Charles stood on the slope and couldn't help sighing. "This really is spectacular."
In Camelot, Meliodas had decided to go on the offensive and crush whichever two of the Ten Commandments were hosting this Great Fight Festival.
Based on Meliodas's understanding, the Commandments usually operated in pairs at most.
So as long as they finished the fight quickly, they could take two down before the others arrived to help.
Even if it was a trap laid by the Ten, they could still probe their movements. Worst case, run with Merlin's Teleport.
So Meliodas, Ban, Diane, King, plus Charles and Stella headed to Byzel.
The unstable Gowther, bodyless Merlin, and the non-combatants Elizabeth and Hawk stayed in the rear.
Of course, they were watching the battle through a crystal ball, and Merlin was ready to teleport everyone out at any time.
Even so, when the group reached Byzel, they were still startled by what they saw.
Byzel had originally been a town, but what lay before them now was a vast labyrinth of stone walls.
It wasn't an ordinary construction; someone had created it directly with tremendous magic.
Even now, Charles could feel the powerful magic infused into those stone walls.
To create a rocky maze the size of dozens of soccer fields—it said a great deal about the creator's strength.
Only Drole, the giant king born with four arms and the Demon Eye, revered as the progenitor of the giants, could do that.
And one of the two powerful signatures Charles sensed at the labyrinth's heart had to be Drole's.
His partner would be Gloxinia, the First Fairy King.
Three thousand years ago, led by the Goddess Clan, the elite warriors of the four races formed Stigma and bled the Demon Clan.
Gloxinia of the fairies and Drole of the giants had once stood shoulder to shoulder with the traitor demon Meliodas.
But because Ludociel, the head of the Four Archangels who led Stigma, kept pulling "less than ideal" moves, the result not only forced some humans to defect, it broke the convictions of Gloxinia and Drole, who ultimately joined the Demon Clan's camp.
The two of them replaced fallen Commandments, became new ones, and were sealed together in the Coffin of Eternal Darkness.
Naturally, Stigma wouldn't broadcast that two of their champions had defected, so the public line was that both had died challenging the Demon King.
Meliodas placed a hand on Lostvayne's hilt behind his back. "Sooo, what now? The fight festival sounds fun. Wanna join in?"
"We didn't come to play festival games," Charles said. "This is war."
"Got it, got it, you're so impatient," Meliodas said, drawing his short blade. "Then let's throw down!"
Ban slung his three-section staff across his neck. "Can't stand you guys—always something interesting going on."
King summoned his Spirit Spear, voice cold. "I don't see what's interesting. What if Diane gets hurt!"
"I won't get hurt that easily," Diane shot back. "After Charles's special training, I'm a whole different person!"
She thumped her war hammer into the ground; the trembling earth testified to her power.
Stella patted Diane's ankle and smiled. "Exactly. Who says us girls need them to protect us all the time?"
Charles gave a wry smile. He'd never thought that way—he was just getting dragged by King's dumb remarks.
Stella didn't just talk—she took action.
"Dragon King's Flame that Burns Heaven and Earth!"
She raised the Consort-Dragon Sinblade; flames spiraled thick on the edge. As she swung, a surging torrent of fire roared out, smashing the maze's walls like a flood.
The fire fanned outward, leveling a huge swath of the labyrinth and leaving behind scorched, glassy ground and molten-laced ruins.
In Camelot's capital, the spectators fell silent. Arthur swallowed. "Sir Hawk, have you ever read Miss Stella's power level?"
The others all looked at Hawk, curious what he'd say.
"'Course I have," Hawk said. "Magic 40,000, Strength 37,000, Spirit 22,000, total 99,000. It's scary, sure, but after seeing Charles's number, that doesn't even feel like much!"
True enough—once you'd seen Charles's absurd power level, Stella's didn't seem so unbelievable.
Still, nearly a hundred thousand was far beyond what they'd imagined. They knew Stella was strong, but no one expected a girl to be this strong.
…
Drole's labyrinth actually had self-repair; bolstered by his vast magic, it prevented intruders from simply brute-forcing through.
But Stella's destruction far exceeded the maze's regenerative limit, and the dragonfire's magic blew Drole's magic away entirely.
Nearly a quarter of the maze was obliterated, and the group had a clear view of the two figures standing on the massive rock at the center.
Charles and Meliodas traded a look and launched forward together.
As they sprinted, grating screeches split the air overhead.
Scores of bird-headed Blue Demons dove from the sky, while masses of Gray and Red Demons swarmed up from the ground.
Neither Charles nor Meliodas moved to strike.
Above, a tide of small Spirit Spears hammered down, mowing Blue Demons out of the sky by the cluster.
From the ground, ranks of stone spikes surged up, pitching or skewering the demons on land.
With a twist of his finger, King sent his Sacred Treasure—now Released—banking and sweeping the skies, cleaning up the Blues.
Diane spun her hammer. "Leave this to us!"
Ban charged too, his three-section staff whirling between his hands. Several rare Orange Demons ahead coughed blood, a pile of hearts flying free and then shattering.
Orange Demons outrank Blues; Diane's earlier strike hadn't taken them out—yet Ban ripped every heart out in an instant with "Snatch."
Stella swept her blade; a sheet of flame surged out, clearing the remaining demons dead ahead.
Charles and Meliodas said nothing, pressing on toward the great rock.
At their speed, a few breaths brought them to its base—and face to face with their opponents.
A petite youth wrapped entirely in eerie vines, and a blue-black-skinned giant with four arms and a white cloth swathing his head. Gloxinia and Drole—the strongest fairy and giant in history.
Gloxinia made no move as they approached, but Drole did—bringing his four arms together before him.
The ground in front of Charles and Meliodas heaved, and two stone golems rose up.
They were identical to Drole—and both swung their fists at the pair.
"Sending this kind of thing to stop us—isn't that underestimating us?" Meliodas said.
He and Charles moved in the same breath.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
"Kami Chigiri!"
The golem before Charles took a man-sized hole straight through and was nearly cleaved in two, while the one before Meliodas was diced to rubble.
Just like that, they were standing before Gloxinia and Drole—and for a moment, the four of them simply stared at one another in silence.
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