"So that's it — that's your plan."
A voice cut through the slightly awkward silence between the two demons. Both of them turned, as one, toward the source — and in an instant, two towering pillars of immense Mana surged into being.
"Who's there?"
For once, the two demons were in perfect agreement, speaking in absolute unison.
"It's been a long time."
Nanoda strolled out of the shadows with the easy air of someone taking an evening walk, her black robes snapping in the night wind.
After learning of Macht's plan, she had decided to do what she did best and charge straight in. If she let Macht keep at this, it was only a matter of time before something went very wrong.
In truth, Nanoda had always known that she'd been charging headlong through these past years — not entirely by choice, but because the instincts of the Demon Race were forever simmering beneath the surface, hungry to assert their strength. No matter how hard she tried to hold them back, those instincts had shaped her, one way or another.
Because these were the instincts of a Great Demon from the Mythical Era.
"Oh my, what a coincidence — out admiring the moonlight too, are you?" Solitir offered her most practiced, saccharine smile.
"Speak of the devil, and she appears."
Macht, whose plan had just been overheard, kept his expression perfectly composed. To him, this was a minor inconvenience at most.
"I'm actually someone who hates unnecessary trouble, Macht. Do you remember the agreement we made?"
"Of course. But as you just heard — I haven't actually done anything."
"Your plan won't get you what you want. End it," Nanoda said bluntly, cutting straight to the point. "Letting this go on will only create more problems. Or we settle this right here, right now."
Solitir glanced between Nanoda and Macht, and felt a sudden spark of amusement. She settled in to watch from the sidelines, thoroughly entertained.
"I refuse," said Macht. "If I were human, I'd call that an entirely unreasonable demand. Besides — this is Denken and Lektire's wedding night. Are you really certain you want to start a conflict now?"
Nanoda blinked. A demon this adept at reasoned argument and strategic social leverage — he was genuinely one of a kind.
Macht had spent so long moving through human society alongside Glück that he had become, after Nanoda herself, the most human-like member of the Demon Race. He had picked up their ways well enough — and he was not, by nature, a fighter.
"If my strength were enough to make you submit — would you give up your plan?"
Even as she said it, the hands beneath her black robes had already closed around two broken horns she carried as weapons.
"I'm not certain you have that strength," Macht replied. "But before we get to that — consider your companions. If I were to use All-into-Gold Magic in earnest, everything in Weise — every living thing within it, right now — would be transmuted into gold. In my view, this is not the time for us to fight."
"Oh, that does sound terrifying — Macht, please don't turn me into gold too, maybe I'll just be going now?" Solitir put on an exaggerated expression of mock-panic and took a few theatrical steps backward.
Macht's point was, in fact, perfectly sound.
As someone whose magical talent was essentially nonexistent — someone who got by purely by throwing enormous amounts of raw Mana at problems — whether Nanoda could even withstand All-into-Gold Magic was an open question, let alone break a golden curse placed on someone else. Her memories of the past were a blank. She had none of Frieren's accumulated magical knowledge, and she had never glimpsed Macht's memories or learned the principles behind how All-into-Gold Magic actually worked.
There was an element of bluff in this standoff — on both sides.
A silence fell. Just as Nanoda was about to say something more, she let out a rueful, lopsided smile instead.
"I told you — I could handle this alone. What are you all doing here?"
Three figures dropped from the sky, each trailing a surge of powerful Mana.
"I sensed two great sources of Mana here — I confess I grew somewhat concerned. That All-into-Gold Magic of yours, I have done a little research into it myself — I thought this would be a fine opportunity to witness it firsthand."
Qual kept one hand on the white gambler's hat atop his head, his white suit immaculate — every inch the monstrous gentleman — descending on a cushion of wind that bent the wild grass flat beneath him, his landing carrying a strange, unhurried elegance.
He took up position behind Nanoda, solid and immovable as an iron tower.
Aura followed close behind, touching down and sweeping the hair from her shoulder with a flick that made her reluctance perfectly clear.
"Don't get the wrong idea — I'm only here to watch. And to collect the body if things go badly."
The last to land, Jane yawned.
"Jane also wants to help..."
At the sight of three Great Demons descending from the sky, Solitir's expression went somewhat rigid.
"Well... Macht, I think you made a very good point earlier — today really isn't a great time for any of this. I'll be on my way then. See you next time."
With that, Solitir used some manner of magic — it was unclear exactly what — and simply vanished from the spot.
She had her own calculations to make. Setting aside the question of whether All-into-Gold Magic might catch her in the crossfire, the mere fact that Qual — the Sage of Corruption, older even than herself — had appeared on the other side was already enough to give her pause. And that was before counting three Great Demons all at once, plus Nanoda, whose strength remained an unknown quantity.
A wise demon didn't take on a losing fight.
In an instant, only Macht remained.
Macht paid Solitir's abrupt departure no mind. His expression stayed calm.
"Under these circumstances... this does become quite troublesome."
"Then let's do this: we settle it one-on-one, another day. What do you say?"
"If I win, you stop obstructing my plan. Though of course, if I do actually win — there's a strong chance you won't be in this world anymore to be obstructed."
"If you win, I will temporarily abandon my plans in Weise — until you find a way to remove the Dominator's Stone Ring, I will remain in Weise. After that, I will agree to any one thing of your choosing outside my plan, and then I will leave."
Macht ultimately chose compromise. He raised his wrist, letting the stone ring catch the light.
"For now, I still belong to Weise."
"And if my demand is that you become my subordinate and follow my orders?" Nanoda said.
"If your strength truly proves enough to break me, I suppose that isn't impossible. As for removing the Dominator's Stone Ring — you'd need to ask Glück about that." Macht shrugged, entirely unbothered.
"You're a clever one, I'll give you that. Taking you out of Weise might well shatter the goodwill between Weise and Gaderia — but I accept those terms. If I win, I'll have to think carefully about what that one promise of yours is worth."
Nanoda didn't bother haggling further. Even during the age of the Demon King, Macht had always been a singular, unclassifiable existence.
"One month from today — we duel in the mountain range near Weise. Agreed?"
"No objections."
The two demons reached their accord in a single stroke, and the tension that had hung in the air dissolved.
As they parted ways, Macht looked back at Nanoda.
"You really are brimming with confidence."
"You're one to talk — arrogant creature." Nanoda answered.
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