A few monsters standing at attention in front of the colossal gate caught sight of us.
"Halt, you lot!"
They raised their weapons in a threatening stance.
"Unfamiliar faces, aren't you? State your—"
Before he could even finish speaking, my Death Line reduced them to scattered chunks of meat.
Towering before us stood a single colossal gate and two massive structures sculpted in the likeness of monsters.
"What tremendously bad taste in architecture."
If this so-called Evil Army needs to put on airs with oversized buildings like this, their thought processes might not be all that different from the high nobles of the Holy Amelia Kingdom.
"Asta, are the two in here truly that powerful?"
"They are overwhelmingly powerful entities of this world."
Just as I thought. For Asta, who possesses analytical abilities, to answer so readily, it must be the truth.
In that regard, having confirmed with my own eyes that the vast majority of the Evil Army is merely a pack of small fry, there is no mistaking it. It was well within expectations that my subordinates wiped them out. Anyone could see from the start that it wouldn't even be a contest. The unpredictable part begins right here.
Even Asta, Girimehkala, and Beelzebub are being excessively wary of the two inside this stronghold. There is a high probability that they are the strongest beings I have ever encountered.
In other words—it means surrendering myself to a life-or-death struggle after all this time.
"Master, calm that lunatic weapon."
As Asta frowned, I cast my eyes down to Murasame and saw dense, swirling fighting spirit clinging to the blade. A massive, grinding groan shrieked from the metal.
"Mm, quite right."
I hastily reined in the aura bleeding out from Murasame.
Not good, not good at all. It held together only because it was Murasame; any ordinary weapon would have been crushed in my grip. Murasame is likely the only blade, past or future, that I can wield with everything I have. Even with Raikiri, if I were to get serious, it would develop cracks, if not shatter completely. I must be careful.
"If only there weren't captives held inside, I wouldn't mind wiping this entire building off the map along with them. That would at least rattle their composure."
Seizing the initiative is fundamental to battle. In a struggle between two evenly matched opponents, the slightest lapse in concentration leads to defeat. Even if they are just small fry relying on sheer numbers, like that leopard-headed monster from earlier, a misstep on my part could still become the catalyst for failure. Well, having spent so much time in that Easy Dungeon, it has been quite a while since I faced such stakes.
(That would probably end everything right then and there.)
I thought I heard Asta mutter something beside me, but—
"Now then, Asta, separate the two of them!"
They are scoundrels. Irredeemable pieces of trash. I will take full responsibility for exterminating them right here. At the same time, they are formidable. The strongest foes I have ever faced. That means arrogance and carelessness are strictly out of the question. To secure victory as efficiently and reliably as possible, we will divide them and destroy them individually. That is the soundest approach.
"..."
With a silent nod, Asta raised the cane in his right hand and began his chant. Multiple three-dimensional magic circles materialized in the air, expanding to envelop each of the two monster-shaped buildings.
"I have severed space itself. With this, their means of transit and communication have been stripped away."
Now, all that remains is to exterminate them one by one.
Up to this point, every move has been calculated to maximize my odds of victory. Scheming any further would be in poor taste. In any case, petty tricks don't amount to much against the truly powerful. From here on, I will proceed in my own style. Namely—
I slashed Murasame once toward the entrance. A clean line sliced across the rugged gate, and an instant later, it slid apart and collapsed with a ground-shaking roar.
Now, let the battle begin. A life-or-death struggle after all this time!