Years passed after the Spirit Lilliwood joined Kuromueina’s household. By the time she had fully integrated into the family, another new member was about to arrive.
Granted, this new addition was a peculiar one. Standing beside Kuromueina’s house, Isis and the rest of the family found themselves staring up at a gargantuan dragon.
"It is, how should I put it... a spectacular sight, isn't it?"
"She’s brought home another incredible one, hasn't she, Kuromueina?"
"It’s huge... and that Magic Power is incredible... I feel like it’s almost too strong to be a monster?"
『I wonder if monsters come to possess such immense Magic Power simply by living and growing for many years?』
Before the eyes of the four—Ein, Megiddo, Isis, and Lilliwood—towered a dragon that surely exceeded five hundred meters in length. Kuromueina had found it during one of her excursions and brought it back just as she had with Isis. It was the first time any of the four had ever seen a monster on such a scale.
In later years, dragons classified as Super-large Species would begin to appear, but at this point in history, even the largest of the Dragon Species were only several tens of meters long. This creature was truly unprecedented.
"I’ve named him Magnawell. As you can see, he’s a special boy, so I thought I’d raise him here... Oh, and by the way, he’s still just a child."
"Huh? No way. At this size?"
"Yeah. He’s a child who hasn't even hit his Growth Period yet. To be born with such overwhelming Magic Power and such a physique... he might truly have been born to become a Monster King. Though I’m sure 'she' meddled again anyway..."
"Hm? She?"
"Ah, no, it's nothing."
Megiddo was stunned to hear that Magnawell, who possessed such massive Magic Power and a mountainous body, was still a child. It was only natural; if he was over five hundred meters before even hitting puberty, it was almost absurd to imagine how large he would become once he reached maturity.
Kuromueina seemed to have an idea of what caused this anomaly, but even when Isis pressed her, she merely offered a vague smile to dodge the question, clearly having no intention of elaborating.
"Anyway, I want you all to get along with him. With this much Magic Power, he shouldn't be affected by Isis’s aura, so he won't be afraid of her."
"Yes... I understand. Nice to meet you... Magnawell."
In response to her greeting, Magnawell let out a roar that made the very earth tremble. While he appeared unable to speak at the moment, Kuromueina mentioned she would teach him eventually, so it was highly likely he would be able to converse in the future.
Within decades of joining Kuromueina’s family, Magnawell’s body grew several times larger. By acquiring high intelligence alongside his combat prowess, he eventually became capable of speech.
Though he was the youngest, he spoke with a somewhat elderly affectation. However, given that the ages of the other family members—Kuromueina included—were already incredibly high, none of them minded a gap of a few thousand years.
『Isis, have you seen Megiddo? I thought I would ask him to accompany me for combat training, but...』
"Um... he said there was an interesting guy acting up in the Southern Region... so he went to pick a fight. Something about a 'Storm' or a 'Tempest'... an opponent like that."
『Ah, I have heard whispers of that one. Quite the rowdy sort, apparently claiming that he is the strongest... How one can claim to be the strongest while Kuromueina walks the earth is beyond me.』
『It seems that among the younger Demons lately, Kuromueina is considered outside the rankings—or rather, she is viewed as being in a separate category entirely. When they say "strongest," they mean "the strongest excluding Kuromueina."』
Beside Isis, Lilliwood offered a wry smile as she replied to Magnawell. She explained that Kuromueina’s status as the absolute strongest was a well-known fact in the Demon Realm, to the point that she was now treated as a sort of hall-of-famer. Hearing this, Magnawell wore a look of mild bewilderment.
『What is that about...? I truly do not understand the sensibilities of the youth.』
"I think... Magnawell is young, too."
『In fact, there is a high probability that Magnawell is actually younger than that Demon, is there not?』
『Mugh... Mmm, I cannot deny the possibility.』
Magnawell was still only around a hundred years old, making him quite young compared to Isis or Lilliwood. Of course, the fact that he was already one of the top-level powerhouses in the Demon Realm at such a young age spoke to his terrifying talent.
『Still, while Megiddo is the same as always... conflict truly never ceases in the Demon Realm.』
『Once a person gains great power, they invariably desire even greater heights... Perhaps the world would finally become peaceful if we simply slaughtered every hot-blooded High-ranking Demon in existence.』
"That... would be very hard. The strong Demons are truly powerful... and they have massive armies."
Though the Demon Realm was plagued by constant strife, a certain power structure did exist, ruled by the powerhouses at the top. While Isis and her companions were among the most powerful beings in the realm, there were several other High-ranking Demons who possessed nearly comparable strength.
Since their leader, Kuromueina, intended to remain a mere observer of the Demon Realm's affairs, the rest of the family had no intention of interfering.
『Well, one never knows what might serve as a catalyst. Perhaps the Demon Realm will suddenly find peace one day.』
『Without Kuromueina ruling it? I cannot even conceive of a way.』
At the time, it was nothing more than a pipe dream; Magnawell and the others couldn't even begin to imagine the reality. They didn't know that a certain existence would join the family shortly thereafter—and that in less than a century, she would do exactly what Magnawell had joked about. She would eliminate all the evil Demons and bring absolute order to the Demon Realm.
"If you need training... should I help?"
『Indeed. There are a few spells I wish to test. Forgive me for the trouble, but please, accompany me.』
"Yes... I understand."
At this moment, however, that existence had not even appeared in this world. There was still a little more time before the arrival of the upheaval that would fundamentally transform the Demon Realm and the lives of the family dwelling in this land.
Serious-senpai: "In hindsight, Alice really did something incredible. She truly is the Ruler of the World's Shadows. Even if she is a bit of an idiot herself."
???: "I’ll punch you. Honestly, that's just like Alice-chan, isn't it? Though, for the record, Alice-chan only wiped out the scoundrels of the Demon Realm to suit her own ends..."