After obtaining the adventurer card, Noa said goodbye to Luna, who was still unusually enthusiastic and almost leaned too close for comfort. Without lingering any longer, he left the Adventurer's Guild together with Eris.
The next moment, the two activated teleportation and were directly transported to the coordinates Eris had provided.
As the light of the teleportation circle faded, their surroundings changed completely.
They had arrived inside a dim, enclosed space.
It was a dark room, and from its structure and arrangement, it appeared to be a study—or at least something similar. Shelves lined parts of the walls, and a large desk sat prominently near the center, giving the place an air of authority and control rather than simple habitation.
Behind the desk sat an elderly man with gray hair.
Despite the sudden appearance of Noa and Eris, the old man did not show any sign of panic or shock. Instead, he calmly observed them, as though he had already anticipated this encounter.
After a brief silence, he spoke in a composed voice.
"So, you are the so-called heroes? To think you could bypass the barrier surrounding the Demon King's Castle and teleport directly into this room. I must admit, your abilities are quite impressive."
His tone was steady, almost conversational, but carried a faint sense of superiority, as if he were evaluating an expected outcome rather than reacting to an intrusion.
However, Noa did not pay him much attention.
Instead, he turned his head toward Eris.
"Is it him?"
He had no illustration or detailed description of the Demon King from the original records. The entity known as "Demon King" was never clearly depicted, leaving his identity ambiguous. So, confirmation from Eris was still necessary.
Eris nodded without hesitation.
"Yes. It's him."
After giving her answer, she immediately moved away and retreated to a corner of the room, deliberately creating distance between herself and the center of the battlefield.
Her role here was limited. As "Chris," she was operating under the restrictions of a mortal thief-class identity. She could not directly interfere with divine-level combat, nor could she safely withstand the aftermath of high-tier attacks. At most, she could observe and provide support if needed.
More importantly, staying close would only risk becoming a burden—or worse, a liability.
So she chose the safest position: far enough to avoid interference, but close enough to witness the outcome.
The Demon King—Yasaka Kyouichi—narrowed his eyes slightly, but still did not show anger. Instead, he continued speaking in an even tone.
"Are you ignoring me? Or is this confidence born from ignorance? Either way, your attitude is quite… arrogant. Or perhaps you simply look down on me."
He seemed more curious than offended, as if analyzing their behavior rather than reacting emotionally.
Noa finally glanced at him.
"Are you done pretending?"
He did not bother to continue the conversation. His tone was flat, almost indifferent.
Then, without any further warning, he drew his sword.
In an instant—
BOOM!
A single slash erupted forward.
It was not merely a swing of a blade. It was a condensed manifestation of overwhelming force, a cut so pure and direct that it seemed to divide the very concept of space itself.
The attack tore through the study in an instant, splitting everything in its path. Walls, furniture, structure—none of it resisted even for a fraction of a second. The entire Demon King's Castle, from the visible interior to its deeper spatial framework, was cleanly divided into two halves.
From the outside, the castle could now be seen as perfectly severed, as though reality itself had been sliced open with surgical precision.
And at the center of it all—
Yasaka Kyouichi.
Or rather, what remained of him.
He had not even completed the process of registering shock before his existence was divided along with everything else. There was no struggle, no resistance, no meaningful reaction. Just a clean, absolute separation—down to the most fundamental level.
Two halves.
Then silence.
"…Ah this…" Eris muttered unconsciously, her eyes widening as she processed what she had just witnessed.
For a brief moment, her mind struggled to reconcile expectation with reality.
Wasn't there supposed to be resistance? Dialogue? Testing? At least something resembling a final confrontation?
Instead, it ended in a single strike.
No buildup.
No exchange.
Just an instant conclusion.
Is this really it?
Eris remained frozen for a second longer before slowly shifting her gaze toward Noa.
"…Is it over already?" she asked, her voice carrying a rare hint of disbelief.
Noa calmly sheathed his sword.
"It seems so."