Tensei Shitara Slime Vol. 15

‹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. «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 move100

ments! 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 101

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 102

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 103

‘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 104

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 105

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. 106

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 107

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 108

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.› 109

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 110

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 111

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?! 112

«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?! 113

…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”… 114

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, 115

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 116

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 Cielsensei! «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!› 117

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 118

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!” 119

“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 120

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.» 121

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 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 14Seiryuu-katana = Blue Dragon Katana/Sword. 122

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 123

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. 15The 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. 124

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. 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 125

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?!› 126

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. 127

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 129

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 Winged 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, Lorelei17. 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 Impe16Including 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. 17Based 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. 130

rial 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. 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. 131

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. 132

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 133

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 134

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 135

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. 136

“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. 137

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 138

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 preawakened 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 transpar139

ent 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 overembellished. One of them rejected him as if he were a fool, another one almost tricked him 140

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!” 141

“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. “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 18The word ‘otaku’ isn’t being used here in the usual way (i.e. a manga/anime geek). It’s basically referring to Gadra’s magic obsession. Another translation here could be ‘nerdy’ or ‘geeky’ because he’s a magic fanatic. 142

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. 143

“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 145

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. 19Hyakujū-ka can also mean something like ‘hundred beast transformation’ or ‘beast (as in all beasts) transformation’ 146

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. 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. 20He is referring to Gladium, but it is a different kanji from the ‘king of the beasts’ that was used when referring to Karion. 147

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?!” 148

“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 149