「Your highness, it’s about time that, that man――」

「Yeah, I got it」

At the end of Mihai’s gaze, a single white haired man could be seen overtaking Mūzeg’s cavalry at a tremendous speed.

「Just alone…」

Mihai gulped when he looked over at Merea.

No matter what Serius thought of that man, he couldn’t get himself to want to have any relation to him.

Of course, if it were for the sake of Serius then he would risk his life no matter what his personal thoughts were on the matter, though if there was no reason for that then he didn’t want to get anywhere near it.

「I don’t know what he plans on doing but――」

However, Serius seemed to be different.

The gray haired man had a smile on his face that was overflowing with anticipation for the upcoming fight.

The expression that he has seen second most after his expressionless face was this particular smile. Mihai found such an expression on Serius’ face to be really beautiful.

「Fine then. 『I’ll get on board too』」

「Yo, your highness…」

「Don’t worry captain. I’ll make sure to take some insurance with me. You can still shoot the white light cannon right?」

「Yes!」

「In that case, keep it prepared. If it’s this close then it should go through. ――But, don’t get closer than you need to be, that is something that would be too much for the captain and normal soldiers to handle」

「In that case, where should we be?」

「It’ll be fine if you hide inside Caligula’s mouth or something」

Caligula was the name of the red land dragon that Serius had been riding.

「Inside the mouth? Sounds like a situation that’ll seriously fray on our nerves」

「That’s another thing you don’t need to worry about. Caligula is obedient. Not to mention, it understands human speech quite well so, as long as I give it orders there will be no problems. ――『For the sake of our Mūzeg』」

「――Yes, with pleasure!」

Although the captain had no intention of going against the order but those words made it doubly sure that he wouldn’t go against the order」

Those words are words that all the soldiers of Mūzeg consider to be of the highest importance. The words that left the mouth of this prince were of the highest importance.

After lightly bowing his head, the captain quickly moved towards the base of the neck of the land dragon that had almost come to a stop.

Before Merea arrived, he positioned himself to become like a shadow.

「It seems like I’ll get covered in drool」

「I’ll give you some treatment after everything is over」

「I feel much more relieved after hearing that」

He turned back around and along with several of his subordinates, he stepped into the open mouth of the dragon.

While watching the captain and his subordinates, Serius spoke to Mihai.

「Do you think that I’ll lose?」

「No, if you were to lose to that man in a one-on-one fight then there will be no one in this world who can win against him」

「You’re exaggerating. The world is really wide. Even though I haven’t even managed to completely suppress the eastern continent yet」

「However, when against a demon lord――especially a technique type demon lord, due to your birth, you are overwhelmingly superior」

「That’s true. That’s all thanks to the ancestors of Mūzeg.」

「In that case, please use that power to defeat that demon lord. Once you do that, this war will probably end. That’s the feeling I get」

Mihai had noticed that the gazes of the demon lords he could see scattered all around was nailed to this side.

While taking a break and resting their bodies along with the soldiers of Lemuse, they all turned their gazes towards this situation where an encounter was about to happen.

「The 『main support』. That white haired demon lord is most probably the main support of all the other demon lords」

「That’s probably true. I heard that it was the same even on the sacred mountain as well」

「In that case, it will be fine as long as you break that. Though, it’s possible that the other side is approaching us with the same intention. Since your highness is the main support for the entirety of Mūzeg after all」

「That, in itself, is a problem huh. They are too obedient lately. Even earlier, it would have been fine even if they continued to attack as they were. However, father focuses on such formalities after all」

「It’s for the sake of loyalty as well as for the sake of 『belief』」

Mihai noticed that Serius’ expression clouded over as soon as he heard those words.

「Well, whatever. You stay away as well. As far as I can see from his gaze, his target seems to be me. If enough people stay away, no one will interfere」

「In such a battlefield, that’s just unusual」

「This is a battlefield of the current era. Though, I think that I’m a certain kind of salvation. The age of dark disorderly wars with neither pride nor belief is enough being in history books. I like battle but that is something that I hate」

「...That’s true I guess」

Mihai nodded in the end and finally took a step to quickly jump off the back of the red dragon. The full speed sprint of the red dragon had slowed down to a walking speed and their vision had also stabilised considerably.

「Make sure to stop the cavalry. Don’t let them get in my way. There’s the case with the magic eyes as well as the other techniques. I have to make sure to capture him alive. There’s also the reason that those things will lose their effect as soon as he dies after all. In any case, Mūzeg would be the one to suffer a loss if he was killed just because I was injured」

「――As you say」

As far as Mihai was concerned, that proposition was something that he felt nothing but anxiety about but, there was no way that he would refuse. He thought that, in a sense, that was a weakness of Serius who loved fighting.

「Then, let fortune be with you」

「Yeah」

Mihai got off of the red dragon’s back first.

The red dragon had completely stopped now.

With the cavalry in front of him, while preparing to speak loudly,

「――」

Mihai suddenly noticed white lightning streaking across the battlefield. It was that man.

――Please don’t let your guard down.

While praying so in his mind, Mihai turned his gaze away from that man.

It would be just the two of them from here on out.

It’s the encounter of the man who was trying to climb from the eastern continent to the center of the world and the man who was trying to throw a stone into the order of the current world.

◆◆◆

In such a battlefield, it was a terribly orderly scene.

In the center of the wilderness, a red dragon was laying down.

While curling up, it obediently lay there as if to make its back into a circular arena.

The red scales looked like a luxurious carpet but it also looked like an arena that was covered in blood.

Standing on the back of that dragon that didn’t move a single inch, was a man. With his characteristic gray coloured hair, he was an attractive man.

In front of that man, another man suddenly appeared.

With his characteristic white hair, he had otherworldly good looks.

The distance between them was just ten steps. As far as those two were concerned, this might have been the perfect distance. However, they did not move at once.

It was a strange scene.

Around the red dragon that the two of them were riding on, there was a black wall that had been made.

Without getting too close, the Mūzeg’s cavalry had surrounded the dragon to ensure that the white haired man wouldn’t be able to escape.

The very fact that, even though there were so many of them, there was not a single sound that could be heard from could be considered to be rather magnificent.

They were waiting for some movement.

They were narrowing their eyes to somehow catch the movements of those two’s mouths. It didn’t seem like they would be able to heard their voices.

They had received an order not to approach no matter what.

Ignoring those people, those two men started talking. The one to begin the conversation was the gray haired man.

◆◆◆

「This is the first time we meet ever since the sacred mountain of Lindholm huh, demon god. ――Let me ask you your name first」

◆◆◆

「It’s Merea Mea. ――Serius Brad Mūzeg」

◆◆◆

On that day, the sound of history moving could be heard.

◆◆◆

With Serius in front of him, Merea had one hand on his waist and an expression on his face that could only be called as unexpected.

「I didn’t think that I would be able to pass through so smoothly」

「That way was much better for me though. You could just call it a match of speculation. Well, though it can be called interest as well but, since we’re trying to find a mutually beneficial matter, it would be bad manners to call the other side harmful after all」

「Do you have enough leeway in the war right now to have a conversation?」

「It depends on the time and situation. The strong need to show off their broad mindedness after all」

「I wonder how you can say that. It’s Mūzeg that has been hunting demon lords without a break isn’t it?」

「That’s why I said that it depends on time and situation. In the end, the one to decide is the strong after all」

「That seems to be your response then」

Merea looked at Serius with a sarcastic smile.

「I’ll ask you a question from my side now. ――『Those eyes』, where did you get them?」

「...Do I have an obligation to tell you?」

「You already understand that it doesn’t make a difference whether you answer or not right? The process in which you got it doesn’t really matter anymore, since you currently possess them after all. Where you got them is something that doesn’t really have much meaning in this situation right?」

「But you still asked」

「It’s curiosity. I have a deep relationship with those eyes after all」

「――That’s the first I’ve ever heard of that」

「Is that so? So Flander Crow never spoke of it then?」

Serius purposely breathed a sigh while he spoke. Merea felt a certain unease at those words but he didn’t bring it up immediately.

「Well whatever. Although I found it to be somewhat unbelievable but when I look at you, it makes me feel like it’s a possibility that the 『ghosts of demon lords』 were actually on the Sacred Mountain of Lindholm」

「The ghosts of demon lords...huh. So they would end up...with that sort of title huh」

Merea slightly frowned his brows.

「So, what did you come here for? I doubt you’re here for some small talk are you?」

「Half my reason is something like that. The other half is――as you have guessed it」

「Then let’s get the former out of the way frist. You wouldn’t be able to have a proper conversation in that breathless state after all」

Merea didn’t react to Serius’ provocation.

「――Why do you hunt demon lords? Aren’t you people powerful enough already? From what I’ve heard, you people currently hold more than half of the eastern continent in your hands」

「I see. ...It came to that huh. ――You sure seem to like unexpected logic」

「Answer me, why do you hunt demon lords? Did it never occur to you to make a deal with them before you try to hunt them down?」

To Merea’s question, rather than a serious expression, Serius lightly groaned as if he were trying to think of his favorite food and answered.

「A deal is――something to break」

「A deal with the assumption that it will be broken isn’t a deal」

「That’s true. I was being a little contrary right now. ――Let me ask you instead. Would you seriously try to negotiate a deal with a three year old with money on the table?」

「...!」

Even Merea couldn’t help but raise his shoulders to that provocation.

He almost took a step forward but he promptly came back to his senses.

「That’s how highly you think of that is it?」

「More or less. Well, it wasn’t like that in the past though. We tried to give the appropriate considerations at that time. However, the demon lords declined, Mūzeg on the other hand grew much bigger, which in turn meant that they weren’t needed as much. ――Do you get it now? You are all tools. Not to mention, tools that we would never feel very deeply about, such disposable tools. Right now, we have no other choice but to concentrate on other countries, so we decided to let you all be used for that sake. If I add another point then, 『having it stolen by other countries』 is something that we can’t overlook. In that case, even if we don’t steal them, it’s better if we at least break them all. Mūzeg must always win. No matter who the opponent is」

Hearing that reply, Merea unconsciously made a fist.

「Let’s take it that I’m convinced by that answer, even if I have to concede a million steps to do that. ――Then I’ll ask you over and above that. What do you people plan on doing by going as far as trampling all of those countries? What exactly is your goal for you to go that far for victory?」

「...」

Serius didn’t answer immediately. In that single instant, Merea felt a 『discomfort』.

「...Who knows. I have no obligation to leak the plans of our country to you」

「What do you personally think, Serius? Right here and now, there is no one but you and me. Definitely, as the prince, no matter what you say. It would seem like the thoughts of the entire country. However, in this very moment, you can speak your own thoughts can’t you? The surroundings can’t hear anything after all」

「...」

Serius was internally nodding to Merea’s words. Even then, he did not speak anything out loud. Seeing that, Merea heaved a disappointed sigh.

「――Got it. In that case――I’ll have you spit it out even if I have to force you. Your personal thoughts」

He suddenly took a step forward.

In his right hand he had the〈Resplendent Sword of the Water God (Seura Eurus)〉and by the time he took the second step, the same sword was grasped in his left hand as well.

Battle preparation.

Without falling behind Merea’s signs of commencing battle, Serius pulled out the〈Demonic Spear Kurtad〉out of the technique’s space and took his stance.

On top of the red, white and gray danced.