The Battle of the Demon Lords.

They began glaring at each other in tranquil silence, signaling the start.

Velica, who just moments ago had displayed brazen provocation and a confident demeanor, whispered quietly to me.

[Although I’m the one who said that, you do know that you're the one who has to fight, right?]

"…"

[Even if I was once the Demon Lord, ultimately, I am already dead.]

Even though she was a demon, now that she had become a soul after death, she was unable to wield her power freely.

Just like humans, demons also experienced the same thing in the face of death.

The reason she was able to parasitize me and use her power was, of course, because I was a Necromancer.

While it may have seemed like my body had been taken over by the Demon Lord, ultimately, everything was under my control.

Magan probably knew that as well.

[But if it’s you, you should be able to exert and use my power to the fullest.]

"Just help me control the legs attached to my back."

Since I originally had my right arm, it wasn’t an issue for me to control the newly emerged hand. However, it felt like the spider legs that sprouted out like wings would require practice to handle.

However, I had no time to practice at the moment, so I left it to the auxiliary.

[Of course.]

"Don't mumble in front of me!"

Accompanied by a roar, a massive black hand, the one that had restrained Darius and Deia, rose from the ground, and swiftly lashed out at me.

It was the same technique that had the power to subdue even Tyren, the Mage Tribunal Judge, with a single blow. However…

I need to test it.

I raised my newly sprouted right arm. The moment when my still-swirling hand made contact with Magan's attack, the massive hand began distorting strangely, as if it was caught up in the spiral.

And in just a few seconds, Magan's attack disappeared.

[If it’s just this level, it’s super easy, you know.]

Velica shrugged as she boasted proudly. Although she thought it wasn’t much effort, I could certainly feel the vast difference in power between the Demon Lord and a human.

Creak! Creak!

The spider legs on my back extended to the ground, supporting my body and lifted me off the ground, so that I no longer needed to run.

[Since you lack stamina, leave the brute force movements to me!]

Tap, tap, tap!

Like a pianist playing the keys, the spider leg moved rapidly, striking forward.

Compared to its speed, my running speed was perhaps… nothing.

And as soon as I arrived in front of Magan, I swung my right arm like a hammer.

Boom!

A thick shield resembling a plate materialized above Magan's head. Gritting his teeth, he glared at me with his sinister eyes, spewing hatred and rage.

"How dare you!"

The plate immediately whirled and disappeared as if my right hand absorbed it.

However, Magan took advantage of the moment, crouched down and leaped with his mouth wide open.

It was a leap I never imagined to be possible with that body. His mouth, wide open amidst the shattered plate fragments, swallowed my right arm in its entirety.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

"…!"

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly after he began devouring my swirling right arm, which distorted everything it touched.

Crunch. Crunch.

That bastard started chewing on it and he didn't plan on stopping there; he tried to cling to my body with both arms and legs.

Thud, thud, thud!

The spider legs supporting me pierced his abdomen like blades, trying to create some distance between us.

Thanks to that, the hand and foot that Magan had extended towards me flailed in the air helplessly, but nonetheless, my right arm had been devoured.

I hurriedly tried to withdraw with the help of Velica, but I found something hard blocking my retreat.

When I took a glance, all I could see was a giant, circular plate.

And it enveloped both Magan and me simultaneously.

[Get yourself together!]

My brain had a hard time keeping up with this high-paced battle.

The inside of the plate was dark, hot, and humid, making it difficult to breathe.

My right arm was severed once again, and I was unable to see anything properly.

And inside the pitch-black interior, Magan's yellow eyes turned into a malicious grin right in front of me.

"It seems like the ingredients are not fully prepared yet."

Crunch!

The sound of something being munched on resonated from below. It seemed like one of the spider legs was bitten off.

Crunch, crunch!

One by one, the spider legs supporting me began to disappear, and my body swayed and lost its balance.

The moment my left foot had just touched the ground, something sharp, similar to teeth, tried to bite it off instantly.

I was unable to gauge accurately what was happening in the darkness, but I could infer that a battle of nerves was unfolding between Velica and Magan on the ground, with me in the middle.

"Hehehe."

In the darkness, Magan’s eyes turned into a half-moon shape.

That gaze, which subtly informed me that it was only a matter of time, was reminding me of the forgotten terror.

However, I emitted mana with my left hand.

And only now could I see the grotesque shadows resembling snakes with sinister mouths.

They attacked me ferociously, determined to devour the blue light.

However, as I immediately shot the mana sphere upwards, the mouths flew towards the mana, and not my left hand.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Since the sphere was small, the mana was consumed quickly, and that caused the mouths to devour each other.

It was a bizarre sight, yet Magan still raised the corners of his mouth.

"Pathetic."

That was his only comment.

His excited expression looked like that of a child, eagerly waiting for his favorite dish on the verge of completion.

However…

"…!"

His previously narrowed eyes widened, and a rumbling sound spread through his abdomen.

"Blaarrrrgh!"

The right arm created by Velica emerged from Magan's mouth, and returned to me, finding its owner again.

Crash!

"Velica!"

[Ugh, look at this arm, it’s all wet!]

The irritated Velica put strength in the remaining spider legs, propelling us upward, and I extended my right arm, shattering the plate that trapped us, and we escaped outside.

"He’s out!"

"Deus!”

[I thought you were dead!]

Deia, Eleanor, and the Dark Spiritualist watching from outside let out cries of joy.

However, there was no time to respond to their cheers.

The plate that had trapped me and Magan suddenly faded and disappeared. In its place was Magan, crouching and drooling.

"I reasoned you wouldn't be able to digest the power of the Demon Lord that easily."

Ultimately, even the hands and mouths protruding from the outside were also parts of the body connected to Magan.

Else, there would have been no reason for him to devour me through those parts.

If the mouths devouring the spider legs were a part of Magan, I theorized that I could directly harm him through them.

It wasn’t that I dealt a blow using mana. I merely created a path for Velica's undigested right arm inside Magan’s stomach to find its way back to its owner.

[You could do that?]

"I have quite a good teacher. So, I should at least be a competent mage by now, right?"

After all the training and battles I’d been through, I couldn't afford to fail at this level, right?

[But the power of the right arm has diminished considerably. If it remained there, it would have been completely digested.]

"…"

Just as Velica said, I could clearly see that the power in the right arm had decreased.

[We can't let ourselves be devoured anymore.]

"I have a slightly different opinion."

[Hm?]

Magan tried to catch his breath and readjusted his posture once more. It must have been pretty painful to vomit something that had reached deep inside the stomach.

"We must continue fighting while being devoured."

[What crazy nonsense are you spouting?]

Velica scolded me, calling it absurd. Despite her words, my eyes remained fixed on Magan, who was glaring at me with his head lowered.

"Magan is strong because this is his banquet."

[…Trying to stop the banquet won’t work. It has already begun. No matter how much we try to escape, we're just food to him.]

"Exactly."

I kind of praised Velica for grasping the key point, but she simply scratched her head instead.

[How were you able to communicate with Stella?]

"It is me who is wondering how Stella became friends with you. I do not get it."

Anyway, despite our mutual dissatisfaction with each other, we found a way to win.

[So, what should we do?]

"Since the banquet has already started, we cannot stop it. But not everything in a banquet can be eaten."

[…?]

"We just need to inform him that there is a dish that cannot be eaten."

Once again, I put strength into my right arm. Although Velica still didn't understand it completely, she decided to use the spider legs to propel me towards Magan.

"Block them!"

As he still hadn’t recovered, Magan shouted in a rage. At his command, the Secretary immediately rushed over and blocked our path.

I didn't want to exert unnecessary force, but as it seemed unavoidable, I attempted to knock her down in a single blow. However…

Thud!

Wearing a robe, Tyren fiercely poured mana from behind and tackled the Secretary, toppling her over.

With Magan's hand, which had been restraining him, disappearing as the Demon dealt with me, Tyren was finally able to move.

"Go!"

"Iiiikkkk!"

Pushed aside by Tyren, the fallen Secretary hurriedly tried to pierce his throat with her sharp nails. However…

Crash!

The right hand she raised was cut off and rolled on the ground.

It was Darius, who in sync with Tyren, also drew his sword and cut off the hand of the fallen secretary.

[They’re pretty useful!]

Seeing them in action, Velica praised the two upon, but I kept my gaze fixed on Magan.

He gnashed his teeth and then pulled out a golden trident from his mouth.

No, not a trident.

A giant fork.

Looking at the weapon that conveyed his determination to still view us merely as simple prey, I snorted.

[The Pursuer of Delicacies—that's the name of his weapon. Considering that it's been several hundred years since he last brought it out, it seems he is quite desperate.]

Several hundred years.

That amount of time was simply immeasurable. However, on the contrary, it also meant that for such an immeasurable amount of time, he had just been dining, not fighting.

He thrust the golden fork straight at me. And it wasn't until it was right in front of me that I could tell.

The amount of karma this weapon carried.

Writhing and agonizing, the fork screamed with countless thoughts.

My neck slipped through the gap between the tines of the fork. It was a dangerous situation where I could have been pierced, but Magan seized the opportunity, held the fork in reverse, and then raised his hand.

Thanks to that, the fork's tines were pressed against both sides of my shoulders, and due to the overwhelming difference in strength, I could only kneel. However…

"Huh?"

[What's going on?]

Magan and Velica.

The two Demon Lords exclaimed simultaneously.

My right arm and all the spider legs attached to my back disappeared, leaving Velica in her soul form clutched my left hand.

"Go ahead, feast on this! If you can handle it.”

[Hey! Hey!]

I pulled my left hand back and swung it towards Magan's mouth, as if I were a shot put thrower.