This was a story from roughly nineteen thousand years ago, back when order was first beginning to take shape in the Demon Realm by Alice's hand.
Illness had been traveling leisurely across the various regions of the Demon Realm. There was no specific reason behind her journey; as she had once told Kaito, it was simply the result of objectively considering how to best utilize her own power.
She moved from place to place, refining her skills while helping those in need to a moderate degree. As for her innate ability to manipulate illness—from which she took her name—and her unique Magic Eyes, she found little use for them beyond the occasional healing of others.
She wandered without a destination, saving whoever happened to catch her eye. Though she earned epithets like "Savior," nothing truly resonated within her heart as she drifted through the lands.
The incident occurred while she—having eventually become a powerhouse whose strength was ranked among the highest in the Demon Realm—stopped at a certain forest during her travels.
(I suppose I should assume they are leaking their presence intentionally. A presence radiating with constant intensity from a fixed direction... I am being lured.)
Illness continued to walk without turning her head, as though she hadn't noticed a thing. However, a single bead of sweat rolled down her forehead.
(This is trouble. I can pinpoint the direction of the presence, but I cannot detect the source at all. I have to assume this is the first superior opponent I have encountered in a long while...)
She could sense the presence deep within the forest probing her, as if appraising her worth. Yet, she could not determine exactly where it originated.
For someone like Illness, who stood among the elite of the Demon Realm, to "notice a presence but be unable to find the source" was a chilling prospect. It seemed her opponent had accurately gauged her detection range and was deliberately skirting the very edge of it. It was as if she were being tested...
Illness had no idea what the opponent intended, but she knew the situation would not improve if she stayed passive. Furthermore, escaping an opponent clearly stronger than herself would be difficult.
Reaching that conclusion, Illness quietly shifted into a state of Battle Readiness and moved toward the section of the forest where the presence lingered.
Before long, a figure appeared before her, their entire form concealed by a black robe.
(There is no doubt they are strong, but the presence is... strange.)
Illness took a combat stance, sensing an odd incongruity. Suddenly, the robed figure closed the distance with terrifying speed and launched an assault.
The fist was swung with overwhelming Speed—a blow that even Illness could not afford to take head-on. She parried it with a fluid, palm-assisted motion and immediately countered with a palm-bottom strike of her own.
(Hard... It feels as though they are protected by an incredibly powerful defensive Magic Formula. However, this sensation...)
Illness warded off a relentless storm of punches that followed without pause, as if the attacker felt no pain. Sensing something was off, she focused her vision.
Her eyes began to glow with a pale, lightning-like radiance. In this state, she could see even the Magic Power Particles drifting in the air, independent of any Magic Formula. She turned that gaze upon the enemy before her.
While her eyes could perceive Magic Power, they could not analyze its properties or quantify it. However, through her extensive combat experience, Illness could discern a great deal of information based on how that power flowed and shifted.
(This is not a living creature. A Magical Doll? A golem? Regardless, it is being operated remotely. Is this how my opponent fights?)
Illness was struck with astonishment as she realized her opponent was an inanimate object. To create a golem capable of fighting on par with her spoke volumes about the creator's monstrous skill.
Nevertheless, fighting a remotely controlled puppet was an advantage for her. Because it was moved by Magic Power, she could anticipate its next move by watching the flow of that energy.
Suspecting there might be more than one golem, Illness decided to end the fight quickly. She read the flow of energy to predict the golem's next move, evaded its punch, and slammed her palms onto both sides of its torso simultaneously.
"Crushing Palm."
A technique of internal destruction. Special magical impacts released from each palm collided within the target's body, reacting violently and amplifying their force several times over as they erupted from within.
No matter how strong a defensive Magic Formula might be, the internal structure isn't always as resilient. Under Illness's strike, the golem's body shattered, exploding from the inside out and scattering fragments across the ground.
Illness remained in a state of Battle Readiness, scanning the debris for any signs of a follow-up. Her eyes widened in shock as she processed what she saw.
(What a... crude Magic Formula. It is so haphazard, it looks as though it were put together on the spot. Even with remote control, there should be a significant delay between command and action... To operate it with such precision using a formula this sloppy... Just how skilled is the person behind this?)
To put it bluntly, the golem's controlling formula was a mess. It was so poorly constructed that it wouldn't have been surprising if there were a lag of nearly a full second.
This meant the operator had been controlling the golem while anticipating Illness's movements a full second in advance. The conclusion was inevitable: her opponent was far more powerful than she had first feared.
(This is truly problematic. They are even more superior than I imagined. To achieve that much Combat Power with a disposable-grade formula... I may not have any chance of winning.)
As she stood there, shivering at the thought of the opponent's true strength, she stared deep into the forest. Then, the sound of dry clapping reached her ears—from directly beside her.
"Splendid. You really are something, aren't you?"
"!!??"
Illness instinctively leapt back to put distance between them, a cold sweat breaking out on her skin. She hadn't let her guard down for a single moment. If anything, she had been concentrating to her absolute limit, scanning the area with every sense she possessed. And yet, she had failed to detect this person's arrival entirely.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is... ah, well, calling me Shaltier is fine. So, would you mind if we had a little chat?"
The blonde woman before her—Shaltier—smiled. Illness felt a chill run down her spine. This was her first encounter with the King.
Serious-senpai: "Illness's past interlude... Is the way they met slightly different from the light novel version?"
Mystery Entity: "It is. Well, let's just say this part follows the Web Version specifications."