Alexander smiled arrogantly as a great column of fire shot out from his sword.
The demon king watched as it approached, impressed by its beauty.
It was curious. Even if that attack was going at an exorbitant speed, he could see it approaching slowly.
For the demon king, the world around him was slow and gray.
However, in that moment, the demon king felt something he hadn't experienced before.
[Emotion]
While waiting for the hero, he had only been researching, studying, testing magic.
All while awaiting his fate, his predestined death.
In perspective, all that knowledge seemed useless. All that effort would serve no purpose.
Because his destiny was to die at the hero's hands.
However now, the demon king felt that his purpose wasn't so boring.
In fact, that battle was completely worth the wait.
All those years waiting for the hero had been worthwhile for this moment.
"Star? You call that a star?" the demon king then said as he pointed at the column of fire heading toward him with his index finger. "No, this doesn't even come close to what a star can do."
He said as a small sphere the size of a tennis ball materialized at the tip of his finger.
It emitted an intense blue radiance, though no one could say it was really interesting.
However, the truth was quite the opposite. That was a star, a preon star with the mass of Earth.
Yes, with such a simple gesture he had summoned a hypothetical star made of hypothetical particles.
The densest object in the universe before black holes.
That was the power of chaos, a practically unlimited, illogical power that broke the rules of the universe with astonishing ease.
"Taste what a true supernova is," the demon king touched the small sphere, making it burst in a specific direction, toward Alexander.
The energy shot out like a laser, piercing through Alexander's column of fire as it continued advancing.
The laser spun while its gravity was strong enough to swallow the hero's flames.
One would think that such gravity should in fact collapse the entire castle, however, the demon king had already solved that.
For him it was simple to manipulate the space around the "laser," creating a series of subspaces where gravity was diluted, creating a "focused event horizon."
That supernova laser easily managed to pierce through the hero's attack and continue on its way, impacting him directly and piercing through his chest before finally disappearing into a subspace.
"W-what?" the hero wondered as he fell to his knees on the ground and clutched his chest.
His armor began to break into pieces as he felt that intense pain spread.
"H-how?" he said in disbelief.
That armor was a divine artifact whose function was to eliminate all damage from a mortal attack once a day.
No matter how strong the attack was, if it was powerful enough to kill him it would be negated.
It didn't matter if the attack wasn't actually going to kill him. For example, if someone launched an attack strong enough to decapitate him but aimed at his leg, it would be nullified.
It had always been that way, until that day.
The demon king had easily destroyed an artifact that could put two kingdoms at war.
"Were you... holding back?" the boy finally said with some fear in his voice.
He knew it. If he had aimed for the heart, he would be dead.
He was alive by the demon king's whim.
"Isn't it obvious?" the creature asked, genuinely confused. "I don't want the fight to end yet. I have many spells I haven't tested. I still have many treasures to use. Why would I want to end the fight? Aren't you enjoying it?"
Alexander looked at the demon king, incredulous.
Was he really fighting for pleasure?
Was all of this nothing more than a game to him?
"No, of course not... I'm not enjoying this. Do you think I asked to be a hero? Do you think I chose to save this world!?" Alexander shouted with a broken voice. "I was forced! Dragged from my world and exposed to a bunch of dangers to save people I don't know... and... and to watch how the only people in this world who mattered to me were murdered..."
Alexander looked at the ground with a defeated gaze.
"No, I'm not enjoying it. I just want it to end quickly so I can return to my world and forget about everything," he finally said with a cold voice.
The demon king looked at Alexander, incredulous.
For the first time in his life, he felt something similar to hatred.
Why?
Why was someone who didn't even enjoy his life destined to take his away!?
He wanted to live. He wanted to test all the spells he had learned, all the weapons he had researched, and above all...
He wanted to keep feeling that emotion.
So why?
Why was someone who didn't even value all of that destined to take his life?
He couldn't comprehend it.
"[Remove seals]," Sylvie then said with a serious voice.
Silver tattoos began to appear on Alexander's skin.
The boy began to feel power shooting out of him, causing him great pain.
"HUOOOOOO!" the boy exclaimed as his veins took on a bluish color and his muscles tensed.
A silver aura formed as he lifted his sword with difficulty.
The silver blade of the sword began to reveal golden-colored runes that shone intensely.
The demon king prepared himself, making a gesture with his hand. Again the veil of chaos surrounded him.
An impregnable defense that completely ignored an attack's power, simply eliminating it from the world's order of cause and effect.
He didn't want to give up. He didn't want to perish.
He didn't want to accept his fate.
"[Hammer of Dawn]," Alexander finally exclaimed as the blade of his sword descended until the tip touched the ground.
A small "cling" was heard, and then the heavens roared.
A silver light descended from above, concentrating the power of all the stars in the cosmos.
That attack descended, completely evaporating the castle's ceiling.
There was nothing that could resist that temperature.
Because it was an [infinite] temperature.
The light continued descending, but the demon king was calm.
There was nothing that could penetrate his defense. Because no matter how much power an attack has, it still follows the law of cause and effect.
"Huh..." it was then that he saw it, how that truth shattered, how that unbeatable defense was pierced, how that light continued on its way.
For the first time in his entire life, the demon king felt fear.