The second demon king, Ultimate Life-Form Ultimelt.
I know the demon king that appeared in front of me from records I saw in the future.
‘Nation Devouring Slime’, ‘Crawling Ocean’, ‘‘Gluttonous Demon King’…
It had many names, and none of them were an exaggeration.
The first time around, this demon king ate some countries, was incredibly massive, and kept expanding.
This demon king’s power is Universal Synthesis.
It melts whatever it touches, consumes it, and takes in its power.
Matter, spirits, magic energy, spells, knowledge, techniques… Just by touching, this demon king melts, eats, takes away…
This led to demon king Ultimelt being known as history’s worst demon king.
(…I didn’t expect it to be born already.)
I see the large slime eating the former mages.
Every time it twists itself, it carves walls and the ceiling of the dungeon, sending rubble downwards.
But the Ultimelt I know isn’t this small.
It wasn’t created in accordance with the mages’ plans.
Judging by how it was the first time, it should’ve appeared a week from now, but… Because of my meddling in history, it was released when it’s still in its ‘infancy’.
(…I know how to beat it.)
Of course, I thought of a countermeasure before coming here, and prepared a trump card to defeat the demon king Ultimelt.
But right now, I can’t win.
There’s someone behind me I have to protect, and I need to prioritize getting Labrys to safety.
“Labrys, let’s get out of here while it’s eating them.”
“…Y-yes.”
In the future, I checked documents about Ultimelt.
After it was born, it was a primitive being that was drawn to strong magic energy.
The former mages and the dungeon’s nucleus… The two large magic energy reactions in this place.
They should buy us some time.
“Chrom…”
“Don’t worry, I’ll cover you.”
She looks at me with her eyes shaking with uncertainty, so I grab her hand and run.
I can’t use magic, or I’ll draw the attention of Ultimelt. I use my sword to cut slime that attacks us, and throw magic stones as bait.
“C-Chrom? We’re running away, right? That’s not where the exit…”
“No, this way’s fine.”
I’m heading towards the dungeon’s control panel.
I jump at the control panel sitting on a table, and quickly operate it with my fingers.
Complex magic writing appears on the light screen projected in the air.
“All right. There’s still magic energy.”
Having that said, the dungeon’s nucleus, its source of power, is beginning to be eaten by Ultimelt.
I don’t have a lot of time left.
“Do you… Know how to use that?”
“…Yes, I’ve handled it a few times.”
“Eh…?”
I was at the top of the Sorcerer Association the first time around, so there’s nothing those mages can do that I can’t, even if the mode of operation and features vary depending on the dungeon.
(…Every dungeon should have a transfer feature to position monsters.)
The dungeon is collapsing thanks to Ultimelt.
If I head to the exit with Labrys, we might end up buried before we make it outside, but with the transfer feature, I can send her out in a second.
“Here it is…!”
I found the dungeon’s transfer feature, but…
“…!”
I try to use it right away, but it makes a warning sound and spits out a warning message.
It’s stuck on authentication because of magic energy wavelength. These mages probably tampered with it.
I don’t have time to break through security.
“Dammit…”
If I knew when it was used to send something outside, I could just rewind the control panel’s time to that point.
But there’s no way for me to conveniently know that. Or is there?
I quickly place the palm of my hand on the control panel.
“‘Time, turn back’.”
The control panel’s time returns to when it sent something outside. Thankfully, I actually do know that exact time.
The goddess calendar, tenth day of the fourth month of the year one thousand two hundred, six thirty six in the evening.
The moment when it all began.
When the ancestral dragon and that huge group of monsters were sent outside.
And it looks like I was correct.
Teleportation magic circles start shining underneath the broken cultivation tanks around me.
“Labrys, step on one of those magic circles! It will take you outside the dungeon!”
“Really!?”
“Yes, trust me.”
“…Y-yes.”
Labrys doesn’t really understand what’s going on, but seems to trust me, so she slips into one of the broken cultivation tanks.
I go after her, but stop in front of the cultivation tank.
“Chrom, hurry…! The demon king will be here soon…!”
I turn around, and see Ultimelt really is slowly drawing near.
I guess there’s no way it’s not going to react to the transfer feature and the magic I just used, but…”
“…”
“Chrom?”
“‘Time, turn back’.”
I say, and glass fragments scattered on the ground start floating.
“Eh…?”
The transparent fragments dance in the air like flower petals, and form a cylindrical glass container as though they were puzzle pieces.
The cultivation tank has been restored to how it was before it was broken, with Labrys inside.
“Wha…!? What are you doing, Chrom!? Now you can’t get…”
“Sorry Labrys, I’m staying.”
“…Eh?”
“I need to end that demon king right here.”
I need to take Ultimelt down now, or Labrys, El, and Almana itself will end up being devoured by it.
To defeat this demon king it has to be fought at its smallest and weakest, right after it’s born.
And in this era, only I can do it.
“…Sorry, but we can’t leave together.”
“Y-you’re kidding? That’s absurd…”
“…”
“Y-you’re not serious…? Y-you’re joking?”
“…Sorry.”
“T-this is too much! I don’t know how strong you’ve become, but that thing…! It’s going to kill you!”
Labrys starts banging on the glass, but the shine of the teleportation magic circle is intensifying.
She’s eventually enveloped in light.
“C-Chrom, come here quickly…! No… No! We finally made up…! I want to be with you more! Don’t leave me alone Chrom… Big brother Chrom!”
Tears start pouring from her eyes.
“…You’re still such a cry-baby.”
She doesn’t get along with people easily, but is actually prone to feeling lonely.
She puts on a brave front, but she’s actually a kind cry-baby.
That’s why… She ended up becoming a demon king the first time.
“…This time, I really will honor my promise.”
“Eh…?”
When we were younger, I promised I’d come to her rescue.
And yet, the first time around, all I could do was kill her while she cried.
I’ve regretted all this time, over these hundred years, but now… In the past, I’ll make it right.
“Don’t worry Labrys, I’ve become strong.”
I place my hand on the glass.
“I’ve worked hard, and became strong enough that you don’t have to cry anymore. I’ll stay with you, and protect everyone from now on, so…”
I smile and try to reassure Labrys just before the light takes her.
“So smile, Labrys.”
And then… She’s gone.
Only a few particles of light remain in the cultivation tank.
I can’t hear her voice anymore.
The small hand that she placed above mine through the glass is gone too.
It looks like she was successfully sent outside.
“…Well then.”
I feel something creeping up on me, and turn around.
I see the giant slime that consumed the dungeon’s nucleus.
Every time that giant body moves, the dungeon collapses further.
‘Nation Devouring slime’, ‘Crawling Ocean’, ‘‘Gluttonous Demon King’…
A calamity that ate several countries, and had to be sealed away the first time around, because it couldn’t be destroyed.
I stand before the worst demon king in history, alone.
“Let’s begin, demon king Ultimelt.”
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