Just a few days ago, No Name had nearly been annihilated by a Demon Lord's assault. Their community had almost collapsed entirely, and their banner had long since been seized by their enemies.
And now—
The so-called "Demon Lord Alliance" was reaching for the horn of the Star-Sea Dragon King?
If someone claimed all of this was coincidence, Shiroyasha would never believe it.
In other words…
This "Demon Lord Alliance" was highly likely the same group of Demon Lords that had attacked No Name years ago.
As for their objective—
There was a very real possibility they intended to release "Absolute Evil"… and plunge all of Little Garden into destruction.
"Kid," Shiroyasha said sharply, turning to Ren Kuroda, "can you describe this 'Demon Lord Alliance' in more detail? What kind of people are they?"
The group moved at top speed, racing from Outer Gate 3999999 toward the Salamandra headquarters. Even as they ran, Shiroyasha pressed Ren for information.
The others also shifted their gazes toward him.
After all, knowing more about the enemy they were about to face could only help.
"I saw three of them," Ren replied without slowing. "According to them, they're all Demon Lords."
He narrowed his eyes slightly, recalling the encounter.
"In terms of strength… two of them were roughly at the peak of the five-digit level—stronger than Pest."
A few faces stiffened.
"As for the one they called 'His Highness'…"
Ren paused briefly.
"I couldn't see through him at all."
The atmosphere grew heavier.
That level of combat power far surpassed the "Pied Piper of Hamelin."
And that group had nearly brought the entire North Outer Gate to its knees.
If the Demon Lord Alliance was even stronger, how troublesome would they be?
The answer was obvious.
When Ren and the others arrived at Salamandra, something immediately felt wrong.
It was too quiet.
Far too quiet.
The entire compound was wrapped in an unnatural silence.
The moment they stepped inside, they found the reason.
The lizardmen guards who had been stationed there were sprawled across the ground.
All of them.
"Lady Sandora… Lord Mandara…"
One of the lizardmen managed to lift his head weakly upon seeing them.
"We've been… infiltrated. The enemy's strength is… extremely…"
His voice trailed off as he lost consciousness.
Meanwhile—
Inside the tomb of the Star-Sea Dragon King, where layers of protective spells were still being dismantled—
"Didn't I say from the start?" a young man with chestnut-colored hair sneered openly. "The pawn you chose was useless. You boasted about carefully arranging a Gift Game for her, yet it took less than a day for it to be broken."
This man stood beside "His Highness" and the others, his tone dripping with mockery toward Saeri Rin and her earlier plan.
When Rin had introduced "His Highness" to Ren before, she had claimed he was the leader of the Demon Lord Alliance—Ouroboros.
Yet judging from this young man's attitude, there was little respect in his voice.
Instead—
It sounded almost condescending.
"If you're done mocking our failed plan," Saeri Rin replied coldly, accelerating the dismantling of the ritual array before her, "why not go buy us more time instead, Maxwell?"
Her eyes were icy.
"If this operation fails, it won't just be us who suffer consequences."
"You won't be able to explain yourself to those above, either."
She didn't even look at him.
"His Highness will be untouchable, of course. So tell me—if this mission collapses, who do you think will be held responsible?"
Maxwell clicked his tongue in irritation.
"You know very well who's coming."
He ran a hand through his hair.
"I'll stall them as much as I can. But if things turn bad, I'm retreating immediately."
He shrugged.
"My orders from above were to monitor you. Strategic blunders are your problem."
Despite his complaints, he still moved.
Because no matter what—
They needed the Star-Sea Dragon King's horn.
Without it, the next phase of the Demon Lord Alliance's plan would be severely compromised.
"Gurei," Rin said without looking back, addressing the older man beside her, "go assist Maxwell. Alone, he won't hold out long."
She gritted her teeth.
"I didn't expect the new North District Floor Master to be this capable. Pest's Gift Game was solved in less than a day."
She exhaled sharply.
"Even I would've needed at least a full day."
They had been confident.
They had assumed Pest's Gift Game would delay the North for several days.
They hadn't expected there to be someone else in the North—besides the sealed Shiroyasha—this troublesome.
"Could it be Amamiya Yuto's group interfered?" Gurei—whom Rin called "Old Gurei"—speculated.
Ren Kuroda's name did not pass her lips.
She frowned slightly.
"It's possible. But as a Demon Lord community themselves, they shouldn't logically stand on the same side as a Floor Master."
"And we only approached him recently. He shouldn't have been able to deduce our true objective so quickly."
"Regardless," His Highness said calmly, rising to his feet, "Rin, increase the pace of the dismantling."
"Gurei and I will buy you time."
He cast a glance toward the corridor leading inward.
"Maxwell is unreliable. Whether it's the Dragon King's horn or the Simulated Star Creation Chart, both are essential to our future plans."
"And if we fail today—"
His voice turned colder.
"Once Shiroyasha and the others understand our goal, security around these two items will tighten significantly."
"It won't be this easy next time."
With that, he moved alongside Gurei toward the inevitable confrontation.
—
Meanwhile, Maxwell—who had gone ahead—had already encountered Ren and the others.
And battle had begun.
Maxwell.
Executive member of the Demon Lord Alliance—Ouroboros.
A four-digit Demon Lord.
And the one tasked with supervising His Highness's operation.
Though he had sounded uncertain before leaving, Maxwell was, in truth, an extremely arrogant individual.
His unique traits, combined with his four-digit strength, allowed him to run nearly unchecked across the lower levels of Little Garden.
In his mind, the only person in the lower levels worth fearing was Shiroyasha.
Everyone else?
Four-digit power was enough to crush them like clay chickens and ceramic dogs.
And yet—
The moment Maxwell stepped into the corridor and came face-to-face with Ren Kuroda and his group—
He froze.
Because the lineup before him was nothing like what he had imagined.
In fact—
He had never imagined that the lower levels of Little Garden contained this many monsters.
North District Floor Master Sandora.
East District Floor Master Shiroyasha.
The Little Garden noble, Black Rabbit.
Izayoi.
Ren Kuroda.
Algol.
Leticia.
And even Pest.
Every single one of them—
Five-digit class or higher.
Maxwell stared at them.
Then at himself.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
How exactly was he supposed to hold this lineup off alone?