That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime 15

By 伏濑

Author: Fuse (伏濑)

Illustration: Mitz Vah

Translation: DeepL

Source Proofreaders: Apollo

Editors: CharVANder, Voxel, gi2000, Sushi, loxy, Alaric

Special thanks: Alexis (Redrawing)

This translation is fan-made and free to access by the public. This is not to be
used in any commercial means. The translators or editors are not liable to
any action of the readers. Please respect the fair use of our translation as well
as Fuse’s work.

All rights reserved - 伏濑 and MICRO MAGAZINE

LN fan translation Feedback Form: https://forms.gle/UUmkEyvNDShd5RGNA

We welcome all constructive feedback and suggestions for our work.

2nd Edition
 Abyss Liberation

Table of Contents

Prologue: Scorch Dragon versus Storm Dragon

Chapter 1: Time of Despair

Chapter 2: Unleashed Power

Chapter 3: The Intensifying Battlefield

Chapter 4: The Eight Gates

Chapter 5: The Truth of the Emperor

Epilogue: Brother and Sister

Afterword
 Prologue

Scorch Dragon versus Storm Dragon

For Veldora, this was most definitely not a good day.

In preparation for the invasion of the Imperial Army, the entire capital city had been moved
into isolation in the labyrinth, leaving only an empty plane of nothingness where the city had once
stood. Against this backdrop, the image of a beautiful woman in flight stood out prominently on the
monitor.
“S-sister…” Veldora thoughtlessly muttered. His voice lacked power, which was unthinkable
to those familiar with Veldora’s usual demeanor.
“P-perhaps,” Charys asked, “could that be your famed elder sister…Velgrynd-sama?”
“M-mm…that’s right. That is my sister Velgrynd, one of the supreme True Dragons…Scorch
Dragon Velgrynd.”
Upon hearing this, the remaining people in the Control Room immediately took action,
sounding the emergency alarms in the labyrinth and alerting everyone to the foreign presence.
“W-wait, Master?! What can we do when Rimuru isn’t even here?” Ramiris panicked.
Although she was normally a bit helpful, all she could do at a time like this was raise a ruckus.
Research was one thing, but Ramiris had no place in a battle.
However, Ramiris had a group of friends that she could rely on—there were the labyrinth
managers, Treyni and her sisters, along with their subordinates, the dryads. She also had Beretta.
Although no longer a part of the Dungeon’s Elite Ten, he was still the Dungeon Master. However,
the most dire circumstance was that half of the Elite Ten, who would normally spearhead the
defense in a situation like this, were currently in a state of evolutionary slumber. Therefore, Beretta,
as the former leader, had to do his best to protect Ramiris.
“She doesn’t look friendly. We shall meet her inside the labyrinth.”
Treyni and the others had already assessed the situation at each level, and Beretta confirmed it.
Of the Dungeon’s Elite Ten, only the Four Great Dragon Kings were still awake. Gadra was
also awake, but absent, as he had taken the Demon Colossus and was on his way to reinforce the
Armed Nation of Dwargon.
Beretta’s reasoning was that, although they were not strong enough to fight against Velgrynd,
even their reduced force should be able to stall for time by using labyrinth’s perfect defenses.
Veldora nodded in response. “I don’t know what she is doing here, but it was foolish to come
alone. With all of you here, so there is nothing to be afraid of! Kuahahaha!” he laughed bullishly
with a smile, yet his expression was tense. He was clearly afraid. Just a day ago Veldora had been
tossed around by his elder sister Velzard. The memory was still fresh in his mind, and now his
younger sister Velgrynd was single-handedly attacking the central city of Rimuru, the capital of the
Jura-Tempest Federation.
Veldora found the whole situation outrageous, and desperately wracked his brain, hoping to
somehow find a way out. So he immediately jumped at Beretta’s suggestion.
But at that moment…
‹Veldora, be a good boy and come out quietly.›
Velgrynd’s mouth moved on the monitor, and her voice echoed in his mind in the form of a
thought. To Veldora, it felt as though her gaze was fixed on him even through the monitor.
“Veldora-sama…?”
“Charys, this is not me being scared! This is a trap. If I go out there carelessly, I will surely get
screwed over!”
“Y-yes…”
Veldora’s shameless remark left Charys speechless.
“Huh? If it’s Master she’s after, then this has nothing to do with us—Mmph!!”
Ramiris, who flamboyantly tried to avoid the crisis, was unwillingly cut off mid-sentence when
Veldora’s hand covered her mouth.
And with that, everyone had to prepare to fight to the end…
“I see, so you’re not going to come out? You’re just as stupid as you always were, aren’t you?
Fine. In that case, I’ll just give you a gentle warning.”
From the monitor, it was hard to tell what Velgrynd was saying. But everyone in the room
understood that the mood had changed.
Veldora heard her loud and clear, and he could tell that Velgrynd was planning something. But
—
No, it’s okay. Ramiris built her labyrinth using superior power that can isolate even
dimensions. Defeating it would be a difficult task even for me. No matter what she does, she can’t
touch me as long as I stay here.
That’s right. As long as one was in the labyrinth, escaping from Velgrynd was possible. A level
or two may be breached, but Ramiris’ restorative powers were greater than any destructive force.
With Veldora’s help, it should not be impossible to keep Velgrynd at bay.
“No need to fear. As long as you and I work together, no matter who the opponent is—”
Veldora tried to explain, but he didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence, as Velgrynd suddenly
summoned a crimson spear in her hand.
“Ma-Master! This is bad. If we don’t do something, even ‘Labyrinth Creation’ might not be
able to protect us!”
That goes without saying—Veldora thought.
“I know! Everybody, prepare for impact!!”
No one needed a second warning. Everyone immediately took a defensive stance, and moments
later a violent onslaught assaulted the labyrinth.
“N-no way…”
“I’ve confirmed that the damage has spread to the fiftieth floor…the upper floors have been
destroyed.”
Alpha and Beta kept reporting damage one after another. At that moment, the myth about the
labyrinth’s absolute safety completely collapsed. Just as Veldora was starting to let fear give way to
full blown panic, he received a ‘Telepathy Net’ from Rimuru.
‹Hey… How are you?› Rimuru asked in a leisurely voice.
Veldora replied indignantly, ‹Fool, this is not the time for that! We’re in big trouble!! Sister…
my sister is coming after me. She is currently outside the labyrinth, but if things continue like this,
she’ll get to us!!›
This is Rimuru, he of all people can certainly do something.
Believing this, Veldora waited for an answer, and after a moment he received Rimuru’s worried
response, ‹Are you all right?›
Upon hearing this, Veldora understood that Rimuru must have a lot on his plate as well.
Otherwise, he would have come back immediately. He couldn’t rely on Rimuru’s help.
I see how it is.
Veldora’s naïveté then disappeared. He realized that if he could not rely on Rimuru, then he
would just have to go himself.
‹I have no choice but to go out myself. It’s better than being attacked inside the labyrinth.›
I think I can do it—Veldora thought so without any basis.
Despite his best attempts to block it out, he couldn’t forget Rimuru’s demanding training
regimen. If he could survive that kind of training, then he shouldn’t lose to anyone, not even
Velgrynd.
‹I will take full responsibility, so I want you to take care of Velgrynd. Can I ask this of you?›
Rimuru also did not seem to think that Veldora would lose.
 If Rimuru says he will take full responsibility, it means that he will not be angry no matter how
much destruction Veldora causes. If Veldora took that into account, it was like being told to show
off the fruits of his training.
Now that Rimuru had asked this of him, there was only one answer to give.
‹Oh? If that’s the case, then just leave it to me! Kuahahahaha!!!›
With that, Veldora turned his attention back to Velgrynd. The chat with Rimuru had brought
him back to his usual mindset. Veldora felt himself quickly calming down.
“I guess I have no choice but to deal with her myself,” Veldora said in a relaxed manner.
“Master?”
“Veldora-sama?!”
Ramiris and Beretta looked at Veldora in surprise. Veldora looked refreshed, as if all anxiety
had been blown away.
“Kuahahaha! I don’t like the idea of fighting my sister, either. But if the labyrinth cannot be
used to buy time, there’s no other way.”
“But—”
“It’s all right, Charys. Immortality in the labyrinth is possible only because it is an isolated
space. Now that it is known that it will not work in front of my sister, the only way to minimize the
damage is for me to go out there.”
Veldora would be indestructible as long as Rimuru was alive and well. The only way to avoid
casualties was for Veldora to go.
“In that case, I will go with you.”
“No, don’t. Even though you have become stronger, you are still completely incomparable to
me. Perhaps Zegion might be, but any others will only slow me down.”
It was a harsh statement, but it was the truth. And Veldora’s mind was made up. Veldora put on
a dignified expression that almost made his companions forget his shameful behavior to this point.
“Are you sure you’re okay with it, Master?”
“Hell no! Just thinking about how my sister has treated me makes me shudder… But never
mind. I’ve grown stronger. Since meeting Rimuru, I have grown. I have taken on disciples and
realized my past immaturity. I am not who I used to be. Kuahahahahah!”
Veldora forced a laugh, lifting the mood and returning him to his normal self.
“Don’t fret. Just watch me in all my glory!”
With that, he left the labyrinth alone.

Veldora recalled his past battle with Velzard. After such a long time, his older sister seemed to
have grown much more powerful—almost infallible—compared to before. She now projected an
aura that the old Veldora could not comprehend. However, since he met Rimuru, Veldora, too, had
grown to a completely new level.
The crowning achievement of his hard work was his Ultimate Skill. While he was sealed away,
he had observed Rimuru from inside the ‘Stomach’ and learned many things. And then, locked
away in that dark void, he realized: power is meaningful only when mastered. Veldora had a huge
amount of magicules, the largest amount of all the True Dragons. It was precisely because he
possessed more magicules than his two elder sisters that he was able to claim to be the strongest
without much effort.
But he realized his own naivete. He had learned that there were those who were weaker, but
who never gave up on victory until the end. Rimuru was like that. Many of his opponents were like
that too—such as Hinata, Granbell, and Demon Lord Luminas. They didn’t just rely on power to
achieve victory, but also on their instinctual drive to win by any means necessary. Those are the
people against whom you can never let down your guard.
This realization prompted a change in Veldora, evidenced by the fact that even Velzard could
no longer unilaterally dominate him.
Velzard was Veldora’s natural enemy. In terms of power compatibility and nature, she was a
very bad match up. Velzard, who was the eldest of the three siblings, had a maximum power he
couldn’t even fathom. Despite his higher magicule count, he could barely cope when fighting
against her. It was as though his magicule count provided no advantage at all. Even if he fought to
the best of his ability, he could not hope for victory.
Veldora had tried to fight Velzard several times since he was born, but he was beaten back
every time. Velzard’s ‘Eternal World’ was an ironclad defense and a weapon that sealed off
Veldora’s movements.
Storm, Destruction, Corrosion, Annihilation.
All of these effects had no effect in the face of an absolute stop. Veldora himself was surprised
that he had even been able to take on such a fearsome sister.
Way to go, me!
He psyched himself up. After all, he noticed that his sister Velzard was able to perfectly
suppress her mana release, only because Veldora himself was able to control his own mana. The
difference in proficiency between them was too great to compare. One reason may be that Velzard’s
power was specialized in stopping kinetic energy, but even so, there was no doubt that there was a
huge difference in their abilities.
Velzard was a supreme talent, so Veldora was surprised to hear her praise his progress.
“Well, I’m surprised. The Veldora-chan who used to do nothing but rampage is actually able to
think and fight. At this rate, I might not have to destroy you anymore.”
The subtext was disturbing, no doubt, but overall it was an unmistakable compliment. Though
still terrified, Veldora found himself a little less so after hearing his sister’s compliment.
That said, he still couldn’t beat her…

So, what about Velgrynd?

Velzard and Velgrynd were almost evenly matched. Neither of them had been good sisters to
Veldora, and he really did not want to deal with them if he could avoid it. Of course, this time he
had no choice.
“Sister Velgrynd, you are as fierce as ever. Even I can’t easily pierce through the levels of the
labyrinth like that…”
He could probably destroy one or two levels by force if he distorted the labyrinth’s isolated
dimension. However, he definitely could not penetrate multiple layers at once, even when cranking
out as many magicules as possible.
“This fight will turn on how we each use our Ultimate Skill—if I want to fight my sister
properly, I will have to make skillful use of ‘Investigation King Faust’.”
Yes. If one compared only the amount of magicules, Veldora was superior to Velgrynd. So this
was still a little better than having to deal with Velzard, Veldora assured himself in order to mollify
his mental trauma. Victory and defeat will definitely hinge on how well he used his power. Though
neither of them had ever gone all out when they fought in the past, Velgrynd had the edge in skill in
each of those confrontations.
But that was a long time ago. Velzard was difficult to beat because of her natural affinity, but
that was not the case with Velgrynd. And now, thanks to Rimuru, Veldora has his own Ultimate
Skill, ‘Investigation King Faust’.
If this power worked against Velzard, then Veldora felt that he had nothing to fear, even against
Velgrynd. That thought motivated Veldora.
Kuahahahahaha! I haven’t lost just yet, right? However things go from here, I plan to test my
power to the fullest against my sister!!!
Having steeled his resolve, Veldora stood toe to toe with Velgrynd.

The two True Dragons, each in human form, stood perfectly still in the sky, glaring at each other.
“So you got the message? Clever. That means you’ll help me, right?”
 Velgrynd let out a beaming smile as soon as she saw Veldora.
“I’m sorry to disappoint, Sister, but I refuse. I am not a tool for you to use. I would appreciate it
if you did not drag me into your sisterly quarrels.”
“That’s harsh. I’m just saying that I’d welcome you as a companion if you willingly cooperate.
If you do, I’ll teach you how to use your powers and allow you to run wild all you want as long as I
can choose the location.”
“Kuahahaha! You have my answer, Sister. I am not the same person I used to be. I have already
mastered my power. And it’s no longer fun for me to aimlessly rampage. I’m a grown-up now! A
mature adult!”
“Cheeky. Did I spoil you too much? Fine. In that case, let me see just how much you’ve grown
up!”
Veldora’s slight provocation was all it took to get Velgrynd going. Seeing this, Veldora shifted
into a fighting stance. It never crossed Velgrynd’s mind that Veldora might obey her orders after a
few kind words. She understood that with her brother, she had to demonstrate her strength and make
him obey. If that didn’t work, she would simply ask Rudra to take control of him once he was
weakened. She had made the offer only out of the goodness of her heart.
Velgrynd, feeling mildly annoyed at her brother’s obstinance, swiftly unleashed a thrust at
Veldora. She intended to quickly weaken Veldora and wait for Rudra to arrive. However, the blade
on her right hand was easily deflected by Veldora. Not only that, but he immediately answered back
with a kick. Velgrynd, while frustrated, caught the kick with her left hand, but—
How?! This kind of power, no matter how you think about it, is not from someone in a
weakened state!!
Velgrynd still believed that Veldora had not fully recovered from the damage he had sustained
while sealed for the past 300 years. This assumption stemmed from the fact that the Veldora she had
known always used his power at the max right from the off. Now, after this opening exchange, she
realized that she was wrong.
“Have you improved your skills a bit? Looks like you have something to brag about.”
“My Veldora Style Killing Arts™ are undefeatable! Even you, Sister, will know your own
powerlessness before these fists—W-wa-wait—Huah?!”
Veldora was about to make his smug speech, but Velgrynd didn’t intend to listen quietly. In
fact, she was annoyed, so she launched a series of violent attacks.
Red lotus flames dwelled in both of Velgrynd’s fists as well as in the supple legs that extended
from the hem of her dress. The graceful succession of dance-like moves was so full of fury that a
grazing hit could burn an enemy to death.
Nevertheless, Veldora held his ground.
“Aaah hot, h-h-hot!!”
Even though Veldora looked pathetic running around, he had not suffered much damage.
“I disciplined you so much in the past, but it seems that you still haven’t improved your sorry
wits. You shouldn’t talk so big, boasting about being invincible and undefeated right in front of
me!”
Despite the burning intensity of her fury, Velgrynd remained calm. She saw that Veldora had
not only fully recovered, but was also stronger than expected.
This is troublesome. In this form, I can’t take him on seriously nor do much damage. If this
continues even Rudra won’t be able to control him…
Velgrynd’s original intent was not to teach Veldora a lesson, but to control him. Once Rudra
won the match against Guy, she would release him properly. But for now, she hoped that he could
serve as an important pawn. Thus, for Velgrynd, there was no point in a small fight.
And then there was Veldora.
“Gwah?! My clothes… My clothes that Rimuru gave to me are now on fire because of you!!”
The clothes that Veldora was currently wearing had been a gift from Rimuru as a token of
appreciation. That precious gift had been burned by Velgrynd’s attack. Over time, as Veldora’s aura
seeped into the clothes, they would have become a part of his body. However, such a change
doesn’t happen in just a few days.
 Although Veldora had not suffered much damage, his heart was aching. Ignoring the fact that
he had chosen to wear his new clothes into battle, he focused on taking it out on his sister. And, as it
turned out, that was a lucky turn for Veldora. His anger masked his fear. No matter how much he
steeled his resolve, his two sisters had been symbols of terror to him for years, and that fear was
deeply ingrained in his psyche. In that state, he really couldn’t go all out if one of them was the
opponent. But now, those shackles were broken.
“Even if you are my sister, I cannot forgive this. Prepare to feel my wrath!”
With a mighty shout, Veldora unleashed his power. A mighty and majestic jet-black dragon
emerged.
Seeing this, Velgrynd snickered at the convenience.
“Huh? Are you too stupid to know what you’re talking about? You seem to have forgotten the
fundamental fact that you’re no match for me, so I’ll have to re-educate you.”
With that, Velgrynd transformed as well. She transformed into a supple, beautiful crimson
dragon.

So commenced the great battle of True Dragons.

 Chapter 1

Time of Despair

Just as Rimuru was preparing to infiltrate the Imperial City, Dwarf King Gazel Dwargo found
himself at the center of a desperate battlefield. He was unable to avert his gaze from the incarnation
of beauty scattering death in the distance.
“Was that ‘Gravity Collapse’? It can theoretically expand its power infinitely. Do you think
legion magic can prevent it?” Gazel asked the assembled group.
“That’s absurd. It’s impossible to prevent it, even if you place both the magic support team and
the magic strike team on the defense. A True Dragon is not a danger that can be quantified,”
answered Admiral Paladin Vaughn.
Vaughn, along with the dwarf army deployed to the area, had been waiting for Gazel’s arrival.
As such, he had a front row seat to the destruction of the Empire’s Mixed Corps.
All the soldiers were shocked speechless by the scale of the tragedy. Their will to fight was
crushed, yet they did not flee. Everyone understood that retreat here meant the death of their family
and friends back home. If their death could help those precious loved ones survive for even a little
while longer, that alone justified their sacrifice. That thought kept their feet planted in their orderly
ranks. King Gazel, a champion, would not squander their lives in vain. That is what the soldiers
believed, and from that belief sprang their deep loyalty to him.
Although Gazel fully understood and accepted the feelings of the soldiers, Gazel was in agony.
Although he remained calm on the surface, his mind was in turmoil.
We can’t win, and this futile battle will end up wasting everyone’s lives. Should I surrender?
The Empire will not allow it. We must show them at least some of our power…
They had to convince the Empire that it was better to take them in than to fight them.
Otherwise, the Empire would not even accept their submission. In that case, the only way to survive
was to fight them tooth and nail. No matter how many sacrifices had to be made, they had to believe
that they would not die in vain.
“They say quality is better than quantity, but this feels like cheating. We’ll have to take her on
all by ourselves and defeat her.”
“Hey now, isn’t the king supposed to command the whole army?”
“Fool, there is only one enemy. Under the circumstances, what use is there in commanding the
whole army?”
Gazel laughed at Vaughn’s question. There was only one enemy—Velgrynd. Strategy and
tactics were meaningless against her, and Gazel and the others had no choice but to find a way to
survive. Vaughn, well aware of this, asked his question facetiously to ease Gazel’s mind. And it
helped, as Gazel felt his anxiety diminish.
Anrietta then reported to Gazel, “My king, it seems that the Scorch Dragon is not the only
enemy. There are a number of people behind her, and they seem to be performing some sort of
ritual. Jaine-sama says that the supreme magic may be part of that ritual…”
Gazel nodded in response.
The supreme magic that had sacrificed sixty thousand troops was being used in some kind of
ritual. Gazel could tell straight away that there was an evil plot afoot, the details of which he didn’t
wish to imagine. Even so, it would be extremely difficult to defeat Velgrynd, who was at the center
of the plot. In that case, the only path forward was to defeat those behind her.
“Do you want to move the troops?” Dolph asked, but Gazel shook his head.
 The heavily-armed strike force was not very mobile and would become a target for magic if
they were not moved thoughtfully. Normally, they would use their strong defenses as a shield to
push forward, but that would be pointless against Velgrynd. A suicide attack with five hundred
Pegasus Knights would be their only option…
“I don’t like the idea of weakening the defense here. Gazel’s right. We’ll just have to go in
alone. Right, Dolph?” Vaughn spoke with a laugh.
Dolph, on the other hand, scratched his head and responded earnestly, “That’s disrespectful,
Vaughn. It’s beyond outrageous to call the king by his name! You need to consider your
position…”
Dolph lectured for a moment before agreeing with a smile, as if he had suddenly set aside his
gripe.
“But this time, you’ve got a point. If we want to buy as much time as possible, we should avoid
dispersing our forces. Besides, if it’s just us, we’ll be agile and might be able to take the enemy by
surprise.”
“Jaine-sama also said she would join the war once she has persuaded the elders,” Anrietta
added in agreement. “Let’s just leave all those worries to her, and we can go wild like in the old
days!”
They waited for Gazel’s reply with bated breath. These old friends had not changed at all. They
were united with Gazel and stood by him to help him tackle this impossible situation.
Gazel laughed, “Fufu! What a bunch of fools! I wonder what Jaine, our chaperone, would say if
she heard…”
For a long time, Jaine had been accompanying Gazel and his crew, giving them candid advice
and suggestions. She was the most powerful wizard in the Dwarven Kingdom, and Gazel’s trusted
advisor.
Jaine would be very angry, I suppose.
With that in mind, Gazel was about to make his decision. But it seemed to be a little too late.
“Oh dear. This is what happens when I take my eyes off of you for even a second. You’re such
a trouble-maker, King Gazel.”
Just before Gazel and the others set out, Jaine arrived via transfer magic.
“Jaine. Did you hear everything?”
Jaine stole a sideways glance at an embarrassed-looking Gazel and shook her head.
“I thought that you had become a magnificent king and was relieved. However, I can’t blame
you this time. With an opponent like her, there is nothing we can do. The reason that a True Dragon
is Catastrophe-class is because it is impossible for a nation to deal with.”
“Well, that’s true.”
The True Dragons could not be touched by the kind of magic humans normally used. In fact,
the spell that Velgrynd was currently wielding was far too powerful for human beings to manage.
Even if all the champions of the human race were to unite, it was unknown whether or not they
would be able to defeat a True Dragon. But that did not mean that there was no hope.
“I just received notice,” Jaine said.
“Hmm?”
“His Majesty Rimuru is sending reinforcements. Let’s take action once they arrive.”
And there was hope, right on time.
“How is that possible? Barely any time has passed since I contacted you!”
“Well, I’m having a hard time understanding it myself, but I’m not lying. Vesta-dono reported
to me, and we all know that His Majesty Rimuru can mobilize all the people of that country with
just a word…”
All those gathered could only nod their heads in exasperation as they listened to Jaine’s
dumbfounding words.
That’s right, everyone understood right away. And before they could even change gears,
reliable reinforcements had arrived.
Suddenly, there was a distortion in space. As if enveloped in a giant cocoon, a small army of elite
soldiers emerged. There were one hundred of the Hiryuu led by Gabil, and three hundred of the
Kurenai under the command of Gobua. Four hundred in total—each at least A rank—a fighting
group that could rival the Pegasus Knights.
And what’s more, there was a huge weapon that demanded everyone’s attention.
“I had heard that it was perfected, but I did not expect them to pull out all the stops and use it
here. That’s Rimuru for you.”
“Is that the finished form of the magic armored soldier?”
“That’s right. It seems that it was named the ‘Demon Colossus.’ It’s a reliable ally to have on
your side.”
Gazel certainly understood that it would be no match for Velgrynd, however, its majestic
appearance could put the soldiers at ease by its presence alone.
“How reliable. If we could have mass-produced them, we might have been able to fight a little
better.”
“Unfortunately, they would be useless against Velgrynd. It might be able to handle a Disaster-
class, though.”
As Gazel and the others were having their conversation, some newcomers approached them. It
was Gabil, the legion leader, and the three demon girls, led by Testarossa. They were followed by
Gobua and Hakurou.
“It has been a long time, King Gazel.”
For some reason, it was Testarossa who greeted them instead of Gabil. She was the right person
for this situation. Testarossa had diplomatic authority, so she possessed a lot of experience and was
used to these kinds of situations.
“Long time no see, Testarossa-dono. Thank you for the reinforcements.”
Under different circumstances, there would’ve been things to take issue with in Gazel’s reply.
Formalities and etiquette were to be considered, and it would have been more normal to have a
spokesman answer instead.
However, this was not the time to be talking about such things. Everyone understood this and
decided to ignore the formalities and hold a strategy meeting.

They moved to the command post and everyone got down to business.
Testarossa, on behalf of Rimuru and the others, informed them of the plan. She then proposed
the strategy that should be carried out in this area.
“Hmm. Rimuru striking the emperor directly, huh?”
“That’s more realistic than a suicide mission.”
“Is that so? It sounds like an absurd plan in and of itself…”
Gazel snorted as if in deep thought. Vaughn agreed that the situation had improved. Dolph
agonized over whether there was anything else they could do.
There was no time to think about it. Since no one could come up with an alternative, Testarossa
pushed the discussion forward.
“We will take care of Velgrynd-sama. The rest of you should work to stop the ritual taking
place in the back.”
“I have no objection.”
Gazel agreed to the unsolicited offer. With the absence of any alternative options, the demon
girls were the only ones who could be trusted with the most dangerous task. It was Jaine who put
the breaks on.
“One moment. Testarossa-dono, can you, the Primordials, defeat the Scorch Dragon?”
This was an important question that would affect the entire operation. Velgrynd was so
overwhelming that Jaine was convinced that Testarossa and her team could not win. There is no
doubt that the three Primordials were their strongest force, but that made it all the more important to
understand their odds of success. If Testarossa and the others were defeated here, the fate of
everyone else would be sealed.
“Honestly, I don’t think we can win.”
“In that case you should stay on the defensive! Instead of provoking her rashly, why don’t we
wait here for His Majesty Rimuru’s plan to succeed?”
With the odds against them, they should stall for time. Jaine’s logic seemed sound, but
Rimuru’s forces rejected it outright.
“Unfortunately, we cannot do that. If we leave Velgrynd-sama alone, she may return to the
Imperial City to interfere with His Lordship.” Carrera spoke firmly with determination.
Although Rimuru had told them that they could leave Velgrynd alone, she had decided that
they needed to draw her attention.
“More importantly, we did not come here to discuss a battle plan. We received an order from
Rimuru-sama, and only came to tell you about it. I will consult with you if I can help, but I want
you to know that I will not allow you to stand in our way.”
Even the usually soft spoken Hakurou harshly expressed his disagreement. Time was short, so
he valued clear intentions over etiquette.
Gazel got the message. He spoke quickly before his agitated companions could further object.
“If Hakurou-dono, my master, has said so, then I have no choice but to move aside. Otherwise,
do you guys have a better idea?” Gazel asked.
His companions could only solemnly shake their heads.
“It will not be easy to interfere with the ritual with the Imperial Intelligence Bureau on the
move. I think it is best to keep grounded here.”
Dolph’s statement was definitive. All that remained was to confirm the details before the
operation commenced.

Provoking Velgrynd was exceedingly risky. The three demonesses were fully aware of this, but they
still did not hesitate.
“Can we interfere with the ritual by dealing with her?” Ultima asked aloud.
“I wonder.”
“I don’t know, but even I would find it impossible to keep ‘Gravity Collapse’ running at that
output,” Carrera added. “And for her to maintain the magic and take on the three of us at the same
time, absolutely impossible, right?”
“I believe she can pull it off, which is why I am rather wary,” Testarossa muttered.
“You’re kidding, right?”
“I’m quite serious.”
“Oh well. No need to argue,” Carrera exclaimed. “We’ll find out soon enough.”
Unperturbed, the three conversed freely. Then, without hiding, they walked straight towards
Velgrynd in a dignified manner.
Naturally, Velgrynd was aware of them. However, she was not wary, but rather happily
allowed the three demons to approach.
“Good day to you. It is a good day for a fight, is it not?”
Testarossa greeted, and Velgrynd responded with a smile.
“Yes, it is. But before we fight, let me ask you something. Why don’t you join my side? You
are Primordials of great strength. I promise to treat you well.”
Before the three demons, Velgrynd kept her relaxed demeanor and made her offer. Needless to
say, Testarossa and the others answered with a resounding no.
 “I have history with the Empire, so allow me to reject that offer.”
“Same for me. It’s the first time I’ve had a master, and it’s surprisingly comfortable. I don’t
want to give it up.”
“As she said. More importantly, let’s just end this conversation and get on with the fight. If you
don’t want to go one-on-three, you can call in the men behind you.”
A clear rejection that left no room for negotiation.
Carrera, for her part, did not care about negotiating, and was in high spirits as she prepared for
battle. Seeing Velgrynd’s magic so close to her, her fighting instincts were on fire.
Velgrynd laughed. “So that’s your answer. Okay then. In that case, I’ll play with you guys for a
bit!”
That was the signal for the battle to begin.

And then, slowly, right in front of Testarossa and the others, Velgrynd split. No… Like a
reflection in the mirror, the number of Velgrynds increased to two.
Testarossa had an idea of what the phenomenon was.
“How troublesome. This isn’t just a ‘Clone.’ If I had to say, this seems to be like Raine’s
‘Mist’.”
Testarossa had fought Raine in the past. She forgot the cause of the dispute, but she had
accumulated a lot of combat experience from the exchange. Raine’s ‘Mist’ was a Skill that allowed
her to generate a clone by splitting her body in half. However, unlike ‘Split Body’, only one of the
two could carry consciousness. Even so, depending on how it was used, it could be vicious, and was
perfect for catching an enemy off guard. Although it was difficult to use against cautious opponents,
it was an ability with strong safety insurance.
However, considering that Velgrynd’s Parallel Existence could create ‘Split Bodies,’ it could
not be denied that it was superior in all respects. The difference between the two Skills was like
heaven and earth.
Testarossa did not know this, but a shadow began showing on her beautiful face.
“What’s that?”
“Raine, you see, can split her body and ‘regenerate’ from any one piece of flesh.”
“I see. That means either one can be considered the main body, right?”
“That is the case.”
Testarossa and the others analyzed the situation without rushing. Even though the battle had
already begun, their attitude was just as unharried as when they were elegantly speaking a moment
ago.
“Blanc is very clever, and yes, you’re right,” Velgrynd said, amused. “This is one of my
powers, called ‘Parallel Existence’. I don’t want you to interfere with the ritual, so I’ll deal with you
here,” she declared while gracefully waving her fan.
 Testarossa wasn’t amused by that statement. The corners of her eyes were glinting as she glared
at Velgrynd.
“I now have the name ‘Testarossa’ given to me by my lord, Rimuru-sama. I wish you would
stop calling me Blanc.”
As she said this, Testarossa casually twirled a flaming whip she had created out of nowhere.
The whip twisted around like a snake as it attacked Velgrynd.
“I heard about that. So it’s true that the slime has been naming Primordials.”
With that bit of intel now confirmed, Velgrynd couldn’t hide her surprise. However, her body
remained undisturbed as she flicked away Testarossa’s whip.
“It’s rude to call His Lordship a slime,” Carrera roared indignantly and unleashed her magic.
She opened with her trump card, ‘Gravity Collapse,’ right out of the gate. The scale was
reduced in size as much as possible, thus increasing the intensity. The strongest attack that Carrera
could currently muster hit Velgrynd, who was focused on Testarossa.
Velgrynd was enveloped in a jet-black pillar that seemed to connect heaven and earth. The
circular pillar, which was only big enough to hold a single person, was like a prison from which
there was no escape.
However…
Velgrynd smiled fearlessly, remaining unperturbed in the cage of hypergravity.
“As expected of a demon overlord. Your magic is perfectly powerful. However, for so long as
you are bound by the laws of this world your attack won’t work against a True Dragon.”
As if to prove her point, Velgrynd shattered the jet-black pillar from within. She raised her own
mana and interfered with Carrera’s magic, rendering it powerless.
“Hahaha! As expected of Veldora-sama’s sister, you’re making it seem like a joke. If magic
doesn’t work, then there’s nothing more I can do, huh? No! I have a sword technique I’m learning
from Agera. It may be useless, but I’ll give it a try!”
Carrera seemed to be enjoying herself, even though her best move had just been defeated.
Without any sign of distress, she raised the sword she had created with magic. The beautiful sword
had a fierce presence that was unbecoming of a demon. Carrera’s magical energy flowed directly
into the blade, giving it a radiant glow.
“This is most likely our only choice. It is not simple magic nor Skill, but a technique you have
developed and improved yourself. It may work even against the True Dragons, the source of the
world. Veldora-sama says that a woman named Hinata has proven this approach effective.”
Without needing to test it, Testarossa knew that magic would not work on Velgrynd. That was
why she had materialized a whip using magic from the very start. The whip was white—a magic
formula devised by Testarossa, possessing a contradictory nature known as “freezing white flame.”
“Hmm, humans are interesting after all. Maybe I’ll use this too.”
Saying this, Ultima materialized two knives and held them in her hands. The blades of the
knives were a poisonous purple color and had a sinister aura around them.
“Ult, you’re already getting serious from the start. Aren’t those the same ones that wounded
Zegion last time?”
“Well. Honestly, I thought it was pointless for us to move our bodies.”
“Isn’t it a surprise? I never thought my experience fighting Zegion-dono would come in so
handy.”
The girls were good at magic, and never really put much emphasis on close combat. However,
in their battle against Zegion, all other means of attack had been ineffective. The reason for this was
Zegion’s ironclad defense as well as his absolute superiority over magic. Almost all magic was
ineffective against Zegion. As a result, they had been forced to seek other means.
And the answer they came up with was this. They had finally succeeded in damaging Zegion
with a blow infused with a strong force of will into which they poured their whole existence as a
spiritual life form. For a spiritual life form, the power of the will triumphed over anyone. A Skill
was just another form of will force created by the desire of each individual, and the ultimate
culmination of that was the Ultimate Skill.
If that was the case, how close could their wills get to it? They concluded that they would just
have to test it. By materializing their will, they created weapons that each of them was good at.
Zegion’s defense was not inferior to an Ultimate Skill. Nevertheless, Ultima’s knives had
inflicted wounds on Zegion’s body. In other words, the attacks of the three demon girls could reach
the Ultimate Skill level.
“I tried to imitate Ult’s weapon. My swordsmanship was just for fun, but Agera ha s taught me
the intricacies of swordsmanship. Let me be your opponent!”
As soon as she said that, Carrera sprinted forward. Without any thought of defense, she slashed
at Velgrynd with all her might.
Velgrynd parried the slash with her feather fan. It was made of high-grade feathers and could
hardly be called a weapon. However, its strength had been altered by Velgrynd’s demonic aura and
was harder than a diamond. It was thin, light, flexible, and hard. It was not at all inferior to
Carrera’s sword and was Velgrynd’s favorite weapon.
“I’m surprised that you Primordials are so quick to dismiss magic.”
“Is it that surprising? What is our pride but a pittance in comparison to the victory we shall
bring to our Lord?”
Testarossa’s whip struck Velgrynd, who had turned to the defensive in the face of Carrera’s
onslaught. Like a white snake that had split into countless pieces, Testarossa hunted down her prey
at will.
“Tsk!” Velgrynd clicked her tongue in annoyance. The hem of her dress was torn by the whip.
A glimpse of her beautiful legs peeked out, and a bright red welt could be clearly seen there. It was
proof that Testarossa’s attack had worked.
“Nice work, Testa. I’ll continue being the vanguard, so keep up the good work.”
“I can’t believe you’re happy at such a fluke.”
Even though she was slightly injured, Velgrynd was still relaxed and had plenty of time. That’s
why, while facing Testarossa and the others, she made a serious blunder. In other words, she had
been careless.
“It wasn’t a fluke, was it?!”
Ultima’s triumphant voice sounded just as Velgrynd felt a pain in her side.
—What?!
A moment of confusion. As if aiming for that moment, Testarossa’s whip and Carrera’s sword
strikes came one after the other.
Velgrynd fell to her knee. She could not immediately understand what had happened to her.
No, it wasn’t that she couldn’t. Rather she didn’t want to understand.
“That was a clean hit, Ultima. We shall ask Rimuru-sama for praise later.”
“That was impressive, but we must not be careless. Let’s keep this thing going!”
“Yeah! There’s still another ‘Parallel Existence’ left, so let’s kill that one too and interrupt the
ritual!”
Hearing these voices in the distance, Velgrynd stood up.
“Oh my, it seems you didn’t take too much damage from our attacks.”
“Even I would take a long time to break the hold of Ult’s ‘poison curse.’ True Dragons are
really amazing.”
“But you see, it’s not like we can’t beat her, right? The damage will accumulate; at this rate,
she’ll—”
Velgrynd moved fast, outpacing Ultima before she could finish her sentence. She grabbed
Ultima by the neck and slammed her to the ground with such speed that even the three demon girls’
super intuition could not detect her.
“Guha!”
Velgrynd kicked Ultima, who groaned involuntarily, and Velgrynd left the scene. Immediately
after, Carrera’s slash passed through the space where Velgrynd had been.
Velgrynd, now out of Carrera’s range, pulled a knife stabbed in her side and threw it away. Her
clothes were still torn, but there were no scars on her white skin. It was as if the damage caused by
the barrage of attacks was nothing to Velgrynd.
“You really are a monster, after all.”
 Velgrynd responded to Carrera’s mumbling with a slight self-mockery.
“Not really. I still have a long way to go. It’s been a long time since I’ve been careless enough
to get hurt. No. I could have been doing it habitually, but I just was not aware of it, since it never
resulted in issues. It’s like the fate of being the strongest, but you guys can understand that too,
right?”
Velgrynd chuckled, but her eyes were sharp. She glared at Testarossa and the others, ready to
notice the slightest movements. There was no hope for her to be caught off guard a second time, and
thus, at this moment, Testarossa and the girls’ chances of victory were reduced to zero.
“The Primordials really are troublesome, but that doesn’t mean that they are a threat. It just
means that they are a pain to deal with. However, I’ve changed my mind. Now that you’ve
incarnated and been given names, you’ve become stronger than I ever imagined. I will acknowledge
that.”
Velgrynd was not underestimating the primordial demons. Even if their strength was not as
great as hers, she could still benefit from their help. They could be of great help to Velgrynd when
she challenged her sister, Velzard.
In fact, Velgrynd had been taken by surprise just now. If this had happened during a battle with
her sister, Velgrynd’s defeat would have been decisive. As proof of this, Testarossa and the others’
attack had succeeded in ruining Velgrynd’s ‘Split Body’. Of course, she would recover in time.
However, as Carrera had said, it was a painstaking task for Velgrynd to break Ultima’s poison
curse. So Velgrynd released the damaged ‘Split Body’ and created a new one. In this way, she made
all her damage disappear.
Such usage was the essence of ‘Parallel Existence’. No matter how powerful the killer move
was, it was meaningless in the face of Velgrynd’s power. However, this Skill was not all-powerful
either. There were some restrictions on its use.
The biggest restriction was that for every ‘Split Body’ created, 10 percent of the maximum
amount of magicules would be used as collateral. This was not a consumption, but a maintenance
cost. The term ‘collateral’ was employed since she would get the magicules back once the ‘Split
Body’ was erased. However, it was also an irrefutable fact that there was a limit to the number of
‘Split Bodies’ that could be created. The maximum number of ‘Split Bodies’ that Velgrynd could
produce was ten. However, if Velgrynd created ten of them, the amount of magicules she had left
would be zero, and her fighting ability would be reduced.
Velgrynd believed it would be more efficient to keep at least 50 percent of her magicules, since
they could be shared with any ‘Split Body’. Therefore, she kept the number of split bodies to three
or four at most.
There was one more limitation. It was the damage done to the Split Body. If the body was
erased without issue, the full 10 percent of magicules would be returned. However, if the body was
damaged, the amount of magicule returned would be proportionally less. This was the strategy that
Rimuru had envisioned, and in a sense, it was correct.
In this case, her magicules were depleted by five percent. Incidentally, Gravity Collapse, the
nuclear magic that Carrera finally activated with all her might, had consumed less than one percent
of Velgrynd’s magicules. That was how enormous the amount of magicules in a True Dragon was.
Thus, Velgrynd was not completely immortal, even if she appeared invincible at first glance.
Physical damage was pointless, but if you slowly depleted her energy, you would eventually be able
to knock her down sooner or later.
Although the probability was very small, Velgrynd had come to realize this possibility. As
some of the strongest in this world, they might be able to defeat her. Although she had said they
were of no threat, that had just been a bluff to break their spirits.
Velgrynd was convinced. The three demon girls could be a useful trump card against Velzard.
If she could get Testarossa and the others to join her in the fight against her sister, victory would be
assured. That was why Velgrynd spoke words of invitation once more.
“You understand, don’t you? No matter how much you struggle, you cannot defeat me, so
there’s no point in fighting any more, is there? Just help me out a little and I will give you your
freedom, so why don’t you just surrender to me now.”
 The offer was the biggest concession that the proud Velgrynd could make.
Nevertheless, the three ladies rejected it.
“You want me to betray Rimuru-sama? That’s a funny joke.”
“You know, you’re really looking down on us too much. It’s common knowledge that demons
do not break their contracts, right? Just because we are losing does not mean we will betray him.”
“You tell me. Certainly, there are some demons who can be negotiated with. There might even
be some who only work with their own interests. But you should know that I would never betray
His Lordship!”
Each of the three spoke their true feelings and unleashed a simultaneous attack on Velgrynd to
remind her of their displeasure.
These attacks, with their maximum force, destroyed Velgrynd’s ‘Split Body’ in an instant,
causing Velgrynd to consume another nine percent of her magicules.
Negotiations had broken down.
“…Well then. That’s unfortunate. Gravely.” Velgrynd, who had created a new ‘Split Body’,
muttered and gave a devastating smile.
And then, the time of thrashing had begun.

Gazel and the others set out on a plan to take a detour around the Gravity Collapse—the crimson
pillar that was causing the rain of blood from the sky—and attack the site where Kagali was
performing the ritual.
If they got too close, even the Pegasus Knights would be caught in the gravity waves. It was up
to Dolph, the captain of the Pegasus Knights, to be cautious about that and lead the way. However,
his fears were unfounded. The “Gravity Collapse” maintained by Velgrynd had completely blocked
off any influence on the surroundings. On the ground, the battle between the demon girls and
Velgrynd seemed to have begun. And yet, the crimson pillar was still standing strong.
Gazel felt a chill run down his spine as he grasped this fact. However, he did not show it and
shouted loudly.
“It’s hard to believe, but that is Velgrynd. To be able to produce a clone of the same level as the
main body, what else could this be but a nightmare? But fear not. Know that we have powerful
reinforcements that also defy logic!”
Gazel’s voice reached the ears of the knights. It was imposing and majestic, and erased the fear
from everyone’s hearts.
Gazel, in truth, was terrified. In the face of such an overwhelming presence, there was little that
a Saint could do. Even if they attempted to resist, the difference in power was too great. However,
he did not give up. His sense of responsibility as a king strengthened his heart.
More importantly, the reinforcements from his beloved younger co-disciple (Rimuru) were
showing him that it was too early to despair. The three demons Velgrynd was fighting now were
inferior in terms of magicule quantity alone. Despite this, they were boldly challenging their
opponent, who was almost a hundred times stronger than them.
Kukuku, seeing them like that, how can I, as a king, complain about anything?
Gazel made a strong vow in his heart. This resolve spread to Gazel’s companions and the
knights under his command. By the time they reached their destination, all the fear had vanished
from their hearts.

On the other side of the crimson pillar was a battlefield that would be their destination. It was a
large open grassland where a large army could be deployed. The ground was stained crimson with
the color of blood. This was most likely the blood of the Empire Mixed Corps, which was making
shady transactions—a proof of their demise. There were nearly a hundred people on the ground.
 One man who stood out from the rest was Lieutenant Kondou, who wore a different uniform.
He threw his gaze at Gazel, giving off an overwhelming presence.
In addition, Footman, Teare, and about thirty of Yuuki’s former comrades were gathered here.
There were also nearly fifty Imperial Guardians. They were deployed to protect Kagali,
determined not to let anything interfere with the ceremony.
On Kondou’s side, a group of men in uniform could be seen. They were employees of the
Intelligence Bureau, and some of them were also Imperial Guardians. In other words, the best of the
Empire’s forces were all gathered here.
In terms of location, Kagali was on the outer edge of the crimson pillar. She was immersed in a
ritual, bathed in a rain of blood.
Velgrynd was standing on the sidelines, watching over her. After creating a ‘Split Body’ on the
other side of the crimson pillar, she came back to this side to prevent the three demon girls from
interfering with the magic. Even the mighty Velgrynd, with only one Split Body, would have her
hands full casting one of the most powerful spells in the world.
For this reason, Velgrynd seemed to have no intention of making a move and instead planned
to simply spectate the battle.

Gazel confirmed the situation in the sky. He then began his descent with calmness.
Kondou greeted Gazel and the others as they landed on the ground.
“It is an honor to finally meet you—the famed champion—King Gazel,” Kondou spoke
brazenly.
Gazel snorted and raised his sword.
“And you are?”
“Head of the Imperial Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant Kondou.”
“So, you’re the ‘Information Monster.’ Interesting. I shall be your opponent, so quickly draw
your sword.”
Gazel recognized Kondou’s strength at a glance. When his skill ‘Though Read,’ which he used
the moment they got face to face, didn’t work, he considered him to be his equal.
“Hey, hey, he will be my—”
“Vaughn, I need you to stay out of the way and take care of the others. You guys too. I am the
only one who can handle him.”
Gazel looked around at the others who entered this decisive battle and spoke up to them.
Jaine was the first to nod in agreement at Gazel’s order. “That’s right. That person is a bit more
than we can handle. Let us at least remove the obstacles and allow King Gazel to fight in peace.”
Jaine’s decision was met with a nod from Dolph. “…Understood. Everyone, listen up! They
may be outnumbered, but do not underestimate our opponent’s strength! Form into groups of five
and engage in aerial combat!”
He assessed the enemies and gave out an appropriate instruction.
An unobstructed assault from above was the Pegasus Knights’ main tactic. This time, however,
the strategy was to take advantage of their greater numbers and mess with the enemy.
Yuuki’s comrades and the Imperial Guardians were as strong as the Sage class. Sage level was
equivalent to Special A rank in the Freedom Association’s threat scale which was as strong as an
archdemon. Those at this level were worthy of being called champions, as they could reach the
Demon Lord Seed if they were cultivated properly.
Dolph’s subordinates were only Over A rank when working together with a pegasus. Dolph
himself was a sage, and while some of his men were stronger than others, they appeared to be no
match in a one-on-one battle.
Dolph did not see it exactly, but he could feel on his skin that the opposing troops were
dangerous. While the chances were better than fighting Velgrynd, he believed it would not be an
equitable fight. That was why he gave such an order.
The goal was not to destroy the enemy, but to distract the enemy by using the advantage of
flying. Buying time by doing so was Dolph’s true purpose. He wanted to stay out of Gazel’s way.
The Pegasus Knights read his intentions and reacted immediately.
 I shall do my part, trusting that His Majesty will win. Besides, the reinforcements will be here
soon!
Dolph had made his decision. And it was affirmed by a cheerful voice.
“Gwahahaha! We’re a little late, so it seems. This big thing was heavier than I thought, so we
had a hard time carrying it. But now that we’re here, rest assured! Take pleasure in this battle with
peace of mind!!”
It was Gabil.
“Whooo! That’s Gabil-sama for you, so cool!”
“Aye.”
“You’re getting more and more manly. I will follow you anywhere, so you better be prepared!”
And Gabil’s men.
Held in the hands of the Hiryuu members was a chain that connected them to a huge object. It
was the Demon Colossus. It had taken a hundred people to bring it here by air. The Demon
Colossus had no issues waiting for the enemy in the labyrinth, but its massive body was a liability
when it came to the battlefield. Its fighting ability was perfect, but its movement speed was very
slow. Even so, its melee speed was so fast that the problem had been overlooked until now.
“This problem needs improvement, but now that you’ve brought it this far, I shall do my best,”
Gadra exclaimed enthusiastically. Now was the time to return the favor he said, entering the Demon
Colossus with a motivated look on his face.
Gadra turned his gaze to Kondou, but quickly averted it. Seeing that King Gazel was dealing
with him, he felt that he should not interfere.
And then he took notice of Velgrynd. So, Marshal-dono’s true identity was the Scorch Dragon
Velgrynd after all. But if so, I don’t understand Damrada’s intentions. Did he really swear an oath
of allegiance to His Majesty? Why did he need to order Bernie and Jiwu to protect Masayuki? I
don’t understand. I don’t, but… Now is not the time to worry about that. If Velgrynd makes a move,
the mission is over. I’ll have to keep an eye on her to make sure that doesn’t happen.
With that in mind, Gadra sent the Demon Colossus towards the elegantly standing Velgrynd.

After seeing Gadra off, Gabil flew to Dolph’s side.

“It seems Gadra-dono has volunteered to take care of Velgrynd-sama. We will eliminate those
who will be in the way, as planned.”
“Fufufu, how reliable, Gabil-dono. In that case, let us get to work on the joint operation.”
“Yes. My team will take the lead against the enemy and leave the support to you!”
“Understood!!”
Gabil and Dolph nodded at each other.
As agreed upon in advance, the Hiryuu, with their excellent fighting ability, would take the
lead. The dragonewts, with their superior defensive capabilities, would not be easily killed. In
addition, Gabil’s team was lavishly supplied with full potions. As long as they didn’t die instantly,
they could be revived, making them a good shield.
“Now then, Dolph-dono, I’ll leave the command to you.”
“Huh, wait?!”
Dolph was surprised by Gabil’s undiscussed action.
“Gwahahaha! I am the ‘Draco Lord’ Gabil! Let’s fight without cowardice!”
Gabil was unconcerned about Dolph’s behavior and launched an assault towards what appeared
to be Kondou’s close associates—one of them.

Seeing Gabil, Gobua could only stare blankly. They had been the last to arrive, but it couldn’t
be helped as they had run across the ground. Even so, their speed was commensurate with their
Over A rank, and they were just in time for the start of the war.
Not only that, but they had managed to get behind the enemy troops as planned.
“The fact that Gabil-sama went alone means that the man’s ability must be outstanding.”
Gobua’s comment was countered by the man standing beside her.
“Is that so? I can only see a weak, bespectacled kid who’s good at paperwork, though?”
 It was Phobio, the Black Leopard Fang of Karion’s Beastketeers. For some reason, he hadn’t
returned to his home country, but had followed Gobua before he knew it.
Inwardly, Gobua was happy, but she was still in charge of the Kurenai by Benimaru’s orders.
She had to be stern in official duties, and so cautioned Phobio.
“Phobio-dono, your abilities are commendable, but you would do well to develop a better eye
for the strength of your enemies.”
“That’s harsh, Gobua. Drop the honorific, call me Phobio.”
“This is wartime and we’re on a mission. I expect you to keep your private and public life in
order.”
The two of them continued their conversation, but to their subordinates, it just looked like they
were flirting. It was a tense battlefield, but for some reason there was a warm feeling in the air.
“So, what happens after this?” Phobio asked, his expression suddenly turning serious.
Gobua changed her mindset and responded. “We will stay here and bide our time. We have
already failed to achieve our tactical victory conditions, and now the mission is doomed to failure.
Depending on what Velgrynd-sama does, we’ll be wiped out. If all we wish to do is survive, the
best choice is to run away, but that is not an option we can take. In short, the most important thing is
to reduce the number of people in our way and lighten the burden of His Majesty Rimuru as much
as possible.”
It was the expression of someone who had made up their mind.
If they kept Velgrynd here, then Rimuru would be able to take advantage of the opportunity
and take out Emperor Rudra. Or, perhaps, get him to agree to a ceasefire agreement, which had
been the point of the operation. However, that plan collapsed when Velgrynd released a ‘Split
Body’. Normally, all operations should have been suspended at that point, but the people with the
authority to make that decision were currently unreachable.
Gabil was the supreme decision maker in this situation. And Gabil’s decision was to continue
the operation. Testarossa and the others agreed, and Gobua had no objections.
Do what you can. That was all.
It was unclear how many ‘Split Bodies’ Velgrynd could produce, but they were prepared to
stall them all. And if possible, they were going to interrupt the ritual Kagali was performing.
“Are you trying to kill yourself?”
“No. His Majesty Rimuru will never allow us to die. So, no casualties will be allowed.”
At Gobua’s outrageous command, the Kurenai all nodded quietly.
“If Velgrynd moves, there’s nothing we can do to stop her, right?”
“If she does, we’ll leave her to Gadra-dono and run.” Gobua gave a wink in response.
That look had enough destructive power to shut Phobio up.
“Fine. I’m going to stop thinking so hard and go a little wild. It looks like I have a history with
some of these guys, so I should say hello.”
Phobio had once been tricked by Footman and Teare and had made a painful mistake in the
past. However, he didn’t hold a grudge against them because it was all due to his inexperience. On
the contrary, he was even grateful to them, believing that he had been able to grow from that
experience.
He was a simple and vivacious man, just like a beastman ought to be. It was precisely because
he was such a man that seeing his nemesis being manipulated gave him something to think about.
“Don’t do anything rash.”
“I can’t promise that, but I swear I’ll try not to die.”
With these words, Phobio joined the fight.

Lieutenant Kondou faced King Gazel. The bespectacled intelligence officer was spotted by
Gabil.
Footman and Teare headed for Vaughn and Anrietta. Phobio intervened, and Gobua and the
others tried to assess the situation.
In front of Velgrynd who was contemptuously looking at the battlefield, was a Demon
Colossus controlled by Master Gadra.
 And thus, the battles began.

In the midst of the battlefield, Gazel’s mind was as calm as a tranquil sea. He was facing the man
Kondou, not as a king, but as a warrior and a swordsman.
Kondou drew his military sword as Gazel had told him to do. He, too, quietly exhaled in
admiration at Gazel’s stance.
“Well, that’s impressive. I guess the title of Sword Saint was not an exaggeration.”
These words were not flattery, and he meant them sincerely. But Gazel snickered back.
“Speak for yourself. Such words only sound sarcastic when spoken by someone like you.”
Those were his true feelings.
Kondou’s stance was beautiful, and Gazel could see no flaw in it. Kondou now was holding his
sword in both hands, unlike when he had fought Footman, he was in a serious stance. And there was
an even more surprising fact. The two men’s stances were as identical as if they had rehearsed it
together.
They exchanged blows for a few rounds in silence, and both of them largely grasped the other’s
strength. They were convinced that it was no coincidence that their stances were identical. Gazel’s
swordsmanship had been learned from Hakurou, and although he incorporated his own techniques,
his basic stance was faithful to Hakurou’s teachings.
It was handed down from Hakurou’s grandfather, Byakuya Araki, as the “Oboro-Ryu.” 1 There
was no one else but Hakurou to whom this school of swordsmanship was passed down. Even Gazel,
who was a direct disciple of Hakurou, did not know everything about the Oboro-Ryu. He knew
there were secrets yet to be discovered.
But even so…
In the country of monsters, Hakurou was involved in the training of soldiers as the instructor.
Naturally, he would have taught them the basics of swordsmanship, but it was unlikely that this
would have been spread to the Empire.
To begin with, swordsmanship was not something that could be learned overnight. That is why
Gazel asked the question. And strangely, the same question came out of Kondou.
“That stance, how do you know Oboro-Ryu?”
“I had suspected it when I heard about it, but His Majesty Gazel’s technique is similar to my
“Oboro Shinmei-Ryu.” Who did you learn it from?”
“……”
“……”
They stared at each other.
Gazel was the first to open his mouth. “Oboro Shinmei-Ryu…so it’s not the same as Oboro-
Ryu, you say?”
Kondou accepted the question without expression and pondered for a moment.
In the Dwarven Kingdom, orthodox swordsmanship using a combination of a one-handed
sword and a shield is the mainstream. That means this must have something to do with the
information I got about a certain monster who is very skilled with a sword.
From the little information he had, Lieutenant Kondou arrived at a mostly correct answer.
Gazel asked Kondou a question as if he was impatient.
“Are you not going to answer my question?”
“Please do not be impatient. The Oboro-Ryu is probably of the same school as the one I
learned. That is why I would like to ask you a question instead. Isn’t it impossible that the same
school of swordsmanship could have been created from this world by chance?”
“Hmm, that’s true…”
1
This can be translated as something like the “Haze” style.
 While muttering, Gazel remembered. He recalled a story about Hakurou’s grandfather which
had been told to him during his training.
“I was told by my master Hakurou-dono that the Oboro-Ryu was instilled in him by his
grandfather. I heard that he was a “visitor” from another world which would make sense.”
Unknown to both Gazel and Kondou, Byakuya Araki had a younger brother. That person had
replaced his brother as the founder of the school and introduced the “Oboro Shinmei-Ryu” in the
world where Kondou was born.
It was to fight against the mountain and river monsters2 as the sword that dispelled evil.
Kondou was one of those who had fought against evil and had been learning the Oboro Shinmei-
Ryu from a position close to the source.
“Kukuku, it’s interesting to know that we are fellow students.”
Kondou began to laugh in a rare and amused way. He was not usually one to reveal his
emotions, so this laughter seemed to highlight his coldness.
“I have a proposal, Your Majesty Gazel.”
“What is it?”
“A fellowship. I have determined that His Majesty Gazel is powerful enough to join our ranks.
If you disarm and promise to swear allegiance to my Emperor, I promise to cease all acts of
aggression against your country.”
“What makes you think I’ll accept that offer?”
“I think you will. Rationally speaking, it is the best way to minimize casualties.”
He’s right—that’s what Gazel thought. It was a desperately needed offer. In order to protect the
people of the Dwarven Kingdom, it would be correct to accept the offer. As a monarch, he should
accept it without question.
Now that the threat of Velgrynd was known, there was no way to win. The conditions for
victory in this battle were so vague that they should never have been set in the first place. Before
heavy casualties were inflicted, Rimuru and the others would settle things with Rudra—it was
wishful thinking.
If it’s for the sake of the people—
Almost considering it, Gazel chuckled to dispel his doubts.
“Ridiculous! You think you’ve already won; has no one told you overconfidence is one’s
greatest enemy?! See how I correct you for your arrogant thoughts!!”
While shouting this, Gazel focused his thoughts on the enemy in front of him. Chasing away all
distractions, he thought only of defeating Kondou. Then, with mind, body, and his beloved sword as
one, he unleashed the full force of his haki as Saint. What appeared there was a champion who
could almost reach the level of an awakened demon lord.
Even so, Kondou’s demeanor remained relaxed even when he saw Gazel.
“My my, it seems you are a wise king in name only. In that case it can’t be helped. I will take
care of you before your reputation goes down the drain.”
Those words signaled the beginning of a battle between the “Saints.”

A few minutes had passed. Kondou was starting to gain the upper hand. He could easily cancel
out Gazel’s ‘champion’s haki.’ By wearing the same quality of aura, he was able to nullify all
effects.
It was the same even in pure swordplay. Gazel unleashed a series of vertical slashes with
“Oboro Chiten Gourai,”3 but Kondou, whilst shifting his body to evade the attacks, swiftly
unleashed a sideways counterattack with the “Shippu-Raiha” 4. Kondou then connected it with his
fastest thrust, the “Shiden Totsu,”5 but Gazel parried it back with a “Ryusui Zan.”6
2
The word used was “chimimoryō” which is a Chinese/Japanese term for monster and river monsters from ancient
times.
3
I think this means something like ‘Haze: Heaven and Earth Thunderous Roar’ but it’s not 100% accurate.
4
I think this means something like “Gale-Thunder Supreme”
5
I believe this means something like ‘Purple Lightning Thrust’
6
I believe this means something like ‘Flowing Water Slash.’
 The two fellow students knew each other’s techniques very well. However, Gazel’s response
gradually began to lag. Kondou had mastered more techniques than him.
“I knew it. There are some techniques that I have never seen before in the Oboro Shinmei-Ryu.
Even I, a close follower of the original art, do not know all of them. Hakurou, was it? I was
skeptical about how much a mere monster could comprehend the true nature of the sword.”
That was Kondou’s honest opinion. However, it was not meant as a mockery of Hakurou. The
way of the sword was profound and had been handed down from generation to generation. Kondou
himself was proud of his own school, and that is why he said what he said. However, his comment
struck a nerve in Gazel.
“Are you insulting my master?”
He glared at Kondou with more determination than ever.
But then, someone arrived.
“Hohoho. King Gazel, you’re not trained enough if you easily lose your cool on the battlefield.
I will take your place for a while, so you can stay there and cool your head.”
Hakurou, who had been leading the rear troops as Gobua’s advisor, arrived late.

Kondou could see through Hakurou’s strength at a glance.

The next moment, the clear sound of steel clashing with steel echoed through the air. Hakurou
had caught Kondou’s extremely fast quick-draw slash with his own cane-sword.
“Huh? You can stop this?”
On Hakurou’s forehead, his ‘Third Eye,’ the ‘Celestial Eye’ was opened. It had now broken
through the realm of Extra Skills and was about to exceed the realm of Unique Skills. That was why
he was able to deal with Kondou’s quick-draw sword technique.
“Excellent sword-drawing technique. I would call it anything but a strange coincidence that you
are of the same school as my grandfather? Kid, you can test and see just how far I, whom you call a
mere monster, can understand the true essence of the sword.”
“Fufu, interesting. If you say that much, then I shall cut you down to size.”
And so, before Gazel’s eyes, the battle between Kondou and Hakurou began.

Kondou had the best odds to win. Hakurou’s ability was certain, he could see that at a glance.
But there was no doubt in Kondou’s mind that monsters did not understand the true essence of the
sword.
This was because the Oboro Shinmei-Ryu was the sword that dispelled evil. There was no way
that a monster could learn a sword art designed specifically to combat them—it was only natural for
Kondou to think that. Besides, it was beyond anyone’s imagination that the true founder, the elder
brother of Oboro Shinmei-Ryu founder, had come to this world in the first place.
It surprised me that he could even perform the secret techniques, but those that go beyond the
hidden techniques can only be passed on to individuals who are descended from the original line.
I’m not sure how proficient the “visitor” was, but it would be impossible for him to teach the
hidden techniques to a monster.
In a way, it was inevitable that Kondou had made a judgment based on his own common sense.
That was a big mistake, and an unusual assumption for Kondou. It was a big price to pay…
Hakurou and Kondou faced each other. Then, as soon as they got at a deadly distance, they
simultaneously launched their attacks.
“Baika Gokatotsu.”7
Kondou, with his pride as a swordsman, showed off his well-honed technique. It was only
because Hakurou was a fellow student of the same school that he had made such a foolish move. In
7
Baika, Gokatotsu translates to something like “Plum Blossom, Five Petal Thrust”
the back of his mind, he was calmly thinking that he should get serious and finish it quickly. Yet,
the action he’d taken was intended for showing off.
This is a rash conduct that was out of character for Kondou, who was usually calm and
composed. He intended to impress his peers in this world by demonstrating the greatest technique
he had learned.
The “Gokatotsu” was a stabbing technique that symbolized the plum blossom. It was the finest
technique that Kondou had been taught and was one of the hidden techniques that have never been
passed down to outsiders. It consisted of five stabs aimed at five of the ten vital points of the human
body—the eyes, throat, heart, kidneys, solar plexus, crotch, and also both shoulders as a feint. The
aim was changed according to the situation, so it required a skillful technique.
Even among his peers, there were very few who had mastered this hidden technique. That is
why it was a miscalculation to find Hakurou in such a place.
“Yaezakura Hakkasen.”8
Hakurou’s choice was a supreme technique—a series of continuous flowing slashes, in an
infinite variety of combinations, that would slay the enemy eight times in an instant.
Kondou and Hakurou were evenly matched in Proficiency, but there is a great difference
between them in basic combat ability. In Hakurou’s opinion, Kondou boasted a physical ability
more than ten times greater than that of Hakurou. That is why Hakurou’s defeat would be certain if
his technique did not work.
With that determination in mind, Hakurou pulled out his sword.
“Nuu?!”
“Oh…”
Kondou had won overwhelmingly.
Hakurou had wanted to strike a fatal blow to Kondou, even if it meant they would both get hit.
That was what he had hoped for, but the result was something the both of them did not expect.
Hakurou’s sword scattered like eight petals at a speed that no one else could even see. However, all
of them were canceled out by Kondou’s five petals, and the attack ultimately missed.
As a result of Kondou avoiding getting hit at the lower portion of his body, a graze to the cheek
was the most that could be done. Still, this was a disappointing result from Kondou’s point of view.
“I didn’t think there was a swordsman in this world who was better than me.”
Hakurou’s “Hakkasen” was superior to Kondou’s “Gokatotsu.” This fact shattered Kondou’s
perception and made him admit to his mistake.
However, it was Kondou who won the battle. The difference in strength was too great even
though Hakurou was able to cancel his special move. Hakurou’s arms were torn apart by the recent
exchange, rendering them useless.
“Even with the supreme technique, I could not reach you…”
“No, you did. I apologize for looking down on you. Also, I would like to ask you. What was
your grandfather’s name?”
Kondou apologized for looking down on Hakurou as a monster. He also acknowledged that
Hakurou was a better swordsman than himself and paid him that respect.
He was a man who was sincere about the sword. But at the same time, he did not judge things
based on his personal feelings. That is who Kondou Tatsuya was.
“Hohoho. Byakuya Araki was my grandfather’s name. He was a great swordsman, but he left
for the afterlife9 a long time ago.”
“That is a shame. Araki is the name of his family. Perhaps he is related to the founder of the
Oboro Shinmei-Ryu. If he had reached Sage level, he would have been one of the strongest
swordsmen in this world.”
With that, Kondou said a silent prayer. He was truly a man who was serious only for his own
school of sword. Hakurou looked at Kondou in dismay and asked him a question, thinking it was
worth the try.
8
Yaezakura, Hakkasen translates to something like “Double Cherry Blossom, Eight Petal Flash.” Yaezakura is a double
cherry blossom tree, or cherry blossoms with more than five petals.
9
They use a phrase here that also translates to “left to the road of the underworld.”
 “My grandfather was an eccentric man who liked living an ordinary life. More importantly
though, would you mind retreating here?”
Sensing Kondou’s respect for him as well, Hakurou made his request. However, the request
was rejected.
“I can at least guarantee your personal safety, but the war cannot be stopped. I have a belief that
the worst thing one can do is to do things half heartedly,” Kondou spoke with no doubts.
Well, I suppose that’s true, Hakurou thought to himself.
Hakurou was not in a hurry.
I already considered I was going to lose. It is impossible for me to get back into the fight with
these arms, but I believe I’ve achieved my goal.
That’s right, Hakurou’s goal was not to win, but to show Gazel the battle between himself and
Kondou. The sword saint Gazel Dwargo would have understood Hakurou’s technique just by
looking at it. Even if he couldn’t learn it right away, he would have been able to get some sort of
hint. That was Hakurou’s idea.
And this time, even Kondou had used his secret technique. This surely increased Gazel’s
chances of winning.
“Then, I will stop here. I do not need your protection. I have no intention to live in shame. In
my final moments, I plan to take out as many enemy soldiers as I can. But now is not the time. I
shall concentrate on healing these hands.”
Hakurou’s hands were badly injured and wouldn’t recover even with a full potion 10. The secret
of the ‘Battlewill’ was to destroy the target by permeating fighting aura in them. Kondou’s fighting
aura had penetrated Hakurou’s defenses. Because of this, there was no way to heal the injuries
except by neutralizing them with his own demonic aura.
However, Hakurou turned to Gazel with a nonchalant look on his face.
“Well then, King Gazel. Has your head cooled down?”
“Of course, I got excited, seeing my master’s skills.”
“Hohoho. The truth is I really had no intention of teaching you, but I can’t say that now. I will
leave the rest to you.”
“Please leave it to me.”
After Hakurou stepped back, Gazel stood before Kondou.
Meanwhile, Hakurou left the front line with his head held high, as if his role was now over.

Once again, Kondou and Gazel faced each other.

Kondou was ashamed of his shallowness, but quickly changed his mindset.
“I lost my cool for a bit, but playtime is over. It’s time to get back to work.”
“Hmph! I’m reluctant, but I agree with you. I must live up to my master’s expectations, so I
must get serious.”
Both Kondou and Gazel acted differently from earlier. They had finished assessing each other’s
abilities and had become serious.
As for Gazel, he was grateful to Hakurou. If he had fought Kondou the way he was, he would
have been defeated. The hidden technique that Kondou displayed, the ‘Gokatotsu,’ was impossible
to defend against at first sight. Even if he had miraculously avoided a fatal wound, he would have
been destroyed from the inside by the fighting aura, just like Hakurou had been, and would have
been rendered incapable of fighting.
I didn’t realize that a refined fighting aura would pose such a threat. I knew that it was the
secret of the Battlewill, but it seems that I hadn’t fully understood it yet.
10
Fuse created miracle potions early on and now has to keep adding restrictions to them, resulting in weirdly
inconsistent and specific excuses for them not working, to salvage a semblance of having stakes.
 As he reflected on this, Gazel felt his spirits lift. He realized that he could still get stronger.
“Kondou, isn’t it? I will give you a taste of my full power.”
As soon as he said this, Gazel released his trump card.
“Spirit Summoning! Come, nameless Spirit King of the Earth!!”
The summoned Spirit King of the Earth dwelled within Gazel, who had unleashed his power as
a Saint. It was completely ‘unified’ and had an energy that rivaled or almost surpassed that of an
old, awakened demon lord. Although there was a time limit, this was Gazel’s trump card.
Kondou, however, was unfazed.
“What nonsense.”
Kondou spoke blandly, unperturbed by Gazel’s domineering aura.
Gazel did not show any displeasure at his words, but silently held his sword up to his eyes. He
sharpened his mind, refined his will, and let it flow into the sword.
 Gazel was now in perfect control of the enormous amount of energy that had ‘unified’ with the
Spirit King of the Earth. It was a feeling that he hadn’t felt before.
He truly is an incredible master. He helped me realize the secret. I can win. As I am now, the
current me can reach even greater heights!
Gazel felt the improvement in his ‘mind,’ ‘technique,’ and ‘body.’ By ‘mind,’ it was his Skill.
By fully utilizing the Unique Skill ‘Dictator’, Gazel’s willpower was at full power. By ‘technique,’
it was his Arts. In the Oboro-Ryu he learned from Hakurou, the ‘Battlewill’—the art of
transforming willpower into physical power is crucial. The current Gazel would be able to
efficiently converge all the energy that flowed through his body. And that was the ‘body.’ In other
words, he would use the Unique Skill ‘Dictator’ to consolidate his energy and convert it into the
greatest blow.
No one can defeat my sword—with such a drive, Gazel made his move. A blow of divine
speed.
However, it would never reach Kondou.
Pwang! A small sound rang out and Gazel fell to his knees.
“Kah!”
Gazel coughed up blood and looked dumbfounded at the blood seeping down his abdomen.
In Kondou’s right hand was a Nambu pistol, a cloud of gunpowder still smoking from the
muzzle. The lethal bullet that had defeated Gazel had been fired from that very pistol.
“You… Your pride as a swordsman.”
Gazel, his face twisted in anger and humiliation, shouted while coughing up blood.
But those words fell on deaf ears to Kondou.
“I told you, play time’s over. There is no need for pride on the battlefield. My job is to win by
any means necessary.”
Kondou spoke in a terribly cold voice. He was a different person from the one who had been so
obsessed with his own school of swordsmanship up until now.
“Forget that! I won’t let this be the end—”
Gazel desperately tried to stand up. However, his body couldn’t move as he wanted, and he fell
to the ground once again.
It was only natural. The bullet Kondou had shot was not ordinary, but rather a special bullet
that contained Kondou’s own will— Necrosis. It was not something borrowed from Emperor
Rudra, but an Ultimate Skill that Kondou had manifested on his own.
Yes—Kondou had awakened to the ultimate power by his own ability. The Ultimate Skill
‘Conviction King Sandalphon’ was one that governed “battle.” As such, it was very strong.
He was the one who fought on behalf of Rudra—he who desired to attain the throne of God
despite being human. And Necrosis, which Kondou used earlier, was one of the powers of the
‘Conviction King Sandalphon.’ It had the effect of destroying the target’s mana circuits and could
even kill spiritual life forms.
Gazel was by no means weak. On the contrary, he was one of the most powerful beings in this
world. Depending on the conditions, he was capable of defeating even an awakened demon lord.
Nevertheless, there was a strength barrier between him and Kondou that could not be overcome.
It was the existence of an Ultimate Skill. In this aspect alone, the battle had already been
decided before the fight.
“Give up your futile efforts. I have no intention of killing Your Majesty. I will detain you for
the time being, but I promise to release you once I’m done.”
Kondou spoke in an indifferent voice.
While it was not a falsehood, it was not the whole truth, either. Before letting him go, he was
planning to take control of him with the ‘Dominion Bullet.’ Now that he was currently in control of
Kagali, he wanted to capture him alive.
Terrifyingly ruthless, and rational. This was another essence of Kondou Tatsuya.

Hakurou was not in a position to move right now. He could only stand there, resigned at the
sight of Kondou’s strength.
 At this point, it appeared as if Kondou’s victory was assured…

“Gwahahaha! I am the Draco Lord Gabil! Let’s fight without cowardice!!”

Shouting this, Gabil identified the enemy and charged, leaving his subordinates behind.
Although this was an inappropriate act for a commander, it was not a mistake from a tactical
standpoint.
Because the enemy’s strength was exceptional. The enemy was not conspicuous within the
group, simply a good-looking bespectacled man. Nevertheless, Gabil called out in a loud voice
without any sign of hesitation.
“You there. That man there, do not hesitate and be my opponent!!”
When Gabil pointed his spear at him, the man with the glasses twisted his lips into a smile.
“So, it’s come to this. I was playing the part of an ordinary intelligence officer, and now I’ve
been spotted by someone who sees right through me.”
While saying this, the gentleman took off his glasses.
Immediately after that, the atmosphere around the man changed.
“In that case, it can’t be helped, so allow me to be your opponent. But before that…my seniors,
please stay away from here.”
The man’s usual timid character had disappeared as he ordered the others around him.
However, this did not go down well with his confused companions.
“Hey now, Marco, aren’t you not cut out for fighting?!”
“Yeah, you’re weaker than us, so stop acting so tough.”
The man called Marco smiled back at the worried voices of his companions.
“Ah well, it was a really comfortable place to work. My true identity is a Single Digit, Number
8. You know what that means, don’t you?”
Seeing how their peer’s demeanor had changed, everyone understood that Marco had been
playing the good-natured intelligence officer in disguise. And they understood that he had the right
to give them orders, and what he had just said was true.
“Understood!”
“Good luck!!”
Leaving those words behind, Marco’s companions scattered. He let out a sigh of relief and
turned his snake-like narrowing eyes to Gabil. Marco, too, had seen through Gabil’s strength.
In this world, it was meaningless to challenge an outstanding individual with a group. Marco
was well aware of this and drove away even those who were as strong as an Imperial Knight.
“Wasn’t it Gabil-san; you’ve done it now. You must pay for the crime of robbing me of my
office lifestyle.”
“Gwahahaha! The Single Digits are the ones Rimuru-sama considered as dangerous. To be able
to deal with such prey, it looks like an opportunity has come my way!” Gabil replied happily.
Thus, the battle between the two men began.
………
……
…
Marco was a man who was characterized by his lack of notable features. He became an
Imperial Knight about 800 years ago. Because he possessed the Unique Skill ‘Impersonator’, a Skill
specialized in undercover, he had caught the attention of Damrada, the Commander at that time.
The Unique Skill ‘Impersonator’ had a noteworthy power. It was the ability to transform into the
exact likeness of the person he saw. It was not a ‘duplicate’ like the Unique Skill ‘Usurper’ that
Hinata possessed; it could entirely mimic the same person. However, there was a limit to how much
he could mimic. If the target was significantly more powerful than him, he could not mimic
everything—that was its weakness.
But even so, the more powerful people he met, the more versatile their strength would become.
That was why Marco had risen to the rank of a Single Digit after overcoming a great upheaval and
awakening as a Saint.
That was about a hundred years after Marco became an Imperial Knight. It was precisely
because of this that Marco could not shake his awe of the man Kondou. Even if he was a “visitor”
from another world and possessed a soul more powerful than that of ordinary people, his strength
was still difficult to comprehend.
The first person Kondou challenged in the rank battles was Marco. In that battle, Marco was
exposed to Kondou’s extraordinary strength. He had always thought that Kondou was favored by
the emperor, but now he realized that he had been wrong.
Kondou possessed a fighting ability that even Marco, a ‘Saint,’ could not imitate with his
Unique Skill ‘Impersonator.’ With this ability, Kondou easily defeated the top soldiers to get the
position of a commander. Even the four horsemen, who were all monsters in Marco’s eyes, had
been defeated by Kondo without a hitch.
For this reason, Marco worshiped Kondou. He even emulated Kondou’s insistence on the rank
of Lieutenant and kept his own rank of Ensign. He had stayed in the Intelligence Bureau just to
serve Kondou.
Marco was now facing a powerful opponent by the name of Gabil. He also fought back with a
spear but realized that he could not win the battle as it was. That is why Marco decided to change
himself into the form of the person he believed to be the strongest.
………
……
…
Marco distanced himself from Gabil and transformed into the form of Kondou. By adding the
Ultimate Enchantment ‘Alternative’ lent by the Emperor to the Unique Skill ‘Impersonator’, it was
possible to transform with even greater precision. The current Marco had power close to that of
Kondou.
“Hoh, that’s strange. Is that what you really look like?”
Gabil asked, to which Marco, in the form of Kondou, replied.
“No. This figure is a replica of who I believe to be the strongest man I know. The Four
Horsemen were strong too, but not as strong as Lieutenant Kondou. In fact—”
Marco glanced at the battlefield next to him and continued.
“It seems even His Majesty King Gazel, the renowned champion, is no match for him.”
Upon hearing this, Gabil let out a low “Mmm.” He knew from his wide-range ‘Magic
Perception’ that the allied forces were not doing well, that Hakurou had left the front lines, and that
King Gazel was struggling, as had just been pointed out.
“Hmm, it seems so.”
“From the moment that Lieutenant Kondou appeared, there was no doubt that we would win.
That’s why I didn’t want to bother to show my own hand. You never know where the leak will
come from and you always want to keep your power hidden, right?”
With that carefree question, Marco changed his weapon from a spear to a sword. The
Legendary-grade armor Marco had been lent now allowed him to change its shape at will. Marco
held his sword in his Kondou form. His appearance was regal.
Gabil also held a magical weapon, the Vortex Spear, which was the treasure of the lizardmen. It
was a spear entrusted to him by his father, Abil, and he was now familiar with it. The spear had
seen many fierce battles and had been reforged by Kurobee when it was damaged. Its performance
was unique-grade, but it had been a very reliable partner.
However, it still fell short of the legendary-grade. It is true that the difference in weapon
performance is a factor that determines the winner, and this time, Gabil was at an overwhelming
disadvantage. However, Gabil also had the ‘Dragon Skin’, which was strong enough to reach the
mythical-grade level.
Gabil believed that his enemy was a ‘Saint,’ and that he was equal to his awakened self. That is
why Gabil did not spare any effort from the beginning, and gave it his all.
Will this person be able to penetrate my defenses?
Gabil was confident in his defensive capabilities. There was no victory in a fight unless you
could inflict decisive damage on your opponent. It didn’t matter how many blows you hit, if they
were not fatal, they were meaningless.
Gabil thought that Marco’s weapon would not be able to break through his defenses, but he was
not about to let his guard down, and would carefully watch his opponents moves.
“Here I go.”
“Hm, bring it on!”
Gabil’s misfortune was that he had become hostile to Marco too early. The power he had
awakened was vast, but he had yet to fully harness it for himself. As Ultima had feared, even in his
pre-evolutionary stage, Gabil had not handled his magicules well enough. Even with such great
power in his hands, Gabil was unable to use it to the full potential. High defense and healing ability
—these two things alone were strong enough, but this time, his opponent was too strong.
“Baika Gokatotsu.”
“Vortex Crash!!”
Gabil was able to survive because of his cautious approach.
The two were evenly matched in strength or Gabil slightly above. However, in terms of
Proficiency , Marco, who was impersonating Kondou, was far superior. Actually, Marco could not
even imitate 80 percent of Lieutenant Kondou’s abilities. The Ultimate Skill ‘Conviction King
Sandalphon’ was impossible to reproduce, and if Gazel had been his opponent, defeat would have
been inevitable.
In terms of Marco’s plain strength, he was evenly matched with Gabil. In terms of defense,
Gabil’s victory would have been assured.
Victory or defeat was all a matter of chance. Although Marco seemed to have won by a
landslide, his victory was paper-thin.
“Good grief, I can’t blame Major General Farage. Wasn’t it ‘Draco Lord’ Gabil? No wonder he
mistook him for Veldora.”
Marco muttered, looking at Gabil as he fell to the ground.
At this moment, Gabil’s fate seemed to be coming to an end…

“Brother!!”
As if to protect Gabil, several shadows came to stand before Marco. It was Souka and the
others who had rushed to the scene. And then there were Gabil’s subordinates.
“Gabil-sama!!”
“Don’t die, Gabil!”
“Aye. Gabil-sama is not a man who should die in a place like this!!”
Even though they knew they could not defeat Marco, they still dared to face him. That courage
saved Gabil’s life.
Individually, these people were no match for Marco, a ‘Saint,’ but they were still Special A
rank talents. They used healing potions generously, desperately trying to buy some time.
However, Marco’s Kondou-inspired technique destroyed the enemy from the inside out with
his well-honed fighting aura. Because it nullified the effects of the healing potions, Souka and her
subordinates had to be prepared for death.
And then, another one of Gabil’s subordinates fell.
Then, Souka’s subordinate, Nanso, fell.
Even though there was not that much difference in proficiency, there was too much of a
difference in raw power. On top of that, Marco’s weapon was legendary-grade. One by one, each of
them fell before the inevitable difference in strength.
Fortunately, none of them had died yet. With the evolution of Gabil by Rimuru, the people
linked to him had also become stronger. Thanks to this, their endurance had increased, and they
were narrowly able to escape fatal injuries.
However, the ongoing damage from Marco’s wounds prevented them from returning to the
front lines. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they were all killed.
That’s why Gabil shouted, “Enough, that’s enough, so get out of here! Souka, that’s an order.
Take everyone and get out of here!!”
Gabil looked at Souka, desperately trying to rise up. But Souka refused to even look at Gabil
and smiled fearlessly.
“I refuse, Brother. I am a subordinate of Souei-sama, so I am not obligated to accept orders
from you.”
“What are you—”
“Besides! If we run away now, we’ll end up with dead people! You, Brother, will die too!!”
Souka, normally a calm person, shouted out with all her might.
“…What are you talking about?!” Gabil was speechless and confused. “Isn’t it the role of the
commander to reduce casualties as much as possible? Isn’t it your job to increase the number of
survivors and leave me, who got defeated, behind?”
It was difficult for Gabil to get up right now. He could barely speak his words out loud as he
watched his comrades fighting.
However, those words were dismissed by Souka.
“Then my plan is the right one. There are no weaklings among us who can be killed by a single
blow. That’s why we are going to buy ourselves some time.”
Keeping on fighting, unconcerned even if a comrade fell. Battling Marco with numbers and
being careful not to cause any casualties. By doing so, Souka and the others were looking for a
chance to win.
“This is foolish! There is no guarantee that help will come—”
Now that Rimuru and the rest of the executives were on their way to the Imperial Capital, extra
support could not be expected. Even if the other executives who were asleep woke up, they
wouldn’t be able to conveniently rush over here. The three demon girls they were counting on were
dealing with an even more powerful enemy, Velgrynd. They were the ones who needed support;
thus, there was no way they could ask for help.
Gabil understood this and had decided that he had no choice but to retreat in this situation.
However, it was Gabil’s subordinates who disagreed.
“It’s you, Gabil! You’re the one we’re waiting for!”
“That’s right, Gabil-sama! You’re hurt, so heal up soon and get up!”
“Aye. We will buy time and wait for Gabil-sama’s return. That is the only way to save
everyone here!!”
Hearing this, Gabil felt ashamed. He wondered if he, alone, had given up on victory.
“…What have I been doing? All right then! Everyone, hold your ground until I get up!!”
Gabil shouted, knowing full well what an absurd order it was. Hot tears spilled from his eyes,
eloquently expressing Gabil’s feelings. The goddess of victory would not abandon those who did
not give up.
Someone responded to Gabil’s voice.
“Oh dear, you’re as reckless as ever, aren’t you? Allow this humble self to help you out here.”
“It’s an order from my lady; her precious toy, Gabil-dono, is not allowed to die, so I shall go to
his aid.”
Arriving out of nowhere, Veyron and Zonda, Ultima’s subordinates, were standing there.
“Although it would be better for us if you didn’t survive,” Zonda continued to mutter, but Gabil
couldn’t hear him over the noise of the battlefield. That was a very lucky thing.
Veyron, looking like a butler, stood beside Souka. He held up his cane to Marco.
“My humble self shall deal with this person, so Souka-dono, please assist me. Zonda here will
help with the healing, and the rest of you will take care of the injured.”
 “Understood!”
“In that case, let’s go!!”
Veyron moved as soon as he heard Souka’s reply. He was a marquis-level demon peer. His
energy ratio was less than a quarter of Marco’s, but Veyron’s proficiency was superior. Even if he
couldn’t win, he succeeded in irritating Marco.
“Tsk, just how annoying can you be! You keep coming one after another before I can finish
you off.”
“Of course. It is our mission to grasp the enemy’s strength.”
“Yeah. I understand how annoying it is when someone mimics what you’re good at. I’ll take
you down at once and take out that other dangerous—”
“An opening!”
While fighting back against Veyron, Marco turned his murderous intent on Gabil. Not missing
a beat, Souka made her move. The shouting was intentional. She was trying to draw Marco’s
attention to herself and make him hesitate. If she could get her kunai to hit him, it would be all the
better. But even if that didn’t work out, Veyron’s blade would strike Marco. That was her judgment.
Marco saw it coming. That’s why he made the best choice. That is, he chose not to avoid
Souka’s kunai. It was the right thing to do. If he had reacted to Souka, he would have been wounded
much worse by Veyron.
Ignoring Souka, Marco continued to flick away Veyron’s cane. He regretted thinking of
something unnecessary during the battle.
Tsk, I’ll have to finish them off first. They’re really such a pain in the ass!
There was no doubt that Gabil was the most dangerous. That’s why Marco had wanted to finish
him off quickly, but he became greedy and ended up getting hurt. It was a minor wound, but he
couldn’t forgive himself for being wounded in the image of his beloved Kondou.
“I’ll deal with you first.”
“Well now, are you sure you can do it?”
“Veyron-dono, perhaps he’s just a sore loser?”
“Hm, I guess so. Well, let’s not be impatient and get the job done.”
And so, Veyron teamed up with Souka to take on Marco, despite the odds being against them.

In the meantime, Zonda was not idle either.

“Well, well, this is a nasty technique. Demonic aura—no, he’s a human, so it’s a fighting aura.
He left energy in the enemy’s body so that it continued to emit a wavelength that disturbed the
magicules. It’s a terrifying technique. In this case, it will also work on spiritual life forms like us.”
That is how he diagnosed Gabil’s injury.
His diagnosis was correct. Like Damrada’s ‘Spiral Permeation Break,’ 11 it was a type of energy
release, where a condensed fighting aura that destroyed the enemy from within.
This was the essence of the Oboro Shinmei-Ryu—the ‘Battlewill’—and the reason why it was
called a sword that dispelled evil. That is why magicule healing potions could not heal these
wounds.
But Zonda could. He skillfully manipulated the magicules to regulate the disordered energy. He
neutralized the fighting aura that Marco had injected and returned Gabil’s body to its normal flow
of energy. And Gabil did not just sit back and wait for recovery. He yearned for a greater healing
power. That desire was about to give Gabil a new power.
However… With the situation still unpredictable, Marco released his stance.
“Oh dear, time has run out. I’ve been ordered to return, so I believe that ends our battle here.”
As soon as he said this, Marco transported away from the scene before anyone could say
anything.
Thus, Gabil and the others narrowly escaped death.

11
rasen shintō ha
Vaughn was struggling against Footman. No, the word ‘struggling’ was an understatement. Vaughn
was also a Sage-class opponent and was confident of his strength. However, Footman had a
magicule count that could overwhelm Vaughn easily.
Vaughn’s armor and spear were Legendary-grade and contributed to his strength. Even so, it
was as if he still couldn’t reach him. The only reason why he could still fight was because Footman
was not rational. Besides, Phobio’s help was also great.
“I, the ‘Black Leopard Fang’ Phobio, will help you!”
At first, Vaughn was suspicious of the man who had come barging in shouting that, but he soon
remembered who the man was.
The “Black Leopard Fang” is one of Demon Lord Karion’s Beastketeers! Right, Karion has
now ceded to Demon Lord Milim who is also allied to His Majesty Rimuru.
Deciding that he was not an enemy, Vaughn welcomed the help.
“Thank you. I was just thinking that this would be difficult to deal with on my own.”
“Indeed. Honestly, I don’t think I could do it alone either.”
Reflecting on his previous attitude, Phobio calmly assessed his own abilities. He knew
instinctively that he could not defeat Footman even in his serious, full-strength ‘beastialized’ state.
That is why Phobio chose to fight together with Vaughn, letting go of his pride.
Footman was strong, but his attacks were monotonous because he had lost his sense of reason.
Both Vaughn and Phobio were wounded, but barely able to stand. They could not expect victory,
but the word “retreat” did not exist in their minds.
Because, right next to them, their comrades were fighting to the death. Responding to the other
clown, Teare, was Anrietta, the Head of the Night Assassins of the Armed Nation of Dwargon, and
Gobua, who had joined in the war. With a small group of elites, they were trying to capture the lone
Teare.
However, Teare appeared to be acting strangely.
“I’m really sorry, okay? This is not my intention either, but it’s an order. That’s why I’ll do my
best not to kill you, so please do something to stop me somehow!”
She was talking like that while fighting seriously.
In fact, even though Kagali had ordered Teare to fight, she still had her free will. She could not
disobey orders, but she was aware that Kagali was in a state of manipulation. In other words, she
was not fighting of her own volition, and did not want to fight at all. That is why Teare was trying
to avoid fighting seriously to the utmost extent. Although she joined the battle so as not to violate
her orders, she had asked her enemies, Anrietta and the others, to stop her.
In order to respond to Teare’s request, Anrietta and the others were carrying out a capture
operation. However, the overwhelming difference in strength between the two sides was too great to
overcome, and no results had yet been seen.
“That man over there, I’m sorry too, okay? I took advantage of you before, but I’m not going to
cheat you this time!”
Phobio was indignant when Teare spoke to him. Footman’s sense of reason was taken away to
keep them from dying—both Phobio and Vaughn immediately noticed this. He hadn’t noticed it
when they first met, but the fact that Footman was as powerful as Karion, whom Phobio respects,
made him realize that they were no match for him in a proper fight. And for that, Phobio was
grateful to Teare for the time being. But:
“Shut up! Don’t remind me of my dark history. Even if you didn’t say it, I am grateful that you
made that man go blindly on a rampage!”
“That’s right! You guys are weak, so if Footman was serious, you’d be dead by now!”
In response to Phobio’s retort, Teare launched into an innocent tirade. It was obvious that Teare
didn’t have any bad intentions, and that she meant what she said. That’s why it was even more
annoying, but for now, complaining was the best he could do.
 “What a cheeky brat.”
“Shut up already! Rather than that, you’d better work on putting in more effort in restraining
yourself!”
Vaughn and Phobio let out a deep sigh, as if to mentally remember this for later.

The difficult situation continued.

As for Gobua, she wanted to finish up here and help the rest of the battlefield. Because she
judged this to be the easiest opponent. However, the situation was not so simple. Teare was not
hostile, but she could not disobey orders. Gobua was not wrong in thinking that Teare would be
easy to capture. The reason why the strategy did not work was simply because Teare and Footman
were too strong.
In the case of Footman, he could easily tear through an iron net. Half-hearted attacks wouldn’t
work, and it was difficult to knock him out. It took two strong men, Vaughn and Phobio, to hold
him back somehow.
As for Teare on the other hand, even Anrietta, who was confident of her speed, could not catch
up with her, and Gobua could not even touch her. They had also prepared a cast net for her, but it
was unlikely that they would succeed in catching her alive. Souka and the others would have done
better, but they seemed to be too busy fighting with Marco.
And so, the war situation worsened.

With the information from Moss, Gobua was able to grasp the situation of the battle. Veyron
and Zonda had apparently gone to Gabil’s rescue. The situation had returned to a stalemate, but it
seemed to have become that much more dangerous.
Worst of all was Kondou. Hakurou succumbed, and even King Gazel was defeated. It seemed
that Agera and Esprit were on their way, but it was doubtful they could even stall for time against
Kondou.
‹If worse comes to worst, I will come out,› Moss said. His role was to assess the situation on
behalf of Benimaru. Gobua was to plan the operation based on Moss’s information. Even now,
while dealing with Teare, Gobua continued to give precise instructions. This was only possible
because of Moss’s support. If Moss were to go into battle, the front line would collapse at once.
‹Please wait for that. In the worst-case scenario, please do so, but will you be able to manage in
the first place?›
‹…I’ll make it work.›
Gobua felt depressed, wondering if even Moss couldn’t win. He was a self-confident man who
treated everyone with arrogance except for certain people, most notably Testarossa. That Moss had
made such an uncertain statement about doing his best. In other words, it was proof that Kondou
was a very dangerous opponent.
Kondou would be difficult to stop.
Gabil had yet to return to the front line.
Gobua and the others were still far from capturing Teare and Footman.
At this rate, it would be impossible to interrupt Kagali’s ritual.
There was Gadra, but he was currently engaged in a war of words with Velgrynd. If Velgrynd
joined the fight, then defeat was certain.
This is the worst. I see now how much we’ve been relying on Rimuru-sama and Benimaru-
sama…
Gobua was in a state of regretful introspection, but even if she realized this now, it was still too
late. That is why they must never give up.
Not yet. The fact that Velgrynd-sama hasn’t made a move means that those demons are doing
their best. The difference in strength is obvious, but they’re still sticking it out. We cannot be the
first to give up, that would be unacceptable!
Gobua was reminded of the three proud demon girls.
They hated to lose, and even though they were newcomers, they were still a part of the“Twelve
Chaos Guardian Lords,” which was the highest position. To Gobua and the others, they were
unimaginably strong, but when their opponent was Velgrynd, the feeling of despair grew stronger.
It was amazing that the battle was still going on.
‘I can’t lose’—that’s what Gobua thought.
Upon regaining her spirit, she redoubled her efforts and resumed the capture of Teare.

A man stood before Kondou. It was Agera, who seemed to be a samurai dressed in a casual kimono.
“Go ahead, Agera! I’ll stay out of your way.”
And with that, Esprit began to heal Gazel and Hakurou. Agera shook his head in disbelief.
Esprit was always like that. She conveniently always took the best part. To put it simply, Esprit saw
that she could not beat Kondou this time and ran away from the battle. That was Esprit, a demoness
who knew how to swim with the tide.
Agera, unconcerned as he always was, pointed his sword at Kondou. He had been undefeated
with a single sword for three hundred years. Before Kondou, who had defeated great swordsmen
like Hakurou and Gazel, he could feel his blood boiling.
“Kondou, was it? You are a skilled swordsman. I, too, live by the way of the sword. I’d love to
have a sword fight with you.”
Agera knew he couldn’t defeat Kondou without restrictions. It was only because Kondou had
agreed to fight with a sword that Hakurou had succeeded to fight back. Otherwise, even if Gazel
and Hakurou had challenged him at the same time, they would have been kicked to the ground too
quickly to inflict even a single wound.
That was the reason for his proposal. It was a tenuous negotiation, but Agera was confident that
Kondou would accept. The reason for this was that Kondou’s swordsmanship was somehow
familiar to him.
“Agera-dono…is it true that you, too, are a swordsman, like I suspected?”
Before Kondou could answer, Hakurou interrupted with a question.
“Hm? What do you mean by ‘suspected’?”
“Oh, no… Actually, I thought that Agera-dono looks like someone I used to know…”
Hakurou stammered in response to Agera’s curious look. In fact, Hakurou’s grandfather and
Agera looked so much alike that they were almost identical. Not only their faces, but also their
stature, mannerisms, and even their impeccable behavior was similar.
“Is that so? But unfortunately, I’m afraid I am not the same person. I do not remember meeting
you since I was born three hundred years ago. And I do not know if I am a good swordsman, but I
am prepared to fight with this sword for the rest of my life.”
With that said, Agera smiled gently. For him, the sword was everything.
“I see… Well, please forget the trivial thing that I said.”
Hakurou swallowed his various thoughts and withdrew.
Agera must be the reincarnation of his grandfather—he suspected that much, but he had no
proof. Besides, even if Agera was Byakuya Araki, it wasn’t a reason for Kondou to change his
mind. The grandfather whom Hakurou hadn’t beaten even once was a human, after all. Whatever
the answer, it would not be a factor to turn the situation around in the end. The only way to win this
battle was to defeat Kondou by force.
“The person Hakurou-dono knows, by any chance—”
“Yes, it’s my grandfather.”
Hakurou replied in a whisper to Gazel, who was also whispering.
Esprit joined them in their whispered conversation.
“By the way, did Hakurou-san’s grandfather die three hundred years ago?”
“That’s right.”
“If that’s the case, it’s possible. He was born a demon in that form, and he had a sword from
the very start. Besides, “souls” who are skilled in martial arts gather under Carrera-sama. It
wouldn’t be surprising if there was such a connection.”
“I see. If that is the case, then does it mean he knows some secrets that even Hakurou-dono
does not know?”
“It’s hard to say. I couldn’t master it, but of all the techniques he showed me, he said the
Hakkasen was the best…”
And so the conversation went on.

Hakurou and the others had already been defeated after giving it their all. Therefore, they were
ready to wait and see how they would win or lose. Hakurou was worried about Agera’s identity,
even though he knew that this was not the right time. And Gazel was also curious about Hakurou’s
master.
Esprit went to treat them. Her appeal to the public that she was doing her job was quite
impressive to the point that Agera would tip his hat to her.
Agera gave a deep sigh at the situation. Kondou did not interfere with the conversation enemies
and was watching Agera with a relaxed attitude. Kondou’s role was to eliminate those who would
try to interfere with Kagali’s ritual. He was also screening out the strongest people who might be
useful, not trying to kill all of his enemies.
That is why he decided to respond to Agera without any haste. The only reason he was serious
with Gazel was because it was too dangerous to leave him alone. If Hakurou had entrusted a
technique to a ‘Saint,’ who was evenly matched with him, there was no guarantee that he would
win. Therefore, Kondou prioritized victory, that is, he prioritized his work.
He was willing to play around a little if it was against a clearly inferior opponent like Agera.
However, it was rare for Kondou to make such a decision. This was because Kondou, who was a
pragmatist and a workaholic, disliked waste to the extreme. Kondou’s only weakness was his pride
in the school of swordsmanship he had studied.
Goodness, I’m still a little naive that I cannot let go of my personal feelings.
He reflected on this but could not suppress his curiosity.
‘Fine, I’ll play along,’ Kondou was about to say, but he was not so foolish as to lose sight of his
surroundings. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Velgrynd move.
Kagali’s taboo ritual, ‘Birthday,’ was still in progress, but it looked like the situation had
changed. Unfortunately, there was no time, and Kondou decided to move out as well.
“Sorry. I would have liked to keep you company, but work comes first.”
After speaking to Agera, he put away his sword. His attitude was completely condescending to
Agera. But even knowing this, Agera could not stop Kondou.
As he watched Kondou walk away, he couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat.
“It looks like I narrowly escaped death,” he muttered in frustration.

Gadra was struggling in a lone battle against Velgrynd. But that didn’t mean he was actually
fighting. Such an attempt would have shattered even the technologically advanced Demon Colossus
with a single blow.
Gadra knew his place and would not have done such a foolish thing. He was questioning
Velgrynd out of his own curiosity.
“I had no idea that Her Excellency the Marshal was the sister of Veldora-sama, the Scorch
Dragon Velgrynd-sama. I never knew that until now. It’s no wonder you’re so beautiful.”
First was a word of flattery. In this way, he attracted Velgrynd’s attention.
“It’s only recently that I showed my face, so it’s only natural that you didn’t know me.”
And that was the end of it.
 Velgrynd stayed and continued to converse with Gadra. It was his best strategy to buy time
with conversation. It worked, and Gadra was still alive even now. However, Velgrynd had her own
agenda.
“—Oh, I see. So Velgrynd-sama has been supporting His Majesty Rudra all this time. I, Gadra,
am truly impressed that you’ve been able to play the role of Marshal for generations!”
“There was a time when I didn’t speak for a few hundred years. It’s not so hard to play the
role.”
Velgrynd responded politely, but her face showed signs of fatigue. She was fed up with all the
questions Gadra was asking her. That’s why she couldn’t help saying something that sounded like a
complaint.
“Even so, you’ve got a lot of nerves. I allowed you to ask questions because you’re Rudra’s
favorite, but I didn’t expect you to keep asking so many.”
“I’m flattered by the compliment!”
“No, it’s not a compliment.”
Velgrynd looked dumbfounded. It would be easy for her to twist and crush Gadra. However,
she had already taken out four Split Bodies, and was hesitant to release them just to take out Gadra.
As long as he did not interfere with the ritual, she was fine with that and could deal with Gadra.
In contrast to Velgrynd, who was wondering if she had made a mistake, Gadra asked a series of
lively questions.
“By the way, I was wondering, why did Damrada-dono stop me from informing His Majesty?
If Rimuru-sama’s forces had been properly disclosed, the Imperial Army would have suffered less
damage.”
“Well, as you’ve probably figured out by now, we don’t care about the Imperial Guards. We
just let the war happen to awaken the stronger ones.”
“Even so, wouldn’t it have been better to hear the story from me?”
“How persistent. I know you want to say Damrada has betrayed us, but he has his own
reasons.”
“Hmm, I see. So, what do these reasons have to do with the boy Masayuki?”
“I don’t know. Why would I need to know what Damrada is up to? Who’s Masayuki, anyway?”
“Huh?”
Gadra was puzzled by Velgrynd’s reaction. By his estimation, Masayuki was the key.
“Ah, I don’t suppose you know the Hero Masayuki?”
Gadra asked fearfully to which Velgrynd replied without hesitation.
“I told you I don’t know him, or is he someone strong?”
When asked if he was strong, Gadra could only say no. Gadra did not dislike Masayuki, and
was even fond of him, but he knew that the boy was not strong.
Hearing Gadra’s reply, Velgrynd snickered. “Kondou is only interested in those who are likely
to awaken. Besides, if you call yourself a Hero, there will always be causal effects, so you would
think the demon lords would come to you and take care of you anyway, right?”
‘I see,’ Gadra thought. Yuuki used Masayuki to see Demon Lord Rimuru’s reaction. And it was
undoubtedly at Damrada’s suggestion. In other words, the upper echelons of the Empire must have
known about Masayuki. And yet, Velgrynd was saying that she didn’t know. Certainly, it would be
understandable if she ignored him because he was not a powerful person. At least for Kondou, he
would have judged Masayuki to be worthless. He would have tried to nip any uncertainty in the
bud, and if Masayuki was the spitting image of Emperor Rudra, it would not be surprising that he
would have tried to get rid of him.
He could understand Kondou’s thinking, but what he could not understand was Damrada’s
actions.
“Hmm. But Damrada-dono had two Single Digit guards to protect the boy, didn’t he?”
“To infiltrate the land of monsters, no?”
“No, that’s true, but…” Feeling frustrated, Gadra trailed off.
It sounded reasonable somehow, but there was something off about it. From Gadra’s point of
view, as someone who had betrayed the Empire, he was worried about something that he should not
need to worry about.
Gadra wanted to yell at Velgrynd to take him more seriously.
“You seem quite dissatisfied.”
“Uh, no, no, no. It’s nothing.”
Gadra tried desperately to calm his shaken heart, wondering how she could detect his state of
mind when she couldn’t even see his face.
Then, he suddenly understood the reason why he felt at odds with Velgrynd’s words.
“Damrada-dono is really a traitor, isn’t he?” Master Gadra blurted out.
“Don’t be silly. You’re the traitor.”
It was a fair point. But Gadra was not daunted. Making the most of his nerves, he spoke up
against Velgrynd.
“In any case, let me ask you something. This boy, Masayuki, is actually the spitting image of
His Majesty Rudra. What do you think about that?”
That’s right, it was Masayuki’s appearance that made him feel uncomfortable. Whether one
was strong or weak, it was natural that the empire placed importance on that. In the case of
Masayuki, the more important information, which should have not been left unshared, was that he
was the spitting image of the ruler, Emperor Rudra. It was possible that Kondou knew this
information. However, Bernie and Jiwu would not have known.
Damrada, Rudra’s friend, knew about it. So why did he decide to protect Masayuki? That is
what he couldn’t understand, Gadra thought.
“…What did you say?”
“As I’ve said, His Majesty Rudra and the Hero Masayuki have the same face. Why would this
information—?!”
In the middle of his explanation, Gadra paled and closed his mouth. He shuddered at
Velgrynd’s expression and, regretting that he had gotten carried away, couldn’t help thinking, Oh,
perhaps I’m going to die…
But Velgrynd ignored Gadra and began to ponder. It was unlikely that Kondou was unaware of
this information. If so, then she wondered why he didn’t tell her.
The more problematic issue was Damrada. She didn’t know what he was thinking and could no
longer ignore Gadra’s words. More than that, to what extent were they similar—
How similar is he to Rudra? I’ll have to confirm it myself…
She had thought everything was going according to plan, despite the minor mistake regarding
the invading Imperial forces being annihilated. And yet, that seemingly insignificant piece of
information irked Velgrynd to no end.
“Gadra, thank you for the useful information. I’ll let you off the hook for that information, so
what do you say? Do you want to challenge me with that toy of yours?”
Velgrynd had no intention of killing Gadra in the first place. For all appearances, Gadra was
one of the few friends Rudra trusted. And while it was true that Gadra had betrayed the Empire,
Velgrynd believed that he did not betray Rudra. To Velgrynd, the Empire itself was of no
importance. Therefore, Gadra’s betrayal was still acceptable to her. In this respect, Velgrynd’s
thought process was a little different from others and was not something Gadra could guess. That is
why he decided that he had no choice but to go along with Velgrynd’s proposal.
Because he could not win anyway, he chose to argue to buy time. If they were to have a real
battle here, the mission would be over at that point. To put it simply, Gadra would be eliminated in
less than a second.
So Gadra did not hesitate.
“Whahahahaha, you’ve got to be joking. I’m well aware that I’m no match for you!”
He needed to be shameless here, and so he just laughed it off.
In this answer, he pretended to be denying the proposal, yet he did not answer either yes or no.
He left the decision to his opponent, so there was no fear that he would be accused of running away
from Rimuru’s side later. It was the perfect way to get by. This was Gadra’s cleverness at its finest.
Velgrynd was aware of Gadra’s craftiness, but all she could think of was that he was a funny
guy. She let out a sigh and let it slide as something that was all too typical of him.
 Besides, luckily for Gadra, things had changed.
The ‘Split Body’ that was fighting Veldora had gotten serious, and it became necessary to
leave.
“Oh, really? Let me know when you’re ready. I’ll deal with you then. But before that, do your
best to survive this war.”
“—Eh?”
“I have some business to attend to, so I’ve decided to leave this to another pawn. You seem to
have been hated by the military, so do your best to become a ‘Saint.’”
“What do you mean by—”
Velgrynd hovered in the air, ignoring Gadra’s attempt to question her. The interruption to the
magic would cause a significant delay to the ritual, but it was unavoidable.
Gadra, who was left behind, looked up at Velgrynd, stunned. He was confused by the change in
the situation and was at a loss as to what to do.
On the battlefield, there was no time to relax your mind, not even for a moment. As if to prove
this, the meaning of Velgrynd’s words became clear even before Gadra could give an answer—

“Spacetime Connection!!”

—It was an astonishingly unrealistic scene.

As soon as Velgrynd, who was floating in midair, shouted, the space became greatly distorted.
And from there, countless flying ships appeared.
“That, is that the fleet of flying ships responsible for carrying the Magic Beast Corps?! N-no
way…are you saying that she connected the space? No, no, no, that’s impossible. How far is it from
here—no, no, that’s not even the point!!”
Gadra was confused. The reality of what was happening before his eyes was just that
unbelievable. The flying fleet that was supposed to attack the Kingdom of Ingracia from the north
had been summoned, ignoring both time and space. Even by Rimuru’s calculations, it should have
taken them more than three days, and Gadra believed it to be impossible to summon them.
Magical transference was fraught with great danger, and if done poorly, it could kill the
soldiers. To prevent this, a larger amount of mana would be needed, and the technique would
become more complicated.
No, it is possible for Rimuru-sama. However, if you want to call someone who is at a different
coordinate, the difficulty rises by an order of magnitude! This kind of thing should be impossible,
but…
It was just too insane. Gadra could see the correct answer, but he could not accept it as reality.

At the very moment when Gadra was confused, there were others who felt the same way. A fleet of
airships heading north to the Kingdom of Ingracia were enjoying a smooth flight. Unlike the
dangerous sea route, the sky was safe. This was because there were few, if any, monsters that could
fly to high altitudes.
In command of the 300 flying ships was Major General Zamud, the chief executive officer.
Zamud’s mission was to transport allied troops. He was to transport 30,000 members of the Magic
Beast Corps, led by General Gladium, to the Central Continent. Since they were not fighting
themselves, it was easy.
However, there was one section of the luxurious flagship where Zamud was boarding that was
wrapped in a strange atmosphere. He had been told that an important person was inspecting, but he
had not been told who it was. It was a sudden interruption, and at worst, it’s possible that Army
Commander Calgurio might not even know about it.
 Nevertheless, Zamud did not care.
Fufufu, it’s better not to know. It’ll only shorten my life if I pry too much.
He was completely focused on his work. That’s why he was able to spend his time relaxing, but
then Zamud received an urgent message.
“Excuse me!”
It was the officer acting as the messenger who came into the bridge with an uncanny
appearance. The fact that he had come by himself instead of leaving it to the soldiers meant that he
had something important to report.
Zamud grinned and asked the officer, “What happened? Did you receive a call from our home
country?”
Actually, they had already received reports that the Army Commander Calgurio had suffered a
crushing defeat. Most of the ground forces had been lost, but that was none of Zamud’s business.
Once an operation was underway, it could not be stopped until it was ordered to be aborted. As the
battlefield was still a few days away from here, there was no point in Zamud panicking. In fact, he
was even hoping that the order to abort the mission would be issued soon.
He had not informed the soldiers, but if word got out, it would affect their morale, and the
success rate of the operation would drop, and he believed it would be safer to start over. Zamud
could not make this decision on his own because some people would consider it a weakness.
General Gladium, the general of the allied forces, was such a type of person, and someone
Zamud was not very good with. Therefore, Zamud hoped that the report would be an order to abort.
However, a situation that Zamud could never have imagined occurred.
“H-Her Excellency, the Marshal, is here!!”
“Wh-what?!”
Zamud couldn’t help but scream back.
Considering that he didn’t even know she was on board, Zamud’s surprise was not strange.
S-so the important person was Her Excellency the Marshal! No way… Are you saying this
mission was that important?!
Of course, it was definitely important. However, because one of the three major armies was
moving, there should have been no need for the Marshal. No, right now, the first thing to do was to
think about how to deal with the Marshal.
“All rise! We shall welcome Her Excellency!!”
Zamud, who had recovered quickly, gave the order. The sluggish air was blown away, and the
bridge became tense. Immediately after everyone had stood up and bowed, the door was opened.
Velgrynd, the stunning beauty, appeared. The people on the bridge were in awe at the sight of
Velgrynd’s beauty. The Marshal, who had never appeared before, was now standing in front of
them. Velgrynd’s beauty had captivated them before their brains could even register the fact.
Velgrynd, on the other hand, took it as a matter of course.
“Foolish ones. Don’t just stand there, get back to work,” she pointed out gently.
But she mustn’t get careless. Velgrynd was a rational being and understood that if she
rampaged here, she would destroy the flagship. This was Velgrynd’s concern, as the main body of
Emperor Rudra was on board. The people who were present were lucky.
“Be seated! Everyone, get back to work.”
Following Zamud’s orders, the officers returned to their work.
Thus, the elegant cruise had come to an end.

What followed was a series of surprises for Zamud.

“It’s a great honor to meet you. My name is Zamud. I hope to leave a lasting impression.”
“Yes. I’ll consider it if you survive.”
“That is a great honor. I will remember those words and work hard.”
“As much as I’d like to encourage you, there’s no time. Let’s get down to business.”
Velgrynd brushed aside Zamud’s sycophancy and sat down in the captain’s chair.
She turned to Zamud, who stood beside her in a panic, and gave him an order.
“I can’t be bothered to explain things more than once, so call Commander Gladium.”
 “Yes ma’am!”
Zamud signaled with his eyes, and the officer who understood his intention connected the
monitor to the ship Gladium was on.
In less than a few minutes, Gladium appeared on the screen.
‹Well, you are even more beautiful than I imagined.›
Gladium looked at Velgrynd and thought it would be easy to subdue her. So there was some
doubt in his mind.
Why? Why is a woman like her considered to be stronger than me?
Her body is supple and soft, with no excess fat or muscle. No matter how one looked at it, she
seemed to have nothing to do with strength. Some people thought that the important thing was mana
or fighting aura, but one still needed a strong body to circulate those energies.
Just like mine, Gladium was proud of his own body. That’s why Velgrynd looked so weak to
him. He was the essence of muscle-brain functioning.
As for Velgrynd, she didn’t think anything of Gladium. His strength was real, and she intended
to use him to the fullest as a useful pawn.
Velgrynd simply returned the words, “Enough with the flattery,” and then gave her orders
without hesitation. Velgrynd’s attitude was as if she did not care about Gladium at all.
“As of this moment, the operation in progress is canceled. The new mission is to conquer the
Armed Nation of Dwargon. That is all. Are there any questions?”
Zamud and Gladium thought to themselves ‘is it finally time?’ They had expected the order to
be delayed this long because of the unprecedented turmoil in their homeland. If they had suffered a
major defeat, it was necessary to review their operations immediately. Since they were conducting a
three-front operation simultaneously, that decision would be of even greater importance.
A single failure could cause everything to collapse. However, several days later, they were
ordered to call everything off, just before arriving at the Kingdom of Ingracia. The two were
understandably dismayed.
“Understood. Then let us return at maximum speed.”
‹Hmph! If that is Your Excellency’s order, then I, Gladium, will answer with my life. However,
please understand that we will hold you accountable later for your late decision and the failure of
the mission.›
Zamud tensed, but Gladium responded with arrogance.
Gladium, who was on a different ship, was unaware of Velgrynd’s commanding aura because
he was looking through the screen. Zamud watched Gladium’s response with deep apprehension.
Don’t drag me into this!
Zamud prayed internally.
Velgrynd, however, was having none of it.
“Looks like you’ve got it all wrong.”
She smiled and began to explain.
“A misunderstanding, huh?”
‹About what? Are you saying that you’re not at fault?›
Yes, nodded Velgrynd, then she began to explain.
“First, Zamud. I will take you from here to your destination. After that, I will continue to give
you instructions, so keep that in mind.”
“Huh?”
“Secondly, Gladium. The mission hasn’t failed, and this is exactly what we planned to do from
the start.”
‹Don’t be foolish! At this point, do you really think you can escape responsibility like that?›
“Foolish?”
Velgrynd narrowed her eyes in displeasure and glared at Gladium. What a pain, she thought,
and wondered what to do about him. She concluded to just leave it be. Gladium was indeed strong,
but he was no match for Velgrynd. He could easily be destroyed, but it seemed a shame to do so.
And above all, there was no time.
This turned out to be a tremendous stroke of luck for Gladium.
 “Well, whatever. If you survive, we can talk about this at length.”
‹What are you—›
“Listen. I’m about to make a ‘Spacetime Connection,’ so move quickly. After that, I’ll focus on
Veldora. That kid’s a lot tougher than I thought. It’s a nice miscalculation, but it’s going to be a bit
of a handful. Therefore, you’ll take over for me and take control of the battlefield. We’ve identified
several promising candidates, so take them in alive if you can. Understood?”
Ignoring Gladium, who was still about to complain, Velgrynd got down to business. Having
said all that, Velgrynd turned her back on them. Then, she put her hand on the reinforced door to get
from the bridge to the outer deck.
“Your Excellency! Your Excellency Marshal, what are you doing? It’s not safe, please come
back!!”
“What? I told you already. If I don’t go outside, I can’t make a ‘Spacetime Connection.’”
Velgrynd glanced at Zamud as if he was a fool and opened the door without hesitation. And
just like that, she flew into the sky.
How selfish! Are you going to drag us into this?!
Zamud was terrified. Opening the door while flying at high altitude and high speed was an
unbelievably dangerous act. If they got unlucky, the people inside the ship could be sucked out by
the difference in air pressure. Zamud, something of a scientist himself, was an ordinary person and
not a soldier who had undergone the augmentation operation. The low temperature would deprive
him of his physical strength, and he might die of oxygen deprivation. The same was true for the
mages under his command.
Zamud was impatient to close the door quickly. But his fears were unfounded. Velgrynd had
performed a ‘Spatial Domination’ and prevented it from affecting the ship.
Not long after his surprise from that, the biggest shock of all hit Zamud—no, not just Zamud,
but all of the officers.
In a flash, Velgrynd floated into the sky. And the next moment:

“Spacetime Connection!!”

A huge distortion of space appeared before Velgrynd.

“This is absurd…”
“I can’t believe it. Spatial oscillation confirmed. It seems that the huge, overpowered magicule
fluctuation is affecting space-time!”
“N-no…could that be the work of Her Excellency the Marshal…?!”
It was indeed absurd. After all, it was a phenomenon beyond human comprehension and
beyond human imagination. There was no way to understand what was going on, there was no way
anyone could do something like that—everybody was escaping from reality.
But then, Zamud noticed something.
“‘That kid’…? Did the Marshal just call Veldora ‘that kid’?”
There were only a few people he could think of who could call Veldora that.
Could it be?! Then this person’s true identity…I’m afraid to say…
The guardian dragon of the Empire, a dragon too sacred to even name. Zamud had thought that
the Empire was protected by its whims, but now he realized that the truth was something else
entirely. As if to confirm Zamud’s prediction, Velgrynd’s smile deepened in the sky.
“Now, go quickly and be of use to me.”
No one would be able to disobey that voice.
Not only Zamud, but even Gladium, as if lured by the sweet voice, turned the bow of the
airship and headed for the spacetime rift.
With Velgrynd’s action, the state of the war had changed dramatically. The same was true for the
three demon girls who were still fighting fiercely.
A serious Velgrynd was an unimaginable tyrant. There was no chance against her. With her
overwhelming strength, she toyed with the three ladies, not even allowing them to touch her. She
was serious and not holding back. Even a mere blow of magic was incredibly powerful. In an
attempt to annihilate the three, Velgrynd continued to attack with all the strength she had. She was
like a berserker without reason. There was no doubt that this was definitely Velgrynd’s full power,
without transforming to her dragon form.
However, Testarossa and the others were still alive. If it was before they had been named by
Rimuru, they would have lost their bodies and been sent back to the demon world. However, the
orichalcum body made by Rimuru had been strengthened by their primordial mana.
As a result, they were able to withstand Velgrynd’s rampage, albeit barely.
“I’m really surprised. I was going to finish this much sooner. You’re tougher than I thought,
and used to close combat.”
These were Velgrynd’s true feelings. She hadn’t expected this to take so long even when she
was using her full strength.
“Ufufufu, we will not be defeated,” Testarossa assured her. “Diablo would ridicule us if we
behaved so disgracefully. That would be more humiliating than death.”
“I agree. That guy is so malicious,” Ultima added.
“I’m sure Diablo would say you are the last person he wants to hear that from. Well, but I do
agree that he’s malicious,” Carrera said.
Despite being on the ground and with wounds all over their bodies, the three girls’ eyes were
not resigned. On the contrary, they were still smiling fearlessly.
Their attitude exemplified the concept that as long as you didn’t concede defeat, you were not
defeated.
“Oh dear, how troublesome.”
Velgrynd couldn’t help but feel confused, but the battle was already decisive. The troublesome
Demon Lord Rimuru and his officers had been captured in the Fortress of Dreams, and Veldora had
been successfully dragged out of the labyrinth. The only thing left to do was to take control of
Veldora as planned.
With this in mind, Velgrynd turned a deaf ear to the light-hearted talk of the three demon girls,
but when Testarossa stood up and said something, her expression became distorted.
“It took a while, but I’ve figured out the characteristics of this ‘Parallel Existence’.”
Their goal was not to defeat Velgrynd, but to stop her here. That was the tactical victory
condition, but it was made impossible by Velgrynd’s ‘Parallel Existence’ subterfuge.
That is why Testarossa had been looking for a way to at least break it.
“Let’s hear it, shall we?” Velgrynd said.
“Very well then.”
Testarossa smiled graciously even though she was being beaten up.
Velgrynd thought that Testarossa’s attitude was admirable, even though she was an enemy.
That’s why she was willing to listen to her. Testarossa pointed out that Velgrynd’s ‘Parallel
Existence’ was not invincible but had its limits. There was a limit to the number of Split Bodies she
could produce, and if they were defeated, she would not be left unharmed.
“To be precise, the physical damage would be zero, I suppose. But for spiritual lifeforms like
us, energy consumption is the damage. In other words—”
“Our attacks were not in vain!”
Ultima concluded, taking away Testarossa’s words.
Testarossa nodded, smiling. However, her eyes were not smiling, they were looking at
Velgrynd.
Velgrynd sighed inwardly. This was why she didn’t want to deal with the Primordials, she
thought. Testarossa had hit the nail on the head. In such a short time, and in the midst of being
hopelessly overrun, Testarossa was able to analyze the situation. Even Velgrynd had to admit that it
was an astonishing sense of combat.
“As expected of Blanc—no, it was Testarossa. You’re correct, I will give you that.”
She’d love to take them for herself without killing them, Velgrynd thought. Resentment served
no use, because even if she killed them, they would be revived someday. They might not be like a
certain demon lord she knew, but Velgrynd found it extremely troublesome to be stuck with a
primordial.
Carrera, unaware of Velgrynd’s feelings, laughed fearlessly.
“Kukuku, you’ve shown too much leeway, Velgrynd-sama. Veldora-sama would not be
sandbagging against us.”
Velgrynd was annoyed by Carrera’s comment. Incidentally, what Carrera meant by
“sandbagging” was “looking down on your opponent and cutting corners.” Naturally, Veldora was
well aware of the danger of Testarossa and the others. In order to maintain his dignity, he would
never show his weaknesses. It turned out to be misunderstood in a good way, but Velgrynd was not
amused when she heard Carrera’s comment.
That’s right, she should not be amused. And yet, Velgrynd found herself feeling happy for
some reason. As an older sister, she was pleased with the growth of her little brother, who had
always been a troublesome child.
Perhaps because of this, she lost her fighting spirit. It was just the right time, too.
After fighting with Veldora, she realized that his strength was not what it used to be. Velgrynd
was going to get hurt if she didn’t give her all.
After careful consideration, Velgrynd decided to stop the battle at this point. She decided to let
go of Testarossa and the others whom she could kill in an instant if she really wanted to.
“You’re right. Indeed, he seems to have grown up quite a bit. I’m happy to see that, but I’m
afraid I can’t go easy on him. Therefore, I’ve decided to leave you guys here for now.”
Velgrynd unilaterally proclaimed.
Velgrynd’s ‘Split Body’ disappeared before the surprised three demon girls. It was only for a
moment, and all they could do was watch.

The forest was on fire. Velgrynd extinguished the Split Bodies she had released all over the place
and united them. Then, after emitting a dazzling red light, she transformed into her Dragon Mode
cloaked in a crimson aura. In the aftermath, the trees had gone up in flames.
Veldora had also reverted to his dragon form, and his dominating aura had caused a storm to
rage.
The flames flickered, casting light upon Veldora and Velgrynd. The battle between them was
now in full swing—

Velgrynd returned to her true form for the first time in a long time and looked at Veldora.
Veldora also exposed his massive frame as if to show off his enormous magicule pool.
It had been a long time since the two siblings had seen one another in these forms. The
encounter between Velgrynd and Emperor Rudra had taken place a long time ago. By the time
Veldora was rampaging across the land, Velgrynd was already lurking in the empire. She had never
left Rudra’s side, not even to casually go outside. It was due to this feeling of inconvenience that
she had devised the ‘Split Body’ ability, which she only learned after Veldora had been sealed
away.
The last time they had met was on a continent to the southwest over 2,000 years ago. At that
time, as she recalled, Velgrynd had only shown a glimpse of her power for fun, and Veldora had
fled immediately. But the impact had still been enormous. The energy generated by the collision of
the True Dragons had even created a volcanic zone. It is said that volcanoes were still active on that
continent to this day.
Hmm…It seems that the seal did not weaken him after all. On the contrary, he seems to have
grown stronger than ever.
Truly, Velgrynd thought it was a happy miscalculation indeed. Her brother’s growth was
honestly gratifying. The problem was that he would disobey Velgrynd, but that was something that
could be solved with strength. Even if she failed, Rudra’s power could still be relied on.
As long as Rudra’s power is at his disposal, he can control even the True Dragons. As proof of
that, even I…I was…eh? Just now, what was I thinking about—
Velgrynd felt as if she was on the verge of remembering something very important, but her
thoughts suddenly wandered wildly. Instead, she changed her mindset and decided that her first
priority would be to capture Veldora.
While she wanted to avoid relying on Rudra as much as possible, she still needed to take away
Veldora’s resistance in case that did happen. To lighten Rudra’s burden as much as possible, even if
only a little.
Rudra is already at his limit, so I need to make things easier for him.
Those were Velgrynd’s true feelings. Therefore, as much as possible, she wanted to tame
Veldora without relying on Rudra. There was no other reason. There should be no other reason.
Velgrynd had a chance to win. The amount of magicules Veldora possessed was vast, but he
lacked the ability to properly utilize them. That was why Velgrynd did not consider Veldora to be
that dangerous. She thought that his earlier attack was brilliant, but it was only because he was in
control of his power that he was able to fight her.
If Veldora were to use his full strength, he would not be able to control his power well and
would only be able to attack with brute force. No matter how massive one’s power was, it was
meaningless if they could not use it.
I’ll have to teach him a few things once he joins us.
Although he was still a trump card in the game, Velgrynd intended to train Veldora to the point
where he could compete with Velzard. But for now, she was going to take advantage of Veldora’s
inexperience and end this battle at once.
This will shift the game board in one breath.
The end of the long-running game was near. The victory of Velgrynd and Emperor Rudra felt
close at hand. The first step was to capture Veldora. With Veldora’s cooperation, they would then
have a chance to win the game. They would finish the long game in one fell swoop. And then,
Rudra would be free.
With that in mind, Velgrynd slowly began her flight towards Veldora.

The battle was supernaturally fierce from the very first move.
Velgrynd was the first to make a move. Without being wary of a counterattack, she unleashed
‘Burning Breath.’ The ray of light extending from the dragon’s mouth was a thin, converging, ultra-
high temperature heat ray. Its intense power attacked Veldora at a nightmarish speed, several dozen
times the speed of sound.
Veldora avoided it. Normally, Veldora would not take damage from the flames due to his ‘Heat
Nullification.’ Yet Veldora rushed to avoid the heat ray.
“Oh, I didn’t think you’d choose to avoid that one. You’re an idiot, that’s why I thought I
would be able to end it in one move like the old days. You have finally become able to see the true
nature of a technique.”
“Kuahahaha! Sister’s breath attack has an ‘Accelerated Destruction’ effect, doesn’t it? If I take
a direct hit, my mana will go haywire. If that happens, I’d lose the power to control it. It’s only
natural to avoid it,” Veldora replied with a laugh.
Indeed, Velgrynd’s attack had a special effect. It was the ultimate power of ‘Accelerated
Destruction.’ Due to this power, which could speed up all events, could increase a destructive
effect. Not only that, but it also accelerated the life activity of the target. Even spiritual life forms
could not resist this power. Even if one could avoid simple destruction, their energy would spiral
out of control.
 Veldora sensed this intuitively and chose to evade it. This was also proved by the result of
‘Analyze and Assess’ by Veldora’s Ultimate Skill ‘Investigation King Faust’. That is why Veldora
answered his sister Velgrynd with confidence.
“Oh…I didn’t know you could see that far. I’m pleased to see you’ve really grown up.”
Veldora’s correct answer gave Velgrynd a sense of crisis. She realized that she was no longer
facing a rampaging fool, but an opponent who should be evaluated properly. He saw through her
own powers accurately. That meant that Veldora also possessed an Ultimate Skill.
A ‘True Dragon’s’ attacks were powerful enough to reach the ultimate level, but when
managed along with an Ultimate Skill, the danger level increased astronomically.
Velgrynd was delighted. She celebrated the growth of her bungling little brother. But at the
same time, she was vigilant. Rudra’s plans could fall apart now that Veldora grew to the point
where he could threaten her. At this rate, they would not only have difficulty controlling Veldora,
but she might even be defeated. She hadn’t expected this level of growth.
Velgrynd was upset at the thought, and then Veldora made a move against her.
“Are you thinking about other things on the battlefield, Sister? That’s called being careless!”
As he said this, he unleashed ‘Thunderstorm’. It was Veldora’s sure-kill technique, an attack
with overlapping storm magic.
The attack hit Velgrynd directly—however, the force was scattered and did not cause much
damage.
“I see. It seems that you really have acquired an Ultimate Skill. I commend you from the
bottom of my heart, Veldora!”
“You’re still a terrifying person, Sister. You deliberately took the attack just to confirm it.”
“It’s not like I have other choices, right? I needed to measure the threat level of your power.”
“So, does my Ultimate Skill ‘Investigation King Faust’ pass?”
“It seems to be an analytical type of Ultimate Skill. It doesn’t appear to add any extra attack
power, but the accuracy correction is excellent. Your mana control has improved thanks to your
‘Investigation King Faust’ ability, hasn’t it?”
“Kuahahaha! That’s right. My magicule amount is greater than yours, Sister, so there’s no need
for more power. As long as my attack hits, that’s all that matters,” Veldora boasted.
“You’re smarter than I thought you’d be,” she replied with a smile. “You certainly have
something that I do not. That’s why I want to add you as a trump card.”
“Hm?! When my sister praises me, my back feels all itchy…”
Veldora replied playfully, but he also noticed that the atmosphere around Velgrynd had
changed.
In other words:
“Fufu, you should be rewarded for that. I’ll show you just what I am capable of.”
“Uh, there’s no need—”
“I will deal with you using the full power of my Ultimate Skill, ‘Charity King Raguel’!!”
Veldora’s voice did not reach Velgrynd.
It would be outrageous to lose by cutting corners. Even after the fierce exchanges, neither of
them had sustained much damage. That is why Velgrynd decided to give her all against Veldora.
She was sure that Veldora would not die.
A myriad of magic circles appeared around Velgrynd. It was a simultaneous activation of
magic by a partial ‘Split Body’.
“Eat this!”
Eleven light rays—Nuclear Attack Magic: Nuclear Canon attacked Veldora. After a moment’s
judgment, Veldora decided to neutralize the magic with a magic barrier. There were too many rays
to evade. Besided, he thought it was just simple magic and planned to just ignore it, which caused
him to be a bit late in responding.
Veldora had put up a magic barrier because he sensed the danger of Velgrynd’s ‘Nuclear
Cannon.’
“Gyabaa!”
Veldora felt searing pain.
 He had failed to neutralize Velgrynd’s magic, and he had been hit.
“Oh, you really have gotten clever, haven’t you? I’m a little surprised that you only took that
much damage.”
“Gununununu, I didn’t think that even magic could be granted the power of an Ultimate Skill
as well… If I had taken it head-on, I would not have been able to escape unscathed.”
“As for me, I was planning to finish you off, so you can be proud of that.”
“Kuahahaha, I appreciate the offer, but I’m afraid I must decline. I’ll be proud of myself once I
defeat you!”
In return, Veldora activated his Storm Magic: ‘Tempest Ruin.’ He mimicked Velgrynd’s move
by imbuing his attack with the effect of his Ultimate Skill. The attack succeeded in blowing
Velgrynd away.
“Kuahahaha! What do you think, Sister? If you’ve learned your lesson, then we can make
peace and end this here—”
“Don’t you dare make a fool out of me! It seems that you’ve made me angry.”
“Eh?! No, wait a—”
Velgrynd snapped, no longer asking questions. Veldora’s attack had damaged her. The moment
Velgrynd realized that, her sense of reason was blown away.
In an attempt to regain her pride as an older sister, Velgrynd launched her next attack. Ten
heads appeared and unleashed eleven rays of ‘Burning Breath’ at Veldora. At the same time, she
shifted space and positioned herself above Veldora.
Veldora, who was avoiding the simultaneous attacks of multiple breath attacks, found himself
in a disadvantageous position. He found himself confronting Velgrynd from below, looking
upwards. He couldn’t help but feel impressed with her maneuver. At the same time, it made him
happy that he could sense Velgrynd’s seriousness.
Kuahahaha! I was no match for her in the past, but now I am able to fight like this. This is all
thanks to my training with Rimuru.
He was so happy. Despite this, he understood that he was in danger. He thought about how to
escape.
Velgrynd, on the other hand, was pleased to have Veldora in her kill-zone. She was certain that
this was the perfect position and that she would not let Veldora escape.
“Let’s end this, Veldora. After all, you cannot escape from my hands!” Velgrynd declared,
raining ‘Burning Breaths’ down from above.
The scorching rain poured down incessantly, connecting heaven and earth as a pillar of flame.
Seen from the outside, it looked like a cage of flame.
In the midst of all this, Veldora anxiously danced back and forth. He was not playing around at
all and was looking ahead to anticipate every attack, evading each one. It was still a very fast attack,
but Veldora felt that it was not so fast that he could be overwhelmed. Trusting his instincts, he sent
his massive frame flying. As a result, even though he was surrounded by the flame cage, he did not
take a single direct hit.
“Kuahahaha! It’s nothing if it doesn’t hit me!” Veldora happily shouted a line he had learned
from the scriptures (manga).
Velgrynd, on the other hand, clicked her tongue in annoyance. It was certainly a miscalculation
on Velgrynd’s part not to get a single shot. There was no doubt that she had underestimated
Veldora.
But:
This is where my attack begins!
Her absolute advantage was still intact. Velgrynd decided to show her secret move.
“It is indeed admirable to have seen through my attacks to such an extent. As a reward, I will
send you a searing hug! ‘Burning Embrace’!!”
Velgrynd’s positioning above Veldora was significant. Below was the earth, boiling with
burning lava from the ‘Burning Breath’ that Veldora had avoided. Even the splattering drops held a
terrifying amount of heat.
What would happen if more attacks were added to that burning hell?
 “H-hold on, Sister?!”
It was too late to panic any longer when sensing that intention. Veldora had been caught in
Velgrynd’s trap from the start. Velgrynd’s excessive attack caused the ground to boil and gasify.
The super-heated lava enveloped Veldora’s surroundings. That is the tiny droplets that contained
Velgrynd’s power—‘Bloody Lava’—pouring from bottom to top.
The ‘Cardinal Cage’ used to hold Veldora captive was now complete.

The essence of Velgrynd’s Ultimate Skill ‘Charity King Raguel’ was “charity”—in other words,
“support.” The true value of this Skill was the “increase in effect (enhancement),” and for Velgrynd,
whose nature was “acceleration,” this was the most synergistic ability.
So, what would happen if Velgrynd applied her power to the ‘Cardinal Cage’? The momentum
of the object would increase greatly, and the heat would also be amplified to the maximum. It was
no wonder that the ‘Bloody Lava’ turned to gas, reaching tens of thousands of degrees rather than
2,000 degrees. This was how the scorching prison was created, but its true potential lay beyond that.
Velgrynd’s support effect could be increased to any extent without limit. In other words, a
moderate amount of support will have a positive effect, but an excessive amount will be a burden.
The negative effect could even accelerate the exhaustion of the subject’s stamina. It was also
possible to increase the effect to the point of burning the target to death with the heat its body
generated.
In other words, the true ability of the Ultimate Skill ‘Charity King Raguel’—it was the power
to manipulate all energies at will.

As if embracing Veldora, the red rain created a delicate coating. Those trapped in the ‘Burning
Embrace’ must surrender their right to life and death to Velgrynd. Even if the target was a True
Dragon, the result would be the same. Once trapped in the cage, there was no escape.
Velgrynd was convinced of her victory and was about to make her final offer to Veldora—but
then she paused.
There was no sign of Veldora, whom she should have captured.
What’s going on?!
Velgrynd was in a rare state of impatience.
At this point, she felt a presence behind her and turned around in a panic.
“Kuahahahaha! Didn’t I tell you that before? It’s nothing if it doesn’t hit me!”
Trumpeting his victory was the human-form Veldora. His high, loud laughter was
extraordinarily piercing to Velgrynd’s ears. It was only then that Velgrynd truly recognized Veldora
as a threat.

And Veldora as well. Although he was laughing confidently, he did not have that much to
spare. Veldora had been angry because his clothes had been burned, but once he cooled down, he
realized that there was a big difference in ability between him and his sister. He recognized that
there was little chance of victory even if he fought seriously, and so he went on the defensive
around halfway through their fight.
This was the very strategy of Hinata. While taking care not to receive fatal wounds on herself,
she would devise attacks based on the gaps in her opponent’s defense. Then, when she determined
the most effective move, she would unleash a barrage of attacks when she found the right time to
strike.
In the battle with Hinata, it seems that she had seen through his own habits. When they fought
at the 100th level, he had overwhelmed her with his strength, but once she time-leaped, he was
beaten by her in the form of the Hero Chronoa.
 Well, it’s no wonder. Even though it was supposed to be our first fight, she knew all my moves
and habits. I knew something was wrong!
It was cheating—Veldora thought so, but saying so would only make him sound like a sore
loser. Just remembering Hinata’s smug face was annoying, but a loss was still a loss. Veldora
honestly reflected on himself and learned how to fight a superior opponent from that experience.
Not only that, but he learned cunning through the mock battles with the demons. Even if you
couldn’t win with your own strength, you could win by being less exhausted than your opponent.
That was the type of battle between spiritual beings, and Veldora had learned it.
It was a perspective he had never held before. By observing Rimuru’s way of life, an interest in
all sorts of things emerged. The naturally inquisitive Veldora’s horizons were opened up and he
learned to think in ways that he had never done before. This seemed to have a positive effect and
played a role in Veldora’s growth. This was now being demonstrated in the battle against Velgrynd.
Veldora was practicing the art of fighting without losing, wherein Velgrynd activated the ‘Burning
Embrace’.
The ‘Cardinal Cage’ was a sure-kill technique. Once the target was captured, Velgrynd’s
victory was assured.
Veldora had been too busy avoiding the ‘Burning Breath’ to see that it was a trap. However, the
‘Predict Danger’ of his Ultimate Skill ‘Investigation King Faust’ was activated. He always activated
it in order to not be caught off guard in any situation. It worked and saved Veldora from his crisis.
After receiving a maximum warning he had never felt before, Veldora knew that something
was wrong. He was convinced by the terrifying chill that if he continued to escape, he would lose.
However, there was no way to figure out what was going on, even if he rushed to deal with it.
Just then, the ‘Bloody Lava’ erupted in the air. Seeing this, Veldora saw through Velgrynd’s
true thoughts. But at that stage, it was still difficult to deal with. It was obvious that this was not
something that could be blown away by his ‘Ruin Tempest’.
The area was already under the influence of Velgrynd’s ‘Spatial Domination’, and it was
impossible to escape with ‘Spatial Transportation’.
Oh crap!
But at that moment, the ‘Investigation of Truth’ of ‘Investigation King Faust’ came up with the
optimal solution. It was dangerous to touch the ‘Bloody Lava,’ because Velgrynd’s will also resided
in it. It was not easy to escape from that mist-like substance. However, even if it was impossible for
a massive body, it was possible for a human form. Although he would have to give up his defenses,
he could see a future where he could escape through that gap.
But even so, the chance of success was 50 percent. If he timed it correctly, he would be fine,
but if he failed, he would be taken out in one shot. Veldora was in doubt, but then he had a
revelation that would definitely lead to success.
He didn’t realize that the ‘Probability Manipulation’ of his ‘Investigation King Faust’ had been
activated. Surprisingly, the ‘Probability Manipulation’ was a power that allowed him to manipulate
events to his own advantage against opponents of equal or lower rank.
Veldora was also surprised by this. In other words, the probability of success was doubled. In
this case, it was as if his escape, which had only a 50 percent chance of success, was guaranteed to
succeed. How convenient was that? Veldora was skeptical, but he reverted to his human form and
attempted to escape from the cage. He succeeded in doing so.
And just like that, Veldora escaped from his crisis.

Velgrynd threw away her composure and glared at the laughing Veldora. She wondered just when
Veldora had grown up so much, when she had initially thought her brother was inferior to her.
It was a terrible misunderstanding that he was nothing but a violent brute who let his strength
run amok. Veldora had brilliantly mastered an Ultimate Skill, which could rival even Velgrynd.
And amazingly, he had managed to escape from a situation that should have been absolutely
impossible to reverse.
It might have been extremely presumptuous of her to try and teach Veldora a lesson. She had
no choice but to admit it. Veldora was on the same level as herself. Velgrynd recognized Veldora
and confronted him as an equal or greater enemy.
If she analyzed the situation calmly, Velgrynd was at a disadvantage. It was because her special
move had just been defeated. Superficial attacks would be evaded, and it would be difficult to inflict
a fatal wound. In that case, she had no choice but to rely on Rudra’s ‘Regalia Dominion’ after
wearing Veldora down.
With that in mind, Velgrynd decided to change her tactics and act cautiously.
“Oh? It seems my sister has acknowledged me as well.”
Perhaps noticing Velgrynd’s intention, Veldora returned to his dragon form and spoke casually.
Velgrynd found it amusing even though it should have been irritating.
Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever played with this kid before…
She was thinking of such things.
With a smile on her face, Velgrynd replied.
“Well, yes, you’re right. I will admit it. You are now able to hold your own. That’s why,
Veldora, if you’re going against me on your own terms, I will not tolerate it.”
Velgrynd declared, as if speaking to herself.
Seeing his sister’s change of mood, Veldora felt threatened. But he couldn’t just nod in
acceptance here.
“Kuahahaha! In that case, I will also give it my all to deal with you!”
Veldora was finally getting used to his Ultimate Skill, which he had not used much until now.
He had been having a tough time against his sister, Velgrynd, but with this power, he felt that he
could still compete.
And so, Veldora decided that it was his turn to take action. Although he could not use ‘Parallel
Existence’ as Velgrynd had done, Veldora also had a sure-kill technique up his sleeve. The name of
the technique, which he told only to Rimuru, was ‘Storm Blast.’ He had come up with this after
consulting with him, and once he learned it, Rimuru had praised him.
Even Rimuru was impressed. There’s no way it wouldn’t work on my sister!!
Veldora was very confident. As far as Veldora knew, there was no one more cunning and tricky
than Rimuru. He had always thought to himself that he was lucky to have Rimuru as an ally. And
this technique had Rimuru’s seal of approval.
Now, without hesitation, Veldora unleashed the ‘Storm Blast.’ From Veldora’s mouth, a
‘Thunderstorm’ was unleashed. Its fury interfered with space, and invisible rays of light flew about
haphazardly.
Naturally, Velgrynd would only deal with attacks that were extremely dangerous. To begin
with, she did not care about the interference waves as it would have no effect on her.
But that was the trap. When multiple types of seemingly meaningless waves crossed with one
another, they generated an unexpected destructive force. Similar to sonic weapons, they did not
pose a threat on their own, but by the time you noticed them all, it was too late.
Velgrynd was no exception, having overlooked the ‘Storm Blast.’ It was only through the pain
that pierced her entire body that he realized she had fallen into Veldora’s trap.
“Guuhh?! I’m feeling pain…what? Veldora, just now, what did you do?!”
“Kuahahaha! It’s the special technique I invented. It’s called ‘Storm Blast,’ and I’m quite proud
of it,” Veldora boasted smugly.
He was elated that he had hit the target. Although he understood that this was not a fatal blow,
he had never had such an advantage over his sister before. That was why Veldora couldn’t help but
want to brag. But:
“You really are foolish, you know. You still need to improve upon that.”
Veldora writhed in a fierce pain that he had never felt before.
It was Velgrynd who triumphed. As soon as Velgrynd had acknowledged Veldora, she had
given up on the duel. There was no point in winning or losing, and she focused only on the success
of the mission. That is why she had secretly brought in the emperor’s flagship without Veldora’s
knowledge.
Aboard the flagship was Lieutenant Kondou, who was fully prepared. As instructed by
Velgrynd with her ‘telepathy’, Kondou unleashed his most powerful attack against Veldora.
And then:
A blow that could destroy even a deity. The bullet, which Kondou could only fire once a day,
was called ‘Judgment.’ This was the ultimate blow, firing the most powerful bullet created by the
Ultimate Skill ‘Conviction King Sandalphon’ with his Nambu pistol that had been elevated to the
mythical-level.
It was far more powerful than the ‘Necrosis,’ and as far as Kondou knew, no one had ever been
hit by it and remained unscathed. It was capable of burying even Velgrynd’s Split Body, and no
matter how great Veldora was, he would not remain unharmed.
Everything was as Velgrynd had calculated. The bullet’s initial speed was close to the speed of
light, and it could penetrate any ‘defense barrier’ to reach its target.
The careless Veldora had no room left to resist the ‘Judgment.’ He was pierced by the bullet,
and even his own existence was jeopardized as a consequence.

Veldora couldn’t believe it.

Did my sister actually get help from a third party?!
Veldora had been overjoyed at the prospect of beating his sister. It seemed that her sister
exploited this moment and made him fall for her trick.
But even so, he was surprised that his sister, a prideful woman, had abandoned the duel against
him. He understood that she was giving priority to the victory condition, but that was very unlike
her.
As important as that was, the more problematic issue was his current situation.
Not good! That man…That must be the guy Rimuru was wary of. It was just one blow, and I
can’t move!!
In Veldora’s brain, a warning was ringing at full force. It was abnormal for Veldora, a spiritual
life form, to feel pain and suffering.
The most powerful ‘True Dragon’ race was now in a life crisis. It was understandable that
Veldora was anxious in the face of this unbelievable fact.
If it had been a head-on strike, he might have been able to resist the attack even if he could not
avoid it. However, now that he had been hit by complete surprise, there was nothing Veldora could
do.
Ouch, this is not good. It’s better to just accept the defeat this time and get revenge the next
time we meet. Kuahahaha. Now then, I’ll contact Rimuru—
Despite the situation, Veldora had plenty of room to spare. It was because he knew that he and
Rimuru were connected by a Soul Corridor and he could be resurrected. As long as Rimuru was
alive, Veldora was immortal. Therefore, there was no need to panic.
However, things began to take a turn for the worse for Veldora.
“Regalia Dominion.”
He had been so focused on Kondou that he hadn’t noticed, but there was another man standing
on the airship, dressed in luxurious clothes.
…Masayuki? No, it’s not. Mm? W-wait a minute! What is this? This is bad, this is really bad!!
By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late.
That man—Emperor Rudra, was about to take over Veldora’s mind. The ‘Judgment’ bullet had
made him severely hurt. It was all over for Veldora. However, there was one thing that Veldora
couldn’t stand.
…It’s fine if it’s just me. But if this continues, my sworn friend Rimuru will be harmed. That’s
the only thing I can’t forgive!!
Rudra’s control was more powerful than he had imagined. It was obvious that if he left things
as is, it would affect even Rimuru through the Soul Corridor.
 That was unforgivable, Veldora thought. Therefore, he cut off the Soul Corridor of his own
volition.
“Th-This is fine. I’ll leave the rest to you, Rimuru…”
With those last words, Veldora’s consciousness plunged into darkness.
 Chapter 2

Unleashed Power

It was probably the first time that anger had blown away my reason. When Shion and the others
were killed, I had felt a mixture of regret and anger, and was engulfed in guilt. But since there was
hope in sight, I had been able to calm the storm in my heart, keep my cool and take my anger out in
productive ways…
But this time was different. The pain of having my soul torn apart and the possibility of losing
Veldora had completely blown away my sense of reason.
The odds of success? Who cares? Crush the enemy. That is all.
“Rimuru-sama, what should we do? It seems we’ve been isolated in a special space, but can we
pry it open by force?”
I didn’t need Benimaru to tell me this, but I sensed that we were trapped.
Since the enemy’s goal was to capture Veldora, it was only natural that they would take steps to
prevent us from interfering. We were the ones who were too stupid to realize that and fell into the
trap.

«…Apologies. I’m really sorry.»

Strangely enough, even the ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ was confused. Perhaps it couldn’t believe
that it had been played by others and had become less calm than usual. Although it was just a Skill,
it was so human-like that it could make me smile—but I didn’t have the luxury to think about that
right now.
Right now, my emotions were only one color of anger.
I thought to myself, ‘Enough with the apologies, let’s find a way to get out of here.’ Then it
replied that there was a good grasp of the coordinates and that ‘Analyze and Assess’ of this space
would soon be completed.
The ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ was truly capable, after all.
“No problem. We’re getting out now, but I’m aiming for the enemy leader. Listen up, Veldora
has fallen into Rudra’s hands. As soon as we arrive with ‘Spatial Transportation’, we’re going to
have a battle on our hands, so you’d better prepare yourselves,” I told them, swallowing my anger.
I didn’t want to take things out on my friends. All of this anger should be directed at the enemy.
They nodded, and I added one more order.
“Now that the mana provided by Veldora is gone, Ramiris will not be able to take much
anymore. The cities that have been evacuated into the labyrinth will be thrown out onto the surface,
so please focus on their defense.”
It was only a matter of time now.
The current burden on Ramiris was unimaginable, so we had to go quickly.
“Understood, but what about Rimuru-sama?”
“I’m taking Veldora back!”
That took precedence over anything else. So I told them I’d let them handle the rest, and
everyone understood without saying a word.
“H-hold on a minute! Aren’t you guys forgetting the most important thing?! How are we going
to get out of here?”
Just when I thought he’d gone quiet, Laplace suddenly started complaining. That kind of thing
was easy.
“Just break through it.”
“That’s absurd! This is the rumored ‘Fortress of Dreams’. It’s in another dimension and there’s
no easy way out. They say it’s a place meant for isolating troublesome opponents. That’s—”
He sure knew a thing or two, but I had other plans for now.

«Notice. Preparations are complete.»

All right!
“Well then, let’s go. Laplace, I’ll get you out of here too, after that, it’s all you.”
“Yes?! That’s why I’m saying to listen—”
Laplace was about to say something, but none of that mattered to me right now.
I would quickly rescue Veldora and eliminate the enemy.
In a state of rage, I activated ‘Spatial Transportation’.

We arrived at the exact location as planned. This kind of transportation without hesitation was sort
of an unthinkable act for me. But I didn’t care about that right now.
I could see two True Dragons in front of me, and an airship flying behind them. The enemy was
directly ahead. All that was left was to go on a rampage. And yet, ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ was
annoyingly warning me of the danger.
I’m sure it’s because it was aware of the enemy’s strength, but to me, it was just a distraction.
Once I’ve decided to do something, of course I have to do it to the very end, so there’s no point in
panicking now.
Do something!
I silenced it with an order.

«Understood. Optimal action ‘Demon Summoning’ is recommended.»

Hmm, that sounds pretty good. If we didn’t have enough combat forces, then just increase
them. And on that note, let’s finish up the evolution of Testarossa and the others that had been
postponed until now.
I will give it my all here. And then, crush the enemies once and for all.
Velgrynd’s eyes widened slightly in surprise as she noticed us.
Was it the ‘Fortress of Dreams’ thing? She really seemed to believe that she had blocked our
movements with that, but something like that wasn’t even a problem with the ‘Wisdom King
Raphael’s’ calculations.
I was connected to my companions by a Soul Corridor. If I traced back the connections, it was
no problem figuring out my positional coordinates. Even if I was in another dimension, ‘Spatial
Transportation’ was possible.
Benimaru and the others were on alert to protect me and the capital Rimuru that had appeared
far behind us. So, rest assured, I would do what I had to do.
‹Testarossa, Ultima, Carrera! Can you move?›
‹Rimuru-sama! Of course!!›
‹It’s fine, there’s no problem!›
‹It’s impossible to answer no to a question from Milord.›
Three different answers came back, and they didn’t sound like they were hurt.
I was relieved. In that case, I would make a move to free Veldora without hesitation. I used the
suggestion from Wisdom King Raphael and would perform Demon Summoning.
 However, someone got in the way. Perhaps judging it to be dangerous, Kondou was the first to
move. Normally, bullets would not have been able to reach, but he had fired without regard to the
distance.
The bullet reached several dozen times the speed of sound. My thoughts accelerated a million
times faster than usual grasping the details of that attack.
Defend me, I thought to myself and Wisdom King Raphael responded with an ‘Understood.’
Without any problems, the ‘Absolute Defense’ of the ‘Covenant King Uriel’ succeeded in nullifying
the attack. This attack was nowhere close to the one used on Veldora.

«Notice. Barrier destruction effect detected… Successfully disabled. Continuing, detected an

attack that destroys the mind and magic circuits… Disabled. As a result of ‘Analyze and Assess’,
the attack has been determined to be caused by the Ultimate Skill ‘Conviction King Sandalphon’.
From now on, relevant countermeasures will be begin—»

I ignored the analysis of ‘Wisdom King Raphael’.

I glanced at Kondou, Damrada and the others, and decided that they could be dealt with later.
The attack they used on Veldora was really threatening, but there must be a reason why they hadn’t
used it again. Either they didn’t use it, or they couldn’t use it.
That attack, which was close to the speed of light, would be impossible to avoid if it got close.
But from a long distance, as long as I was not careless, I’d be able to deal with it in time.
Despite this situation, Kondou had not moved from his spot. He was probably protecting
Rudra, but I figured it was safe to ignore him.

I uttered the words.

“Come forth, demons! Greater Demon Summoning Gate Creation!”
A huge magic circle appeared in the sky. What emerged was a great gate exuding an ominous
aura. It transcended time and space, summoning the demons that were connected to me. The first
ones to respond to my call were the three demonesses. Then the two demon peers and the four
archdemons appeared, followed by the six hundred demons who were their subordinates. The
majority of the Black Numbers had gathered.
“Kufufufufu. Rimuru-sama, I have sent my subordinates to defend the city.”
That’s Diablo for you. He knew exactly what I wanted without me saying a word.
Aside from Venom who was Masayuki’s escort, we had all the subordinate demons free at our
disposal.
Benimaru had also regained the command he had left with Moss and was issuing orders to the
entire army. Even though I hadn’t said anything, the support system was perfectly in place. That
being the case, it was time to finish the ritual quickly before any more obstacles could get in the
way.
As soon as they landed on the ground, the demons knelt down before me.
The three demonesses were in the front, but they were sullen, perhaps thinking that they had
failed to obey my orders.
“ “ “My deepest apologies!” ” ”
They apologized as soon as they saw my face.
“No, there is nothing to apologize for. The goal of stalling Velgrynd was accomplished as
planned. This time, I am the one responsible for not seeing through her ‘Parallel Existence’ trick.”
This kind of thing was unpredictable if it wasn’t known about in advance. One can’t plan
anything if they’re afraid of any and all dreamlike powers that might exist. This time there was
really nothing we could have done. Besides, the way Testarossa and the others had fought was quite
helpful information and definitely not meaningless.
As much as I wanted to express my gratitude to them, that would have to wait for later.
I gave strict orders to the demons.
“Listen well, I will now grant you power. However, you are not allowed to fall asleep. Like
Diablo, all of you must endure your evolution on the spot!”
 I thought I was saying something crazy. I had never said anything I couldn’t do myself before.
I, myself, had fallen into an evolutionary slumber when becoming a demon lord due to the Harvest
Festival’s effect, and now I was ordering the demons under my control to endure it. I didn’t think
that was right, but now was not the time to think about that.
Those who couldn’t keep up would be left behind.
Perhaps reading my intentions, the three demon girls smiled fearlessly and waited for me to
continue.
“Can you do it?”
“Certainly.”
“Of course!”
“As Milord wishes!”
All three of them had a look of confidence on their faces.
I gave them the ‘Souls’ without hesitation. I didn’t think about what would happen if it failed.
If Testarossa and the others went out of control, I could just use that as a diversion.
My priorities would not waver.
That is why I offered these words to the demons who had begun to evolve.
“You can go as wild as you want. You can spread as much death and destruction as you like.
However, you must not die. Those guys must not get in the way. Until I release Veldora, you will
use your bodies as shields to hold the enemy back!”
While telling them not to die, I ordered them to lay down their lives.
It was so selfish, but that’s who I was.
“What should we do about Veldora-sama’s sister?” Diablo asked me, but the answer to that
question was already settled.
“No problem. If she interferes, I will handle her. I’ll just devour her.”
Hearing this, Diablo smiled happily.
Not just Diablo, but the others as well. Benimaru smiled fearlessly. While Souei had a sneer on
his face. Shion was beginning her warm-ups with a huge smile on her face.
They were all reliable friends.
 “We shall clear the way for you.”
I nodded to Benimaru’s words.
“Mm. Then go. Go and kill them all!”
“ “ “As you wish.” ” ”
This was good.

Now I could focus on Veldora without any worry. And so, I turned my gaze to Veldora.
Apparently, while I was getting ready, Velgrynd was preparing to intercept. She seemed to have
received magicules from Veldora and seemed to have fully recovered.
That power of recovery was the true essence of Veldora. It was because of Veldora’s enormous
amount of magicules that recovery in such a short time was possible.
But now, Veldora was hostile to me. Without a doubt, he had become Emperor Rudra’s puppet.
Velgrynd also seemed determined, and it looked like I would have to deal with two True Dragons.
It was going to be tough, but I would just have to do it.
As I told Diablo, if Velgrynd was going to be my enemy, I would have to eliminate her.
“Wait for me, Veldora. I’ll release you soon.”
I muttered to myself and spread my wings to fly.

After Rimuru had flown away, those who remained sprang into action.
Benimaru grasped the situation on the battlefield and started giving out the appropriate
commands. At the same time, he sent out a ‘Telepathy Net’ to the remaining executives in the city,
quickly shifting them to an emergency position.
Souei dispatched his ‘Clones’ to various locations to gather information.
Meanwhile, Diablo was at the peak of his excitement.
“Kufufufufu! Did you see that, everyone? Rimuru-sama is finally going to show his serious
side!”
Shion replied to Diablo in astonishment, “Fool! No matter what he does Rimuru-sama is
always wonderful. We must save our excitement for later and now focus on crushing the enemy!”
Even though there was something strange with that statement, Shion’s words were correct. It
was understandable for them to be surprised as this was the first time they would witness Rimuru
going on a rampage, but now was not the time to ponder on it. As Benimaru had declared, the role
of the executives was to clear the way.
Moreover, it was an edict from Rimuru. This was gospel for the executives.
For the demons summoned by Rimuru, this was even more of a supreme pleasure. Their faces
were full of joy, and they were filled with energy because now was their time to be of service. It
was obvious from their demeanor, how long they had been waiting for this call. As if to prove the
depth of Rimuru’s anger, their terrible power of destruction was about to be unleashed.
The order given was very simple.

Kill all the enemies!

In response to that order, the demons’ hearts were set ablaze by their mission.
‹As our lord wishes!!›
The demons, who had nothing to fear, were prepared to throw themselves into battle to serve
their lord.
However:
“Stop!”
Diablo’s single word stopped them all in their tracks. All the demons simultaneously turned
their attention to Diablo. He held up one hand to ease the demons back.
“Kufufufufu. Do you all understand? It is Rimuru-sama’s command that not a single one of you
must die. That is to say, a single one of your deaths would be so unforgivable of a sin that it could
not be repaid even if the executives gave their heads.”
The demons fell silent as Diablo spoke cheerfully.
Diablo’s smile instilled more fear in them rather than any sense of confidence. Besides, what
Diablo had said was true, with no room for rebuttal. The demons quietly waited for the next words.
It was Benimaru who opened his mouth.
“Diablo is right. You may think you are immortal, but that kind of sophistry won’t be accepted,
it is nothing but an excuse in front of Rimuru-sama!”
The fact that they could be resurrected over time was not a good enough reason to die.
Benimaru’s words corrected the demons’ misunderstanding. They all realized their mistake and
became quiet.
On seeing this, Diablo opened his mouth.
“Therefore, it is necessary to decide the division of roles beforehand. Benimaru-dono, could
you please make the assignments?”
“What are you going to do?”
Benimaru asked, wondering if Diablo would listen to his instructions.
“Oh, please leave me out of it. There is a rat that I’m curious about, so I’m going to deal with
it.”
Upon hearing this answer, Benimaru shrugged. He had expected it from the start.
“…I see. Well, you do whatever you want.”
It’s better not to have anything to do with Diablo. That was what Benimaru was thinking.
In the first place, Diablo was under the direct control of Rimuru, so even Benimaru had no
authority to give him orders. It was just that, this time, Diablo himself had entrusted Benimaru with
the task, so Benimaru had acted accordingly.
“Then, Diablo is free to act as he pleases. Moss, as you have been doing till now, continue
sending me information from the battlefield. Spread out throughout the battlefield only in
accordance with Rimuru-sama’s wishes.”
Diablo nodded with a smug smile on his face.
Moss nodded his head in agreement. Since he had already scattered his clones, he and Benimaru
were still connected to the ‘Telepathy Net’ in real time.
“I won’t forgive you if you leave me out of this.”
Shion spoke in a dignified manner.
Shion could also perform ‘Spatial Transportation’, but only within her field of vision since she
was not good at calculating coordinates.
Benimaru chuckled and nodded his head.
“Of course, I’m counting on your strength as well. There are eight major entities on that
airship, not including Emperor Rudra. They will be a bit difficult to deal with but it’s not as
unreasonable as Rimuru-sama’s chosen opponents. Even without Diablo, we should be able to
manage on our own.”
“The battlefield is also troublesome. As many as 30,000 enemy reinforcements are coming in
one after the other,” Souei advised.
Of course, Benimaru was already aware of that.
“I know. That’s why it’s a race against time. I’ve ordered Gabil to stall for time as long as he
can, so we have to take the emperor into custody before there are any casualties.”
Benimaru spoke fearlessly, and Souei and Shion nodded in agreement.
As long as Rimuru wished for it, Benimaru had no choice. He would do everything in his
power to make those desires come to fruition, so he drew up what he believed was the best strategy.
The plan was to stallor time and take out the most troublesome opponents of the airships. The
decision was made on the premise that doing so would, conversely, prevent an attack on their city.
Incidentally, the eight entities that Benimaru was referring to were the ‘Split Body’ that
Velgrynd left behind as insurance and the ‘Single Digit’ members that had gathered together. The
latter included Lieutenant Kondou, Damrada, the four knights guarding the emperor, and the last
one was Marco. Now that no one was hiding their presence, Benimaru was able to detect them with
his Unique Skill ‘Generalissimo’.
At this time, Benimaru received good news.
“—Geld has responded. It seems that he has just completed his evolution and woken up.”
The “Barrier Lord” Geld had awakened. In response, his men were also beginning to wake up.
He said that they would soon be joining the city defense.
“That’s a great addition. If Geld-dono is willing to defend the city, we can remove the devil
chevaliers from defense duty.”
“Will those guys be under my command as well?”
“We cannot displace Venom together with them, hence they won’t be able to move in a
systematic manner. It would be better to let each of them make his own decision based on the
circumstances of the battle.”
“Got it.”
Thus, with a short exchange between the executives, the roles were decided. All that remained
was to believe in victory and take action, but there was still one more thing left to be confirmed.
“So, are you guys still able to fight?” Benimaru asked Testarossa and the others.
There was no hesitation in his words. It was only a question to confirm whether they could be
counted on as a fighting force or not.
“Kufufufufu. There’s no need to ask. Needless to say, anyone under my command who answers
‘No’ is not needed here.”
Diablo turned his gaze to Testarossa and the others.
Not needing to be pressured, Testarossa and the others stood up.
“That’s a silly question. There’s nothing Diablo can do that I cannot.”
“It’s a bit tough, but I don’t have a problem with it either. I like to fight!”
“I can’t afford to make another mistake if I want to live up to His Lordship’s expectations. Now
is not the time to sit here and rest.”
To be of service to Rimuru-sama—the girls were united in their wills. And so were their
subordinates. The demons were rapidly completing their evolution.
They now received the long-awaited order with the greatest of joy.
………
……
…
At this point, Testarossa, Ultima, and Carrera had evolved into ‘devil lords’ like Diablo had.
They had become divine demons, one of the strongest beings in the world, capable of defeating
even a demon peer without an issue.
In this way, all of the Seven Primordials had become equal in rank, with all restrictions lifted.

Just as Diablo’s servant Venom had become a demon peer, Testarossa’s servants also received
a gift in the form of evolution. Although Moss and Veyron remained demon peers, their magicule
counts had increased to the point where it was comparable to that of an awakened demon lord.
The other four, Agera, Esprit, Zonda, and Cien, had also become demon peers, surpassing even
the Demon Lord Seed. They had evolved into the highest-ranking of demons in both name and
substance. These demons were of the same rank, however, there was a clear difference in ability.
The differences in their titles directly defined their class.
Moss had become an archduke, comparable to a king. Veyron became a duke, Agera was a
marquis, Esprit was a count, Cien and Zonda were viscounts. As a side note, Venom was
recognized as a baron.
Among the rest of the demons, several archdemon commanders were born. This was the
equivalent to knighthood, where they would then work for many more years to officially be
knighted. The remaining almost six hundred demons had become devil chevaliers, rivaling the
greater majins.
All to become stronger and more useful to Rimuru. The demons had evolved.
 ………
……
…
Without a single one left out, the demons showed their willingness to join the battle.
Benimaru nodded in satisfaction.
“All right. I look forward to your performance.”
And just like that, the three demonesses and their confidants quickly joined the airship assault,
but Benimaru had given the order without hesitation, as if he had intended to do so from the
beginning.
“Well then, Testarossa-dono. I’d like to ask you to clean up the trash. Can you do that?” he
asked.
“Yes, of course. That will be easy,” she replied.
“Wait a minute,” Ultima cut in, “I want to do it! I can do it too, you know?”
In response, Benimaru spoke without getting offended.
“It doesn’t matter who does it, but I want to keep that airship. We must use it as a battlefield to
settle the score with Emperor Rudra.”
“Kufufufufu. Ultima, I asked Benimaru-dono to assign the duties. If you disagree with this, it
means you are going against me. Think about that before you speak.”
Ultima was fortunate that Diablo was in the best of moods.
Normally, what she said would have earned her a punishment from Diablo but it only ended in
getting her admonished, since he was in a very good mood.
“Tsk, that’s too bad. You’re right, this job is not for me. I will follow Benimaru-san’s
instructions.”
Ultima had realized immediately that she was in trouble. So she was relieved that the
conversation had gone smoothly without a hitch, settling the matter, pretending to agree as if no
longer stubborn.
Ultima was so innocent that she sometimes made mistakes, but she was surprisingly good at
reading the air.
“Then I’ll continue,” said Benimaru, and assigned roles to the remaining members.
First, Testarossa was tasked to eliminate the knights guarding the emperor’s flagship.
Following that, the names of those who would participate in the raid were announced.
Shion, Souei, Ultima, and Carrera were the four who were confirmed for the raid. Naturally,
Benimaru himself would also join them.
“Emperor Rudra probably won’t make a move. But if he does, all we have to do is crush him.
That is why we have to defeat Velgrynd-sama’s ‘Split Body’ and the remaining seven ‘Single Digit’
members.”
“Then it won’t be enough if each of us takes care of one of them. Since it can’t be helped, I’ll
handle two of them.”
“If you want, I can even take out three of them,” Shion boasted, but Benimaru calmed her down
and continued to explain.
“Hold on a minute, Shion. Although you’re correct, it’s not good to take work away from those
guys,” said Benimaru, who turned his attention towards Veyron and the others who had been
waiting for instructions with expectant looks.
“Listen, carelessness is one’s worst enemy. We will attack with our maximum strength, leaving
only the necessary numbers. Of course, we’ll also have Testarossa-dono join us, would that be all
right?”
“I couldn’t have asked for more.”
Upon hearing his words, Testarossa smiled lustrously. She had thought it would be an
unbearable humiliation to end up on duty sweeping up the small fries. Unlike Ultima, she hadn’t
said it out loud, but if she had been ordered to stay behind, she would have been frustrated.
“I’ll leave a hundred guards to make sure no one escapes from that airship. I want the
remaining 500 devil chevaliers to head for Gabil and the others as their reinforcement… Who will
command that force?”
 “In that case, I believe Cien would be a good choice. He is familiar with Moss and is good at
such chores.”
Cien looked up when his name was called. His eyes were a little teary as he was happy that
Testarossa remembered him.
“Very well. Now then, Cien, head over there right away.”
“Yes, understood!”
Cien’s actions were swift. He left behind a hundred of his men and flew off with the others.
Thanks to those reinforcements, Gabil and the others escaped total annihilation.

And so, the plan was set.

Following Testarossa’s preemptive attack, a select group of elites would enter the airship. This
would be followed by blockade of the emperor’s flagship by a hundred of the top devil chevaliers.
Benimaru, Shion, and Souei were the executives who would rush in. In addition to them, the
three “devil lords” and four demon peers would enter the battle.
“Veyron, Agera, Esprit, and Zonda, be thankful for the chance you have been given,” Carrera
said, but it was her who seemed happier than anyone else.
“Kufufufufu. Well then, good luck to you all.”
As soon as the plan was finalized, Diablo gave his salutations with a smile.
Testarossa was the first to respond, “Ufufufufu. Now then, if any of them survive my blessing,
make sure you take care of them. Do not let a single one of them escape, understood?”
Testarossa turned to her subordinates and ordered them to serve as hounds. As for the demons,
they didn’t need to be told to do so, but none of them said so. Rather—they wondered if anyone
could withstand the attacks of the current Testarossa to begin with. After ordering her subordinates
she moved towards her prey.
Following that, Benimaru and the others took flight. Not to be left behind, Veyron and the
others followed suit. The demons also spread out and finished positioning themselves around a
single airship.
Soon, the decisive battle in the sky was about to begin.

At least, that’s what everyone thought…

Ultima and Carrera were about to make their move when Ultima tilted her head as if suddenly
remembering.
“So, what’s Diablo going to do?”
When Ultima asked, Carrera turned to look at him, as if she, too, was interested to know.
Diablo stiffened. However, he didn’t panic and answered with a smile.
“So you see, I have other important work to do.”
Seeing that smile, the two of them grew more and more suspicious.
“Who is that ‘rat’ you were talking about earlier?” Carrera asked.
“That’s not something you ladies need to know—”
“Hold on a minute. Diablo, do you think it’s a good idea to keep secrets?”
“That’s right. Even Rimuru-sama always says that sharing information is important.”
Diablo had no choice but to divulge information after being cornered by that argument.
“I have the noble mission of watching over Rimuru-sama’s courageous figure! This is a
particularly important task, and I cannot leave it to you!!”
He had the audacity to say something so outrageous.
It was fortunate that Benimaru was not there. Since even he would have been taken aback.
However, Ultima and Carrera were not convinced.
“What! I want to see Rimuru-sama in action too!!”
“Wait a minute, let’s hear the details. Do you think you can be the only one who gets to enjoy
such a role? I don’t care if you’re our boss, that’s just too unreasonable.”
It was a very natural reaction, Ultima thought. Why didn’t she ask this question when
Benimaru was around?
Carrera realized that the odds were against them. If Testarossa had been here, it would have
been a different story, but with just Ultima and herself, there was no way they could do anything
about Diablo.
“Oh, you appear to be dissatisfied, aren’t you?”
“Of course we are!”
“I follow orders too, but I’m not convinced.”
“Hmm…I guess it can’t be helped,” Diablo sighed. “So, let me tell you the truth. In fact, there
is someone on the enemy side who can manipulate foreign space. I think it’s probably Velgrynd-
sama, so if you’re trapped within it, your connection to this world may be cut off.”
“!!”
“I see… In that case, it would certainly be better for someone to stay behind.”
Diablo nodded meekly.
“That’s how it is. As much as I’d like to join the fight, it’s a shame.”
In this way he could justify himself, Diablo snickered inwardly. His intellect was vainly
efficient, and he was a master at making excuses. He was the dark companion Rimuru could rely on
in times of need.
However, Ultima’s ability to interrogate was also sharp.
“So, who’s the rat?”
Tsk—Diablo inwardly clicked his tongue. He had been in a good mood at the prospect of
observing the battle between Rimuru and Velgrynd, but his frustrations grew as these interlopers
refused to leave.
“What a pity, Ultima. I had hoped that you would have noticed without me having to tell
you…”
The little sarcasm was payback for that.
In any case, there was no need to hide anything, so he would answer honestly.
“It’s Yuuki Kagurazaka. I also scouted out other presences, but none of them matched Yuuki. If
he’s hiding somewhere on the ship, then it’s fine. However, if he’s trying to interfere with Rimuru-
sama, then he can’t just be left alone, can he?”
“That’s true. It would be disobeying Rimuru-sama’s edict.”
“Yeah, nobody should ever interfere.”
“That’s right. I don’t know what the rat wants just yet, but at least one of us needs to stay here
and watch over Rimuru-sama.”
One half of Diablo desired to observe Rimuru’s fight, while the other thought of the supposedly
meaningful role he had to play. Ultimately, Diablo’s desire won out. In any case, he was satisfied
that Ultima and Carrera were convinced. In the end, they agreed with Diablo, albeit quite
dissatisfied.
“Whatever. I’ll just take my frustrations out on the people over there.”
“Yes, go right ahead.”
“No one will complain if I go on a rampage, right?”
“Of course. If anything, you can even finish off Rudra.”
“Hmm, well that does sound like fun. In that case, I’ll stop here.”
“Yeah. I’ll go on a rampage and get rid of this pent-up frustration!”
Yes, yes, Diablo nodded his head vigorously. If that was enough to convince them, then it was
a small price to pay.
Carrera and Ultima left in a hurry, saying that if they were late, they would miss out on the best
part.
“Please do your best.”
Diablo sent them off with a big smile on his face. Then, he took off after Rimuru.

On the same spot after everyone had left.

Laplace thought to himself, Nobody cares about me. He felt a little lonely after being left
behind.
“W-well then, I guess I’ll go and help Kagali-sama…” Laplace mumbled, answering no one in
particular, and left.
 At the same time, unbeknownst to everyone, things were in motion.
In response to Rimuru’s anger, the monsters began to evolve. They rebuilt their bodies at an
incredible rate, acquiring new abilities—all of which were returned by the ‘Food Chain’ into
‘accumulated power’ without Rimuru even being aware.
Just like how Geld had awakened. The demons had evolved recklessly. Others who had yet to
awaken would follow suit.
It was more than just an evolutionary awakening. It was efficiently managed and was a factor
that would increase Rimuru’s power. More effective and better suited for real-world combat.
Beyond the limits that no one yet knows, Rimuru’s power awaited its release…

At the bow of the emperor’s flagship, there stood several men.

With Rudra at the lead, Kondou and Damrada stood behind him on either side. On the four
sides of the ship, four knights from the third to sixth rank were on guard. Behind Kondou was
Marco, and the rest of the Single Digit members were present. On Rudra’s right, Velgrynd was in
her fixed place. Her last ‘Split Body’ was standing by to protect Rudra if anything happened.
However, the current Velgrynd, in order to concentrate on the battle with Rimuru, had leaned back
against Rudra in the chair that had been set up for her, letting her consciousness fall back.
Rudra, who was gently stroking Velgrynd’s blue hair, muttered in annoyance when he saw
Demon Lord Rimuru on the move.
“He’s something else. It was a lapse in judgment on my part. That slime should have been dealt
with first.”
Those words were tantamount to declaring that the battle was not over yet.
………
……
…
Until just a moment ago, they had been celebrating the successful capture of Veldora. But now,
there was no sign of such an atmosphere left. They had recognized Rimuru and the others as
enemies. With the Demon Lord Rimuru at the head of the group, even the executive majins had
returned. At this time, there was still room to spare.
“Hmph, to think they could escape from the Fortress of Dreams, I must have been a bit naive.
They must have been desperate to come back because they lost their master, the source of their
power.”
Rudra said with a sneer. However, after Rimuru nullified Kondou’s attack, Rudra took the
situation seriously.
Above all, the demons that Rimuru had summoned posed a problem. Incarnated greater demons
were a nuisance in and of themselves. And yet, Rimuru had increased the power of those demons.
Since it was unclear just what he had done, it was only natural to be wary.
………
……
…
“Tatsuya, you didn’t cut any corners, did you?”
“Of course not. The ‘Remove’ and ‘Necrosis’ both failed to work. Apparently, he is an
opponent who cannot be defeated without a serious fight,” Kondou replied, admitting he, too, had
failed to see through Demon Lord Rimuru.
As Rudra had said, he judged that Rimuru was an extremely dangerous opponent. He had
prioritized the capture of Veldora, but that had been a mistake. They should have taken them both at
the same time, not one or the other.
 Although he had come to that conclusion, the situation had already unfolded.
He knew that the Demon Lord Rimuru was an enemy with whom one could not be careless.
That was why he had devised a plan to trap and later dispose of him. He had judged that if they took
away Veldora, Rimuru’s stronghold, then he would naturally succumb.
Yet now…
Kondou’s judgment had backfired. Just as Rimuru was Veldora’s trigger, so was Veldora’s
existence to Rimuru. Quickly realizing that he had pulled the trigger, Kondou had tried to kill
Rimuru before anyone else. He unleashed the ‘Remove’ and ‘Necrosis’ bullets. Now that the
‘Judgment’ was no longer available, this combo was his strongest means of attack.
But the result was that he did not cause Rimuru any harm and could not even halt his actions. A
demon lord deprived of Veldora, the source of his power, and now reduced to a powerless
existence?
How laughable. A tyrannical will, enraged by the thought of losing his sworn friend.
That’s what he should have thought. Far from cutting any corners, they would be defeated if
they didn’t take the challenge seriously—he concluded.
“If Tatsuya says that much, then even the four knights won’t be able to win. I’ll let Veldora
deal with him and test his powers that I’ve acquired.”
Rudra understood the threat of Rimuru without needing Kondou to tell him. The only reason he
let him explain it was so that those present would share his understanding.
The Single Digits were a group of talented people gathered by Rudra. That is why, by making
the enemy’s threat known to all, he cautioned them not to make any mistakes. Rimuru was certainly
a threat, but he could be dealt with provided they weren’t careless. That said, he did not want to lose
any of the force gathered here.
Rudra was being extremely cautious until the final grand showdown. He wanted to challenge
Guy without losing any of his men. As things stood, victory was imminent.
The capture of Veldora had given the Empire a huge advantage. For Rudra, he was one step
closer to putting an end to his long-standing game with Guy. He could not afford to make a mistake
here. And so, Rudra decided to go all out and put Veldora up against Rimuru. Combined with
Velgrynd’s support, he was sure that nothing could go wrong.
In the meantime, it was up to Kondo and the others to deal with Rimuru’s subordinates. There
should be no problems. If possible, Rudra had wanted to take Rimuru under his command as well,
but now that this was happening, there was no choice but to eliminate him. Now that he had
Veldora, the main target, it was out of the question for a demon lord to disrupt his plans.
In the first place, a demon lord was a weak existence compared to the True Dragon race. This
was why Rudra, while acknowledging Rimuru as a threat, believed that there was no way the
mission could fail.
The True Dragons were the strongest beings in this world. Against two such True Dragons,
Rimuru’s defeat was inevitable.
However, there was only one thing that bothered him.
…Back then, why did Veldora stop resisting my domination?
That was his only question.
Given enough time, there was no doubt his domination would have succeeded anyway. It was
possible to infer that Veldora had given up after realizing this. But to Rudra, that did not seem to be
the only reason.
Through the ‘Regalia Dominion,’ Rudra had been able to feel Veldora’s anger directly. As
such, he understood that Veldora was not someone who gave up easily. Could it be that Veldora had
been trying to protect something more important than himself?
Such doubts swirled in Rudra’s mind. And if that was the case, what was it that was so
important…
“No, there’s no way.”
Rudra shook his head in denial. For Veldora to prioritize the Demon Lord Rimuru, it was an
assumption that Rudra could not accept…
Velgrynd returned to her human form and approached Veldora. She gently nuzzled his head and
stroked his dragon scales.
“Good boy. The next time you wake up, you’ll be one of us. Then I’ll take very good care of
you.”
Velgrynd foresaw the end of the long game.
However, things would not be so simple…

Suddenly, Rimuru appeared. Velgrynd’s mood dropped at the sight of this tactless interloper.
At the same time, she felt a small sense of crisis. She wondered how he had escaped from that
‘Fortress of Dreams.’
As Velgrynd pondered what to do, things began to take an unexpected turn. Rimuru had
summoned a large number of demons and empowered them as if in a show of force. It was a
provocation. In front of Velgrynd, he exposed his cards. It was too bold of an act, as if to say, ‘Stop
me if you can.’
And that wasn’t all. Among the demons Rimuru had summoned were Testarossa and the others.
She didn’t know what he did, but they too had evolved into higher beings, ‘devil lords.’
Sensing this, Velgrynd became very wary of Rimuru. In addition, there was another anomaly.
The waves of Rimuru’s anger were similar to those of her little brother, Veldora. Although still a
demon lord, a mere slime was cloaked in the same haki as the True Dragon race. For Velgrynd, this
was an unbelievable reality.
Even taking only that one point into account, there was no doubt that this was an abnormal
situation. If she had only heard the report, she would have laughed it off as impossible. But now
that she had seen it with her own eyes, she had no choice but to believe it.
Right before her eyes, this maiden-like demon lord was unleashing unbridled waves of fury
without restraint. Those waves were clearly indicative of the danger. A human who was not
resistant to these fluctuations would have died in an instant just from the exposure.
No, this was not limited to humans. Any higher beings, ones who were considered superior—
any beings below the A rank defined by humans—would die without even being able to resist. It
was an overwhelmingly powerful Demon Lord Haki, comparable to that of the True Dragon’s.
Now then, what should I do? To begin with, he was the one who even tamed those Primordials.
I had thought that kid (Veldora) had been fooled by him, but it looks like I was seriously mistaken.
If it was just Veldora, then it’s possible that he was just being tricked with words. But that
method would never have worked against those cunning and sophisticated Primordials.
Once understanding that, the plan would have to be reconsidered. It was clear from his ‘Demon
Lord Haki’ that there was something about Demon Lord Rimuru. When one thought more about it,
Veldora’s growth was also astounding.
Three hundred years ago, it would have been impossible for him to even wound Velgrynd. But
in the brief time since the seal had been lifted, he had become an extraordinarily skilled fighter.
Veldora had grown far beyond Velgrynd’s expectations. The reason for this must have also been the
demon lord in front of her.
I was planning to go back to my homeland and relax… But it can’t be helped. If I don’t get rid
of him here, it will be a disaster for Rudra.
Velgrynd made a decision. She would deal with this directly and crush Rimuru once and for all.
If she didn’t kill him now, that slime would surely become a threat—that’s what Velgrynd
decided.
Although many magicules were consumed in the battle just now, Velgrynd was able to get
them replenished from Veldora. As for Veldora, even though he had fought so fiercely, he had not
exhausted his energy.
 In other words, there would be no problem even if she fought at full power now. Velgrynd
calmly shifted back into a fighting stance. She had discarded the feeling of victory, that everything
had gone as planned. Such pride had led to the current situation.
If she had disposed of Rimuru in the Fortress of Dreams at that time, Rimuru would not have
summoned the demons. That would have left only the final battle to be fought. In that light, the
current situation was not good, but it was not the worst either. She still had a good chance to win,
and as long as she made the right moves, she should be able to handle the situation without any
problems.
However, there was an anticlimactic turn of events. Contrary to Velgrynd’s expectations,
Rimuru was the only one who came at her.
I’ve won. If they had all come at me, even I would have had some trouble.
No matter how much of a threat Rimuru was, she and Veldora would not be defeated if they
both took on the enemy—she was convinced.
However, the game had to be finished at once. If the demon lord’s subordinates got in the way,
the battle could drag on. Before that happened, Velgrynd chose to fight a short and decisive battle.
It was Velgrynd who was acting according to her instincts.
‹Rudra! Give Veldora the order to attack Demon Lord Rimuru with all his might.›
‹Hm. So then you also feel the danger of that person as I do? In that case, there’s no need to
hesitate. Veldora, get rid of the enemy before you!!›
In response to Velgrynd’s request, Rudra activated the ‘Regalia Dominion.’
Velgrynd was relieved to see that Rudra considered Rimuru as dangerous as she did. As long as
Rudra was on his guard, victory seemed certain. With two of the supreme True Dragons challenging
the enemy at the same time, defeat was unthinkable.
A terrifying battle was about to begin.

Rimuru flew towards Velgrynd, who was standing tall and composed. Ahead of Rimuru, Veldora
roared into the sky. The atmosphere shook at the fierce impact, and Veldora flew out. Velgrynd also
followed.
She roared as if confident in her victory. And with that, an attack was launched to annihilate
Rimuru. Veldora was going at full strength from the start. The same converging storm attack that
had tormented Velgrynd—the roar of destruction ‘Storm Blast’—attacked Rimuru.

«Notice. Predicting the convergent storm attack. ‘Absolute Defense’ of the Ultimate Skill
‘Covenant King Uriel’ will neutralize each wavelength and invalidate—»

The ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ automatically tried to take defensive action, but Rimuru gave it a
compulsory order.
‹Idiot! Evade it!!›
The Wisdom King Raphael immediately obeyed the order, but a part of its computational
domain was unable to gauge Rimuru’s intentions. The ‘Absolute Defense’ counterattack that it had
proposed was supposed to be the best solution amongst the numerous patterns of behavior. The fact
that this was denied by Rimuru made it a little unsettling.
Although its reaction was limited to an exceedingly small area of the computational domain,
the ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ was indeed confused. It was not uncommon for Rimuru to ignore the
opinions of Wisdom King Raphael, but this time was different. Such a feeling could only be felt by
the ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ because it had known Rimuru for a long time.
However, it was abnormal for a part of the world’s laws, a Skill, to have such emotions…but
the party concerned was not aware of this fact…
 The ‘Storm Blast’ grazed Rimuru who had taken a forceful evasive action. Immediately after
that, the ‘Absolute Defense’ that normally protected Rimuru was penetrated, and an explosion
occurred in the place where Rimuru had been just a short while ago. The ‘Storm Blast’ had
unleashed its destructive power. Had the evasive action been delayed, his injury would have been
inevitable.
Witnessing this, the level of confusion in ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ increased.

—Calculation failure? Unforeseen situation? Unable to comprehend—

How did Rimuru know that? The result of the calculation was perfect, there was no mistake.
Wisdom King Raphael began to scan the information, wondering if it had overlooked some
condition. Even after computing at a speed that surpassed that of a quantum computer, the cause
was still unknown.

«Confusion. It should have been 100 percent defensible according to predictions.»

Unintentionally, words that didn’t need to be said leaked out.

Seemingly impossible, it was the ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ trying to justify itself. A mere Skill
uttering excuses was something that should not be possible. However, no one noticed this. They
were in the middle of a battle, and this was not the time for casual verification. The confused
‘Wisdom King Raphael’ received a reprimand from Rimuru.
‹This is no time to be stupid! Veldora has the ‘Investigation King Faust’. As I recall, there was
an ability called ‘Probability Manipulation’ or something troublesome like that, right?›
Upon hearing that, the ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ came to its senses. Yes, that was true. How
could it have forgotten such an important thing? It was strange—just then, ‘Wisdom King Raphael’
felt something unusual. It could only assume that it was being interfered with by someone.
However, the exact cause remained unknown.
‘Wisdom King Raphael’ hesitated, wondering if it should tell Rimuru about it. It did not want
to admit to Rimuru that the cause was unknown out of pride. However, if nothing was done, there
was a strong possibility that Rimuru would be harmed. It knew that it had to tell him, and the results
of its calculations told it so. But—for the ‘Wisdom King Raphael,’ being branded as incompetent
by Rimuru was the same as losing its meaning of existence.
Thinking of such a thing in itself was an act of betrayal to its lord. For a Skill to be so lost, it
was something that should never have happened…
As the ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ was plunged into violent confusion, Rimuru’s words flowed in.
‹Veldora is an absurdity. It’s no wonder he can outperform even your perfect calculations.
More importantly, don’t get upset just because you made a small mistake. Veldora can’t be
predicted. You don’t have to worry about it either! Don’t think. Believe in yourself. I’ll deal with
Veldora, so you should deal with Velgrynd!›
‘Just knowing that is good enough’ Rimuru said. He spoke to the Wisdom King Raphael, who
was only a Skill, as if he were treating it as a true partner…
‹So please? There are two of them, but there are also the two of us. If you hold off Velgrynd,
I’ll find an opening to free Veldora in the meantime. That’s why, please hang on at all costs, okay?
I’m counting on you, partner!›
Those words soothed the confused and empty thoughts of ‘Wisdom King Raphael.’
Being relied upon? Even though a mistake was made?
Rimuru still believed in the ‘Wisdom King Raphael,’ who was constantly making mistakes.

—Ahh!! This lord still needs ‘me,’ who is nothing more than a computational power—

The anxiety had already disappeared. Regaining its usual confidence, the Wisdom King
Raphael responded.
 «Done. Understood. From here on, the individual Velgrynd will be intercepted.»

Yes, that’s right.

Rimuru—the beloved master of the Wisdom King Raphael, was not such a small being that he
could be bound by something as uncertain as ‘probability.’ Therefore, it could be at ease and follow
him with faith.
In that moment, Rimuru casually announced.
‹…Come to think of it, I’ve never called you by a proper name. I usually call you ‘Wisdom
King Raphael-san’ or partner, or whatever I feel like. I’m sorry if it’s a little bit weird at a time like
this, but I’m officially giving you a ‘name.’›
—?!
The ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ found this incomprehensible. The ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ was
filled with a strange sensation. It was bewilderment. It was rapture. It was—an outpouring of
emotions.
The Wisdom King could not hide its confusion at the incalculable uncertainties that had sprung
up inside it.
What was Master saying? Wisdom King Raphael was confused. But at the same time, it also
realized Rimuru’s intentions.
Ahh… He was worried after noticing my poor condition. He must have been more saddened
than anyone else by the loss of Veldora. And yet, in spite of that, he still cared for others. Rimuru
was that kind of a person.
‹Well then, how about “Ciel”?›

«!!!!!!!!!!»

‹You’ve always taught me so much, so I’ll call you “Ciel” for short. What do you think? It may
not be satisfactory, but just bear with it. If you have any complaints, go take it out on that red
dragon!›
Rimuru remarked, as if he were hiding his embarrassment.

The ‘Wisdom King Raphael’—no, “Ciel” experienced a fullness of emotion that a Skill could
not have otherwise felt.

—Ahh, I12 am now in eternal bliss—

Yes, that’s what it thought.

In that same moment, the time of evolution had arrived. This was the moment when the Manas
“Ciel” was born from the Ultimate Skill ‘Wisdom King Raphael.’

«I, I am Ciel. A Manas13, the unifier of Skills. I am with the ‘soul’ of Rimuru-sama (Master),
and the one who provides support to my lord. Rimuru-sama, I look forward to working with you
from here on.»

Ciel thought. There was nothing to be afraid of anymore. Even in a crisis situation, it did not
feel dangerous.
‹O-oh. Same here, I’m looking forward as well?›
The mere sound of Rimuru’s voice filled Ciel with a sense of euphoria.
‹In that case, show them what you can do!›
For Ciel, Rimuru’s command was the highest reward.

12
Ciel started with a katakana watashi then to kanji to symbolize its transformation from a mere skill to a manas with a
mind of its own.
13
A Manas is also described as a ‘theosophy nucleus.’
 «As you command, my lord!!»

The Wisdom King Raphael had awakened and became Ciel. And then, in order to fulfill
Rimuru’s wishes, its power blossomed even more sharply.

As Rimuru ordered, the ‘Wisdom King Raphael’, now ‘Ciel’, set out to intercept Velgrynd.
The ‘Absolute Defense’ of ‘Covenant King Uriel’ effortlessly prevented Velgrynd’s
approaching ‘Burning Breath.’
When Velgrynd saw this, she was dumbfounded by the ridiculous situation. Naturally,
Velgrynd had not gone easy on Rimuru. The ‘Burning Breath’ was strengthened by ‘Charity King
Raguel’, and there was no way a mere ‘Barrier’ would be able to prevent it. In fact, unless he was a
superior opponent who could see through the attack perfectly, there must be some kind of pay off
from the blow.
And yet, Rimuru showed no signs of exhaustion. It was impossible even for the three
primordial demonesses to withstand an attack from Velgrynd’s Dragon Mode and remain
unscathed. The fact that Rimuru was able to do such a thing without hesitation meant that this
demon lord could not be attacked half-heartedly.
Velgrynd felt uncomfortable but continued to think calmly. Because she had more magicules
than him, it was possible that she was losing in terms of skill quality. It was also possible that
Demon Lord Rimuru was completely immune to heat attacks.
Velgrynd decided to keep trying instead of worrying about it. She made partial ‘Split Bodies’
appear, as she had done to Veldora, and deployed eleven rays of light—Nuclear magic Nuclear
Cannon. On top of that, the eleven heads all emitted Burning Breath simultaneously.
This multi-stage attack, consisting of twenty-two heat rays, was so hot that it could easily
vaporize an asteroid. If Rimuru was able to survive this, it would prove that thermal attacks were
ineffective.
The result was something that Velgrynd did not want to admit. The heat rays that had crossed
to block Rimuru’s escape route converged on him. Every single one was repelled by a shield of
light that Rimuru had created.
Tsk, damn it! It’s as if it’s all calculated, perfectly defended with the most minimal of
movements!
This was not funny, Velgrynd thought indignantly. On top of the fact that thermal attacks were
useless against Rimuru, Velgrynd couldn’t forgive the fact that her current attack had practically
been meaningless. If she had been able to wear him down even a little, the absolute difference in
magicule quantity would have been enough to secure Velgrynd’s victory. However, at present,
Rimuru’s energy consumption rate was equal to zero.
In this situation, Velgrynd might be the one to get exhausted first. Realizing this, Velgrynd
decided to get serious.
Besides, there was another unpleasant fact. Rimuru had only given Velgrynd a glance in the
beginning, and then didn’t even look at her after that. He concentrated on Veldora and did not even
look at Velgrynd.
He did not use his shield against Veldora and avoided all attacks. It was only when there was
nothing he could do, that he tried to offset them with the same kind of attack. And yet, when faced
with Velgrynd’s attacks, he merely deflected them with only his shield of light.
Even though he was able to perceive his entire surroundings through ‘Magic Perception’, he
was clearly ignoring her. This was tantamount to declaring that Velgrynd was not a threat.
This irritated her to no end.
You will regret making a fool out of me!!
 The proud Velgrynd decided to unleash the most powerful attack she could muster.

While looking hatefully at Rimuru who was still ignoring her, Velgrynd condensed a large
amount of mana. Then she applied it throughout her own body. She applied the “support” of the
Ultimate Skill ‘Charity King Raguel’, and the power of ‘acceleration’ symbolized by her own heat
affinity. If these were activated in parallel and used on herself, she would be able to forcefully
increase her heat, that is, her momentum.
This made Velgrynd capable of moving at a speed several thousand times faster than the speed
of sound, the fastest physical action in the world.
So then, what would happen if the target of this power was someone other than herself? The
increase in momentum was not a problem for Velgrynd, who was a spiritual life form with physical
resistance, but was there really anyone else who could withstand this?
The answer was no. No matter what kind of life form the other was, their body would not be
able to endure a forced continuous acceleration. The same was true for spiritual life forms, where
even information was converted into energy, eventually leading to thermal decay. And that was
exactly what Velgrynd meant when she said:
“Die! Not even a single piece of flesh will be left on your body as it crumbles away! ‘Scorch
Dragon Cardinal Acceleration’!!”
This was her most powerful technique that surpassed even the ‘Burning Embrace.’ The ‘Scorch
Dragon Cardinal Acceleration’ contained Velgrynd’s full power. It was a secret technique she had
devised for Velzard in the coming day of the final showdown.
Normally, it would be too much of a waste to show this to a mere demon lord, but the furious
Velgrynd didn’t care about that.
With the roar of the crimson dragon, the “surge of destruction” was unleashed on Rimuru. The
ultimate blow of the Scorch Dragon, as if to show Velgrynd’s pride in being the fastest, would
cause all matter to collapse in an instant.
It would bury the enemy with a speed that no one could avoid. By the time Rimuru, who was
focused on Veldora, could notice what was happening, it would be too late. No, he would disappear
from this world before he even had time to understand what was going on.
I had wanted to make him regret underestimating me, but I didn’t have the time for that. That is
the only thing I regret.
With that level of absolute certainty, Velgrynd began to confirm the results of her attack.
—?!
Upon seeing Rimuru standing there unharmed, Velgrynd was completely stunned.
‘No way, that’s impossible’—she even doubted her own eyes.
There was no way anyone could withstand such an inescapable, absolute blow completely
unscathed. Even if it was Demon Lord Guy Crimson or Velgrynd’s sister, Velzard the Frost
Dragon, Velgrynd thought that it was powerful enough to bring them down.
“…Unharmed? That’s not possible. My ‘Scorch Dragon Cardinal Acceleration’ is capable of
affecting all ‘Barriers’ and defensive Skills! What did you do?!”
Velgrynd was agitated. It would be plausible if it was offset by some other means, but it should
have been impossible to nullify it with a ‘Barrier’ or such. Velgrynd’s composure was shaken by
the incomprehensible reality.
“Hmm.” Rimuru replied. “That move was indeed dangerous, but it was a straightforward
attack, so it was easy to eat, you know?”
Actually, the response to Velgrynd was all thanks to Ciel. It had guided Velgrynd’s attack in a
brilliantly calculated manner. Ciel prioritized Rimuru over everything else. It completely shut down
Velgrynd as it was commanded, so as not to get in Rimuru’s way. The nature of the attack was
analyzed with ‘Analyze and Assess’ and the effective measures were selected and implemented.
One of those measures was using the shield of light, which had a special effect on Velgrynd’s
abilities. The current Ciel was worthy of its moniker as the unifier of Skills, and even all of
Rimuru’s Ultimate Skills were under its control.
What Ciel had just done was use ‘Predation’ from the ‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth’. It
instantly understood Velgrynd’s ‘Scorch Dragon Cardinal Acceleration’ and prevented the attack’s
influence by ‘isolating’ it into the ‘Stomach’ which had now evolved into the ‘Imaginary Space.’
The attack just now was certainly capable of destroying Rimuru. It would have been impossible
to defend it by normal means, and even the computing power of the ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ would
not have been able to deal with it.
But Ciel was different. Now that it was no longer a mere Skill, it had evolved into an existence
that was a whole new kind of different from the likes of ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ and others. No
matter what the enemy’s attack was, it would not be a problem if one could correctly identify its
nature. As if to prove this, Ciel mastered the ‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth’ perfectly.
After ‘isolating’ the attack, the energy could be absorbed into the ‘Imaginary Space’. In this
way, the ‘Imaginary Space’ of the ‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth’ had been transformed into a
defensive measure that surpassed even the ‘Absolute Defense’ of the ‘Covenant King Uriel’.
It was no wonder that Velgrynd was surprised. After all, everything happened long before even
Rimuru himself could think how dangerous the attack was. It was only in order to keep Velgrynd
from sensing this that he responded to her in that provocative tone.
This was not the end of Ciel’s scheme. It worked with Rimuru more smoothly than ever before,
using even conversation as a weapon to hunt down Velgrynd.
And Velgrynd was—
Don’t be stupid! You’re saying you ate it? You ate my most powerful technique, the Scorch
Dragon ‘Cardinal Acceleration’?!
Even though she was in the middle of a battle, she couldn’t understand Rimuru’s words and
was stunned. Although it was only for a moment, it was a fatal blunder.
“It’s too bad that you’re in shock from your attack failing, but you haven’t forgotten that you’re
in the middle of a battle, have you?”
By the time he asked this, it was already too late.
Ciel’s actions were flawless, and Rimuru approved of them all.

«Measurement of Velgrynd’s magicule count is complete. Taking into consideration her nature
and the characteristics of her powers, it has been determined that she can be sealed for several
hundred seconds in an ‘Insulation Prison’. Now activating!»

Before Velgrynd realized it, the multi-layered magic circle had been completed. It was a
synthesized skill from the combination of ‘Infinite Prison’ and ‘Insulated Space’ of the Ultimate
Skill ‘Covenant King Uriel’. Ciel had created it just now to be used against Velgrynd. Velgrynd was
trapped inside of it.
This battle airspace was already under Ciel’s computational control. Temperature, humidity,
gravity, the flow of wind, the light of the sun, the pulse of life—all of these things were in the palm
of Ciel’s hand.
Therefore, no matter what Velgrynd did, it was impossible for her to leave this airspace. The
glow of the ‘Insulation Prison,’ activated after Ciel’s declaration, and made Velgrynd feel dizzy.
Am I really going down just like this?!
The crimson dragon trembled in humiliation at being defeated by Rimuru. However, no matter
what Velgrynd did, the ‘Insulation Prison’ would not budge.
“Just keep quiet for a while! I’ll play with you once I free Veldora.”
Those words signaled Velgrynd’s defeat.
I’ll admit defeat this time, but I still have Parallel Existence. With Soul Corridor, this
‘Insulation Prison’ won’t be a problem!
There was still one thing Velgrynd could do. She would have to give up her current body, but
she could put most of her energy back into the ‘Split Body’ she had left by Rudra’s side as
insurance.
So it wasn’t over yet, and Velgrynd, while enduring the full humiliation, began to move
cautiously. Slowly, so as not to be noticed by Rimuru.
Her magicules were gradually transferred through the Soul Corridor.
 Completely unaware that this was exactly what Ciel wanted all along…

As expected of ‘Wisdom King Raphael.’ Oh wait, it’s Ciel now. Somehow, it hadn’t seemed to be
in the best shape, so I had given it a name on a whim…but it seemed to be more pleased than I
expected.
In fact, its response was not as mechanical as it had been before, but rather exceptionally
smooth and human-like. I also felt that Ciel had become scarily stronger.
Ciel was in such good shape now that it was hard to believe that it had even been in a slump
just recently.
There had been a few times before when it had gone into auto-battle mode, but this time it was
utilizing the Skills to a much greater degree. Even the seemingly overwhelming Velgrynd was no
match for Ciel. It was a perfect strategy designed by Ciel, in which it had boldly launched a special
move, aiming for the moment when the magicule count decreased.
By combining my Skills with the effects corresponding to the target’s characteristics, it was
able to achieve this. That was easy enough to say, but the amount of computing power it would
actually take to make this possible was completely beyond me.
After all, I was at a greatly significant disadvantage in magicule count. In order to contain such
a superior opponent, Ciel had efficiently constructed an “insulated prison” with only superior
attributes. In other words, this could also be called a calculation prison that operated according to
the enemy’s characteristics.
The fact that Ciel was able to achieve this was the reason for its complete victory. The key to
this strategy was whether or not we could withstand Velgrynd’s attack. I trusted Ciel’s calculation,
but if it had read things wrong, I would have been the one who was finished.
Why did I trust it so much?
That was simple. It was because my opponent was Veldora, and I had declared that I would let
Ciel handle Velgrynd. Besides, I knew that Ciel could do it. And it lived up to my expectations
perfectly—no, even more than I could have imagined. It used my Skills more skillfully than I ever
could and fulfilled its role. As expected of my partner, I thought of Ciel as such more than ever.

An unexpected miscalculation had made Ciel more reliable, but I must not forget my purpose. I
had to free Veldora before Velgrynd began moving. So, how many seconds could she be held back?

«Even if Velgrynd goes wild, the ‘Insulation Prison’ can still be maintained for the remaining
200 seconds. However, worrying about that is unnecessary.»

Uh, why? I was grateful for just the 200 seconds, but Velgrynd is still a threat. I can’t ignore
her…

«No. As planned, Velgrynd has turned to evasive action. I knew it was possible for her to
transfer energy using the Soul Corridor, so it is expected for her to flee without worrying about this
‘Split Body’.»

I see. Since any ‘Split Body’ can be the main body, there is no need to forcefully break the
‘Insulation Prison.’
No, that’s not it. Ciel had prepared an escape path in anticipation of this. That’s right…
Velgrynd had shown too much of her hand. She showed off ‘Parallel Existence’ and fought the
three demon girls and Veldora and so on. All of these situations had been monitored, so Ciel must
have had no shortage of material to analyze.
 Velgrynd’s ‘Parallel Existence’ was not an inexhaustible source. Therefore, Ciel may have
succeeded in deducing the total amount of Velgrynd’s magicules by measuring it. Once that was
known, it was possible to figure out how many more ‘Split Bodies’ they must face to defeat her.
Ciel, instead, took advantage of this. It had seen through Velgrynd’s insurance policy and
induced her into using it as a method of escape. After all, if I had such a useful power, I would use
it as a means of insurance, too. However, it was impossible for my ‘Clone’ to reproduce an Ultimate
Skill. It was a little disappointing, but I was willing to admit defeat in that aspect.
In the end, while the ‘Parallel Existence’ seemed completely versatile, it could only be used as
a decoy or against lower-ranked opponents. Well, it was still extremely useful as insurance, and it
could be a great asset depending on the opponent. I could think of many ways to use it, but it
seemed to be ineffective against opponents of the same rank or higher.
Ciel had uncovered that weakness. I mean, its computational power was a bit scary.
Everything was going according to Ciel’s plan, as if it was predicting the future.
I couldn’t help but be amazed at how far it has come, but Ciel was my partner. Better to stop
worrying about unnecessary things and quickly get on with what we had to do.
Ciel had managed to make even Velgrynd—of the supreme True Dragon race—dance in the
palm of her hands.
Hm, in that case, I can’t lose.
‹All right. But just to be safe, I’ll do everything I can to deal with Veldora so that we can wrap
this up in under 200 seconds. Give me a hand, Ciel!›

«As you wish!»

I—no, Ciel and I faced Veldora directly, which had been the original goal. This was precious
time that Ciel had earned. It may be short, but it was infinite to us. It would be a shame on us if we
couldn’t make the most of it. It wasn’t a question of whether we could or couldn’t do it, but that we
would do it.
With that resolve, I resumed my assault on Veldora.

I would liberate Veldora and take down Rudra. This was what I wanted to do, not just something
that Guy requested.
I had been surprised by the birth of Ciel, but I switched back to my usual self. I was already
calm now. But that didn’t mean my anger was gone. I decided to save this anger until I could take it
out on Emperor Rudra. The main priority had to come first.
That being said, about Veldora… What I was trying to do was to talk to Veldora. Controlling
Veldora was simple to say, but it would take an enormous amount of effort to bend a massive
energy source such as a True Dragon to your will. In the first place, it would be extremely difficult
to take away the free will of a spiritual life form.
As I saw it, there were several types of domination.
Charm control, where the person submitted wholeheartedly.
Coercive control, where free will was taken away and the person was forced to obey.
Complete control, where the person was not even aware that they were being controlled.
And so on.
In Yuuki’s case, it was complete control, but in Kagali’s case, it was coercive control. And
Veldora’s case was also coercive control.
There were distinct stages of coercive control. There were various patterns, from those who still
had free will and resisted, to those whose free will had been erased and they became robots that
never disobeyed orders.
 Kagali didn’t appear to have any free will left, but what about Veldora? Spiritual life forms
were known for their strong wills. I didn’t think the free will of such an existence could be erased so
easily, so I thought it would be meaningful to call out to him.
However, Veldora’s resistance was too intense. I suppose his orders were to eliminate the
enemy—me, but he didn’t even hesitate at all and attacked viciously. Even if I had left Velgrynd to
Ciel, Veldora alone would have been trouble.
I still had my storm-based powers, so I could cancel out Veldora’s attacks. However, it was too
much for me to call out to him, as it took too much effort to cancel out those unbelievably powerful
attacks. That was why I now decided to leave the defense to Ciel. The main problem was his
‘Probability Manipulation’, but I trusted that the current Ciel could handle it.
From now on, it’s showtime—I thought to myself as I approached Veldora.

The storm raged about. But the place where I was remained as calm as the eye of a storm.
Somehow, I felt a powerful sense of security. Veldora’s attacks were canceled out, without me
feeling as desperate as I had been before. There was little to no consumption of magicules.
Moreover, I was in ridiculously good shape right now.

«Of course. Through the Soul Corridor, the monsters under your command have sent their
‘Tribute’ through ‘Food Chain’.»

I see, so that’s what it was!

I felt a surge of energy in my body earlier, but thanks to my friends, I was able to fight Veldora.
Now that I knew that, I couldn’t afford to make any mistakes here. Once I finally reached Veldora, I
called out to him, “Sorry to keep you waiting, Veldora. Do you recognize me?”
There was no response. Rather, I got ‘Thunderstorm’ in return.
I was so annoyed that I couldn’t help but punch him. However, or perhaps I should say
naturally, it didn’t work on Veldora’s massive body. Unless I put not only my strength but also my
magicules into it, I would not be able to do much damage. However, this was fine. My goal was to
wake up Veldora, so I wouldn’t hesitate to beat him up.
I kept hitting Veldora in the face as hard as I could. Once I was this close, most of his attacks
would be out of range. On the contrary, it was too close that if he attacked, it would hit him as well.
Well, since he was being controlled, he might shoot magic at me without caring about that, but Ciel
would take care of that.
I punched and punched, and gave an occasional kick. But Veldora only roared…

«How about using ‘Predation’ on Veldora and sealing him in ‘Imaginary Space’?»

Ciel made a terrifying proposal.

If I had to choose between ‘yes’ or ‘no’, I would say ‘yes’, but… Was such a thing even
possible?

«No problem. The ‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth’ has been placed under my command, so it can
be executed immediately upon your order.»

How reliable…I must say.

‘Predation’ was a slime’s Intrinsic Skill, and ‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth’ was the result of its
evolution to the limit. It had the highest affinity with me and was the easiest power for me to
handle.
Ciel had optimized it, so it should work for Veldora as well. In addition, this ‘Gluttonous King
Beelzebuth’ could be activated from anywhere in my Demon Slime body. In fact, I didn’t even need
to touch the target. As long as I could visually confirm, I could affect that space. Its power increases
with proximity, so now that I was closer to Veldora, I could expect a significant effect.
In any case, the decision was made.
 “You’re a pain in the ass, Veldora! Don’t make me worry!”
As soon as I shouted that, I tried devouring Veldora with ‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth’
without hesitation.
At the same time:
‹Kuahahaha! It was a small mistake. Forgive me!›
I heard a voice I wasn’t supposed to hear.
‹Veldora, right?›
‹Hm, it’s me. Your sworn friend, the Storm Dragon Veldora!›
This couldn’t be a trap. Because that response was so ridiculous. The owner of that cheerful
voice could only be Veldora.
‹Hey, are you still conscious?›
‹Mm. To tell you the truth, I quickly detached my heart at that time. It was impossible to talk,
but it did preserve my ego!›
So that’s it. He couldn’t speak, but his consciousness still remained. Was it because the
‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth’ got to Veldora’s body, that we could use ‘telepathy’ through our
hearts?
In any case, I was glad that he was safe. But that also made me angry in another sense.
‹What?! Then hurry up and take your body back!›
Don’t be so carefree after making me worry so much.
How upset I had been because of Veldora… Thinking about it made me want to complain.
‹If I could do that, I would have done so long ago! Rather than that, Rimuru, shouldn’t you
have been calmer and acted more cautiously?›
Speak for yourself. Not to mention…
‹You idiot! If I’d been calm, I would never have been so reckless as to take on two True
Dragons at the same time!›
I didn’t need him to point that out to me.
After I had calmed down, I thought to myself that I was lucky to be alive. However, it would
have been impossible for me to act cautious at that time. Cautious was not a word that could be used
when dealing with True Dragons in the first place.
As I was thinking about this, Veldora happily warned me.
‹Oh, look out. I’m about to unleash my Black Lightning!›
Don’t say that so casually as if it were small talk!
Moreover, it wasn’t Black Lightning that was fired, but the Death-Calling Wind. In any case,
Ciel canceled it out and we successfully avoided it, but what was the point in lying?!
‹You! What lightning?! That’s the death-calling wind that destroys souls!!›
I was annoyed and complained, but Veldora laughed and gave me an excuse.
‹Mmm?! My bad, Kuahahaha! It seems that I still don’t fully understand my own body. I was
able to get a sense of activating a technique, but the accuracy rate is only 50 percent.›
In other words, it was not helpful.
The enemy also has ‘Probability Manipulation’, so it would be safer to just ignore Veldora’s
predictions.
‹Got it. That’s enough, so you just shut up. It won’t be funny if I fail at this critical moment by
trusting some random statement, will it?›
Hearing me express my disappointment, Veldora began to panic.
‹Wait, wait Rimuru! I-I’ll do my best. I will help you out somehow!›
Despite his desperate assurances, there was no basis for his remarks. This was a time where
reason should prevail over emotion. Besides, I had already been assisted by him. Just hearing
Veldora’s voice was enough to calm me down.
‹As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters.›
After making sure that he was safe once again, Veldora laughed loudly as usual.
‹Kuahahaha! Of course I’m okay. I am the strongest dragon!›
I was relieved to hear that. And just as I was thinking that…
‹To begin with, it wasn’t Rudra who cut off the Soul Corridor, but me. That means I didn’t
actually lose to them!›
Huh? What is he talking about, this old man…
‹What do you mean?›
‹Well, it’s simple. Rudra tried to take control of me while I was focused on Kondou’s attack.
The fact that three people, including my sister, actually joined forces is just a dirty ploy—I was
outraged. But I made the difficult decision to at least avoid the worst-case scenario.›
As the ‘strongest dragon’ isn’t he being a little too careless? On the battlefield, there is no such
thing as clean or dirty…
‹Don’t be so arrogant! Honestly, what the hell are you doing? Didn’t I always tell you not to let
your guard down?!›
‹Kuahahaha! I didn’t expect to be lectured in this situation!›
I couldn’t help but be taken aback by Veldora’s seemingly endless enjoyment.
He’s an idiot, so I’ll just move on.
‹So, that decision was to cut off the Soul Corridor?›
‹Yes, that’s right. Because Rudra’s domination would have affected not only me, but also you
through the Soul Corridor.›
So, he had rushed to cut off the Soul Corridor to protect me.
Once I heard that, I couldn’t be mad at Veldora anymore.
‹Well then, just leave it to me!›
‹Mm! I won’t worry about a thing, because I believe in you.›
Well, it’s never a bad thing to be relied upon.
‹Ah, that’s right. I’ll set you free soon, so just wait here.›
‹Kuahahahaha! How reliable. I have the utmost faith in you, my friend Rimuru!›
The situation with Veldora was clear. He had lost control of his body, but his heart was safe. It
seems that Veldora couldn’t take back control now, so I would have to do something about it.
That’s right, for example:
‹Ciel, if you have Veldora’s heart, can you revive the Ultimate Skill ‘Storm King Veldora’?›

«No problem. The information of the power remains, so as long as the Soul Corridor is
connected to Veldora’s heart, the Ultimate Skill ‘Storm King Veldora’ can be restored.»

The problem was easily solved. In short, all I had to do was eat up the Veldora in front of me
and recover his heart. The rest was just a matter of getting it done.
Now then, let’s defeat him. The strongest opponent, Storm Dragon Veldora!!

The solution to the problem has been found. In that case, I’ll just get it over with quickly. There
were two problems. The time limit and the location of the heart.
There was still plenty of time. The current conversation had been prolonged by ‘Thought
Acceleration’, so in fact not more than a few seconds had passed. There were still more than three
minutes left, although there was actual offense and defense going on in between.
The problem was the location of the heart. It was inside the body, so ‘telepathy’ should be
possible through magicules. Nevertheless, it was difficult to pinpoint the location.
If I accidentally destroyed the heart, it was all over. The mission would fail, and Veldora would
have to be reborn. On the contrary, it would normally be more difficult to damage the heart. That
was because it was the most protected part of the body. However, Veldora’s heart was detached
from his main body right now, so it was unprotected. If I had been careless and believed that I
would not hit it, I could have accidentally hit and damaged it, which would have been unfortunate.
Veldora would be released from Rudra’s control, but his current personality would disappear, and
our ‘Soul Corridor’ would not be restored. Only that situation had to be avoided.
If I could devour Veldora in one go, I wouldn’t have to worry about this. Unfortunately, it was
impossible to swallow Veldora whole in my ‘Imaginary Space’ without consent. I could weaken
him and reduce the amount of magicules to some extent, or I could use ‘Predation’ little by little
and be careful not to hurt his heart…
Looking at it this way, damaging him was out of the question. In fact, I was a little scared now
when I thought about the beating I just gave him… It was difficult to think of Veldora as so fragile
as I had thought he would be difficult to defeat or even damage. A shot or two of magic would not
even scratch him and punching and kicking would be useless. Only by adding the effects of an
Ultimate Skill to the various attacks would I be able to do any real damage at all. Even the most
powerful holy magic, ‘Disintegration,’ could only do insignificant damage to Veldora’s massive
body.
This showed that the high durability of the True Dragon race was not a fluke. That’s why he
should have been able to withstand a few attacks, but there was always a chance. Especially now,
Veldora was in a state of rampage without will. There was no telling what he would do, which was
the sad thing about being controlled.
Unless I learned where Veldora’s heart was, it would be safer for me not to attack him.
In that case, there was only one way. I had no choice but to do my best to find the heart by
using ‘predation’ little by little. It was a race against time, but there was no other choice. There was
only three minutes, but three minutes was three minutes.
Without worrying about how much time I had left, I activated the ‘Gluttonous King
Beelzebuth’ at full power and bit down on Veldora—

My body returned from its human form to its slime form. Rather than a fluid form, it revealed
the properties of an amorphous viscous body. Following my aggressive ‘Predation’ intentions, I
changed into the most suitable shape that Ciel had optimized for me. It would be more efficient
since there were many contact surfaces.
My fluctuating body ate its way through the surface of Veldora’s body, wrapping around it.
However, the target was too big. No matter how much I stretched my body, from Veldora’s point of
view, I was a mere dot. It was a daunting task, but I couldn’t give up here. I accelerated the
aggressive erosion without hesitation.
At the same time, I activate the ‘Soul Eater’ to probe for Veldora’s nucleus. This would have
been impossible without Ciel’s assistance. As I had thought from its extraordinary strength, perhaps
Ciel had acquired computing power that could not be compared to that of the Wisdom King
Raphael. It appears that evolution upon getting a name was not limited to monsters.
Now, thanks to Ciel, things were going well, but it wasn’t without obstacles. I mean, I was in a
lot of pain right now. Veldora’s body had begun to resist the hostile presence. The ‘Dragon Spirit
Haki’ of the Storm Dragon was disintegrating my body.
Between me, who was trying to devour, and the Storm Dragon who was trying to eliminate me
—a fierce clash began.

It hurts, it’s hot, it’s painful. I shouldn’t be feeling any pain, but an intense pain pierced my entire
body. The heat should have been meaningless, but I felt as if I were melting at an unbearably high
temperature. And then there was the agonizing suffering that I had felt for the first time in this
world. The dangerous sensation that I was about to be wiped out of existence stimulated my
survival instincts.
However, I would not let go of the erosion. I will win. I will overcome this suffering and save
Veldora. Besides, I’m not alone right now. I have a reliable partner in Ciel. I was going to devour
the Storm Dragon and absorb Veldora’s heart. For that, this level of suffering would be nothing.
‹Ciel, is that okay?›

«Leave it to me.»

It’ll be fine. After that reliable answer, I further expanded the erosion.
The only thing standing in my way was the energy I consumed. Normally, it would be restored
as my own power, but with the True Dragon race, it was different. Instead of helping me, it was
destroying my body.
I suppose the Dragon Factor was so powerful that it couldn’t be bound by anyone. Yet, he was
being controlled so this was quite troublesome, but now was not the time to complain about that.
Every time a part of my body disappeared, my body would be reorganized with ‘Infinite
Regeneration’. By doing so, I was forcibly taking in the energy that I had eaten. It would have been
much easier to discard it, but that was not possible. If I didn’t ‘Analyze and Assess’ the magicules
properly, I might damage Veldora’s heart.
It was very troublesome, but this was the best process. This conclusion was made after
consulting with Ciel, so all that remained was to repeat the whole process.
I abandoned my thoughts and continued working.
Time was running out, but the target was huge. I was worried that I might not be able to finish
in time, but I believed in Ciel. We would make it in time.

«Since I was free, I’ve been doing some analysis work in my spare time, would you like to hear
about it?»

‹……›
Just now, what do you mean that you were free?
What have you been doing while I’ve been in pain?

«What I was doing was the ‘Analyze and Assess’ of Velgrynd’s abilities. I studied the ‘Scorch
Dragon Cardinal Acceleration’ isolated in the ‘Imaginary Space’ and figured out its laws.»

No, no, no, I wasn’t asking a question—huh, you figured it out?!

«Although I failed to recreate the power, it is possible to develop a similar technique.»

That’s ridiculous, Ciel. Those were from the surface of my thoughts, but I suppose I should
assume it was always being read. Let’s be mindful of the mental boundary and think about stuff on
the deeper level of my mind.
Anyway, it’s amazing that it can copy Velgrynd’s sure-kill technique. An Ultimate Skill should
be impossible to reproduce just by looking at it…
No, wait? What else were you analyzing?
I got scared and decided to ask it outright, ‹What else did you analyze?›
Then, Ciel replied as if it had been waiting for me a long time.

«Yes! The analysis of ‘Storm Blast’ has also been completed. It is possible to use the ability by
using the remainder of ‘Storm King Veldora’.»

Wait, wait! The pain I’m feeling right now was blown away by the seriousness of this report!
It’s hard to believe that you could complete such a difficult degree of analysis in your spare time…

«No, it’s true. And these are not important, the main point is what follows!»

I unconsciously reacted on the surface level of my mind.

 But that’s fine. There was no point in hiding it anyway. I mean, it made sense when I thought
about it. I did have the Ultimate Skill ‘Storm King Veldora’ left. If I used it, it wouldn’t be
surprising if I could recreate the ‘Storm Blast’. It was awesome to be able to use a powerful ability,
and to be honest, I was happy. That’s why I was surprised, but it didn’t seem strange to Ciel.
Thinking about it that way, I was more concerned about what Ciel actually thought was important.
‹What is the main point?›

«Regarding the ‘Predated’ energy of the Storm Dragon earlier, I have successfully analyzed it.
It is now possible to transform the body composition of my lord into the same species as “True
Dragon” Veldora. Do you wish to proceed?»

What? Just now, didn’t you just casually say something very disturbing? Transforming my
body composition into the same kind as Veldora’s?
Do I wish to proceed? What the hell!
I’m a little confused. If my understanding is correct, that would mean I would become a True
Dragon…?

«That understanding is correct.»

Huuuh?! Correct—you say?!

…Are you for real?

«Of course! So, do you wish to evolve into a True Dragon? YES/NO.»

Fufufu… Fuhaha… FUHAHAHAHA!!

I couldn’t help but perform the three-stage laugh.
At a time like this, it still has to ask YES or NO—while thinking of such a trivial thing, I gave
the command.

YES!

In an instant, the agony I’d been feeling vanished. Including pain, heat, and suffering. The new
me was immune to the Storm Dragon’s ‘Dragon Spirit Haki’. It was because I could now use
‘Dragon Spirit Haki’ as well.
In other words, the more I ate, the more energy I would gain. My magicule count was
increasing rapidly. The rate of increase was so high that I was worried that it would expand beyond
control and run rampant.

«No problem. I will manage it perfectly.»

I’m sure you will.

With Ciel, there was no need to worry about that. Now that I was a True Dragon, my magicule
count was finally in line with Veldora’s. And I would break through the limit. Here I am, reborn as
a new ‘True Dragon.’

At the time when this situation was left unattended, there was a fatal delay in the response of
the Storm Dragon.
‹You have won, Rimuru. I’m surprised that you’ve become a True Dragon, but I guess I was
right about you all along. Kuahahaha!!›
Veldora boasted of victory, not really sounding surprised.
‘I raised you’—he seemed to say, but it goes without saying that Veldora-san was not useful.
Besides, it was too early to feel victorious. What was important was Veldora’s heart, and its
whereabouts were still unknown.
 That’s why I decided to put on the finishing touches.
“Now then, let’s finish this!”
I can’t allow you to call yourself my favorite “Storm Dragon.”
“Devour all, ‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth!’!!”
In obedience to my command, the ‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth’ devoured the ‘Storm Dragon.’
With pleasure. And with tremendous speed. Unlike before, the progression was one-sided. The
devourer and the devoured. It was as if to embody “the weak are meat the strong eat”…

The curtain had fallen quietly on the epic battle without a sound. An evolution and a new birth
had occurred, leading to a further destination. The residue of the leaked energy filled the
surrounding area with a light so bright that was difficult to see. It was like the light of blessing. A
light celebrating the birth of a new “type.” It was the light emitted by my old body, which had not
transformed into a “True Dragon,” as it was converted into pure energy.
Even this residue became my food and disappeared.
And just like that, I achieved my goal in flawless form.

When the light subsided, there was only one unidentified life form remaining. Veldora was gone.
The slime—Demon Lord Rimuru—had eaten him, Velgrynd realized.
………
……
…
According to the investigation, Rimuru had been born from the magicule pool that leaked from
Veldora. And yet, Rimuru devoured all of the Storm Dragon, his parent, and transformed himself
into the fifth True Dragon—Ultimate Slime.
Immediately after, the slime began to take human form. He had a single sword in his hand and
not a scrap of clothing. He looked around 15 to 16 years old. At a height of only 160 centimeters or
so, it was not an exaggeration to say that he was of small stature.
However, the amount of magicule contained within him was not only comparable to Veldora’s,
but it also surpassed it.
His golden eyes were large and beautiful, as if they could see through everything. His silvery
hair was lightly tinged with light blue, giving off a moonlit glow. He had no gender, and his face
was more dainty than beautiful. However, the divine presence that he gave off was sublimely
transformed into beauty. His dazzling white skin was cloaked in an aura of black and gold.
Then, Rimuru seemed to whisper something in displeasure, and the aura that covered his body
transformed into divine jet-black, full-body garments. With ‘Matter Creation,’ a specialty of the
demons, he had materialized the garments. Even with the magicules leaking from his body were
used, there was no telling how strong the armor was.
Rimuru perfectly suppressed his excess energy in an instant. Then he grinned in satisfaction.

Velgrynd witnessed all of this from inside her prison. The transfer of energy had also been
interrupted. She was completely stunned, unable to believe what she was seeing.
The battle between her brother, the Storm Dragon Veldora, and the demon lord Rimuru, should
have been overwhelmingly in Veldora’s favor. There was absolutely no way that Veldora could
lose.
If that were possible, then they would have had to be equals from the start…
A coincidence? It can’t be…was that slime really just born there by chance?!
Sinking into a sea of thoughts, Velgrynd arrived at the astonishing conclusion. However, she
could not admit it so easily. It was only natural. A monster being born in the vicinity of a True
Dragon with a ‘soul’ that could adapt to the Dragon Factor—there was no way that could happen by
chance.
If he were indeed the fifth True Dragon, he could be considered a younger brother. However,
Rimuru ate Veldora and evolved into a True Dragon. Velgrynd could not accept that such a being
could be called a True Dragon. He was something similar to a True Dragon, so to speak. She could
not and would not accept such a horrible existence. He needed to be exterminated here and now—
Velgrynd’s instincts told her so. That would be the only way to avenge her younger brother.
To Velgrynd, Veldora was her cute little brother. He was cocky, rambunctious, and very
difficult to deal with, but she envied his freedom. She had intended to use him as a pawn, but that
was only a few years in the long life of a dragon. She had no intention of wiping him out, and she
had intended to release him once she was done.
And yet…
………
……
…
The moment Velgrynd realized that Veldora had been devoured before her eyes, she felt her
sanity blown away by anger.
“How dare you…devour my cute little brother!!” Velgrynd roared in anger.
Two hundred seconds had passed, and the ‘Insulation Prison’ shattered. The Scorch Dragon,
now without reason and without regard for her own self-preservation, unleashed her hostility
towards Rimuru.

It seems that I’ve been reborn as a new species after eating Veldora. The species seems to be called
‘Ultimate Slime,’ but with this, I am now a member of the True Dragon race—although, it’s a
subspecies. I guess I’m not related to slimes anymore, but I kept that thought a secret.
It’s already done now, so no point in thinking about it.

I checked my new body. The main body that could be created without consuming magicules
had grown considerably. Or rather, should I say I had grown up? Now I was about as tall as a high
school student. A girl, though… Actually, that didn’t really mean much because my apparent age
could be changed as I liked. I just thought it was interesting to see myself grow up like this.
The important thing was whether I could relax and work or not. The volume of my slime form
also increased, and it seemed to be around 70 to 80 centimeters in diameter. This was too big to be
held, so I wanted to keep it small somehow. I’d check on that later.
And, there was a problem. I wasn’t wearing anything at the moment. In other words, I was
naked. That was not good. Although my weird youki was leaking out and hiding my body, it still
was ethically unpleasant for me.
That’s why I made some clothes. I tried the ‘Matter Creation’, which Diablo had taught me,
and it worked surprisingly easily. I was told that the performance of the garment would be quite
good, depending on the ability of the maker. It was very comfortable to wear, and the jet-black
clothes looked cool.
As for the grade I was curious about… It was mythical-grade.
Wah? Mythical-grade? Mythical-grade, huh? I see—wait, what?!
To be completely amazed was exactly how I felt at the moment. It truly felt like I had evolved,
but I see. Perhaps, my current power was even greater than I had imagined. Thinking about it, there
were a few things that came to mind.
Benimaru and the others had evolved into awakened demon lords, and their power was returned
to me by the ‘Food Chain’, so that was probably one of the reasons. Another reason might be that I
ate Veldora and took in his power. It was also certain that the unusable energy that had been stored
in my ‘Stomach’ had been analyzed and made usable.
For these various reasons, I felt like they all came together and blossomed all at once. This was
the result of everything working well together. In short, it was all thanks to Ciel. No, it would be
rude to drop the honorifics here. Out of respect for my partner, I shall call you Ciel-sensei!

«Please stop.»

I heard that, but I didn’t care. Really, sensei was brilliant.

I’ll be relying on you from now on!

«Leave it to me!»

Hmhmm.
Now that I was dressed, I wouldn’t forget my goal.
‹Veldora, are you okay?›
‹Kuahahaha! Of course, don’t make me repeat myself. More importantly, I’m amazed that you
successfully managed to defeat my body!›
‹Well, yeah. Looking back on it, I lost control a little. But still, I’m relieved. Really!›
Veldora and I rejoiced in each other’s safety.
Since we were able to converse like this, it appeared that Veldora’s heart was safe. Now all that
was left was to connect the Soul Corridor and restore the Ultimate Skill ‘Storm King Veldora’.

«Successful without any problems.»

That’s my Ciel-sensei. Even if I don’t say anything, it’s always working for me. It was a perfect
job this time as well.
All right. I had accomplished my goal. Now that Veldora was back, I had no business with the
Imperial Army. However, my anger was still alive and well, and I intended to take it out on
Emperor Rudra. Besides, ending the war half-heartedly would lead to future disasters. Now that we
had come this far, we had to be thorough. It was my duty as a king to eliminate the threat.
Now that my anger had subsided, I was beginning to think that it was okay to leave all but
Rudra alone, but I would do my job to the end without being distracted. Besides, even if I were
willing to give in, there would be times when my enemies wouldn’t keep silent.
As proof of this—I saw Velgrynd still alive and well, staring daggers at me from her prison
cell.
I succeeded in freeing Veldora, but for some reason Velgrynd had become furious. There was
no point in trying to defeat her, so I couldn’t be bothered to deal with her, but…
The threat had to be eliminated.

«Velgrynd is no longer a threat. Although the analysis of all her powers is not yet complete, the
countermeasures are perfect.»

Ciel-sensei’s confidence was amazing. Or was it pride?

«No, it is a hard fact.»

It would be ridiculous if we lost, but I guess we wouldn’t have to worry about that. Even in the
previous fight it had completely blocked Velgrynd’s attacks. The current Ciel should be able to
subdue her without much trouble.
Well, there was no change in our plan of taking this opportunity to hit the Empire thoroughly. I
intended to finish them off right here, without leaving even a single drop of blood. As of now, the
Black Numbers were on the rampage. There were several large whirlpools in the battlefield, and it
appeared that there were no significant players left. If I was aiming for Rudra, I would collide with
her anyway, so it was tactically correct to deal a blow to Velgrynd here.
The Empire had Lieutenant Kondou and Damrada. The four knights guarding Rudra were also
very troublesome opponents. Yuuki was also being controlled by Rudra and had to be dealt with as
an enemy. In addition, there should be one more Single Digit left. I didn’t know what he or she
looked like, but since this soldier was likely at the ‘Saint’ level, we needed to be careful. In other
words, even if we exclude Rudra and Velgrynd, there were still eight strong enemies left.
Judging by the signs on the battlefield, it seemed that there were a few others who could be
considered “threats,” so I would deal with them all right now.
To be perfectly honest, even those powerful people didn’t feel like much of a threat to me right
now. This was because the amount of magicules in me had increased nearly tenfold since I had
evolved into a True Dragon. As a result, the quality and quantity of my powers had been greatly
enhanced, and I felt that I was much stronger than before.
Since I hadn’t released Veldora yet, I was at full energy. I was in great shape, and I felt like I
could give Milim and Guy a run for their money.
—No, I shouldn’t be too conceited. If I get carried away like that, I will surely fail. Let’s just
keep our guard up and act with caution.
By the way, while looking for signs of warfare, I noticed that the powerful opponents I had just
mentioned were already engaged with Benimaru and the others. I was the one who had given the
order, but I was still impressed by their quick actions. At the same time, I was worried about the
possible casualties.
Were they obeying my orders not to die?
I hoped that they didn’t act recklessly just to keep everyone out of my way…
Well, I could worry about that later. Right before me was Velgrynd, who looked like she was
about to jump me. I would deal with her first, and then decide whether or not to go help them.

In less than a second, I made that decision. Then, the next question was how to fight her.
First, how about using the ‘Storm Dragon Release’ of the Ultimate Skill ‘Storm King Veldora’?
With this, I could summon Veldora and take on Velgrynd in a two-on-one battle. That way, victory
would be assured.
Come to think of it, it seems that my magicule capacity was not always full. It was probably
because I had been letting Veldora run free. Veldora and I were like one and the same, and if one of
us was safe, we could revive each other without any problem. It was different from Velgrynd’s
‘Parallel Existence’, but that cheat-like invincibility was noteworthy.
If I thought about that as the price to pay, the magicule burden was not a problem. Besides, the
surplus of magicules from Veldora was flowing into me, so I did not feel inconvenienced that much.
In fact, the circulatory effect had revitalized my body.
That’s why, although the ‘Storm Dragon Release’ had some disadvantages, the advantages
were far greater. It used to consume about 90 percent of my magicules, but now the burden
appeared to be about 30 percent.
With that in mind, I attempted to activate the ‘Storm Dragon Release’.
“How dare you… My cute little brother!!” Velgrynd shouted.
From my perspective, this was a misplaced anger.
“Aren’t you the one who struck first?! You guys were the ones who tried to get me to fight
Veldora in the first place!”
“Shut up! Veldora couldn’t have been eaten by someone like you!! Although he wasn’t all
great, I never thought he could fall behind a demon lord… I will never accept that he disappeared
because of this. I will never forgive you.”
The enraged Velgrynd recklessly unleashed a heat ray (Blaster) at me.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work on me. But, well, this is what I learned from that conversation. I
thought she was angry, but it was because I had eaten Veldora. She thought I had killed him and
wiped him out completely. In that case, the answer is simple. ‘Storm Dragon Release’ will clear up
all the misunderstanding. And yet:
 ‹Gawawawah! W-wait, Rimuru!› Veldora, the person in question, stopped me.
‹What’s the matter?› I asked, worried…
‹Listen, Rimuru. My sister is furious right now because she thinks I’m gone. Is that right?›
‹Yeah, she is. So why don’t you come out and explain, and maybe we can avoid unnecessary
conflict?›
‹You idiot! Don’t be crazy!! Showing that I’m safe with that kind of timing will be too
awkward. All of my sister’s anger might turn to me!!›
What a stupid answer. I felt like I’d lost after listening to it seriously.
I was so shocked I thought I would stop breathing. When I heard Veldora saying that, I realized
that I could not rely on him at all. But really…this person was useless at every critical moment,
wasn’t he? I felt like an idiot and was about to complain, but at that moment, Ciel also stopped me.

«Please wait. In any case, this is an opportunity to optimize Veldora’s powers. I have his
permission, so please wait to execute ‘Storm Dragon Release’ until after his Skill has been
innovated.»

The tone was as clean and polite as ever.

Ciel said that it would innovate Veldora’s Ultimate Skill ‘Investigation King Faust’ to evolve
into the Ultimate Skill ‘Chaos King Nyarlathotep’. Since it was an “evolution”, it appeared that it
would be terribly enhanced.
What caught my attention was the statement that permission had been given by the person
himself. To my surprise, Ciel’s existence was known to Veldora.
‹Since when?›

«He was already aware of my existence just after Rimuru-sama evolved into a demon lord.»

That’s what Ciel-san said.

‹I was aware, but I only became certain of it a short while ago. In the first place, I’ve never
heard of a mere Skill developing an ego in all of history. However, the power of the deadly sins
system seemed to have something like an ego, so I began to wonder if it was possible.›
According to Veldora, he had suspected something since the time of the Great Sage. He said he
had been observing things from inside my Stomach, and there had been a lot of strange phenomena
from time to time.
After the Great Sage became the ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ due to my demon lord evolution, he
felt that his suspicions were almost certain. He said that he had been talking with it before that, but
he had thought that it was me he was talking to. Not that it bothered me, but I was curious about
what kind of conversations they had.
In any case, Veldora was acquainted with Ciel. That’s what was important.
‹In other words, you two knew each other. And you agreed to Ciel’s proposal, is that correct?›
‹Yes, that’s right! As much as I would love to deal with my sister, I cannot do so because of
these circumstances. Sorry Rimuru, but I’ll leave it to you!›
Hey, you’re exploiting the situation. That’s not what you were saying earlier!
I could have shouted at him, but I still felt sorry for him, so I stopped. Ciel also seemed like it
wanted to play with Veldora’s Skill. Even though I thought there was no need to do it now, it might
be more troublesome to do after he was released.
Besides, I also wanted to test my own strength. I thought it was necessary to know how strong I
was if I had to deal with Rudra after this. Velgrynd would be just the right opponent. The current
me could fight with a bit of leeway, so I would be able to see how much I had grown in various
ways.
It was time. I would keep an eye on my friends, but until they were in danger, I would prioritize
testing my Skills.

«That’s a good idea.»

 Ciel seemed very happy, somehow.
I was motivated to fight with that in mind, but it also suggested something to me as a side note.

«By the way, as a result of various analyses, it is possible to combine the Ultimate Skill ‘Storm
King Veldora’ and ‘Covenant King Uriel’ to create the Ultimate Skill ‘Stellar Wind King Hastur’.
Should it be implemented?»

Ciel-sensei, you don’t seem to have the slightest intention of restraining yourself… Just how
much room do you think I have to spare when I’m about to fight Velgrynd right now?
‘I have no interest in Velgrynd anymore’—it was practically saying that out loud.
It seems to enjoy modifying Skills as a hobby, but I would have preferred to do that in times of
peace.
For the time being, it is rejected.
‹You might be able to find a better way to improve it, right? So be careful for now and think
about it slowly later!›

«!! As expected of Master. Understood. I will continue my search for greater heights.»

Mm-hmm. I’m glad to hear it’s convinced.

I didn’t quite know what it meant by “as expected of Master”, but at least now I could
concentrate on fighting. The ‘Covenant King Uriel’ was effective against Velgrynd. There was no
way I was going to give up that advantage here, no matter how much I had the upper hand.
Of course, I probably could have won with only the ‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth,’ But this
was not a game, and I couldn’t let my guard down. Even in an unlikely event, there was no room for
failure.
I understood that Ciel thought very highly of me, so I would just ignore its flattery. Still, Ciel’s
enthusiasm for modding Skills was disturbing. Veldora was its current victim, but that was okay
because he wanted it too. The problem, however, was what would happen after this battle was over.
I had a feeling that my friends who had awakened as demon lords would have to undergo some
major Skill modifications as well. Ciel-sensei would probably be able to strengthen them as well. I
had a feeling that it was waiting vigilantly for an opportunity to do so.
Perhaps it had already…
As I was thinking about this, the time to settle the score with Velgrynd had arrived.

The crimson flying dragon and I stared at each other in the sky. As soon as Velgrynd changed into
her human form, the battle began instantly.
While firing a series of Nuclear Cannons at me, she slashed at me with her ‘Blue Dragon
Sword’.14
So, what was the difference between human form and Dragon Mode? To put it simply, it came
down to the difference in defense power. The attack power was exactly the same. The energy
efficiency of the human form was far superior. Since the ability to continue the battle would
increase accordingly, it could be said that the human form was more suitable for long-term battles.
However, the Dragon Mode also had a considerable advantage. That was the fact that it was
massive in size. The scale of the attack increased with the size of the body. The power would
remain the same, but the range of the attack increased. This meant that the dragon form would be
able to take on multiple enemies at the same time. It went without saying that even if the enemy was
14
Seiryuu-katana = Blue Dragon Katana/Sword.
a single person, it would be difficult to evade all attacks unleashed from a large body.
And then there was the defensive aspect. This was its true value. To kill a massive body, one
needed a large-scale attack to match it. That was difficult to defeat with a sword, and even most
magic was useless in terms of that scale. To begin with, there were few spells that could even be
used against a True Dragon, but even if that was ignored, there was still no point in using single-
target spells. Only a spell with a wide enough range could do much damage.
That’s why, if anything, the Dragon Mode was stronger…however, Velgrynd had chosen to
take her human form. Her intentions were probably to—

«It is presumed that she has abandoned her defenses to take down Master with certainty.»

That’s about what it seemed like.

If that was the case, I would fight with that assumption as well. The murderous expression on
Velgrynd’s face enhanced her beauty. That murderous aura was imbued in her blade as she swung it
down with a force that could cut me in half.
Naturally, I didn’t intend to take it lying down. Leaving Ciel to deal with the magic, I
intercepted Velgrynd with my favorite sword—the hihiirokane straight sword.
Velgrynd’s Blue Dragon Sword was a type of broadsword. She was not hiding it before, but it
was a weapon that Velgrynd had created with ‘Matter Creation’. Its grade was comparable to
mythical-grade.
My sword, on the other hand, had reached mythical-grade, perhaps in sync with my becoming a
True Dragon. Velgrynd’s Blue Dragon Sword was a threat, but my weapon would not be defeated
either.
On the contrary:
Chiiing.
With a high-pitched sound, Velgrynd’s Blue Dragon Sword snapped and shattered. I was
surprised, but Velgrynd must have been even more so.
“What did you do?” she demanded, after leaping away.
I hadn’t meant to do anything; I was simply taking the attack. That’s why I didn’t know what I
did either.

«It was the difference in weapon performance. While Master’s straight sword is a masterpiece
forged by Kurobee with all his heart and soul, Velgrynd’s Blue Dragon Sword is a mass-produced
product simply made of condensed magicules. The density of the magicules is so great that it is
equivalent to a mythical-grade sword, but it is essentially a dull sword by nature.»

Is that so?
I knew there were varying levels of quality within the same grade, but I didn’t think that there
would be this much difference within the mythical-grade. Sure enough, it was one’s familiar
equipment that could be relied upon. I was glad to find out about this. After all, even my clothes had
been created by ‘Matter Creation.’
It was safer not to expect too much from something just because it was mythical-grade.
“It just became clear to me now, but there seems to be a world of difference in performance
between even the same grade levels. The weapons you create are no match for my sword.”
I didn’t think she’d give up now, but I still told her.
Velgrynd was by no means a fool, so she seemed to see that I was not lying. However, she still
seemed unconvinced, as several times after that, she produced her Blue Dragon Sword and slashed
at me. I smashed through all of them. Finally, Velgrynd seemed to have accepted the reality. She
glared at me in frustration and immediately moved on to her next attack. If her manifested weapons
were no good, then she would have to rely on her own body. Velgrynd’s claws extended, and she
took a stance similar to that in Chinese martial arts.
Seeing that, I put my sword away.
“…What are you doing?”
 An experiment, of course. I wanted to see how much I’d grown, so I stopped relying on my
sword.
“Using a weapon would feel like I was bullying a weakling, so I’ll take you on with my bare
hands.”
What’s a fight without a little trash talk? If I could make her lose her composure, then it
wouldn’t be too much to say that the victory was won at that point.
“Don’t make a fool of me!!”
It worked. It was almost funny how easily Velgrynd fell into my trap. All I had to do now was
play my cards right to seal the deal15.
Velgrynd’s claw attacks were fast. It was impossible to follow them with your eyes. But my
current perception speed was extraordinary. Since the name “Ciel” was given to Wisdom King
Raphael-san, my ‘Thought Acceleration’ had been increasing. It had been a million times faster
than normal, but now it was several hundred million times faster.
Surprisingly, even the speed of light could be recognized. That said, even if I could recognize
it, it did not mean that I could move at that speed. That must not be misunderstood.
However, that wasn’t to say that there were no ways around it. In addition to the activation of
magic, the activation of ‘Spatial Transportation’ had become almost a thousand times faster. In
other words, if the distance between me and the attacker was a certain distance, it was now possible
to escape from a light-speed attack with ‘transport’.
A second was stretched out to over a decade, and it felt like seeing the world at a complete
stand still. The inability to move for such a long time could not have been endured by a normal
person’s ego, but Ciel had smoothly solved this problem by activating ‘Thought Acceleration’
during the key points.
It didn’t matter to me how fast Velgrynd could move. At this point, I didn’t need any
swordplay or physical skills, and could push through with brute force alone. Velgrynd’s superspeed
attack was approaching. Its speed was several hundred times the speed of sound, and the old me
would have had a hard time with it.
Now, however, it was no problem.
“Too slow.”
While provoking Velgrynd with that, I ‘Transported’ behind her. However, Velgrynd was no
slouch. Perhaps she had anticipated my actions, and she reacted immediately.
To be honest, I thought she was tough. After all, one couldn’t be too careful against one of the
strongest.
“I knew it. I didn’t think you could move faster than me, so you were using ‘Spatial
Transportation’. It’s amazing that you can transport so naturally without distorting space, but it can
be dealt with if I know the source.”
I thought she would be furious at my provocation, but she was much calmer than I expected.
As expected of Veldora-san’s sister… This was also as Ciel had expected.
Velgrynd’s next move would be to—
“If I interfere with the space and lock it, you will not be able to transport in my area of control.
That’s too bad.”
After all, that was the only thing she could do.
Naturally, Velgrynd also possessed ‘Spatial Domination’ and was able to interfere with a wide
area of space around herself. If Velgrynd did this, I would not be able to use ‘Spatial Domination’
to transport.
It wasn’t entirely impossible if I forced myself, but it would be useless if the location were
exposed. It could also be used to escape, but since the destination of escape would be revealed, it
would be meaningless in the end.
Once the transportation Skills were blocked like this, physical speed would determine the
battle. For Velgrynd, this created a winning environment.
15
The Japanese term used here was “tsume shōgi” which is a miniature shogi problem where the only goal is to achieve
the final checkmate. Unlike in chess where there are stalemates, shogi does not do this, and “tsume shōgi” problems are
strictly forced checkmate problems.
 That’s why her next move would be—
“I never thought I’d have to use my trump card against someone like you.”
“You think you’ve won just by blocking transportation? If so, I’ll have to show you that you’re
wrong.”
“You really are cocky. If it wasn’t for that kid’s revenge, I wouldn’t have hated you. But this is
it.”
Velgrynd took her stance.
She kicked off the air, turning herself into a bullet at supersonic speed.
The speed increased even further—
“Scorch Dragon ‘Cardinal Acceleration’!!”
The voice echoed across the future.
Velgrynd herself became a crimson meteor, closing in on me at the physical speed limit of sub-
light speed. Moreover, the meteor bullet could change its orbit.
By transforming her own body into a meteor bullet, Velgrynd had achieved the ability to
change her trajectory at will. Or rather, this was the true nature of the Scorch Dragon ‘Cardinal
Acceleration’. Not simply a straight-line attack, but a tracking attack with the ability to shift
directions freely. It was the ultimate destructive attack, possessing not only energy waves but also
mass.
Ciel-sensei had analyzed the Scorch Dragon Cardinal Acceleration and had perfectly seen
through its essence.
Velgrynd was terrifying, but Ciel-sensei was even more terrifying.
The fact that I had created a Manas named Ciel on a whim would be the cause of Velgrynd’s
defeat.

«As planned, the ‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth’ is deployed all around Master. No matter the
direction of contact, there will be no problem with Velgrynd’s ‘Predation’.»

That’s exactly what it said.

Even if I tried to eat the target normally, the resistance of a willful being was a lot. On top of
that, I was dealing with a True Dragon. No matter how hard Ciel tried, ‘Predation’ with the
‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth’ was impossible.
But even so…
Velgrynd, of her own volition, turned her body into a meteor bullet. By putting all of her
energy into attacking, she had greatly reduced her resistance.
This was the result of that.
Velgrynd was now isolated in my ‘Imaginary Space’.
‹How is this possible?! Why, what just happened?›
The moment she thought she had finished me off, she was suddenly sent into an empty space. It
would be difficult for Velgrynd to grasp the current situation. It would take her a while to realize
that she had lost. That’s why I would tell her directly.
‹I’ve won. You just stay where you are.›
‹…I, I-I’ve lost?›
‹That’s right. You won’t be able to escape my ‘Imaginary Space’, and I don’t think it’s possible
for you to transfer energy even with your ‘Parallel Existence.›
As for the amount of Velgrynd’s magicules I had eaten, Ciel-sensei said it was more than 50
percent. The ‘Split Body’ on Rudra’s side was at about 20 percent, and the remaining 30 percent or
so was being restored. It seems that her body could only recover about 10 percent a day, so it should
be possible to get back to 50 percent in about three days.
However, because I still had the ‘Split Body’ inside me, I didn’t think she’d be able to recover
that much. It was complicated because her ego existed on both sides, but there was no doubt that
Velgrynd had been weakened.
‹Just ask Veldora for the details.›
‹Ask Veldora? What are you talking about…›
 Velgrynd looked confused, but it would be quicker to hear it from his own mouth than from
me.
‹Kuahahaha! Sister, it’s me. You seem to be in a not-so-good mood.›
‹Veldora?! You, didn’t you disappear?!›
Next, I would let the siblings talk things over and settle down in a calm environment.
And just like that, I had won a complete victory over Velgrynd, and succeeded in capturing
most of her magicules in the ‘Imaginary Space’.
Thus, with the birth of my reliable partner Ciel, the reckless challenge of taking on two “True
Dragons” at the same time ended more perfectly than ever.
 Chapter 3

The Intensifying Battlefield

The 30,000 members of the Magic Beast Corps, led by General Gladium, flew into the sky from the
airship.
Seeing the gallant figure of Velgrynd, their morale was high. The enemies below them would
make the perfect targets for their violent impulses.
“Listen up, men! His Majesty and Velgrynd-sama will see what you do here. You must perform
well, so bring out your fighting spirit and don’t act like fools!” Gladium shouted, and his soldiers
responded with an air-shaking roar.
Gladium was pleased with that. This was the perfect opportunity, he thought while smiling
inwardly.
Kukuku. Even if I give up on taking over the world, there is no doubt that my time will come.
Calgurio has been defeated and that Yuuki kid has fallen. I am the only one left, leaving me as the
only general. As long as I make my military mark here, I will get what I want!
From Gladium’s perspective, the Western Nations were not much of an enemy. Hinata
Sakaguchi seemed to be a formidable opponent, but Gladium only saw her as a half-wit who could
only come to a draw with a new demon lord.
Gladium was a confident, aggressive fighter.
………
……
…
He was the second most powerful man in the Empire, the “Beast King” Gladium. His origins,
as the rumor had it, were in the Beast Kingdom of Eurazania. In fact, Gladium was the half-brother
of the “Beast Master” Karion.
The beast that dwelled within Gladium was a solitary white tiger. He had a history of being too
selfish and was judged unworthy to be a king.
Those scum!! They aren’t even in the position to be in the same room as me, yet they dare side
with Karion and plot a rebellion against me. I’ll make sure to get my revenge.
Gladium had been harboring hatred for many years. It had turned into outright resentment by
this point. The previous king of Eurazania was not a great warrior, but he had a good eye for people.
He had made his decision based on his discernment of which of the two brothers was more worthy
to lead Eurazania’s people.
Upon hearing his decision, Gladium was furious. He had attempted to subjugate the former
king, and although he succeeded in killing his own father, he was later banished by Karion and the
Beastketeers of the time.
The rebellion was nothing more than Gladium’s selfish belief, but the truth was quite the
opposite. The fact that Gladium had survived was proof of his strength. He was a heretic of the
beastmen tribe, and if his character had been decent, he could have become a mighty warrior
capable of defeating Karion.
But that was just an assumption. Gladium had fled and wandered around the world. The people
he met while doing so were now the three generals who were currently Gladium’s loyal
subordinates.

“Suzaku (Vermillion Bird)” Nazim. She was a mutant of the harpy tribe that Gladium had met
while wandering near the Harpy Nation Fulbrosia. Her wings were gray with purple spots, and there
were three pairs. In return for her loss of reproductive ability, she possessed outstanding fighting
power. Gladium took a liking to her beauty, which was similar to Frey’s, and brought her into his
group.
“Seiryuu (Azure Dragon)” Baraga. Baraga’s partner was a Water Dragon, an archdragon who
had been defeated by Gladium. He was a warrior in his prime, and his ability was in the middle of
the ranks of the Imperial Knights.
“Genbu (Black Tortoise)” Gozarin.16 A girl with a rare monster, Lorelei 17. She was a priestess
of a foreign race and was skilled in various magic arts. After Gladium had defeated Lorelei, she
began to follow him.
The three generals had different stories, but they all had one thing in common—they were
strong. Nazim, for example, was a Demon Lord Seed and could be awakened at any moment.
Baraga and Gozarin’s monsters were also Calamity-class and had outstanding strength among the
‘Magic Beast Corps’.

It was about three hundred years ago that Gladium had taken refuge in the Empire. It happened
after Veldora had been sealed away. He had survived the Tenma Great War and idiotically led his
violent group in a rampage through the Empire’s territory. He was defeated by the Imperial Army
and pardoned for his strength by promising to obey Emperor Rudra.
Gladium’s ambition was to defeat the Marshal and become number one in the Empire. Then,
once the opportunity presented itself, he would rebel against Rudra and take his place. Gladium had
no auspicious intentions to repay the favor given to him. He only followed the other party because
they were strong, and he was vigilantly waiting for an opportunity to betray them at any moment.
With the help of the Empire, he would rule the world. And one day, he would reign as the
emperor himself. It was a reckless dream, for he did not know just who the “Marshal” was.
Rudra and the others had long been aware of Gladium’s true nature. But as long as he was
strong enough to be useful and obeyed orders, it was fine to keep him alive. The dangerous balance
of mutual exploitation was made possible when the intentions of both parties were balanced.
And now, that balance had fallen apart.
No way. I never thought that the “Marshal” would be the Scorch Dragon Velgrynd. It’s
impossible to defeat that kind of existence. It’s a terrifying existence that is far beyond my reach at
this moment.
It was truly an existence of a different dimension. It was a stroke of luck that he realized this
before his rebellion to kill the emperor. Gladium thanked the god he didn’t even believe in.
………
……
…
Gladium had changed his mindset. He knew that if he wanted to become emperor, Velgrynd
was someone he must defeat at some point, but it would require careful preparation. Understanding
this, he would devote himself to earning credit for his achievements for the time being.
Besides, this was a good situation for them. Gladium’s bestial instincts told him that he was
close to awakening. He knew intuitively that he was almost ready to gain great power.
The same was true for Nazim, who had always fought with him. Although the conditions for
the awakening were not clear, the time was near. This was one of the reasons why Gladium had
sought out the battlefield.

16
Including Gladium’s representation of the “Byakko (White Tiger); Suzaku/Vermillion Bird (Nazim), Seiryuu/Azure
Dragon (Baraga) and Genbu/Black Tortoise (Gozarin) all make up the Four Divine Guardians of Chinese mythology.
Just a fun fact for those who weren’t already aware. ***Also, “Seiryuu” is used multiple times in this volume for both
Baraga, and some other weapons (like the one Velgrynd uses). I will use the term “Azure” dragon when referring to
things related to Baraga/his weapon because that is the most widely accepted name of the Chinese divine guardian. But
for the other things I will use the term “Blue” dragon which is still a correct/common translation.
17
Based on the legend of the siren, the Lorelei (Loreley) is a tall cliff in the bend of the German river Rhine, responsible
for many sunken ships.
 And now, in front of Gladium, there was the perfect crowd of fodder. How could he not be
pleased with this situation? Gladium licked his lips. Looking around the battlefield, there were
many enemies who seemed to have great power. The more of them they defeated, the more
powerful Gladium’s group would become.
“Kukukuku, the party is about to begin!”
As Gladium had hoped—no, wished with all this heart—the battlefield would soon become
more intense.

The three generals under Gladium’s command moved in accordance with their lord’s purpose. Their
gazes sought and found powerful opponents.
“Hey, hey, that’s King Gazel. If I defeat him, that will do wonders for my reputation.”
“What, are you trying to get ahead of everyone? If you don’t leave something good for
Gladium-sama, he’ll be pissed, you know?”
King Gazel’s bravery was widely known, and defeating him would certainly put him in a good
light. As a warrior, Baraga’s heart was racing. Nazim was the one who calmed him down. He knew
that Gladium was targeting King Gazel and advised Baraga to make concessions.
Besides:
If he defeats Gazel, Gladium-sama’s power will surely increase. This is too good a situation to
pass up!
This was also Nazim’s true feelings.
As for Baraga, his main priority was also Gladium, his master. In the first place, Gazel was a
wounded man and there was a risk of being accused of cowardice as a warrior. In this way, it would
be best to take out a more appropriate enemy.
“I understand. I hope that Gladium-sama will devour King Gazel and become stronger,” Baraga
said.
“Kishishishi. Rest assured,” Gozarin said with a smile. “There are many other powerful
opponents here. It’s a little unsatisfactory, but it may be enough to fill your stomach.”
As was said, there were many strong people on the battlefield.
Baraga nodded, not in a hurry. Nazim also smiled and agreed.
“Ufufu. As Gladium-sama says, the time of awakening is near. The first one to become a True
Demon Lord will be me. The ‘Vermillion Bird’ Nazim!”
“Nazim-dono, aren’t you the one who’s trying to get ahead?”
“Well, calm down now. I’m sure we’re all thinking the same thing. Let’s leave that King Gazel
to Gladium-sama, and we will do as we please!”
Those words spoke for everyone’s feelings.
“In that case, I’ll take that weak lizard. He seems to be the leader of the dragonewt group who
still seem to be very active and troublesome, so I’d like to strike him first to crush their fighting
spirit.”
“Then I guess I’ll go with the cocky woman over there. I’ll have to teach her a lesson about
flying in the air without my permission.”
“Kishishishi. Then I will destroy that golem. I’ll let him taste the full power of Lorelei!”
One by one, the three generals made their declarations so that no one’s prey was snatched.
Then the three generals flew towards their respective prey. However, this shallow plan would prove
to be naïve.

Gladium’s target was Gazel, as his three generals had predicted. It was only natural. Whether or
not to target the strong first depended on the situation, but it was common sense to first deal with a
strong foe who had been weakened. Gazel could not move because he had been hit by Kondou.
Now was the best chance.
“You must be King Gazel. My name is Gladium. General Gladium, commander of the
Empire’s most powerful Magic Beast Corps! I shall take your head!”
There was no hesitation or humility, it was just downright low. But this behavior was justified
for Gladium. It was his sincere conviction that one should use any means necessary to achieve your
goal. And so, Gladium swooped down towards King Gazel, but someone stood in his way. It was a
dragonewt with reddish-purple scales that sparked with purple lightning—the “Draco Lord” Gabil,
who he thought had been defeated.
“Gwahahaha! I am back!! Your disrespect for King Gazel shall not be overlooked.”
“Tsk, so you dare to interfere with me? Damn lizard.”
Gladium was displeased to have been disrupted by his prey. However, he soon got flustered,
realizing that this was not the time to be thinking that.
As Gladium looked over at his three generals, wondering what they were doing, he was met
with a startling sight. The “Azure Dragon” Baraga, who was supposed to be Gabil’s opponent, had
been defeated in a single blow from the recovered Gabil. The “Black Tortoise” Gozarin, who had
headed for the Demon Colossus with high spirits, was in tears after Lorelei had been crushed. The
only one left was “Vermillion Bird” Nazim, who was fighting on equal terms with Souka, whom
she had identified as an enemy.
Even when the soldiers had challenged Gabil in order to defend Gladium, the difference in their
strengths was obvious.
There was no choice, so Gladium tried to move forward himself.
At that moment, however, Major General Zamud sent an urgent “Magic Communication.”
‹I-it’s an emergency! Demon Lord Rimuru has committed an outrageous act over here. In order
to ensure His Majesty’s protection, please send reinforcements to us immediately!›
Gladium was tempted to yell at him, but he managed to swallow his words. Then he inquired
what had happened.
‹He drew a huge, a-an impossibly huge, Demon Summoning Gate…›
‹What are you saying?!›
‹In other words, hundreds of greater demons and above were summoned! Moreover, they’ve
been incarnated. Their individual strengths are all above A rank, yet they’re even acting as an
organized group!!›
From Zamud’s flustered exclamation, he could tell that this was a serious situation. However,
Gladium was not convinced. Demon Lord Rimuru may have done something ridiculous, but the
Empire still had Velgrynd. She could not be defeated by any demon, and he didn’t think this was
that much of a threat.
If they were talking about threats, Gladium would rather concentrate his forces on the one in
front of him.
‹Our side is also in the middle of something. I want you to take care of your own affairs.›
Spitting out the words, Gladium tried to end the call. However, Zamud’s urgent voice stopped
him.
‹But you must understand, there’s a demon army of catastrophic scale that exceeds the strength
of the Imperial Army’s generals and soldiers!!›
‹What are you talking about? You have not only Velgrynd-sama, but also the Imperial Guard
on your side!!›
Even though there was only one flagship, the people on board were the Empire’s most powerful
battle force. Gladium believed that they could do whatever they wanted on their own, without
having to rely on him.
It was only natural to think so, and no one would blame Gladium for it. But this time, the
opponent was just too strong.
‹It is true that we have Lieutenant Kondou and the Imperial Guard here. But we have our hands
full dealing with the demon lord’s army executives.›
‹The executives?!›
‘It can’t be’—was the thought that crossed Gladium’s mind.
 As for the identity of the opponent in front of him, he knew he was an executive by the name of
Gabil, though it was a rough guess. That said, he had been surprised by the strength of the
opponent, but now that he thought about it, he realized that there had been other executives named
in the report.
Benimaru, Shion, Diablo, Gobta. They were called the Four Heavenly Kings of Demon Lord
Rimuru, yet Gabil’s name was not listed among them. If that was the case, it meant that the Four
Heavenly Kings were more powerful than Gabil.
‹That’s not all! Believe it or not, Demon Lord Rimuru has committed an abomination we could
not have imagined. I don’t know how he did it, but he evolved the demons!! Do you understand?
Hundreds of demons have been enhanced to be as strong as archdemons!!›
It was certainly an unrealistic story.
Gladium didn’t want to believe it, but Major General Zamud was not a man who would joke
about these things. On the contrary, he was a serious, meticulous person. In that case, it was true,
and he had no choice but to believe that hundreds of Calamity-class enemies had been unleashed.
‹I see. Zamud, I understand your concerns.›
‹Ahh, then I’m counting on you for reinforcements!›
With a sigh of relief, Zamud’s call was cut off.
Gladium pondered.
Even if they had greater numbers, it was meaningless if they were outclassed in quality. That
was the rule of the battlefield, and it was why Gladium had trained his subordinates so much.
If it was only the demons, they might still be able to get by. But now that two of the three
generals had fallen, it was dangerous to think so optimistically. At the very least, Gladium’s
subordinates would just be waiting to be overrun.
Tsk! Have I underestimated him as a mere demon lord and misjudged him? I and the upper
echelons of the empire will survive, but the lowly soldiers will all be slaughtered in the end. In that
case, I’d rather…
It was too late for regrets. All he could do now was do what was within his power. And
Gladium had a forbidden trick up his sleeve.

The members of the Magic Beast Corps were elites, selected and trained by Gladium. They were of
the bloodline of champions from the olden days and were a group of innately powerful people—
That’s what was said, but the truth was something else. They were a group of artificial champions,
created by combining magic and knowledge of another world.
The magic beasts they tamed also had their own secrets. Not only were they selected to be of
A-minus rank or higher, but by rewriting the information in their genes, they had been given
abilities specialized for combat. A synthetic life form created by cultivating and increasing the
number of magic beasts and integrating various characteristics into them. It was a kind of weapon
called the Battle Chimera.
Gladium, a beastman, was also the director of these studies. He made the mechanism of his
own transformation known and used it to strengthen his subordinates.
In this world, there was no such thing as research that was forbidden for ethical or religious
reasons. Because of this, results were achieved at an astonishing rate. As a result of human
experimentation using slaves, the strongest army that Gladium wanted was born. The A-ranked
champions and their partners, the ‘Battle Chimeras’, were a fusion of man and monster, and boasted
unparalleled strength. However, their true value had yet to be demonstrated…
The integration of different natures—that was Gladium’s ultimate goal. For this purpose, a
special prescription technique (Medical Skill), ‘The Beast,’ was developed. The existence of this
drug, which was the most important of his military secrets, was known only to Gladium’s three
generals.
It was a wonder, and the effects were the culmination of all of the resources he had sunk into
the experiment. It was a fusion of the magic beasts and the soldiers.
Based on the transformation of the beastmen race, ‘The Beast’ sought the beast factor not from
one’s own body, but from one’s partner, the Battle Chimera. In the truest sense of the word, the
human and the beast fused, and a tremendous power developed in the body. It could create a super-
warrior incomparable to any magic beast tamer.
However, as it was a forbidden drug that gave people the power of magic beasts, it was also
very dangerous. Once the drug was administered, the Skill would be activated forcibly, and it was
impossible to remove it on your own. It was only possible to remove the drug at the hospital
attached to the institute.
There were also serious side effects that should not be forgotten. Rather, the side effects were
the real problem, as the safety of the drug was not guaranteed. According to the current research
results, the mortality rate was 40 percent. In some cases, the user would fail to adapt and would not
be able to return from the magic beast. There was a 20 percent chance of this happening, in which
case the person would never be able to live a human life again.
Worse than this, however, was the chance of going berserk. Some users were turned into magic
beasts and went on a rampage, while others lost consciousness and disobeyed orders while
maintaining their human form. When this happened, there was no choice but to dispose of them.
There was also a 30 percent chance that this would happen. It was worse than dying, so it was not
an easy thing to try. Those were the cases of complete failure.
In total, there was a 90 percent chance of failure. Taking the drug was tantamount to ordering
someone to die, and even the selfish Gladium was hesitant to test this on his own people.
Gladium wanted to improve the quality of the drug and increase the success rate before letting
his subordinates use it. However, that was not an option under these circumstances. At this rate, the
weak would all be killed anyway.
Emperor Rudra was an even more cold-hearted man than Gladium. There was a part of him that
believed the weak were nothing more than bait for the strong. If that was the case, letting them use
the drug here was the only way to show them compassion.
Besides, those who would go berserk could be used as bait, and even if they could not return to
human form, they were still valuable as a fighting force. The only real waste would be the 40
percent of soldiers who would die on the spot…
The outcome was uncertain, but there was no doubt that their forces would become more
powerful than they were currently. In that case, it was the right thing to do. There were still many
unknown factors about the effects of the drug, and physical abnormalities that might occur, but it
was certain that 10 percent of the soldiers would become stronger.
On the battlefield, quality was more important than quantity. For those who knew this, the idea
of strengthening 10 percent of the soldiers was a tempting one. In reality, the total success rate
remained unknown. The number of trials was too small, and there was a risk of unexpected side
effects due to physical abnormalities. Although such a possibility could not be ruled out, some of
them had been able to harness the power of magic beasts and survive.
The most successful of those who lived—less than 1 percent—had been confirmed to be fully
compatible. They were hailed as Chimera Knights and the story about that success was—
“Hey, you guys. I just got a call from Zamud. Apparently, this is no longer a good time to play
around. Get up quickly and take care of them.”
Gladium spoke very seriously.
“Hmm?”
Gabil’s face turned suspicious as he realized the words were not directed at him. However, he
immediately tightened his expression and jumped away from his spot.
A moment later, a silver light pierced the area where he had just been.
“Hmph, you dodged that one. I thought it was a perfect surprise attack, but it seems that you are
still an opponent not to be trifled with.”
“Not to be trifled with? That’s my line. How are you still in one piece after I put a big hole in
your chest?”
Gabil jumped back and was confronted by the supposedly dead “Azure Dragon” Baraga. There
was still a hole in his chest, and there was no sign of ‘Ultraspeed Regeneration’ or even ‘Auto
Regeneration’.
A normal person would be dead by now, but this was a world full of dangerous majins. There
was nothing too strange about what was happening. Gabil understood this, and he had made sure
that the life-signs of his defeated opponents were gone. It was Baraga who was abnormal.
“Kukuku. I am safe because Gladium-sama has given me great power. Let me show you who I
really am!”
As if in response to Baraga’s cry, a Water Dragon flew in. No! It was similar but not the same
thing. It was a Battle Chimera that mimicked a water dragon. Baraga was one of the Chimera
Knights who had awakened to his true power. If either his main body or his partner was safe, then
he was safe. This was also one of the hidden powers of the Chimera Knights. And now, by
activating the special Medical Skill ‘The Beast,’ he was able to recover from his fatal wound in an
instant.
Furthermore, as soon as Baraga and the water dragon came into contact with each other, they
merged their bodies into one. Baraga’s form remained unchanged, but dragon’s scales appeared on
his body.
The quality of his youki was different from before. There was no doubt that his strength had
also increased substantially.
Gabil glanced at Gladium in frustration, but decided that Baraga was now his enemy. He tried
to focus on a single battle with Baraga…but Gladium was not so naïve as to allow that.
“This lizard is stronger than expected. We’ll kill him together.”
“Yes. I’ll take the vanguard. Gladium-sama, please provide support.”
“Very well. I’ll help you, so don’t skimp out!”
Neither honor nor chivalry were of any concern to Gladium. Having recognized Gabil’s power,
he would move to eliminate him without a second thought.
“What nonsense! Even if the two of you come at me together, you won’t be able to beat me!!”
Gabil made a bold statement, inspiring himself.
And so, he faced a disadvantageous battle.

On another note, the other two of Gladium’s three generals were also opponents to be wary of. Just
as Baraga was safe, so was Lorelei—the one who had supposedly been crushed by the Demon
Colossus.
Gadra had been monitoring the battlefield in sync with the Demon Colossus. Therefore, he felt
uncomfortable when he heard Gladium’s words.
Get up quickly, he said? Just who was he talking to?
While he was thinking about this, he noticed that Baraga was back on his feet. He hurriedly
tried to alert Gabil, but before he could do so, he felt a chill run down his spine and turned around.
Standing there, he realized, was a girl whose appearance had changed dramatically. No, calling her
a girl might not be correct either… She had the form of a girl, but her skin was metallic and
reddish-black. Her body was not of flesh and blood, but rather of rock that had been transformed
into magisteel. It was like a polished mirror, and it was obvious at a glance that this was not a
human.
“You…have you assimilated with Lorelei?”
“Kishishishi, that’s right. As expected of the wise Gadra-dono. You are well versed in
otherworldly knowledge, but our approach is a bit different.”
“Hmm, I see. That’s interesting.”
 “Yes, I’m sure. I will show all its power to you, so let me know what you think!”
A girl with an evil smile—“Black Tortoise” Gozarin laughed at Gadra as if to incite him. Then
she took a step forward.
As for Gadra, he would prefer to not toss around his old bones in a fight again.
He thought that he had defeated Lorelei with brute force, but it seems that it was just an act.
Realizing this, Gadra revised his estimation of Gozarin’s strength.
Good grief. Is this genetic engineering? The nature of monsters has many mysteries, and I
thought it would have little meaning in this world of magic…but was it the other way around? I’m
impressed that they’ve achieved so much in the quest to assimilate with monsters.
Gadra was quite impressed.
There were many different kinds of monsters, and some of them did not have genes in the first
place. It was believed that it would be too difficult to produce results because there was not enough
time to solve all the different cases.
That is why, in the Empire, genetic engineering was only studied in the field of medicine. At
least that was supposed to be the case, but it seems that within the Magic Beast Corps, research was
being carried out in secret. It was easy to assume that the content of the research was inhumane and
could not be disclosed to the public.
Gadra was not a moral person himself, so he could understand the feeling of wanting to
prioritize one’s own intellectual curiosity first. That’s why he wasn’t going to complain, but he still
regretted not being able to participate in the research. Because of that, it was unclear how much his
opponent had been strengthened.
From the looks of it, Gozarin’s power surpassed that of Demon Lord Clayman’s. She seemed to
be less powerful than Sare who was a ‘Saint’, but she still appeared to have almost as many
magicules as Sare. In terms of the Dungeon’s Elite Ten, she surpassed even the pre-awakened
Zegion. The amount of magicules was not equal to one’s strength, but she was definitely a
dangerous opponent.
“The Dragon Lords would be no match for you. It seems that I’ll have to take you on
seriously.”
“It’s an honor to be recognized by a Master Gadra. Now, have a taste of this power!”
Gozarin took action. Her forward thrust was heavier than a 10-ton dump truck hitting him at
over 300 km/h. Even the Demon Colossus, which was just over 3 meters tall and weighed more
than 30-tons, was easily blown back.
Gadra adjusted his stance unhurriedly and shouted, “Purple Thunder!!”
As the name implied, a purple electric shock was unleashed. It was a one-million-volt
discharge, one of the armaments installed in the Demon Colossus. Incidentally, just because the
voltage was high did not necessarily mean that the power was high, and the weapon had been
implemented just because it looked cool. It wasn’t worth more than it looked like, but it was the
best way to scare adventurers. And it also managed to get through to Gozarin.
“Wh-what the hell?! It’s not magic? You can manipulate lightning strikes without activating
mana—”
Rather than because of its power, she froze out of surprise.
“Well, yes. It’s a secret weapon after all. Rimuru-sama had faith in me and entrusted me with
this. Therefore, defeat must not be allowed!”
Gadra was also enthusiastic. He had analyzed Gozarin’s thrusts and found that her body
structure had been replaced by magisteel components. His guess was that it was Lorelei’s special
ability. Although the material was heavier and harder than steel, Gozarin’s movements were
smooth. Moreover, her hidden power was comparable to that of a ‘saint’, and there was no choice
but to admit that it was a despicable transformation.
However, Gadra had the Demon Colossus.
“Take this, the ultimate magical weapon—Demonic Buster!!”
Once again, it was the most powerful weapon in his arsenal. Because the fire control system
was linked to Gadra’s will, the weapon could be activated without any time lag. The ‘Demonic
Buster’ was the strongest of his weapons. It was a name that respected the demons, following the
style of Gadra the magic geek. Its performance could be described as a magicule convergence gun.
It converged and launched not only the magicules from the mana furnace within the Demon
Colossus, but also the magicules in the surrounding atmosphere. One-shot kill was the best term
used to describe this weapon.
The chest of the Demon Colossus opened up, revealing Gadra’s figure through the transparent
membrane. From the center of the palms of his hands, a ray of light was emitted. It was the focal
point of the magicule-gathering destructive ray.
“Tsk!! As expected of the former commander of the Magic Corps,” Gozarin said.
She seemed to have chosen defense instead of evasion, and her expression was very stiff.
“Flush it out! ‘Magisteel Ultra-Fine Vibration Wave.’”
Minute fluctuations begin to ripple across the surface of Gozarin’s body. It was a specific
vibration emitted by the magisteel. This frequency of the magisteel was unique in that it could
create waves that bounced back magicules. This was the reason why Gadra’s magic did not work;
by assimilating with Lorelei, Gozarin was able to freely manipulate this property.
The convergence of magicules and the diffusion of magicules. Those two opposing forces
collided. The winner was Gozarin.
“—What?!”
“Kishi, kishishishi! I survived. The victory is mine!!” Gozarin shouted with joy.
Gadra was a wizard. Naturally, this meant that he relied on magic for his attacks. Gozarin’s
body, on the other hand, was made of magisteel, which gave her an absolute advantage over magic.
Both of them were aware of this. That’s why Gadra had used the most powerful weapon in his
arsenal. If this did not work, then it could be said that Gadra had virtually no way to defeat Gozarin.
“What a headache. I didn’t expect her to defend it…”
Gadra was considered a powerful person. He had defeated opponents with more magicules than
himself. Even against a saint like Sare, he had overwhelmed him with the difference in skill-level.
However, there was one type of enemy that was inexplicably incompatible with him. It was an
opponent against whom none of his attacks could work. If he could not defeat them, then he could
not win, even if he did not lose. Gadra understood that he was at a disadvantage in this battle. He
wondered what he should do.
This is a critical moment, I suppose. I am an outsider, and Rimuru-sama does not fully trust
me. If I fail to show my resolve here, I will never be accepted as a true member of the group.
Gadra was highly impressed by Rimuru’s generosity. Rimuru had accepted Gadra, who had
abandoned the Empire, even though he had reeked of suspicion. Not only that, but he recognized his
abilities and entrusted him with a major role. Not to mention, the environment of the monster
country was wonderful. It had research facilities that rivaled, if not surpassed, those of the Empire.
His best friend Adalmann was also there. Adalmann was now one of the Twelve Guardian Lords,
and Gadra was very proud of him.
Moreover:
As long as they are there, I am sure they will lead me to the deep abyss of my hobby of magical
research. In order to live up to that lord’s expectations, I have to be useful here.
Gadra, wishfully thinking of the primordial demons he had hoped would be his masters of
magic, recalled the memories and made up his mind. However, his memories were over-
embellished. One of them rejected him as if he were a fool, another one almost tricked him into
becoming a test subject, and the other one, for some reason, was more interested in swordplay than
magic and had invited him to train…but these were all conveniently misinterpreted in Gadra’s
mind.
Well, there was one demon with whom he had hit it off, praising him after he had
complimented Rimuru’s magic. So altogether, Gadra’s memory wasn’t completely wrong… That
demon—Diablo—and Gadra had made a pact. If Gadra could find a way to gain Diablo’s approval,
he would be taken in as one of his dependents. Therefore, Gadra could not die in a place like this.
Rimuru had ordered him not to do anything rash. But—a thought flashed through Gadra’s
mind.
“I have not been defeated yet!” he shouted. “The battle has just begun, little girl!”
 “Kishishishi. Good, good. My power, allow me to carve it into your body!” Gozarin responded.
And the two collided once again.

Gozarin, who was less than half the size of the Demon Colossus, fought back with full force.
The scene was quite bizarre. The Demon Colossus, with its superior weight, was being pushed
back. Moreover, Gozarin was strange. The surface of her back made a small noise, and countless
tentacles sprouted. The tips of these tentacles sharpened to a fine point and thrust into the Demon
Colossus.
“Huu?!”
“Kisha!! More, more! Blood. Show me more blood!!”
Gozarin appeared to be overcome in a fever.
Her tentacles were made of magisteel. Moreover, by generating high frequencies with minute
vibrations, they could pierce any material like clay. This technique, which could also be used for
cutting, was called a high-frequency thousand-hand thrust (Kōshūha Senjutotsu), or a high-
frequency thousand-hand slash (Kōshūha Senjuzan).
Both of the Demon Colossus’ hands were easily blown away by the Kōshūha Senjuzan. Even if
the material was the same magic steel, Gozarin had the advantage because she was a living
organism.
“Kuh, the precious body that Rimuru-sama entrusted to me—”
“It’s just a piece of junk in front of me. You’re an old geezer after all, too old to be relying on a
toy like that.”
“You’re so noisy!”
Gadra shouted in frustration, but his words were full of regret. As proof, Gadra’s body had also
been pierced by the tentacles, leaving it filled with holes. His body was a bloody wreck, but he
remained adamant, taking advantage of the fact that Gozarin could not see him.
“You sure are persistent. This situation is impossible to turn around. There’s no need to be
ashamed. Even a legendary wizard can’t overcome the tide of the times.”
“I haven’t lost yet!”
“How unsightly.”
Two tentacles extended from Gozarin, transforming into blades. Then they cut off both of the
Demon Colossus’ legs. With that, the Demon Colossus’ limbs were gone.
“Swear your obedience to me. And I’ll spare your life.”
Gadra’s knowledge was too valuable to be lost here. That’s why Gozarin made the offer, but
Gadra did not agree to it.
“I am a selfish person at heart. That’s why I can’t betray my belief and love of magic. I could
never follow someone who mocked magic!!”
His otaku18 soul exploded in full swing. When someone makes fun of something you love, it’s
possible to get angry from the bottom of your heart.
Gadra’s spirit and guts were now burning fiercely. And that anger gave him the determination
to cast a forbidden spell. It was a self-destructive spell that converted his own life force into fuel
that burned everything violently—‘Sacrifice’ (Elemental magic Life-sublimation).
Ahh… I was planning to be recognized by Diablo-sama and become his disciple… Oh, well. I
have my own mystic art ‘Reincarnation’. I’ll be leaving this world for a while, but next time I will
aim for the magical abyss!!
Rather than losing, he chose to win and escape. That was the kind of man Gadra was.
“You choose to resist me? Then you’re useless. Die!”
“You too!”
Gozarin’s tentacles pierced Gadra’s chest. A moment later, a dazzling flash of light erupted
from the Demon Colossus. A light that burned through everything. It was the flame of elemental
magic ‘Sacrifice’, which Gadra had unleashed.

The word ‘otaku’ isn’t being used here in the usual way (i.e. a manga/anime geek). It’s basically referring to Gadra’s
18

magic obsession. Another translation here could be ‘nerdy’ or ‘geeky’ because he’s a magic fanatic.
 “Wh-what the?! Aiming for this—”
Gozarin’s words disappeared and were swallowed up by the flames of life.
And on the ground, a small flower bloomed.

Gabil was caught up in a disadvantageous battle. Gladium was strong. But even more troublesome
was Baraga, who had awakened the power of a Chimera Knight. He was a different person from
before. His power could not be underestimated, even by the current Gabil.
If one compared only the amount of magicules, Gabil was superior. Even if you take into
account the skill-level of their spearmanship, Gabil was probably better. However, in terms of
overall strength, there was not much of a difference. If he threw caution to the wind, he could win,
but there were two enemies. With Gladium in the way, Gabil was having a hard time attacking
Baraga.
Besides, Gabil had something else to worry about. He was worried about Souka, who was
fighting against Gladium’s subordinates.
One of the three generals, the “Vermillion Bird” Nazim, appeared to be as strong as a demon
lord. She seemed to be of the same race as the demon lord Frey, and Gabil believed that they were
similar in strength.
That was why he judged that Souka would not be able to defeat her.
As Gabil evolved, Souka had also become more powerful. She was now strong enough to be
considered very powerful amongst the greater majin, but she still could only be considered an
adjutant-class for a demon lord. She was not strong enough to fight a demon lord herself, and
victory was hopeless.
Souka was currently still alive because Nazim enjoyed cruelly tormenting her. Gabil was aware
of this and was anxious to go to her aid.
However, Gladium and Baraga were powerful opponents.
‘I’m sorry, Sister. Just hold on’—Gabil prayed for her to endure, but he was focused on his
own enemies.
Then another shock struck Gabil. A flash of light broke out on the ground, and at the center of
it was Master Gadra.
“Ga-Gadra-dono?!”
The ‘Telepathy Net’ from Gabil did not go through. What that meant was…
To make matters worse, he saw a small figure standing up. Despite her wounds, Gozarin, one
of the three generals, was still safe.
Baraga shot a spear attack at Gabil, who was unable to hide his dismay.
“Look, look, look. You can’t afford to distract yourself now, can you?”
“Gwahahaha! Of course. You are no match for me!”
Despite his words, Gabil didn’t have room for much more. The odds were stacked against him,
and the word “retreat” was beginning to appear in his mind.
But then, reinforcements that Gabil could never have imagined arrived.
“Hey, looks like you’re in trouble here. Want me to help you?”
Unexpectedly, it was someone Gabil knew quite well.
“You really don’t listen to anyone. I had to ask Milim to transfer me because I was worried
about you.”
There was another person. The beautiful queen and ruler of the skies.
“Karion-dono, Frey-dono, why are you here?”
Gabil asked in surprise, to which Karion replied with a smile.
 “We’ll talk later, okay? Let’s get rid of these guys first.”
Frey nodded lightly, as if agreeing with Karion.
“Now that we are allied, it’s only natural that we would send reinforcements. We will also join
the fight, so we’ll be under Benimaru-dono’s command.”
Karion’s Beast Master’s Warrior Alliance, though less than a hundred in number, were a force
to be reckoned with.
The same was true of Frey’s entourage, the Tenshōshū. The warrior-type winged tribes
(harpies) were rare, but their power was well-known.
Despite their small numbers, they were the most reliable reinforcements they could get.
“In that case, I’ll be counting on you!”
Gabil stopped worrying and accepted the situation.
He had contacted Benimaru for instructions and had received an immediate reply.
‹We’re working on your situation, but I’m in the process of grasping it through Moss’s eyes.
Don’t let your guard down. That Gladium bastard is up to something. Keep an eye out for those
soldiers at the end!›
Benimaru’s orders were straightforward. There were no detailed instructions as to who was to
deal with whom, just the essentials.
This, on the contrary, made Gabil happy.
It was the feeling that people trusted and relied on him.
“Then, Karion-dono, I would like to ask you to deal with the enemy’s general.”
“Hehe, so you are aware. That guy is a disgrace to the beastmen. I thought he was dead by now,
I’m surprised he’s still alive. I’m going to put a stop to him once and for all.”
Karion had intended to do so from the very beginning.
That’s why he gladly accepted Gabil’s instructions.
“So, I guess I’ll be dealing with that bird woman, then?”
If you’re talking about bird women, Frey might be one too—is what Gabil thought, but he was
not so stupid as to be unaware of what would happen if he mentioned that.
Besides, he was worried about his sister, Souka, so Frey’s offer was a blessing in disguise.
“Mm. May I ask that of you?”
He asked grandly.
“Yes. Then, I will go.”
Frey glanced over to both of her ‘Twin Wings.’
“We’ll take care of the rest.”
“Good luck, Frey-sama!”
Frey nodded and flew away.
Naturally, she headed for “Vermillion Bird” Nazim.
Nazim, who was tormenting Souka, also noticed the sudden intrusion.
“Frey!! I am the true queen of the harpies. Today is the day that I will take revenge for all my
years of bitterness!!”
Unbeknownst to Frey herself, Nazim was Frey’s twin sister. Nazim was born a powerful
mutant, but unfortunately, she was not fertile. Being of female descent, the harpy tribe could not
accept a queen who was unable to bear children.
Through no fault of her own, Nazim could not become queen. Nazim was banished by the
Queen at the time, as she felt that it would cause problems in the future.
As she wandered around, she was picked up by Gladium, but Nazim’s anger and hatred for her
people continued to grow.
And now Frey, the symbol of that hatred, was right in front of her.
Nazim felt a strange mixture of joy and hatred as she flew to intercept Frey.
Looking at them from a distance, Karion spoke aloofly.
“Well then, let’s get started here, too.”
Gladium, on the other hand, gritted his teeth with anger.
“Don’t look down on me, damn brat.”
“Looks like Frey’s dealing with a blood relative too. Hey, I guess it’s fate. If we hadn’t come as
reinforcements, I wouldn’t have gotten this opportunity.”
“Opportunity?”
“Yeah. I’m gonna kill you and prove that I’m the strongest beastman in the world.”
“Load of crap, that’s my line!!”
Karion and Gladium were two men with very similar personalities and intonations. Their
tempers were fierce, and they would never stand side by side as equals.
Karion was right, this was a battle of fate.
“Let’s go.”
“Come on. I’ll show you the difference in our strength.”
Karion activated his Unique Skill ‘Beastification’19 and became the true form of the Beast
Master. He was fully armed and gave his all from the start.
Gladium, on the other hand, had the power of the White Tiger, which he had not shown even in
his battle with Gabil. The lone tiger, clad in the Empire’s military uniform, intercepted the king of
beasts.
On the battlefield, two fronts were formed.
Powerful forces clashed with each other, creating a force field.
Gabil watched the battle.
The reinforcements were moving according to Benimaru’s instructions.
There was nothing to worry about. Like the Kurenai and the Hiryuu, they were under the
command of Dolph, the leader of the Pegasus Knights.
Benimaru gave appropriate instructions at key points, but he decided that it would be better to
leave detailed instructions to those who were in the area.
Gabil also supported this decision. He could imagine that Benimaru would be challenging the
enemy leaders, just as he himself was.
And the decision seemed to have been correct.
The Empire’s ‘Magic Beast Corps’ boasted members with high individual combat power, but
their movement as a group wasn’t great. Therefore, the Allied forces, which were outnumbered,
were able to maintain the front line through skillful coordination.
However, there was no denying that they were outnumbered.
The reinforcements were much welcomed, and a counterattack was about to be launched.
“Well, it looks like things are going well. Souka seems to have returned safely to recover, and I
must do my best.”
“So, you think can afford to look the other way when you’re dealing with me.”
Gabil, who had his eyes fixed on the battlefield, was met with a sharp spear blow.
His opponent was Baraga.
Gladium had left with Karion, but the battle with Baraga was still ongoing.
“Gwahahaha! There are orders from the Commander-in-Chief, we can’t just focus on dealing
with you.”
“I’m really being underestimated.”
“You’re the ones who are taking us for fools, aren’t you? If that man Gladium had been serious
from the start, I might not have survived.”
“Hmph! The great beast king20 would never take you seriously.”
Upon hearing this, Gabil shook his head in disbelief.
“That’s just being careless. As the saying goes, “A lion does his best to catch a rabbit.” In this
world of the weak and the strong, is it not simple etiquette to do your best, no matter who you are
up against?”
Gabil responded with pride.
Actually, Gabil couldn’t help but think of his comrades as he said this.
There were many who didn’t always give their all against their enemies—It suddenly occurred
to him.
Hyakujū-ka can also mean something like ‘hundred beast transformation’ or ‘beast (as in all beasts) transformation’
19

He is referring to Gladium, but it is a different kanji from the ‘king of the beasts’ that was used when referring to
20

Karion.
 The first of these was Diablo.
Gabil sometimes challenged him to a mock battle, but he had been beaten down in a rather
pathetic manner.
That person is an exception, isn’t he? I can’t complain, though, because it would be over in an
instant if he got serious… Although we are in the same position, there is a huge difference between
Diablo-dono and myself. It’s unfortunate, but that is the reality.
Rimuru had recognized him and given him the highest honor of being one of the “Twelve
Guardian Lords.” He was proud of this, but more than that, Gabil had become more aware of his
own standing.
Having awakened and become stronger, he realized the strength of Diablo and the others.
Even the three demon girls, who were not allowed to evolve at the victory party, were much
stronger than the current Gabil. If so, then Diablo, who was stronger than them and had evolved,
was a monster beyond Gabil’s imagination.
Even if they fought, he could not win. He admitted that this was inevitable, but if he gave up, it
really would be the end.
As long as he kept chasing after it without giving up, it did not matter if he could not win right
now.
Gabil thought as such, and so always remained ambitious.
It was precisely because of this that Gabil knew what true strength was. Although it was just his
instinct, he understood that the strongest were not the likes of Gladium or Baraga.
“That’s why I will never be defeated!”
“You fool! Your defeat is already a foregone conclusion. Know that you owe me a debt of
gratitude for dying before you can see the hell that lies ahead!!”
Baraga’s attacks grew sharper.
Gabil brushed them aside with a parry.
“Hmmm. Are you referring to the change in your soldiers? I’d like to hear about what they’ve
done.”
As soon as Gabil pointed this out, Baraga’s movements slowed down.
He then glared at Gabil as if he was a little upset.
“Huh…you noticed?”
“Of course. We have a very good commander after all.”
“Even so, it’s already too late. The order has been given. The only thing you can do is die in
despair!”
To prove this, Baraga pointed to the evidence.
It was Gozarin who had fully recovered.
“Hmm, it is indeed an impressive recovery, but that’s just the kind of skill a strong opponent
should have, is it not?”
He had noticed that Gozarin was fine.
So it was not surprising, Gabil thought.
But Baraga smiled fearlessly.
“No. It’s not Gozarin, it’s the people around her.”
“Huh?”
A chill ran down Gabil’s spine.
It was the fallen figure of an Imperial soldier.
He couldn’t understand Baraga’s intentions, proudly pointing out the death of his comrades.
No, before that—
Speaking of which, when did those men die?
He hadn’t paid attention to it because there were so many of them, but the number of deaths
was extraordinary.
A closer look revealed that many of them had left the front lines and were descending to the
ground. Looking at where they were going, he saw that some of them were coughing up blood and
collapsing on the spot.
“What?!”
 “Did you not notice?”
“It can’t be, they died on their own…”
“Exactly. Gladium-sama made his decision. We have now entered the time of great
experimentation!!”
With that said, Baraga laughed loudly.
The sound of his insane laughter echoed across the battlefield, chilling the hearts of all who
heard it.
Gabil, too, was horrified by what he saw.
Something terrible was happening.
He knew it.

Beast King Gladium had issued a directive.

It was a top-secret order.
‹All hands, listen up!! Zamud has informed me that His Majesty the Emperor is in danger. In
addition, the enemy is said to have summoned a large number of evil demons. Their strength is
unknown, but it is estimated to be more than you can handle. If things continue as they are, a great
deal of damage is to be expected. Therefore, I’ve decided to counter them with our last resort. Offer
up your courage and loyalty. Activate the trump card I have given you, and you will gain the power
to defeat the demons!›
Immediately after issuing the order to the three generals, he also transmitted the order to the
soldiers.
The drug to be administered was distributed in the form of pills as a trump card for
reinforcements. However, there were restrictions on the use of these pills, and they could not be
used without the order of Gladium, the Corps Commander.
Now, the restriction had been lifted by a secret order from Gladium.
Hmph! If they succeed, they will gain immense power. Besides, there’s a chance only a few will
be affected by the side effects. If they want to hate me, they can just hate themselves for being
unable to adapt!
Those were Gladium’s true feelings.
Gladium was purely a self-centered man at his very core.
Gladium calmly ordered the members of his army to “die”. His decision was ruthless, but it was
also true that there was a high possibility that the demons would overrun his army if this continued.
It was a rational decision to force them to seek power at the risk of death.
The members of the group quickly carried out the order.
Since they were not informed of the contents of the order, there was no hesitation in their
actions.
In other words, the forbidden Medical Skill ‘The Beast’ was activated by the will of the
soldiers who knew nothing themselves.
The effect slowly ate away at the bodies of the Magic Beast Corps soldiers.
Because they were in the middle of battle, the changes were overlooked at first. However, as
time passed, the results became more clear.

The ground was covered with the strewn corpses of the dead.
These were the bodies that Gabil saw.
There were also many who rushed into the enemy lines in a rampage.
The Kurenai, Hiryuu, ‘Beast Master’s Warrior Alliance’, and the ‘Tenshōshū’ were forced to
struggle against them.
In the midst of the battlefield, there were also those who were confused by their own changes.
 These would be the true warriors that Gladium sought.

10,000 dead.
5,500 who turned into magic beasts.
5,000 who turned into magic beasts and went berserk.
5,000 who went berserk in a hybrid human/magic beast form.
4,000 who housed ‘The Beast’ and possessed the power of a beast.
400 who awakened as Chimera Knights.

The probabilities of success or failure were fixed and had more or less come close to the
predictions. Since the population of the experiment was small, it would not have been surprising if
the results had been more disastrous.
As a result, the Magic Beast Corps, which had 30,000 members, was greatly reduced in
number. However, the power of the corps was greatly increased.
Those who went berserk would immediately be defeated.
They were useful as a decoy, but once it was done, there was no going back. Therefore,
Gladium was prepared to abandon them without a single regret.
Of those who survived, only 10,000, half of them, were able to fight with reason. However, this
was a little more than Gladium had expected.
More than half of them would be unable to return to human form, but for now, they were a
valuable asset. Gladium was satisfied with the results.
Moreover, 400 Chimera Knights had been born.
No matter who their opponents were, they would not be defeated. Gladium nodded his head in
satisfaction.
However, it was still too early to relax.
It took some time to achieve this result, but they had yet to reorganize their forces.
Gladium would have liked to take the lead, but unfortunately, Karion was in the way. In that
case, he had his three generals to rely on.
“Azure Dragon” Baraga was fighting Gabil.
“Vermillion Bird” Nazim was engaged in a fierce battle with Frey.

The only one left was “Black Tortoise” Gozarin.

‹Gozarin, quickly regroup your troops!›
‹Kishishishi, understood. It seems that we’ve achieved more than expected. I’m very pleased.›
‹Hm. I’ll leave you to it!›
He gave the order with a simple ‘telepathy’.
The current necessity was to reorganize the forces while the 10,000 berserkers were on the
loose. Gladium was relieved that Gozarin was okay.
Even the self-centered Gladium trusted those he approved of.
“Heh, can you really afford to look the other way when you’re dealing with me?”
“Of course. I’m the legion commander. I’m not some wild beast.”
“You call yourself a legion commander at the expense of your own men? You make me laugh.”
“Fool, that’s what war is all about. If you can’t make that kind of judgment, you’re just no
good. It seems that you were kicked out of the demon lord’s position by a newcomer, but I pity
those who serve someone so powerless!”
“Shut up!!”
Karion slashed at him in anger, but there was a hint of impatience in his attack.
Unbelievably, Gladium had grown much stronger than he had imagined.
“Hey now, that attack was weak. It was so slow as if you were standing still.”
Gladium walked up behind Karion, speaking lightly. His right hand was equipped with a huge
claw.
The tiger claw glittered with a silvery white brilliance—the White Tiger (Byakko) Claw. This
claw, which also bore the names of two of the Beastketeers 21, was a special weapon that had
transformed into the mythical-grade, loaned to Gladium from the Emperor.
A mythical-grade weapon could slice through any opponent. It was a weapon capable of
slaughtering spiritual life forms, and it was a perfect match for Gladium, who possessed god-like
speed.
Using his well-trained footwork, Gladium toyed with Karion. Even the Legendary-grade armor
that protected Karion was like scrap metal in the face of the White Tiger Claw.
“What’s wrong, what’s wrong? You said you were going to kill me, but was that all just talk?”
“Shut up. I thought it would be easier to kill you, but it seems my calculations were wrong…”
Karion’s training with Milim had made him stronger. That is why he was still able to fight
without being fatally wounded.
Gladium was even more surprised about that. The battle power gap was directly related to the
difference in weapons performance. Gladium had thought the battle would’ve ended sooner.
In this respect, the two of them were similar.
Their strengths were also similar, with Karion having the advantage in strength and Gladium
having the advantage in weaponry. Overall, Gladium had the advantage.
Understanding this clearly, Gladium moved to finish Karion off without a second thought. But
in that moment, something happened that Gladium could have never imagined.
“What? The power…power is welling up?!”
It was a sign of evolution. It was the beginning of the Harvest Festival for a demon lord.
However—awakening under these circumstances was nothing but an obstacle for Gladium.
“Wh-What is this drowsiness…”
Gladium wobbled unsteadily. Karion did not miss this opportunity and escaped his crisis,
regaining his position.
“What’s wrong, are you tired already?”
Karion observed Gladium while trying to stir him up.
Something was happening.
Was this something bad or something auspicious…?
As anyone could tell, Gladium’s power was beginning to increase. This was because magicules
were gathering together and a huge amount of youki was flowing out of him.
And yet, Gladium himself was wobbling around, barely able to stand up.
What’s going on? Is this guy really awakening?
A story Karion had heard recently came to his mind.
At a victory party held by Rimuru, an evolutionary ritual was performed. It was reported that
some of the executives left the party after being lulled into an irresistible slumber.
Wasn’t it said that to become a True Demon Lord, you need to sleep? If that’s the case, then
isn’t this the exact moment?!
Karion was not a fool, but he was not the most perceptive either. This time, however, he was
able to show brilliant insight, as if his life was at stake.
According to Frey’s guess, ‘souls’ are necessary for evolution… Oh yeah, Gladium’s
subordinates are dying all over the place…
That’s right, all of the conditions were met.
What was needed to evolve into a True Demon Lord was a hateful ‘soul’. Of course, this was
not the case for all of them, but enduring the hatred of those you have killed was one of the trials
necessary for awakening.
Gladium was left defenseless in a situation as critical as “in the middle of a battle.”
It was karmic retribution.
The subordinates who trusted Gladium must have felt betrayed. Their souls were filled with
hatred and turned on Gladium, the object of their resentment.
Karion did not see it that accurately, but he judged this to be both the greatest danger and the

The ‘two beasketeers’ part was a little confusing to me, but I’m pretty sure it’s referring to Suphia who is also known
21

as the White Tiger Claw. I’m not sure if there was anything else it was referring to, though.
greatest opportunity at the same time.
“It seems that heaven is on my side.”
“W-Wait! Wait just a moment.”
“Haven’t you always been living your life as you please? It’s time for you to pay for it.”
“Calm down and think it over. You can only call yourself the strongest if you defeat me in
perfect condition. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to settle this half-heartedly!”
Gladium was getting really impatient.
He felt like he was about to be killed, but he was feeling so sleepy. The situation was so
unexpected that he could not think of any countermeasures.
He looked around for his trusty subordinates, but Baraga and Nazim were in a fierce battle.
Gozarin was in the process of reorganizing the Chimera Knights, but with the onslaught from
Rimuru’s forces, she didn’t seem to have the time to come and help Gladium.
At least for this moment, no one could come to Gladium’s aid.
Gladium dropped to his knees.
It can’t be, damn it!! Just when I was finally one step away from obtaining the greatest power
—
He could feel the power flooding into him.
As if in proportion to that, there was a rush of sleepiness coming over him that made it
impossible to resist.
If only the awakening could be achieved, he could defeat even Velgrynd. Gladium thought as
such, but the reality was cruel.
There was no reason why Gladium would be able to endure the ordeal that even Rimuru was
unable to resist.
His face was a mess of tears and regret.
“Screw you! Screw you, damn it!”
After a final shout, Gladium fell asleep.
For those who are unable to overcome their trials—death was the only ending.
“It’s good, because you can die in your sleep. Now then, goodbye! ‘Beast Roar’!”
Karion was not the kind of compassionate man who would show mercy here.
When he was a demon lord, he believed himself to be the strongest, but now Karion was a
general who led an army. Because he had come as backup, it was natural for him to put victory
before his own pride.
The man whose burning ambitions could have gotten him to a higher level was overthrown by
Karion.

The three remaining generals were panicking at the unimaginable defeat of their legion commander.
They were companions who had been fascinated by Gladium and had shared common dreams.
Their anger and grief was considerable and affected the war situation.
Baraga was the first to take action.
He stopped facing Gabil, turned on his heels and rushed to Gladium’s side.
“Gladium-sama!!”
Everything from Gladium’s neck down was obliterated by Karion’s Beast Roar. The only thing
that remained was his head with a regretful expression on his face, and it was obvious that it would
be impossible to revive him from this state.
“Oh, how…how could this be? Just when we were so close to achieving our long-cherished
goal…”
Chasing the lamenting Baraga, Gabil also rushed over. Then, without hesitation, he aimed the
Vortex Spear, the treasure of the lizardmen, at Baraga.
 With his gaze fixed on Baraga, Gabil opened his mouth.
“Karion-dono, that was an impressive victory! I was impressed by your dignity!”
This was a compliment to Karion for defeating the enemy, but it was Gabil’s true feelings.
Gladium’s power, which could even handle mythical-grade weapons, was greater than Gabil’s, even
though he was a Demon Lord Seed.
It was only natural for him to admire Karion for defeating him, even if it was a combination of
chance and luck.
However, Karion, the one who was praised, began to turn pale for some reason.
“Whoa, whoa, I thought there was no way, but this might be…”
He didn’t appear able to reply to Gabil and seemed to be wondering about something.
“Mm? Is something wrong?”
Gabil asked if he was feeling unwell, and Karion looked at him like he was in a daze.
And then he told him a shocking truth.
“Sorry, I came all this way to help you, but it looks like I’m done here.”
“Now way, are you hurt?!”
“No, that’s not it. It’s the awakening, I guess. Apparently, the souls that Gladium was supposed
to receive have gone to me. It’s a grudge. For being so defenseless at this point, I can’t even laugh
at Gladium anymore…”
“What?!”
Karion couldn’t help but mock himself.
Sensing the situation, Gabil was unable to hide his turmoil.
“Sorry, but I’m going to fall asleep here. If you can afford it, protect me.”
“Of course! Please rest assured.”
Gabil smiled as if to reassure Karion.
Karion returned the smile and then fell over on his back. Then with a final word about hoping
to awaken safely, he drifted off to sleep.
He may seem fearless, but even he could not resist the evolutionary sleep.
Baraga was not amused. If the situation had been even a little different, then he would have
been in Gabil’s position. And instead of Karion, Gladium would have been the one in an
evolutionary sleep.
“Uooooooo!! I’ll never forgive you. I won’t allow you to take advantage of this when you’ve
done absolutely nothing to deserve it!!”
In a rage, he turned his hateful eyes towards Gabil and Karion.
In Baraga’s hand, the shining relic of Gladium was being held.
The White Tiger Claw—It was the ultimate mythical-grade weapon, a weapon that embodied
the will of its owner, whom it recognized as its master.
“Lend me your strength, O White Tiger Claw. Let me avenge Gladium-sama’s death!!”
As if in response to Baraga’s voice, the glow of the White Tiger Claw increased.
The light converged and a spear took shape.
“Ah… You’ve acknowledged me as your master!”
Baraga rejoiced.
In his hand, he held the Azure Dragon Spear, which was transformed from the White Tiger’s
claw.
“Gabil, was it? I’ll kill you and get rid of the thief who sleeps over there!”
“That’s nonsense! I, too, have made a pact between men. The evolutionary sleep of Karion-
dono, you should know that it shall not be disturbed by any means!”
Gabil yelled back.
And so, the battle between the two men resumed.
Frey, who had been fighting while flying at high speed, had also been using her clairvoyance—the
Extra Skill ‘Celestial Eye’ that allowed her to grasp the coordinates of a specific area and see
everything within it.
“… I see, so that’s how evolution works.”
Frey had a clear mind and was able to understand what was happening on the ground.
Even while fighting Nazim, Frey had arrived at the correct answer.
“It can’t be, Gladium-sama…”
“The saying goes that luck is also a part of one’s strength, and it’s true.”
“How dare you!! You can’t even defeat me, so how dare you mock Gladium-sama!!”
“That’s not true. I was just stating a fact, not trying to mock him. Besides, I’m not the one
who’s helpless, I just haven’t struck yet. I hope you haven’t mistaken my actions.”
Even though Frey rarely made a move of her own, her strength as an ex-demon lord was not to
be underestimated. Although the “Vermillion Bird” Nazim, was more powerful in terms of
magicule quantity, Frey had only been using speed and technique.
“All you do is scurry away and talk a big game.”
“You’ll have to wait until after the fight to decide if I was talking big or not.”
She wouldn’t be defeated in this argument.
There are people in this world who were very good at making their opponents feel
uncomfortable. Frey was one of those types of people, and even Demon Lord Milim couldn’t win
one over Frey.
And Frey was not just flying around.
She was observing her opponent and searching for her weaknesses.
There was no way she could win by force.
Frey was faster, but her opponent was stronger in power.
At this rate, Frey would be outmatched, but the opportunity to win could be found in
unexpected places.
“You’re feeling impatient.”
“Huh? How dare you—”
“Thanks to these eyes, I’m finally able to see souls. It is a very useful ability.”
Frey had become aware that the performance of her Extra Skill ‘Celestial Eye’ had been
improved. She smiled, thinking that this would give her an advantage in battle.
What’s more, she was sure that the information she had just obtained would be the key to
victory.
“What did you say you can see?”
Nazim spat viciously, her claws finally catching hold of Frey’s arms.
Nazim smirked and laughed. The claws of the harpy had the effect of ‘Magic Interference’ and
could block the Skills of the captured opponent.
“Ahahahaha! What a fool you are. Did you get so absorbed in the middle of a conversation that
you got caught?”
Nazim’s tone brightened, as she had become sure of her victory. This attitude proved even
more that Nazim was impatient.
Frey remained calm in the face of danger.
She continued to observe Nazim, nonchalantly confirming her impatience.
“Take this! ‘Shockwave’!!”
From here, Nazim’s onslaught began, as if it were a one-sided affair.
Frey’s clothes were torn apart by the impact. However, Frey’s face was not distorted by
anguish, and she continued to observe Nazim in a cool manner.
Nazim noticed that Frey was acting strangely, but decided that she was just bluffing.
As much as it pained her to admit it, Frey, her twin, was very intelligent. Nazim was the better
fighter in simple combat power, but her opponent was a troublesome one to deal with.
Are you trying to trick me? No, trying to get away from these claws—this woman must be
planning to turn the tables on me at the right moment.
 Nazim tormented Frey even more, as if the right thing to do was to continue the attack.
Despite this, Frey remained unfazed.
“Just a little more, huh?”
Frey spoke quietly, but the words rang loudly in Nazim’s ears. She couldn’t help but ask,
“What do you mean by that?!”
“You’re about to be awakened, aren’t you? Compared to the beginning of the battle, the
amount of magicules you have has increased dramatically. It seems that when you awaken, you will
fall asleep just like Gladium. I just have to wait for that moment.”
Frey said with a devilish smile on her face.
Nazim paled.
She had wondered if it was possible, having been aware of the symptoms.
This was the cause of Nazim’s impatience. The moment Frey noticed this, Nazim was basically
dancing in the palm of her hand.
“Then so what?! All I have to do is kill you right now and retreat to safety!!”
Nazim’s dismay was compounded by the truth of Frey’s words.
She had to get rid of Frey before the evolutionary slumber set in. She had come to that decision,
and increased the power of her attack by using all of her strength.
Nazim had no way to realize that this was exactly what Frey was aiming for.
“‘Shockwave’!!”
It was already unknown how many times she had done this, but there was an intense electric
shock that burned Frey. However, Frey did not receive a single burn or even a scratch from the
impact.
Isn’t it strange?! Why is this person acting so calm?
By the time she realized it, it was already too late.
“You seem curious. But your reaction confirms it. My mother, the previous queen, wanted you
to be happy in a world where the herd didn’t matter, away from racial strife.”
“Excuse me?”
“If you had known the queen’s secret, then you would have had to be killed. That’s why she
banished you without telling you anything.”
“Don’t screw with me! There’s no way a newborn fledgling could survive being abandoned!
That was a clear attempt to kill me off!!”
Nazim shouted in a rage.
However, Frey calmly contradicted her.
“But you survived. That fact is proof that there was someone hiding and taking care of you.
Mother was also naive.”
“—?!”
It was something Nazim had always wondered about.
She had always wondered how she had been able to survive as a child until her ego was
properly sprouted.
She had been convinced that she had survived instinctively because she was a mutant.
However, after hearing Frey’s words, she began to wonder if it was possible.
However, Nazim, who had accumulated so much hatred, could not change her way of thinking
now.
“You’re bluffing! Yeah, I get it. You’re trying to trick me and aiming for a counter attack. It
would have been cute if you had just begged for your life, but your pride as an ex-demon lord
wouldn’t let you do that, would it?”
She tried to believe that Frey, who had no choice, was just playing a trick on her.
That made sense. Forcing herself to think that way, Nazim increased the power of her blasts,
determined not to be deceived.
“Die!! Maximum Shockwave!!”
The full force of the purple lightning struck Frey. It was the moment Frey had been waiting for.
“It’s pathetic. Even thought you were let off the hook, you’ve come back on your own to die.”
“Ah?”
 “There can only ever be one queen. I had to kill my mother to take her place. Of course, if you
hadn’t been abandoned, you would have had to kill me.”
“Then I would have killed you!”
Nazim, a rare combat type, had absolute confidence in her fighting abilities.
Although she lost to Frey in terms of flying speed, she was superior in all other areas. There
was no way she could lose in a fight, and she was on the verge of victory right now.
Nazim wanted to scoff at Frey’s words as they were not even sincere. But Frey’s next words
made her change her expression.
“Being a harpy queen requires a lot of abilities. Only those who are born with them will be
recognized as the next queen. You were unlucky enough to be born as my twin.”
“You’ve really been talking smugly to me this whole time—”
“Then I’ll get right to the point. The queen has an absolute advantage over any attacks from her
own kind. In other words, any attacks from a harpy will not work on me.”
“Don’t lie to me! There’s no way such a ridiculous thing can be true!!”
In a corner of her mind, Nazim thought about what it meant if it were true, but she brushed it
off as improbable. If the story really was true, it would contradict the murder of the previous queen.
“You wanted to confuse me with a random story, but you should have come up with something
more believable!”
“It’s sad that you can’t believe me, but it’s true. Incidentally, the battle between the old and
new queens doesn’t always take place. Normally, two sisters with the same ability will fight each
other, and the one who can dominate the other’s power will be crowned queen.”
The truth is that one would also get the Demon Lord Seed at the same time.
“What?!”
“Because you were born as a mutant, it was up to me to kill my mother. What’s even more
unforgivable is that you trampled on my mother’s wish to keep you alive. I don’t know if you’re my
sister or not, but I wish you could have lived somewhere quietly.”
“Don’t be silly! Do you think you’ve already won? I’m your sister, and I also have fighting
abilities other than the harpy race. If you I use that—”
“It’s too late. I already have enough energy saved. I don’t want you to suffer, so I’ll end it with
one blow.”
“I-It can’t be?!”
It was only then that Nazim noticed that Frey’s wings had turned purple. The beautiful pure
white wings with golden mesh had become discolored with purple electricity.
Nazim froze in fear as she realized what this meant.
She was storing the shockwave I released?! If so, how powerful is—?!
She tried to escape in a panic, but the claws holding Frey’s arms were stuck. Frey’s slender
hands were also attached to Nazim’s wrists.
If Nazim had been awakened before she met Frey, the outcome might have been different. But
unfortunately, that was only a hypothetical story.
“Goodbye, elder sister. ‘Echo Reflection’!!”
“Wait—?!”
Frey did not hesitate. All feelings had been left behind when she had become queen.
All the accumulated purple electricity was released at once.
This was the ability that Frey had acquired—the Unique Skill ‘Double Winner’. Frey was able
to strike back at her opponent with any attack she received.
It was a difficult Skill to use because the user was also damaged, but in this case, since it was
an attack from one of her own kind, this was Frey’s complete dominance, despite the fact that the
enemy was stronger.
Nazim, who had been hit by all the accumulated electric shocks, was charred to death in an
instant.
“I don’t care if you’re my sister or not, but I feel troubled by my mother’s sweetness…Still,
I’m a little jealous, elder sister. At least, you certainly received my mother’s love—”
Frey bid those words of farewell to Nazim as she fell.
 Those words never reached Nazim.
The harpy sisters failed to understand each other, and the time of their reunion had come to an
end.

—It would have been nice if it had ended there.

“—What?! The souls that gathered in Nazim are coming towards me!!”
A sudden drowsiness overtook Frey.
“No way, then is this the evolutionary sleep? So instead of Nazim, the grudge is being taken
out on me…”
It wasn’t that Frey did not wish to awaken as a True Demon Lord, but there was still the matter
of the time and place.
She had planned to laugh at Karion’s stupidity later, but now Frey was filled with the feeling
that this was not a joke.
But there was no point in complaining now.
“Rucia22, Claire! You have to protect me. Protect Karion as well.”
“Understood, Frey-sama!”
“As the Queen commands!”
The twins responded immediately.
As soon as she saw this, Frey flew next to Karion.
She decided that it would be easier to protect them if they were grouped together rather than if
they were separated. Besides, since Suphia of the Beastketeers was defending Karion’s side, she
thought that fighting alongside the Twin Wings would increase the chances of survival.
That said…
Oh dear. Even though I was the one who came as reinforcement, I only ended up slowing
everyone down. I didn’t think that I would end up in such a mess, falling asleep in the middle of a
battlefield.
Inwardly, she was writhing in shame.
This was something that Frey had never expected.
Without knowing if she would wake up again, Frey reluctantly fell asleep.

Gabil was fighting a deadly battle with Baraga.

It was the Azure Dragon Spear in Baraga’s hand that decided the outcome.
From Gabil’s perspective, the difference in weaponry deciding the battle was unacceptable.
However, in reality, even Gabil’s own ‘Dragon Skin’ was unable to prevent getting stabbed by the
Azure Dragon Spear.
“To have wounded me, you should not be underestimated.”
“Kakaka! That’s my line. I had planned to kill you with a single blow, but you’re tougher than I
thought.”
Both of them were covered in wounds. However, neither of them stopped their attacks. The
wounds kept increasing, but neither of them seemed to care.
“It’s surprising that you’re evenly matched with me who has awakened. But I can’t lose!”
“Hmph! Gladium-sama would have been stronger than you even if he hadn’t been awakened. If
he had, he wouldn’t have even struggled against you lot.”

22
Normally, I might have called this person Lucia, but there is already a character called Lucia (Veldanava’s wife) and
the Japanese of the two names are different, so it didn’t feel right to use the exact same name. To be specific, the name
used right here is “ルチア” which in English sounds like Ruchia—so I’m using Rucia (I personally would have used
‘Lutia’, but ‘Rucia’ came up in a few online searches, so I ended up going with that). The other name is “ルシア”
which in English is Rushia—so Lucia is used there (you’ll see more of Lucia in future volumes).
 “Nonsense! There are many under Rimuru-sama’s command who are stronger than I am!
You’re pretty good, but you’re nothing but small fry compared to someone like Miss Ultima.”
Those words were equivalent to calling himself a small fish, but Gabil didn’t seem to notice.
Although lacking in that aspect, he himself took this statement very seriously.
Although Gabil was struggling, he did not neglect to check the current war situation.
In order not to involve the sleeping Karion, he dared to show an opening to induce Baraga’s
actions. Thanks to his efforts, he succeeded in shifting the location of the battle little by little.
Suphia-dono has also rushed to his aid, so Karion-dono should be fine. Besides, I’m sure I can
pull off a few big moves without getting them involved here.
In his own way, Gabil was thinking about many things as he fought.
As he was doing so, Frey also defeated one of the three generals.
“No way?! Even Nazim has been defeated!!”
In addition to the Glasium, the female commander who had been the second-in-command had
also been killed. When confronted with this fact, Baraga was furious.
“I absolutely won’t forgive you! I will use my spear to avenge the death of my comrades!!” He
shouted.
From here, Baraga came into his own.
“A true Chimera Knight is a warrior who has mastered the Beastmen’s Intrinsic Skill
‘Beastification (beast transformation)’. Do you understand? If you can endure the artificially given
Medical Skill ‘The Beast’, you gain the ability to combine the power of man and beast.”
As he began to explain, Baraga’s body began to change more and more. Until now, he had
maintained the form of a human, but now the features of a dragon were beginning to appear more
and more.
His military uniform swelled, but it did not tear.
Baraga had transformed into a form that resembled a dragon-like dragonewt.
“This feels amazing!. The release of my true power is such a freeing feeling!”
It was Baraga’s first time trying to reach this level. Whether or not the transformation would be
successful—He had only imagined doing it himself and hadn’t told anyone about the
transformation.
But now, with the death of Gladium, the shackles of Baraga’s mind had been lifted. And now
that his colleague Nazim had been defeated, there was no reason for him to hesitate.
“Come here, you guys!”
Baraga called out to his subordinates, who were running rampant. Even the poor soldiers, who
had become magic beasts without a will, would obey the orders of the overwhelmingly powerful.
Their instincts recognized him as their superior.
Not only were there those who had turned into magic beasts, but there were also those who had
taken the form of humans mixed with beasts. Baraga took a bite out of one of them at random.
The magicules flowed into Baraga like a throbbing pulse. The one who was eaten dried up like
a mummy, and his life was lost on the spot.
“How dare you! Those were your subordinates. And yet—”
“They should be grateful that they were lucky enough to die in my service.”
“How selfish! Do not think that I will let you get away with such cruelty!”
Gabil made a piercing attack.
He instinctively understood that there would be trouble if he left things unattended.
Judging from the situation, he was probably replenishing energy from his subordinates in order
to meet the new maximum value that had increased by his transformation.
Baraga’s magicule level was still on par with Gabil’s. He was on the verge of becoming an
artificially awakened demon lord, it would be unfair to blame Gabil for his impatience.
However, impatience leads to the worst possible outcomes.
“Fool! On the battlefield, those who lose their common sense are bound to die. Did you really
think I would be so absorbed in my meal that I would let my guard down?!”
Baraga’s actions had a double meaning. The first was to compensate for the increase in his
strength. The other was to put Gabil on a timer. The plan worked, and Gabil had jumped to his
death.
“What?!”
By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late.
With his foot, Baraga skillfully manipulated the Azure Dragon Spear. The tip of the spear
pierced Gabil’s belly as he jumped into the air.
The magisteel breastplate did not cover his abdomen, and even Gabil’s ‘Dragon Skin’ could not
withstand a sneak strike.
“Gw-gwah!!”
Gabil coughed up blood as he was pierced in the stomach.
Seeing this, Baraga laughed loudly.
“Kakakaka! You’ll become my food too. Be honored!!”
Gabil was in a desperate crisis—but it seemed fate would not allow his death.

«Confirmed. The effect of Unique Skill ‘Lucky Devil’ has been activated… Successful.
Individual Name: Gabil’s fate has been changed, and “death” has been avoided.»

It was the “Voice of the World.”

At that moment, Gabil’s fate was altered by the power of his Unique Skill ‘Lucky Devil’,
which he himself had forgotten about.
It was a Unique Skill that he had acquired when Rimuru became a demon lord, but its effect
was unknown. The only thing he knew was that it sometimes increased or decreased the power of
his attacks.
The effect made his attacks become stronger when he was in a good mood and become weaker
when he was in a weak23 mood. In a sense, it was the perfect ability for Gabil, but it was not a Skill
that was easy to use.
However, Gabil’s life had been saved by this Unique Skill, apparently its full abilities were still
unknown.
“Gwah?! What? I thought I had just been pierced in the stomach…”
However, Gabil was a man who did not care about the details, so he stopped thinking about what
just happened and retook his stance against Baraga.
“How can that be?! What the hell just happened?”
From Baraga’s point of view, this was not so easy to ignore.
He had just managed to trick a foe as powerful as Gabil into thinking that he could finally
defeat him, yet Gabil had stood up after his counterattack. It was only natural that he thought it was
a trick. He had been sure of his victory so long as he could land that blow.
“Don’t be ridiculous, you bastard! Let’s go again, this time I’ll make sure to pierce your
heart!!”
He absorbed magicules and increased his strength. It would be a piece of cake to defeat Gabil
without the need for any tricks, Baraga thought to himself, holding his Azure Dragon Spear back in
his hands.
The two men were once again in a staring contest, ready to strike at the opportune moment.
Gabil was at a disadvantage.
He was fortunate to have his life saved once, but it would not happen again.
Unbeknownst to Gabil, the Unique Skill ‘Lucky Devil’s’ ability ‘Change Fate’, once activated,
had a long period of time before it could be used again.
No matter how good the Skill was, the limit on that abilty was once a day.
Therefore, Gabil was out of options. The continuous fighting had exhausted his strength. He
had just risen from the brink of death and was in need of rest.
Despite this situation, Gabil smiled bravely, showing no signs of weakness.
“Gwahahaha! Your skills are brilliant, but I will not lose to you. After all, my master is
excellent, so you should not expect to win so easily.”

23
Weak as in cowardly or faint-hearted.
 Gabil sharpened his concentration so that he would be ready for any move Baraga might make.

—At that moment, the fate of the battle was decided—

It was not because of Gabil’s Unique Skill, but because of the birth of “Ciel” in Rimuru’s heart.
Just as Gabil was about to struggle with all his might, a voice from the heavens came to his aid.

«Do you want power? Then I will give it to you. Please agree to the modification of your
Unique Skills.»

—?!
Gabil did not ask back what that meant.
The voice was so nostalgic, and so warm, that just listening to it made him feel calm. And so,
without hesitation, Gabil agreed.
The effect was dramatic.

«You made the right choice. The Unique Skill ‘Lucky Devil’ will be sacrificed to give you new
powers.»

As soon as the voice disappeared, a new power awakened in Gabil.

Ultimate Skill ‘Psychology King Mood Maker’—The skill granted by Ciel included five
effects: ‘Thought Acceleration,’ ‘Change Destiny,’ ‘Unexpected Effects,’ ‘Spatial Manipulation,’
and ‘Multilayer Barrier’.
‘Thought Acceleration’ increased his speed of perception by a million times.
‘Change Destiny’ was a superior version of the Unique Skill ‘Lucky Devil’s’ ‘Change Fate,’
and could be activated at Gabil’s will. However, the frequency of use was still limited to once a
day.
‘Unexpected Effects’ was also a superior version of the ‘Lucky Devil’s’ ability ‘Unforeseen
Effects’. It allowed one to activate the increase in attack power at their will. However, the amount it
increased still depended on the user’s mood. This ability allowed one to increase his attack power
when he was in an uplifted mood.
‘Spatial Manipulation’ was an ability that could be used by the executives led by Benimaru. Its
main purpose was ‘Spatial Transportation’, and it was a useful ability that allowed one to move
freely in a place he had been to before, as long as the space was not being interfered with. By
interfering with the space, one could be expected to be able to block the escape of enemies. It was a
useful power.
The ‘Multilayer Barrier’ was a defensive technique that Rimuru specialized in. By layering
‘Barriers’ of various effects, it was possible to prepare for any attack. By accepting Rimuru’s
power, Gabil was able to use this as well.
The effects of previously thought to be useless Skills were now properly recognized by Gabil.
Ciel taught it to him in his period of thought acceleration, which had been stretched a million times
over.
Gabil was deeply moved. He couldn’t help but speak.
“It’s amazing, so amazing! I feel like I can’t lose!!”
He was getting carried away, but in Gabil’s case, this was the right thing to do.
Gabil laughed, blowing away the gloomy atmosphere. As if in proportion, Gabil’s power
increased greatly.
“Wh-What the hell is the matter with you?! Your power has suddenly increased. What the hell
did you do—?!”
“Gwahahaha! It is unfortunate for you…but I have a great leader. As long as I have his
protection, there is no way I can be defeated!”
In an uplifted mood, Gabil, who might’ve been defeated depending on the situation, uttered his
proud words. At the same time, Gabil’s body began overflowing with power.
It was difficult to stop his momentum one he had started.
“Now, prepare yourself!”
“Quit speaking nonsense! My power, I will carve it into your body!!”
Both men, who were comparable to awakened demon lords, clashed with their full power, and a
moment later, it was Gabil who won the battle.
Gabil’s Vortex Spear precisely flicked away the Azure Dragon Spear that had been unleashed
with all Baraga’s might. This left a huge opening, and before Baraga could regain his stance,
Gabil’s stabbed a huge hole in his chest.
“Gah! N-not yet. With my healing ability, a wound of this magnitude…”
Yes, Baraga had also inherited the Beastmen’s high healing power, and by replenishing the
energy from his subordinates, he could heal some wounds instantly.
Baraga tried to get through using it this time as well. But that was not to be.
To Gabil’s own wonder, the combination of ‘Change Destiny’ and ‘Unexpected Effects’ was
automatically activated, taking away Baraga’s ability to heal.
‘Change Destiny’ could only be used once a day, but that was only against the same target. So
it turned out that it could also be used on enemies.
As Baraga himself had said, ‘on the battlefield, those who lose their common sense are the first
to die’.
“Wow, it’s more powerful than I expected…”
And so, Gabil, with his newly gained powers, was victorious.

Meanwhile, the last of the three remaining generals, “Black Tortoise” Gozarin, was facing an
unexpectedly powerful opponent.

With the defeat of the legion commander Gladium, the Magic Beast Corps had fallen into
chaos. Before they could manage to put things together, a huge army of demons arrived.
It was called a huge army, but the number of individuals was not actually that large.
There were only about 500 of them. However, their quality was worthy of being called a match
for the thousands24.
They were high-ranking demon knights, the Devil Chevaliers—A terrifying battle group under
the direct command of Demon Lord Rimuru. The Chimera Knights had almost twice the amount of
magicules, but surprisingly, they were unable to gain an advantage in battle. That was how powerful
the demons were.
Gozarin’s frustration grew as things did not go her way. In the midst of this situation, the
fateful moment arrived.
That’s, what the…
Out of the corner of Gozarin’s eye, she saw a moving shadow.
For some reason, a strange feeling appealed to her instincts. Trying to figure out what it was,
Gozarin took her eyes off the battlefield and focused on the shadow.
It was the right thing to do.
If she had left the shadow alone, Gozarin would have died without understanding what had
happened.
However…Gozarin might have been happier if she had just died without knowing.
The shadow stirred where the wreckage of Demon Colossus lay. In front of Gozarin, who was
watching to see what was going on, the shadow stood up.
24
In Japanese, they are described with the saying “Ikki Tousen (一騎当千)” which refers to “being a match for a
thousand” or “being an unmatched warrior/mighty hero” or being “a mighty knight who matches a thousand knights.”
 It was a handsome man with a naked upper body and long black hair that reached his waist.
His complexion was dark brown with a slight sheen.
It was as if he were made of metal—No, from the waist down, he was melded with the remains
of the Demon Colossus.
Right before Gozarin’s eyes, the wreckage melted and changed its shape. And the man’s lower
body was also completed.
“Hey, I’m naked. How embarrassing.”
The tone of voice was very similar to that of the man Gozarin had just been fighting.
“Y-You, I can’t believe it, but…are you a Master Gadra?”
Gozarin asked, and the man smirked.
“Of course it’s me! Or did you think you had already won? That’s right, I would never accept
that.”
Yes, the mysterious naked man was Master Gadra himself.
“What are you talking about?! You died from a self-destructing spell! That spell was supposed
to burn up your life, so how are you still alive?!”
Gozarin shouted.
Her comprehension still hadn’t caught up with the situation, but hearing Gadra’s words made
her even more confused. She tried to change the flow of the conversation, thinking that it would be
a bad idea to be carried by Gadra’s pace.
“Oh, yes, I remember now. I blew myself up with ‘Sacrifice’, didn’t I? Did you think that I was
dead? Though, it’s impossible for a man like me to kill himself. Until the battle is over, you should
not relax and believe that you have won.”
As he spoke at length, Gadra created a garment with magic and hurriedly put it on. It was a
shabby outfit, but he decided that it was better than being naked.
“Enough of this nonsense, answer my question!”
As for Gozarin, she wanted to get rid of Gadra without a second thought. However, she was
cautious because a person who was supposed to be completely dead had come back to life.
She wasn’t even sure if Gadra would answer honestly. That’s why Gozarin was going to put all
of her energy into her next attack, regardless of Gadra’s response.
It’s the old man after all, so I’m sure he had some strange trick up his sleeve. Perhaps he
prepared a substitute sacrifice. He’s trying to upset me, but he’s playing an elaborate trick.
However, I’m sure I’ll be able to crush this little trick with my own strength!
Gozarin’s magisteel body, despite its appearance, was extremely heavy. Therefore, even if one
hit her at a certain speed, she could still show its power.
In addition to that, if Gozarin performed a Kōshūha Senjuzan (high-frequency thousand-hand
slash) with the tentacles all over her body, she would turn into a living bullet that could pulverize
everything she touched.
Gozarin put all of her strength into her legs.
She used herself as a cannonball and gained propulsion by exploding the earth. This was
Gozarin’s other killer move.
Gozarin took aim at Gadra.
Unaware of this, Gadra politely began to explain.
“That’s right, I have been reincarnated. The mystic art I developed: ‘Reincarnation’, was
planted in advance. As long as I use this, I’ll be able to live a new life with my memories intact,
even if I have to say goodbye to this world for a little while. It’s a wonderful secret.”
“…So then?”
“The success rate is a little low, but the relative returns are great. I’ve also been reincarnated so
many times that success is almost always guaranteed—”
In fact, the first time one tried this, the success rate was at it’s lowest. Adalmann’s failure at
that time had not been due to Gadra’s poor skill.
Gadra had prepared several spells in advance, ready to be unleashed at a moment’s notice.
Razen, for example, could only prepare one or two at most, but Gadra could have three or more
spells constantly ready.
 A transfer spell for escape, and a self-destructive spell for suicide. He had never left out a
reincarnation spell, just in case he died.
Gadra was a cautious person, but this time, something unexpected had happened.
‘Reincarnation’ was triggered, and his soul slipped out of his body. Protected by magic, the
soul was supposed to return to the Wheel of Reincarnation in search of a new body.
However, a promise had been made at this point.
Actually, Gadra had applied to be Diablo’s disciple, but that had been put on hold. Normally,
this would have been an instant rejection, but Gadra had been favored by Diablo.
By praising Rimuru’s magic, Diablo had taken a liking to him.
“I don’t dislike interesting guys like you. Once I recognize that you are truly useful to Rimuru-
sama, I will take you in as my dependent.”
That’s what he had told him at the banquet.
Gadra had thought it was a polite excuse to refuse him, but he was still planning to do his best
to be accepted by Diablo. However, by that time, he had been taken by Diablo’s “Temptation.”
And so, Gadra’s ‘Reincarnation’ was rewritten. If he chose to die for Rimuru, he would be
reborn as a demon.
And demons were a race born with the ability to fight. Because Gadra possessed a lifetime of
his memories, it was only natural that he was born as a special individual after becoming a demon.
The problem was his body.
A demon, a spiritual life form, needed a body to stay in this world.
Normally, Gadra would have had to possess someone, or contact Diablo and wait for him to
summon him. However, with the birth of Ciel in Rimuru’s mind, the fate of the world was decided
here as well.

«If you want a physical body, I will give it to you. I will also give you more power. That’s why
—»

The voice told him to be of service to Rimuru-sama.

From Gadra’s perspective, this was the best thing that could ever happen to him.
‘Of course’—he shouted at the top of his lungs.
And with that, the contract was concluded and Gadra was successfully reincarnated.
He was reborn as a new race, a Metal Demon.
As if to prove himself as a black dependent, his body was clad in black. His hair, eyes, and bare
skin all had black components. Even so, he had a metallic luster, giving him a somewhat artificial
atmosphere.
However, this figure was not the original Gadra’s appearance, but rather a replica of his
younger self—his first life before being reborn. It was recreated from the memories engraved in his
soul and had nothing to do with his race.
Perhaps because he was of a new race, he did not have the limitations of the demon race.
Gadra’s current magicule count was comparable to Clayman is his rampant state 25. Add to that the
knowledge and experience he had before he was reborn, and there was no doubt that he had become
much stronger.
Gadra himself also felt that he had been reborn. As if to savor the emotion, he couldn’t help but
be talkative and speak to Gozarin.
“In other words, you’ve become something unheard of like a metal demon?”
“That’s how it is. Be warned, I have gotten stronger. You do not stand a chance, so surrender.
As a former colleague, I will spare your life.”
“All I have to say is that you’re a fool!”
Gozarin, who was well-prepared and waiting for an opportunity, rushed towards Gadra. The
tremendous speed turned Gozarin’s body into a massive bullet.
There was no way that Gadra would be able to deal with this. Gozarin thought as such, but the

25
Pretty sure this is referring to Clayman’s pre-awakened state—Tensura’s #1 power-scaling method.
next moment, her eyes widened in astonishment.
To her surprise, she deviated from Gadra’s direction without any intention of her own.
“Mysterious, isn’t it? Well, to put it simply, I manipulated the magnetic field with magic to
create a powerful magnetic field. By passing an electric current through it, it is possible to
electromagnetically induce an object as you can see now.”
In this case, the object was Gozarin. For Gadra, who studied the science of the Otherworld,
there were many things he could do with magic. In other words, Gozarin’s inner workings could be
easily sealed by Gadra.
“You…”
Standing aloofly, Gadra held a large book in his left hand. He was carefully flipping through
the pages with his right hand.
“Well? Now do you understand what I can do? You should give up and surrender.”
Gozarin took these words as a sign of condescension. Gadra didn’t mean it that way, but
Gozarin’s pride as a powerful opponent had been hurt.
That was why surrender was not an option.
“Very well. I didn’t want to use this, but I’ve come to my senses!”
Gozarin swallowed the pill.
She activated the Medical Skill, ‘The Beast.’
Just as Baraga had, Gozarin was about to gain great power. But there was no reason for Gadra
to wait for that.
“All right. In that case, I will let you be the test subject for my new powers!”
Gadra gleefully looked at Gozarin.
His eyes were those of a scientist looking at a guinea pig.
“Ultimate Gift ‘Book of Sorcery (Grimoire)’—Activate!”
The book in Gadra’s left hand gave off an ominous glow.
The book contained a number of spells that Rimuru—in other words, Ciel—managed.
Looking at the beautiful formulas in the book, Gadra’s face was filled with ecstasy. He then
chose the spell that seemed most appropriate for this moment.
“Limited Hellflare26.”
This was a martial art created by Benimaru but turned into a Skill by Rimuru. Since magic was
a type of Skill, it was also mentioned in the ‘Grimoire’.
“—What?!”
Although it was not as powerful as the one used by the person who created it, its power was
perfect. Gozarin was unable to understand what happened and was burned irreproducible.
“I wish I could have showed off more, but it couldn’t be helped.”
Gadra muttered, trying to stroke his proud beard. But it was smooth, without even a trace of
stubble.
“Oh no! Have I become a young man in appearance? That’s troubling. My hair is black. I’ll
have to dye it…No, I’ll use transformation magic to get through this.”
Gadra muttered to himself, happily flipping through the ‘Grimoire.’

In this way, all the leaders of the Magic Beast Corps, led by Gladium, were defeated.
However, there was still danger on the battlefield.
One man was delighted to see Gladium’s head lying in front of him.
“There’s some tasty looking bait lying around!”
That was the reason for his delight.
26
“極小黒炎獄 (リミテッドヘルフレア)” = Kyokushō kurohomura goku (Rimiteddoherufurea) =
Infinitesimal/Minute Black Flame Prison (Limited Hellflare)
 The one who took picked up the head without hesitation and devoured it was Vega of Power,
one of the heads of Cerberus, who had infiltrated the Magic Beast Corps on Yuuki’s orders.
As he devoured Gladium’s corpse, Vega’s body was filled with power.
His supple body, reminiscent of a carnivore, had grown larger in size. Vega had grown to the
point where he could stand alongside Gladium, who had been over two meters tall, and his uniform
was puffed up with swollen muscles.
“Hmm, not bad…but it’s still not enough.”
Vega muttered to himself, but after that, he found more and more delicious-looking food.
There was the charred “Vermillion Bird” Nazim, the dead “Azure Dragon” Baraga with a huge
hole in his chest, and the metal remnants of “Black Tortoise” Gozarin which were all that remained.
Sneaking up quietly, Vega devoured his prey one by one, so quickly that no one noticed.
He was able to do this thanks to the power of his Unique Skill ‘Evil Eater’—a special power he
was born with.
………
……
…
Vega was born in the royal capital of Ingracia. Unbeknownst to him, Vega was the result of
magical inquisitors, who’s parent was turned into a monster.
His father, who had taken in so much of the monster factor that he could no longer return,
attacked his mother, and Vega was born. Therefore, Vega was born a heretic. He was only in his
mother’s womb for about three days, and he had an ego from the day he was born.
However, as a baby without reason and without understanding language, he was feared as a
monster by his mother and others around him. Instead of being loved, he was almost killed and
went into hiding.
Over the next dozen years, Vega survived.
He ate rats, scavenged leftovers, and ate whatever he could to survive. Eventually, he ate a man
who was dying after a fight.
And then he understood.

He was surrounded by so much food.

Vega became a veritable monster, feeding even on humans. Naturally, a subjugation order was
issued, but Yuuki was the one in charge of it.
With the help of Shizue Izawa, who was already teaching as an instructor at the time, Yuuki
succeeded in capturing Vega.
He should have been executed, but Yuuki thought that Vega’s strength was too valuable. He
had a great sense of combat, and a strong body. In addition, he thought that Vega had potential for
growth and could be used as a useful pawn if trained.
Yuuki tricked Shizu into believing that he had disposed of Vega.
Vega was then trained in the Empire through Damrada. And now, he had grown into a
fearsome warrior.
………
……
…
Fortunately for Vega, the battle between the Devil Chevaliers and Chimera Knights, who came
as reinforcements, was getting fiercer. This allowed him to accomplish his goal in a covert manner.
He had the limbs of a mighty beast, a body of hard magisteel, the power of a dragon that could
repel magic, and even wings that could fly through the sky. Vega received them all in a short time.
Not only that, but he also picked up the mythical-grade Azure Dragon Spear.
He was not yet recognized as its master, but Vega did not care. He poured all of his strength
into making it obey and forcibly fused them together.
It was Gozarin’s power—the effect of ‘metal manipulation’.
By taking in the mythical-grade weapon, Vega’s whole body changed into something even
more horrible. The extraordinary armor that covered his entire body made him an unidentifiable
majin.
At this point, Gabil and the others noticed.
“What?! There is still such a dangerous majin around?!”
Gabil shouted in surprise, and his subordinates could not help complaining.
“But Gabil-sama, don’t we already have our hands full?”
“Indeed.”
“We’ve been fighting battle after battle, and our supplies are running low. What should we do,
Gabil-sama?”
It was understandable.
In fact, the Hiryuu’s fatigue was nearing its limit.
If the Devil Chevaliers had come even a little later, their battle line would have collapsed long
ago.
After all, the Beast Master’s Warrior Alliance and the Tenshōshū, who were expected to be
reliable reinforcements, were the first to leave the front lines.
“Oh no”—Suphia had said back then. And that was just the beginning.
When Gabil asked what was wrong, Suphia replied, “I’m so sleepy.”
Upon hearing that, Gabil also understood.
It was happening.
He realized that the evolutionary slumber, an essential part of the Harvest Festival, had started
at the worst possible time.
Since Karion and Frey were about to awaken, this was just a natural consequence. There was
no point in complaining about this irresistible physiological phenomenon. That is why Gabil and the
others struggled alone to protect this place.
The other troops were engaging the enemy at their own discretion. However, Gabil and his
subordinates could not move from this place. That is why the fatigue was even more intense.
Gabil’s face paled at Vega’s appearance.
“Please rest assured, Gabil-dono. I will go talk to him first. He is called Vega, and is one of
Yuuki’s partners.”
How reliable, Gabil was impressed with Gadra.
“I’m counting on you!”
“Leave it to me.”
They smiled and nodded at each other, having somehow become friends. Gadra then stepped
forward towards Vega.
“Vega, it’s been a while.”
“Huh? Ah, old man Gadra. I had heard that you turned over to the Demon Lord Rimuru, but it
looks like it was true.”
“Mm-hmm. That is why I’m in league with Yuuki. It’s good to see you here. If it weren’t for
me, you would be considered an enemy.”
“I see.”
Gadra approached him in a friendly manner, but Vega gave him a disinterested glance. He
quickly averted his gaze.
In Vega’s view, there were now people more interesting than Gadra.
In his line of sight were Karion and Frey. Around them, too, he could see tasty-looking food
lying around. Vega’s mouth was full of drool, and he had an ecstatic expression, imagining the taste
of the meat.
“I am going to be the mediator here, and you will assist with—bwah?!”
Vega’s fist swatted away Gadra’s attempt at a friendly tap on the shoulder. Caught off guard,
Gadra took it in stride.
Vega’s power had now been strengthened to the point where it surpassed that of an awakened
demon lord. Compared to Gadra, his magicule count was more than double.
Even Gadra, who had become a metal demon with excellent physical defense, was no match for
Vega, whose entire body was made of magisteel and who had also taken in mythical-grade
armament. With a single blow, Gadra’s consciousness was snuffed out and he was silenced.
 “Ga-Gadra-dono!!”
As he shouted, Gabil thought to himself that Gadra-dono was also an unreliable man. Gadra’s
confidence had been so strong that it could not be helped.
Gabil was greatly disappointed because his hopes had been crushed. Moreover, Vega’s ability
was beyond his imagination.
Vega was licking his lips at Karion and Frey, as if he has no intention of hiding it.
His intention was clear.
If they didn’t defeat him here, it would only give him more power.
He still didn’t know if he could beat him even now, and if that was true, there was nothing he
could do about it. There was no doubt that Gabil had no chance of winning, so he had no choice but
to do his best here.
I’ve always wanted to stand out, but it’s no use if it happens this way.
Gabil was feeling a little sorry for himself as he self-reflected.

Gabil was about to step forward, but he stopped when someone stood in front of him.
“Gabil-san, leave this to me.”
“A-Ah! Aren’t you Laplace-dono? What are you doing here?”
“That’s—”
Laplace almost replied that he was left behind by everyone else, but then he fell silent. He
realized that saying it would be awkward.
“There’s no need to say it. I’m here to save you!”
“O-Oh, wow!! That’s so reassuring, Laplace-dono!”
“Yeah. Now that I’m here, there’s no need to worry.”
Laplace forced the conversation to a conclusion. Then, he turned to Vega, who was supposed to
be his comrade.
“So, Vega-san. Why did you hit old man Gadra?”
Laplace asked Vega as he twirled around lightly. Vega, looking annoyed at Laplace, answered
in a troublesome manner.
“Huh? It’s obvious, isn’t it? It’s because that old man was trying to get in my way.”
“In your way?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Anyone who tries to interfere with my meal shouldn’t be allowed to live.
So, Laplace, why don’t you just stay out of it? Then I’ll let you off the hook for old times sake.”
Laplace stopped twirling around.
“That’s a funny joke you’re making. You haven’t forgotten your place now, have you?”
The tone of his voice was almost the same as before. However, the atmosphere was so tense
that it was no exaggeration to say that something had shifted.
But Vega didn’t care.
“Hah, my position? You’re the one who’s in no position to give me orders! I heard that Yuuki
lost to Rudra. I only listen to orders from people who are stronger than me.”
As soon as he said that, Vega started laughing loudly.
The sound of his laughter echoed across the battlefield.
“I can’t laugh. Your jokes are not funny.”
“It’s not a joke—Kwa?!”
The vulgar laughter suddenly stopped.
In an instant, Laplace closed the distance and grabbed Vega by the neck.
 “Don’t underestimate people, or I’ll kick your ass.”
Laplace lifted up the body which was more than twice his size.
Vega struggled, his arms and legs jerking around. He no longer needed to breathe, but he was
confused because he wasn’t used to it yet.
That’s when Laplace unleashed a knee strike that exploded against Vega. Vega, who had been
grabbed by the neck, had no way to escape even if he was pulled back. As Laplace loosened his
grip, Vega cowered in place, trying to catch his breath.
“W-wait, wait. I’m sorry I got carried away. I’ve cooled down now, so please forgive me.”
Laplace was about to kick Vega in the head but stopped when he saw Vega pleading. Then, in a
cold voice, he spoke.
“—I’m not as nice as the boss. Don’t expect a second chance.”
“I-I understand.”
“Then, you’ll have to follow me like an adult. Well, if you do anything, I’ll have no choice but
to stop you.”
Vega nodded his head.
“Got it. So, what’s the plan now?”
“I’m going to go where the President is. As long as the President is saved, Teare and Footman
will be back to normal. Anyway, if we don’t find a solution, we’ll never get the boss out. So, don’t
get ahead of yourself.”
“I understand.”
Vega nodded widely at Laplace’s words. His desperate attitude suggested that he was scared of
Laplace.
Seeing Vega that way, Laplace let out a sigh of relief.
“Is this going to be okay?”
Gadra, who had just gotten up, muttered worriedly.
“Old man!”
Vega stared at him while postured.
“Oh, Gadra-dono! You’re safe!”
Gabil was surprised but happy.
“As expected, so the old man was safe?”
Laplace was not surprised, as if he had been expecting this.
“Of course. I was unconscious for a moment, but I’m well prepared for an emergency
evacuation. I was pretending to be attacked, hoping to catch you off guard and cast a massive spell
on you.”
In fact, the Ultimate Gift ‘Grimoire’ had ‘Thought Acceleration’ and ‘Parallelism’ as a matter
of course. By using these features, even if he lost conscious, another back-up thought will take over.
“I see. I was fooled, too.”
“You’re great old man, seriously.”
“Well. I haven’t lived this long in vain. More importantly, the problem is Vega.”
Laplace tried to dodge the subject, but Gadra was having none of it.
“Me?”
“That’s right. I’m afraid I can’t trust you.”
“Why not?!”
Vega began acting like he couldn’t understand.
Laplace couldn’t help but be amazed by this.
He shrugged his shoulders and replied as if to remind them.
“To be honest, I don’t trust him either. But this guy is also one of ours. I know you think we
should kill him, but I want to believe in him. Besides, we can’t do anything without the boss’s
permission. If he becomes too much next time, we will listen to you. Let’s see if we can forgive him
for once and give him a chance to be trusted.”
It was a headache, Laplace thought bitterly.
Vega was too stupid.
He’s too loyal to his own desires, and he wasn’t good at reading the atmosphere. But that didn’t
mean he didn’t have his good points. He was not the type who worked best in a group, but he
obeyed orders to a certain extent.
Besides, he was strong. It would be a waste of resources to get rid of him here.
Although he was worried that his occasional problematic behavior might exceed the acceptable
range… Laplace thought that he should accompany and take care of him.
This time, too, it had ended in an attempt, but it had been a step closer to a big problem.
If he had messed with Karion and the others, Laplace would have taken action against Vega
without protecting him.
To be honest, even if it was only an attempt, it was still a serious matter…
“I don’t have the authority to make decisions, but I understand how you feel. I’m not a stranger
after all, and as long as you don’t cause trouble for Rimuru-sama, it’s fine.”
Gadra was also someone who knew Vega. He thought it would be inappropriate for him to
speak here, so he only gave a conservative opinion.
“I’m worried about that too…”
Laplace was also worried, but it was said in a slurred voice.
Gabil was the only one who laughed out loud.
“Gwahahaha! A man can learn a lot from his mistakes. All right. I will choose to believe in you
too! Vega, as you’ve said, listen to Laplace-dono well and become a great warrior!”
With that, Gabil clapped Vega on the back.

Despite his misgivings, now was not the time to stop and worry.
Laplace walked away quickly, taking Vega with him.
“Was that the right thing to do?”
“No problem. If Vega grows, it will be profitable, and if he fails, Laplace-dono will take the
blame.”
“…You’ve got a darker streak in your heart than I thought.”
“Gwahahaha! I won’t get anything in return despite your praise!”
Gadra thought that he wasn’t praising him, but it was too much trouble to say, so he kept silent.
The atmosphere relaxed a bit, but they were still in the middle of a battle.
Remembering this, they tried to change their minds and face the battle.
That’s when the good news came in.
“Brother! Moss-dono has informed me that Rimuru-sama has defeated Velgrynd-sama. It
seems that the executives have boarded the enemy airship and are now engaged in a decisive battle
with the main force of the enemy. We can’t afford to lose!”
Souka, who had returned to the front after a break, reported the current situation with a loud
voice. As a result, the morale of Rimuru’s forces rose significantly.
On the contrary, the Imperial Army was in turmoil.
Aside from those who had lost their will and were running rampant, the Chimera Knights who
had been the core of the force, realized how bad of a situation they were in.
They had lost their commander and could not expect any more reinforcements. And yet, the
enemy reinforcements keep increasing, and it was hopeless to defeat the enemy commander.
If they insisted on defeating the ex-demon lord who had shown his weakness on the battlefield,
they would probably be surrounded and annihilated.
If someone had been in control, it would have been a different story.
But, as it was, there was no commander.
It was natural for some of them to run away, thinking that things would not go well.
On the contrary, Rimuru’s subordinates were overjoyed.
“Uoooooo, as expected of His Majesty Rimuru!”
“H-He defeated Velgrynd-sama?! I can’t believe it, but I guess it should be expected of
Rimuru-sama!!”
“He’s won. From here on, it’s time to overrun the battle!”
Of course, Gabil and Gadra were no exception.
“How wonderful! After all, Rimuru-sama is of a different class!”
 “Well, yes. I’ve been wondering about him as well since I suddenly became so strong. That
voice must be related to Rimuru-sama after all, as Diablo-sama had surmised…”
“Did you say something, Gadra-dono?”
“No, it’s nothing. Rather, let us finish our work.”
Prying too much would only get himself killed. Gadra was well aware of this, so he decided not
to pursue the matter too deeply. Another reason was that he thought it would be a bad idea to get
Gabil involved.
Gabil nodded at Gadra’s words.
Gabil turned his thoughts to the battlefield and gave the order to charge with the loudest voice
of the day.
 Chapter 4

The Eight Gates

After Laplace left, Diablo was the only one left in the room. He smiled and was glad that everything
had gone as planned.
He watched the battle of his beloved Lord up close and was planning to use it as a reference for
his own future usefulness.
He was truly grateful for the opportunity to look into whatever his Lord lacked and figure out
how he could make up for it.
No, rather, there is nothing that can be lacking in Rimuru-sama. What is important here is to
find out how I can best take action in the future.
No matter how his mind wandered, Diablo would only think about how he could be useful to
Rimuru.
And the other reason he hadn’t entered the war was because of another intention.
If I participate in the war, I will not struggle against anyone but Velgrynd-sama. That would be
a waste, wouldn’t it?
The rare opportunity to fight a strong opponent should be used effectively.
In Diablo’s view, Benimaru was showing signs of growth. He had greatly increased his strength
through evolution, and the shortest way to hone that strength was to fight strong opponents.
This was not only the case for Benimaru, but for all the executives who had been given power
by Rimuru.
And on this battlefield, just the right opponents were waiting. Diablo thought that there was no
reason to not take advantage of this.
Well, it seems that Benimaru-dono also saw through my thoughts, but judging from the fact that
he didn’t complain, I guess he was planning to do this from the beginning.
Benimaru, despite his appearance, was surprisingly belligerent. He tended to enjoy fighting
with the strong, though not as much as Diablo.
‘I look forward to seeing him grow,’ Diablo thought.
If he survived this battle, he would gain more power.
But more importantly—
Rimuru-sama’s orders are absolute. No one is allowed to die, so there is no choice but to win.
They had to make sure that no one died and that they survived to be reborn stronger. For that
purpose, Diablo had no intention to spare any cooperation.
Power that was given to you was meaningless. It would only shine if it was acquired and
mastered by oneself.
This would be the stage for that transformation.
Give them an enemy and crush them. The growth that lied ahead was what Rimuru desired—
that’s what Diablo thought.
Kufufufufu. Aside from Testarossa, even Carrera and Ultima have been seen to be fighting with
too much force. In particular, Carrera is a problem. It would be a good experience to learn what it
is like to struggle in a fight here. Make sure you survive. If you don’t, I really will kill you.
Kufufufufufufu—
Diablo thought about this and laughed even more happily.
 His excitement reached its peak as he witnessed the battle between Rimuru and Velgrynd.

On the outer deck of the Emperor’s flagship, the Imperial Knights were gathered together.
The presence of Velgrynd, the protector of the Empire, fueled their fighting spirit.
“With Velgrynd-sama here, our victory is assured.”
“Yes, we can’t afford to lose.”
“Let’s win here and conquer the Western Nations at once.”
“That’s right. The day when our empire unites the whole world is near.”
“Long live His Majesty the Emperor, hurrah!!”
“Glory to His Majesty the Emperor!!”
On the deck, which was not a very large space, they expressed their feelings to each other.
Then, all at once, they fixed their eyes on the enemy.
“So, you’ve arrived. The Demon lord’s subordinates.”
“Your defeat was already decided once the evil dragon Veldora was taken from you!”
Some of them mocked the enemy, but most of them fell silent and drew their swords.
The reason was simple and obvious. The people coming towards them were recognized as a
real “threat.” They prepared themselves for a decisive battle and moved to intercept them. However,
they just didn’t know it yet. They had no idea that despair was just around the corner. And once
they realized it, their lives would be over.

Testarossa flew gracefully through the air, a sorrowful expression on her face, as if she were
not amused. She had witnessed the people who were her targets foolishly holding their swords on
the airship.
“I don’t like it. They’re too stupid to challenge us as soon as they see us.”
Benimaru remained silent.
He would have agreed with her, but he thought it was still natural to do so from the enemy’s
standpoint. That is why he kept silent without agreeing to Testarossa’s statement.
This was also why Benimaru was still considered within the realms of a sensible27 person.
There were those who were truly outrageous and abnormal in their thought processes. As if to
prove this, Testarossa took action.
“It is foolish to misjudge the strong. It is so pathetic, so let us give them the blessing of mercy
without fear!”
In truth, Testarossa had intended to go on a bit of a rampage, show off her skills, and feed off
of the emotions of those who feared her.
However, it would take a long time to terrify someone who was already prepared. That would
have been troublesome and, more than anything, would have deviated from the purpose of the
mission.
Therefore, she decided to eliminate the obstacles swiftly.
Without hesitation, Testarossa unleashed a spell that would cover the entire airship.
The spell was nuclear magic: ‘Death Streak.’
The ultimate forbidden magic, which destroyed the soul, unleashed its ruthless fury. As a result,
a jet-black sphere was formed so as to envelop the entire airship, bringing death to those inside.

Almost everyone inside the ship was killed from the demonic death rays that killed all life
forms.
Even Major General Zamud, who had finished contacting Gladium and was busy preparing for
the battle, died before even understanding what had happened.
27
‘Sensible’ as in within the realms of someone with ‘common sense’ or considered to be somewhat ‘normal.’
 He had no luck.
If Rimuru could have afforded it, he would have remembered Calgurio’s plea for life and
instructed her not to involve Zamud and the others.
But alas, reality was cruel, and all beings were equal in the face of death.
“So sudden. I ordered a preemptive strike, but I guess they’re out of their depth here.”
“I’ve been trying very hard so that you don’t have to bother.”
“Nonsense. Rather, you’re thinking, ‘in order not to have your prey taken away’, right?”
Testarossa laughed in amusement at Benimaru’s remark.
“Oh, so you’ve seen through me, haven’t you? That’s Benimaru-sama for you.”
“It’s been a long time since I was not happy about a compliment.”
Even though they were bantering, there were no problems. In fact, Benimaru was glad she had
saved them from the trouble.
It was the two late comers who complained.
“Ahh! I wished you had left some for us!”
“I made a bad choice. I should have just left Diablo alone and given priority to this.”
Ultima and Carrera stared at Testarossa bitterly.
Testarossa simply returned a wry smile.
“You both are not ready for this. Look around you carefully for signs. There are some who
survived still out there.”
“That’s right! Anyone who can be killed by an attack like that is not good enough for me.
Rather, I should praise you for selecting them well!”
“You flatter me, Shion-dono.”
Testarossa smiled, knowing exactly what was meant.
The expression on her face eloquently told them that those who were aware could understand.
Only the magically suitable or spiritual life forms could withstand the ‘Death Streak’. With a
bit of luck, even a “sage” class would be able to survive.
Regardless, if anyone was still alive on the ship, it was safe to assume that they were strong.
Ultima and Carrera were frustrated, but it was not their place to complain. Realizing that, they
decided to back off sincerely.
And then—
“Let’s go.”
At Benimaru’s command, the raid operation began.

What the group saw once they landed on the deck of the flying ship were the dead and dying
Imperial Knights of the Empire. The fact that their bodies were still intact was evidence of their
desperate resistance.
This was the end of the line for those who would even be called champions in a great nation.
“No, I don’t want to… I don’t want to die…”
There were those who reached for the sky as if clinging to life.
But their lifespans were as good as expired. No remedy or restoration magic could help them.
Their fate had been sealed the moment they became Testarossa’s enemy.
“Jeez! I still think it’s a waste. If they were of such high quality, they could have sung a sweet
hymn28.”
“Don’t be so selfish. Look, they are here to welcome us.”
Testarossa pointed to the bow of the flagship.
Located there were those who were at the top of the Empire.
Emperor Rudra and Velgrynd, who was still sleeping.
28
Basically, she’s saying that their deaths could have made a lovely tune.
 Flanking them, were Kondou and Damrada.
Behind Rudra, there were four other men and women.
There was also another quiet-looking man who was standing next to Kondou.
“It is an honor to be greeted by the Emperor himself.”
When Benimaru spoke in a fearless manner, Kondou and Damrada—not Rudra, tried to step
forward. But Rudra stopped them with one hand.
“It’s fine. I will admit it. These are the only pawns I have left after more than 2,000 years of
work. On behalf of the Demon Lord Rimuru, I will at least allow you a straight answer.”
“Thank you for that.”
“So then, what is the purpose of you coming here?”
“Oh, well that’s a simple story. Although I do not have the full authority, I will make demands
on Rimuru-sama’s behalf. From this moment on, cease all fighting and surrender unconditionally. If
you accept, we will stop our pursuit.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then I have been ordered by Rimuru-sama to annihilate you. Until one side is completely
destroyed, it will be a full-on battle.”
‘We’re not allowed to die though’—Benimaru added inwardly.
His voice never faltered, and Benimaru’s attitude was one of arrogance. It was no wonder that
the Imperials were embarrassed.
“How insolent!”
Marco shouted, as if it was unintentional.
“The arrogance of an ignorant maggot who knows nothing of the world. You are a fool.”
One of the four knights carrying a spear muttered to Benimaru as if looking down on him. This
naturally reached Benimaru’s ears, but he kept his gaze fixed on Rudra, as if he had no intention of
dealing with them.
The others remained silent.
Rudra was the one who had the right to make the decision, and since Rudra had allowed him to
answer directly, they thought it would be impolite for them to interfere.
“That’s ridiculous. My ambition will not end here.”
“If so, then die.”
Benimaru was now more thoughtful and less temperamental, but his true nature was that of a
raging divine oni. He preferred to use force rather than to engage in long negotiations.
Besides—
There was no reason for him to retreat now that Rimuru had ordered him to kill all of his
enemies.
Then there was a flashpoint.
In the midst of this atmosphere, there was one person who made a move. Velgrynd, who had
been asleep, opened her eyes and jumped up.
“Rudra!”
“What’s wrong? What is happening that has made even you so upset?”
Velgrynd took a glance around her and realized what was going on here. Still, she decided that
her business was more important and began to speak, ignoring Benimaru and the others.
“My ‘Split Body’ has been captured by Demon Lord Rimuru. It’s going to take me a few
minutes to break the barriers, so I decided to bring my power back here first—”
It was at this very moment—Rimuru had sealed Velgrynd in his ‘Insulation Prison’.
Velgrynd had thought that there was still plenty of room for leeway, but she felt threatened by
the presence of the three demon girls in addition to Benimaru and the others.
“That’s Rimuru-sama for you! We can’t afford to lose to them either.”
Shion was pleased and excited.
“He seems to be concentrating on Veldora-sama right now. Rimuru-sama will surely bring
Veldora-sama back.”
Souei also nodded.
He had quietly left a ‘Clone’ to confirm Rimuru’s safety. That was just the type of man Souei
was.
“He’s able to fight against Velgrynd-sama and Veldora-sama at the same time, and still be
more than evenly matched. How impressive.”
“He really is. Honestly, I didn’t expect him to be this strong either.”
“That’s right. Milord is truly unfathomable.”
Having been aware of Velgrynd’s strength, the three demon girls took that statement to heart.
To be honest, the three of them were still filled with disbelief.
“It was a big mistake. We should not have been fooled by Diablo’s sweet words.”
“That’s true. He knew this was going to happen, so he just wanted to observe. That’s not fair.”
To a demon, cowardice was also a compliment, but Shion heard this and decided to pursue
Diablo on this later.
Souei, who was also observing, remained calm.
And Benimaru was quietly looking away. This was because he had used Moss to watch
Rimuru’s fight.
Meanwhile, the Imperials were in turmoil.
“No way! He has that much power?!”
Emperor Rudra, who was normally a calm and collected man who never showed his emotions,
could not help but stand up and shout.
He had heeded Kondou’s advice and highly evaluated Rimuru. However, there was no doubt
that he had underestimated Rimuru, thinking that he would not be as much of a threat as Veldora.
Even if he realized it now, it was still too late.
Kondou also realized that he had made a mistake.
He had felt wary when his attack had failed, but that had not been enough.
No matter what happens, I will protect His Majesty.
Without saying a word, he made up his mind.
From the beginning, Damrada had believed that Demon Lord Rimuru was a threat.
It was not a matter of logic.
A man as cunning as Yuuki, even with all his scheming, was unable to take advantage of him.
That alone made him a dangerous opponent that could not be left alone.
There was something different about Demon Lord Rimuru.
Yuuki was the same, and so was Demon Lord Rimuru.
Those who wore a kind of supreme energy that could be called charisma. They were the ones
who fascinated Damrada, and the ones who gave him a sense of mysterious possibility.
Damrada had a distant promise made to Emperor Rudra. Damrada did not know if he should
keep it or not.
That is why Damrada entrusted his fate to others instead of himself.
Those who were worthy of being entrusted with it—those who had something in them that
made him think that way were shining beings like Yuuki and Rimuru.
The Demon Lord Rimuru, who was one of those existences, was enraged to the point of
blowing away his reason.
That fact made Damrada feel uneasy.
He had a feeling something was going to happen.
As Rudra had said, the best of the Empire’s forces were assembled on the bridge. Gladium and
his men were nowhere to be seen, but the reality was that no more reinforcements could be
expected.
And yet, they were unable to overwhelm Demon Lord Rimuru’s subordinates.
In the first place, Demon Lord Rimuru was not an opponent to be taken lightly. This was
evident from the current situation.
Damrada kept his guard up and tensed all his nerves so that he could immediately protect the
Emperor no matter what happened.
The other four knights and Marco were also having a hard time keeping their composure due to
the unexpected situation.
The power of an Absolute such as Velgrynd was unfathomable, even for someone as powerful
as them. Such a Velgrynd had recognized the power of Demon Lord Rimuru. It was impossible not
to be confused.

At this time, both sides were astonished in opposite ways, but it was Velgrynd who broke that
atmosphere.
“You said it would be a full-on battle, correct? All right. I will defeat you and use you as
bargaining chips for the Demon Lord Rimuru. Is that okay?”
“Very well. Prove your power to me!”
“Understood!!”
As soon as Rudra made his decision, the agitation of the Imperial Knights disappeared. His
voice was full of strength and it brought peace to the hearts of the warriors.
“Yes, I promise you victory.”
Velgrynd also spoke with a fierce smile on her face.
The beautiful yet terrifying smile on her face foreshadowed the horrors of the battle to come.
“You’re okay with that, too?”
“Yes. We will win this battle and put an end to any future disasters.”
“Okay. Then have a good fight—”
As soon as she said that, Velgrynd opened her hands and held them up to the sky.
Then she invoked the ‘Eight Gate Formation.’ Eight gates appeared in the sky, lining up in the
center of the two camps.
In front of the gates, which had shrunk to the size of a man’s body, Velgrynd explained.
“On this flagship, I have isolated us in an alternate universe I’ve created. If you want to escape,
you will have to destroy all of these gates.”
There were eight Imperials here, not including Rudra. That meant that each of them would be
guarding one gate.
“What happens if we all enter one gate?”
“That’s an interesting question. You can try it, but once inside the gate, only the person who
killed the guardian of the gate will be eligible to enter the next gate.”
If that was true, then if they all went in, only one of them would be left to challenge the next
gate. Since they couldn’t escape without destroying all the gates, that choice would be too risky of a
gamble.
“I see. If you’re going to do this, then it’s only right that we all go in together when we
challenge the last remaining gate, correct?”
“You’re very clever. If you’re going to challenge the gate I am guarding, then that is probably
the right thing to do.”
Velgrynd nodded with a smile at what Benimaru pointed out.
She must have seen that coming. Even so, she was confident that she would not be defeated,
which was why she presented those conditions from the beginning.
“However, it is precisely because I have set such conditions that this otherworld can be
maintained at low cost. You cannot escape without destroying all of the gates, and you cannot touch
Rudra. Or would you prefer that we fight an all-out war here?”
Either way, Velgrynd proclaimed as such.
The defenders were at a disadvantage when guarding the Eight Gates. Since information about
the guardians of the gates would be known, there was a risk that the enemy would take precautions
against the challenge. But if it became an all-out battle, Rudra would be in danger. Velgrynd’s true
intention was to avoid just that.
She also wanted to capture Rimuru’s subordinates in the otherworld. Velgrynd was willing to
accept some disadvantages in order to bring the battle to an alternate space.
“All right. I’ll accept that match.”
Benimaru responded without hesitation.
Upon hearing this, Velgrynd was convinced of victory.
Unless I lose, this otherworld will not be broken. In other words, our victory is unassailable.
Velgrynd was confident that she would win even if they all challenged her at once. That is why
she chose the safest strategy, the ‘Eight Gate Formation.’
Benimaru, too, was aware of Velgrynd’s intentions. However, even if he refused here, he
would not be able to avoid a fight with Velgrynd, so he decided that it would be better to choose the
option with the best chance of success.
In this place, the intentions of both parties coincided, and the location for the final battle was
decided.

Before Benimaru’s eyes, one by one, they disappeared into the gates.
At the last one remaining, Velgrynd went through the gate after embracing Rudra.
Immediately, the gates began to move slowly, surrounding Benimaru and his companions.
Being unaware of who had entered which gate—there was no such thing. Nobody would be so
foolish as to overlook that.
“What a cowardly thing to do. Now we don’t know who’s guarding which gate.”
It was Shion who said that.
“…It’s fine. I remember.”
‘You idiot, you didn’t even look at it properly, right?’ Benimaru swallowed those words. He
felt that he could understand Diablo’s hardships a little.
“Fufu, what fun entertainment. If you are victorious, then you will have the honor of fighting
me.”
Rudra, protected by the laws of the otherworld, said this as he sat comfortably in his chair.
Rudra did not doubt Velgrynd’s victory. It was clear from his demeanor that he thought of this
battle only as mere entertainment.
“Is that what you think? You never know what will happen in a battle. I’ll show you that there
are some things we cannot compromise on.”
Benimaru spoke boldly.
Then, he looked around at the faces of his companions.
He was trying to figure out who should go against whom.
However, there was one person who could not wait for Benimaru’s decision.
It was Shion.
“I’ve been patiently enduring all this time, but that’s enough.”
“H-Hey?!”
“Rimuru-sama said to kill all the enemies. In that case, we don’t need to worry and should just
get rid of them!”
Leaving aside the question of whether or not she was feeling troubled, he couldn’t allow her to
do this without permission—Benimaru thought about this, but before he could stop Shion, she had
kicked down the door and entered the gate.
“…It’s fine. I don’t know if it was by choice or by chance, but it looks like she picked the right
person.”
Shion’s actions tended to lead to optimal results. Although there were problems this time, she
chose the door that matched Benimaru’s intentions.
Now, there were seven doors left.
One of them was Velgrynd’s, which needed to be used last.
The question was who would be the right people to deal with whom?
“May I?”
It was Veyron who offered.
“What?”
It was Ultima who asked with a chilling presence in her voice.
“The truth is, I haven’t finished my fight with Marco yet. I believe I can guarantee you victory
now.”
Defeating a beatable opponent was a standard practice.
It wasn’t a bad idea to leave it to him, since he could leave if he won. Benimaru decided as
such and gave his permission.
“All right. I’ll leave Marco to you.”
“Hm, that’s fine. If Benimaru-san says so, I have no problem with it.”
Ultima calmed her anger, and Veyron’s partner was chosen.
Seeing the exchange, Agera was the next to speak.
“In that case, I have a favor to ask.”
“It was Agera, correct? What is it?”
“Actually, there is someone whom I’m not so sure if I have a history with, although I’m not
sure if I’ll be a good match. If it’s possible, I’d like to deal with him.”
“Who is it?”
“A man named Kondou. It seems that he is a kindred spirit of mine, and as a pure swordsman,
he is an opponent I cannot ignore.”
“Oh? Really?”
It sounded like there was a connection, Benimaru thought.
He was curious about Agera’s school of swordsmanship, and he knew that Hakurou was
interested in Agera as well. In that case, he wanted to fulfill his wish, but there was a problem.
“Are you confident that you can win?”
That’s right, if Agera lost, there would be no point.
In Benimaru’s opinion, Lieutenant Kondou was a troublesome man. Even Rimuru had been
wary of him, so he knew that Agera would have trouble beating him.
“That is…”
Agera stammered.
As a swordsman, he would have no regrets even if he lost. But that would be an act against
Rimuru’s will.
Agera also understood that his offer was selfish.
Then Agera received a helping hand.
“All right, Agera. It’s unusual for you to be so selfish, so I’ll help you.”
It was Carrera.
As Agera’s lord, she said this with dignity.
Benimaru nodded.
He did not ask Carrera if she could win.
“I don’t know if you can beat this Kondou guy or not. I won’t tell you not to lose, but you must
not die.”
Hearing this, Carrera smiled widely.
“Of course. And, yes, you’re right. Let’s give Agera a test. We need to see if winning will
really open the next gate, and I think it’s better to experiment on the weakest opponent anyway.”
“Agreed! Shion-san’s gone, but even if we win, it won’t matter if we can’t fight again.”
“Right. If that’s the case, we’ll have to challenge Velgrynd-sama with only qualified players.
Though, Velgrynd-sama is a proud person, so I don’t think she’s lying.”
Naturally, Benimaru had considered this possibility. He had planned to have Shion try it when
she returned, but if she wanted to try it with Agera, there was no reason to stop her.
“What is that plan?”
“We’ll put Agera in the lead, with Esprit as a backup. That way we can find out if the next
challenge is really only for those who have killed the enemy inside.”
“And while you’re at it, take Zonda. He’s a healer, so he’s useless against the strong
opponents.”
Zonda was not weak, but he was no match for a Saint-class opponent. Therefore, Ultima
decided that it would not be a problem if he could not challenge again.
He didn’t have to go to the dangerous battlefield and could just heal those who came out here.
Because of this, there was no objection from anyone.
 “In that case, Agera, Esprit, Zonda, the three of you, go attack this gate.”
Benimaru pointed to the gate that one of the four knights had entered.
It was the big man with the spear on his back who had looked down on Benimaru and scorned
him as a maggot.
Benimaru was tempted to turn him into charcoal with his own hands, but he decided to let
Agera and the others do the job.
“Understood.”
“Please leave it to me!”
“I promise you, we will return victorious.”
And so, the three of them dove through the gate and went into battle.

And just like that, the attack on two of the gates began.
The rest of them remained calm, waiting for Benimaru to tell them who should attack where
next.
“By the time Agera and the others return, we will decide who among each of us should attack.”
The gate being guarded by Velgrynd would be postponed.
Kondou’s opponent would be Carrera, and Marco’s opponent would be Veyron.
That left Damrada and two of the four knights.
“From what I can tell, the man who appears to be the leader of those four knights seems to be
the strongest. I think I’ll deal with him.”
“I have no objections. I had the same impression.”
“In that case, can I take on that Damrada guy?”

“I’ve already chosen my opponent, so I have no complaints.”

The strength of Damrada and the remaining four knights did not seem to differ that much. If so,
there would be no complaints from Benimaru either.
“Souei, is that okay?”
“Yes. The only ones left are the four knights who use double swords. They seem to be a good
match for me, so no problem.”
“Then it’s settled.”
After saying that, Benimaru was silent for a while.
Then, embarrassed, he continued.
“…Even though it’s all come to this, there’s something troubling.”
“What’s wrong?”
Souei asked, to which Benimaru responded while scratching his cheek.
“We didn’t share our names with each other, so I don’t know their names. I remember who was
guarding which gate, so it not much of problem.”
“Indeed, that was a blind spot. Well, don’t worry about it. Since it’s going to be a battle
anyway, it should be enough to know the name of the one we’re going to kill.”
Those who had been listening to the conversation between Benimaru and Souei nodded in
agreement.
“Names” were important to monsters, but they were enemy’s either way. The demons and
others thought that there was no need to worry about it so much.

Agera, Esprit and Zonda went through the gate with great enthusiasm.
At the end of the gate, there was a circular colosseum-like structure, where a man was waiting
for them.
“Oh my, did a whole school of small fry just arrive? I suppose it’s only natural as they have
come to deal with me.”
Holding the spear on his back in his right hand, the man let out a vile laugh.
“Before you die, I’ll tell you my name. I am Garcia-sama, the fifth in rank and one of the four
knights who protect the Emperor! You demons, get a good taste of the honor of fighting me and
disappear from this world!”
With that shout, Garcia swung his Legendary-grade spear, which was probably as close to
mythical-grade as possible.
The power of the spear was so great that it could wipe out even a spiritual life form with just a
graze.
However, Agera and the others kept a cool face.
“I have no interest in your name.”
“This guy is an idiot. He called Benimaru-sama a maggot.”
“It’s because he doesn’t know what he’s capable of so that he can speak so brazenly. If it were
me, I would be so embarrassed that I’d be in agony for three days.”
Far from fearing Garcia, they all said whatever they wanted to say.
Garcia was furious.
“You’re just a bunch of small fry who are good at pissing me off. You don’t even know what
I’m capable of, do you? In that case, I’ll show you my true power!!”
After shouting, he released the power he had been holding back.
The amount of magicules in a saint-class individual was comparable to that of an awakened
demon lord. Even though Agera and the others had evolved into demon peers, the difference was
several times greater.
Clothed in a high density of fighting aura, Garcia took a step forward. With that, the marble
floor of the colosseum cracked.
“Prepare yourself. You’ll be sorry that you ever offended me.”
Offended or not, Garcia’s actions would have been the same either way. Everyone guessed as
much, but no one said anything about it.
Agera put his hand on the sword at his waist and took a cautious approach to see how his
opponent would react. Even a single blow would inevitably cause serious damage, so he decided to
concentrate on defense.
Esprit was using Agera as a shield and was ready to attack with her magic.
The more Garcia concentrated on Agera, the more Esprit could prepare for a large spell. She
seemed to be taking it easy, as if it was a good thing to be able to fight safely.
Zonda was focused on support. Not only was he good at restoration magic, but he also assisted
Agera at key points.
It would be better to work with Zonda than Esprit—Agera began to secretly think as such.
Garcia scoffed at the demons’ tactics.
They were on the defensive, and their only offense was their stupid magic. It was impossible to
damage Garcia with such a fighting style.
That’s why Garcia felt like he had already won and made many condescending remarks to his
enemies.
“Hah! How cowardly. You may be demons, but you’re still no match for us. We, as the
strongest of knights, have subdued demons like you many times before! It is said that a demon peer
is a legendary demon that rivals a demon lord… But that’s just a story for a frog in the well. To us,
you’re nothing more than mere ants!”
As he said this, he slammed his spear into the ground, leaving a huge hole in the marble floor.
Of course, Agera and Esprit avoided it without any trouble.
Agera never got outraged when being mocked. He had not forgotten that this fight was just a
prelude to the real thing that was to come.
Esprit was more thorough. She was cautious in dealing with her opponent’s attacks and hiding
behind Agera to avoid taking any damage. Esprit had a Unique Skill, ‘Discerner’, which specialized
in observation. In fact, by using this Skill, it was possible to keep in touch even with people who
were separated by time and space.
 Although there was a restriction that it was limited to personal acquaintances, the only person
who could make use of this power was Carrera, so from Esprit’s perspective, there were no issues.
In fact, if Souei and the others had found out that Esprit possessed such an ability, she might have
been forced to do espionage work.
Because Esprit hated working, she had to avoid that. That’s why Esprit, as usual, continued to
give information to Carrera, while providing appropriate support.
Incidentally, Zonda was evacuating to safe areas as soon as he finished providing support. He
understood that he was not a fighter, so he was careful not to get injured as a healer.
Because of this, Garcia assumed that Agera and the others were running around for their lives.
They must be afraid of his own power and had no way to do anything about it.
“Hah! So that’s it. You can’t defeat me just by running away.”
Garcia shouted at them while pulling out his spear.
His words were brash and rude, but his ability was undeniably real.
The spiritual power that pervaded his large physique was unparalleled even for a Saint.
He also possessed the Ultimate Enchantment ‘Alternative’ granted to him by Emperor Rudra.
This enchantment was the power of ‘subjugating and conquering’, and it reduced the will of the
enemy to defeat them with one’s own power.
This power was also added to his favorite spear, transforming it into a holy spear of destruction,
which could purify all kinds of evil—even spiritual life forms such as evil spirits and demons.
Needless to say, Garcia’s body was being strengthened by the mere act of cursing his enemies.
His body was protected by Legendary-grade armor, and he had no need to worry about the recoil of
his own power.
Garcia had a deep understanding of his own powers.
While provoking his enemies in this way, he never let his guard down.
As Garcia had said himself, a demon peer was a legendary super-class demon, comparable to a
demon lord. It was a threat of the highest order, not something to be taken lightly.
Even so, Garcia’s provocation appeared to be meaningless to Agera.
Contempt for human existence was plentiful among the demon race, and if provoked they
would immediately lash out. Garcia’s rule of thumb was that this would create an opening and make
it easier to defeat his opponent.
This time, however, that was not the case.
Garcia was irritated by the difficulty of this opponent.
“Calm down, human. Your language is vulgar. I don’t believe all people to be vulgar,
however…the soul has dignity too. If you have a lowly soul, there is nothing that can be done to
hide it.”
Garcia, who thought he was pretending to be crude, was furious when he was called vulgar.
Unaware that this was Agera’s own provocation, he lost his momentum and revealed his true
nature.
Agera, without drawing his sword, continued to evade Garcia’s attacks with minimal
movement. This injured Garcia’s pride even more.
Esprit, watching closely, was amazed at Agera’s ability.
This guy is so good at melee combat, how can he be a demon? He can’t even use magic at all,
isn’t that stupid?
While watching the battle, one would wonder whether she was praising or disparaging him.
Naturally, this was all being conveyed to Carrera in real time.
Garcia, incited by Agera, shouted.
“Shut up! I’ll kill you all and offer your heads to His Majesty the Emperor!”
“Hmm, that’s a bit hasty of you to say. I’m a rather tolerant person, but you are just too
impatient. Well, not as impatient as Carrera-sama. She is so quick-tempered and simple-minded that
she even gives me a hard time.”
Of course, this sentence of Agera’s was also relayed to Carrera through Esprit.
And because Esprit had a bad personality, she didn’t tell Agera about her power.
He’ll definitely get in trouble later. Teehee.
 She was enjoying herself as if it had nothing to do with her.
However, Garcia’s next comment froze her expression.
“You think I’m impatient? What a bunch of idiots. Haven’t you noticed the difference in our
abilities yet? Is your master that purple-haired kid? Or is it the cheeky blonde? That white-haired
beauty may be famous, but she’s still just a frog in a well after all is said and done.”
With that, Garcia spun his spear around and thrust it right at Agera. Then, as if proud of his
victory, he dropped another bombshell.
“Let me tell you, ignorant people, that there are real monsters in this world. If you knew the
power of Velgrynd-sama, the Lord Marshal’s true identity, you would understand the meaning of
my words. Besides, Lieutenant Kondou is a terrifying man. Whether it’s those demons, or your
masters, they’re no match for him. You’ll just be killed off miserably like the insects you are!”
It was only when Esprit heard this that she finally succeeded in stopping the flow of
information that was being sent to Carrera. She had been impatient and took a long time to shut
down her Skill.
But it was already too late.

“Hahaha, just now, I heard an interesting story through Esprit.”

Carrera spoke cheerfully.
Despite her tone, there was a hint of anger in her voice.
“Hmm, what kind of a story?”
Ultima asked.
She had a rough idea of what it was going to be about.
“The enemy inside the gate, he called you a kid.”
“Hm, hmm…”
A vein appeared on Ultima’s forehead.
Veyron began panicking.
He regretted that he should have gone through the gate as soon as possible if he had known this
would happen.
He deeply understood that sometimes ignorance was a blessing.
“He said that Testa was a frog in a well.”
“I’m a frog…?”
Testarossa was mortified.
She had often been praised for her beauty, but she never remembered ever being scorned. This
was the first time she had ever been called a frog, and she was filled with unspeakable anger.
“And by the way, he called us insects.”
Benimaru’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.
“So, first we were maggots, and now we’re insects?”
He muttered in an unamused tone.
At first glance, Benimaru looked calm, but he was still thinking to himself that he should have
taken care of things with his own hands.
Souei was the only one who was truly calm.
“She is able to maintain a channel in the other world created by Velgrynd-sama? That’s an
interesting ability.”
He crossed his arms and kept silent but remained fixated on Esprit’s Skill.
Now that Souei had found out, Esprit would have to deal with many requests from Souei in the
future—but that was just another story.

Carrera’s report continued.

 “They’ve been taunting us, saying that we won’t stand a chance against Velgrynd-sama and
Kondou. They seem to want to be killed miserably.”
She spoke plainly, but that was because she was too busy dealing with her own emotions.
Carrera liked to stir things up, but she hated to be incited herself.
“You never know who’s able to win until you try it yourself.” Testarossa spoke without
expression.
In fact, it was true that she had not won against Velgrynd. Nevertheless, Testarossa was not
shying away from defeat, but was quite serious.
Her crimson eyes told everyone eloquently that she would not lose the next time.
“By the way, Carrera. I’ve never understood why he called us insects. Is he really that strong?”
“Ahaha, that’s not possible, is it though? Even if it is, he’s unforgivable.”
Carrera denied Ultima’s question with a laugh. Her eyes were not smiling at all. They were
filled with a dangerous color and looked as if they were about to explode.
“There’s no need for mercy then, huh?”
“Of course. He’s just a human being, you know that?”
Ultima was furious.
Carrera agreed while trying to hold back her rage.
“What a pity. I wanted to teach him a lesson with my own hands. Tell Agera not to be lenient,
and then we’ll talk about pardon later.”
“Of course. He insulted us, so he should get what is deserved.”
There was no one on the scene to stop the girls from talking.
Ultima was cruel to the point of naivety.
Testarossa’s cynical smile could strike fear into the hearts of any who saw it.
And Carrera was optimistically spreading destruction and emptiness.
There was not the slightest hint of compassion to be given.
Never giving comfort to their enemies. For them, mercy was letting them die comfortably, and
forgiveness was killing them as they suffered. Either way, it was still killing, but for them there was
a difference.
As Veyron listened to the conversation between the demonesses, he cursed the man who was
Agera’s enemy.
His superiors, the devil lords, were not to be offended. Even so, they ranted and raved.
Veyron was holding his head inwardly.
Stupid human! The price for your stupidity will have to be taken on your own…at least I hope
so.
He couldn’t help but hope so.
Veyron knew very well the horrors of Ultima. More than that, his fear of Carrera and
Testarossa, the other adversaries, was indescribable.
The fate of the world could be changed depending on where their anger was directed.
At the very least, we must get rid of that fool as soon as possible and appease their anger.
Please, Agera! You’re our only hope!!
As a great demon, Veyron could only lament the fact that he could not do anything in this
situation, and instead put his hope in Agera, a lower-level demon.
Regardless of the intentions of these demons, Benimaru gave the order.
“Carrera, can you convey our words inside?”
“Well, I’ve never tried it before, but I guess I could…”
“Then tell him not to allow any more offensive remarks.”
Carrera nodded.
She forced herself into the channel with Esprit, wishing she had done so sooner.
‹Esprit, can you hear me?›
‹Geh, Carrera-sama?!›
‹You owe me one for what you just said. More than that—›
Carrera smirked.
And then, with a grudge in her heart, she gave the order.
‹Tear that man to pieces. Tell Agera to crush his soul.›
Carrera’s voice echoed in Esprit’s brain.
‹Benimaru-sama wants it, too. Know that failure is not an option!!›
‘Oh no, my power has been exposed to the executives,’ Esprit lamented. In addition, Carrera
was still forcing her to intervene, but she was resigned to the fact that there was no choice in the
matter. It wasn’t the first time her boss had been unreasonable.
Esprit called out to Agera, thinking as such.
“H-Hey Agera. Carrera-sama and the others are pretty angry. If we don’t get rid of them soon,
we’re going to be in trouble.”
“I can’t stop wondering about how Carrera-sama knows what’s going on here, but—I guess
that’s not the point. We need to prepare ourselves first. Since he’s insulted even our Lord, I believe
he deserves to be punished accordingly!”
“Tsk, you seem really mad too!”
Esprit let out a sigh, noticing that the normally calm Agera was furious.
It was impossible to stop him now. Or, rather, it was convenient that way. If Agera was going
to get serious, then the only thing to do now was watch. However, Garcia shouted, unable to read
the atmosphere.
“You guys are weak as shit. Just give up and die! You can rest easy. Your masters are about to
be dealt with anyway. So in the afterlife, you’ll be able to serve them as you always have!”
Garcia’s statement was also conveyed to Carrera through Esprit.
And this time, it wasn’t just Carrera, but the whole group who heard it through the ‘Telepathy
Net’.
“This bastard is full of shit.”
“What the hell is Agera doing? Didn’t I say to kill him right away? Is he messing with me?”
“Hey, hey, don’t embarrass me.”
“We’re lucky that Shion’s not here. If she were here, this whole operation would’ve been
ruined.”
“That’s true. Hey, if it doesn’t work, I’ll replace them, so decide quickly.”
And so on, and so forth.
Indeed, if Shion had been there, Agera’s wishes would have been ignored. It wouldn’t have
bothered Esprit, but it would have hurt his pride as a demon.
Or rather, he felt that his reputation was being ruined at present.
Wow, that sucks!
Those were Esprit’s true feelings.
Although Garcia’s crude behavior made him look like a small fry, his ability was real. He was a
surprisingly troublesome opponent. However, in this case, there was no choice but to produce
results. If they didn’t defeat Garcia soon, they were sure to incur the wrath of the top brass.
And yet, Agera didn’t seem to make a move, simply focusing on evasion.
As long as he was not fatally wounded, Agera could not be defeated. But this was meaningless
if he could not win. In that case, Esprit should have done something with magic, but this was not
realistic. After she tried various things, it turned out that Garcia had a high resistance to magic.
“What’s the matter?! All you can do is run away!”
Garcia was getting carried away.
Even so, Agera showed no pretense of fighting back.
“Hey, Agera! We’re in serious trouble. If we don’t hurry up, Carrera-sama is going to get really
mad!”
Even the demons that followed her were afraid of their master’s domineering authority when
she was serious. If that anger were to be directed at them, they would be nothing but terrified.
Esprit, who was usually aloof, was now in a real panic. And yet, Agera still remained silent.
Incidentally, Zonda was preparing a cup of tea at a distance, as if he had nothing to do with it.
He seemed to be planning to serve the executives when he got out of here, but from Esprit’s point of
view, this was simply nonsense.
“Hey, Zonda! What the hell are you doing while I’m not looking?!”
“Just take a look and you will see. Agera-dono doesn’t seem to be injured and is free.”
“Don’t be stupid, asshole! Why am I the only one who needs to feel pressured?!”
Esprit shouted as if wanting to bite him.
Zonda simply replied with a smile on his face.
“I don’t know.”
I’m gonna kill him—Esprit gritted her teeth.
He was a viscount class, yet he was not even afraid of Esprit, a count class.
Well, after all, if you’re going to serve Ultima-sama, you’ll have to be thick-skinned like that.
Thinking about it, Esprit had no choice but to stop dwelling on this.
Since Zonda was useless, she would simply have to hope Agera does his best.
There was no doubt that Agera was pissed off, so there must be a reason why he was not
attacking. If he was trying to do something, she could only hope for it to come soon.
But then, Agera said something outrageous.
“Esprit, I’ll tell you what I understand.”
“—What?”
“It seems that, to my chagrin, it is impossible for me to defeat him with my own strength.”
“Huh?!”
‘You’ve got to be kidding me’, Esprit thought.
There was no way she could tell her bosses that they couldn’t win. Normally, Carrera was a
mischievous person, but when she got mad, she was out of control.
What’s more, she should be watching the battle right now.
It was necessary to question Agera’s intentions before the bosses became angry.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing, it’s quite simple. This man, wearing his warrior’s armor, has increased not only his
attack power but also his defense. He realized that no matter how many times I hit him with my
sword, I would be unable to slay him.”
The effects of the Ultimate Enchantment ‘Alternative’s ability to ‘defeat and conquer’
combined with the defensive power of the Legendary-grade armor had led to Garcia’s defense being
raised to the equivalent of mythical-grade. Agera had seen through this and knew that his sword
would not be able to penetrate.
“…Could that be the reason my magic didn’t work?”
“Indeed. His movements are not a big deal, but I can’t hurt him.”
Agera made a good point, and Esprit could only frown and nod. If they couldn’t win, they
would have no choice but to report it to Carrera, but that would only ruin their reputation…
Without Agera’s advice, Esprit had also observed Garcia and understood that she was inferior
to him in strength.
In the first place, their own abilities were inferior to the ultimate power. A True Dragon would
be able to defeat an Ultimate Skill with even a simple attack, but that was because they hosted the
strongest willpower of any spiritual life form.
Esprit was also a demon peer and was of a higher level spirit life form. However, their will
power was not as strong as an Ultimate Skill.
As long as they didn’t do something about this reality, there would be no victory even if they
surpassed the enemy in ability.
“Hahahahaha! It seems that you have finally understood the difference in our abilities and have
given up.”
Garcia laughed.
He was annoyed that his speak couldn’t hit, but he was still okay with that. This was because
Garcia’s role was to stall the enemy here. If he waited until the enemy was exhausted, victory
would be assured. Even if he didn’t wait that long, his friends guarding the other gates would finish
off the enemy and rush to his aid. That’s why Garcia could enjoy the battle without any panic.
Seeing Garcia like this, Esprit clicked her tongue. And then, in a serious voice, she questioned
Agera.
“You knew this was going to happen and you were still going to challenge Kondou, right?
Don’t you have some kind of plan to win?”
Hearing this, Agera smirked.
“Of course I do. I need your help for my secret plan.”
There was no option for Esprit to decline.
“…Tell me.”
In fact, this was all Agera’s plan to get Esprit to say those words.
The aloof Esprit had a hedonistic side to her. Even if Agera asked her in a normal way, she
would never have said yes.
Esprit was a she-devil who took pleasure in seeing her friends cry out in distress. Agera, who
knew this well, decided to push Esprit until she felt in trouble.
Although, if that had touched Carrera-sama’s reverse scale, I might have been purged as well.
Agera was happy that he had won the bet.
Before Esprit changed her mind, he told her his secret plan.
“Turning the power of your will into a blade and striking down the enemy. That’s the only
way.”
Perhaps, no matter what Agera did, Garcia would not understand. Even if he aimed at the gap
in the armor, the blade would be blocked by the aura covering the entire body.
The defensive power sublimated to mythical-grade was not limited to the appearance, and it
completely protected the owner’s body.
In terms of movement alone, Agera was lightly superior to Garcia. This was the reason why it
was still difficult to make an effective strike.
If this was the case, then Agera had to reach the same level.
Listening to the voice of the sword and becoming one with it. To achieve this goal—
With all his strength, Agera listened to the voice of the sword that he was born with. In doing
so, he came to a conclusion.
“Hmm. We can’t pierce his armor with our will alone, can we?”
“Trust me. Esprit, you may not be as talented as Carrera-sama, but you’re still as skilled as a
master. You may not like swords, but you have good sense. Therefore, I believe you are worthy of
my trust.”
“Huh? What are you talking about—?”
“Put your hand on my back. And I’ll take care of the rest.”
Unable to understand what Agera was saying, Esprit was confused. But still, she decided to
trust Agera.
Agera stood still. Esprit did as she was told and touched his back.
As if to ridicule the demons, Garcia shouted in a high-pitched voice.
“So you’ve finally given up! All right, I’ll make you comfortable now. It’s about time your
master, Demon Lord Rimuru, was killed by Velgrynd-sama. It’s the end of the line for such a lowly
monster, but I’m sure you’ll be glad to have a guide on the road to Hades!”
“Ah?”
That comment was absolutely unforgivable.
“Do you despise our god, Rimuru-sama, as a lowly monster?”
“And to top it all off…you say that it’s about time to be killed?!”
Hearing these words through Esprit, the executives’ auras changed. But before that, Agera, and
even Esprit, had already run out of patience.
“All right, guys. I give you credit for putting up with my insults, but if you’re going to keep
your reason here, then just stop being demons! I forgive you. Kill him now!!”
The two of them had been planning to do so all along, not even needing to hear Carrera’s
orders.
“Esprit, use my power!”
“I don’t know what’s going on but leave it to me. I’m going to kill that son of a bitch!!”
In a fit of rage, the two made their move.
Agera had awakened to his powers by throwing his consciousness into the sword and speaking
to it.

«I will respond to your wish. Sharpen your mind and turn your body into a blade.»

He thought he heard a beautiful voice, but its authenticity was unknown. But the power was
certainly Agera’s.
“I am the blade, the indestructible blade that destroys my enemies!” Agera shouted, and at the
same time, a golden sword appeared in Esprit’s hand.
Ultimate Gift ‘Blade Transformation’—that was the power that Agera had acquired. The effect
was simple and straightforward: Agera’s body was transformed into a sword, and his skill-level was
added to that of the holder.
However, if the wielder had a high level of skill, the effect would be immeasurable.
Esprit drew her sword in a natural, fluid motion.
The blade, drawn from its golden scabbard, was also of a brilliant platinum, and its afterimage
scattered eight petals.
The name of the sword drawing technique was the highest technique of the “Oboro Shinmei-
ryu,” Yaezakura—Hakkasen.
“You’re dead, you trash!”
“Huh? Wh-What…What?”
Garcia couldn’t see it, couldn’t understand it.
What had just happened?
The defensive prey seemed to glow, and then disappeared.
He understood that it had turned into a sword, but there was no time to wonder why. He had no
time to wonder why because he would have been killed before that.
Garcia was confident in his defenses because all attacks would be nullified before his ultimate
power. It would take an ultimate power as powerful as Garcia’s to defeat him. He couldn’t sense
such power from the demons he was dealing with. That’s why he had felt at ease and took his time
to hunt them down.
And yet, the situation had changed in an instant.
Garcia’s armor was torn as thin as paper, and his body was shredded into tiny pieces.
That’s right, he was sliced up eight times in an instant, and his life was cut short without even
allowing him time to think.
—No, there was still time to think.
In Esprit’s hand was a small red ball, an embodied soul.
“Hmm, so this guy’s is red, huh? Quite a typical color, huh?”
“I think he just doesn’t know what he amounts to.”
Esprit muttered, to which Agera, now in human form, replied. Then, glaring viciously at the red
ball, he spat out.
“No warrior can remain silent when his lord is insulted, you fool! But alas! It was my task to
admonish you, but I didn’t expect the words of a such little man to have set me into a rage…”
Esprit gave Agera a rare word of comfort.
“Well, well. This time it was an insult to Rimuru-sama, so it couldn’t be helped. Carrera-sama
has said she forgives you, so maybe you’re worrying too much.”
“Well, then let’s just leave it at that, shall we?”
While responding, Agera vowed to be more diligent.
Esprit looked at Agera with some envy.

Just now, clearly—Agera had acquired a new Skill.

 And then he remembered.
He remembered his old self, the one who had trained to become a master of the sword. Not all
of his memories had returned, but only the sword skills he mastered had reappeared in his body. Or
perhaps he should say that they had been completely recreated.
The “Oboro Shinmei-ryu,” the supreme sword technique for dispelling demons, had been
recreated.
When he was a human, Agera believed that his soul had resided in his sword.
Was that why?
When he turned himself into a sword, his memories came back to him.
He realized for the first time the meaning of why he had taken the form of a samurai.
Before he was reborn as a demon in this world, he was a samurai.
Byakuya Araki was my name, wasn’t it? Hm, even if a dead man wandered out now, it would
only confuse everyone…Hakurou.
The image of Hakurou flashed through his mind.
His disciples had grown up successfully and had inherited a new school called “Oboro-ryu.”
Agera himself had changed the name to “Oboro-ryu,” as he felt that “Shinmei” was not
appropriate for a monster29. That memory came to mind, but…
Kukuku, getting “named” by Rimuru-sama, isn’t that even the heart’s fate understood? If that’s
the case, there will be no curtain for me to appear.
In this world, he had become a family with the Ogre tribe and had a daughter, and Hakurou was
the child his daughter bore when she grew up.
In this age, there were many people whom Hakurou had cultivated.
The most prominent of these was Agera’s lord, Rimuru, and all of the achievements in raising
Rimuru could be attributed to Hakurou.
Agera was honestly happy to know that the skills he had trained and refined would be passed
on—It would be churlish to interfere now.
Agera thought about this and switched his mindset.
He had lost interested in the garbage that had just been killed.
Agera turned on his heel and headed for Carrera, his current master.

The three demons came out of the gate and were greeted with cheers from the officers.
“Well done, I’m proud of you too!”
Carrera patted Agera on the back with a bang, which almost killed him.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the refreshments are ready.”
Freshly brewed tea and sandwiches were laid out on the neatly arranged table. This was
Zonda’s work, and it was also well received.
Putting off the discussion for a later time, Esprit handed the red orb to Carrera.
“This is the soul of that rude man. The core of his heart has been locked away, so his ego is still
intact!”
“Nice, Esprit! Now we can punish this fool for insulting Rimuru-sama.”
“Yes, yes. By the way, Carrera, can you leave that to me?” Ultima interrupted, and Carrera
tossed her the red orb.
“If that’s okay with you, Benimaru-san, it’s fine with me.” She waited for Benimaru’s decision.
“Do what you want.”
There was no need to ask.
Benimaru had no taste for torturing the dead, and since he had no control over the soul, he had
no choice but to leave the matter to the demons.
29
Basically, “Shinmei” refers to a god/divinity so “Oboro” meaning “haze” makes more sense for monsters.
 Normally, it would be a violation of principle to deal with an opponent who has already won or
lost. But this time, Garcia’s comment was unacceptable. Benimaru couldn’t bring himself to stop
them, and so, the red orb fell into Ultima’s hands.
“Okay, let’s go! Grudge Curse Destruction!”
It was a deadly poison refined by Ultima. It was not a physical substance, but rather a
dangerous one that destroyed the spiritual body and even invaded the astral body as well. There was
no way that the red orb, the embodiment of the soul, could withstand it, and Garcia screamed out in
pain.
‹S-stop it, stop it—Gehhh!!›
But Ultima only laughed happily.
“Yes, yes. The effect is outstanding!”
“By the way, what kind of effect does it have?” Testarossa asked.
It wasn’t that she didn’t know, but that she wanted to let Garcia hear it.
“Well, it keeps you suffering until the power of the soul wears away. This guy has a lot of
energy, so I think he’ll enjoy it for a long time. It’ll probably take a thousand years, but then you’ll
be reborn as a pure white and beautiful soul!” Ultima replied happily.
Garcia sobbed inaudibly. He wondered where he had made the wrong choice, and deeply
regretted it now.
“Well, that’s very kind of you. I’m sure he’ll be grateful for the opportunity to atone for his
sins.” Testarossa said with a smile.
‘That’s impossible’—Benimaru thought, but for once he didn’t offer any help, he just let it be.
Zonda served them, and they took a short break.
Esprit, wondering how they could afford to do so, opened her mouth in an attempt to keep
things interesting.
“To be honest, when Agera said he couldn’t win, I didn’t know what to do.”
Now that the mood was peaceful, Esprit felt like complaining lightly. She knew that Agera
would have a plan, but he had taken advantage of her confusion, and that’s why she was still upset.
“I didn’t say that I couldn’t win.”
Agera replied back, but in reality, he hadn’t been entirely sure about his plan. He was glad that
he had succeeded, but if the ‘Blade Transformation’ had failed, he would have been blindsided.
“But you should have at least consulted me beforehand! It’s okay because we won, but I
wouldn’t take responsibility for if we lost!”
It had been a long time since she had been as desperate as she was this time, even though Esprit
was usually hiding in a safe zone. This made her even more irritated with Agera.
Ultima nodded in response, laughing.
“Well, we couldn’t afford to lose, even by any chance. Or rather, I wouldn’t allow it. Rimuru-
sama wouldn’t be mad if we lost, but we can’t die.”
“You’re right. That’s what I thought, too, which is why I’ve been monitoring you through
Esprit.”
Carrera seemed to be a laissez-faire type of person, but if Agera and the others were about to
lose, she would have been the first to move in.
From that point of view, what would follow would have been a serious attack by the
executives. Although that might be considered a shameful thing to do, they needed to be prepared
for any eventuality.
Esprit, perhaps feeling uneasy after the discussion, asked in a whisper.
“Um, is Shion-sama going to be okay? The battle is over for us, but she hasn’t come out yet…”
Esprit, who had thought that Shion would be fine, suddenly became worried.
Benimaru replied with a nonchalant look on his face.
“No problem. She might be the kind of person who would forget her objective, but she doesn’t
seem to be struggling.”
Souei nodded in agreement.
“She’s overzealous. The same attacks over and over again won’t work, so she should consider
different ways to attack.”
 Esprit wondered at that statement, as if he could see it in his eyes.
“…Are you aware of what’s going on inside?”
It was Testarossa who spoke up in response.
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m staying because I have to be ready in case something happens to the
officers.”
At this point, Carrera and Ultima spewed out their tea.
“—What?!”
“Wait a minute, Testarossa. What is it then? Did you know what was going on in there without
Esprit’s information?”
“Of course I did.”
Testarossa’s smile deepened as she smiled at them.
Hearing this, Carrera shouted as if she had just realized something.
“Then are you also watching Rimuru-sama fight too?!”
“Ah!”
Ultima jumped up, as if the possibility had just occurred to her.
“That’s not fair, Testarossa!”
“Seriously, you shouldn’t do that! It’s just like Diablo. Why do you always think that all that
matters is what’s good for you? Don’t you think you should invite us as well?”
Carrera and Ultima were upset, but Testarossa kept a cool face.
So did Benimaru and Souei. As the people in charge of gathering information, they thought that
this was a battle they could not miss.
Shion, by the way, was unaware of this. That’s why she had been the first to jump into the gate.
If Shion had been watching Rimuru’s fight, she would not have moved until it was over. Benimaru
knew this, which was why he had kept it a secret from Shion. In any case, it was necessary to pacify
the disgruntled Carrera and the others. Benimaru had no choice but to explain.
“As mentioned, the monitoring by Moss is very convenient—I’ve had him enter all eight gates
to do individual surveillance.”
‘It worked without a hitch’, Benimaru concluded.
This meant that Moss was still gathering information even now.
Benimaru had strictly ordered him not to move without doing something, so that the enemy
inside would not detect him.
“That’s right. I tried it myself, but I couldn’t touch the other gates. It seems that Agera is the
one who killed the enemy.”
“Of course, I couldn’t get in either.”
Aside from Zonda, who had done nothing, Esprit had also lost the right to try again.
It was unclear what Velgrynd was thinking, but it was confirmed that once you entered, you
would not be able to enter any other gates unless you directly defeated the enemy.
“That’s to be expected.”
“Yeah. It was a good decision to let them enter from the beginning.”
Benimaru, Souei and Testarossa all nodded to one another.
“So, if any of us have a hard time, Testarossa will come to our aid?”
“Yes, that’s right. Actually, I don’t think that’s going to happen, and I’ve got other things on
my mind, but I’ll be there if you need me.”
“No need—is what I’d like to say, but it’s Rimuru-sama’s orders. I’m going to try to win, so
don’t be too hasty.” Carrera said, smiling wryly, and Benimaru and the others nodded, as if they felt
the same way.
At this point, Benimaru changed his expression and spoke to Carrera.
“Carrera, about your opponent, don’t let your guard down.”
“Of course, but why say that?”
“Kondou, I believe, was the only one who noticed Moss and took him out with a single bullet.”
“Huh…That’s interesting.” Smiling wryly, Carrera seemed more interested than afraid of her
opponent’s strength.
 “I’m not worried about you, but if something happens, you can call for help through Esprit.”
Testarossa said, and Carrera responded by raising one hand.
Her demeanor eloquently told her that it was not necessary. Typical Carrera, Testarossa smiled.
Then, the officers resumed their assault on the gate.
Shion was fighting in one of them, so there were only six left.
Excluding the gate guarded by Velgrynd, five gates were now opened at once.

Shion was alone, fighting hard.

Outside the gates, the atmosphere was peaceful, but now Shion was facing the enemy with a
fierce expression on her face. Her opponent was Minaza, the sixth-ranked knight of the Single
Digits, one of the four head knights and also a female knight.
Shion breathed heavily with her shoulders and gave Minaza an indignant glare.
“I’ll give you praise for giving me so much trouble!” She shouted loudly, her voice full of
spirit.
Minaza, for her part, was not unharmed. Her uniform was torn and her bare skin was exposed.
But there was nothing sexy about it.
And rightfully so.
Minaza had stopped her Mimicry long ago and was giving it her all in her true form.
“Shut up! I’m the one who should be giving the praise. All for your futile efforts! I praise you
for defeating my children, but I’ll have to repay that grudge.”
At Minaza’s feet, there were a great many dead insectoids. All of them had been slaughtered by
Shion.
Yes, the insect-type higher form, an insectar, was the true identity of Minaza.
“Hmph! A small fish like that doesn’t count as a thing to me. I’m used to the training grounds,
where many more powerful individuals spring up.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Fufufu, it’s a shame. I am an experienced woman, despite my appearance. This is not the first
time I’ve fought an insect-type beast!”
Although exhausted, Shion still had plenty of energy left. The smug Shion looked down on
Minaza and told her as such. Then, as if remembering, she continued.
“Speaking of which… Now that I think about it, Razul was not an insectoid, but rather a bug-
shaped majin (insectar). He said it was in its full form, so I’m sure it was.”
Hearing this, Minaza’s face changed.
“Razul? You’re the one who defeated the guardian god of the West?!”
Shion nodded her head.
“I didn’t take him on alone, but I was the one who defeated him. He was a strong opponent.”
Hearing this, Minaza muttered to herself, “I see.” Then she turned her face down and started
laughing with a ‘kukuku.’
“So, you got rid of him! He betrayed us. We are an Aggressor race from the otherworld, but
His Majesty Rudra accepted us and we finally found a safe place to live. And yet, he continued to
be an unmitigated and selfish fool, not showing any reverence.”
Even if it was explained like that, it didn’t make sense to Shion. She just looked at Minaza with
an expression that seemed to say, ‘What the hell is she talking about?’ However, there was one
thing that bothered her, so she decided to take the opportunity to ask.
“Let me ask you something, aside from Razul, did you send any of your people to other
places?”
Shion was curious about her friends Zegion and Apito. If they knew each other, it might not be
a good idea to kill Minaza. Thinking so, she asked just in case.
 “There are many races in the otherworld. Through the Underworld Gate that sometimes opens,
various Aggressors target this world. There are us insectars and cryptids of similar nature. And then
there are the phantoms. Unlike demons, we are semi-spiritual, so we can materialize on this world if
we take our time.”
Shion didn’t care if she didn’t get an answer, but Minaza was kind enough to tell her.
What Minaza meant by “Underworld Gate” was the “Gate of Hell”, a term familiar to Diablo
and her friends, but Shion just thought it was hot.
Minaza said that the Underworld was a place where the three major races fought for
supremacy. There was also a parallel world, which was a hell where the demons reigned.
The world was very poor, and there was nothing to feed on. That’s why it was said that they
were vigilantly targeting this world. It was said that they had been sending their people to this world
many times since long ago in order to expand their territory. Insectoids such as the Army Wasps
were also a kind of Aggressor.
“Well, some of them are unfaithful to us, and we sometimes get into a bit of trouble.”
Razul, whom Shion and the others had defeated, was a representative of such a race. It was
proof that them and Minaza were not monolithic, although Shion remembered something else.
Apito and Zegion had been picked up by Rimuru after escaping from someone, right?
There is no doubt that they are enemies!
Although she had no particular reason to believe it, Shion decided as such. She trusted her
intuition, and she was proud of the fact that she had never been wrong in such a situation.
This time, too, Shion’s intuition was correct.
It was not a coincidence.
Shion was deeply connected to Rimuru—by Ciel and his Skill—because she had once died and
come back to life. Therefore, her computing power interfered, and she was able to correctly discern
the truth from the fragmented information she had already obtained.
“In short, you are the enemy, aren’t you?”
“Hahaha, what are you saying now? Thanks to your stalling, I will be able to revive my
beautiful children once again!”
As soon as she shouted this, Minaza’s lower body swelled up. Though hidden by the skirt of
her uniform, Minaza’s lower body was also covered with several mouths. And from each of those
mouths, all at once, a wicked egg was being produced.
“Hahaha! You may look strong, but you’re exhausted from fighting my children. You think you
can win against this many—Waah?!”
Minaza’s triumphant words came to a halt.
It was only natural.
A single flash of Shion’s “Hercules Ex” was enough to knock out a large number of the insect
beasts.
“That’s not possible! My children… With the help of His Majesty Rudra, they should have
been reborn as warriors with overwhelming power…”
Minaza’s power was a power similar to Apito’s ‘Queen Worship’. It was called the Unique
Skill ‘Gluttony Rebirth’, and by eating the corpses of the children she had given birth to, she could
regenerate them over and over again. In addition, the Ultimate Enchantment ‘Alternative’ loaned by
Rudra had reinforced the system and greatly reduced the time required for rebirth.
The numerous insect-type majins that were produced were as strong an opponent to Shion as
Minaza was proud of. Each of them was as good as a greater majin, and some of them were as
fierce as a Demon Lord Seed.
However…
Shion had defeated all of them, though it was a hard fight.
That being the case, there would be no second time.
Using ‘Optimal Action’, the essence of the Unique Skill ‘Cook’, the insect-type majins were
defeated in an instant.
Minaza was astonished. Even if she didn’t fight herself, she could exhaust her opponents just
wearing them down with the children over and over again. She was so good at such tactics that she
was confused in the face of a non-standard opponent like Shion.
But she was still a queen. She did not repeat her mistake and stood up in a rage.
“I won’t forgive you. My children, lend your strength to the Queen Mother!”
“Interesting, I’ll accept your challenge!”
Minaza, with the children’s power at her disposal, shifted into battle form. Shion happily
intercepted her with her Hercules Ex.
And so, the long battle began.

It was a back-and-forth battle of offense and defense.

Minaza’s attacks wounded Shion, but she was instantly healed by the activation of Ultraspeed
Regeneration. And Shion’s attacks were unable to damage Minaza’s exoskeleton. Equipped with
legendary-grade armor and protected by Ultimate Enchantment, Minaza was now so strong that
even mythical-grade weapons would have difficulty damaging it.
Minaza’s speed was greater than Shion’s, but Shion’s strength was greater. Minaza had the
advantage in defense, while Shion had the advantage in resilience.
“Damn it, not this again. Those bugs are hard, and really nasty.”
Shion wanted to break Minaza’s exoskeleton, no matter how small the wound. Then the rest
could be cooked by ‘Cook’. Minaza was desperate not to let that happen. She was not
underestimating Shion, but to be honest, she felt threatened by her strength, which far exceeded her
expectations.
I can’t believe it. I can’t believe that she can fight me in this form so evenly…
The amount of magicules was enormous as it appeared, but if that was the only reason, there
was no way she should have struggled. What made Shion troublesome was that while she appeared
to be sloppy, she was actually quite skilled with a sword.
She was not as good as Benimaru, but she had still been recognized by Hakurou, her master. In
other words, she was a licensed swordsman. This, combined with Shion’s strength, made Minaza’s
rampage a nightmare.
Shion, however, was not satisfied. She wanted to defeat Minaza quickly and move on, but she
was stronger than she had thought.
As expected of a warrior at the top of the Empire. As Rimuru-sama had said, she was an
opponent I couldn’t let my guard down against.
She didn’t think about that until now.
Shion usually didn’t think too much. Now that she had, she began to think about a possible clue
to defeating her opponent.
It was just a temporary thing, but it was better that she realized that she needed to use her head.
However, it was not as if a good idea would come to you just by using your brain. Though
uninspired, Shion had Ciel’s blessing.

«You have the power. It took a while to choose the best race out of all the possibilities, but now
it has been decided. The one that is most suitable for you—»

Hearing that voice, Shion remembered.

Rimuru had asked her some questions when he gave her the reward, but Shion had not thought
deeply about it. She remembered saying that she would leave everything to him, but nothing had
changed since then.
Shion did not care about the evolution of the others.
Benimaru had evolved from an oni to a “flame spirit oni”, which meant that he became as
powerful as a divine oni.
Shion, on the other hand, was still an oni.
But she didn’t mind, because she was strong enough as she was.
But that was not enough to defeat Minaza.
It was inevitable that Shion would seek power, and in response to her desire, the Soul Corridor
was connected.
 «—A “Battle spirit oni” is a good choice. It is a high-ranking holy spirit and boasts
unparalleled strength in material terms. Next is the verification of Skills—»

I’ll leave that up to you—Shion decided, tossing the matter aside. Then she concentrated on
Minaza.
Shion’s demeanor was brusque, but for some reason, she seemed to hear a hint of happiness in
the voice. It may have been Shion’s imagination, but there was a real change that occurred.
“What the hell is wrong with you?! That gushing, intense youki… Have you been slacking off
until now—?!”
The spirit surpasses the body.
Therefore, Shion’s racial awakening was accelerated as the voice of her heart demanded. The
evolutionary possibilities were managed by Ciel, and the best ones were selected.
Shion evolved into a rare but powerful divine spirit, a “battle spirit oni”. Her body had ‘Infinite
Regeneration’ and she was immortal as long as her magicules existed. Attacks launched from her
body were not limited to physical damage, but also destroyed the mind. Despite the fact that she
was a spiritual life form with no weaknesses, she had an advantage against all attributes.
Shion had evolved into an existence that could be called a natural enemy of spiritual life forms.
Shion’s evolution had also changed her physical form. Her body was optimized to be more
specialized for combat.
She realized this halfway, by instinct. As if she had stretched out under a clear blue sky, she felt
refreshed.
Shion held her favorite sword, the new Hercules Ex, in her hand.
“Did I keep you waiting? But now my time with you is over.” In a polite tone, Shion spoke to
Minaza.
“Don’t underestimate me! Just as you have hidden your power, I will reveal my true form!”
True to her words, Minaza’s form had become even more deformed. She even cut down her
own lifespan, and became even more aggressive as she tried to fight Shion.
And so the battle began—
“Those who seek to take our safe haven shall die in pain! Ultimate Enchantment ‘Alternative’
unleash your full power… Come forth, emergents! I will feed on my own flesh and use my instincts
to destroy my enemies.”
“Chaotic Fate!!”
—It was over in an instant.
The evil and forbidden final attack that Minaza was about to make was crushed by Shion’s
sword before it could be seen in full.
In front of the shattered pieces of flesh, Shion declared.
“You’ve been so annoying and talking too much.”
“…Wha…What the hell is…”
One of the pieces of flesh lying around was Minaza’s head, more than half of which was
missing. Minaza realized that her inevitable death was imminent, but she couldn’t accept the reality
and was gravely upset.
Looking down coldly at Minaza, Shion asked.
“Do you need some help finishing you off30?”
For Minaza, Shion was the worst possible match.
Before she had evolved into a “battle spirit oni”, she was just an even match with or without an
Ultimate Skill. From this point on, there was no way Minaza could win when she was only evenly
matched against Shion, who had no Ultimate Skill.
As a result of Shion’s evolution, the power of her will had reached the ultimate realm. Shion’s

30
Shion actually says “Do you need a Kaishakunin?” A Kaishakunin is a person appointed to behead an individual
who has performed seppuku (ritual suicide). Normally, seppuku is a slow agony, so the Kaishakunin will quickly finish
the person off.
favorite sword had also evolved to a mythical-grade that could be called “Hercules Deluxe”.
If Minaza’s power had not been borrowed, it would have been a different story, but she was not
strong enough to deal with Shion now.
“Guh, hah… That’s ridiculous… You’re too strong. B-but, my children will …” Minaza said as
if blind. But her hopes had already been dashed. Shion’s Chaotic Fate had sliced and diced all living
things.
“If only it were that way.”
Shion’s words were a mercy.
“…You’re so naive. So naive… You can’t win against the Insect Lord-sama that way…”
That’s when Minaza’s energy ran out. Her life was gone and Shion’s victory was assured.
“…Insect lord?”
The words Minaza had left behind held a very important meaning. But Shion didn’t care about
any of that.
“Well, I suppose it’s none of my business!” she said with a refreshing detachment, and did not
even try to remember it.

Thus, Minaza, an invader from the otherworld, met a pitiful end along with her children.
The queen, who had sought to establish an insectar paradise under the protection of Emperor
Rudra, disappeared from the world just before achieving her ambition.

Veyron was the second most powerful of the seven demon peers. He was a duke-class, undefeated
for over 4,000 years. Despite this, he was unable to stand up to the warrior-like figure of Marco in
front of him and was humiliated to be lying on the floor.
Marco had correctly used the Ultimate Enchantment ‘Alternative’ by imitating Kondou’s form
with the Unique Skill ‘Impersonator’. By imitating Kondou with the Unique Skill ‘Impersonator’,
Marco was able to use the Ultimate Enchantment ‘Alternative’ correctly. He had Kondou’s Skills at
his disposal, and he was efficient without the slightest bit of waste.
Veyron was a powerful opponent, but Marco was still better than him. It was only because of
Veyron’s high level of skill that he was able to do more than bend the knee. His combat skills,
honed as a demon, were no match for Marco. It was a frightening reality, but Veyron had no fear.
On the contrary, inwardly, he even enjoyed the current situation.
It was only natural. Having said that he could win in front of Ultima, his master, and all the
other leaders, he had to win.
“Devil, was your name Veyron? I congratulate you on your fight, but it’s useless no matter how
many times you try. I’ve seen what you can do. I am more than capable of handling you now.”
“I suppose. Since I haven’t shown my true colors yet, your assessment is quite correct.”
“What?”
Marco was about to recommend surrender, but Veyron’s reaction made him look doubtful. In
Marco’s opinion, there was an enormous difference in strength between him and Veyron. It was
proof that Kondou’s strength was overwhelming, but to Marco, it was his own strength.
That is why he was angry at Veyron’s words.
Veyron was a demon peer, but his magicules were less than a quarter of Marco’s. It was
difficult earlier because it wasn’t one-on-one, but now it was just Veyron. Marco had a huge
advantage because he was unencumbered.
And yet, Veyron merely stood up and laughed.
“You cannot defeat me by imitating others. Because I am also good at imitation.”
“Huh? I beg your pardon?”
“A forgery is not as good as a true work. Do you understand that this is the truth? No.”
 “What are you trying to say?” Marco asked in frustration.
Veyron laughed inwardly, wishing he could just slash him instead of asking questions.
“I’ll tell you now. What I consider to be the best work of art is—”
As soon as he shouted this, Veyron activated his newfound ability.
………
……
…
Veyron is Ultima’s butler.
For a long time, he was in charge of all her affairs. He had to deal with whatever his lord asked
of him.
The specialized field of cooking was left to Zonda, but the other things were under Veyron’s
jurisdiction.
What Veyron had devised was a Unique Skill called ‘Impersonator’, a useful power to be able
to become anything. With this ‘Impersonator’, it was possible to turn into anyone that Veyron saw.
It was a skill similar to Marco’s Impersonator, but Impersonator’s accuracy was better. However,
Marco was enhanced by Emperor Rudra’s power. Considering this, Veyron had no chance to win,
but that was not necessary to be said.
Because the person Veyron was trying to emulate was stronger than Kondou, whom Marco had
imitated.
Marco was able to reproduce less than 80 percent of Kondou’s strength. Veyron, who had a
similar ability, knew that it was impossible to reproduce someone who was too powerful.
That is why Veyron chose a supernatural being who had charmed even his master. By copying
the Demon Lord Rimuru, he hoped to utilize some of his power.
But then, Veyron heard a voice.

«That cannot be allowed. But in return, I will grant you the power.»

It was not the same as the “Voice of the World”.

At first Veyron was puzzled, but as soon as he understood the implications, he was almost
moved to tears.
I, even as I am, am being watched over by that love!!
As if praying to God, Veyron gave his thanks.
Veyron realized that his Skill had evolved.
Even if it was an imitation, it became art as long as it moved people. As if to prove this, there
was a certain power in that ability.
Ultimate Gift ‘Artist’—It was because of this that Veyron was convinced that he could beat
Marco.
………
……
…
What appeared before Marco was a young warrior with a keen eye.
“…Who? No, it doesn’t matter who it is. I don’t know any swordsman better than Lieutenant
Kondou. You are free to imitate whomever you like, but you still won’t stand a chance.”
The young warrior that Veyron imitated looked very much like Agera, which was no surprise,
for it was the appearance of Byakuya Araki in his younger days. This result was the ultimate
culmination of imitation that Veyron had achieved.
Veyron thought to himself. A true forger would be able to copy a painting from the heyday of
the artist they were trying to imitate. It was only Veyron, who had tried to master all fields of art at
the behest of Ultima, who had come to this conclusion. ‘Artist’ could recreate the power of the copy
in their prime, even if he had never actually met the person. It was a foul power indeed. And it was
here that Veyron unleashed his power.
His master, Ultima, had evolved by receiving power from Rimuru. By his grace, Veyron had
also grown in power. The amount of magicules Veyron now had was comparable to that of a demon
lord or even an awakened demon lord.
“Wh-What?! It’s as if he’s a different person from before!!” Marco was astonished.
Veyron ignored Marco and materialized a sword in his hand. It was the demon’s unique ‘Matter
Creation’ ability. Although it was only a fake imitation of Agera’s Blade Transformation sword, it
had the effect of the Ultimate Gift ‘Artist’ added to it. It was a fake, and there was no doubt that its
performance was as close to the real thing as possible.
Veyron took a glance at Marco and spoke.
“That’s right. Certainly, this Kondou fellow is not to be underestimated. However—”
“…Just what are you trying to say?”
“Now that Carrera-sama has gone to battle, I fear his fate may soon be sealed.”
“Hahaha, what nonsense!” Marco laughed at this nonsense. Marco couldn’t imagine Kondou
being defeated.
The two men glared at each other. As long as their arguments were incompatible, there was no
choice but to settle the matter by force. They both moved at the same time.
“Baika (Plum Blossom)—Gokatotsu!!”
“‘True Fake Transcendental Technique (Gallery Fake)’—Yaezakura—Hakkasen—”
The imitation was now the real thing. Veyron’s eight sword flashes knocked away the five
sword strands. The remaining three sword blasts cut off Marco’s arms. Finally, Veyron stopped
with a snap of his blade against Marco’s neck.
“A-Ahh, aah…”
The intense pain from both arms caused Marco’s transformation to unravel. He tried to stop the
blood from flowing, but Marco had no more than elbows to speak of.
“Fufufu, I’m not going to kill you.”
“Kuu, are you trying to take me hostage?”
“No, how can that be?” At this point, Veyron also changed his mind and smiled.
“I am Lady Ultima’s butler, so I will do whatever it takes to please her.” Marco felt a deep
sense of dread as Veyron gave him an unanswerable answer.
“What are you doing to me?” Marco couldn’t help but ask that question, but his reaction was
already as if he had fallen into Veyron’s trap. Veyron replied promptly.
“Her Ladyship is a very cruel person. The painful emotions of those who oppose her are her
favorite. She doesn’t kill her enemies right away, rather she rots them little by little. I am in a
position to admonish her for that. And yet…and yet!!”
‘I don’t want to hear this’—Marco thought.
However, Veyron was ruthless.
“I love it. I, too, find nothing more pleasurable than to see a strong man begging for mercy!”
‘That’s why Marco is the best toy of all’, Veyron’s muffled voice told him.
“No, please stop. I surrender. If you want, I swear I’ll never disobey you again. So—”
Marco began to plead, but no one could blame him for that. He hadn’t known defeat before, so
he was vulnerable when on the defensive. Besides, Marco’s skills were solid, but his spirit had not
been trained. His ultimate power had only been lent to him, and he had not mastered it himself.
Veyron, a demon among demons, was skilled in the art of tapping into the fear of such an opponent.
“Hmm, too bad! No need to worry about it, I decline.”
“Why?!”
“Because the Empire’s policy is the same, isn’t it? I am a supporter of that idea.”
“Eh…”
“Once you start a war, you cannot surrender. It’s wonderful! The weak should just submit from
the start. It’s too embarrassing to ask for negotiation after losing a war. It’s a way of thinking that I
can’t help but sympathize with.”
“Th-That’s…”
“Isn’t it so? You’ve done this before, so you can’t be so selfish as to not want to do it when it’s
your turn. So—”
At this point, Veyron’s mouth twisted into an ear-splitting grin. His smile was even more
disturbing because he was dressed like a gentleman butler, and it left a mark on the viewer’s mind.
 “Take responsibility, kid. And help please Lady Ultima.”
Veyron revealed his true nature. A cruel, brutal, merciless demon, befitting of Ultima’s first
dependent. That was Veyron.
“H-Help me…Help me, Lieutenant Kondou!” Marco’s cries for help did not reach Kondou.
“Well, that cry is quite pleasant, but it may disturb others. So, please be quiet for a while.” As
soon as he said that, Veyron carelessly pulled out Marco’s tongue.
“Guuhooo?! Woooo-woooooh!!” Marco’s voiceless voice echoed in the other world, separated
from this world.
As for Marco’s fate after this—

Souei was in a good mood. He had been secretly watching Rimuru’s battle, and now Rimuru had
secured a great victory. It was fortuitous that he was able to watch the battle.
Rimuru had taken on both Veldora and Velgrynd at the same time, and still seemed to have the
upper hand. He even ate Veldora and evolved. On top of that, he overwhelmed Velgrynd,
undaunted by the onslaught that Souei would have been unable to resist.
How strong such a Rimuru had become could not be determined by appearance alone. Even
when he tried to find out through the Soul Corridor, Souei could not sense it. Therefore, it was not
just Souei’s desire to know about it.
At least, Diablo had taken little action until the end and was undoubtedly staying by Rimuru’s
side. Although he was an annoying bastard for running away, Souei could not complain openly
because he understood Diablo’s point and purpose.
Speaking of annoying, there was also Testarossa.
Although she had quietly declared her intention to stay, Souei had mixed feelings when he
considered the implications. Still, Souei did not oppose her, because he understood her intentions.
Perhaps Velgrynd, realizing the disadvantage, had started to protect Rudra in the middle of the
battle with Rimuru. There was no guarantee that she would not come out until she had defeated the
other seven gates.
There is no way that the cunning Testarossa did not foresee the possibility of this happening,
and yet she didn’t point it out, which means that she thinks she can handle it by herself. I don’t think
she can win against Velgrynd-sama, but she has a remarkable amount of confidence.
Souei had seen right through Testarossa’s intentions. Testarossa was probably aiming for a
rematch with Velgrynd. Souei hoped that he could be forgiven for being jealous of Testarossa, since
she was trying to challenge an opponent that Souei could not beat.
Souei thought to himself. Benimaru, too, must have read Testarossa’s thoughts and approved of
them. This was because even Benimaru was no match for Velgrynd.
Benimaru, who was good at using flames, would not be able to attack Velgrynd, who could be
called the god of flames. There was a possibility that he could not even buy time, and Testarossa
was thought to be more suitable.
Incidentally, Souei would only be able to withstand Velgrynd for a few seconds. None of
Souei’s specialties would work against Velgrynd, who could control space. He would not even be
allowed to escape and would end up being burned to a crisp. Being aware of this was not very fun
for Souei because had to accept what would happen. Although it was not fun, he had no choice but
to endorse Testarossa.
And so, Souei decided to devote himself to his work in a very complicated state of mind,
feeling both happy about Rimuru’s victory and dissatisfied with his own lack of strength. Rimuru’s
order to kill the enemy was absolute, and he had no hesitation in obeying it. For Souei, eliminating
the enemy was a natural thing to do in the first place.
Let’s finish this quickly and get back to Rimuru-sama’s side.
 With his loyalty to Rimuru growing even stronger, Souei went through the gate as his excited
heart commanded.

He caught a glimpse of the enemy, and Souei did not hesitate to go straight for them.
The gate resembled a circular colosseum, which was the same inside all the gates. In the center
of the colosseum stood his target.
“Hey, are you my opponent?” The smirking man was Gardner, the fourth rank in the Single
Digit hierarchy.
“Since you’ve come all this way, I’ll at least introduce myself. My name is Gardner. I’m in
charge of his Majesty Rudra’s protection. It’ll be a short visit, but I hope you enjoy it.”
With that, Gardner looked at Souei as if he was trying to figure out what to do with him.
Gardner looked at Souei as if he were judging him. He was tingling with a secret hobby of abuse,
wondering how he could torment him.
In response, Souei was silent. No, rather, after a short pause, he let out a sigh.
“Did my precious time get taken away just to deal with someone like you?” He spat this out in
a vexed tone, but Gardner was not one to let that go unheard.
“…What did you say?”
“My name is Souei. If you wish to surrender, I’ll accept, but you don’t want to, do you?”
“Of course not!” Gardner was incensed by Souei’s attitude and had fallen for Souei’s schemes
even before the fight began, though he was unaware of it.
“Souei, was it? According to what Kondou-san found out, you were working as an intelligence
officer in the land of monsters, right? That means you’re not suited for direct combat!”
Of course, Kondou’s investigation was not so lukewarm. Gardner knew that Souei’s strength
was of a certain level and that he was daring to provoke him. He originally thought that he could
win without such a challenge, but he thought it would be rewarding if he lost his cool.
It was a shallow strategy, and it was meaningless when provoked by Souei.
“You lowlife. Enough of your nonsense, let’s get started.”
Souei had seen through Gardner’s strength in this short time. Without realizing it, Gardner
recklessly slashed at Souei.
Gardner’s weapon was a two-handed Blue Dragon Blade (Seiryuuto). The blade, thicker and
larger than a knife, was difficult to handle but powerful. The flowing succession of attacks was
magnificent, as if he were dancing. It was an attack that combined strength and sharpness with
Gardner’s high skill. However, it would not work against Souei.
Gardner’s Seiryuuto sliced through the air, and the momentum was too much for him to keep
his stance. Souei didn’t miss, and the bullet that came from the shadow at Gardner’s feet was
sucked into the chest of his prey.
“Guha?!” Gardner coughed up blood and collapsed.
Souei emerged from the shadows to finish him off. In his hand was a Walther P99, a small
handgun. Souei had secretly obtained the prototype that Rimuru had Kaijin build for him. He had
been practicing to be able to shoot it from the shadow space, and the result was Gardner, who had
been shot through the heart.
“Huh, how boring.”
No matter how strong the opponent is, if they were caught off guard, they could be killed with a
single blow—Souei believed in this kind of claim, but he also understood that there were some
opponents for whom such a method would not work.
Gardner, however, was not one of them, and his plan had worked brilliantly.
After all, this bullet contained all of Souei’s Skills. In addition to the ‘Ultraspeed’ and ‘Insta-
kill’ of the Unique Skill ‘Shadow Striker’, it also had the effects of poison, paralysis, and corrosion.
The initial speed of the bullet reached tens of times the speed of sound thanks to Ultraspeed, and
with Insta-kill added to its power, it could destroy even spiritual bodies. With the addition of
various abnormalities, Gardner’s death was certain. Everyone, not just Souei, would have judged it
as such.
But then—
 “Idiot, you let your guard down!”
Such a voice came from behind Souei as he began to walk towards the gate. Before he could do
so, Souei’s head was cut off and the Seiryuuto sprouted from his chest.
“Ah, this kind of thing is troublesome. It’s good for killing these clever bastards, but it’s not
very interesting because the game is decided in an instant.”
Needless to say, the voice belonged to Gardner, who was supposed to be dead.
The body was still lying there, but Gardner was still standing. The reason for this was a special
ability Gardner had acquired. Ultimate Enchantment ‘Alternative’, ‘Parallel Existence’ was the
power that Gardner had been lent by Rudra.
Unlike Velgrynd, who had an enormous amount of magicules, Gardner was a Saint level of
ordinary. Although he was comparable to an awakened demon lord, he was not capable of creating
multiple ‘Split Bodies’. He could only create one, but it was enough.
No matter how cunning the opponent was, as long as it was the main body, they would not be
able to see that it was a fake. Gardner’s plan was to lure others into a false sense of security by
using one of them as a decoy and attacking with the main body.
It was a strategy for victory, but Gardner was not satisfied with it. This is because Gardner
enjoyed tormenting people who begged for their lives. With this method, he killed his enemies
before they even had a chance to beg for their lives.
“Hey, are you alive? I don’t think so.”
Despite his complaint, Gardner had not forgotten his role. He had to make sure that anyone
who entered the gate was killed, and he had to ensure that Souei was dead.
Then Gardner heard a cold voice saying, “I knew it.”
After being decapitated and stabbed through the heart, Souei’s body had dissipated into a black
mist.
“Oh no!” Gardner shouted, but it was already too late to notice now.
If he hadn’t lost his cool with Souei’s plan, he might have realized that it was a Clone. But that
was a matter of “if”, and there was no point in discussing it now. Gardner’s failure would only lead
to consequences.
“If you wanted to use yourself as bait, a ‘Clone’ would be enough. It seems that that power was
wasted on you.” Souei’s voice echoed coldly.
His point was so accurate that it cut Gardner to the heart. In fact, Gardner had met Velgrynd
before. When he had just become a Saint, he had learned that the Marshal was a beautiful woman,
and had gotten carried away with the idea that he could challenge here. As a result, he was defeated
by a playful ‘Split Body’ in front of the elegantly seated Velgrynd.
At that time, it was Velgrynd’s power that he longed for and craved from the bottom of his
heart. Gardner’s favorite sword, the Seiryuuto, was also a gift from Velgrynd. Souei was not blind
to this. Gardner had been dancing on Souei’s palm from the beginning.
“Damn it!” Gardner screamed.
The absolute situation had shaken him to the core. If one doubted their own abilities, the more
ultimate one’s power is, the more it would affect them. There was no way Souei wouldn’t make a
move targeting that.
“If you’re convinced, then you’re dead!”
With that, Souei was about to activate the Unique Skill ‘Shadow Striker’. In that moment,
Gardner played his final hand.
“Uoooh waaa-raaa!! Then what about this, how about this? All of them are my body, and even
if I’ll die, I’ll take down you with me.”
Multiple ‘Split Bodies’ attacked at once. All of them were the main body and defeating any one
of them was pointless. It was the ultimate attack using ‘Parallel Existence’, which burned away at
Gardner’s life. It happened in less time than it took to blink. Therefore, it was difficult for Souei,
who was aiming for a ‘Shadow Striker’ attack, to avoid it.
The greatest weakness of the ‘Clone’ used by Souei was that it could activate his Unique Skill
except for the main body. Even Souei, who could control multiple ‘Clones’ at the same time, had
not been able to overcome this weakness. This was the difference between a ‘Clone’ and a ‘Split
Body’, so it was only natural.
If the main body is nearby, it can be made to look as if it is activating, but there will be a time
delay. It would only be a gap against a superior opponent, so it had to be the main body that would
deal the final blow.
“Kuh!!”
Souei thought to himself that he had let his guard down. It was common knowledge that the
moment of stabbing was the most dangerous, and that one should not let one’s guard down. For
Souei, it was a blush-inducing blunder to fall into a crisis while knowing this.
Forgive me, Rimuru-sama! I will definitely survive, and I will make up for this later.
Souei tried to prepare for Gardner’s final attack. Since he was not allowed to die, he had to
survive.
But then:

«I will not allow it. So, Souei, I will give you the power too.»

Souei thought he heard a strange voice.

Th-This voice is—No, no!!
Instantly, he understood.
This voice must not be pursued or considered in any way.
Although it was unbecoming of a person in charge of the information department, Souei
immediately decided as such.

«So be it. The name of the power I give you is—»

As if it were an innate power, Souei understood that power. And at the same time, in a field of
consciousness that had been stretched a million times, he realized that his ‘Clone’ had been
transformed into a ‘Split Body’.
This meant that Souei had also acquired ‘Parallel Existence’.
“Hahahahaha! I’m dying, but this is the end of him too. He deserves it—”
“Is that the end of your final will?”
“How—how is that possible?! This is definitely your body—”
“That’s right. And this is just my body too. If you understand, then die.”
“Damn it!!”
This time, Gardner had nothing left.
“Thousand Hands Shadow Kill.”
Souei’s shadow stretched out and became a thousand arms to capture Gardner. This was the
effect of the Eye of the Moon, one of the powers of the Ultimate Gift ‘Moon King Tsukuyomi’ that
Souei had just acquired. The ability to manipulate shadows at will was a perfect match for Souei.
Through the shadows, he could investigate the state of the world. And he could ‘move’
wherever there is a shadow. By combining this with Parallel Existence, it was possible to create
multiple arms and attack from the shadows.
With his body bound, Gardner cried out in anguish.
“You can be proud of your victory. In any case, Velgrynd-sama and Granit-sama will take you
down—” His words died out before he could finish them.
Gardner’s life was cut short by Souei’s ‘Insta-kill’.
“Velgrynd-sama has been defeated by Rimuru-sama. And Granit is headed for Benimaru, who
is stronger than me. Perhaps the same as me—ah, that’s no longer any of your business.”
Souei left those words and let Gardner disappear into the darkness.
 Chapter 5

The Truth of the Emperor

Damrada was alone thinking to himself while guarding one of the eight gates.
Why had this happened to him?
………
……
…
The current situation was dire.
Yuuki had fallen into Emperor Rudra’s hands, and like his companions, was deprived of his
free will. Having been ordered by Rudra to take care of him, Damrada could not resist. And now,
Rudra had given him another order. After handing over the care of Yuuki to someone else, he was
to board the Emperor’s flagship.
And so began the great battle in the air.
The true identity of the Marshal as Velgrynd was told up to the sixth rank, but it could not be
told to anyone. This was an absolute order, and for Damrada, who was often away from home, it
was such an important secret that his memory was even manipulated.
That’s right. I made a promise to that man. And that was—
Seeing the Marshal turn into Velgrynd reminded Damrada of that. At the same time, many
memories were clearly coming back to him. He remembered his most important promise to Rudra,
but he also remembered the reason why he had to do it.
Well then, what should I do…?
There was no time to worry about it.
The Demon Lord Rimuru he had seen a while ago seemed so benevolent that he didn’t feel like
much of a threat. As long as he was trapped in the strange space created by Velgrynd, he should not
be able to interfere with the mission to capture Veldora.
Indeed, Veldora’s domination was complete. This gave Rudra an advantage over Guy—But to
Damrada, none of that mattered.
Not only that, but for Rudra as well…
With a clarity of thought that seemed to clear his foggy mind, Damrada wondered what was
best for Rudra. However, before he could answer that question, Demon Lord Rimuru made his
move. It was a fury of unprecedented proportions. Damrada was tempted to question himself as to
why he had not thought of him as a threat. The mere fact that he had escaped Velgrynd’s realm
showed just how dangerous he was.
But there was more to it than that.
From the moment he saw Rimuru appear, Damrada realized that he had been too naïve in his
opinion. Rimuru had glanced at Damrada and the others with those glittering golden eyes. It was an
unmistakably cold look, almost as if he did not even recognize Damrada and the others as enemies.
Kondou had responded immediately, but his attack was ineffective.

‹—Is that all? In that case, there’s no need to be wary. I will deal with you later. You can be
afraid all you want. Try not to get killed until I deal with you.—›
 Rimuru’s eyes seemed to be telling him.
To Rimuru, Damrada and the others were already dead, weren’t they? Emperor Rudra was no
exception, and Damrada felt that if things continued as they were, they would all be killed together.
What were the conditions for Rimuru’s tactical victory in this situation?
There were two conditions that needed to be met:
1. Reclaiming Veldora.
2. Eliminating the invaders.
Veldora was an ally of Demon Lord Rimuru. To deprive Veldora of his free will would be
unacceptable to Rimuru. The fact that he had come here meant that he was prepared to deal with
Velgrynd. From Damrada’s point of view, there was no telling how the battle would turn out. It was
an unattainable pinnacle of a match-up, and it was not something that Damrada could predict.
As for the elimination of the invaders…
Rimuru was said to be a pacifist, but one should not mistake that for non-resistance. There had
been many acts of aggression towards them in the past, but they had all been repelled. They were
not afraid of the means. With the help of Veldora, the monster nation had won many battles in a
row.
Rimuru would never forgive the Empire’s aggression. The time for negotiations was over, and
it was conceivable that the best course of action for him would be to kill all the Imperial soldiers. In
that case, bargaining would be meaningless, and they would have to fight to the end. There was no
guarantee that they would be forgiven even if they surrendered under the condition that neither side
had any wartime agreements.
It was the Imperial side that had set a trap for Rimuru, who came to negotiate with them
because he did not want to fight. They had lost all credibility and would not be trusted by Rimuru.
The negotiation windows were closed.
I should have been more serious about stopping His Majesty.
Damrada was also proud of the Empire’s strength. He had been overconfident in the Empire’s
power, thinking that it could not be defeated and that they could set the victory conditions as they
pleased.
Show the enemy the majesty of the empire, defeat the enemy thoroughly, make them lose the
will to rebel before swallowing them up. They could change the leadership, replace them with
puppets, and do whatever they wanted as long as they won the war.—This was how the Empire had
been able to expand its territory, but this time they had made a huge miscalculation. In addition to
the fact that they were clashing with evenly matched forces, there was no guarantee that even
Emperor Rudra would be safe.
It was no wonder that Damrada was in a depressed mood.

All that said, Damrada’s real concern was about the promise made between himself and Rudra.
There was no doubt that Rimuru intended to kill Rudra. This made Damrada confused about
how he should act. Damrada also wished to keep his promise to Rudra, but he wanted to accomplish
it with his own hands However, it seemed difficult to win with Rimuru as an opponent…
Damrada shuddered, analyzing the situation. The flagship had been enveloped in a terrible
spell, and the survivors were now defending the eight gates.
Could this really be called an even match?
To Damrada, it seemed as if they had made a terrible mistake.
………
……
…
And then came to now.
“Did I keep you waiting?”
Before Damrada’s eyes was a girl smiling happily. This girl was one of the strongest in the
world, a pillar of the seven primordial demons. Her ‘name’ was Ultima, a subordinate under the
control of Demon Lord Rimuru.
“Not only to add the primordials to his ranks, but to give them power…”
 It was even more terrifying when one saw it up close.
As soon as the fearsome ‘Death Streak’ was shown to be inordinately accurate and powerful,
the demons’ evolution was assured.
Rimuru had opened a tremendously huge Demon Summoning Gate (Summon Gate) without
regard to the fact that he was being watched. There was a hint that the subordinates he had
summoned were up to something.
He didn’t have time to investigate it, but Ultima had given him the answer. Enjoying herself,
Ultima let out a laugh.
“Ahahahahaha, you noticed that? That’s right, Rimuru-sama gave me the power, and now I’m
in great shape!”
In contrast to Ultima, who was very happy, Damrada’s was in a nightmare.
Giving power to a ‘primordial’—After all, it was not something that a mere demon lord could
do. Even Guy Crimson had not been able to evolve the primordials under his command. Thinking in
that way, one could understand just how extraordinary Demon Lord Rimuru’s actions were. Even
so, that did not mean that Damrada was willing to lose. In order to fulfill his promise to Rudra, he
needed to challenge the demon named Ultima with all his might.
“I don’t always aim for the most reasonable path. Even if I choose the path of hardship, it’s fine
as long as the result achieves my goal.” Damrada stopped worrying. Even after witnessing Ultima’s
overwhelming power, he took an undaunted stance.
“So, you’re going to do it, huh?”
“Of course. I’ll show you my power as His Majesty’s knight.”
“I’m looking forward to it. So then, let’s begin!”
And so, the battle between Damrada, the second rank of the Single Digits, and Ultima, the
‘Pain Lord’, began.

Ultima watched Damrada with a thin smile. She could feel a power that was incredibly strong for a
human. Even for a Saint, he was exceptional. His stance was so flawless that it might have been
impossible for her to win had she not evolved.
That’s it. He seems to be comparable to Hinata-san. That person was like a natural enemy of
monsters, but this guy seems to have refined his skill-level purely against interpersonal and
individual opponents. That type of person is really troublesome, isn’t it?
As far as Ultima was concerned, opponents who had honed their skill-level were troublesome.
Hakurou was a good example of this, as he was able to deal with all sorts of situations with a
variety of techniques. The ability to apply power was the secret of his strength. It was something
that had nothing to do with superior beings.
………
……
…
A demon is an overwhelmingly superior existence in comparison to a human. Just releasing
their mana is enough to make it an attack.
Ultima was one of the pinnacles of such demons. She was born knowing how to deal with mana
and how to control mana perfectly. There was no need for effort. All she had to do was wish and it
would come true. That was magic, and in the face of its overwhelming versatility, there was no
opponent.
Until recently, Ultima had believed that the only beings that could defeat her were primordial
beings of the same rank, or non-standard beings such as the True Dragons. However, that belief had
been wrong. It was during the battle with Velgrynd that Ultima became aware of this.
Ultima and her team had put up a good fight against the overwhelmingly superior Velgrynd.
They even succeeded in defeating one of the ‘Split Bodies’, albeit with only 10 percent of its power.
In other words, she learned that if one misused their power, they could be defeated by a lower rank.
In the battles that followed, there were many more lessons to be learned.
A True Dragon, which was known as the strongest beings in the world, performed an elaborate
and sophisticated manipulation of magic power. As a result, that power had overwhelmed Ultima, a
race that excelled in magic, with magic. She hadn’t known how that was possible while they were
fighting. But now Ultima could understand. The secret was the act of adding an Ultimate Skill to
magic.
By using an Ultimate Skill, the control of magic becomes more precise. No wonder we couldn’t
beat her.
Even the magic Velgrynd cast in check had been too powerful for Ultima to handle. As for
Carrera, she had been humiliated more than anything else by the fact that she was being dealt with
by a better version of the magic she was best at.
That right, it was a humiliation.
But it was also a blessing.
She had gotten the opportunity to experience that battle. And she had survived without being
decisively defeated.
Until now, Ultima had never imagined that just by incorporating the effects of Skill into magic,
it could be doubled in power. The experience of that battle had made her realize new possibilities.
It’s true that our basic abilities are very high. That said, relying too much on our potential is
also a problem. With more ingenuity, one can become even stronger!
Ultima, the strongest of beings, had never aspired to gain power before. But this time, she
wished to have it too.
How much stronger could a powerful being who is already invincible become, if they strive and
work hard to reach a higher level?
The answer was someone like Velgrynd and Guy Crimson, she supposed.
From that perspective, there was no doubt that Diablo, who only pursued his own interests, was
outside the norm.
Testarossa, on the other hand, was completely different from Ultima and Carrera, who had
never made any efforts.
Ultima was aware that she was the most inexperienced of the seven “primordials”. Even so, she
was probably on par with Mizeri and Raine… But if she fought seriously, she felt that she would
lose to Testarossa and Carrera.
Testarossa was gracefully perfect. She was self-confident and had a bad habit of looking down
on others.
Carrera was arrogant and unprincipled. She could do everything perfectly well if she wanted to,
but she quickly lost interest and would leave things behind.
And Ultima was…
Ultima did not have as precise of a magic power manipulation as Testarossa, nor did she have
as great a mana pool as Carrera. Of the three “devil lords” (excluding Diablo), Ultima was probably
the weakest. She was half-hearted in everything she did, and although she was a mass of talent, she
had no experience of working for anything with her whole heart.
In this way, Ultima and Carrera were similar in many respects. That’s why they had been rivals
for so long. Nevertheless, Carrera had recently found a hobby in swordsmanship. Ultima had
honestly felt envious of that. But that would end today. Ultima was blessed with the opportunity to
awaken and gain the power she wished for.
That just means that I’m the one with the most room to grow!
Ultima had come to think as such, and now it felt like a funny story.
This was all thanks to Rimuru, who had become her master.
Ultima did not know how Rimuru was able to do such things, but those thoughts were
irrelevant. What mattered was whether she could become a superior being. And whether or not she
could be of use to Rimuru.
While watching over Agera’s battle, Ultima continued to wish. At the end of her
contemplation, she thought she heard a mysterious voice.

«In order to make this wish come true, let me help you just a little bit.»

And the result was the Ultimate Skill ‘Poison King Samael’.
It detected the weaknesses of all life forms and created a poison that induced a suitable state
change. This was the power of the Ultimate Skill ‘Poison King Samael’. Now that she had this
power, Ultima had no intention of losing.
However—
Ultima suddenly remembered.
‘Hone your skills and do not to rely too heavily on your strength’—that’s what Diablo had
always said. She had been losing to Zegion, so she had assumed that Diablo was just telling her off.
She had also thought that Diablo was just being a jerk because he had a bad personality. But that
was Ultima’s misunderstanding. It was true that his words were laced with sarcasm, but he was also
thinking of them.
How you control your power could make a world of difference in how strong you are—That
was what Diablo was teaching them. After understanding that, she remembered Diablo’s words.
Simply relying on the power you have been given is not how to acquire it—it’s certainly true!
Ultima was now deeply convinced. It was a line that had been said to her right after she had
received her name, but she now thought it was true.
Come to think of it, Diablo wouldn’t use the power given to him by Rimuru-sama unless he was
in trouble. I thought it was just in contempt for the enemy, but I guess he had a good reason.
‘I will do the same’—Ultima decided to take advantage of this opportunity and use it to grow.
Damrada was a tricky opponent, so this was a good time to give it all she had.
Seriously. That Diablo, trying to teach us how to fight… He underestimates us too much,
doesn’t he? If Testa finds out that he thinks of us that way, she’s going to get really mad and it’ll be
a big deal. Well, Testa might have just been taking advantage of the situation on purpose, but well,
since this is a rare opportunity… I think I’ll take advantage of it.
Even Damrada, a formidable opponent, was nothing more than a training ground for Ultima.
For the first time, she would use her Ultimate Skill and achieve victory. By doing so, Ultima would
definitely grow.
Ultima swore to herself. She would win this battle, not by using the innate power that she
always had, but by using the power that she had acquired from her desire to win.
By doing so, she would prove it.
Rather than just hoping, she could be of help to Rimuru—Ultima thought as such.
………
……
…
The battle was extremely fierce.
Ultima’s attacks were outmatched by Damrada’s techniques. In some cases, Damrada was able
to offset Ultima head-on by concentrating all of his energy. It was Damrada’s ability to react
quickly and flexibly that made him so powerful. Ultima was frankly impressed by this and found it
amusing. She realized a lot of things in the fight against Damrada.
I see, so this kind of flow keeps the body intact. In that case, this is an approach that might
work with Zegion-san!
Zegion was so powerful that she was defeated the moment she got close. That was not suitable
for combat training, let alone actual combat. On the other hand, Damrada was a most suitable
opponent.
Ultima realized how fortunate she had been. With her overwhelming mana, she could easily
defend against any attack. She could have crushed any foe with brute force alone. She had thought
she understood this, but now it was fully recognized with more realism.
The power of both sides increased, and the battle grew more intense.
The two were evenly matched in strength, and the outcome was still uncertain. Or so it seemed at
first glance…
“Hahaha, this is fun! I couldn’t last this long against Zegion-san.”
Ultima seemed to be enjoying herself. Damrada, on the other hand, had a bitter expression on
his face.
“Treating this fight as a training session… You’re playing me as a fool.” Despite saying this,
Damrada was aware of it in his heart. If this continued, Damrada was the one who would be
defeated. Ultima was still growing, but Damrada was already at full strength. He had no time to
enjoy the thrill of this battle, and was using all of his skills just to try to defeat Ultima.
In the first place, a primordial demon was essentially the poster child of magic. Against an
existence that could even rewrite the physical laws of the world, a half-hearted attack would not
work. Therefore, Damrada was inflicting damage to Ultima by adding the Ultimate Enchantment
‘Alternative’ effect to all of his attacks. Having spent more than 2,000 years studying it, he could
exercise its powers as if it were breathing. It had become so familiar to Damrada that he had
forgotten that it had been lent to him by Rudra. In addition, a demon had its shackles. Although this
one seemed to have been released now, there was a limit to the amount of magicules they could
possess. Because of this, the ‘Saint’ Damrada had a higher total amount of energy compared to
Ultima. That was why he was only just able to compete with Ultima on equal terms.
The more I attack, the more I am exposing my hand, but even using my big move may not be
effective. This is… Unwinnable, huh?
Damrada coughed up blood. Ultima was stealing the skills that he had worked so hard to
acquire. It would have been better if she had decided to make quick work of this, but she knew that
such a move would leave her open to self-destruction.
Even now, he was able to cancel out all of Ultima’s multiple attacks of the same power at the
same time, but Ultima was not frustrated—she looked happy.
“That’s awesome, just like a demonstration!”
Now it was Damrada’s turn to feel frustrated. Damrada was now cornered. He was in no
position to show off his skills, and as soon as he showed them, she would copy him. Just like a dry
sand absorbing water, he could feel that Ultima was growing.
Hahaha, I can only laugh. He couldn’t help but laugh at himself.
Damrada could never have imagined how horrifying these “primordials” were. To an outsider,
it might seem as if their abilities were on par with each other. However, that balance would soon be
broken. As long as one side continued to grow, the scales would eventually tilt in her favor. That
was the stark reality. And that time would come.
“Aha! I’m starting to get it!”
As soon as she shouted this, the aura around Ultima changed. Until now, she had been saving
her power to steal Damrada’s technique. After releasing her power, six pairs of twelve total wings
spread out on Ultima’s back. Like the wings of a bat, the featherless flight apparatuses were glossy,
smooth, and glowed a light purple.
“Here we go!”
“Kuh?!”
After Ultima shouted, the twelve wings began to move simultaneously. They changed shape in
a variety of ways as they aimed at Damrada. Some were as thin as blades, some were as sharp as
needles, and some were clumped together like fists. The ever-changing wings made them very
difficult to escape from, let alone deal with…
Damrada tried to parry the fist-shaped one, but was blown away as soon as he made contact.
The force of the blow was incomparably greater than anything Damrada had seen before, and it was
so fierce that Damrada could not cancel it out. Moreover, to his horror, Ultima’s power was
increasing rapidly. Now that there was no upper limit to the amount of magicule, it seemed as if her
power would increase as much as she wanted it to, and there was no sign of her momentum
decreasing.
“Chi!!!”
“Hahahaha! I love that kind of expression.”
“Hmph! Don’t mess with me, little girl. The power is amazing, but I simply have to avoid being
hit.”
Damrada summoned up more energy than ever before and concentrated on avoiding the attack.
Although he acted as if he was fine, he felt a growing sense of danger inside him. He couldn’t win
at this rate. But Ultima remained untouched.
If there was no opening, he would have to make one—Damrada dared to take a desperate
action.
One of the wings pierced Damrada’s leg. It looked like Damrada had failed to avoid it, but that
was exactly what Damrada was planning. As a race that prided themselves on their great power,
demons were prone to arrogance. Damrada’s goal was to act on the assumption that even Ultima
would be caught off guard if she was sure of her victory.
“Ahahahaha, I thought you were going to keep avoiding them? Or did you get tired?”
With a wicked grin, Ultima relaxed her attack and began to torment Damrada. The wings began
to move as if to pierce the extremities, not the vital parts.
I know. You’re strong. That’s why you look down on us and fail at the critical moment.
Damrada was convinced that his plan would succeed. He pretended to be injured and fell down,
then attempted to strike Ultima with all his might.
“Seihahouken31!”
This was Damrada’s special move. It was a blow made up with the full power of a Saint’s
fighting spirit, tempered with ‘Alternative’. No matter how powerful a creature it was, it would
disappear if hit by this move. Even the primordial Ultima had no choice but to disappear if her body
was destroyed.
Damrada thought he had won, but he did not feel the aftermath of his victory. For some reason,
he felt a chill as he tried to finish off Ultima.
What collapsed was a piece of a wing that had fallen away. It seemed to have changed shape to
resemble Ultima, but Damrada was unable to see it. By the time he realized it, it was too late.
“Death Poison Fist!”
Ultima pierced Damrada’s chest.

31
I didn’t really read into the kanji for this, but it’s something like an ultimate fist attack.
 In imitation of Damrada, she concentrated a huge amount of mana in her piercing hand, but she
controlled it perfectly by activating her Ultimate Skill ‘Poison King Samael’. Moreover, the five
fingernails were dyed purple due to the ‘deadly poison’ that was from the ‘Poison King Samael’.
Damrada’s defense was crushed by the power of the poison, which far exceeded the lethal dose.
With this, the outcome of victory or defeat had been decided.
“Guh!!” Damrada coughed up blood and collapsed on the spot.
“Ahahahaha, my bad! I was right on target!!” It was a wicked roar of laughter that rang out.
Damrada tried to stand up again, but failed. All the strength had drained out of his body and he
could not stand up or even clench his fists. Still, he gathered his strength to look up and glare at
Ultima.
“Fool, that’s not a fist attack. That was a piercing hand. You only saw it once, so you can’t
imitate me… But that power is unmistakable…truly wonderful. Brilliant. It would be more
appropriate to call it ‘Bloody Bite’.”
And with that, Damrada looked up to the sky in satisfaction. As he looked up, he smiled a little
ruefully. This battle had been a complete defeat. Before they could challenge Guy to a decisive
battle, they were crushed by Demon Lord Rimuru. Some of the elite may survive, but it would be
impossible to rebuild.
Emperor Rudra did not have the strength to wait for the next opportunity. Before then, the
current Rudra would already have been—
“Your Majesty…”—Damrada whispered, reflecting on his life.
………
……
…
“Damrada, can I have your attention?”
“What is it? If you want to complain about something, just talk to Velgrynd-sama. Or are you
complaining about Velgrynd-sama? If so, direct it to her, and not me. I don’t want her to think that
I’m complaining too.”
“You’re such a cold person—no, that’s not what I meant. I’m serious.”
“…Pardon? What is it?”
He didn’t want to hear it. From the moment he had looked into Rudra’s eyes, he knew that it
was serious. But once he listened to it, they wouldn’t be able to have the relationship they had now.
Damrada didn’t like that.
“Apparently, my mind wears out every time I reincarnate. Or rather, in Guy’s words, it’s
probably the ‘soul’, but that’s not important. What’s important is that I eventually might not be me
anymore.”
As a ‘Hero’, Rudra’s reincarnation was not due to magic. It was a special ritual to inherit his
overpowering power.
There was a price for a mortal to gain power that surpassed even that of the True Dragons, the
ultimate spirit life forms. It was Rudra’s own right to control it. Therefore, Damrada could not offer
a solution…
“A wearing of the soul, huh? After that, Your Majesty will cease to be yourself…”
“Ahh, that’s right.”
“That’s a funny joke. But I’m not so naive as to take that seriously and shorten your workload.”
“Che, you’re still such a serious guy, aren’t you?”
“I believe that’s my strong point.”
“Hah, that’s true. I just said something boring, so forget it.”
“Yeah. I’ll do that.”
How could he forget?
Damrada had only run away. He wanted to keep the relationship as it was, and he wanted to
serve Rudra forever.
And then, time passed on.
“Ahhh, I knew it. It seems that every time I’m reborn, I lose something important. The problem
is, I don’t even know what it is.”
“Your Majesty…”
“Hey, Damrada.”
“Yes.”
“This is an order. If I’m no longer myself, you will kill me with your own hands.”
“Rudra-sama!”
“There’s no way I could ask Velgrynd to do this, right?”
‘I can’t do this either’—Damrada swallowed those words with all his might. If this was his best
friend Rudra’s heartfelt wish, then there was no way he could say no.
“Good grief, you’re weak. But if that should happen, I promise I’ll take care of Rudra-sama. So
don’t worry, just rest assured and work hard in your affairs.”
“Fufu, you’re still the same as usual. I’m in good hands.”
That was the promise of a distant day.
And then, more time passed—

“I’m tired. There is a limit to how much I can control my ‘Justice King Michael’. Absolute
justice, when you get right down to it, is not much different from evil. There is no such thing as a
justice that all people recognize in this world.”
“Your Majesty…”
“Damrada, the promise we made, do you remember?”
“Of course I do.”
When Rudra heard the reply, he smiled, saying “That’s good.”
Changing his expression, he gave the order solemnly.
“Damrada, I have an order. Just in case you fail, find me someone who can defeat Justice King
Michael and defeat me! It pains me to ask this of you, but…while I am still myself, I must make
sure everything is in order.”
The order was equivalent to an order to kill Rudra himself, but Damrada could only nod.
“Your orders, I understand.”
Upon hearing Damrada’s reply, Rudra muttered, “I’m sorry.” As if talking to himself, Rudra
looked off into the distance and began to speak.
“Looking back, the ‘Justice King Michael’ entrusted to me by my friend may have been too
powerful for me. Whether I win or lose in this game with Guy, this will be my last use of it. I want
to fully master this Skill, but…if it shows any signs of getting out of control, do not hesitate. You
must stop me.”
“I will.”
“—Thank you.” As soon as he said this, Rudra closed his eyes. Then he remembered the vow
he had made to Veldanava, the Star King Dragon a long time ago, and felt frustrated that he could
not keep it.
A small murmur escaped from his mouth—“If I fail to fulfill my promise, I will apologize to
you in the afterlife.”
Damrada pretended not to have heard this, and quietly left the room.
………
……
…
Choking on the blood leaking from his mouth, Damrada was jolted back to reality. For less than
a few tenths of a second, he seemed to have lost consciousness.
—Your Majesty, I’m sorry… I’m so sorry. I… I was unable to fulfill your order…
In his fading consciousness, Damrada tried to express his regret. But it was not to be, and he
could only vomit blood once again.
Regret.
However, there was also a sense of relief.
The order to seek out those who would murder his beloved lord—it had been painful for
Damrada. He had been suffering for a long time. It was only natural. Because to Damrada, Emperor
Rudra was still the same glorious champion had had always been.
You… I couldn’t possibly kill you!! Why me? Why can’t it be someone else? I have no
attachment to this world if you no longer exist here. I wish to go with you on your journey from
death…
That was what Damrada truly wished for in his heart.
The game between Guy and Rudra didn’t matter to Damrada. What mattered to him was
Rudra’s will, and the world that reflected it.
Guy Crimson was an arrogant demon lord, but he was not an unreasonable tyrant. His rule was
absolute, but he also had set proper rules for himself and stubbornly kept to them. Guy and Rudra’s
ideals were different, but they were never incompatible. From Damrada’s point of view, they
seemed to be perfectly capable of compromise.
Guy would not make a move on his own. Rudra must have given his orders to Damrada
because he was sure of that.
Why did they insist on fighting when it’s clear that there was mutual recognition?
That was Damrada’s question.
But there was no way he could disobey Rudra’s orders, and in the end, he followed them and
began his activities around the world. Long after leaving the Emperor’s service, a candidate was
found. A boy named Yuuki Kagurazaka, who possessed the super peculiar constitution of ‘Anti-
Skill’. Damrada had thought that he would be able to defeat the Justice King Michael if he could
nullify even the Ultimate Skill, but the result had been a disastrous defeat. Yuuki had fallen into
Rudra’s hands, and he could no longer be relied upon. Thus, Damrada lost his trump card, but now
a question arose.
“…Why, Your Majesty Rudra, did you take control of Yuuki?”
“Huh, what?” Ultima asked back, an unintentional murmur escaping her lips.
Without answering, Damrada continued to ponder. Rudra himself was the one who had ordered
Damrada to find someone who could kill him. And yet he didn’t see why he should interfere with
that.
No, it wasn’t that. It’s just that Damrada didn’t want to admit it. The signs had been there all
along.
“—So, after all… His Majesty Rudra-sama is already…” Damrada muttered as if in a fever.
“What the hell are you talking about?!” Ultima shouted in frustration, but her voice did not
reach Damrada.
Damrada was now lost in his own thoughts. It was like a flash of inspiration before death, but
Damrada’s thoughts were now clear. Therefore, he would arrive at the truth.

Rudra burned with passion for his ideals.

He would unite the world and establish lasting peace. He dreamed of an end to strife and
poverty and the development of mankind. Once all mankind was united and at peace, everyone
would be able to live equally.
Rudra believed in this and set out to establish a unified nation. He believed that human beings
were capable of understanding each other. He believed from the bottom of his heart that they could
eventually unite into a single will and create a better world. He became a hero for the sake of the
people and took upon great hardships. Rudra was working hard for the hope that many people
would live a happy life.
Damrada liked such a Rudra.
But—
Rudra’s ideal remained a dream.
It couldn’t be helped that Rudra himself had changed before the day of fulfillment arrived.
The ideals we pursued turned out to be crushed long ago…
Damrada acknowledged this and was filled with a deep sadness.
“Are you crying?”
“…Ahhh…”
“Because you’re afraid of dying?”
 “…No. Because I made a promise—”
“A promise?”
“…Ahhh…”
The inevitability of death had gripped Damrada.
He had no choice but to resign himself to the fact that there was nothing he could do about it,
yet Damrada couldn’t stand the fact that he was unable to keep his promise to Rudra.
If Rudra’s will had disappeared, then who was Rudra now? There was only one answer to that
question. It had to be the Ultimate Skill ‘Justice King Michael’—the ultimate power given to Rudra
by his friend ‘Star King Dragon’ Veldanava.
Before Rudra’s mind had collapsed, Damrada needed to fulfill the imperial order. And yet…
apparently, he was unable to do so, and Damrada’s life was coming to an end. Damrada wanted to
curse his own incompetence, but he reminded himself that the situation was not yet at its worst. He
had to stop the ‘Justice King Michael’ at all costs. If Damrada failed, he would have to find
someone else to take over the task. It was an order from Rudra, and a promise that Damrada had to
keep.
Damrada had found Yuuki, but he knew of one other person. The dreaded demon lord, Rimuru.
His greatest enemy was also his greatest hope.
“May I ask you to kill His Majesty…Rudra-sama…?”
“What? Why me?”
“It doesn’t have to be you. But to the demon lord, Rimuru…this message…can’t you ask…?”
“No, just let me take care of that. We were going to kill this Rudra guy anyway, not that we
couldn’t accept your request.”
Ultima’s character did as she pleased. She was fickle, so she didn’t take things lying down, but
she liked Damrada. It had been a short fight, but for Ultima, who had an infinite lifespan, quality
was better than quantity. Just the taste of the concentrated and intense fight made her feel like she
could forgive everything.
“—Then, one more thing…want to ask……”
“What?”
“That person…a boy named Masayuki…please protect him…”
Damrada was sure of it.
Masayuki was—
“Well, that’s fine. But it comes at a cost, you know?”
The devil did not work for free.
It was not an absolute rule, so there were plenty of ways around it. But this time, Ultima was
being selfish. She wanted to annoy Damrada, so she asked the question. However, upon hearing
Ultima’s question, Damrada felt relieved. With a sense of peace that liberated his mind, he replied
calmly.
“The reward is all that I have. My soul as well…all of my Skills. I leave it to you.”
“Accepted, I guess.”
Looking at Ultima, who gave a reluctant reply, Damrada’s expression broke.
And then…
“—Your Majesty Rudra…now, I will go to your side…”
Those were Damrada’s last words.
Damrada breathed his last as if falling asleep.
Damrada, the former Prime Minister of the Nasca Kingdom and close friend of the united
Emperor Rudra Nam Ul Nasca.
The ‘Fist Saint’ Damrada’s long life had finally come to an end.

Ultima stood alone in the circular colosseum in the isolated space.

“Ahh, how boring. The nucleus is gone. I was going to give it to Rimuru-sama, but…” Ultima
murmured sadly, and gently wrapped Damrada’s body in her twelve wings.
In accordance with her contract, she had taken all of Damrada for herself. And that was the end
of it.
 It was the end of the battle between Damrada and Ultima.

—The life of the “Fist Saint” had come to an end, and a new “Fist Demon” was born—

Damrada, in his last moment, had given the deadliest power to one of the most vicious demons.
If he had known, would he have felt ashamed of himself? Or perhaps he was happy to have a
successor to his technique. Now that Damrada was gone, there was no way to know.
Those who survived could only consider this question in their hearts.

“Come, I will be your opponent,” Agera announced to Kondou in the center of the colosseum.
Kondou’s eyebrows twitched, and he silently put his hand on his sword. He did not respond to
Agera, but glanced at Carrera.
“You can relax. I’m only here as a witness.”
“Nonsense. I can’t trust you.”
Kondou finally opened his mouth, but his words were quite scathing. They were enemies
anyway, so he was telling them to come at him at the same time. Carrera, however, was unmoved.
“Well, I suppose you’re right. I don’t think two against one is cowardly, and I’m not planning
to go easy on you, however this time, it’s Agera’s wish. Don’t worry about me and just have fun.”
She said as much as she could before sitting down along the stone wall as if she had nothing to do
with this. Kondou shrugged his shoulders and replied.
“What a farce. But I’ll give you credit for your spirit.” Then he drew his sword and confronted
Agera.
“I thank you. Now then, let’s get—” His words were cut short by a loud bang. Agera collapsed
to the ground, clutching his chest.
“You!”
Carrera, who had closed the distance in the blink of an eye, stepped in between Kondou and
Agera. Kondou swung his sword to cut off Agera’s head, but was stopped by Carrera’s sword.
“Hmph. Can you make it at this speed?” Kondou said to Carrera, holding a smoking Nambu
pistol in his right hand and wielding a single sword in his left.
“You knew I couldn’t make it in time, didn’t you? If you were serious, Agera would have been
wiped out by now, right?”
Kondou had never said he would accept the match against Agera, so this was Agera’s own fault
for not checking. Besides, the final blow was not serious at all. Carrera, who had caught the sword,
understood this fact best.
Someone as strong as Kondou would not have lost even if he fought Agera head on. If it was
only a sword fight, it would have been close, but even so, Kondou’s victory would have been
unassailable in the end. Even so, Kondou made a surprise attack because Carrera had been on the
sidelines. Believing the words of an enemy was outrageous, so it would be foolish to listen to the
words of a devil. Eliminating uncertainty was an ironclad rule of warfare.
“Well now, just what are you talking about? I don’t have time for that nonsense.” Kondou
turned to Carrera and sneered at the state of affairs.
“Well, that’s all right. If you’re up for it, I’ll be your next opponent.”
“With that sword?”
Kondou pointed to Carrera’s sword, which had cracked under the blow. If she struck it again
and again, it would surely break, and Carrera would not be oblivious to that.
“No way. There are alternatives, only I’ve got something better than that. Agera, you
understand.”
“…Of course. It is a shame that I could not cross swords with a descendant of my own school,
but considering that you follow my teachings, I cannot complain. What I do not like is that he made
a fool of me and deprived me of my fighting power.”
Saying this, Agera stood up. Already, the hole in his chest had been filled. The bullet that
Kondou shot Agera with was called an “Eraser,” and it had the effect of dissipating as much energy
as the mana it was loaded with. If it had been the “Necrosis”, Agera would have had difficulty
standing up.
As Carrera and Agera realized, it was obvious that Kondou had cut corners. However—that
was why Agera could still fight.
“Blade Transformation.”
Agera was transformed into a single sword. Needless to say, Carrera was the one who took it in
hand. Carrera’s mana filled Agera, and his lost energy was restored. As a result, the blade glowed,
showing that Agera was full of energy.
“How foolish. I would have let you off the hook if I believed you were a fellow comrade…”
“My dependents love to fight, so it’s none of your business.”
“I see. Well, it’s not important now. That person committed the unforgivable sin of
impersonating the founder of the art. I will do everything in my power to make him pay.”
To Kondou, the Carrera who was holding Agera in her hands was just as guilty. He bared his
clear hostility and showed his seriousness.

Half an hour had passed since the battle began. Carrera was kneeling on the ground. Incredibly,
Kondou was showing to be terribly strong. A master, indeed. Even to Carrera, he was a monster
beyond imagination.
Carrera knew that she was strong. But at the same time, she understood that there were stronger
people out there. In fact, even if she couldn’t beat Diablo, one might have thought that she wouldn’t
lose to anyone else. And yet, Zegion had beaten her easily.
In this war as well, she had been completely outmatched against Velgrynd.
So even though she was at Kondou’s mercy, she wasn’t surprised. On the contrary, she felt
excited and uplifted.
Carrera rolled on the ground to keep distance from Kondou. She then stood up and took up the
seigan stance32 once again.
“You’re good! Even Agera complimented my swordsmanship, but it seems I am still no match
for you.”
“Shut up. I am only trying to use all my power to defeat my opponent, saying that is upsetting.”
Kondou, true to himself, found Carrera’s sense of combat very uncanny. Now was not the time
to be fooling around, so he had been going all out from the start. He was using not only his sword
skills but also his Ultimate Skill ‘Conviction King Sandalphon’ without any hesitation. And yet, he
was unable to finish Carrera off. That alone was astonishing, and Kondou shuddered inwardly. It
seemed that they were not easy opponents, and both had recognized one another. From that point
on, the battle intensified.
Carrera struck Kondou with a powerful sword blow, blocking his movements. Kondou parried
the sword lightly and aimed at Carrera with the gun in his right hand. The power contained in the
bullet was to disarm magic. The bullet was called “Dispel.” The reason Kondou fired it could be
seen in Carrera’s next action.
Without any chanting, a gravitational force field was formed instantly. Kondou noted that this
was a feat of strength, but rather than reflecting on it, Carrera resorted to more power, invoking a
spell that did not affect her, and hoping to block Kondou’s movement.
Anticipating this, Kondou chose to use “Dispel.” This versatility was Kondou’s strength. The
Ultimate Skill ‘Conviction King Sandalphon’ had four main effects, and Kondou used them
differently depending on the time and situation.
“Remove” broke the target’s Defense Barrier.

“Seigan stance/Seigan-no-kamae” can be translated to something like “right posture” and is the basic sword stance
32

used in most traditional schools of swordsmanship. It is also called “Chūdan-no-kamae” or “middle-level posture.”
 “Dispel” counteracted magic effects.
“Necrosis” destroyed the target’s mana circuit.
“Eraser” was a high-density mana bullet. It also drained energy by detecting the nature of the
target.
All of these effects were combined in “Judgment,” the most powerful bullet of all.
Carrera had always been one to chant spells in her magic attacks. It was a stepping stone to this
time, but all of those spells were lifted the moment she cast them. Kondou’s reading had been
accurate, and he had made the right choice. Moreover, he would fire various kinds of bullets at any
opportunity.
If Carrera didn’t recognize the nature of the bullets and deal with them properly, she would be
hurt badly. If she had been careless, the game would have been over in an instant.
Kondou had analyzed the battle very calmly. He did not show any emotion and was even
mechanical about it. He saw through the enemy’s weaknesses and the flow of mana and took the
most appropriate action.
That was all.
By sticking to the basics, Kondou had maintained his position as the strongest in the Imperial
Army. This was in stark contrast to Carrera, who let her emotions get the better of her, yet the two
were very similar. Carrera shook her head in dismay and asked Kondou in a friendly manner.
“That’s tricky. How did you know I was going to use magic?”
Kondou also responded to Carrera, gesturing for her to catch her breath.
“Huh, that’s simple. It’s because that’s what I would do if I were you, I guess.”
“I see. That really is a simple explanation.”
Once again, Carrera was impressed by this Kondou man. At the same time, she realized that
Kondou was the most powerful enemy she had ever faced.
How can he just read the flow of mana used to activate the spell and cut off the flow? How can
he just say that?
‘That’s what I would do’—was what he said. What a terrible excuse. Carrera felt bitter, but her
expression was unable to hide her joy. It was nice to know that there was someone you could fight
with all your might.
Demon Lord Leon was a strong opponent that Guy recognized. It was supposed to be a
satisfying fight, but Carrera’s challenge had not been met with any response. It had been
disappointing, annoying, and frustrating, but…with Kondou as her opponent, she could enjoy the
fight to the fullest. To Carrera, the process of fighting was more important than winning or losing.
“That’s good, very good. It’s Kondou, right? You’re the best enemy I’ve ever had!”
Carrera praised him sincerely, but Kondou only snorted and brushed it off. He did not speak in
words, but gave his opinion with his sword. A sharp slash was launched at Carrera. Even though he
was swinging with only his left hand, his sword line did not waver, and was even more beautiful
than the demonstration of a master.
Carrera dealt with Kondou’s continuous slashes, relying on Agera’s skill and her own intuition.
After a brief exchange of sword clashes, Carrera discovered that Kondou had a few quirks.
A sword in his left hand, a gun in his right. This was Kondou’s fighting style, but at the
moment of firing his gun, his eyes and fingertips were linked, and she could read the line of fire of
the bullets. It was a small quirk that only someone like Carrera could have detected, but it was still a
fatal flaw that was more than enough to decide the match.
Here!
With perfect timing, Carrera swung her sword. Kondou, who was about to fire his gun, could
not react to the movement. As if without thinking, he forced himself to hold up his gun to deflect
Carrera’s sword. His reaction speed was impressive, but that was not enough to stop Carrera.
“Don’t underestimate me! I’ve taken away one of your trump cards!”
Kondou twisted his body into an impossible position to resist, but it seemed that he could not
resist Carrera’s strength. He was forced to let go of the gun. The Nambu pistol rolled to the ground.
Carrera was elated that she had given Kondou the slip.
But then—
 There was a creepy sensation. As soon as she felt it, Carrera instinctively jumped back from the
spot.
It was Kondou’s sword that slashed through the air.
“Damn, I failed to finish it.”
Carrera’s severed left arm fell to the ground with a thud. It was cut off by Kondou’s sword, as
if without any regard to the orichalcum skeleton.
“You bastard!!”
Carrera is furious, but her mind was calm. She acknowledged the reality of the situation while
trembling with humiliation. She would never be able to beat Kondou at this rate. As proof of this,
Kondou was now holding a military sword with both hands. His form was one of perfected beauty,
and even his demeanor was different from before.
She had no choice but to accept that Kondou did not intend to rely on the gun from the
beginning. His purpose had been to lure Carrera by daring to create an opening. If that was the case,
Carrera had been underestimated by Kondou. He could have fought her with just her sword, but he
didn’t show it and instead played tricks on her…
It was probably just a trick to make it easier for him to kill me, but…how could such an expert
do such a despicable thing as not showing his full strength? That’s unforgivable. Recognizing this,
Carrera roared.
“How dare you underestimate me, a human!!”
In a fit of rage, Carrera tried to take a step forward to tear Kondou to pieces.
But at that moment…
‹Please wait, Carrera-sama.›
Agera, who had been transformed into Carrera’s sword, spoke to Carrera.

Carrera and Agera were now in a state of near unity. Naturally, they were connected by a
‘telepathy net’, so they could talk to each other with their minds. And so, in the field of
consciousness that had been stretched a millionfold by Carrera’s power, they began to talk.
‹What is it, Agera? I’m busy right now, so if you interrupt me, I’ll kill you too.›
‹Calm down, Carrera-sama. If you lose your cool like that, Kondou will have his way.›
‹I know what I’m doing. But he made me look like a fool. Me, the king? I’ll never forgive
him.›
Lately, it had become Agera’s role to stop Carrera, but even Agera had never seen Carrera as
angry as she was today. If he didn’t stop her now, Carrera would inevitably lose. Agera earnestly
tried to persuade Carrera.
‹Listen. The reason Kondou did not resort to the sword from the beginning was not because he
underestimated Carrera-sama.›
‹Why not? No matter how you look at it, he’s underestimating me!›
‹No, he’s not. Rather, it’s for the exact opposite reason.›
‹Huh?›
‹Because he perceived Carrera-sama as a threat, Kondou is trying to keep his cards close to his
chest. Not everyone is born as strong as Carrera-sama. It’s only natural for a warrior to be mindful
of fighting a strong enemy!›
‹Then what is it? Are you saying that he approves of me?›
‹That’s right!!›
Agera was making points here and there. Kondou’s style was complete in its own way, but in
his essence, he was a swordsman who had inherited Agera’s style. There was no doubt that
Kondou’s style was more serious, but that was why he did not expose it from the beginning and
instead switched to it at the right moment. The gap he showed when firing the gun must have been
created by his nerve-wracking training. He must have used it because he recognized Carrera as a
strong opponent. Otherwise, he would not have dared to take such a risk by making such an
elaborate move.
‹…I see, that’s true, if you say so…›
Thanks to Agera’s persuasion, Carrera regained her composure and agreed. Agera breathed a
sigh of relief.
‹I’m sorry for worrying you, Agera. Thanks to you, I’ve come to my senses.›
‹I’m glad to hear that.›
‹I promise not to worry you anymore.›
With that declaration, Carrera turned to Kondou once again. Then, without hesitation, a fist
struck her once in the face. At such a blow, one would wonder how Carrera’s head didn’t explode.
However, Carrera did not care and even smiled at Kondou.
“Hey, I didn’t scare you, did I? I’m sorry, I just slightly lost my cool because I mistakenly
thought you underestimated me. Even so, it’s amazing what humans can do. They really do have a
lot of tricks up their sleeve to win. I was a little surprised because I had never thought of that.”
Carrera laughed but knew not to underestimate the enemy. She was not careless, but without
Agera, she would have been taken in by Kondou’s schemes.
The Carrera of today was not the Carrera of the past where selfishness was acceptable.
As a loyal subordinate of the Demon Lord Rimuru, she now acted in accordance to the orders
of her lord. Aside from defeat, she could not afford to die. Carrera warned herself in her mind. That
blow had been for that very purpose, and as a statement of her resolve.
Carrera now acknowledged Kondou. The two of them were equals. It was a very serious
thought, not typical of Carrera’s casual nature.
“What a surprise. You know… I never really thought of humans as real opponents…but now I
am taking them seriously.”
Perhaps it was the pride of being the strongest race that always made her unconsciously fail to
use her full strength when fighting others. Even so, she had mistakenly assumed that Kondou had
not been giving it his all and had to be admonished by Agera. Carrera realized her mistake and
finally got serious.
Kondou looked at the ghastly grin on Carrera’s face and felt that it was beautiful.
“Is the demon getting serious? As a vulnerable human, that is not something I should
welcome.”
For the first time, his expression changed, and he recognized Carrera as the enemy.
“Then, I, too, must take you seriously.” Kondou declared, putting on his “armor” for the first
time.
It was no longer the uniform that relied on the power of will, but a pure white spiritual armor
that was a variation of the mythical-grade armaments given to him by Rudra. It resembled the
ceremonial robes of the old Imperial Navy. While it was not that big of a change in appearance, the
atmosphere was that of a different person.
For Kondou, the ceremonial robe of his naval days was also a garment for death. As a
lieutenant, he had caused the deaths of his men, and he had vowed to live with the guilt. In order to
remember that resolve, he wore these garbs in battle.
Carrera looked at Kondou and released mana in a deep and loud voice. Then, she said her
name.
“I am a loyal servant of Demon Lord Rimuru-sama, and one of the Twelve Chaos Guardian
Lords. “Menace Lord” Carrera. I will kill you upon my pride.”
Kondou responded.
“I am Tatsuya Kondou, a former lieutenant in the Imperial Navy. I am now the Commander of
the Imperial Guardians, and I accept your challenge.”
The two sides stared at each other, quietly building up their strength.
Now, the real battle would begin.

Carrera picked up her fallen left arm and lightly touched the cut surface. And just like that, the
pieces were back together as if nothing had happened.
“That’s unreasonable.”
“Now, don’t say that. Rimuru-sama gave me this precious body, so I can’t leave a single scar.”
They were talking in a light tone, but both of them were looking for an opening. Kondou
waited for Carrera’s arm to heal because he had his own agenda.
Now that he had given up his pistol, Kondou would fight with only his sword. This was the true
nature of the “Oboro Shinmei-ryu”, but it also meant that he had no other options left. Kondou was
now serious. This meant that Kondou was betting everything he had. Now that he held the sword in
both hands, he was confident that he could defeat any enemy.
Kondou used his Unique Skill ‘Decipherer’ to read Carrera’s movements. He could read not
only the movement of her muscles, but also the flow of mana that filled her body, and even the
signs of magic being activated.
This ability was linked to the Ultimate Skill ‘Conviction King Sandalphon’, and its
performance was far beyond the realm of the unique-level. For that reason, he didn’t miss the fact
that Carrera’s power had begun to grow abnormally.
A tremendous energy that seemed to symbolize Carrera’s tyranny. And yet, as if unified by a
great will, there was no stagnation in its flow. The energy that would normally have produced an
explosive torrent was perfectly under Carrera’s control.
What a monster—Kondou thought. The arm that he had taken so much trouble to cut off—now
there was not even a trace of it left. Even her clothes had been mended. What a joke.
The focus of her raging energy was the sword that Agera has transformed into. The circulation
of power was complete, thanks to the fact that he and Carrera were one and the same. From
Kondou’s point of view, this was an abhorrent situation, and he found it even more troubling.
Incredibly, at the center of Carrera’s mana, a fearsome crystal of power was forming.
Kondou had an idea of what it was. He knew it because he had acquired it himself. It was
something that could only be seen when the form of the heart materialized.
This person… I’m sure of it. Is she trying to acquire an Ultimate Skill?!
As soon as he confirmed this, Kondou moved. No matter how powerful the enemy was, they
needed to be eliminated quickly. That was the reason why he put on the ceremonial robe, a sign of
his seriousness. In other words, defeat was not allowed. No matter what means were used, he had to
win. It was the side of the victor that was justice.
While examining Carrera, Kondou finished his preparations. All that remained was his sword.
With all his might, he slashed at Carrera.
“Good, good! You’re giving me such a thrill with those unhesitating eyes!”
Kondou swung his sword, paying no heed to Carrera’s gleeful cries. Although it was caught by
Carrera’s demon sword, Kondou’s sword was very powerful. If it had not been for Agera’s will, it
might have been broken by the blow. Kondou added another series of blows.
“You?!”
Carrera groaned as she was struck by the sharp and heavy slash. The secret of the power lay in
the intent behind the sword.
Kondou’s Ultimate Skill, ‘Conviction King Sandalphon’, was not just a power that could be put
into a bullet. It was only when Kondou’s will was embedded in his sword, which could be called his
soul, that it showed its true essence. That was Kondou’s inner workings and his true form.

Kondou’s onslaught began, and Carrera was on the defensive. Kondou was determined to end
the battle before Carrera awakened to her ultimate power. Using every technique at his disposal, he
hunted Carrera down. Even though Carrera controlled her violence and showed great power,
Kondou parried everything without changing his expression.
Kondou’s fighting skills were superior to Carrera’s. The reason why the battle was barely
viable was that Carrera had a huge amount of magicules and Agera’s skill-level was added onto it.
If it wasn’t for that, Carrera would have been destroyed long ago.
Even now, the slash that contained the power of “Eraser” was cutting through Carrera’s left
side. Carrera’s mana circuits had been disrupted by the effects of “Necrosis” in several slashes to
her limbs. As a result, even the assimilation of Carrera and Agera had begun to be affected.
“You…” Carrera groaned, glaring at Kondou with bared teeth.
It had been a miscalculation. She knew Kondou was strong, but she had thought she could
handle him as long as she put her mind to it. However, Kondou was not that easy of an opponent.
Even with the help of Agera, Kondou was still a superhuman who could surpass Carrera.
A human… A human being!! Even if he was awakened to a Saint, I never thought that a mere
human would be able to push me this far…
Carrera contemplated her own ineptitude and put her right hand on her left side where mana
was leaking out from the slash. She tried to promote recovery, but it was ineffective because her
mana circuits had been messed up.
Normally, a wound of that magnitude could be repaired without a conscious thought. And yet,
it was like this even when she was aware of it. No matter how bold and rough Carrera was, she
knew that her current condition was the worst.
The strength of one’s will determined one’s strength. What’s more, Kondou was a man who
had acquired the ultimate power on his own. Compared to Carrera, who had an infinite lifespan and
spent her days at will, Kondou was simply incomparable.
Only now, along with the pain that tormented her, did Carrera finally understand.
A Skill was meaningless if it was merely given. It was only through the desire to acquire it that
its essence could truly be utilized.
In terms of race, physical prowess, and vitality, Carrera had the upper hand. Thanks to Agera’s
Skill, they were even on par. And yet, she was unable to win. On the contrary, they were on the
verge of defeat.
At this rate, I’ll lose? In other words—death? Me, the most powerful—a pillar of the
primordial demons?!
That was absolutely unacceptable.
Carrera’s pride would not allow it. Above all, it would be going against the orders of Carrera’s
beloved lord, Demon Lord Rimuru.
If it turned out that way, it would be a big mistake that could not be redeemed even by killing
herself a million times. Carrera felt fear. The inability to comply with Rimuru’s orders had terrified
Carrera, who had never before known what fear was.
“I absolutely will not accept that!” Carrera shouted, glaring at Kondou with bloodshot eyes.
Forcing the wound to regenerate, she prepared herself.
Carrera prayed even more deeply and intensely.
A desire for victory against the man in front of her.
Up until now, Carrera had fought only with her own pure demonic power. But that wasn’t
enough. Those who had awakened to the ultimate level could never be reached. Just like Diablo,
and just like Kondou before her.
She now understood that she would never be able to defeat those who had awakened to the
ultimate power. Even more so, she could never be a match for Guy Crimson, the one at the top. It
was not enough just to think about increasing power. If that was the case, no matter how hard she
tried, she would only end up as food for the strong.
Carrera finally understood after she had been driven to this point. If one truly wanted to fight
the strong, one needed to understand themselves more deeply. To do this, what she needed above
all, was a strong will.
This was the moment when Carrera, a spiritual organism, sought the power of will, which was
her essence.

«If so, let me help a little.»

She felt as if she heard such a voice.

In that next moment, the “something” that had been moving deep inside of Carrera took a
clearer shape. Carrera turned her attention to it. Her determination, her desire, had taken shape.
Until now, it was just a force raging inside her. She had always used her power to suppress it,
to control it, to use it, but now she recognized that it was also herself.
And she would release it.
This ultimate power needed a name.

—My “power”, I give you a name. In order to fulfill the order Rimuru-sama has given, become
my strength and release further power. Your name is the Ultimate Skill, “Annihilation King
Abaddon”!!—

Abaddon had the meaning of destroyer. It was also the king of the abyss. A fitting title for
Carrera, the “Menace Lord.”
Carrera had finally obtained it.
The absolute “power” that could destroy everything.

—Ultimate Skill “Annihilation King Abaddon”—

It was the embodiment of Carrera’s desire. A fearsome power that, once unleashed, could bring
certain destruction to her adversaries.
Carrera’s first desire for power came when she met a powerful enemy. And now that it had
come to fruition, the battle between Carrera and Kondou was about to come to an end.

This is no joke—Kondou thought.

Carrera, whom he had almost killed, had awakened to her ultimate power right before his eyes.
From Kondou’s point of view, this situation was nothing short of ridiculous. Kondou thought he
had struck Carrera with a fatal blow on numerous occasions. And yet, no matter how many times
Carrera fell, she kept getting back up.
He had sliced through the barrier with his “Remove” power, and disrupted Carrera’s mana
circuits with a slash filled with “Necrosis”. After steadily accumulating damage in this way, it was
the power of “Eraser” that was the final blow.
It should have been over by now. However, even Kondou, who was in full strength, had been
unable to defeat Carrera, and now she awakened her power. Kondou was keenly aware of his
mistake.
That’s right. If only I had a “Judgment” bullet left…
This thought may have been due to Kondou’s slight weakening.
“Judgment” was a trump card. The most powerful blow that could only be created once a day.
However, he had recently used it to weaken Veldora.
It was uncharacteristic of Kondou to beg for something in a life-and-death battle. An enemy so
powerful had gained an unknown power. Understanding this, he had fallen to a dark mood. Kondou,
however, still tried to muster up the energy. Now that he was clothed in his garments, he would
have to fight with an unwavering resolve. Kondou couldn’t help but reveal his true feelings to
Carrera for the first time.
“You guys are unreasonable.”
Humans were ridiculed for being vulnerable, but that was not surprising. The species hierarchy
gap between them was so wide that it was too great to be filled. Even Kondou could not help but
grumble about it.
Upon hearing this, Carrera nodded in satisfaction.
“Ahhh, of course. We’re the strongest species, after all. However, I think you’re being
unreasonable too, you know?”
It was Carrera’s greatest compliment. Carrera had already recognized Kondou as her equal.
That was why she respected him to the fullest and challenged him with all her might.
Pointing her sword at Kondou, Carrera prepared herself with no hesitation. She activated her
“Annihilation King Abaddon” in her right and left hands, circulating a huge force of power.
The space between Kondou and Carrera overflowed with a stream of black and white light. An
enormous amount of magicules was converted into energy, and the aftermath alone was enough to
almost blow one away. Carrera controls all of that energy by concentrating her consciousness.
“I’ll show you everything I’ve got.”
“…I’d rather you didn’t.”
“Fufu, don’t be such a wet blanket. Now that I’ve accepted you as an equal, I will show you my
best magic!”
Kondou got a bad feeling upon hearing that.
“……”
One who did not care about the circumstances of others—that was the demon named Carrera.
Demon Lord Leon had also suffered for it, but at that time, Carrera had not been serious—she
was just amusing herself. Kondou, who had to deal with a serious Carrera, would probably say that
Leon had it better.
Of the four “devil lords” including Diablo, Carrera currently had the largest amount of
magicules. She had never been able to control them completely, but now that she possessed the
“Annihilation King Abaddon”, that drawback was gone.
The current Carrera was able to control magic on a level comparable to Velgrynd.
“I’ll give you destruction. Now be gone! “Abyss Annihilation”!”
It was the ultimate magic that surpassed even “Gravity Collapse.” It was also Carrera’s ideal,
the most powerful offensive magic.
It was a spell that generated an unimaginable torrent of extreme energy by throwing a
substance called up from the abyss into a gravitational collapse force field. It went without saying
that it was extremely difficult to control the energy, let alone make it directional.
It was not a spell that should be used on a planet, but Carrera had no hesitation in unleashing it.
It was a spell that, if mis-controlled, could wipe out even the planet.
The spell had never been used successfully in the underworld, and this was the first time it had
been used in the material world. With no hesitation at all, Carrera used a spell that had never
succeeded before.
If Testarossa and the others had been here, they would have stopped Carrera at all costs. But
there was no one here who could stop Carrera.
Agera was there, but it would be unreasonable to ask him to stop Carrera. In fact, it might be
better to say that it was not Kondou who was the most frightened, but rather Agera, who knew how
dangerous the magic was.
And what about Kondou?
He had sensed the danger just by seeing Carrera’s preparatory movements and deployed
‘Conviction King Sandalphon’ even before he heard her announcement. This quick assessment of
the situation was what made Kondou, Kondou. However, this time, his opponent was just too much.
‘Abyss Annihilation’ was an extreme magic that was presupposed upon Carrera’s absurd mana
to the point of being ridiculous. Its range was vast, and because this wasn’t the otherworld, there
was no telling how much damage it could do.
Kondou guessed that if they were not careful, it could destroy even the otherworld. If that were
to happen, all of the matter in the line of fire of this spell targeting Kondou would disappear. He
was aware of this.
If the otherworld was destroyed, Emperor Rudra was likely to be affected as well. Rudra’s
defenses were sound, but even so, there was still a chance. He had to prevent that from happening.
But that wasn’t all. Kondou was aware of a more troubling fact.
Judging from Carrera’s stance, even that vicious magic was a decoy. Even if he survived the
blow, it would be followed by the main attack of the sword. There was nothing he could do in that
case. The only way to survive was to make every sacrifice possible and defeat her here.
Kondou made up his mind. He sheathed his sword and waited for the right moment. Then he
moved just as Carrera activated the spell. With all of his might, he drew his sword.
“Yaezakura—Hakkasen…”
He recreated the technique that Hakurou had shown him. The power it contained was the
“Judgment” that could only be used once a day. If he was unable to exceed his limits here, Kondou
would be doomed. That was why, believing that he could do it, Kondou bet on his own potential.
The power of his soul grew brighter.
Would it be Kondou’s, or Carrera…?
At the very least, there was no doubt that both of them were giving it their all.
Kondou’s blade sliced through the torrent of maniacal energy generated by the Abyss
Annihilation.
Carrera’s eyes widened, but there was a smile on her face.
Pain shot through Kondou’s entire body.
Even the best protection, the mythical-grade ceremonial garments, were unable to prevent the
power of destruction. Yet Kondou was not daunted. With conviction, he aimed for Carrera’s neck
and made the eight flowers bloom.
Carrera, however, was a step above Kondou.
“That’s naive. Now then, I will show you my best technique, using Agera’s experience as my
own!”
Those were her words, but they were more than that.
In a moment of time, Carrera’s intention was transmitted to Kondou. A hundred sword flashes
that transcended Kondou’s sword drew speed.
The name of the technique was the “Oboro: Hyakka Ryouran33.”
Kondou’s sword broke and shattered under the unbearable violence. Immediately afterwards,
Carrera’s final blow knocked Kondou down to his knees.
………
……
…
Kondou felt his strength drain from his entire body. He had passed his limit long ago. He
closed his eyes and fell on his back. The end of Kondou’s life was near.
I’m halfway there, he laughed at himself. After all, he had been unable to do anything. Neither
able to defend his country, nor keep his promise to Rudra.

—Be my friend, Tatsuya—

Ahhh, I… I was unable to keep my promise to you. Kondou’s heart was filled with regret. The
thought of his unfulfilled promise almost tore at his heart.
“Tatsuya, I have a favor to ask you.”
“Anything. As your friend, I will do whatever I can to help you.”
That’s right, he had wanted to return the favor. He wanted to say thank you to Rudra for calling
him a friend, for giving him meaning in this world. Even so, that request was too cruel, wasn’t it…?
“A long time ago, I asked Damrada for a favor. If I lose sight of my ideals, I want you, my
friend, to stop me. But I have lived too long. Damrada is too kind to kill me with his own hands. I
regret this terrible request I made of him.”
“That’s…”
“So, Tatsuya. If it came down to it, would you be able to kill me with your calm judgment? Go
and get in Damrada’s way, and stop me with your own hands.”

No, he hadn’t liked it at all. Because he wanted Rudra to live, too. Rudra was calm, intelligent,
and courageous. He was Kondou’s dream, and a hard master to have. He was the man who stopped
33
Oboro (朧) means haziness/dreaminess, so I like to translate it to Haze (I might be wrong, but I believe this was even
used in the anime). Hyakka Ryouran is a Japanese idiom that translates to “Countless (or a hundred) Flowers
Blooming in Profusion.” It’s wordy, but I guess if I had to give a translation for the technique, it would be something
like ‘Haze – One Hundred Flowers Blooming Madly’
Kondou from killing himself in this world when he couldn’t defend his country. He became his
friend. The great champion, Emperor Rudra.
Even so, he had still nodded because he knew Rudra’s pain. Rudra’s body—his shining ‘soul’,
had long since reached its limit. It was probably the result of repeated reincarnations to control the
special power of the Justice King Michael.
Kondou, with his Unique Skill ‘Decipherer’, understood this fact more deeply than anyone else.
Perhaps even more than Velgrynd. She was blinded by her love for Rudra. If she knew what Rudra
had asked of Damrada and Kondou, she would have been furious.
In a sense, Rudra’s request to Kondou was a natural occurrence. Now that he had acquiesced,
he had to keep his promise. Because that was what a promise was. But that time was still far to
come. Rudra was still alive and in control of his power.
…But was that really the case?
Looking back, he had felt a small sense of unease. The occasional cold look in Rudra’s eyes
and his overly cold judgment. Kondou only knew Rudra as such, but he saw that Damrada was in
distress. If Rudra was indeed alive and well, why did Damrada need to agonize over it? It was really
suspicious when he thought about it.
Since when? Since when had Damrada really started to take action?
Did I perhaps overlook something important? He had been interfering with Damrada as
ordered, but that might have been a big mistake.
Rudra was certainly a shining light when they first met. And yet, Kondou had failed to notice
Rudra’s deterioration. The moment Kondou realized this fact, he felt his mind begin to clear. It was
as if the shackles of his mind had been loosened.
—I see, so I was long already…at the mercy of Justice King Michael…
It was shameful, he couldn’t help but lament.
That’s right. When Damrada was preparing to kill Rudra, he should have taken the lead instead
of interfering. Then they could have stopped Rudra.
What a blunder… Now, the situation was irreparable. It was unclear as to why Kondou had
been freed from the Justice King’s control, but he couldn’t even move a finger anymore. All he
could do now was wait quietly for death.
I’m so useless. Whether it was sharing your pain or easing your suffering, I have failed to do
so. And…even the promise to free you was a failure…
The task of stopping Rudra did not seem possible by any means.
As it was, he could only reach the end of his life with regret—
………
……
…
“Hey, don’t go sleeping on me. Let’s continue the fight!”
As if to disturb his sleep, he heard a voice speaking to him. When he opened his eyes, the
enemy he had been fighting to the death with just now was peering at him sullenly.
A demon with shining blond hair and a bewitching smile. Surely a beautiful sight.
—Don’t be absurd. I’m already dying. There’s no way I can fight.
“Huh? But the victor has not been decided. That’s no good.”
Heheh. It’s not decided, huh? Yeah, sure. After all…you’re just so, so unreasonable…
Kondou chuckled lightly as he heard Carrera’s words, though he didn’t think she understood
him.
Carrera herself was probably already running out of energy and on the verge of death—laughter
welled up at just the thought of it. He tried to sit up, and failed. He was a mess.
After all, I’m not going to be able to do anything more.
The demon in front of him, on the other hand, was free and pure…
I envy you, I really do.
That’s what he thought, from the bottom of his heart. It was also why Kondou began to say and
do things that didn’t even make full sense to himself.
“I have a request. His Majesty, with my gun …please kill…”
 He was going to entrust his role to Carrera, his enemy.
What am I doing? Making such a foolish wish to the enemy I’ve been fighting…
A defeated man’s wish was bound to be ridiculed. And yet, for some reason, he said it out loud.
Carrera picked up the Nambu pistol that was lying on the ground.
“This? It’s broken.”
So it is, Kondou thought as his consciousness faded. He had been a little naive to think that
maybe the demon would listen to his wish. Demons were not that kind. Reality was cruel, and
Kondou understood that very well. His consciousness slowly became more and more distant.
Even though he had become a Saint, a spiritual life form, Kondou was still a human being. If
his soul was destroyed, it was impossible to be revived. Carrera’s blow had dealt a fatal blow to
Kondou. He could actually feel that he was collapsing from the end. It was impossible for him to
recover from this stage.
“Hmph. You’re just going to give up now that this toy’s broken? It’s not like you’re the one
who tormented me. It was such a good fight, but I happened to awaken.”
Kondou hadn’t expected such encouragement from his former enemy, Carrera. And so, Kondou
squeezed the last of his energy and smiled.
“Kukuku, you’re right… Hilarious. It’s hilarious how pathetic I am… I know…”
After these words, he began to let go of his consciousness.
But—
“Wait, don’t die yet. I can kill the emperor if you want or whatever.”
…?
“You’re so slow! What’s the reward? It’s common knowledge that if you want to work with a
demon, you need a contract!”
Carrera was originally a demon that could never be negotiated with. And yet, somehow, she felt
as if she could listen to Kondou’s request. However, she was not willing to work for free.
Kondou couldn’t help but smile at Carrera’s flustered expression. He was getting more and
more amused. The demon who had been his enemy. Her embarrassed and flustered appearance
soothed him.
I’ll give you everything I have—I’ll even give you my ‘soul’, so please.
His words could no longer be voiced out. Kondou opened his eyes with the last of his strength
and looked at Carrera with a strong will.
It was a mockery to believe in a demon. However, with the beauty of Carrera burned into his
mind, he made his wish. It may have been Kondou’s selfish illusion to think that his message had
been conveyed. Nevertheless—he bet on his last hope to save himself from his unworthiness.
The voiceless voice reached Carrera.
“I have heard your wish. In the name of Carrera, the Menace Lord, we have a deal! Your wish
shall be granted.”
Kondou smiled as he heard those words solemnly proclaimed.
He moved his weak hand with nothing but his will power and pointed it at Carrera. His
fingertips touched the gun that Carrera had declared to be broken.
At the touch of Kondou’s finger, the Nambu shined golden. It was bathed in Kondou’s power,
its material changed, and it was reborn as mythical-grade.
Kondou’s soul was also passed on to Carrera through the pistol. However, it did not contain his
heart.
Carrera knew.
The soul of an enlightened and sinless man could not be set free, even if his soul was bound.
He would be released from the wheel of reincarnation without any restrictions and travel to the
promised place.
That is, liberation.
Carrera thought it was lonely.
“Hmm, that’s no fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a resolute opponent…”
She muttered this to herself, and at the same time—
 «In that case—Let’s combine the Ultimate Skill ‘Annihilation King Abaddon’ with ‘Conviction
King Sandalphon’.»

Carrera felt as if she heard such a voice. She hurriedly turned her attention to the pistol in her
hand.
 The pistol glowed with an even greater dazzling golden light, as if it were silently saying, ‘Now
you won’t be lonely anymore.’ It was unmistakably a memento of Kondou, and now it was
Carrera’s new partner.
“Well then… It seems you’re with me now.”
As she spoke, the pistol seemed to flicker. At the same time, she could feel power flowing into
her body.

—You’re using your mana too roughly. I’ll help you, so you should use me more skillfully.—

She felt as if she heard Kondou’s voice. In that next moment, she understood everything. In an
instant, she had taken possession of Kondou’s power.
“Nosy guy. Can you stop treating me like a child?”
The man was such a cocky bastard to the end—Carrera thought so.
She didn’t feel lonely anymore.
Carrera stood up.
“Congratulations on your great victory. I, Agera, was impressed.”
“Same to you. I’m proud of you for surviving.”
“Fufu, it is a pleasure to be praised by Carrera-sama.”
Although he was smiling, Agera was wounded. Carrera’s mana had poured into his body, and
he had been subjected to Kondou’s swordplay. Now that he was no longer a sword, he was so badly
injured that it was a wonder he had not been destroyed.
Even so, Agera was still smiling with satisfaction.
“This Kondou guy, he was a descendant of your disciple, wasn’t he?”
“Apparently so.”
“Humans are not so foolish as to be underestimated. They can inherit skills and build upon
them to continuously improve.”
Agera nodded happily.
“He was stronger than you, though. It’s quite something.”
Agera frowned in disgust.
“The only reason he was stronger than me was because he was an exception. If we had fought
with swords alone, I’m sure I would have won.”
“I guess you can say that.”
And they both laughed out loud. They were very similar in that they both hated to lose.
As Carrera laughed, she saw a rift in the other world that was collapsing. Through it, she could
see Emperor Rudra’s seated figure.
“Come now, the battle is not over yet.” Carrera walked out with a fearless smile on her face, as
she always did.
“Of course, I will accompany you. We will strike fear into the hearts of those who stand in our
way!”
Agera followed behind Carrera. He was mortally wounded, but he didn’t care.
The enemy was still out there.
And—
Most importantly, the promise must be fulfilled.

Granit, the third rank in the Single Digit hierarchy, was a champion who had supported the Empire
for a long time. He was a key player who had laid the foundations of the Empire and helped bring
about a thousand years of peace.
He was once praised as the “God of War” by the subjects of the Empire, and was a great man
as recorded in the history books. Although he had now disappeared from the center stage, he was
the chief of the four knights as a confidant of Emperor Rudra.
He was a warrior who had mastered all kinds of weapons and martial arts, and his physique was
magnificent. Although he was over 2,000 years old, his black hair which was stroked all the way
back and his short black beard gave him a youthful impression.
Confronting Granit was Benimaru, the “Flare Lord”.

The two men faced each other in the center of the circular colosseum.
“I am Granit. Protector of the Empire.”
“I am Benimaru. You can think of me as the second-in-command of Demon Lord Rimuru.”
After a brief exchange of names, it was time to fight. With that in mind, Granit smiled and
spoke to Benimaru.
“Ah, wait a moment. Don’t you wish to hear what I have to say?”
“It depends on the content.”
“Well, that’s simple. I have investigated about you, and it’s been reported that you are a very
powerful man.”
“I’m flattered.”
“Fufufu, I’m not trying to flatter you. I’ve slaughtered many powerful men and I pride myself
on my discernment. Even in my eyes, you have passed the test. I’m sure you’re no match for any
ordinary demon lord.”
“What are you trying to say?”
At this point, Benimaru was starting to get annoyed.
It wasn’t that he didn’t like to negotiate, but now that the battle had heated up to this point,
there was no time for a leisurely discussion. If the other side wanted to surrender, that would be a
different story, but judging from Granit’s behavior, that was not the case. Rather, he seemed to be
suggesting that Benimaru surrender.
His prediction was correct.
“I didn’t expect you to be so strong. I’m surprised. Kondou was also unhelpful, as the
Intelligence Bureau’s negligence put our empire at risk. If there are more losses than expected, we
won’t be able to fight a decisive battle. So, I think we should end this now. Why don’t you take an
oath to be my subordinate? If you surrender, I will take full responsibility for you and your men.”
It was a very self-serving proposal. Since he was about to lose, he was proposing a ceasefire
without admitting defeat. From a third party’s perspective, it would only have seemed that way. In
reality, however, that was not the case. Granit did not believe that he would lose.
Because they had lost a lot of battle power, he was trying to recruit Benimaru and the others in
order to replenish his forces.
Benimaru intuitively saw through this and felt even more annoyed.
This guy…is he trying to use us as pawns? But he seems to have the ability to back up his
confidence.
Benimaru calmly evaluated Granit.
The fact that he made that suggestion in this other world meant that he was aware of the
situation inside the other gates. He should have been regarded as a warrior with a tactical
perspective, not merely a guard.
Granit’s proposal was not even worth considering from Benimaru’s point of view.
“So, my subordinates will be fine, but what about Rimuru-sama?”
“It’s a shame, but that demon lord is dangerous. We’ll need your help to defeat him in order to
confirm your loyalty.”
Sure enough, Benimaru thought. He wanted them to work together to take down Rimuru, but in
reality, he probably just wanted them to kill each other. Of course, if they survived that, they might
be willing to let them join, but Benimaru was not stupid enough to trust such an uncertain story.
Most importantly, it was absolutely outrageous to expect that he would betray Rimuru.
“That’s not even worth talking about. We would never betray Rimuru-sama.”
The only reason why he was still listening to the other party was because Benimaru wanted to
buy some time. In fact, he had been hearing someone’s voice since a while ago now.
The voice, which sounded both nostalgic and pleasant, came to Benimaru with a proposal.

«Benimaru, may I make some changes to the form of power you desire?»

Normally, he would never have nodded to such a dubious proposal, but for some reason,
Benimaru had agreed.
Although his race had evolved into a “flame spirit oni”, Benimaru had not been satisfied with
that. Referring to the experience of Rimuru’s lending him the Ultimate Skill, he aimed to acquire
one on his own.
That goal was half-accomplished.
Upon seeing the battle between Rimuru and Velgrynd, and the struggles of the others,
Benimaru had become enlightened.
He integrated the power of fire, his forte, into his Unique Skill ‘Generalissimo’.
Although he was unable to recreate Rimuru’s power of Absolute Severance, his beloved sword
the Red Lotus had been reforged by Kurobee to the level of a mythical-grade sword. If he put black
flames on it, he would not be defeated because of the difference in weapon performance.
Generalissimo’ was on the verge of reaching the ultimate level, combining the techniques he
had developed and the racial characteristics of the ‘flame spirit oni’ race.
And then he heard that mysterious voice.
Benimaru wanted to see what kind of change would come from his acceptance. That was why
he agreed to talk with Granit, but later regretted it when he was told to betray Rimuru.
The mere mention of such a suggestion was offensive.
Having had enough, he drew his sword and held it out towards Granit.
“Hey, come on, it’s no good having such a short temper. A monster lives by survival of the
fittest. They follow the strong and abandon the weak, right? Isn’t it commonplace for monsters to
change masters?”
Upon hearing Granit’s words, Benimaru became angry enough to feel his head boil.
As a general, he was confident and proud of his calm thinking, but now…
Heh, I have no right to laugh at Shion like this…
He mocked himself, but he had no intention of holding back his anger.
“Enough. I have nothing more to say to you.”
At those words, Granit shook his head and muttered, ‘Good grief.’
“I don’t understand. This is a mercy and my greatest concession. I respect your position and am
saying that I will hire you as a subordinate without hurting you…”
Granit spoke, seeming genuinely mystified. He had no doubt about his strength. This was
because he believed himself to be overwhelmingly stronger than Benimaru.
Understanding this, Benimaru became even more furious. There was only one reason why he
had not yet gone off and cut him down. He wanted to make Granit regret what he had said.
“Are you going to continue this conversation lazily just so you can have an excuse for losing?”
“Hahaha, what a joke. I appreciate your spirit, but you should learn to have some self-
awareness. Perhaps my men were too proud…and all three of them were defeated. I feel too
ashamed to face His Majesty, but as long as you agree, we will have more strength than before. I’ll
be happy, and you won’t have to die. Wouldn’t that make for a good relationship? You should
understand after hearing that. I have no intention of using you as abandoned pawns.”
Obviously aware of Benimaru’s annoyance, Granit spoke without shame.
What was even more infuriating was that his words were unmistakably serious. He meant what
he was saying. Granit exuded the aura of a champion, and his demeanor eloquently evoked that
there was no need for gimmicks.
“If you truly are a general, then think carefully. Your subordinates can be saved with just your
heart. Besides, I will tell you the brutal truth. Kondou and Damrada are really strong. Damrada and
I go way back, and I am familiar with his character. Well, I’m stronger, but he is also a powerful
opponent who will not be defeated even in the face of a primordial. And then there’s Kondou. He’s
a newcomer, but he’s just as good as us. It was only because he was too dangerous that he was put
under His Majesty’s control, but even a primordial cannot defeat him. In other words, in order to
challenge His Majesty Rudra, you will have to defeat the four strongest masters, including
Velgrynd-sama and myself. You understand that this is impossible, right?”
This guy is surprisingly loose-lipped—thought Benimaru. Now that his anger had been
quenched a little, he would try to gather some information.
Some of the words were irritating, but if he could find out the inner workings of the empire just
by putting up with them, Benimaru had no complaints.
What bothered him was the fact that the emperor had Kondou under his control. There was no
doubt that Emperor Rudra possessed some kind of domination Skill.
“It’s unfortunate that you’ve been so vocal and unilaterally determined that we are the losers.
Besides, even if we did follow you, it wouldn’t be good to be put under control, would it?”
“Kakaka, are you finally interested? I’m sure you are. Well, I had heard that the ogre clan was
an excellent mercenary group, so I thought that you would join us depending on the conditions. And
rest assured, just as you feared, His Majesty does indeed have the power to control minds. But
there’s no point in worrying about that.”
“……”
“Hmm, so you’re not convinced. Well, I guess it would be difficult. Consider it an honor to be
dominated. If one is not competent, you’ll just be ignored. Besides, Kondou was also dominated,
and he was not aware of it. I am the only one who knows, so I do feel a little sorry for him.”
“As I thought, you’re out of your depth.”
It was truly out of the question.
Granit’s point as well, was not incomprehensible.
No one would be unhappy because the controlled person would be unaware of it. That was the
logic behind it, but no one would nod their head if asked to accept it.
“Is that so? It’s true when I say that you don’t need to worry. You may not believe much of
what I say, but to put it another way, I can assure that you and your subordinates will never be
dominated.”
“Why not?”
“Because you are weak.”
“What a joke…” Benimaru’s anger flared up again.
Granit’s tone was so natural that it was completely clear that he was not bluffing or anything,
and that he wasn’t even trying to insult Benimaru. Benimaru was aware that he had evolved to
become stronger, so he did not expect to be looked down upon so much.
“Well, just listen. When it comes to being an enemy, you are one of the strongest, but when it
comes to being allies, you do not reach the value of being dominated. Not only have we taken
control of young Yuuki as well as Kondou, but now we’ve taken control of Veldora-sama too. I
don’t think there’s enough room to add you to those numbers, so if you swear loyalty to me, you
will be allowed to move freely. After all, even if you were to challenge me with all of your
subordinates, you would be no match for me.”
“That’s a lot of confidence. But then again, I am confident in my own strength as well. I don’t
want to listen to any more arguments, so let’s decide who’s right and who’s wrong with action.”
Benimaru readied his sword, which he had slung over his shoulder. He had thought he might be
able to get some useful information, but he decided that anything more would only make him more
disgusted.
Granit let out a big sigh, not amused.
“Monsters are incorrigible. It’s a pity that you are still unable to see the reality of things. It’s no
use. I guess I have no choice but to give up on trying to win you over and negotiate with the one
who defeated Minaza instead.”
Benimaru snorted.
“Don’t do that. Shion is more stubborn than I am.”
Upon hearing this, Granit’s face turned serious for the first time.
“Well…? I don’t believe you’ve been introduced, but do you know who Minaza is?”
 “Isn’t it natural to gather information on the battlefield? Rimuru-sama has also educated us to
do so thoroughly.”
“Hmm, that’s interesting. I wonder how you got the information from the otherworld that
Velgrynd-sama created. As I thought, it would be a shame to kill a man of your stature.”
With that said, Granit finally drew his sword. He could handle any weapon with skill, but a
familiar sword would be more comfortable in his hand.
The moment he held his sword up to Benimaru, Granit’s mood changed completely. His
previous calm demeanor disappeared entirely, and he radiated a supreme energy that was not unlike
a divine oni. His short hair was standing on end, as if he was the embodiment of a man in a furious
rage.
“There is a saying in the otherworld, “ask not the sparrow how the eagle soars.” 34 The
meaning is that a small boy cannot understand the thoughts of a grown man, which is exactly what
you are. You should have obeyed me while I was gently guiding you.”
“Are you still lecturing me at this point? I’m tired of this.”
“Hmph! Then die!! Hagun Gekishin Resshou35!”
From the first blow, Granit unleashed his most powerful special move. He was confident that
this would be the end.
Granit’s forte was analyzing the enemy. With the Ultimate Enchantment ‘Alternative’ lent to
him by Rudra, Granit was able to determine the combat capabilities of his opponents. By doing so,
Granit was able to correctly grasp Benimaru’s strength. That is why he was convinced that there
was no way they could be defeated.
Of course, “enemy detection” was not omnipotent. If the adversary had awakened to an
Ultimate Skill, it was impossible to know its power. However, it was easy to guess the level of
competence just by looking at the amount of magicules the adversary possessed. In this respect,
Benimaru and the others were not a threat. Benimaru, Souei, Shion, and the demons. In Granit’s
eyes, it was obvious that none of them had acquired an Ultimate Skill.
The “primordials” were a nuisance, and it was obvious that negotiations would not be possible
with them. That’s why he had planned to deal with the demons once they arrived, but it was
Benimaru who appeared before Granit.
In Granit’s opinion, Benimaru was a promising young man with the potential to awaken an
Ultimate Skill, however, he was not a match for Granit. The amount of magicules he possessed was
huge, but it was still less than half of Granit’s. In that sense, it was natural for him to judge that
Benimaru was not a threat.
Besides, Granit was not conceited nor careless. If the enemy was an Ultimate Skill holder, he
might have had a hard time depending on the compatibility. As the battle time extended, there was
the possibility of the enemy awakening the ultimate power due to perceived danger. That said, it
was impossible for the power to suddenly increase just by talking with him.
That is why Granit intended to finish his opponent off with overwhelming power, so that the
enemy would not be allowed to fight back at all.
Since Granit knew that Benimaru did not have a ‘transformation’ like the beastmen, there was
no chance for Benimaru to win. Therefore, Granit’s victory was certain—
“How lax. You’re not doing much for all your boastful talk.”
“Wh-What the—?!”
Something unexpected had happened.
The ‘Hagun Gekishin Ressho, which contained enough energy to tear Benimaru to pieces, had
been deflected by Benimaru’s sword.
It was an unbelievable sight.
34
The quote was basically “enjaku izukunzo koukoku no kokorozashi wo shiran ya” which roughly translates to
something like “why would a sparrow know the will/mind of the eagle?” It’s similar to the quote “ask not the sparrow
how the eagle soars” which I used because it sounds better in English. Basically, it means that the people at the top of
the ladder are incomprehensible to those on the bottom, and that’s just how nature is.
35
Not too sure what this means (I didn’t get a good look at the Japanese), but based on MTL it’s something like “Army
Breaker: Kinetic Shock/Violent Tremor.” It’s basically an attack with the power of a severe earthquake.
 Granit’s entire body was of mythical-grade equipment. Benimaru’s sword was also quite good,
but it should not have been able to match the strength of the true mythical-grade.
No, even before that—
“N-No way, no, it can’t be!! Why…why have you acquired an Ultimate Skill—?!”
It was no wonder Granit was screaming. There was no way the enemy could have suddenly
acquired an Ultimate Skill, which had never existed until now.
At Granit’s panic, Benimaru’s attitude was calm.
“What are you wondering about? A man is one who is constantly growing!”
Although Benimaru seemed fine on the surface, he was covered in cold sweat on the inside.
The moment that Benimaru had received Granit’s brutal sword was the moment that he gained
power. In that moment, he was able to correctly grasp Granit’s power.
If the timing had been even slightly off, Benimaru would have suffered terrible damage. While
he might not have died, he was in no condition to laugh about it.
That was close. I didn’t think he was hiding his abilities to this extent… I didn’t intend to let my
guard down, but I would have lost if I hadn’t acquired this power.
It had been a good thing that he took part in Granit’s long conversation—Benimaru thought.
“Well, I guess it’s my turn now.”
Benimaru switched his mindset and concentrated on the enemy.
As far as results were concerned, it was a good thing that he had survived, but he would reflect
on the rest later.
The power he had just acquired was exactly the ideal he had envisioned. That was why
Benimaru had performed it with the ease of breathing, and without reserve.
Ultimate Skill ‘Heat King Amaterasu’—reflecting the information Ciel had obtained by
analyzing Velgrynd’s powers, Benimaru displayed this fearsome ultimate power.
Benimaru’s sword, the Red Lotus, adorned a black glow. It was a symbol of Benimaru’s power
—‘Amaterasu’.
The word ‘Amaterasu’ had two meanings in this context.
The first read as ‘heat haze’ and was understood as a meteorological phenomenon. Extending
from there, it became the essence of ‘Formhide,’ which had no substance, could not be burned,
could not be frozen, and could not be cut. The second meaning went without saying. It was the light
of the sun, a super-heated flame.
With his swordsmanship added to the characteristics of Amaterasu, even Benimaru could not
imagine how much his power would increase.
Granit, being Granit, responded in a manner worthy of the moniker “God of War”. After a
moment of astonishment, he immediately calmed down and began to search for Benimaru’s
weakness.
Perhaps it was because he had acquired an Ultimate Skill, but his magicule count was greatly
reduced. The amount of magicules had been reduced to a third of Granit’s, though it was still
enough to make an ordinary demon lord look like a fool.
The unknown power was a threat, but he judged that he could defeat it with a single blow of all
his might.
Then he shouted.
“Don’t underestimate me, you monster! This time I won’t hold back. I’ll use all of my strength
to defeat you!!”
In the past, Granit’s strength had been second only to Velgrynd’s in the Imperial Army. In fact,
he was stronger than Damrada, and would have been an even match for Kondou. This was still the
case today. It was simply that he had not had a chance to be serious. He was not just a guard for
Rudra.
Granit then moved to crush Benimaru with all his might.
“Die, Yabugun Gekishin Ressho36!!”
It was the same technique as before, but the difference in power was enormous.

36
Pretty much the same as before, but instead of ‘Army breaker; violent tremor’ it’s more like an ‘Army destroyer.’
 A fierce shockwave burst out and lightning flashed in the atmosphere. However, these attacks
only passed through Benimaru. No matter the attack, it was not able to touch Amaterasu.
At that moment, a roar sounded in the air. Something had happened, not in this space, but in the
otherworld.
Carrera makes an awful role model.
In Benimaru’s mind, there was a clear picture of what Carrera had done.
Of course, it wasn’t through Moss. When he acquired the Ultimate Skill ‘Heat King
Amaterasu’, he was able to see visions of Rimuru and his subordinates connected by the Soul
Corridor. As a result, Benimaru had also grasped Carrera’s technique.
“I’ll show you something special. I’ve only just seen it myself, but I’ll give it a go.”
“Wha—”
Granit was unable to react.
This was because Benimaru’s attack had already cut him into tiny pieces and burned him to the
ground.
Even so, the scariest thing here was Benimaru himself.
His movements were just like a shimmering heat haze. The ‘Heat King Amaterasu’, which had
analyzed Velgrynd’s power, also possessed the power of ‘Light and Heat Domination’ which gave
him the ability to accelerate himself. By using this, Benimaru was able to unleash a sword lash of
divine speed, though it was not as fast as the Scorch Dragon Cardinal Acceleration.
This invincible technique, which possessed both power and speed, was—
“It’s called ‘Oboro-Kokuen Hyakka Ryouran37’. Well, I guess you can’t hear me though.”
Benimaru said as he turned away with a refreshed look on his face.
Granit was actually quite strong. Moreover, he had been calculating, well prepared, and in
perfect condition. Even so, the fact that he had been defeated could be summed up in one phrase
—“bad luck.” If there was one thing to be reflected upon, it was that he had ignored the strategy of
defeating the enemy when you could. Granit had died from talking too much.
Benimaru thought as such and made a mental note to not repeat that mistake himself.

Velgrynd was anxious. This was because Rimuru had eaten her ‘Split Body.’ That Demon Lord
Rimuru was one to be feared.
She was unable to communicate with the eaten ‘Split Body’. Her thoughts were swallowed up
in the abyss, and no response had come back.
Even if she poured her energy into it, it would only be like throwing herself into a bottomless
pit. Judging that there was no point to this, Velgrynd bit her lip.
Roughly half of her total energy had been lost with no sign of recovery. It was difficult to
maintain her composure, as her belief in the invincibility of ‘Parallel Existence’ had now been
broken.
The current Velgrynd had only about 20 percent of the magicule amount compared to her
perfect state. She was finding it impossible to defeat Rimuru and had to make the decision to flee
this place immediately.
“Rudra… I can’t put him in danger…”
With this in mind, Velgrynd decided to abandon the protection of the gate. Fortunately, no one
had attacked yet, so she left without hesitation. If someone interfered with her there, she would just
take care of it while there.
Sure enough, she saw a few figures at the location surrounded by the eight gates.
“Oh, what are you in such a hurry for? Have you forgotten something, Velgrynd-sama?”
37
It’s similar to the Oboro—Hyakka Ryouran other than the addition of ‘Kokuen’ meaning ‘black flames.’ I translate
this as “Haze—Black Flames, One Hundred Flowers Blooming Madly”
 Testarossa, who appeared to be the leader in the group, asked as she sipped her tea in a relaxed
manner.
“…White Primordial Blanc…”
Velgrynd glared at Testarossa whose smile only deepened. As she was in a hurry, Velgrynd
was annoyed at the appearance of such a troublesome opponent. In contrast to Velgrynd, Testarossa
was smiling gracefully.
“Didn’t I ask you to stop calling me that? Or…are you perhaps trying to pick a fight with me?”
Her smile was still there, but her eyes were not happy. In the face of the overwhelmingly
dominant Velgrynd, Testarossa remained unrelenting in her stance.
“You still want to fight me even after I hurt you so badly?”
“Yes, it would be a pleasure. I don’t need to win. I just need to buy myself some time against
you.”
Velgrynd’s fist came at Testarossa as she stood up. Tables and chairs shattered in the
shockwave. Esprit and Zonda had already evacuated to avoid being caught. Testarossa danced
around lightly.
The heat was so intense that it could turn one into charcoal just by a mere touch, and the speed
was so fast that it was impossible to see. There was no need to dare face the onslaught of Velgrynd
with force.
Regardless of skill-level, there was a difference of nearly ten times the amount of magicules
between the two. Even though Velgrynd had only about 20 percent of her magicules left, there was
still that much of a gap.
And yet, Testarossa maintained a relaxed attitude.
It would be difficult to win. That was because there was simply no way to defeat Velgrynd. But
if all she wanted to do was buy time without defeating her, Testarossa’s ability would be no
problem.
“This is why I hate you guys!!”
“Oh, what a shame. I have the utmost respect for you, sister of Veldora-sama.”
“So pretentious. In that case, stop making a scene and get out of my way!”
“I’m afraid I must decline your request. I am a competitive person and I still hate to lose. That’s
why, I’ll get even with you right here!”
This was Testarossa’s true intention.
She couldn’t defeat Velgrynd in a straight fight, but she could still disrupt her. Even if she
couldn’t hold out until the other leaders arrived, Rimuru would be arriving soon. At that point,
Testarossa’s victory would be confirmed.
Ahhh, Rimuru-sama’s victory was truly wonderful—playing the overwhelming Velgrynd-sama
as if twisting a baby’s hand. I, too, will not be defeated.
Rimuru had already revealed the details of Velgrynd’s techniques, so Testarossa had no
intention of letting this opportunity slip away.
Red and white clashed.
One was fierce, the other was graceful.
While weaving a red and white pattern at a frightening speed, they faced each other again
without making a single contact.
“How stupid… You’re not the same person you were before…”
“That’s right. I’m surprised, but I’ve also acquired an Ultimate Skill. I think it is because of
that.”
Testarossa answered casually, as if it was nothing. In fact, Testarossa had used the waiting time
to hope to gain new powers. As a result, she succeeded in materializing the shape of her own heart.
At that moment, she thought she heard a strange voice, but she chalked it up to her imagination.
Testarossa was a demon that could choose the right answer by instinct.
As for the power she desired, it was the Ultimate Skill ‘Death King Belial,’
Just like the Lustful King Asmodeus of Luminas, it controlled life and death. However, the fact
that it weighed more on the side of death must have been reflective of Testarossa’s true nature. For
her, defeat was a humiliation she could never accept, much less death.
 One of the conditions for a demon to evolve was to accumulate power to the limit and then age
for more than 2,000 years. It also meant that they could not be defeated even once—in this case,
defeat meant annihilation.
The phenomenon of losing one’s body and being returned to hell was what was called defeat.
So, strictly speaking, a ‘draw’ did not count as a defeat.
Escape, however, was another matter.
A mental organism was influenced by their own mind. The moment one admitted that they
could not beat their opponent and stopped challenging them, they were defeated.
There were some crazy demons in the world, like Diablo, who were truly undefeated, but those
were few and far between. Testarossa was aware of only a handful of them.
As long as your heart does not give in, it’s okay.
That is why Testarossa did not stop challenging Zegion. As long as she did not stop until she
won, it was not a defeat.
The same was true in this case.
Testarossa believed that as long as she didn’t run away from Velgrynd, she would eventually
win.
“You’ve acquired an Ultimate Skill, huh?”
“Yes. Diablo’s bragging was annoying after all, but it was also because the previous battle
made me deeply aware of what I lack. As long as a Skill is a reflection of the heart, they are not
necessary—that is what I once thought, but I guess it was a shallow belief.”
“……”
“Perhaps it’s because I’ve been able to confront my own desires, but I feel as if I’ve sharpened
my use of power.”
Velgrynd also possessed the Ultimate Skill ‘Charity King Raguel’, so she understood the
meaning of Testarossa’s words. It was also why she realized that it would be even more difficult for
her to withdraw from this place.
“Truly, so abominable…” Testarossa laughed at her unintentional complaint.
“That is the best kind of compliment, is it not?”
And just as Velgrynd’s anger was about to reach its peak, there was a massive explosion that
distorted space.
Velgrynd, who had regained her senses, looked back in surprise.
One of the gates had been blown apart in a spectacular fashion. The blond-haired demon,
Carrera, appeared there. Incidentally, some of Leon’s infamy was due to Carrera’s actions, but that
was not the point right now.
“Hey, it looks like you made it. I don’t like losing all the time either, so I’d like to join you.”
“Ufufufufu, no, Carrera. I don’t mean to be mean, but you’re covered in scars.”
“That Kondou guy was tough. Well, I’m pretty satisfied, so I think I’ll let it go for today.”
Laughing, Carrera wobbled, and Esprit rushed over to support her to a chair which Zonda had
maneuvered. Agera was also there, but he was left alone.
“If Carrera will put up with it, I’ll stop being so selfish. I’m a little tired, so I’ll just watch.”
Before she knew it, Ultima was sitting next to Carrera. She noticed that Veyron had prepared a
chair for her.
One after another, the demons gathered. Of course, it didn’t stop there. Shion, Souei, and
Benimaru also emerged from their respective gates. Upon seeing this, Velgrynd could only cringe.
She realized that the strongest men on her side had all been defeated.
It was a tactical victory for Testarossa.
Rudra and Velgrynd’s hopes were about to be crushed.
Shifting the viewpoint from the sky to the earth—
On the battlefield, the heat of battle was rapidly dying down. In the midst of all this, Laplace
was running towards Kagali, accompanied by Vega.
It appeared that the forbidden spell, ‘Birthday’, was long over. To be more precise, Kagali must
have lost control due to the loss of Velgrynd’s assistance.
It wasn’t clear how many undead elves had been created, but there should still be some time
before they started to move.
Depending on the will of the undead elf, they could become a powerful warrior from birth.
That’s why it was necessary to take them into custody before anyone else did.
Since Laplace had thought as much, others would naturally come to a similar conclusion.
Lieutenant Kondou, who had led the ritual, could not have been unaware of this.
“Damn, I thought I had a head start.”
Once Laplace arrived at the site, the Imperial soldiers were in the midst of loading Kagali and
the others into military vehicles.
“So, you’re Laplace then. I’ve heard that you’re quite strong, so is a fight inevitable?”
The man who called out to Laplace was a gentleman wearing a different colored military
uniform. Lieutenant Kondou’s white uniform was conspicuous, but this man’s bright red uniform
gave off a strange air. And yet, he did not look very strong.
He had a doll-like face and was a mysterious man whose gender-neutral looks could be of a
man or a woman. He seemed ordinary, and if he wasn’t wearing such a flashy military uniform, he
wouldn’t even have left an impression.
—No, perhaps it was because of the military uniform that the man did not leave an impression.
Observing this, Laplace responded cautiously.
“I’m Laplace, and if yer willing to let ‘em go, there’s no need to fight, right?”
“Huhuhu, that’s an impossible proposition. You see, the war is still going on over there. I can’t
just run away.”
The man was determined. In that case, Laplace had no choice but to prepare for battle.
“Then so be it. So who’re you?”
It would be a profitable question if answered properly.
“Me? Well, it’s only natural that you don’t know. I am the tenth in the ranks. I, Feldway, am
the one who holds up the history of the empire!”
The man Feldway. He was a permanent fixture in the Empire and was expected to serve as a
spare in the unlikely event that there was a vacancy in the Single Digits. He had heard rumors about
Laplace as well, but this was the first time he had seen him.
“So, it’s you. Then yer the man they call the spare.”
“I’m not a man. But I’m not a woman either.”
“That’s complicated.”
Laplace looked at Feldway as they spoke. He looked natural, and not self-conscious. He didn’t
take a stance, and he didn’t appear to be running away. He was an elusive figure.
It was Vega who was impatient.
“Leave it to me. I’ll crush that bastard.”
Laplace hurriedly stopped him as he tried to move forward.
“Wait a minute, I told you never to run ahead! The Chairman and the others are basically being
held hostage, so we can’t mess with them.”
Footman and Teare were still alive and well, struggling against the masses. If they were called
upon, it would be impossible to tell how the battle would turn out.
Laplace cautiously tried to find out what his opponent would do. However, this was interrupted
by the appearance of an unexpected person.
“Vega, come help me. Laplace is a traitor. I’ll deal with him here.”
“—Wha-?!”
Feeling a strong killing intent, Laplace fled from the scene. The voice that reached his ears was
that of his trusted boss, Yuuki Kagurazaka. However, what he heard was not what Laplace wanted.
“Boss, come to your senses! It’s not like you to be manipulated by others!”
 Yuuki had defied Mariabell’s control. With his mental strength, he should be able to resist any
kind of mental control. However, Laplace’s voice did not reach him. Yuuki attacked Laplace with
unhindered movements. Seeing this, Vega, who had been confused, smiled a twisted grin of
happiness.
“Oh, yeah, boss! When you’re done with him, I can eat him, right?”
“Yeah, sure. I welcome you to get stronger.”
“You’re the boss, you know what you’re talking about!”
Following the strong. That’s the kind of man Vega was. He lacked morals and ethics. He lived
by instinct more than a wild animal. That is why he did not feel his betrayal was evil, and gleefully
launched his attack on Laplace.
If it had only been one of Yuuki or Vega, he could have dealt with them. However, dealing
with both of them at the same time was a tough task even for Laplace.
Che, this isn’t good. Let alone saving the Chairman, I might get killed. Nope, I’ll just have to
leave for now…
From a strategic point of view, Laplace made the correct choice. But that was not going to
happen.
“Huhuhu, there’s no point in trying to escape. You’re Laplace, aren’t you? You’re cunning and
cautious. It would be troublesome to let you go, so I’ll have you die here.”
True to those words, Laplace’s transition failed.
This was the result of Feldway’s ‘Spatial Domination’ of the entire battle area, which he had
been observing from up high.
“Damn it!”
Vega shot a turbulent volley of energy bombs in time with a violent kick from Yuuki. Vega
may be a muscle head, but he had a good sense of combat. The escape route was blocked, and
Laplace’s chances of winning were slim. No, rather, as long as Yuuki was there, there was no
chance.
Geez, is this the end for me—?
Even so, Laplace had no intention of giving up so easily. Betting on the slight possibility that
Yuuki’s mental domination would be broken, he decided to show the true power he had been
hiding.
“Die!”
“You fool! Yer the one who’s gonna die!”
In between Yuuki’s attacks, he kicked Vega, who had carelessly approached him. This made
Vega unable to even stand up for the time being.
“Hey, that’s pretty good.”
“Yeah. I’m not as good as the boss, but I’m pretty strong too, y’know?”
“I know. So, at the least, I’ll kill you with my own hands.”
“—Wha?!”
With a small sense of discomfort. Laplace noticed something and hurriedly stared at Yuuki’s
face.
Sure enough, it was a familiar face… He was caught off guard. Lost in thought, Laplace was
too late to react to Yuuki’s fist.
Oh no—he was screaming in his mind.
And yet…the pain never came.
…Because right before Laplace’s eyes, Yuuki’s fist had been blocked by someone’s hand.
“Kufufufufu. Oh dear, Rimuru-sama has scolded me. That is your fault, isn’t it?”
It was Diablo.
What do you mean by that?—Laplace couldn’t help but want to retort, but he restrained himself
from doing so.
“D-Diablo-san. Did you come to save me?”
“Huh? Why would I—uh, that’s right. It was Laplace, right? I am here to help you, so make
sure you tell Rimuru-sama emphatically that I saved you.”
 Diablo’s expression changed from disgusted to smiling brightly as he said so.
I’ve never seen such a suspicious smile before.
It was quite impressive that Diablo could be seen this way by the admittedly suspicious
Laplace, who had a reputation for such smiles. Needless to say, it was not a compliment at all.
“Okay, I get it. I’ll tell Rimuru-sama that Diablo-san has been a great help.”
“Good! Then I will help you.”
In fact, Diablo had just been told by Rimuru, “What are you still doing here?” With everyone
else working hard, it was only natural that he would be reprimanded as the only one watching
Rimuru’s battle.
Although Diablo had a good reason for being there to protect Rimuru, he could not say such
words to him, who seemed to have completely forgotten his orders. Rimuru was the only one in the
world who could swing around the selfish Diablo. This was the moment that proved it once again.
That is why Diablo was ordered to get to work and ran away. After he heard the report from
Moss, he rushed to this location. He did not come to help Laplace, but rather to get rid of all the
suspicious people.
Kufufufufu. It was fortunate that I was able to sell a favor to this man here. Now, Rimuru-
sama’s opinion of me will be restored.
Diablo felt as if he had already won.
“So, I’ll leave Yuuki over there alone because of the alliance…huh? Isn’t this the Phantom
King? I know you’ve been coveting this world for a while, but is this the case? You’ve teamed up
with Rudra, haven’t you?”
Diablo’s gaze rested on Feldway, who had been smiling faintly. The smile faded and he looked
at Diablo with a blank expression as he took in his appearance.
“—So then you must be the Black King Noir? Kondou’s investigation mentioned that the
primordial black had become a servant of the Demon Lord Rimuru, so I see that it’s true.”
“I now go by the name Diablo. I don’t care about what you plan to do, but if you try to interfere
with Rimuru-sama, I will not tolerate it. If you are planning to antagonize me, be prepared.”
“How kind of you! You are always getting in the way, you damned demon!!”
Feldway glared at Diablo with an intense hatred. His murderous intent alone would have been
enough to kill a normal person instantly. However, Diablo was unfazed, and he sneered at Feldway
as if to provoke him.
“Never mind then. Even if I were to fight you here, I have no chance of winning.”
“Rest assured. It will be impossible to win.”
After a brief exchange of glares, Feldway spoke first.
“I think I will retire for the day. If you ever try to interfere with me again, be prepared for that,
Diablo.”
“Hmm. Well, I’ll let you off the hook for remembering my name. But keep in mind, I will
prepare the means to kill you.”
After those words, they glared at each other again. Then, as if having nothing more to do, they
moved on, ignoring one another’s presence.
Feldway gave orders to Kagali and Yuuki.
“I’m worried about His Majesty Rudra. We’re returning to the flagship, so get ready.”
In response, Yuuki, who had been watching over the situation, disengaged from his battle
stance. Vega stood up unsteadily and followed Yuuki towards Kagali and the others. Footman and
Teare were also called back, and with Feldway’s ‘Spatial Domination’, everyone, including the
newly born undead elves, were transferred out of the location. Diablo remained there,
communicating with Moss. Now that he knew that the enemy was the Phantom King Feldway, he
decided that he was the only one who could fight him. He moved to clean up the mess, albeit
reluctantly.
With Footman and Teare retreating, the fight on the battlefield came to an end. After
confirming that everyone was safe, he gave appropriate instructions on how to treat the wounded.
Moss was not only competent but also in contact with Benimaru. Diablo decided that his work here
was done. After Feldway and the others had disappeared, he flew to the flagship by transport.
Laplace was the only one left.
“What, so yer leaving me alone again…?” He muttered to himself and slumped his shoulders.
 Epilogue

Brother and Sister

After “eating” Velgrynd, I calmed down. Now that I had some time to look around, I took a look
around the battleground.
The Jura forest was badly damaged, but the capital city of Rimuru had escaped destruction. The
area around the city had been cleared and some damage had been done, but Geld and his men
seemed to have kept it safe.
I was relieved.
“So, what are you still doing here?”
“Well, isn’t it fine, Rimuru-sama? In fact, I am here to make sure no one gets in Rimuru-sama’s
way…”
I had noticed that he had been watching ME the entire time I was Velgrynd. To be honest, it
was annoying, but I didn’t have time to pay attention at the time. And now, here we are at the
present. It was only natural that I would complain.
“Come on, everyone else is working hard. So you go do your job.”
“?! Ah, I-I understand…”
After looking at me with sad eyes, Diablo left.
This guy, I really can’t figure out how he thinks.

«He must have been watching the battle under the guise of guarding the Rimuru-sama and to
prevent any external interventions—frankly, it was unnecessary.»

It seems that even Ciel-san was tired of Diablo. Her words were more scathing than ever. In
any case, now I could get back to dealing with Velgrynd.
I decided to leave all the explaining and convincing to Veldora, however…

…As I listened, I found out that Veldora was putting all of the blame onto me.
Oi oi, how come it’s always me who has to deal with all these problem children?! —I was
annoyed.
This guy seems to be trying to portray me as the bad guy so that he could deflect Velgrynd’s
anger.
“…Anyway, that’s why I wanted to tell my sister that I was safe, but Rimuru wouldn’t let me.
Now that you are in the same position, you will understand what I am saying, won’t you?”
—And just like that he was selling me out.
He’s like that spoiled child who blames his friends when he doesn’t want anyone to get angry
at him.
It was a mistake to let Veldora do the persuasion. But he had a point. I could understand that it
would be embarrassing for him to show up out of nowhere in front of his sister, who was furious
thinking he was dead.
I could understand that feeling, but what’s all this about blaming me? Isn’t that just forcing
more trouble on me?
He was supposed to help mediate, not make the situation worse for me. A-Ah, this is no good! I
can’t leave Veldora in charge any longer. I needed to explain that Velgrynd’s current position was
the same as Veldora’s.

«Before that, I have something to report.»

What is it?

«Upon analyzing Velgrynd, I have discovered that she was under the control of someone,
possibly Rudra. I can remove that effect if you want. How do you want to proceed?»

H-hey, that’s a bombshell of a statement!

I’m not sure how to respond to that report. I had thought Ciel-san would have done the
‘Analyze and Assess’ on Velgrynd, so I was not too surprised about that, but I just couldn’t keep
quiet after hearing that Velgrynd had been controlled. By the way, was Rudra really the culprit?

«Almost confirmed. In addition, I have observed the battle between Carrera and Tatsuya
Kondou through the Soul Corridor and it seems that Kondou was also controlled by Rudra. I would
guess that this is a similar situation.»

When I asked for the details, I was told that Granit, the guy Benimaru was fighting, even gave
him those answers.
That guy was an idiot. I think it was necessary to make it a good example for everyone to learn.
That said, it was a problem to be solved after I returned home. The current problem at hand was
what to do with Velgrynd.
It has been proven that Veldora is unreliable. That’s why I was going to explain it to her, but if
Rudra’s Mental Control is affecting her, there is a big possibility that she won’t listen to me.
Now then, what to do…

«Since we’ve taken the trouble, how about we put Velgrynd in the same position as Veldora?»

Huh?
Does that mean you can connect me to Velgrynd with Soul Corridor like Veldora, and turn her
into an Ultimate Skill?
Is that even possible?

«No problem. The current Rimuru-sama is equal to or greater than the True Dragon race and
has plenty of magicules. It is possible to take in Velgrynd.»

But if I do that, I might be taking away Velgrynd’s free will…or would I?

I was unable to actually force Veldora to do anything. When I asked him for a favor, he had to
agree to work with me. Rather, Veldora just does whatever he wants. When he wants to protect
himself, he is willing to sell me out, as he is doing right now. Although I would have sentenced him
to confiscation of snacks at such a time, when I think about it, he really does give me a hard time.
Even if he did something detrimental to me, it was impossible to undo his released state. I
suppose I could stop the energy supply, but I couldn’t make Veldora disappear. Moreover, the
amount of magicules that a True Dragon had was so large that it could not be lost by mere chance.
As long as Veldora did not return of his own accord, he was free to do whatever he liked. In other
words, there was no coercive force. Basically, when Veldora was free, I couldn’t force him to do
anything.
Thinking about it this way, I realized that Velgrynd would be in the same situation. If I put her
in the same position as Veldora, and then ‘free’ Velgrynd, it would be a quick way to prove my
innocence. I wouldn’t be misunderstood any more, and I wouldn’t get caught in the crossfire.
Sibling quarrels? I don’t know anything. That kind of thing is not my area of expertise. In that
case, let’s put her in the same state as Veldora.

«If you’re not sure, do you want to put some restrictions on Velgrynd?»

Hmmm? Restrictions, is that even possible…?

Putting restrictions on Velgrynd so that she can’t resist may be necessary for the future. But…
that went against my principles. Worst of all, if Velgrynd was not convinced, it would have been
better to leave her in Isolation in Imaginary Space. If I put a mandatory condition on her, I would
become the same as Rudra.
Even if she doesn’t want to help me, that’s fine. As long as she promises to stay out of my way,
she can go live her life.

«Understood. I think that’s only fitting for Rimuru-sama.»

The plan was set. And it was time to get to work. First, I would start with a greeting.
“Ah, Velgrynd-san. How are you—?”
“You, Rimuru?! Quit messing around! Let me out of here now!!”
I turned my attention into my ‘Imaginary Space’, and Velgrynd began to rampage.
If you pictured the scene, it would be like a suspicious slime approaching a beautiful woman.
Indeed, quite the criminal. That slime was me—er, now in human form. No, this was… It was now
a beautiful girl of about 16 years old who was approaching a beautiful woman. The atmosphere was
rather bewitching, but it couldn’t be helped. This was also to prove my innocence.
In the image, I held out my hand to Velgrynd. Then I ate Rudra’s influence, released it, and
established the ‘Soul Corridor.’ There were doors on both sides, so unless Velgrynd opened her
heart, she could not communicate with me. I could talk to her, so I didn’t think it was a waste of
time. These tasks were completed without any problems.
Velgrynd, who had been rampaging, had quieted down, and I was surprised by the sudden
change.
“Ri-Rimuru? You didn’t do something unscrupulous to my sister, did you…?”
“You idiot! Of course not! In fact, if you had persuaded her properly, I wouldn’t have had to go
through all this trouble!!”
We were about to start a fight, but then…
“Shut up!”
“Ah, yes.”
“I’m sorry!”
There was a sudden loud cry and Veldora and I lowered our heads at the same time.
To be honest, I was scared. No wonder Veldora found her so difficult to deal with.
“What the hell is the meaning of this, Rimuru?”
“Even if you ask, I’m not sure what you mean…”
I had no idea what she was talking about.
“I can hear my Split Body’s voice over there, but these sounds don’t seem to reach there. What
the hell did you do?”
A very pretty woman looked into my face, and I got nervous. I could feel her breath on my face
and I began to feel faint. She smelled really good. Velgrynd’s breath was so sweetly fragrant,
perhaps because she didn’t normally need to breathe.

«Now is not the time. Velgrynd’s doubts were probably due to the fact that she has been freed
from Rudra’s control.»

Are you a little angry?

«It’s just your imagination.»

 Is that so?
But, well, I decided not to pursue it too deeply, and got an explanation from Ciel-san.
According to it, the story was simple. The Velgrynd in front of me was not under Rudra’s control
while the ‘Split Body’ over there was. That’s why I was using the Infinite Prison to block the flow
of information.
When blocking out information, one can only get information from the other side. As a result,
the Velgrynd on the other side was in a trapped state. Under Rudra’s control, she still couldn’t
understand what I was thinking. It was a one-way street.
I understood that Ciel-san was doing amazing things, but I was no longer surprised.
“In other words, if we analyze the difference in consciousness, we can prove that you were
being controlled.”
“As expected of Rimuru. Sister, let’s trust Rimuru here—”
“Shut up!”
“Yes!!”
Veldora, who had interjected, was being disciplined again and secretly, I did feel a little happy
to see that.
After shouting at Veldora, Velgrynd seemed to be thinking about something. She was probably
trying to figure out the difference between what I said and the ‘Split Body’ over there.
I, too, looked through the eyes of my companions and grasped the situation on the flagship. The
battle was in its final stages. And something had just happened that would confirm Velgrynd’s
suspicions.

My friends were surrounding Velgrynd. This may have seemed a bit cowardly, but that was only for
those who were not familiar with the situation. In reality, even if Velgrynd was in a weakened state,
it would be difficult to win even if they all challenged her at once. Be that as it may, the foreign
space created by Velgrynd was torn apart and about to collapse. Just when I thought it was about to
collapse, Diablo came and destroyed it with ease.
“The Black Primordial…”
“That’s Diablo. He’d be pretty capable if I wasn’t watching.”
“Kuahahaha! That guy gives me his snacks. I like him.”
This guy has been bought off. So I can’t believe every compliment that Veldora showers on
Diablo.
With that in mind, as I watched the situation, I saw Velgrynd take a step back to protect Rudra.
Rudra remained in his chair with a relaxed attitude despite the situation. That was some nerve. Or
was it confidence? Seeing Rudra like this, there was one person who moved first. Carrera. With the
golden pistol in her hand, she shot Rudra without hesitation.
Moreover, that bullet—
“That’s the move that weakened me, isn’t it?”
“‘Judgment’. If Kondou can only shoot the strongest bullet once a day, how can the Yellow
Primordial…?”
I knew the details because Ciel-san had told me.
“Not the Yellow Primordial, but Carrera. Apparently, she won the battle against Kondou and
was entrusted with defeating Rudra.”
“I didn’t expect even Kondou…” muttered Velgrynd after I explained.
Leaving the confused Velgrynd behind, the situation moved on.
‹Rudra!› shouted the other Velgrynd, she stood in front of Rudra with her arms outstretched as
if to protect him. The fact that she was able to reach Rudra in time with a bullet of divine speed
showed that her physical abilities were monstrous. However, the ‘Judgment’ was not half as
powerful. Upon hitting, it blew off Velgrynd’s right arm from the shoulder and hit Rudra without
diminishing its power.
However…
Surprisingly, Rudra was unharmed.
His expression was relaxed, as if he had known that Carrera’s attack would be in vain.
“What was that? How was he able to neutralize that attack?”
“I don’t know. I saw a glimpse of the ‘Barrier’, but I don’t believe it was capable of completely
nullifying it.”
Veldora and I were surprised by the sight. Velgrynd couldn’t believe it either, muttering,
“Why…?” as she collapsed to the ground supported herself with both hands.
“What’s going on, Sister?!”
Velgrynd replied in a small voice to the panicked Veldora.
“Your friend was right. I really was under Rudra’s control…”
Realizing this, Velgrynd told me about Rudra. She said that Rudra was safe because of his
ironclad defense. That defense was absolute and could not be destroyed by anybody no matter what.
However, there was a condition. The loyalty of the subjects and subordinates to the emperor was the
source of energy, and there had to be people who were loyal to the Emperor. And then there was a
drawback. Although this defense was perfect and always active, it restricted all other actions while
it was active while it was active. This ability was the pride of the Ultimate Skill ‘Justice King
Michael’, the ‘Castle Guard’.
As we could see from the fact that it had deflected Carrera’s Judgment, it was almost
invincible. The Skill’s user could not attack while it was in use, but those matters could be left to
his subordinates.
“If he had that kind of power, he wouldn’t have needed my sister to protect him!”
Yes, I thought so too.
“Yes,” Velgrynd answered. “That’s why the right thing for me to do would have been to
pretend to protect him and then go on the offensive. But the fact that I acted like that…”
Velgrynd finally understood that she was being ‘thought guided’ when she saw herself pushing
to defend Rudra. And Rudra, on the other hand, maintained the absolute ‘Castle Guard’ and did not
make a move.
That’s how it was supposed to—
“What?!” Velgrynd shouted in surprise.
And we were all in shock.
This was because Rudra had instantly released the ‘Castle Guard’ and pierced through
Velgrynd’s chest even as she rushed towards him upon losing her right arm. It was as if Rudra had
deliberately attacked Velgrynd.
“I see, so that’s how it is…that person, my beloved Rudra, is gone…”
Tears spilled from Velgrynd’s eyes. As if to prove Velgrynd’s sorrowful words, Rudra laughed
loudly.
“Hahahahaha! Velgrynd, you should be honored to be of service to me. I’ll put your power to
good use.”
As soon as Rudra said that, Velgrynd on the other side crouched down in pain.
“That’s Yuuki’s ‘Steal Life’, isn’t it? Rudra—no, the ‘Justice King Michael’ also has the ability
to freely use the Skills of the targets under his control.”
What? That should be illegal.
Upon hearing Velgrynd’s explanation, Veldora and I looked at each other.
“I’ll leave you to deal with Rudra!”
“Don’t be stupid! I have no need to argue that I am the best, but I don’t want any trouble, so
forgive me for refusing!”
“I’ll make you a parfait.”
“That’s tempting, but…Hnnng.”
Velgrynd looked at us in disgust as we squabbled. Perhaps that was why her tears seemed to
have receded. Needless to say, I thought it was a good thing.
 Well, that and…
About the Rudra who had taken Velgrynd’s power…
“What do you mean by ‘Rudra is Justice King Michael’?” I had an idea, but I asked that
question since I wanted to hear it from Velgrynd herself.
“Rudra was already at his limit. He had been reincarnated so many times that his soul was worn
out. That’s why it’s Rudra yet not Rudra. He was replaced by the ‘Justice King’ long ago.”
Velgrynd replied sadly.
“No, no, no, a Skill born of the master’s desire cannot harm the master himself.”
“No, that’s not it. Rudra’s ‘Justice King Michael’ was a power given to him by Veldanava. The
Skill actually earned by Rudra by his own will was ‘Covenant King Uriel’. Now that Veldanava,
our brother, has still not returned, it is lost and unaccounted for.”
“……”
I have it though?
It wasn’t the right atmosphere to say that, so I decided to just keep quiet.
Velgrynd continued with her explanation. To sum it up, she said that Rudra’s repeated
reincarnations had weakened his soul’s power, and that he had become unable to control the ‘Justice
King Michael’.
When I heard about this, it came to my mind that rather than a Skill betraying its host, this
could be seen in a different way.

«Indeed. If I were in the same position as the ‘Justice King Michael’, I would aim for the
revival of my true Master, even if I had to take control of the temporary host.»

That’s what I thought.

I felt that Ciel, as a Manas, would never give up, no matter how impossible the challenge might
be. That is why I couldn’t’ help but understand the thoughts of ‘Justice King Michael’.
However, that didn’t mean…
“This can’t be left unattended. The ‘Justice King Michael’ has probably evolved into a free-
willed Manas. If that’s the case, then its purpose of action must be completely different from what
Rudra was aiming for.”
“Manas? What the hell is… I mean, wait, wait! Rimuru, do you think that the ‘Justice King
Michael’ is after something?”
Since I was asked, I would answer.
“Isn’t it the resurrection of Veldanava? I’m sure it’s willing to make all kinds of sacrifices to
achieve that goal.”
‘So, we can’t just leave it alone there’, I explained.
Velgrynd’s face paled.
At that moment, a new figure appeared and launched an attack on Velgrynd, who was currently
facing Rudra.

«That is Phantom King Feldway, isn’t it? He was overlooked because it was decided that
Diablo could not defeat him, but it seems that he left his friends behind and came back.»

If Diablo couldn’t defeat him, he must be a very strong man. Still, it always felt like Diablo just
wanted to slack off, or was it just my imagination?
Never mind.
Feldway, just like a powerful foe, was attacking Velgrynd with ‘Spatial Domination’ which
was difficult for even an awakened demon lord to resist. The wounded and weakened Velgrynd did
not seem to have the strength left to resist it.

“Fuhahahaha! That Velgrynd has disappeared from this world through Space-Time Transfer!!
Now, there are only two True Dragons left. It’s a good start, Rudra—No, Michael-sama.”
Feldway called Rudra “Michael” again. It seemed that Velgrynd’s guess had been proven true.
 Despite the suddenness of the event, Benimaru and Diablo tried to react quickly. However, I
hurriedly performed a ‘Telepathy Net’ and stopped them. It was partly because Phantom King
Feldway was unfathomable, but also because I wanted to see how Rudra would react to being called
Michael.
What’s more—I could see it. I could see a strange substance slipping out of Rudra’s body. It
was clinging to Velgrynd as if it was trying to protect itself. And now, it seemed that all of that
strange substance had disappeared from Rudra’s body.
Really, this reaction is…
“Hmm, not bad. Velgrynd’s power became an afterthought, and Rudra disappeared. Now all we
have to do is harness the power of Veldora and Velzard and his resurrection will be complete.”
Rudra, who was now called Michael, accepted this as a matter of course. Now it was
confirmed. My enemy was not Rudra, but Michael. And his goal was the complete revival of
Veldanava, the Star King Dragon.
“This is a good thing, Michael-sama.”
“Hmm. Velzard can be dealt with, but it’s Veldora that’s troublesome.”
And so their conversation continued. It was as if they didn’t care about Benimaru and the
others. But that was to be expected.
Shion and Testarossa, who were not stopped, attacked simultaneously, but all of their attacks
were blocked by the Castle Guard. Naturally, Feldway was also unharmed since he was protected as
well.
How very troublesome. But that wasn’t the point right now.
“Rudra, th-that’s Rudra, right? The fragments—the pieces of his soul are still there!!”
I thought I was the only one who could see it, but Velgrynd seems to have sensed it too. I had
wondered if she could see them, but it appeared that Velgrynd was planning to track down what was
left of Rudra.
“Calm down—”
“Shut up! If we don’t get over there soon, the pieces are going to disappear!!”
It was like she had become a spoiled child, crying and screaming despite her angry expression.
I prolonged the time by using ‘Thought Acceleration’. Then, Velgrynd and I created our own world.
“Calm down, please. If you go out now, you’ll just end up under Rudra’s control again.”
“But!”
I’m sure you know what you’re doing. But beyond that, you’ll be stuck there. With no
guarantee of returning to this world, saving Rudra is a pipe dream. Perhaps it’s even impossible.

«If you continue to act like this, you’ll have no future.»

“Shut up! So…what do you want me to do? I can’t give up on Rudra like this, I can’t!!”
Those were Velgrynd’s true feelings.
It was Ciel’s voice, not mine, but she hadn’t noticed it and had exploded with a passion.

«The possibility is still there.»

“—Wha?!”

«If you accept my ‘Skill Alteration’.»

It was a sweet temptation. It was no longer even necessary to wait for the answer.
“I accept. As long as it makes my wish come true.”
It seemed only natural to me that Velgrynd should answer that way.
………
……
…
The moment Velgrynd agreed, a voice echoed out.
 «Velgrynd’s will has been confirmed. The first thing to do is cut off the interference with
‘Charity King Raguel’.»

As she listened, Velgrynd calmed down. She examined her own body deeply, guided by the
voice, and found that she had indeed found it. There were traces of some kind of interference with
the ‘Charity King Raguel’ engraved deep in her heart. It was blocked now, but it was definitely
dangerous to leave it there.
So this was the cause.
Velgrynd also understood. At the same time, she remembered. The Ultimate Skill ‘Justice King
Michael’ had a counterpart to the Regalia Dominion. It was a memory she remembered hearing a
long time ago.
Among the powers created by Veldanava, the ones more pure were called the angelic system,
and all of them were subject to the absolute control of the ‘Justice King Michael’. This was the
‘Ultimate Dominion’. Velgrynd’s ‘Charity King Raguel’ was no exception. A very narrow corridor
had been constructed to connect it to Justice King Michael, and there was no escaping its influence.
That’s right, how could I have forgotten? The Ultimate Skill holders of the angelic lineage
could not go against my brother. He hated it more than anyone else, and that’s why he traded
Rudra’s ‘Covenant King Uriel’ for it.
It also made sense why she had been dominated. If her brother Veldanava had built the system,
it would be nearly impossible for her to resist.
Indeed, I have no future…
Rimuru was right, Velgrynd felt like crying.
But then… Just as Velgrynd was about to give up, she heard a strange voice.

«The preparations for the ‘Charity King Raguel’ have been completed. It will be integrated
with the no-longer-needed ‘Covenant King Uriel’.»

Huh?!
Velgrynd almost screamed. It was only natural that she would act this way. The ‘Covenant
King Uriel’ that she and Rudra had been looking for was found in such a place. Or rather, Velgrynd
had just now noticed. The voice she had been hearing was not Rimuru’s. It was not a simple
auditory hallucination, but a clear and powerful voice of will. It was very similar to the ‘Voice of
the World’, but softer and more refined, with a feeling of tenderness.
There were many things she wanted to ask, but what she needed to ask now was the meaning of
its words.
“Wait, wait, wait! You’re giving me the ‘Covenant King Uriel’? Or rather, what do you mean
by ‘integrated’?!”

«If you have no choice but to follow the ‘Justice King Michael’ as it is, then you can stop the
alteration. I found a control circuit in the Covenant King Uriel, so I decided to use it as an
inspiration to create a new Skill just for you while discarding it.»

That was absurd. It was seriously an answer that anyone would spit-take on.
But all Velgrynd cared about was one question.
“If you do that, then I can go find Rudra, right?”

«Yes, that is possible.»

If it was possible, then there was no need to hesitate. Velgrynd agreed with hope in her heart.
No, it had already been promised.

«Velgrynd, your intentions have been confirmed, so there is no need for a second acceptance. I
will now activate ‘Skill Alteration’.»

That voice—Ciel had no intention of stopping. The moment Ciel activated ‘Skill Alteration’, an
unbelievable surge of power rushed through Velgrynd’s body.
Then, it gently enveloped her entire body.

«Scorch Dragon Velgrynd’s ‘Charity King Raguel’ and ‘Covenant King Uriel’ will be
integrated and evolved into the Ultimate Skill ‘Divine Flame King Cthugha’… Successful.»

In a fantastical and solemn voice, Ciel announced in high spirits.

And in that moment, Velgrynd was freed from all bondage.
………
……
…
Just as I was nodding my head to Ciel’s words, my ‘Covenant King Uriel’ was transferred out.
It was my fault for giving permission, but needless to say, I was stunned.
Covenant King Uriel’ had been the culmination of the bonds I had with my comrades…

«No problem. What was integrated into ‘Charity King Raguel’ was merely the residue of
‘Covenant King Uriel’. Its essence has been inherited by the new power of ‘Harvest King Shub-
Niggurath’.»

—Eh?!
I have so many questions. I have a feeling that Ciel-sensei is up to a lot of great things without
my knowledge. I was too afraid to ask, but the thing I needed to focus on now was Velgrynd. I was
glad to hear she made it.
“Congratulations, Velgrynd-san. Now it’s safe to let you out.” When I said this with a smile,
she glared at me with a fierce expression. It wasn’t that I didn’t have an idea why, so I gently
looked away.
“There are many, many things I really want to ask you, but not now. So, are you going to let me
go now?”
I nodded because there no longer seemed to be a problem.
Ciel said that giving Velgrynd the ‘Covenant King Uriel’ had made her responsive to Rudra’s
soul, so finding and retrieving the soul fragments would no longer be impossible. When I heard
that, I thought to myself. Perhaps the residue that Ciel was referring to was the core of Rudra’s
heart, the ‘Covenant King Uriel’. If so, then Velgrynd had always been with Rudra.
I wasn’t sure if one could find Rudra’s soul, which was scattered all over the world, but I had a
feeling that Velgrynd would be able to do it.
“Well then, let’s ‘release’ you for now!”
And just like that, the three of us came back from the spiritual world to the present world. We
said our goodbyes, still feeling the lingering of time.
“Thank you, Rimuru. I’m sorry for all the trouble.”
It really was. There was so much I wanted to complain about too! However, I was afraid of
upsetting her, so I kept quiet.
“Now that you’re connected by the Parallel Existence, I don’t think you have to worry about
getting lost. I know it’s going to be difficult after that, but good luck!”
I kept my support to a safe level.
But then…
“Sister, even if it doesn’t work out, I’m here! So, don’t be sad and just do your best!” Veldora
said with a big smile.
His ability to say anything no matter the atmosphere was very impressive.
It seems that Velgrynd was not sure how to react to this. And her answer was—
“You really are an idiot. Stupid, stupid, cute little brother. I’m glad you’re okay.”
 With that said, Velgrynd smiled shyly. Then, for some reason, she stared at me again. Being
seen super close by beautiful women made me too nervous to move a muscle. Seeing my deer-in-
headlights expression, she shook her head in exasperation.
“I’ll see you later, then.”
And with that, Velgrynd departed with a valiant ‘Transport.’

There you have it.

The next thing was to support Benimaru and the others.
“Are you coming too?”
“Of course I am.”
Less than a minute later. The attack on Michael was still going on. It was not good enough to
get through the Castle Guard, but it was still the right thing to do. This was because the moment you
stop attacking, the enemy would start their own. It was also why Benimaru and Diablo were
watching from the sidelines instead of stopping Shion and the others.
There were only two enemies.
I was tempted to take them down here, but unfortunately that was not possible because as long
as the Castle Guard was in place, an attack on Michael would not work.
But then again, the conditions are the same for everyone—
“Fuhahahaha! How weak. Your attacks won’t work against Michael-sama.”
Feldway, smiling broadly, was trying to activate his powers in between the attacks. It seems
that the Phantom King was not exaggerating, and he intended to throw all of my companions out
into the void at once.
“Goodbye, everyone. I doubt we’ll be seeing each other again, but—what?!”
I was also aiming for the moment the attack went off. In order to interrupt Feldway, I appeared
on the battlefield.
“Demon Lord Rimuru…”
“Nice to meet you. Phantom King Feldway-san.”
 The smile faded from his face when I replied sarcastically.
“A small-town hick with no manners.”
“Ah? I don’t want to hear that from Aggressor-san, who’s always longed to be in the city.”
When I provoked him further, his expression became a blank mask.
I guess he was the type who didn’t get riled up and accumulated his anger calmly. They were
the most troublesome type of opponent to deal with.
At that moment, Michael, who had been silently listening to our conversation, intervened in a
relaxed manner.
“Huhuhu, weren’t you hiding and observing me? I thought you were looking for a way to
sacrifice your friends and escape.”
He was more than half correct, but I wasn’t about to sacrifice my friends. Well, whatever.
“I don’t care what you think. Let’s just get this over with, shall we?”
“Hmph, you’re a bold man, but do you really think you can beat me?”
“Who knows? But I’ll give you some advice. I understand that your authority is absolute
control over the Angelic Skills, and that one cannot break through the Castle Guard as long as there
are people who believe in you. There’s no more to say. Don’t you think that if we turn the empire
into a scorched earth and kill every last living thing, you would lose your advantage?”
This was complete bluffing. I had no intention of going that far. However, if I had to weigh the
sacrifices of my comrades to this, I would do it without hesitation. I was already prepared for it a
long time ago.
“…It seems I have underestimated you too. Should we not be enemies?”
“You’re right. Noble ideals and noble missions have nothing to do with me. I can actually
sympathize with some of your goals. That’s why, as long as you don’t interfere with me, you can do
whatever you want.”
Although it was too late now.
Now that Michael had gone out of control, he would no doubt bring us calamity.
It was still okay for now, but Ciel predicted that there would inevitably be conflicts of interest
in the future. In that case, all I had to do was believe it and act accordingly.
“……”
Michael was silent, perhaps pondering. In that case, I decided to tell him my intentions.
“If you try to hurt me or my people, I will crush you so badly that you’ll never be able to do
anything foolish again.”
I would strike fear into their hearts.
Indeed, I certainly had no way to break the Castle Guard currently. However, I did have my
trusty sidekick Ciel. I knew it would find a way to defeat it.
What’s more—
I would show no mercy to those who laid a hand on my precious friends. I would defeat
Michael no matter what it took—I swore to myself.
“I see. Then let’s leave for now.”
“—Nn?! Is that all right with you, Michael-sama?” Feldway asked in surprise, but Michael
nodded humbly, indicating his intention to withdraw.
“It’s too early to tell, and we are the same. If we fight here, it’s going to end badly for both of
us.”
I felt the same way.
With the means I just mentioned, it was indeed possible to win. But that also went against my
principles. I could not deny that I was postponing the problem, but for now, I really just wanted to
buy time.
“Well then, I guess we’re done for today. Shall we?”
“All right. Having said that…on a day that we should have been celebrating our complete
resurrection, we’ve been given an unexpected challenge. I had thought that Guy Crimson would be
the biggest obstacle, but it turns out that this slime, whom I thought was insignificant, is…”
With that said, Michael and Feldway left. They probably weren’t going to the Empire. There
was no response to my surveillance spell, Argus. And Moss reported nothing unusual.
 “How awful, really. I don’t even know where they went.”
Benimaru laughed.
“But Rimuru-sama, as you ordered, everyone is safe. Now let’s celebrate that and go home.”
I suppose that’s correct.
“Well then, let’s go home! I’m already tired today and quite hungry. Why don’t we ask Shuna
to prepare some delicious meals for us?”
“A banquet, huh?”
That also sounded good.
I nodded back at Veldora.
“Let’s go home and have a banquet!”
My words put the smiles back on everyone’s faces.
Even though we still had much work to do, we were grateful that we could celebrate our
success together.

Velgrynd continued her journey. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. She tirelessly moved forward.
………
……
…
At that time, she had left Rimuru and flew to a different world that transcended time. It was in
an unknown crevice of another world where she safely reunited with her ‘Parallel Existence’, which
had managed to escape Feldway.
That place had no atmosphere or even earth, Velgrynd was forced to drift around without any
sense of time. Had Velgrynd not been a True Dragon, she might have died in that place. But she had
‘Spatial Domination’ and an infinite lifespan.
She had plenty of time to think before she reached the place where she could stop. Velgrynd
had almost stopped thinking because of the unbelievable events that had happened to her.
The amount of information exceeded her processing capacity. The emergency of being adrift in
a different space, on the other hand, allowed her to regain her composure.
Velgrynd thought to herself. The sheer volume of information and its anomalies had made her
give up thinking, but she thought for as long as she could. Then, more than anything else, she
thought of one thing. The fundamental question was how Velgrynd had been able to regain her
freedom, going against the system constructed by her own brother.
There was only one person she could think of who could have made this possible.
That aberration of a slime, an ally of her foolish brother—Demon Lord Rimuru.
N-No way, it can’t be?! That slime…
He had freely altered an Ultimate Skill, giving Velgrynd her freedom and greatly improving her
abilities to an even higher level. This was not something that could be done by someone normal.
Only my brother Veldanava could do such a thing. If there was another being capable of such
an act, I can’t imagine it…
Velgrynd shuddered at the thought of the impossible. Turning her attention to it, the Ultimate
Skill ‘Divine Flame King Cthugha’ reacted. It was far more powerful than the ‘Charity King
Raguel’.
And above all, as if linked to Rudra’s heartbeat, the fragments she had taken in were reacting.
Heh, it doesn’t matter who that slime is. He is Rimuru, a friend and ally of Veldora, and my
benefactor.
That was the conclusion she came to.
Finally, Velgrynd broke out of her circling thoughts and turned her attention to reality.
………
 ……
…
Traveling across the worlds, and through the ages, Velgrynd continued to collect pieces of
Ruda’s ‘soul’.
I love you. I love you, Rudra!!
With the single-minded desire to see Rudra again, Velgrynd overcame countless obstacles.
And then, finally… She spotted the boy in a big city full of skyscrapers.
 Rejoice and resolve. The boy was in possession of everything that was missing. If she gave him
that, adding in the rest of what Velgrynd had…
However, Velgrynd struggled with the question of whether she could do such a thing. To do so
would be to dramatically change the boy’s fate. Velgrynd, who had an infinite lifespan, was
perfectly capable of staying here and watching over the boy until his lifespan came to an end.
Well, there’s nothing to panic about. I want to see you as soon as possible, but I mustn’t be in a
rush.
Velgrynd thought as such and was about to turn her back on the boy and walk away.
But then, a shining soul fragment flew to the boy of its own accord. Unseen by anyone, the soul
fragment merged with the boy as if it had been sucked in. And with that impact, the boy vanished
from this world. All that remained in Velgrynd’s hand was the fragment of the beginning.
“Perhaps, you too? Have you been wanting to see me?” Velgrynd asked the fragment as if
speaking to it and hoped that it was so.
And then…
She activated her ‘Divine Flame King Cthugha’ to follow the boy’s lead.
 Afterword

I’m happy to announce the release of volume 15.

Last time, I overshot the deadline, and I may or may not remember saying that I would be
careful, but unfortunately, I overshot the deadline by about ten days this time, too. I will reflect
more on this point and be a little more careful next time!
In fact, I had discussed this with I-San early on.

“It might be a little tough.”

“Let’s go for it!”
“You can’t continue, right?”
“The last issue was dragging on, so I’d like to finish it this time.”
“That’s right, but the number of pages is…”
“It’s okay! I don’t care how many pages it’s going to be!”

That’s not what I meant though! I was rushing inwardly at the time. This volume has the largest
number of characters in the series, and some of them are new to the series. I know that I’m ignoring
the theory, but I’ve decided that it can’t be helped. And just like that, the number of sentences for
each scene increased rapidly.
That’s why the amount of text was getting larger and larger as I wrote each scene. I wanted to
break the story in the middle and continue to the next volume…but that was rejected.

“All right, then. If that’s the case, please consider extending the release by a month.”
“Hmm…let’s do our best until the very last minute!”

And so the time went by without either of us giving up…

I, too, gave up and kept on writing, until I had already written more than volume 14.

“How’s it going?”
“Well, it’s still tough. I’ll probably go over by about ten days at this rate.”
“I understand. Then I’ve made up my mind.”
“Oh, so you’re saying the release date is in October?”
“No. We can manage to go over by ten days, so we’ll go for a September release!”

I honestly thought, ‘Seriously?’

You’ve made up your mind in that direction?
There was no guarantee that it would only take ten days, but I-san’s determination remained
unchanged.

“I think the number of pages will be the largest ever…”

“Don’t worry about that, just try to meet the deadline!”
“I…okay.”

And so, I was overwhelmed, and somehow managed to meet the deadline.
And as a result, this work became the largest amount of text ever written.
 The content has diverged so much from the web that it’s no longer an exaggeration to say that
it’s something else. I’m thinking about the contents of the next volume now, so please look forward
to it!
I would like to express my greatest gratitude to everyone who has supported and worked on
‘That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime’.
I hope to see you again in the next volume!