"Hm?"
Violet, who had been listening and providing intel on the new world, suddenly looked up.
Her eyes flashed with surprise, as if she'd sensed something.
"What's wrong, Miss Violet?"
Her reaction immediately drew everyone's attention.
"A troublesome figure is approaching."
Violet detected an immense surge of magicules heading toward Damien.
"Who?"
Damien's first thought was Milim.
Who else could command such seriousness from Violet and intersect with him at this moment, if not the oldest Demon Lord?
"Velzard."
"Who?!"
Damien was stunned, exasperated. "Isn't she supposed to be in the Ice Continent? Why would she suddenly show up here?"
Was this in the original story?
He had no clue!
"Could it be?"
A possibility struck him. "Was she drawn here by the Sword of Promised Victory?"
"Not quite."
The Sword of Promised Victory was indeed powerful, enough to intimidate most powerhouses.
Even True Demon Lords wouldn't dare approach recklessly.
But Velzard's case was different from what Damien assumed.
"The Sword of Promised Victory contains the combined power of all of us." Violet explained. "Including your Veldanava power."
In other words, to certain True Dragon, Damien's aura was nearly identical to Veldanava's.
How could Velzard stay put when she sensed Veldanava's revival?
Not just her... even the Eastern Empire's guardian, the Scorching Dragon, Velgrynd, was stirring.
If not tied up with other matters, Velgrynd would likely have already set out.
"This is..."
Learning the full context, Damien felt a headache coming on.
Meeting Velzard now was far from ideal.
Blocking her or preventing her from finding the town was clearly impossible.
She possessed an Ultimate Skill, after all.
What could possibly stop her?
So, should I meet her?
Based on Damien's understanding of Velzard, she wasn't the type to pick a fight without reason.
Especially given his current status as Veldanava's successor.
That alone ensured she wouldn't harm him.
Still...
I just can't accept it.
Damien could almost predict Velzard's first move upon meeting him.
She'd challenge him to a fight under the guise of testing his strength.
If he lost, he might even have to call her big sister.
As a fellow True Dragon and Veldanava's heir, Damien was practically a younger brother to the four True Dragons.
But there was a world of difference between a friendly sibling bond and being forced to submit after a beating.
"Violet." Damien said. "Execute Plan B."
Without absolute confidence, exposing himself was too reckless.
So, before Artoria unleashed the Sword of Promised Victory, Damien had prepared for powerful enemies.
"Understood."
Violet didn't hesitate. "Leave this to me. You don't need to worry... I'll handle everything."
"What?"
Artoria and the Snow Empress exchanged confused glances, unsure of what they meant.
What was this Plan B?
"Plan B is an application of the Void Ark I developed." Damien explained.
The Void Ark's cooldown was essentially a process of aligning with universal rules.
After evolving twice... from Planeswalker to Gate of the Void... the skill had undergone significant changes.
One such change allowed Damien to shorten or even eliminate the cooldown through special means.
"As for the cost, it's not really a cost."
Damien continued, "In a material universe without mystical forces, if I go alone, the Void Ark can activate without any cooldown."
A high-dimensional Demon Lord descending to a lower dimensional.
If you could resist, Damien would have nothing to say.
But if you couldn't, you'd have to play by his rules.
In worlds like Konosuba or the Nasuverse, Damien exercised restraint, respecting their rules.
But this new world?
Damien had no intention of holding back. He'd strike with full force.
"This!" Artoria said, concerned. "Isn't that a bit risky?"
"Exactly." the Snow Empress agreed, uneasy about Damien going alone.
"Don't worry."
Damien gave them a reassuring smile. "With my strength, heading to this new world is like going from the Cardinal World to a magic-less material realm."
The gap between a magic-less material world and the Cardinal World was vast... three entire tiers.
Special A-Rank Demon Lord Seeds led to S-Rank True Demon Lords, then to Special S-Rank Calamities (like the True Dragon).
Above that was the World-Destroyer tier.
Think of Milim at her peak... she was the epitome of that level.
"If I still mess this up..."
"Then I don't deserve to be your Master."
Damien added, "Also, Violet's consciousness will accompany me. You can check on my status anytime."
If something went wrong, Damien would end the trip and return to the Cardinal World immediately.
Sure, he might joke about failure.
But when it came to survival, he'd run without hesitation.
The new world wasn't the Cardinal World... no Voice of the World supervised it.
So, retreating wasn't shameful, nor would it have consequences.
"Fine."
The two women exchanged glances, knowing they had no right to restrain him.
"May you return victorious."
"Wishing you boundless fortune in battle."
After offering their blessings, the Snow Empress and Artoria watched as Damien's figure vanished before them.
Half a day after Damien's departure, Velzard descended upon the Jura Forest.
She didn't immediately seek out Damien.
Instead, she headed to the sealed cave to check on Veldora.
"Drip, drip..."
Swiftly navigating the complex underground labyrinth, Velzard reached Veldora. "Long time no see, my dear little brother."
"That voice..."
Veldora, confined within the prismatic seal, heard a familiar sound.
He thought he was hallucinating from being sealed too long.
"Aaah!"
But upon looking down and seeing that familiar face and aura, he recoiled in shock, stumbling and falling flat on his rear.
***
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