of light—a sword of pure energy.
Like something straight out of an epic space war, a beam sword straight from sci-fi. Damn, it was cool.
“Following in Freisia’s footsteps, I’ll indulge you to your heart’s content. Come at me whenever you’re ready.”
“Alright, then let me borrow your chest for a moment, oh great senior Demon King.”
When called upon, even in a dream, even in a divine realm, ‘Decapitation’ would silently appear.
Sariel had once mentioned that when she awakened to a new power of her blessing in Varna, the ‘Dark Knight Freisia’ had sparred with her in a dream.
For people like us, this kind of practical training was far more meaningful—and far more appreciated—than cryptic prophecies. Let me experience the full might of a hero who ascended to godhood—
As if responding to my fighting spirit, power surged from within me—no, from the depths of my soul.
An overwhelming amount of Black Magic Power flooded my body, brimming to the point of overflowing… and then released as an aura.
Just like an Apostle, the uncontrollable manifestation of power erupted as a sinister crimson-black aura that cloaked my entire body.
“Incredible power…”
“Yes, this is the power of an Apostle. A strength that defies the world’s laws—one that should never be granted to humans.”
Right now, I stood in the same realm as the Apostles.
Not through my own training, but simply by harboring power bestowed by the gods.
“If you were just handed this kind of power, of course your personality would warp.”
The thought crossed my mind bitterly.
The only reason I had gained superhuman strength was because of those hellish experiments. It wasn’t power I sought. No matter how strong I became, I would never forget that pain.
But without such suffering, if such immense power simply became yours, it would be easy to drown in it. The sense of omnipotence, of liberation—the feeling of standing at the world’s peak.
“However, this is an empty lot. It defies neither the world’s laws nor the gods’. Thus, there are no limits here—just as the White God defied the laws to grant power, we too shall grant you strength.”
Yes. This—this was the essence of the ‘Black Demon King.’
Divine power, obtained without risk or cost. That was the strength of the Apostles.
And the Dark Gods, bound by the rules of the world and the gods, could never do the same. They shouldn’t. If they did, the world would surely perish.
But this space, created by the ‘Black Demon King,’ was not part of the world the Dark Gods protected. It was an entirely separate dimension. Thus, no matter what happened here, it would not affect the world.
And so, here, divine power could be used without restriction. Here, the Dark Gods—no, for me, the Demon King Mia—could grant infinite power.
Exactly as much as the Apostles drew from the White God.
In this place, all who stood here were granted equal blessings—that was the one and absolute rule of the ‘Black Demon King.’
“In this place, there is no unjust disparity in power. Now, let us fight fair and square.”
—
**September 27, 2024**
Thank you all so much for your congratulatory messages for the 1000th chapter!
It’s thanks to all your feedback that I’ve been able to come this far. As an author, reading your thoughts is truly the greatest joy. I look forward to many more in the future!
Actually, I could have used the ‘Black Demon King’ during the Misa battle… But if I showed Chrono mastering it then, I felt it would lack the impact of its proper debut. I didn’t even hint at its existence—after all, if I mentioned having a trump card against Apostles, everyone would immediately guess he had learned it.
Most readers probably expected the true blessing’s name to be ‘Black Demon King.’ The only question was whether it would be Over〇〇… In fact, someone in the comments guessed it right long ago. Amazing!
Personally, I couldn’t think of a more fitting name than ‘Over Elroad,’ so even if it was predicted, I didn’t change it. Predictions and expectations go hand in hand, after all.
Well then, look forward to the next chapter—Nero’s battle, armed with the perfect Apostle-cheating meta!