In the end, Sara and the others chose not to engage His Highness and his companions.
They did not formally accept them into the alliance—but they tacitly agreed to a temporary truce.
Just as Ayasato Rin had said, the alliance simply didn't have the strength to spare for internal conflict. Wasting power on the Demon King trio would be foolish when Aẕ Dahāka loomed overhead.
Whether His Highness and his group would truly contribute later was uncertain.
But as long as they didn't cause trouble now, that was enough.
Compared to them, the threat Aẕ Dahāka posed to Little Garden was immeasurably greater.
As "Absolute Evil," Aẕ Dahāka had no grand ambition, no elaborate scheme.
Only slaughter.
Only destruction.
Only ruin.
Against a being whose very existence revolved around annihilation, His Highness and his companions were—ironically—still entities one could communicate with.
Sara understood the difference.
When the one-month deadline arrived, every member of the alliance gathered at the location where Shiroyasha had imprisoned Aẕ Dahāka.
Over the past thirty days, they had eliminated the remaining split bodies scattered across other districts. They had also brought together every notable community from the North, East, and West.
What stood here now—
Was the entirety of the middle and lower layers' fighting strength.
This was the final battle.
A battle that would determine their survival.
The upper layers were no longer something they could rely on.
If they failed here, the lower layers of Little Garden would become Aẕ Dahāka's personal hunting ground. There would be nowhere left to flee.
Because of the power of Avesta — Another Cosmology, the alliance had already carefully assigned battle roles.
The main force confronting Aẕ Dahāka himself would consist of:
Ren Kuroda.Izayoi.His Highness.Asuka.Yō.
Sara, Pest, Algol, and Leticia would handle Aẕ Dahāka's Divine Spirit–class split bodies, preventing them from interfering with the primary fight.
Against Avesta, non-human races would only make Aẕ Dahāka stronger. But his split bodies did not possess that terrifying ability.
Izayoi and His Highness were not only immensely powerful—they were also pure human Spirit Ranks. They perfectly fit the conditions required to counter a Human Final Trial.
Ren Kuroda, however, was only half human.
As long as he refrained from activating his Half-Oni Transformation, he could still be counted as human in his normal state.
Of course, without Half-Oni mode, a significant portion of his power would remain sealed.
But against an opponent like this—
He had no choice.
Shiroyasha stood before them, her figure radiating solar brilliance.
"Trapping that monster for a month was my limit," she said calmly.
"Even if you cannot defeat him, delay him. Hold him as long as you can. Once I return to the upper layers, I will secure reinforcements and come back as soon as possible.
"Most of the fools up there are worthless—but there are still a few decent ones. I expect they'll lend a hand this time."
"ROOOOOOOOAR—!"
A thunderous roar shook the world.
The seal shattered.
"Absolute Evil" Aẕ Dahāka stood free once more.
Before departing, Shiroyasha cast one final look at the gathered warriors—and vanished.
Aẕ Dahāka's three draconic heads lifted in unison as his gaze swept across the battlefield.
His eyes eventually settled on Izayoi, His Highness—
And Ren Kuroda.
As a Human Final Trial, he could sense it clearly.
Before him stood humans—those who had reached the summit of their kind. Individuals who possessed the potential to become "heroes."
And as Aẕ Dahāka studied them—
They studied him.
They had seen his split bodies before.
But this was their first time beholding the true form of "Absolute Evil."
Though belonging to the strongest dragon species, he stood upright in humanoid posture. His body was clad in Zoroastrian ceremonial garments. His scales were a pale, bone-white. Rising from his upper torso were three identical horned dragon heads.
Behind him hung what appeared to be a cloak—
But upon closer inspection, it was a banner.
The instant Black Rabbit and Leticia saw it, their emotions visibly trembled.
That banner belonged to Arcadia, the predecessor community of No Name.
Aẕ Dahāka rarely spoke.
But now, facing those who barred his path—
He did.
"Humans are truly a curious species," his three voices echoed as one.
"Years ago, one nearly crossed the Human Final Trial—only to fall at the final step.
"And now, after so many years, so many promising humans stand before me again.
"You all seem to possess potential.
"So tell me—"
His crimson gaze sharpened.
"Will you succeed where others failed?"
Before the last word had fully faded—
Ren, Izayoi, and His Highness moved.
All three launched forward at maximum speed simultaneously.
If the enemy had three heads—
Then each would take one.
Aẕ Dahāka was a top-tier three-digit Demon King. Even if Avesta was unusable against humans, he remained a being at the apex of Little Garden's hierarchy.
There was no room for restraint.
Seeing Izayoi and His Highness close in from left and right with crushing punches, Aẕ Dahāka calmly raised both fists.
He met them head-on.
"BOOM—!"
"BOOM—!"
Twin shockwaves detonated like cosmic explosions.
Izayoi and His Highness, candidates for the ultimate "Full Authority" power, possessed strength capable of shattering heaven and earth.
Though Aẕ Dahāka towered over them in sheer size, neither had ever once considered the possibility of losing a clash of fists.
And yet—
Reality was merciless.
Barely a heartbeat after impact, a horrifying force surged through their arms.
Their bodies were blasted backward against their will.
They flew—at speeds exceeding escape velocity—like meteors falling to earth.
Both crashed into the ground, piercing the surface and leaving behind two massive craters.
Ren Kuroda charged straight down the center.
Seeing Aẕ Dahāka's arms occupied, he had thought—
There was an opening.
But what awaited him was something far more absurd.
All three dragon heads tilted upward at once.
In an instant, brilliant energy gathered—light and heat condensing with terrifying density.
Just as Ren closed in—
A golden beam erupted.
It swept toward him like a divine judgment capable of piercing heaven and earth.
This was not the full power of Khvarenah — the Sovereign Light Wheel, the ultimate technique said to have destroyed a third of the world.
But it was unmistakably a weakened version.
And it was more than enough.
Ren's eyes widened.
The high-temperature beam, traveling at light-speed, engulfed his field of vision.
For a split second—
He froze.