Tensei Shitara Slime Vol. 15

While fighting back against Veyron, Marco turned his murderous intent on Gabil. Not missing a beat, Souka made her move. The shouting was intentional. She was trying to draw Marco’s attention to herself and make him hesitate. If she could get her kunai to hit him, it would be all the better. But even if that didn’t work out, Veyron’s blade would strike Marco. That was her judgment. Marco saw it coming. That’s why he made the best choice. That is, he chose not to avoid Souka’s kunai. It was the right thing to do. If he had reacted to Souka, he would have been wounded much worse by Veyron. Ignoring Souka, Marco continued to flick away Veyron’s cane. He regretted thinking of something unnecessary during the battle. Tsk, I’ll have to finish them off first. They’re really such a pain in the ass! There was no doubt that Gabil was the most dangerous. That’s why Marco had wanted to finish him off quickly, but he became greedy and ended up getting hurt. It was a minor wound, but he couldn’t forgive himself for being wounded in the image of his beloved Kondou. “I’ll deal with you first.” “Well now, are you sure you can do it?” “Veyron-dono, perhaps he’s just a sore loser?” “Hm, I guess so. Well, let’s not be impatient and get the job done.” And so, Veyron teamed up with Souka to take on Marco, despite the odds being against them. In the meantime, Zonda was not idle either. “Well, well, this is a nasty technique. Demonic aura—no, he’s a human, so it’s a fighting aura. He left energy in the enemy’s body so that it continued to emit a wavelength that disturbed the magicules. It’s a terrifying technique. In this case, it will also work on spiritual life forms like us.” That is how he diagnosed Gabil’s injury. His diagnosis was correct. Like Damrada’s ‘Spiral Permeation Break,’11 it was a type of energy release, where a condensed fighting aura that destroyed the enemy from within. This was the essence of the Oboro Shinmei-Ryu—the ‘Battlewill’—and the reason why it was called a sword that dispelled evil. That is why magicule healing potions could not heal these wounds. But Zonda could. He skillfully manipulated the magicules to regulate the disordered energy. He neutralized the fighting aura that Marco had injected and returned Gabil’s body to its normal flow of energy. And Gabil did not just sit back and wait for recovery. He yearned for a greater healing power. That desire was about to give Gabil a new power. However… With the situation still unpredictable, Marco released his stance. “Oh dear, time has run out. I’ve been ordered to return, so I believe that ends our battle here.” 11rasen shintō ha 50

As soon as he said this, Marco transported away from the scene before anyone could say anything. Thus, Gabil and the others narrowly escaped death. Vaughn was struggling against Footman. No, the word ‘struggling’ was an understatement. Vaughn was also a Sage-class opponent and was confident of his strength. However, Footman had a magicule count that could overwhelm Vaughn easily. Vaughn’s armor and spear were Legendary-grade and contributed to his strength. Even so, it was as if he still couldn’t reach him. The only reason why he could still fight was because Footman was not rational. Besides, Phobio’s help was also great. “I, the ‘Black Leopard Fang’ Phobio, will help you!” At first, Vaughn was suspicious of the man who had come barging in shouting that, but he soon remembered who the man was. The “Black Leopard Fang” is one of Demon Lord Karion’s Beastketeers! Right, Karion has now ceded to Demon Lord Milim who is also allied to His Majesty Rimuru. Deciding that he was not an enemy, Vaughn welcomed the help. “Thank you. I was just thinking that this would be difficult to deal with on my own.” “Indeed. Honestly, I don’t think I could do it alone either.” Reflecting on his previous attitude, Phobio calmly assessed his own abilities. He knew instinctively that he could not defeat Footman even in his serious, full-strength ‘beastialized’ state. That is why Phobio chose to fight together with Vaughn, letting go of his pride. Footman was strong, but his attacks were monotonous because he had lost his sense of reason. Both Vaughn and Phobio were wounded, but barely able to stand. They could not expect victory, but the word “retreat” did not exist in their minds. Because, right next to them, their comrades were fighting to the death. Responding to the other clown, Teare, was Anrietta, the Head of the Night Assassins of the Armed Nation of Dwargon, and Gobua, who had joined in the war. With a small group of elites, they were trying to capture the lone Teare. However, Teare appeared to be acting strangely. “I’m really sorry, okay? This is not my intention either, but it’s an order. That’s why I’ll do my best not to kill you, so please do something to stop me somehow!” She was talking like that while fighting seriously. In fact, even though Kagali had ordered Teare to fight, she still had her free will. She could not disobey orders, but she was aware that Kagali was in a state of manipulation. In other words, 51

she was not fighting of her own volition, and did not want to fight at all. That is why Teare was trying to avoid fighting seriously to the utmost extent. Although she joined the battle so as not to violate her orders, she had asked her enemies, Anrietta and the others, to stop her. In order to respond to Teare’s request, Anrietta and the others were carrying out a capture operation. However, the overwhelming difference in strength between the two sides was too great to overcome, and no results had yet been seen. “That man over there, I’m sorry too, okay? I took advantage of you before, but I’m not going to cheat you this time!” Phobio was indignant when Teare spoke to him. Footman’s sense of reason was taken away to keep them from dying—both Phobio and Vaughn immediately noticed this. He hadn’t noticed it when they first met, but the fact that Footman was as powerful as Karion, whom Phobio respects, made him realize that they were no match for him in a proper fight. And for that, Phobio was grateful to Teare for the time being. But: “Shut up! Don’t remind me of my dark history. Even if you didn’t say it, I am grateful that you made that man go blindly on a rampage!” “That’s right! You guys are weak, so if Footman was serious, you’d be dead by now!” In response to Phobio’s retort, Teare launched into an innocent tirade. It was obvious that Teare didn’t have any bad intentions, and that she meant what she said. That’s why it was even more annoying, but for now, complaining was the best he could do. “What a cheeky brat.” “Shut up already! Rather than that, you’d better work on putting in more effort in restraining yourself!” Vaughn and Phobio let out a deep sigh, as if to mentally remember this for later. The difficult situation continued. As for Gobua, she wanted to finish up here and help the rest of the battlefield. Because she judged this to be the easiest opponent. However, the situation was not so simple. Teare was not hostile, but she could not disobey orders. Gobua was not wrong in thinking that Teare would be easy to capture. The reason why the strategy did not work was simply because Teare and Footman were too strong. In the case of Footman, he could easily tear through an iron net. Half-hearted attacks wouldn’t work, and it was difficult to knock him out. It took two strong men, Vaughn and Phobio, to hold him back somehow. As for Teare on the other hand, even Anrietta, who was confident of her speed, could not catch up with her, and Gobua could not even touch her. They had also prepared a cast net for her, but it was unlikely that they would succeed in catching her alive. Souka and the others would have done better, but they seemed to be too busy fighting with Marco. And so, the war situation worsened. With the information from Moss, Gobua was able to grasp the situation of the battle. Veyron 52

and Zonda had apparently gone to Gabil’s rescue. The situation had returned to a stalemate, but it seemed to have become that much more dangerous. Worst of all was Kondou. Hakurou succumbed, and even King Gazel was defeated. It seemed that Agera and Esprit were on their way, but it was doubtful they could even stall for time against Kondou. ‹If worse comes to worst, I will come out,› Moss said. His role was to assess the situation on behalf of Benimaru. Gobua was to plan the operation based on Moss’s information. Even now, while dealing with Teare, Gobua continued to give precise instructions. This was only possible because of Moss’s support. If Moss were to go into battle, the front line would collapse at once. ‹Please wait for that. In the worst-case scenario, please do so, but will you be able to manage in the first place?› ‹…I’ll make it work.› Gobua felt depressed, wondering if even Moss couldn’t win. He was a self-confident man who treated everyone with arrogance except for certain people, most notably Testarossa. That Moss had made such an uncertain statement about doing his best. In other words, it was proof that Kondou was a very dangerous opponent. Kondou would be difficult to stop. Gabil had yet to return to the front line. Gobua and the others were still far from capturing Teare and Footman. At this rate, it would be impossible to interrupt Kagali’s ritual. There was Gadra, but he was currently engaged in a war of words with Velgrynd. If Velgrynd joined the fight, then defeat was certain. This is the worst. I see now how much we’ve been relying on Rimuru-sama and Benimarusama… Gobua was in a state of regretful introspection, but even if she realized this now, it was still too late. That is why they must never give up. Not yet. The fact that Velgrynd-sama hasn’t made a move means that those demons are doing their best. The difference in strength is obvious, but they’re still sticking it out. We cannot be the first to give up, that would be unacceptable! Gobua was reminded of the three proud demon girls. They hated to lose, and even though they were newcomers, they were still a part of the”Twelve Chaos Guardian Lords,” which was the highest position. To Gobua and the others, they were unimaginably strong, but when their opponent was Velgrynd, the feeling of despair grew stronger. It was amazing that the battle was still going on. ‘I can’t lose’—that’s what Gobua thought. Upon regaining her spirit, she redoubled her efforts and resumed the capture of Teare. 53

A man stood before Kondou. It was Agera, who seemed to be a samurai dressed in a casual kimono. “Go ahead, Agera! I’ll stay out of your way.” And with that, Esprit began to heal Gazel and Hakurou. Agera shook his head in disbelief. Esprit was always like that. She conveniently always took the best part. To put it simply, Esprit saw that she could not beat Kondou this time and ran away from the battle. That was Esprit, a demoness who knew how to swim with the tide. Agera, unconcerned as he always was, pointed his sword at Kondou. He had been undefeated with a single sword for three hundred years. Before Kondou, who had defeated great swordsmen like Hakurou and Gazel, he could feel his blood boiling. “Kondou, was it? You are a skilled swordsman. I, too, live by the way of the sword. I’d love to have a sword fight with you.” Agera knew he couldn’t defeat Kondou without restrictions. It was only because Kondou had agreed to fight with a sword that Hakurou had succeeded to fight back. Otherwise, even if Gazel and Hakurou had challenged him at the same time, they would have been kicked to the ground too quickly to inflict even a single wound. That was the reason for his proposal. It was a tenuous negotiation, but Agera was confident that Kondou would accept. The reason for this was that Kondou’s swordsmanship was somehow familiar to him. “Agera-dono…is it true that you, too, are a swordsman, like I suspected?” Before Kondou could answer, Hakurou interrupted with a question. “Hm? What do you mean by ‘suspected’?” “Oh, no… Actually, I thought that Agera-dono looks like someone I used to know…” Hakurou stammered in response to Agera’s curious look. In fact, Hakurou’s grandfather and Agera looked so much alike that they were almost identical. Not only their faces, but also their stature, mannerisms, and even their impeccable behavior was similar. “Is that so? But unfortunately, I’m afraid I am not the same person. I do not remember meeting you since I was born three hundred years ago. And I do not know if I am a good swordsman, but I am prepared to fight with this sword for the rest of my life.” With that said, Agera smiled gently. For him, the sword was everything. “I see… Well, please forget the trivial thing that I said.” Hakurou swallowed his various thoughts and withdrew. Agera must be the reincarnation of his grandfather—he suspected that much, but he had no proof. Besides, even if Agera was Byakuya Araki, it wasn’t a reason for Kondou to change 54

his mind. The grandfather whom Hakurou hadn’t beaten even once was a human, after all. Whatever the answer, it would not be a factor to turn the situation around in the end. The only way to win this battle was to defeat Kondou by force. “The person Hakurou-dono knows, by any chance—” “Yes, it’s my grandfather.” Hakurou replied in a whisper to Gazel, who was also whispering. Esprit joined them in their whispered conversation. “By the way, did Hakurou-san’s grandfather die three hundred years ago?” “That’s right.” “If that’s the case, it’s possible. He was born a demon in that form, and he had a sword from the very start. Besides, “souls” who are skilled in martial arts gather under Carrera-sama. It wouldn’t be surprising if there was such a connection.” “I see. If that is the case, then does it mean he knows some secrets that even Hakurou-dono does not know?” “It’s hard to say. I couldn’t master it, but of all the techniques he showed me, he said the Hakkasen was the best…” And so the conversation went on. Hakurou and the others had already been defeated after giving it their all. Therefore, they were ready to wait and see how they would win or lose. Hakurou was worried about Agera’s identity, even though he knew that this was not the right time. And Gazel was also curious about Hakurou’s master. Esprit went to treat them. Her appeal to the public that she was doing her job was quite impressive to the point that Agera would tip his hat to her. Agera gave a deep sigh at the situation. Kondou did not interfere with the conversation enemies and was watching Agera with a relaxed attitude. Kondou’s role was to eliminate those who would try to interfere with Kagali’s ritual. He was also screening out the strongest people who might be useful, not trying to kill all of his enemies. That is why he decided to respond to Agera without any haste. The only reason he was serious with Gazel was because it was too dangerous to leave him alone. If Hakurou had entrusted a technique to a ‘Saint,’ who was evenly matched with him, there was no guarantee that he would win. Therefore, Kondou prioritized victory, that is, he prioritized his work. He was willing to play around a little if it was against a clearly inferior opponent like Agera. However, it was rare for Kondou to make such a decision. This was because Kondou, who was a pragmatist and a workaholic, disliked waste to the extreme. Kondou’s only weakness was his pride in the school of swordsmanship he had studied. Goodness, I’m still a little naive that I cannot let go of my personal feelings. He reflected on this but could not suppress his curiosity. ‘Fine, I’ll play along,’ Kondou was about to say, but he was not so foolish as to lose sight of his surroundings. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Velgrynd move. 55

Kagali’s taboo ritual, ‘Birthday,’ was still in progress, but it looked like the situation had changed. Unfortunately, there was no time, and Kondou decided to move out as well. “Sorry. I would have liked to keep you company, but work comes first.” After speaking to Agera, he put away his sword. His attitude was completely condescending to Agera. But even knowing this, Agera could not stop Kondou. As he watched Kondou walk away, he couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat. “It looks like I narrowly escaped death,” he muttered in frustration. Gadra was struggling in a lone battle against Velgrynd. But that didn’t mean he was actually fighting. Such an attempt would have shattered even the technologically advanced Demon Colossus with a single blow. Gadra knew his place and would not have done such a foolish thing. He was questioning Velgrynd out of his own curiosity. “I had no idea that Her Excellency the Marshal was the sister of Veldora-sama, the Scorch Dragon Velgrynd-sama. I never knew that until now. It’s no wonder you’re so beautiful.” First was a word of flattery. In this way, he attracted Velgrynd’s attention. “It’s only recently that I showed my face, so it’s only natural that you didn’t know me.” And that was the end of it. Velgrynd stayed and continued to converse with Gadra. It was his best strategy to buy time with conversation. It worked, and Gadra was still alive even now. However, Velgrynd had her own agenda. “—Oh, I see. So Velgrynd-sama has been supporting His Majesty Rudra all this time. I, Gadra, am truly impressed that you’ve been able to play the role of Marshal for generations!” “There was a time when I didn’t speak for a few hundred years. It’s not so hard to play the role.” Velgrynd responded politely, but her face showed signs of fatigue. She was fed up with all the questions Gadra was asking her. That’s why she couldn’t help saying something that sounded like a complaint. “Even so, you’ve got a lot of nerves. I allowed you to ask questions because you’re Rudra’s favorite, but I didn’t expect you to keep asking so many.” “I’m flattered by the compliment!” “No, it’s not a compliment.” Velgrynd looked dumbfounded. It would be easy for her to twist and crush Gadra. However, she had already taken out four Split Bodies, and was hesitant to release them just to take out Gadra. As long as he did not interfere with the ritual, she was fine with that and could deal with 56

Gadra. In contrast to Velgrynd, who was wondering if she had made a mistake, Gadra asked a series of lively questions. “By the way, I was wondering, why did Damrada-dono stop me from informing His Majesty? If Rimuru-sama’s forces had been properly disclosed, the Imperial Army would have suffered less damage.” “Well, as you’ve probably figured out by now, we don’t care about the Imperial Guards. We just let the war happen to awaken the stronger ones.” “Even so, wouldn’t it have been better to hear the story from me?” “How persistent. I know you want to say Damrada has betrayed us, but he has his own reasons.” “Hmm, I see. So, what do these reasons have to do with the boy Masayuki?” “I don’t know. Why would I need to know what Damrada is up to? Who’s Masayuki, anyway?” “Huh?” Gadra was puzzled by Velgrynd’s reaction. By his estimation, Masayuki was the key. “Ah, I don’t suppose you know the Hero Masayuki?” Gadra asked fearfully to which Velgrynd replied without hesitation. “I told you I don’t know him, or is he someone strong?” When asked if he was strong, Gadra could only say no. Gadra did not dislike Masayuki, and was even fond of him, but he knew that the boy was not strong. Hearing Gadra’s reply, Velgrynd snickered. “Kondou is only interested in those who are likely to awaken. Besides, if you call yourself a Hero, there will always be causal effects, so you would think the demon lords would come to you and take care of you anyway, right?” ‘I see,’ Gadra thought. Yuuki used Masayuki to see Demon Lord Rimuru’s reaction. And it was undoubtedly at Damrada’s suggestion. In other words, the upper echelons of the Empire must have known about Masayuki. And yet, Velgrynd was saying that she didn’t know. Certainly, it would be understandable if she ignored him because he was not a powerful person. At least for Kondou, he would have judged Masayuki to be worthless. He would have tried to nip any uncertainty in the bud, and if Masayuki was the spitting image of Emperor Rudra, it would not be surprising that he would have tried to get rid of him. He could understand Kondou’s thinking, but what he could not understand was Damrada’s actions. “Hmm. But Damrada-dono had two Single Digit guards to protect the boy, didn’t he?” “To infiltrate the land of monsters, no?” “No, that’s true, but…” Feeling frustrated, Gadra trailed off. It sounded reasonable somehow, but there was something off about it. From Gadra’s point of view, as someone who had betrayed the Empire, he was worried about something that he should not need to worry about. Gadra wanted to yell at Velgrynd to take him more seriously. 57

“You seem quite dissatisfied.” “Uh, no, no, no. It’s nothing.” Gadra tried desperately to calm his shaken heart, wondering how she could detect his state of mind when she couldn’t even see his face. Then, he suddenly understood the reason why he felt at odds with Velgrynd’s words. “Damrada-dono is really a traitor, isn’t he?” Master Gadra blurted out. “Don’t be silly. You’re the traitor.” It was a fair point. But Gadra was not daunted. Making the most of his nerves, he spoke up against Velgrynd. “In any case, let me ask you something. This boy, Masayuki, is actually the spitting image of His Majesty Rudra. What do you think about that?” That’s right, it was Masayuki’s appearance that made him feel uncomfortable. Whether one was strong or weak, it was natural that the empire placed importance on that. In the case of Masayuki, the more important information, which should have not been left unshared, was that he was the spitting image of the ruler, Emperor Rudra. It was possible that Kondou knew this information. However, Bernie and Jiwu would not have known. Damrada, Rudra’s friend, knew about it. So why did he decide to protect Masayuki? That is what he couldn’t understand, Gadra thought. “…What did you say?” “As I’ve said, His Majesty Rudra and the Hero Masayuki have the same face. Why would this information—?!” In the middle of his explanation, Gadra paled and closed his mouth. He shuddered at Velgrynd’s expression and, regretting that he had gotten carried away, couldn’t help thinking, Oh, perhaps I’m going to die… But Velgrynd ignored Gadra and began to ponder. It was unlikely that Kondou was unaware of this information. If so, then she wondered why he didn’t tell her. The more problematic issue was Damrada. She didn’t know what he was thinking and could no longer ignore Gadra’s words. More than that, to what extent were they similar— How similar is he to Rudra? I’ll have to confirm it myself… She had thought everything was going according to plan, despite the minor mistake regarding the invading Imperial forces being annihilated. And yet, that seemingly insignificant piece of information irked Velgrynd to no end. “Gadra, thank you for the useful information. I’ll let you off the hook for that information, so what do you say? Do you want to challenge me with that toy of yours?” Velgrynd had no intention of killing Gadra in the first place. For all appearances, Gadra was one of the few friends Rudra trusted. And while it was true that Gadra had betrayed the Empire, Velgrynd believed that he did not betray Rudra. To Velgrynd, the Empire itself was of no importance. Therefore, Gadra’s betrayal was still acceptable to her. In this respect, Velgrynd’s thought process was a little different from others and was not something Gadra could guess. That is why he decided that he had no choice but to go along with Velgrynd’s proposal. 58

Because he could not win anyway, he chose to argue to buy time. If they were to have a real battle here, the mission would be over at that point. To put it simply, Gadra would be eliminated in less than a second. So Gadra did not hesitate. “Whahahahaha, you’ve got to be joking. I’m well aware that I’m no match for you!” He needed to be shameless here, and so he just laughed it off. In this answer, he pretended to be denying the proposal, yet he did not answer either yes or no. He left the decision to his opponent, so there was no fear that he would be accused of running away from Rimuru’s side later. It was the perfect way to get by. This was Gadra’s cleverness at its finest. Velgrynd was aware of Gadra’s craftiness, but all she could think of was that he was a funny guy. She let out a sigh and let it slide as something that was all too typical of him. Besides, luckily for Gadra, things had changed. The ‘Split Body’ that was fighting Veldora had gotten serious, and it became necessary to leave. “Oh, really? Let me know when you’re ready. I’ll deal with you then. But before that, do your best to survive this war.” “—Eh?” “I have some business to attend to, so I’ve decided to leave this to another pawn. You seem to have been hated by the military, so do your best to become a ‘Saint.”’ “What do you mean by—” Velgrynd hovered in the air, ignoring Gadra’s attempt to question her. The interruption to the magic would cause a significant delay to the ritual, but it was unavoidable. Gadra, who was left behind, looked up at Velgrynd, stunned. He was confused by the change in the situation and was at a loss as to what to do. On the battlefield, there was no time to relax your mind, not even for a moment. As if to prove this, the meaning of Velgrynd’s words became clear even before Gadra could give an answer— “Spacetime Connection!!” —It was an astonishingly unrealistic scene. As soon as Velgrynd, who was floating in midair, shouted, the space became greatly distorted. And from there, countless flying ships appeared. “That, is that the fleet of flying ships responsible for carrying the Magic Beast Corps?! Nno way…are you saying that she connected the space? No, no, no, that’s impossible. How far is it from here—no, no, that’s not even the point!!” Gadra was confused. The reality of what was happening before his eyes was just that unbelievable. The flying fleet that was supposed to attack the Kingdom of Ingracia from the north had been summoned, ignoring both time and space. Even by Rimuru’s calculations, it should 59

have taken them more than three days, and Gadra believed it to be impossible to summon them. Magical transference was fraught with great danger, and if done poorly, it could kill the soldiers. To prevent this, a larger amount of mana would be needed, and the technique would become more complicated. No, it is possible for Rimuru-sama. However, if you want to call someone who is at a different coordinate, the difficulty rises by an order of magnitude! This kind of thing should be impossible, but… It was just too insane. Gadra could see the correct answer, but he could not accept it as reality. At the very moment when Gadra was confused, there were others who felt the same way. A fleet of airships heading north to the Kingdom of Ingracia were enjoying a smooth flight. Unlike the dangerous sea route, the sky was safe. This was because there were few, if any, monsters that could fly to high altitudes. In command of the 300 flying ships was Major General Zamud, the chief executive officer. Zamud’s mission was to transport allied troops. He was to transport 30,000 members of the Magic Beast Corps, led by General Gladium, to the Central Continent. Since they were not fighting themselves, it was easy. However, there was one section of the luxurious flagship where Zamud was boarding that was wrapped in a strange atmosphere. He had been told that an important person was inspecting, but he had not been told who it was. It was a sudden interruption, and at worst, it’s possible that Army Commander Calgurio might not even know about it. Nevertheless, Zamud did not care. Fufufu, it’s better not to know. It’ll only shorten my life if I pry too much. He was completely focused on his work. That’s why he was able to spend his time relaxing, but then Zamud received an urgent message. “Excuse me!” It was the officer acting as the messenger who came into the bridge with an uncanny appearance. The fact that he had come by himself instead of leaving it to the soldiers meant that he had something important to report. Zamud grinned and asked the officer, “What happened? Did you receive a call from our home country?” Actually, they had already received reports that the Army Commander Calgurio had suffered a crushing defeat. Most of the ground forces had been lost, but that was none of Zamud’s business. Once an operation was underway, it could not be stopped until it was ordered to be 60

aborted. As the battlefield was still a few days away from here, there was no point in Zamud panicking. In fact, he was even hoping that the order to abort the mission would be issued soon. He had not informed the soldiers, but if word got out, it would affect their morale, and the success rate of the operation would drop, and he believed it would be safer to start over. Zamud could not make this decision on his own because some people would consider it a weakness. General Gladium, the general of the allied forces, was such a type of person, and someone Zamud was not very good with. Therefore, Zamud hoped that the report would be an order to abort. However, a situation that Zamud could never have imagined occurred. “H-Her Excellency, the Marshal, is here!!” “Wh-what?!” Zamud couldn’t help but scream back. Considering that he didn’t even know she was on board, Zamud’s surprise was not strange. S-so the important person was Her Excellency the Marshal! No way… Are you saying this mission was that important?! Of course, it was definitely important. However, because one of the three major armies was moving, there should have been no need for the Marshal. No, right now, the first thing to do was to think about how to deal with the Marshal. “All rise! We shall welcome Her Excellency!!” Zamud, who had recovered quickly, gave the order. The sluggish air was blown away, and the bridge became tense. Immediately after everyone had stood up and bowed, the door was opened. Velgrynd, the stunning beauty, appeared. The people on the bridge were in awe at the sight of Velgrynd’s beauty. The Marshal, who had never appeared before, was now standing in front of them. Velgrynd’s beauty had captivated them before their brains could even register the fact. Velgrynd, on the other hand, took it as a matter of course. “Foolish ones. Don’t just stand there, get back to work,” she pointed out gently. But she mustn’t get careless. Velgrynd was a rational being and understood that if she rampaged here, she would destroy the flagship. This was Velgrynd’s concern, as the main body of Emperor Rudra was on board. The people who were present were lucky. “Be seated! Everyone, get back to work.” Following Zamud’s orders, the officers returned to their work. Thus, the elegant cruise had come to an end. What followed was a series of surprises for Zamud. “It’s a great honor to meet you. My name is Zamud. I hope to leave a lasting impression.” “Yes. I’ll consider it if you survive.” “That is a great honor. I will remember those words and work hard.” “As much as I’d like to encourage you, there’s no time. Let’s get down to business.” Velgrynd brushed aside Zamud’s sycophancy and sat down in the captain’s chair. 61

She turned to Zamud, who stood beside her in a panic, and gave him an order. “I can’t be bothered to explain things more than once, so call Commander Gladium.” “Yes ma’am!” Zamud signaled with his eyes, and the officer who understood his intention connected the monitor to the ship Gladium was on. In less than a few minutes, Gladium appeared on the screen. ‹Well, you are even more beautiful than I imagined.› Gladium looked at Velgrynd and thought it would be easy to subdue her. So there was some doubt in his mind. Why? Why is a woman like her considered to be stronger than me? Her body is supple and soft, with no excess fat or muscle. No matter how one looked at it, she seemed to have nothing to do with strength. Some people thought that the important thing was mana or fighting aura, but one still needed a strong body to circulate those energies. Just like mine, Gladium was proud of his own body. That’s why Velgrynd looked so weak to him. He was the essence of muscle-brain functioning. As for Velgrynd, she didn’t think anything of Gladium. His strength was real, and she intended to use him to the fullest as a useful pawn. Velgrynd simply returned the words, “Enough with the flattery,” and then gave her orders without hesitation. Velgrynd’s attitude was as if she did not care about Gladium at all. “As of this moment, the operation in progress is canceled. The new mission is to conquer the Armed Nation of Dwargon. That is all. Are there any questions?” Zamud and Gladium thought to themselves ‘is it finally time?’ They had expected the order to be delayed this long because of the unprecedented turmoil in their homeland. If they had suffered a major defeat, it was necessary to review their operations immediately. Since they were conducting a three-front operation simultaneously, that decision would be of even greater importance. A single failure could cause everything to collapse. However, several days later, they were ordered to call everything off, just before arriving at the Kingdom of Ingracia. The two were understandably dismayed. “Understood. Then let us return at maximum speed.” ‹Hmph! If that is Your Excellency’s order, then I, Gladium, will answer with my life. However, please understand that we will hold you accountable later for your late decision and the failure of the mission.› Zamud tensed, but Gladium responded with arrogance. Gladium, who was on a different ship, was unaware of Velgrynd’s commanding aura because he was looking through the screen. Zamud watched Gladium’s response with deep apprehension. Don’t drag me into this! Zamud prayed internally. Velgrynd, however, was having none of it. 62

“Looks like you’ve got it all wrong.” She smiled and began to explain. “A misunderstanding, huh?” ‹About what? Are you saying that you’re not at fault?› Yes, nodded Velgrynd, then she began to explain. “First, Zamud. I will take you from here to your destination. After that, I will continue to give you instructions, so keep that in mind.” “Huh?” “Secondly, Gladium. The mission hasn’t failed, and this is exactly what we planned to do from the start.” ‹Don’t be foolish! At this point, do you really think you can escape responsibility like that?› “Foolish?” Velgrynd narrowed her eyes in displeasure and glared at Gladium. What a pain, she thought, and wondered what to do about him. She concluded to just leave it be. Gladium was indeed strong, but he was no match for Velgrynd. He could easily be destroyed, but it seemed a shame to do so. And above all, there was no time. This turned out to be a tremendous stroke of luck for Gladium. “Well, whatever. If you survive, we can talk about this at length.” ‹What are you—› “Listen. I’m about to make a ‘Spacetime Connection,’ so move quickly. After that, I’ll focus on Veldora. That kid’s a lot tougher than I thought. It’s a nice miscalculation, but it’s going to be a bit of a handful. Therefore, you’ll take over for me and take control of the battlefield. We’ve identified several promising candidates, so take them in alive if you can. Understood?” Ignoring Gladium, who was still about to complain, Velgrynd got down to business. Having said all that, Velgrynd turned her back on them. Then, she put her hand on the reinforced door to get from the bridge to the outer deck. “Your Excellency! Your Excellency Marshal, what are you doing? It’s not safe, please come back!!” “What? I told you already. If I don’t go outside, I can’t make a ‘Spacetime Connection.”’ Velgrynd glanced at Zamud as if he was a fool and opened the door without hesitation. And just like that, she flew into the sky. How selfish! Are you going to drag us into this?! Zamud was terrified. Opening the door while flying at high altitude and high speed was an unbelievably dangerous act. If they got unlucky, the people inside the ship could be sucked out by the difference in air pressure. Zamud, something of a scientist himself, was an ordinary person and not a soldier who had undergone the augmentation operation. The low temperature would deprive him of his physical strength, and he might die of oxygen deprivation. The same was true for the mages under his command. Zamud was impatient to close the door quickly. But his fears were unfounded. Velgrynd had performed a ‘Spatial Domination’ and prevented it from affecting the ship. 63

Not long after his surprise from that, the biggest shock of all hit Zamud—no, not just Zamud, but all of the officers. In a flash, Velgrynd floated into the sky. And the next moment: “Spacetime Connection!!” A huge distortion of space appeared before Velgrynd. “This is absurd…” “I can’t believe it. Spatial oscillation confirmed. It seems that the huge, overpowered magicule fluctuation is affecting space-time!” “N-no…could that be the work of Her Excellency the Marshal…?!” It was indeed absurd. After all, it was a phenomenon beyond human comprehension and beyond human imagination. There was no way to understand what was going on, there was no way anyone could do something like that—everybody was escaping from reality. But then, Zamud noticed something. “’That kid’…? Did the Marshal just call Veldora ‘that kid’?” There were only a few people he could think of who could call Veldora that. Could it be?! Then this person’s true identity…I’m afraid to say… The guardian dragon of the Empire, a dragon too sacred to even name. Zamud had thought that the Empire was protected by its whims, but now he realized that the truth was something else entirely. As if to confirm Zamud’s prediction, Velgrynd’s smile deepened in the sky. “Now, go quickly and be of use to me.” No one would be able to disobey that voice. Not only Zamud, but even Gladium, as if lured by the sweet voice, turned the bow of the airship and headed for the spacetime rift. With Velgrynd’s action, the state of the war had changed dramatically. The same was true for the three demon girls who were still fighting fiercely. A serious Velgrynd was an unimaginable tyrant. There was no chance against her. With her overwhelming strength, she toyed with the three ladies, not even allowing them to touch her. She was serious and not holding back. Even a mere blow of magic was incredibly powerful. In an attempt to annihilate the three, Velgrynd continued to attack with all the strength she had. She was like a berserker without reason. There was no doubt that this was definitely Velgrynd’s full power, without transforming to her dragon form. However, Testarossa and the others were still alive. If it was before they had been named 64

by Rimuru, they would have lost their bodies and been sent back to the demon world. However, the orichalcum body made by Rimuru had been strengthened by their primordial mana. As a result, they were able to withstand Velgrynd’s rampage, albeit barely. “I’m really surprised. I was going to finish this much sooner. You’re tougher than I thought, and used to close combat.” These were Velgrynd’s true feelings. She hadn’t expected this to take so long even when she was using her full strength. “Ufufufu, we will not be defeated,” Testarossa assured her. “Diablo would ridicule us if we behaved so disgracefully. That would be more humiliating than death.” “I agree. That guy is so malicious,” Ultima added. “I’m sure Diablo would say you are the last person he wants to hear that from. Well, but I do agree that he’s malicious,” Carrera said. Despite being on the ground and with wounds all over their bodies, the three girls’ eyes were not resigned. On the contrary, they were still smiling fearlessly. Their attitude exemplified the concept that as long as you didn’t concede defeat, you were not defeated. “Oh dear, how troublesome.” Velgrynd couldn’t help but feel confused, but the battle was already decisive. The troublesome Demon Lord Rimuru and his officers had been captured in the Fortress of Dreams, and Veldora had been successfully dragged out of the labyrinth. The only thing left to do was to take control of Veldora as planned. With this in mind, Velgrynd turned a deaf ear to the light-hearted talk of the three demon girls, but when Testarossa stood up and said something, her expression became distorted. “It took a while, but I’ve figured out the characteristics of this ‘Parallel Existence.”’ Their goal was not to defeat Velgrynd, but to stop her here. That was the tactical victory condition, but it was made impossible by Velgrynd’s ‘Parallel Existence’ subterfuge. That is why Testarossa had been looking for a way to at least break it. “Let’s hear it, shall we?” Velgrynd said. “Very well then.” Testarossa smiled graciously even though she was being beaten up. Velgrynd thought that Testarossa’s attitude was admirable, even though she was an enemy. That’s why she was willing to listen to her. Testarossa pointed out that Velgrynd’s ‘Parallel Existence’ was not invincible but had its limits. There was a limit to the number of Split Bodies she could produce, and if they were defeated, she would not be left unharmed. “To be precise, the physical damage would be zero, I suppose. But for spiritual lifeforms like us, energy consumption is the damage. In other words—” “Our attacks were not in vain!” Ultima concluded, taking away Testarossa’s words. Testarossa nodded, smiling. However, her eyes were not smiling, they were looking at Velgrynd. 65

Velgrynd sighed inwardly. This was why she didn’t want to deal with the Primordials, she thought. Testarossa had hit the nail on the head. In such a short time, and in the midst of being hopelessly overrun, Testarossa was able to analyze the situation. Even Velgrynd had to admit that it was an astonishing sense of combat. “As expected of Blanc—no, it was Testarossa. You’re correct, I will give you that.” She’d love to take them for herself without killing them, Velgrynd thought. Resentment served no use, because even if she killed them, they would be revived someday. They might not be like a certain demon lord she knew, but Velgrynd found it extremely troublesome to be stuck with a primordial. Carrera, unaware of Velgrynd’s feelings, laughed fearlessly. “Kukuku, you’ve shown too much leeway, Velgrynd-sama. Veldora-sama would not be sandbagging against us.” Velgrynd was annoyed by Carrera’s comment. Incidentally, what Carrera meant by “sandbagging” was “looking down on your opponent and cutting corners.” Naturally, Veldora was well aware of the danger of Testarossa and the others. In order to maintain his dignity, he would never show his weaknesses. It turned out to be misunderstood in a good way, but Velgrynd was not amused when she heard Carrera’s comment. That’s right, she should not be amused. And yet, Velgrynd found herself feeling happy for some reason. As an older sister, she was pleased with the growth of her little brother, who had always been a troublesome child. Perhaps because of this, she lost her fighting spirit. It was just the right time, too. After fighting with Veldora, she realized that his strength was not what it used to be. Velgrynd was going to get hurt if she didn’t give her all. After careful consideration, Velgrynd decided to stop the battle at this point. She decided to let go of Testarossa and the others whom she could kill in an instant if she really wanted to. “You’re right. Indeed, he seems to have grown up quite a bit. I’m happy to see that, but I’m afraid I can’t go easy on him. Therefore, I’ve decided to leave you guys here for now.” Velgrynd unilaterally proclaimed. Velgrynd’s ‘Split Body’ disappeared before the surprised three demon girls. It was only for a moment, and all they could do was watch. The forest was on fire. Velgrynd extinguished the Split Bodies she had released all over the place and united them. Then, after emitting a dazzling red light, she transformed into her Dragon Mode cloaked in a crimson aura. In the aftermath, the trees had gone up in flames. Veldora had also reverted to his dragon form, and his dominating aura had caused a storm 66

to rage. The flames flickered, casting light upon Veldora and Velgrynd. The battle between them was now in full swing— Velgrynd returned to her true form for the first time in a long time and looked at Veldora. Veldora also exposed his massive frame as if to show off his enormous magicule pool. It had been a long time since the two siblings had seen one another in these forms. The encounter between Velgrynd and Emperor Rudra had taken place a long time ago. By the time Veldora was rampaging across the land, Velgrynd was already lurking in the empire. She had never left Rudra’s side, not even to casually go outside. It was due to this feeling of inconvenience that she had devised the ‘Split Body’ ability, which she only learned after Veldora had been sealed away. The last time they had met was on a continent to the southwest over 2,000 years ago. At that time, as she recalled, Velgrynd had only shown a glimpse of her power for fun, and Veldora had fled immediately. But the impact had still been enormous. The energy generated by the collision of the True Dragons had even created a volcanic zone. It is said that volcanoes were still active on that continent to this day. Hmm…It seems that the seal did not weaken him after all. On the contrary, he seems to have grown stronger than ever. Truly, Velgrynd thought it was a happy miscalculation indeed. Her brother’s growth was honestly gratifying. The problem was that he would disobey Velgrynd, but that was something that could be solved with strength. Even if she failed, Rudra’s power could still be relied on. As long as Rudra’s power is at his disposal, he can control even the True Dragons. As proof of that, even I…I was…eh? Just now, what was I thinking about— Velgrynd felt as if she was on the verge of remembering something very important, but her thoughts suddenly wandered wildly. Instead, she changed her mindset and decided that her first priority would be to capture Veldora. While she wanted to avoid relying on Rudra as much as possible, she still needed to take away Veldora’s resistance in case that did happen. To lighten Rudra’s burden as much as possible, even if only a little. Rudra is already at his limit, so I need to make things easier for him. Those were Velgrynd’s true feelings. Therefore, as much as possible, she wanted to tame Veldora without relying on Rudra. There was no other reason. There should be no other reason. Velgrynd had a chance to win. The amount of magicules Veldora possessed was vast, but he lacked the ability to properly utilize them. That was why Velgrynd did not consider Veldora to be that dangerous. She thought that his earlier attack was brilliant, but it was only because he was in control of his power that he was able to fight her. If Veldora were to use his full strength, he would not be able to control his power well and would only be able to attack with brute force. No matter how massive one’s power was, it was meaningless if they could not use it. 67

I’ll have to teach him a few things once he joins us. Although he was still a trump card in the game, Velgrynd intended to train Veldora to the point where he could compete with Velzard. But for now, she was going to take advantage of Veldora’s inexperience and end this battle at once. This will shift the game board in one breath. The end of the long-running game was near. The victory of Velgrynd and Emperor Rudra felt close at hand. The first step was to capture Veldora. With Veldora’s cooperation, they would then have a chance to win the game. They would finish the long game in one fell swoop. And then, Rudra would be free. With that in mind, Velgrynd slowly began her flight towards Veldora. The battle was supernaturally fierce from the very first move. Velgrynd was the first to make a move. Without being wary of a counterattack, she unleashed ‘Burning Breath.’ The ray of light extending from the dragon’s mouth was a thin, converging, ultra-high temperature heat ray. Its intense power attacked Veldora at a nightmarish speed, several dozen times the speed of sound. Veldora avoided it. Normally, Veldora would not take damage from the flames due to his ‘Heat Nullification.’ Yet Veldora rushed to avoid the heat ray. “Oh, I didn’t think you’d choose to avoid that one. You’re an idiot, that’s why I thought I would be able to end it in one move like the old days. You have finally become able to see the true nature of a technique.” “Kuahahaha! Sister’s breath attack has an ‘Accelerated Destruction’ effect, doesn’t it? If I take a direct hit, my mana will go haywire. If that happens, I’d lose the power to control it. It’s only natural to avoid it,” Veldora replied with a laugh. Indeed, Velgrynd’s attack had a special effect. It was the ultimate power of ‘Accelerated Destruction.’ Due to this power, which could speed up all events, could increase a destructive effect. Not only that, but it also accelerated the life activity of the target. Even spiritual life forms could not resist this power. Even if one could avoid simple destruction, their energy would spiral out of control. Veldora sensed this intuitively and chose to evade it. This was also proved by the result of ‘Analyze and Assess’ by Veldora’s Ultimate Skill ‘Investigation King Faust.’ That is why Veldora answered his sister Velgrynd with confidence. “Oh…I didn’t know you could see that far. I’m pleased to see you’ve really grown up.” Veldora’s correct answer gave Velgrynd a sense of crisis. She realized that she was no longer facing a rampaging fool, but an opponent who should be evaluated properly. He saw through her own powers accurately. That meant that Veldora also possessed an Ultimate Skill. A ‘True Dragon’s’ attacks were powerful enough to reach the ultimate level, but when managed along with an Ultimate Skill, the danger level increased astronomically. Velgrynd was delighted. She celebrated the growth of her bungling little brother. But at the same time, she was vigilant. Rudra’s plans could fall apart now that Veldora grew to the 68

point where he could threaten her. At this rate, they would not only have difficulty controlling Veldora, but she might even be defeated. She hadn’t expected this level of growth. Velgrynd was upset at the thought, and then Veldora made a move against her. “Are you thinking about other things on the battlefield, Sister? That’s called being careless!” As he said this, he unleashed ‘Thunderstorm.’ It was Veldora’s sure-kill technique, an attack with overlapping storm magic. The attack hit Velgrynd directly—however, the force was scattered and did not cause much damage. “I see. It seems that you really have acquired an Ultimate Skill. I commend you from the bottom of my heart, Veldora!” “You’re still a terrifying person, Sister. You deliberately took the attack just to confirm it.” “It’s not like I have other choices, right? I needed to measure the threat level of your power.” “So, does my Ultimate Skill ‘Investigation King Faust’ pass?” “It seems to be an analytical type of Ultimate Skill. It doesn’t appear to add any extra attack power, but the accuracy correction is excellent. Your mana control has improved thanks to your ‘Investigation King Faust’ ability, hasn’t it?” “Kuahahaha! That’s right. My magicule amount is greater than yours, Sister, so there’s no need for more power. As long as my attack hits, that’s all that matters,” Veldora boasted. “You’re smarter than I thought you’d be,” she replied with a smile. “You certainly have something that I do not. That’s why I want to add you as a trump card.” “Hm?! When my sister praises me, my back feels all itchy…” Veldora replied playfully, but he also noticed that the atmosphere around Velgrynd had changed. In other words: “Fufu, you should be rewarded for that. I’ll show you just what I am capable of.” “Uh, there’s no need—” “I will deal with you using the full power of my Ultimate Skill, ‘Charity King Raguel’!!” Veldora’s voice did not reach Velgrynd. It would be outrageous to lose by cutting corners. Even after the fierce exchanges, neither of them had sustained much damage. That is why Velgrynd decided to give her all against Veldora. She was sure that Veldora would not die. A myriad of magic circles appeared around Velgrynd. It was a simultaneous activation of magic by a partial ‘Split Body.’ “Eat this!” Eleven light rays—Nuclear Attack Magic: Nuclear Canon attacked Veldora. After a moment’s judgment, Veldora decided to neutralize the magic with a magic barrier. There were too many rays to evade. Besided, he thought it was just simple magic and planned to just ignore it, which caused him to be a bit late in responding. Veldora had put up a magic barrier because he sensed the danger of Velgrynd’s ‘Nuclear Cannon.’ 69

“Gyabaa!” Veldora felt searing pain. He had failed to neutralize Velgrynd’s magic, and he had been hit. “Oh, you really have gotten clever, haven’t you? I’m a little surprised that you only took that much damage.” “Gununununu, I didn’t think that even magic could be granted the power of an Ultimate Skill as well… If I had taken it head-on, I would not have been able to escape unscathed.” “As for me, I was planning to finish you off, so you can be proud of that.” “Kuahahaha, I appreciate the offer, but I’m afraid I must decline. I’ll be proud of myself once I defeat you!” In return, Veldora activated his Storm Magic: ‘Tempest Ruin.’ He mimicked Velgrynd’s move by imbuing his attack with the effect of his Ultimate Skill. The attack succeeded in blowing Velgrynd away. “Kuahahaha! What do you think, Sister? If you’ve learned your lesson, then we can make peace and end this here—” “Don’t you dare make a fool out of me! It seems that you’ve made me angry.” “Eh?! No, wait a—” Velgrynd snapped, no longer asking questions. Veldora’s attack had damaged her. The moment Velgrynd realized that, her sense of reason was blown away. In an attempt to regain her pride as an older sister, Velgrynd launched her next attack. Ten heads appeared and unleashed eleven rays of ‘Burning Breath’ at Veldora. At the same time, she shifted space and positioned herself above Veldora. Veldora, who was avoiding the simultaneous attacks of multiple breath attacks, found himself in a disadvantageous position. He found himself confronting Velgrynd from below, looking upwards. He couldn’t help but feel impressed with her maneuver. At the same time, it made him happy that he could sense Velgrynd’s seriousness. Kuahahaha! I was no match for her in the past, but now I am able to fight like this. This is all thanks to my training with Rimuru. He was so happy. Despite this, he understood that he was in danger. He thought about how to escape. Velgrynd, on the other hand, was pleased to have Veldora in her kill-zone. She was certain that this was the perfect position and that she would not let Veldora escape. “Let’s end this, Veldora. After all, you cannot escape from my hands!” Velgrynd declared, raining ‘Burning Breaths’ down from above. The scorching rain poured down incessantly, connecting heaven and earth as a pillar of flame. Seen from the outside, it looked like a cage of flame. In the midst of all this, Veldora anxiously danced back and forth. He was not playing around at all and was looking ahead to anticipate every attack, evading each one. It was still a very fast attack, but Veldora felt that it was not so fast that he could be overwhelmed. Trusting his instincts, he sent his massive frame flying. As a result, even though he was surrounded by the 70

flame cage, he did not take a single direct hit. “Kuahahaha! It’s nothing if it doesn’t hit me!” Veldora happily shouted a line he had learned from the scriptures (manga). Velgrynd, on the other hand, clicked her tongue in annoyance. It was certainly a miscalculation on Velgrynd’s part not to get a single shot. There was no doubt that she had underestimated Veldora. But: This is where my attack begins! Her absolute advantage was still intact. Velgrynd decided to show her secret move. “It is indeed admirable to have seen through my attacks to such an extent. As a reward, I will send you a searing hug! ‘Burning Embrace’!!” Velgrynd’s positioning above Veldora was significant. Below was the earth, boiling with burning lava from the ‘Burning Breath’ that Veldora had avoided. Even the splattering drops held a terrifying amount of heat. What would happen if more attacks were added to that burning hell? “H-hold on, Sister?!” It was too late to panic any longer when sensing that intention. Veldora had been caught in Velgrynd’s trap from the start. Velgrynd’s excessive attack caused the ground to boil and gasify. The super-heated lava enveloped Veldora’s surroundings. That is the tiny droplets that contained Velgrynd’s power—‘Bloody Lava’—pouring from bottom to top. The ‘Cardinal Cage’ used to hold Veldora captive was now complete. The essence of Velgrynd’s Ultimate Skill ‘Charity King Raguel’ was “charity”—in other words, “support.” The true value of this Skill was the “increase in effect (enhancement),” and for Velgrynd, whose nature was “acceleration,” this was the most synergistic ability. So, what would happen if Velgrynd applied her power to the ‘Cardinal Cage’? The momentum of the object would increase greatly, and the heat would also be amplified to the maximum. It was no wonder that the ‘Bloody Lava’ turned to gas, reaching tens of thousands of degrees rather than 2,000 degrees. This was how the scorching prison was created, but its true potential lay beyond that. Velgrynd’s support effect could be increased to any extent without limit. In other words, a moderate amount of support will have a positive effect, but an excessive amount will be a burden. The negative effect could even accelerate the exhaustion of the subject’s stamina. It was also possible to increase the effect to the point of burning the target to death with the heat its body generated. 71

In other words, the true ability of the Ultimate Skill ‘Charity King Raguel’—it was the power to manipulate all energies at will. As if embracing Veldora, the red rain created a delicate coating. Those trapped in the ‘Burning Embrace’ must surrender their right to life and death to Velgrynd. Even if the target was a True Dragon, the result would be the same. Once trapped in the cage, there was no escape. Velgrynd was convinced of her victory and was about to make her final offer to Veldora— but then she paused. There was no sign of Veldora, whom she should have captured. What’s going on?! Velgrynd was in a rare state of impatience. At this point, she felt a presence behind her and turned around in a panic. “Kuahahahaha! Didn’t I tell you that before? It’s nothing if it doesn’t hit me!” Trumpeting his victory was the human-form Veldora. His high, loud laughter was extraordinarily piercing to Velgrynd’s ears. It was only then that Velgrynd truly recognized Veldora as a threat. And Veldora as well. Although he was laughing confidently, he did not have that much to spare. Veldora had been angry because his clothes had been burned, but once he cooled down, he realized that there was a big difference in ability between him and his sister. He recognized that there was little chance of victory even if he fought seriously, and so he went on the defensive around halfway through their fight. This was the very strategy of Hinata. While taking care not to receive fatal wounds on herself, she would devise attacks based on the gaps in her opponent’s defense. Then, when she determined the most effective move, she would unleash a barrage of attacks when she found the right time to strike. In the battle with Hinata, it seems that she had seen through his own habits. When they fought at the 100th level, he had overwhelmed her with his strength, but once she time-leaped, he was beaten by her in the form of the Hero Chronoa. Well, it’s no wonder. Even though it was supposed to be our first fight, she knew all my moves and habits. I knew something was wrong! It was cheating—Veldora thought so, but saying so would only make him sound like a sore loser. Just remembering Hinata’s smug face was annoying, but a loss was still a loss. Veldora honestly reflected on himself and learned how to fight a superior opponent from that experience. Not only that, but he learned cunning through the mock battles with the demons. Even if you couldn’t win with your own strength, you could win by being less exhausted than your opponent. That was the type of battle between spiritual beings, and Veldora had learned it. It was a perspective he had never held before. By observing Rimuru’s way of life, an interest in all sorts of things emerged. The naturally inquisitive Veldora’s horizons were opened up and he learned to think in ways that he had never done before. This seemed to have a positive effect 72

and played a role in Veldora’s growth. This was now being demonstrated in the battle against Velgrynd. Veldora was practicing the art of fighting without losing, wherein Velgrynd activated the ‘Burning Embrace.’ The ‘Cardinal Cage’ was a sure-kill technique. Once the target was captured, Velgrynd’s victory was assured. Veldora had been too busy avoiding the ‘Burning Breath’ to see that it was a trap. However, the ‘Predict Danger’ of his Ultimate Skill ‘Investigation King Faust’ was activated. He always activated it in order to not be caught off guard in any situation. It worked and saved Veldora from his crisis. After receiving a maximum warning he had never felt before, Veldora knew that something was wrong. He was convinced by the terrifying chill that if he continued to escape, he would lose. However, there was no way to figure out what was going on, even if he rushed to deal with it. Just then, the ‘Bloody Lava’ erupted in the air. Seeing this, Veldora saw through Velgrynd’s true thoughts. But at that stage, it was still difficult to deal with. It was obvious that this was not something that could be blown away by his ‘Ruin Tempest.’ The area was already under the influence of Velgrynd’s ‘Spatial Domination,’ and it was impossible to escape with ‘Spatial Transportation.’ Oh crap! But at that moment, the ‘Investigation of Truth’ of ‘Investigation King Faust’ came up with the optimal solution. It was dangerous to touch the ‘Bloody Lava,’ because Velgrynd’s will also resided in it. It was not easy to escape from that mist-like substance. However, even if it was impossible for a massive body, it was possible for a human form. Although he would have to give up his defenses, he could see a future where he could escape through that gap. But even so, the chance of success was 50 percent. If he timed it correctly, he would be fine, but if he failed, he would be taken out in one shot. Veldora was in doubt, but then he had a revelation that would definitely lead to success. He didn’t realize that the ‘Probability Manipulation’ of his ‘Investigation King Faust’ had been activated. Surprisingly, the ‘Probability Manipulation’ was a power that allowed him to manipulate events to his own advantage against opponents of equal or lower rank. Veldora was also surprised by this. In other words, the probability of success was doubled. In this case, it was as if his escape, which had only a 50 percent chance of success, was guaranteed to succeed. How convenient was that? Veldora was skeptical, but he reverted to his human form and attempted to escape from the cage. He succeeded in doing so. And just like that, Veldora escaped from his crisis. 73

Velgrynd threw away her composure and glared at the laughing Veldora. She wondered just when Veldora had grown up so much, when she had initially thought her brother was inferior to her. It was a terrible misunderstanding that he was nothing but a violent brute who let his strength run amok. Veldora had brilliantly mastered an Ultimate Skill, which could rival even Velgrynd. And amazingly, he had managed to escape from a situation that should have been absolutely impossible to reverse. It might have been extremely presumptuous of her to try and teach Veldora a lesson. She had no choice but to admit it. Veldora was on the same level as herself. Velgrynd recognized Veldora and confronted him as an equal or greater enemy. If she analyzed the situation calmly, Velgrynd was at a disadvantage. It was because her special move had just been defeated. Superficial attacks would be evaded, and it would be difficult to inflict a fatal wound. In that case, she had no choice but to rely on Rudra’s ‘Regalia Dominion’ after wearing Veldora down. With that in mind, Velgrynd decided to change her tactics and act cautiously. “Oh? It seems my sister has acknowledged me as well.” Perhaps noticing Velgrynd’s intention, Veldora returned to his dragon form and spoke casually. Velgrynd found it amusing even though it should have been irritating. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever played with this kid before… She was thinking of such things. With a smile on her face, Velgrynd replied. “Well, yes, you’re right. I will admit it. You are now able to hold your own. That’s why, Veldora, if you’re going against me on your own terms, I will not tolerate it.” Velgrynd declared, as if speaking to herself. Seeing his sister’s change of mood, Veldora felt threatened. But he couldn’t just nod in acceptance here. “Kuahahaha! In that case, I will also give it my all to deal with you!” Veldora was finally getting used to his Ultimate Skill, which he had not used much until now. He had been having a tough time against his sister, Velgrynd, but with this power, he felt that he could still compete. And so, Veldora decided that it was his turn to take action. Although he could not use ‘Parallel Existence’ as Velgrynd had done, Veldora also had a sure-kill technique up his sleeve. The name of the technique, which he told only to Rimuru, was ‘Storm Blast.’ He had come up with this after consulting with him, and once he learned it, Rimuru had praised him. Even Rimuru was impressed. There’s no way it wouldn’t work on my sister!! Veldora was very confident. As far as Veldora knew, there was no one more cunning and tricky than Rimuru. He had always thought to himself that he was lucky to have Rimuru as an ally. And this technique had Rimuru’s seal of approval. Now, without hesitation, Veldora unleashed the ‘Storm Blast.’ From Veldora’s mouth, a 74

‘Thunderstorm’ was unleashed. Its fury interfered with space, and invisible rays of light flew about haphazardly. Naturally, Velgrynd would only deal with attacks that were extremely dangerous. To begin with, she did not care about the interference waves as it would have no effect on her. But that was the trap. When multiple types of seemingly meaningless waves crossed with one another, they generated an unexpected destructive force. Similar to sonic weapons, they did not pose a threat on their own, but by the time you noticed them all, it was too late. Velgrynd was no exception, having overlooked the ‘Storm Blast.’ It was only through the pain that pierced her entire body that he realized she had fallen into Veldora’s trap. “Guuhh?! I’m feeling pain…what? Veldora, just now, what did you do?!” “Kuahahaha! It’s the special technique I invented. It’s called ‘Storm Blast,’ and I’m quite proud of it,” Veldora boasted smugly. He was elated that he had hit the target. Although he understood that this was not a fatal blow, he had never had such an advantage over his sister before. That was why Veldora couldn’t help but want to brag. But: “You really are foolish, you know. You still need to improve upon that.” Veldora writhed in a fierce pain that he had never felt before. It was Velgrynd who triumphed. As soon as Velgrynd had acknowledged Veldora, she had given up on the duel. There was no point in winning or losing, and she focused only on the success of the mission. That is why she had secretly brought in the emperor’s flagship without Veldora’s knowledge. Aboard the flagship was Lieutenant Kondou, who was fully prepared. As instructed by Velgrynd with her ‘telepathy,’ Kondou unleashed his most powerful attack against Veldora. And then: A blow that could destroy even a deity. The bullet, which Kondou could only fire once a day, was called ‘Judgment.’ This was the ultimate blow, firing the most powerful bullet created by the Ultimate Skill ‘Conviction King Sandalphon’ with his Nambu pistol that had been elevated to the mythical-level. It was far more powerful than the ‘Necrosis,’ and as far as Kondou knew, no one had ever been hit by it and remained unscathed. It was capable of burying even Velgrynd’s Split Body, and no matter how great Veldora was, he would not remain unharmed. Everything was as Velgrynd had calculated. The bullet’s initial speed was close to the speed of light, and it could penetrate any ‘defense barrier’ to reach its target. The careless Veldora had no room left to resist the ‘Judgment.’ He was pierced by the bullet, and even his own existence was jeopardized as a consequence. Veldora couldn’t believe it. Did my sister actually get help from a third party?! Veldora had been overjoyed at the prospect of beating his sister. It seemed that her sister exploited this moment and made him fall for her trick. 75

But even so, he was surprised that his sister, a prideful woman, had abandoned the duel against him. He understood that she was giving priority to the victory condition, but that was very unlike her. As important as that was, the more problematic issue was his current situation. Not good! That man…That must be the guy Rimuru was wary of. It was just one blow, and I can’t move!! In Veldora’s brain, a warning was ringing at full force. It was abnormal for Veldora, a spiritual life form, to feel pain and suffering. The most powerful ‘True Dragon’ race was now in a life crisis. It was understandable that Veldora was anxious in the face of this unbelievable fact. If it had been a head-on strike, he might have been able to resist the attack even if he could not avoid it. However, now that he had been hit by complete surprise, there was nothing Veldora could do. Ouch, this is not good. It’s better to just accept the defeat this time and get revenge the next time we meet. Kuahahaha. Now then, I’ll contact Rimuru— Despite the situation, Veldora had plenty of room to spare. It was because he knew that he and Rimuru were connected by a Soul Corridor and he could be resurrected. As long as Rimuru was alive, Veldora was immortal. Therefore, there was no need to panic. However, things began to take a turn for the worse for Veldora. “Regalia Dominion.” He had been so focused on Kondou that he hadn’t noticed, but there was another man standing on the airship, dressed in luxurious clothes. …Masayuki? No, it’s not. Mm? W-wait a minute! What is this? This is bad, this is really bad!! By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late. That man—Emperor Rudra, was about to take over Veldora’s mind. The ‘Judgment’ bullet had made him severely hurt. It was all over for Veldora. However, there was one thing that Veldora couldn’t stand. …It’s fine if it’s just me. But if this continues, my sworn friend Rimuru will be harmed. That’s the only thing I can’t forgive!! Rudra’s control was more powerful than he had imagined. It was obvious that if he left things as is, it would affect even Rimuru through the Soul Corridor. That was unforgivable, Veldora thought. Therefore, he cut off the Soul Corridor of his own volition. “Th-This is fine. I’ll leave the rest to you, Rimuru…” With those last words, Veldora’s consciousness plunged into darkness. 76

Chapter 2 Unleashed Power It was probably the first time that anger had blown away my reason. When Shion and the others were killed, I had felt a mixture of regret and anger, and was engulfed in guilt. But since there was hope in sight, I had been able to calm the storm in my heart, keep my cool and take my anger out in productive ways… But this time was different. The pain of having my soul torn apart and the possibility of losing Veldora had completely blown away my sense of reason. The odds of success? Who cares? Crush the enemy. That is all. “Rimuru-sama, what should we do? It seems we’ve been isolated in a special space, but can we pry it open by force?” I didn’t need Benimaru to tell me this, but I sensed that we were trapped. Since the enemy’s goal was to capture Veldora, it was only natural that they would take steps to prevent us from interfering. We were the ones who were too stupid to realize that and fell into the trap. «…Apologies. I’m really sorry.» Strangely enough, even the ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ was confused. Perhaps it couldn’t believe that it had been played by others and had become less calm than usual. Although it was just a Skill, it was so human-like that it could make me smile—but I didn’t have the luxury to think about that right now. Right now, my emotions were only one color of anger. I thought to myself, ‘Enough with the apologies, let’s find a way to get out of here.’ Then it replied that there was a good grasp of the coordinates and that ‘Analyze and Assess’ of this space would soon be completed. The ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ was truly capable, after all. “No problem. We’re getting out now, but I’m aiming for the enemy leader. Listen up, Veldora has fallen into Rudra’s hands. As soon as we arrive with ‘Spatial Transportation,’ we’re going to have a battle on our hands, so you’d better prepare yourselves,” I told them, swallowing 78

my anger. I didn’t want to take things out on my friends. All of this anger should be directed at the enemy. They nodded, and I added one more order. “Now that the mana provided by Veldora is gone, Ramiris will not be able to take much anymore. The cities that have been evacuated into the labyrinth will be thrown out onto the surface, so please focus on their defense.” It was only a matter of time now. The current burden on Ramiris was unimaginable, so we had to go quickly. “Understood, but what about Rimuru-sama?” “I’m taking Veldora back!” That took precedence over anything else. So I told them I’d let them handle the rest, and everyone understood without saying a word. “H-hold on a minute! Aren’t you guys forgetting the most important thing?! How are we going to get out of here?” Just when I thought he’d gone quiet, Laplace suddenly started complaining. That kind of thing was easy. “Just break through it.” “That’s absurd! This is the rumored ‘Fortress of Dreams.’ It’s in another dimension and there’s no easy way out. They say it’s a place meant for isolating troublesome opponents. That’s—” He sure knew a thing or two, but I had other plans for now. «Notice. Preparations are complete.» All right! “Well then, let’s go. Laplace, I’ll get you out of here too, after that, it’s all you.” “Yes?! That’s why I’m saying to listen—” Laplace was about to say something, but none of that mattered to me right now. I would quickly rescue Veldora and eliminate the enemy. In a state of rage, I activated ‘Spatial Transportation.’ We arrived at the exact location as planned. This kind of transportation without hesitation was sort of an unthinkable act for me. But I didn’t care about that right now. I could see two True Dragons in front of me, and an airship flying behind them. The enemy was directly ahead. All that was left was to go on a rampage. And yet, ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ 79

was annoyingly warning me of the danger. I’m sure it’s because it was aware of the enemy’s strength, but to me, it was just a distraction. Once I’ve decided to do something, of course I have to do it to the very end, so there’s no point in panicking now. Do something! I silenced it with an order. «Understood. Optimal action ‘Demon Summoning’ is recommended.» Hmm, that sounds pretty good. If we didn’t have enough combat forces, then just increase them. And on that note, let’s finish up the evolution of Testarossa and the others that had been postponed until now. I will give it my all here. And then, crush the enemies once and for all. Velgrynd’s eyes widened slightly in surprise as she noticed us. Was it the ‘Fortress of Dreams’ thing? She really seemed to believe that she had blocked our movements with that, but something like that wasn’t even a problem with the ‘Wisdom King Raphael’s’ calculations. I was connected to my companions by a Soul Corridor. If I traced back the connections, it was no problem figuring out my positional coordinates. Even if I was in another dimension, ‘Spatial Transportation’ was possible. Benimaru and the others were on alert to protect me and the capital Rimuru that had appeared far behind us. So, rest assured, I would do what I had to do. ‹Testarossa, Ultima, Carrera! Can you move?› ‹Rimuru-sama! Of course!!› ‹It’s fine, there’s no problem!› ‹It’s impossible to answer no to a question from Milord.› Three different answers came back, and they didn’t sound like they were hurt. I was relieved. In that case, I would make a move to free Veldora without hesitation. I used the suggestion from Wisdom King Raphael and would perform Demon Summoning. However, someone got in the way. Perhaps judging it to be dangerous, Kondou was the first to move. Normally, bullets would not have been able to reach, but he had fired without regard to the distance. The bullet reached several dozen times the speed of sound. My thoughts accelerated a million times faster than usual grasping the details of that attack. Defend me, I thought to myself and Wisdom King Raphael responded with an ‘Understood.’ Without any problems, the ‘Absolute Defense’ of the ‘Covenant King Uriel’ succeeded in nullifying the attack. This attack was nowhere close to the one used on Veldora. «Notice. Barrier destruction effect detected… Successfully disabled. Continuing, detected an attack that destroys the mind and magic circuits… Disabled. As a result of ‘Analyze and Assess,’ the attack has been determined to be caused by the Ultimate Skill ‘Conviction King 80

Sandalphon.’ From now on, relevant countermeasures will be begin—» I ignored the analysis of ‘Wisdom King Raphael.’ I glanced at Kondou, Damrada and the others, and decided that they could be dealt with later. The attack they used on Veldora was really threatening, but there must be a reason why they hadn’t used it again. Either they didn’t use it, or they couldn’t use it. That attack, which was close to the speed of light, would be impossible to avoid if it got close. But from a long distance, as long as I was not careless, I’d be able to deal with it in time. Despite this situation, Kondou had not moved from his spot. He was probably protecting Rudra, but I figured it was safe to ignore him. I uttered the words. “Come forth, demons! Greater Demon Summoning Gate Creation!” A huge magic circle appeared in the sky. What emerged was a great gate exuding an ominous aura. It transcended time and space, summoning the demons that were connected to me. The first ones to respond to my call were the three demonesses. Then the two demon peers and the four archdemons appeared, followed by the six hundred demons who were their subordinates. The majority of the Black Numbers had gathered. “Kufufufufu. Rimuru-sama, I have sent my subordinates to defend the city.” That’s Diablo for you. He knew exactly what I wanted without me saying a word. Aside from Venom who was Masayuki’s escort, we had all the subordinate demons free at our disposal. Benimaru had also regained the command he had left with Moss and was issuing orders to the entire army. Even though I hadn’t said anything, the support system was perfectly in place. That being the case, it was time to finish the ritual quickly before any more obstacles could get in the way. As soon as they landed on the ground, the demons knelt down before me. The three demonesses were in the front, but they were sullen, perhaps thinking that they had failed to obey my orders. “ “ “My deepest apologies!” ” ” They apologized as soon as they saw my face. “No, there is nothing to apologize for. The goal of stalling Velgrynd was accomplished as planned. This time, I am the one responsible for not seeing through her ‘Parallel Existence’ trick.” This kind of thing was unpredictable if it wasn’t known about in advance. One can’t plan anything if they’re afraid of any and all dreamlike powers that might exist. This time there was really nothing we could have done. Besides, the way Testarossa and the others had fought was quite helpful information and definitely not meaningless. As much as I wanted to express my gratitude to them, that would have to wait for later. I gave strict orders to the demons. 81

“Listen well, I will now grant you power. However, you are not allowed to fall asleep. Like Diablo, all of you must endure your evolution on the spot!” I thought I was saying something crazy. I had never said anything I couldn’t do myself before. I, myself, had fallen into an evolutionary slumber when becoming a demon lord due to the Harvest Festival’s effect, and now I was ordering the demons under my control to endure it. I didn’t think that was right, but now was not the time to think about that. Those who couldn’t keep up would be left behind. Perhaps reading my intentions, the three demon girls smiled fearlessly and waited for me to continue. “Can you do it?” “Certainly.” “Of course!” “As Milord wishes!” All three of them had a look of confidence on their faces. I gave them the ‘Souls’ without hesitation. I didn’t think about what would happen if it failed. If Testarossa and the others went out of control, I could just use that as a diversion. My priorities would not waver. That is why I offered these words to the demons who had begun to evolve. “You can go as wild as you want. You can spread as much death and destruction as you like. However, you must not die. Those guys must not get in the way. Until I release Veldora, you will use your bodies as shields to hold the enemy back!” While telling them not to die, I ordered them to lay down their lives. It was so selfish, but that’s who I was. “What should we do about Veldora-sama’s sister?” Diablo asked me, but the answer to that question was already settled. “No problem. If she interferes, I will handle her. I’ll just devour her.” Hearing this, Diablo smiled happily. Not just Diablo, but the others as well. Benimaru smiled fearlessly. While Souei had a sneer on his face. Shion was beginning her warm-ups with a huge smile on her face. They were all reliable friends. 82

“We shall clear the way for you.” I nodded to Benimaru’s words. “Mm. Then go. Go and kill them all!” “ “ “As you wish.” ” ” This was good. Now I could focus on Veldora without any worry. And so, I turned my gaze to Veldora. Apparently, while I was getting ready, Velgrynd was preparing to intercept. She seemed to have received magicules from Veldora and seemed to have fully recovered. That power of recovery was the true essence of Veldora. It was because of Veldora’s enormous amount of magicules that recovery in such a short time was possible. But now, Veldora was hostile to me. Without a doubt, he had become Emperor Rudra’s puppet. Velgrynd also seemed determined, and it looked like I would have to deal with two True Dragons. It was going to be tough, but I would just have to do it. As I told Diablo, if Velgrynd was going to be my enemy, I would have to eliminate her. “Wait for me, Veldora. I’ll release you soon.” I muttered to myself and spread my wings to fly. After Rimuru had flown away, those who remained sprang into action. Benimaru grasped the situation on the battlefield and started giving out the appropriate commands. At the same time, he sent out a ‘Telepathy Net’ to the remaining executives in the city, quickly shifting them to an emergency position. Souei dispatched his ‘Clones’ to various locations to gather information. Meanwhile, Diablo was at the peak of his excitement. “Kufufufufu! Did you see that, everyone? Rimuru-sama is finally going to show his serious side!” Shion replied to Diablo in astonishment, “Fool! No matter what he does Rimuru-sama is always wonderful. We must save our excitement for later and now focus on crushing the enemy!” Even though there was something strange with that statement, Shion’s words were correct. It was understandable for them to be surprised as this was the first time they would witness Rimuru going on a rampage, but now was not the time to ponder on it. As Benimaru had declared, the role of the executives was to clear the way. Moreover, it was an edict from Rimuru. This was gospel for the executives. 84

For the demons summoned by Rimuru, this was even more of a supreme pleasure. Their faces were full of joy, and they were filled with energy because now was their time to be of service. It was obvious from their demeanor, how long they had been waiting for this call. As if to prove the depth of Rimuru’s anger, their terrible power of destruction was about to be unleashed. The order given was very simple. Kill all the enemies! In response to that order, the demons’ hearts were set ablaze by their mission. ‹As our lord wishes!!› The demons, who had nothing to fear, were prepared to throw themselves into battle to serve their lord. However: “Stop!” Diablo’s single word stopped them all in their tracks. All the demons simultaneously turned their attention to Diablo. He held up one hand to ease the demons back. “Kufufufufu. Do you all understand? It is Rimuru-sama’s command that not a single one of you must die. That is to say, a single one of your deaths would be so unforgivable of a sin that it could not be repaid even if the executives gave their heads.” The demons fell silent as Diablo spoke cheerfully. Diablo’s smile instilled more fear in them rather than any sense of confidence. Besides, what Diablo had said was true, with no room for rebuttal. The demons quietly waited for the next words. It was Benimaru who opened his mouth. “Diablo is right. You may think you are immortal, but that kind of sophistry won’t be accepted, it is nothing but an excuse in front of Rimuru-sama!” The fact that they could be resurrected over time was not a good enough reason to die. Benimaru’s words corrected the demons’ misunderstanding. They all realized their mistake and became quiet. On seeing this, Diablo opened his mouth. “Therefore, it is necessary to decide the division of roles beforehand. Benimaru-dono, could you please make the assignments?” “What are you going to do?” Benimaru asked, wondering if Diablo would listen to his instructions. “Oh, please leave me out of it. There is a rat that I’m curious about, so I’m going to deal with it.” Upon hearing this answer, Benimaru shrugged. He had expected it from the start. “…I see. Well, you do whatever you want.” It’s better not to have anything to do with Diablo. That was what Benimaru was thinking. 85

In the first place, Diablo was under the direct control of Rimuru, so even Benimaru had no authority to give him orders. It was just that, this time, Diablo himself had entrusted Benimaru with the task, so Benimaru had acted accordingly. “Then, Diablo is free to act as he pleases. Moss, as you have been doing till now, continue sending me information from the battlefield. Spread out throughout the battlefield only in accordance with Rimuru-sama’s wishes.” Diablo nodded with a smug smile on his face. Moss nodded his head in agreement. Since he had already scattered his clones, he and Benimaru were still connected to the ‘Telepathy Net’ in real time. “I won’t forgive you if you leave me out of this.” Shion spoke in a dignified manner. Shion could also perform ‘Spatial Transportation,’ but only within her field of vision since she was not good at calculating coordinates. Benimaru chuckled and nodded his head. “Of course, I’m counting on your strength as well. There are eight major entities on that airship, not including Emperor Rudra. They will be a bit difficult to deal with but it’s not as unreasonable as Rimuru-sama’s chosen opponents. Even without Diablo, we should be able to manage on our own.” “The battlefield is also troublesome. As many as 30,000 enemy reinforcements are coming in one after the other,” Souei advised. Of course, Benimaru was already aware of that. “I know. That’s why it’s a race against time. I’ve ordered Gabil to stall for time as long as he can, so we have to take the emperor into custody before there are any casualties.” Benimaru spoke fearlessly, and Souei and Shion nodded in agreement. As long as Rimuru wished for it, Benimaru had no choice. He would do everything in his power to make those desires come to fruition, so he drew up what he believed was the best strategy. The plan was to stallor time and take out the most troublesome opponents of the airships. The decision was made on the premise that doing so would, conversely, prevent an attack on their city. Incidentally, the eight entities that Benimaru was referring to were the ‘Split Body’ that Velgrynd left behind as insurance and the ‘Single Digit’ members that had gathered together. The latter included Lieutenant Kondou, Damrada, the four knights guarding the emperor, and the last one was Marco. Now that no one was hiding their presence, Benimaru was able to detect them with his Unique Skill ‘Generalissimo.’ At this time, Benimaru received good news. “—Geld has responded. It seems that he has just completed his evolution and woken up.” The “Barrier Lord” Geld had awakened. In response, his men were also beginning to wake up. He said that they would soon be joining the city defense. “That’s a great addition. If Geld-dono is willing to defend the city, we can remove the devil chevaliers from defense duty.” 86

“Will those guys be under my command as well?” “We cannot displace Venom together with them, hence they won’t be able to move in a systematic manner. It would be better to let each of them make his own decision based on the circumstances of the battle.” “Got it.” Thus, with a short exchange between the executives, the roles were decided. All that remained was to believe in victory and take action, but there was still one more thing left to be confirmed. “So, are you guys still able to fight?” Benimaru asked Testarossa and the others. There was no hesitation in his words. It was only a question to confirm whether they could be counted on as a fighting force or not. “Kufufufufu. There’s no need to ask. Needless to say, anyone under my command who answers ‘No’ is not needed here.” Diablo turned his gaze to Testarossa and the others. Not needing to be pressured, Testarossa and the others stood up. “That’s a silly question. There’s nothing Diablo can do that I cannot.” “It’s a bit tough, but I don’t have a problem with it either. I like to fight!” “I can’t afford to make another mistake if I want to live up to His Lordship’s expectations. Now is not the time to sit here and rest.” To be of service to Rimuru-sama—the girls were united in their wills. And so were their subordinates. The demons were rapidly completing their evolution. They now received the long-awaited order with the greatest of joy. ……… …… … At this point, Testarossa, Ultima, and Carrera had evolved into ‘devil lords’ like Diablo had. They had become divine demons, one of the strongest beings in the world, capable of defeating even a demon peer without an issue. In this way, all of the Seven Primordials had become equal in rank, with all restrictions lifted. Just as Diablo’s servant Venom had become a demon peer, Testarossa’s servants also received a gift in the form of evolution. Although Moss and Veyron remained demon peers, their magicule counts had increased to the point where it was comparable to that of an awakened demon lord. The other four, Agera, Esprit, Zonda, and Cien, had also become demon peers, surpassing even the Demon Lord Seed. They had evolved into the highest-ranking of demons in both name and substance. These demons were of the same rank, however, there was a clear difference in ability. The differences in their titles directly defined their class. Moss had become an archduke, comparable to a king. Veyron became a duke, Agera was 87

a marquis, Esprit was a count, Cien and Zonda were viscounts. As a side note, Venom was recognized as a baron. Among the rest of the demons, several archdemon commanders were born. This was the equivalent to knighthood, where they would then work for many more years to officially be knighted. The remaining almost six hundred demons had become devil chevaliers, rivaling the greater majins. All to become stronger and more useful to Rimuru. The demons had evolved. ……… …… … Without a single one left out, the demons showed their willingness to join the battle. Benimaru nodded in satisfaction. “All right. I look forward to your performance.” And just like that, the three demonesses and their confidants quickly joined the airship assault, but Benimaru had given the order without hesitation, as if he had intended to do so from the beginning. “Well then, Testarossa-dono. I’d like to ask you to clean up the trash. Can you do that?” he asked. “Yes, of course. That will be easy,” she replied. “Wait a minute,” Ultima cut in, “I want to do it! I can do it too, you know?” In response, Benimaru spoke without getting offended. “It doesn’t matter who does it, but I want to keep that airship. We must use it as a battlefield to settle the score with Emperor Rudra.” “Kufufufufu. Ultima, I asked Benimaru-dono to assign the duties. If you disagree with this, it means you are going against me. Think about that before you speak.” Ultima was fortunate that Diablo was in the best of moods. Normally, what she said would have earned her a punishment from Diablo but it only ended in getting her admonished, since he was in a very good mood. “Tsk, that’s too bad. You’re right, this job is not for me. I will follow Benimaru-san’s instructions.” Ultima had realized immediately that she was in trouble. So she was relieved that the conversation had gone smoothly without a hitch, settling the matter, pretending to agree as if no longer stubborn. Ultima was so innocent that she sometimes made mistakes, but she was surprisingly good at reading the air. “Then I’ll continue,” said Benimaru, and assigned roles to the remaining members. First, Testarossa was tasked to eliminate the knights guarding the emperor’s flagship. Following that, the names of those who would participate in the raid were announced. Shion, Souei, Ultima, and Carrera were the four who were confirmed for the raid. Naturally, Benimaru himself would also join them. 88

“Emperor Rudra probably won’t make a move. But if he does, all we have to do is crush him. That is why we have to defeat Velgrynd-sama’s ‘Split Body’ and the remaining seven ‘Single Digit’ members.” “Then it won’t be enough if each of us takes care of one of them. Since it can’t be helped, I’ll handle two of them.” “If you want, I can even take out three of them,” Shion boasted, but Benimaru calmed her down and continued to explain. “Hold on a minute, Shion. Although you’re correct, it’s not good to take work away from those guys,” said Benimaru, who turned his attention towards Veyron and the others who had been waiting for instructions with expectant looks. “Listen, carelessness is one’s worst enemy. We will attack with our maximum strength, leaving only the necessary numbers. Of course, we’ll also have Testarossa-dono join us, would that be all right?” “I couldn’t have asked for more.” Upon hearing his words, Testarossa smiled lustrously. She had thought it would be an unbearable humiliation to end up on duty sweeping up the small fries. Unlike Ultima, she hadn’t said it out loud, but if she had been ordered to stay behind, she would have been frustrated. “I’ll leave a hundred guards to make sure no one escapes from that airship. I want the remaining 500 devil chevaliers to head for Gabil and the others as their reinforcement… Who will command that force?” “In that case, I believe Cien would be a good choice. He is familiar with Moss and is good at such chores.” Cien looked up when his name was called. His eyes were a little teary as he was happy that Testarossa remembered him. “Very well. Now then, Cien, head over there right away.” “Yes, understood!” Cien’s actions were swift. He left behind a hundred of his men and flew off with the others. Thanks to those reinforcements, Gabil and the others escaped total annihilation. And so, the plan was set. Following Testarossa’s preemptive attack, a select group of elites would enter the airship. This would be followed by blockade of the emperor’s flagship by a hundred of the top devil chevaliers. Benimaru, Shion, and Souei were the executives who would rush in. In addition to them, the three “devil lords” and four demon peers would enter the battle. “Veyron, Agera, Esprit, and Zonda, be thankful for the chance you have been given,” Carrera said, but it was her who seemed happier than anyone else. “Kufufufufu. Well then, good luck to you all.” As soon as the plan was finalized, Diablo gave his salutations with a smile. Testarossa was the first to respond, “Ufufufufu. Now then, if any of them survive my bless89

ing, make sure you take care of them. Do not let a single one of them escape, understood?” Testarossa turned to her subordinates and ordered them to serve as hounds. As for the demons, they didn’t need to be told to do so, but none of them said so. Rather—they wondered if anyone could withstand the attacks of the current Testarossa to begin with. After ordering her subordinates she moved towards her prey. Following that, Benimaru and the others took flight. Not to be left behind, Veyron and the others followed suit. The demons also spread out and finished positioning themselves around a single airship. Soon, the decisive battle in the sky was about to begin. At least, that’s what everyone thought… Ultima and Carrera were about to make their move when Ultima tilted her head as if suddenly remembering. “So, what’s Diablo going to do?” When Ultima asked, Carrera turned to look at him, as if she, too, was interested to know. Diablo stiffened. However, he didn’t panic and answered with a smile. “So you see, I have other important work to do.” Seeing that smile, the two of them grew more and more suspicious. “Who is that ‘rat’ you were talking about earlier?” Carrera asked. “That’s not something you ladies need to know—” “Hold on a minute. Diablo, do you think it’s a good idea to keep secrets?” “That’s right. Even Rimuru-sama always says that sharing information is important.” Diablo had no choice but to divulge information after being cornered by that argument. “I have the noble mission of watching over Rimuru-sama’s courageous figure! This is a particularly important task, and I cannot leave it to you!!” He had the audacity to say something so outrageous. It was fortunate that Benimaru was not there. Since even he would have been taken aback. However, Ultima and Carrera were not convinced. “What! I want to see Rimuru-sama in action too!!” “Wait a minute, let’s hear the details. Do you think you can be the only one who gets to enjoy such a role? I don’t care if you’re our boss, that’s just too unreasonable.” It was a very natural reaction, Ultima thought. Why didn’t she ask this question when Benimaru was around? Carrera realized that the odds were against them. If Testarossa had been here, it would have been a different story, but with just Ultima and herself, there was no way they could do anything about Diablo. “Oh, you appear to be dissatisfied, aren’t you?” “Of course we are!” “I follow orders too, but I’m not convinced.” “Hmm…I guess it can’t be helped,” Diablo sighed. “So, let me tell you the truth. In fact, 90

there is someone on the enemy side who can manipulate foreign space. I think it’s probably Velgrynd-sama, so if you’re trapped within it, your connection to this world may be cut off.” “!!” “I see… In that case, it would certainly be better for someone to stay behind.” Diablo nodded meekly. “That’s how it is. As much as I’d like to join the fight, it’s a shame.” In this way he could justify himself, Diablo snickered inwardly. His intellect was vainly efficient, and he was a master at making excuses. He was the dark companion Rimuru could rely on in times of need. However, Ultima’s ability to interrogate was also sharp. “So, who’s the rat?” Tsk—Diablo inwardly clicked his tongue. He had been in a good mood at the prospect of observing the battle between Rimuru and Velgrynd, but his frustrations grew as these interlopers refused to leave. “What a pity, Ultima. I had hoped that you would have noticed without me having to tell you…” The little sarcasm was payback for that. In any case, there was no need to hide anything, so he would answer honestly. “It’s Yuuki Kagurazaka. I also scouted out other presences, but none of them matched Yuuki. If he’s hiding somewhere on the ship, then it’s fine. However, if he’s trying to interfere with Rimuru-sama, then he can’t just be left alone, can he?” “That’s true. It would be disobeying Rimuru-sama’s edict.” “Yeah, nobody should ever interfere.” “That’s right. I don’t know what the rat wants just yet, but at least one of us needs to stay here and watch over Rimuru-sama.” One half of Diablo desired to observe Rimuru’s fight, while the other thought of the supposedly meaningful role he had to play. Ultimately, Diablo’s desire won out. In any case, he was satisfied that Ultima and Carrera were convinced. In the end, they agreed with Diablo, albeit quite dissatisfied. “Whatever. I’ll just take my frustrations out on the people over there.” “Yes, go right ahead.” “No one will complain if I go on a rampage, right?” “Of course. If anything, you can even finish off Rudra.” “Hmm, well that does sound like fun. In that case, I’ll stop here.” “Yeah. I’ll go on a rampage and get rid of this pent-up frustration!” Yes, yes, Diablo nodded his head vigorously. If that was enough to convince them, then it was a small price to pay. Carrera and Ultima left in a hurry, saying that if they were late, they would miss out on the best part. “Please do your best.” 91

Diablo sent them off with a big smile on his face. Then, he took off after Rimuru. On the same spot after everyone had left. Laplace thought to himself, Nobody cares about me. He felt a little lonely after being left behind. “W-well then, I guess I’ll go and help Kagali-sama…” Laplace mumbled, answering no one in particular, and left. At the same time, unbeknownst to everyone, things were in motion. In response to Rimuru’s anger, the monsters began to evolve. They rebuilt their bodies at an incredible rate, acquiring new abilities—all of which were returned by the ‘Food Chain’ into ‘accumulated power’ without Rimuru even being aware. Just like how Geld had awakened. The demons had evolved recklessly. Others who had yet to awaken would follow suit. It was more than just an evolutionary awakening. It was efficiently managed and was a factor that would increase Rimuru’s power. More effective and better suited for real-world combat. Beyond the limits that no one yet knows, Rimuru’s power awaited its release… At the bow of the emperor’s flagship, there stood several men. With Rudra at the lead, Kondou and Damrada stood behind him on either side. On the four sides of the ship, four knights from the third to sixth rank were on guard. Behind Kondou was Marco, and the rest of the Single Digit members were present. On Rudra’s right, Velgrynd was in her fixed place. Her last ‘Split Body’ was standing by to protect Rudra if anything happened. However, the current Velgrynd, in order to concentrate on the battle with Rimuru, had leaned back against Rudra in the chair that had been set up for her, letting her consciousness fall back. Rudra, who was gently stroking Velgrynd’s blue hair, muttered in annoyance when he saw Demon Lord Rimuru on the move. “He’s something else. It was a lapse in judgment on my part. That slime should have been dealt with first.” Those words were tantamount to declaring that the battle was not over yet. ……… …… … Until just a moment ago, they had been celebrating the successful capture of Veldora. But now, there was no sign of such an atmosphere left. They had recognized Rimuru and the others 92

as enemies. With the Demon Lord Rimuru at the head of the group, even the executive majins had returned. At this time, there was still room to spare. “Hmph, to think they could escape from the Fortress of Dreams, I must have been a bit naive. They must have been desperate to come back because they lost their master, the source of their power.” Rudra said with a sneer. However, after Rimuru nullified Kondou’s attack, Rudra took the situation seriously. Above all, the demons that Rimuru had summoned posed a problem. Incarnated greater demons were a nuisance in and of themselves. And yet, Rimuru had increased the power of those demons. Since it was unclear just what he had done, it was only natural to be wary. ……… …… … “Tatsuya, you didn’t cut any corners, did you?” “Of course not. The ‘Remove’ and ‘Necrosis’ both failed to work. Apparently, he is an opponent who cannot be defeated without a serious fight,” Kondou replied, admitting he, too, had failed to see through Demon Lord Rimuru. As Rudra had said, he judged that Rimuru was an extremely dangerous opponent. He had prioritized the capture of Veldora, but that had been a mistake. They should have taken them both at the same time, not one or the other. Although he had come to that conclusion, the situation had already unfolded. He knew that the Demon Lord Rimuru was an enemy with whom one could not be careless. That was why he had devised a plan to trap and later dispose of him. He had judged that if they took away Veldora, Rimuru’s stronghold, then he would naturally succumb. Yet now… Kondou’s judgment had backfired. Just as Rimuru was Veldora’s trigger, so was Veldora’s existence to Rimuru. Quickly realizing that he had pulled the trigger, Kondou had tried to kill Rimuru before anyone else. He unleashed the ‘Remove’ and ‘Necrosis’ bullets. Now that the ‘Judgment’ was no longer available, this combo was his strongest means of attack. But the result was that he did not cause Rimuru any harm and could not even halt his actions. A demon lord deprived of Veldora, the source of his power, and now reduced to a powerless existence? How laughable. A tyrannical will, enraged by the thought of losing his sworn friend. That’s what he should have thought. Far from cutting any corners, they would be defeated if they didn’t take the challenge seriously—he concluded. “If Tatsuya says that much, then even the four knights won’t be able to win. I’ll let Veldora deal with him and test his powers that I’ve acquired.” Rudra understood the threat of Rimuru without needing Kondou to tell him. The only reason he let him explain it was so that those present would share his understanding. 93

The Single Digits were a group of talented people gathered by Rudra. That is why, by making the enemy’s threat known to all, he cautioned them not to make any mistakes. Rimuru was certainly a threat, but he could be dealt with provided they weren’t careless. That said, he did not want to lose any of the force gathered here. Rudra was being extremely cautious until the final grand showdown. He wanted to challenge Guy without losing any of his men. As things stood, victory was imminent. The capture of Veldora had given the Empire a huge advantage. For Rudra, he was one step closer to putting an end to his long-standing game with Guy. He could not afford to make a mistake here. And so, Rudra decided to go all out and put Veldora up against Rimuru. Combined with Velgrynd’s support, he was sure that nothing could go wrong. In the meantime, it was up to Kondo and the others to deal with Rimuru’s subordinates. There should be no problems. If possible, Rudra had wanted to take Rimuru under his command as well, but now that this was happening, there was no choice but to eliminate him. Now that he had Veldora, the main target, it was out of the question for a demon lord to disrupt his plans. In the first place, a demon lord was a weak existence compared to the True Dragon race. This was why Rudra, while acknowledging Rimuru as a threat, believed that there was no way the mission could fail. The True Dragons were the strongest beings in this world. Against two such True Dragons, Rimuru’s defeat was inevitable. However, there was only one thing that bothered him. …Back then, why did Veldora stop resisting my domination? That was his only question. Given enough time, there was no doubt his domination would have succeeded anyway. It was possible to infer that Veldora had given up after realizing this. But to Rudra, that did not seem to be the only reason. Through the ‘Regalia Dominion,’ Rudra had been able to feel Veldora’s anger directly. As such, he understood that Veldora was not someone who gave up easily. Could it be that Veldora had been trying to protect something more important than himself? Such doubts swirled in Rudra’s mind. And if that was the case, what was it that was so important… “No, there’s no way.” Rudra shook his head in denial. For Veldora to prioritize the Demon Lord Rimuru, it was an assumption that Rudra could not accept… Velgrynd returned to her human form and approached Veldora. She gently nuzzled his head and 94

stroked his dragon scales. “Good boy. The next time you wake up, you’ll be one of us. Then I’ll take very good care of you.” Velgrynd foresaw the end of the long game. However, things would not be so simple… Suddenly, Rimuru appeared. Velgrynd’s mood dropped at the sight of this tactless interloper. At the same time, she felt a small sense of crisis. She wondered how he had escaped from that ‘Fortress of Dreams.’ As Velgrynd pondered what to do, things began to take an unexpected turn. Rimuru had summoned a large number of demons and empowered them as if in a show of force. It was a provocation. In front of Velgrynd, he exposed his cards. It was too bold of an act, as if to say, ‘Stop me if you can.’ And that wasn’t all. Among the demons Rimuru had summoned were Testarossa and the others. She didn’t know what he did, but they too had evolved into higher beings, ‘devil lords.’ Sensing this, Velgrynd became very wary of Rimuru. In addition, there was another anomaly. The waves of Rimuru’s anger were similar to those of her little brother, Veldora. Although still a demon lord, a mere slime was cloaked in the same haki as the True Dragon race. For Velgrynd, this was an unbelievable reality. Even taking only that one point into account, there was no doubt that this was an abnormal situation. If she had only heard the report, she would have laughed it off as impossible. But now that she had seen it with her own eyes, she had no choice but to believe it. Right before her eyes, this maiden-like demon lord was unleashing unbridled waves of fury without restraint. Those waves were clearly indicative of the danger. A human who was not resistant to these fluctuations would have died in an instant just from the exposure. No, this was not limited to humans. Any higher beings, ones who were considered superior—any beings below the A rank defined by humans—would die without even being able to resist. It was an overwhelmingly powerful Demon Lord Haki, comparable to that of the True Dragon’s. Now then, what should I do? To begin with, he was the one who even tamed those Primordials. I had thought that kid (Veldora) had been fooled by him, but it looks like I was seriously mistaken. If it was just Veldora, then it’s possible that he was just being tricked with words. But that method would never have worked against those cunning and sophisticated Primordials. Once understanding that, the plan would have to be reconsidered. It was clear from his ‘Demon Lord Haki’ that there was something about Demon Lord Rimuru. When one thought more about it, Veldora’s growth was also astounding. Three hundred years ago, it would have been impossible for him to even wound Velgrynd. But in the brief time since the seal had been lifted, he had become an extraordinarily skilled fighter. Veldora had grown far beyond Velgrynd’s expectations. The reason for this must have 95

also been the demon lord in front of her. I was planning to go back to my homeland and relax… But it can’t be helped. If I don’t get rid of him here, it will be a disaster for Rudra. Velgrynd made a decision. She would deal with this directly and crush Rimuru once and for all. If she didn’t kill him now, that slime would surely become a threat—that’s what Velgrynd decided. Although many magicules were consumed in the battle just now, Velgrynd was able to get them replenished from Veldora. As for Veldora, even though he had fought so fiercely, he had not exhausted his energy. In other words, there would be no problem even if she fought at full power now. Velgrynd calmly shifted back into a fighting stance. She had discarded the feeling of victory, that everything had gone as planned. Such pride had led to the current situation. If she had disposed of Rimuru in the Fortress of Dreams at that time, Rimuru would not have summoned the demons. That would have left only the final battle to be fought. In that light, the current situation was not good, but it was not the worst either. She still had a good chance to win, and as long as she made the right moves, she should be able to handle the situation without any problems. However, there was an anticlimactic turn of events. Contrary to Velgrynd’s expectations, Rimuru was the only one who came at her. I’ve won. If they had all come at me, even I would have had some trouble. No matter how much of a threat Rimuru was, she and Veldora would not be defeated if they both took on the enemy—she was convinced. However, the game had to be finished at once. If the demon lord’s subordinates got in the way, the battle could drag on. Before that happened, Velgrynd chose to fight a short and decisive battle. It was Velgrynd who was acting according to her instincts. ‹Rudra! Give Veldora the order to attack Demon Lord Rimuru with all his might.› ‹Hm. So then you also feel the danger of that person as I do? In that case, there’s no need to hesitate. Veldora, get rid of the enemy before you!!› In response to Velgrynd’s request, Rudra activated the ‘Regalia Dominion.’ Velgrynd was relieved to see that Rudra considered Rimuru as dangerous as she did. As long as Rudra was on his guard, victory seemed certain. With two of the supreme True Dragons challenging the enemy at the same time, defeat was unthinkable. A terrifying battle was about to begin. 96

Rimuru flew towards Velgrynd, who was standing tall and composed. Ahead of Rimuru, Veldora roared into the sky. The atmosphere shook at the fierce impact, and Veldora flew out. Velgrynd also followed. She roared as if confident in her victory. And with that, an attack was launched to annihilate Rimuru. Veldora was going at full strength from the start. The same converging storm attack that had tormented Velgrynd—the roar of destruction ‘Storm Blast’—attacked Rimuru. «Notice. Predicting the convergent storm attack. ‘Absolute Defense’ of the Ultimate Skill ‘Covenant King Uriel’ will neutralize each wavelength and invalidate—» The ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ automatically tried to take defensive action, but Rimuru gave it a compulsory order. ‹Idiot! Evade it!!› The Wisdom King Raphael immediately obeyed the order, but a part of its computational domain was unable to gauge Rimuru’s intentions. The ‘Absolute Defense’ counterattack that it had proposed was supposed to be the best solution amongst the numerous patterns of behavior. The fact that this was denied by Rimuru made it a little unsettling. Although its reaction was limited to an exceedingly small area of the computational domain, the ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ was indeed confused. It was not uncommon for Rimuru to ignore the opinions of Wisdom King Raphael, but this time was different. Such a feeling could only be felt by the ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ because it had known Rimuru for a long time. However, it was abnormal for a part of the world’s laws, a Skill, to have such emotions…but the party concerned was not aware of this fact… The ‘Storm Blast’ grazed Rimuru who had taken a forceful evasive action. Immediately after that, the ‘Absolute Defense’ that normally protected Rimuru was penetrated, and an explosion occurred in the place where Rimuru had been just a short while ago. The ‘Storm Blast’ had unleashed its destructive power. Had the evasive action been delayed, his injury would have been inevitable. Witnessing this, the level of confusion in ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ increased. —Calculation failure? Unforeseen situation? Unable to comprehend— How did Rimuru know that? The result of the calculation was perfect, there was no mistake. Wisdom King Raphael began to scan the information, wondering if it had overlooked some condition. Even after computing at a speed that surpassed that of a quantum computer, the cause was still unknown. «Confusion. It should have been 100 percent defensible according to predictions.» Unintentionally, words that didn’t need to be said leaked out. Seemingly impossible, it was the ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ trying to justify itself. A mere Skill uttering excuses was something that should not be possible. However, no one noticed 97

this. They were in the middle of a battle, and this was not the time for casual verification. The confused ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ received a reprimand from Rimuru. ‹This is no time to be stupid! Veldora has the ‘Investigation King Faust.’ As I recall, there was an ability called ‘Probability Manipulation’ or something troublesome like that, right?› Upon hearing that, the ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ came to its senses. Yes, that was true. How could it have forgotten such an important thing? It was strange—just then, ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ felt something unusual. It could only assume that it was being interfered with by someone. However, the exact cause remained unknown. ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ hesitated, wondering if it should tell Rimuru about it. It did not want to admit to Rimuru that the cause was unknown out of pride. However, if nothing was done, there was a strong possibility that Rimuru would be harmed. It knew that it had to tell him, and the results of its calculations told it so. But—for the ‘Wisdom King Raphael,’ being branded as incompetent by Rimuru was the same as losing its meaning of existence. Thinking of such a thing in itself was an act of betrayal to its lord. For a Skill to be so lost, it was something that should never have happened… As the ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ was plunged into violent confusion, Rimuru’s words flowed in. ‹Veldora is an absurdity. It’s no wonder he can outperform even your perfect calculations. More importantly, don’t get upset just because you made a small mistake. Veldora can’t be predicted. You don’t have to worry about it either! Don’t think. Believe in yourself. I’ll deal with Veldora, so you should deal with Velgrynd!› ‘Just knowing that is good enough’ Rimuru said. He spoke to the Wisdom King Raphael, who was only a Skill, as if he were treating it as a true partner… ‹So please? There are two of them, but there are also the two of us. If you hold off Velgrynd, I’ll find an opening to free Veldora in the meantime. That’s why, please hang on at all costs, okay? I’m counting on you, partner!› Those words soothed the confused and empty thoughts of ‘Wisdom King Raphael.’ Being relied upon? Even though a mistake was made? Rimuru still believed in the ‘Wisdom King Raphael,’ who was constantly making mistakes. —Ahh!! This lord still needs ‘me,’ who is nothing more than a computational power— The anxiety had already disappeared. Regaining its usual confidence, the Wisdom King Raphael responded. «Done. Understood. From here on, the individual Velgrynd will be intercepted.» Yes, that’s right. Rimuru—the beloved master of the Wisdom King Raphael, was not such a small being that he could be bound by something as uncertain as ‘probability.’ Therefore, it could be at ease and follow him with faith. 98

In that moment, Rimuru casually announced. ‹…Come to think of it, I’ve never called you by a proper name. I usually call you ‘Wisdom King Raphael-san’ or partner, or whatever I feel like. I’m sorry if it’s a little bit weird at a time like this, but I’m officially giving you a ‘name.’› —?! The ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ found this incomprehensible. The ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ was filled with a strange sensation. It was bewilderment. It was rapture. It was—an outpouring of emotions. The Wisdom King could not hide its confusion at the incalculable uncertainties that had sprung up inside it. What was Master saying? Wisdom King Raphael was confused. But at the same time, it also realized Rimuru’s intentions. Ahh… He was worried after noticing my poor condition. He must have been more saddened than anyone else by the loss of Veldora. And yet, in spite of that, he still cared for others. Rimuru was that kind of a person. ‹Well then, how about “Ciel”?› «!!!!!!!!!!» ‹You’ve always taught me so much, so I’ll call you “Ciel” for short. What do you think? It may not be satisfactory, but just bear with it. If you have any complaints, go take it out on that red dragon!› Rimuru remarked, as if he were hiding his embarrassment. The ‘Wisdom King Raphael’—no, “Ciel” experienced a fullness of emotion that a Skill could not have otherwise felt. —Ahh, I12 am now in eternal bliss— Yes, that’s what it thought. In that same moment, the time of evolution had arrived. This was the moment when the Manas “Ciel” was born from the Ultimate Skill ‘Wisdom King Raphael.’ «I, I am Ciel. A Manas13, the unifier of Skills. I am with the ‘soul’ of Rimuru-sama (Master), and the one who provides support to my lord. Rimuru-sama, I look forward to working with you from here on.» Ciel thought. There was nothing to be afraid of anymore. Even in a crisis situation, it did not feel dangerous. 12Ciel started with a katakana watashi then to kanji to symbolize its transformation from a mere skill to a manas with a mind of its own. 13A Manas is also described as a ‘theosophy nucleus.’ 99