Volume 16 - Dark - Colored Edition

many obstacles such as desks and chairs. It was not an environment suitable for fighting, and Ramiris wanted to relocate to a different environment. However, this was unacceptable from Dino’s point of view. Because there was a high possibility that Ramiris could escape. Therefore, Alpha and the others were busy retrieving the important equipment while the two were facing each other. Without paying attention to their surroundings, Dino and Beretta began to fight. Dino, out of nowhere, pulled out a huge sword that was as tall as he was. This great sword was called the “Kuzurekiba (Crumbling Fang).” It was a single-bladed sword with a thick body and appeared to be so powerful that the weight alone might have been enough to break an opponent. 48

It was a heavy weapon that was heavily in contrast to Dino, who was dressed lightly in his normal clothes, breastplate, and robe. But even so, it looked very natural and elegant. “What is the performance of that sword?” “In terms of existence value… It’s a million.” Alpha couldn’t hide her surprise at the report. “What the hell, a mythical-grade?! Even if it’s Dino, that’s a foul play!” Ramiris shouted an unintelligible complaint, but Dino just ignored her. Dino re-positioned his Kuzurekiba above his head. Beretta, on the other hand, was bare handed. However, his body was made up of the magical steel doll that Rimuru had made. Now that it had become well acquainted with Beretta’s mana, it had been transformed into a living magic steel (adamantite). Its shape was still the same as when Rimuru had made it, but its strength was incomparable. Moreover, since it was imbued with Beretta’s magical aura, ordinary weapons would be useless. Beretta was a full-body weapon of legendary-grade or higher, the hardest existence in the labyrinth. Even so— Dino casually swung down his large sword. Beretta did not hesitate to sidestep and avoid it. Not having a weapon in hand was not a disadvantage, but this time the situation was bad. Beretta’s existence value was over 400,000, which was almost equal to Dino’s. However, unless Beretta was armed with mythical-grade weapons, he would not be able to compete properly. Beretta, who was empty-handed, concentrated on evading Dino’s sword blows instead of taking them head-on. If Beretta was hit by the blade, he would have instantly been destroyed. And even worse… “Dino-sama’s existence value has increased from 400,000 to 2 million! The total is 3 million…how overwhelming…” Alpha reported desperately. However, Beretta remained unfazed. Ramiris wasn’t surprised either, as if taking it for granted. “I don’t know how you did it, but you fooled the existence value meter. I guess that means there’s still room for improvement. Also, Alpha, don’t refer to Dino so politely!” “Hey, it’s fine. I’m still a demon lord too, right?” “Shut up! Beretta-chan, you don’t have to be polite either, so hurry up and unleash your true power! Let that fool taste heaven’s judgment!” “I don’t have that kind of power, but if it’s an order, then I shall do my best.” Beretta was as hard-working as ever. Even though the existence value was only a rough estimate, there was still a severe difference of over seven times. Despite feeling inwardly that Ramiris could really be unreasonable, Beretta responded to his master’s expectations by watching Dino closely. “You’re not easy to deal with, either.” “I don’t want to hear that from my enemy, but I will not deny it.” Beretta responded while focusing on evasion, circling Dino. There was no need to be defensive as long as the attacks didn’t hit. The key was to think differently. Beretta’s whole body 50

was a weapon. His bare hands were not at a disadvantage. On the contrary, they could be used as various means of attack. On the other hand, Dino was lightly armed and the only thing to watch out for was the big sword. The conditions were the same in that a hit would result in a heavy blow. Because of this, he still had a chance to win. Beretta thought as much, and had been looking for opportunities. As a ‘chaos doll,’ Beretta was very good at changing attributes. Using his Unique Skill ‘Double-Crosser,’ he could constantly switch attributes one after another and search for Dino’s weaknesses. He was facing Dino while calculating every move in order to make the situation work in his favor. Dino, who was on the receiving end of the attack, was not happy. “Geez, you’re a dependent of the Black line, aren’t you? I’ve heard that your kind are one of the best when it comes to dirty fighting tactics.” “I am honored by your kind words.” “Who’s complimenting you?!” Even dialogue was used as a weapon as Beretta tried to overturn his disadvantage. There was no room for error. Thanks to the fact that Beretta was not impatient, he barely managed to maintain the status quo. Dino, on the other hand… After correctly recognizing the current situation, he knew that he was not in an advantageous position. The failed surprise attack was a huge mistake. It had needlessly led to more battles, and the plan was thwarted into chaos. Although the difference in ability between Beretta and Dino was enormous, there was not much of a gap between skill levels. However, it was clear that Beretta was nearing his limits. But this was Ramiris’ labyrinth, and Beretta could be resurrected even if he died. He did not have to worry about depleting his remaining energy, nor would he be damaged by using excessive force. It was only because he could ignore all these restrictions that he was able to give his all to resist Dino. They were protected by environmental effects, but even that had its limits. Beretta was not strong enough to overturn the decisive power difference. But still, it’s quite remarkable. I didn’t think that a dependent of Black would be so difficult. Dino had raised his evaluation of Beretta. If it had been Charys or Treyni, the game would have ended more quickly. Those two were by no means weak, but angels had an overwhelming advantage over the spirits. Also, there was too much a difference in combat experience. But Beretta, as befitting a member of the Black line, had a level of skill that was comparable to that of Dino’s. He was in a situation where even a single blow would kill him instantly, yet he had the courage to calmly assess Dino’s attack. Not only did he never give up on victory, but he even 51

seemed to enjoy the situation. Even when Dino intentionally showed an opening, Beretta did not take the bait. That alone was worthy of praise, but it was surprising to Dino that he was even wounded by the occasional counterattack. The Fallen were not good at dealing with holy attributes, but it was not a decisive weakness. Nevertheless, Beretta’s attack was doing damage. It was a blow that combined both holy and demonic attributes, and even Dino’s ‘Defense Barrier’ could not prevent it. Dino judged that it was practically impossible to defend against this attack. As with the spirit attacks, unless he could overcome it with his willpower, he would surely be damaged. To Dino, who was a former seraph and familiar with the laws of this world, it was astonishing that a mere unique level skill could damage him. Beretta’s amazing combat acumen was deserving of praise. However, Dino was also getting used to Beretta’s movements. Dino knew that the more he swung his big sword, the bigger the gap would be. Beretta took advantage of his gap and attacked him, which was unexpected but within tolerance. At first glance, Beretta seemed to be suppressing Dino, since Dino’s attacks didn’t even graze him. However, “Kuzurekiba” could easily slice through even an adamantite body. There was no problem in Dino’s opinion because it would only take one blow to reverse the situation. Beretta was also well aware of the current situation and was stalling for time. It seemed that Beretta had decided that Dino could not be defeated by accumulating attacks, so he was focusing more on defense. Well, that’s the right answer, isn’t it? For Beretta, defending Ramiris is a victory. Dino was not a fool either, seeing through Beretta’s inner thoughts. As long as Ramiris was there, the people in the labyrinth would not die. Conversely, if Ramiris was killed, the labyrinth would end immediately. There was no guarantee that the labyrinth would be safe if she was kidnapped, so it was only natural for Beretta to prioritize buying time. At this rate, Beretta would eventually get what he wanted. However, things would not be that easy. Unfortunately for Beretta, Dino still had a final hand. The reason Dino was stalling Beretta was because he needed to neutralize Beretta here. It was very troublesome to fight against an opponent who would resurrect even if you killed him. It would have been nice if he could just get to Ramiris before Beretta resurrected, but it was certain that the others would get in the way if that happened. If he attacked with the intent to kill, then it might end up involving Ramiris as well. Dino was sincere when he said that he had no intention to kill Ramiris, and that had become a shackle, binding him to the current situation and making things more difficult for him. This is honestly so troublesome. I can’t believe how much work it’s taking just to neutralize Beretta. It would have been easier to just defeat him, but now that I’ve finished my preparations, I guess it doesn’t matter. “Beretta, you’ve done well. Now ‘Slothful Sleep, Fallen Hypno!”’ Dino unleashed his power. It was a non-lethal, wide range attack of the Unique Skill ‘Sloth.’ All life forms would be lulled into a deep sleep and would not be able to wake up until the caster released them. There was no point in resisting with will power. It was one of the most powerful abilities of the deadly sin series, but it took a long time to activate, just like the name ‘sloth’ 52

implied. However, only those with Ultimate Skill would be able to resist it. At the Unique Skill level, it was a fearsome attack that could be said to be the strongest. Dino wanted to neutralize Beretta and the others in the gentlest way possible. He didn’t want to hurt Shinji and Alpha and the others, who were in the Control Room trying to protect Ramiris. Vesta, who he had put to sleep first, was also a boss whom he truly respected. And Shinji and the others were his colleagues, with whom he felt a sense of camaraderie. In truth, I really did not want to betray them. However, Feldway’s orders were absolute, and he could not resist them. “Really, I’m sorry. Don’t feel bad. I’ll ask Feldway to see if he can leave this place alone.” Dino muttered to himself as Beretta collapsed. He glanced at the sleeping Ramiris, thinking that he’d finally done his job, and began extending his hand towards her… “I won’t let you.” A cold voice stopped him in his tracks. “Seriously…?” Dino turned to see a woman standing there. The slender cilia of her body were shining in gold and silver. The exoskeleton that protected the essential parts were a jet-black, glossy adamantite. Two pairs of wings, shining blue like those of a morpho butterfly, were the same color as the compound eyes on her forehead, exuding a mysterious charm. The true identity of the woman was Apito, who had awakened from her evolutionary slumber. The coloration of each part of her body had changed from before her evolution, but her shape remained almost the same as before. However, Apito’s overall beauty had been enhanced. As the Insect Queen, she exuded an aura of majesty and was more queenly than ever before. “—Apito…just in time. I want you to destroy my Holy Demon Core.” Because demons did not need sleep, Beretta was barely able to resist the Fallen Hypno. Despite being reduced to a state of low activity (sleep mode), he did everything in his power to ask Apito for help. “Beretta-sama—” “You can’t move, but you’re still conscious?!” Dino’s reaction was delayed for a moment due to his surprise. As a result, he was unable to stop Apito’s action. Without asking why, Apito sent her poisonous needle to destroy Beretta’s Holy Demon Core. Apito’s regenerative Osiris Rapier pierced the strong adamantite with ease. She was able to create as many Osiris Rapiers as she wanted within her own body. Nevertheless, without evolution, Apito would not have been able to kill Beretta. Beretta laughed. “Heh heh heh, well done. With this, I will die and rise again unharmed. I shall leave things to you for a while, Apito.” Beretta had retired as leader of the Dungeon’s Elite Ten, but he was still Ramiris’ secondin-command. He still has the authority to give orders to the Elite Ten. “Understood. Unfortunately, I do not think I’ll be able to beat him, so I look forward to your early return.” Contrary to her words, Apito’s voice sounded confident of her victory. Dino seemed to 53

sense this as well, and muttered in an annoyed tone. “You’ve got to be kidding me…such an accurate judgment…so there’s no way to take advantage of it.” Dino was correct in his judgment. Leaving the rest to Apito, Beretta disintegrated into a particle of light. Immediately after that, Apito soared beyond the speed of sound. The battle in the Control Room intensified even further. I really hate this. That was Dino’s unvarnished opinion. Apito was not Dino’s enemy, but she couldn’t be killed in the labyrinth either. Even if he wanted to finish her off quickly and secure Ramiris, Apito would use her speed to get in the way. She wasn’t fighting Dino head on, but was thoroughly implementing more of a hit-and-run tactic, moving in an out flexibly. The newly evolved Apito had a speed-focused fighting style. She was well aware of her own characteristics and made efficient use of them. Her existence value was around 700,000, but she was equal to Dino in terms of speed alone. Besides, even if he took some effort to kill her, Beretta would have returned by then. It shouldn’t take more than a minute, but that couldn’t be helped because it was teleportation. Even against Dino, who was far superior to Beretta, he wouldn’t need more than ten seconds, so Apito alone was able to buy time. In this situation, there were few moves Dino could make. The most reliable option was to put Beretta and Apito to sleep at the same time. Dino calmed himself down and tried to activate the Unique Skill ‘Sloth’ once again. Regardless of whether there are two opponents, it took time to activate the skill. That’s why Dino decided to stop panicking and check the status of his companions with a calm mind, not unlike that of a combatant. The first thing that caught his attention was the sight of Rimuru fighting Velgrynd, who had been victorious in the Battle of the Monsters. How the hell did he get out of there?! I mean, he’s fighting on equal terms with Velgrynd! To be honest, he was completely stunned. According to Feldway, Demon Lord Rimuru and his commanding officers were sealed off in Velgrynd’s otherworldly realm. Rimuru was able to figure out the coordinates of his location through the ‘Soul Corridors’ between him and his companions and had escaped easily, but Dino, who didn’t know that, was puzzled. What was more surprising to him was Rimuru’s strength. It looked as if he was pushing against the seemingly invincible Velgrynd. Dino couldn’t help but feel anxious. If we don’t move forward with the mission quickly, we might be in trouble. With that in mind, Dino turned his attention to the others. The main point of Feldway’s plan 54

was to secure Ramiris. Dino had initially stayed in the labyrinth because Guy ordered him to be there, and it was nothing more than a coincidence, but it was unfortunate that it had caught Feldway’s attention. Although Dino was reluctant to do so, he had to resign himself to the fact that he was the only one who could enter the Control Room, which was the most heavily guarded room. As for how Feldway and the others were going to get in, a bold strategy had been devised. He had incited Velgrynd to destroy the labyrinth in order to call out Veldora. To Dino’s surprise, the plan succeeded without difficulty. Then, with Feldway himself leading the way, the invasion was carried out. Accompanying Feldway were two of the ‘Three Phantom Commanders’ and five generals brought by Zalario. There were eight of them in all. Two of the top commanders had been recruited for this operation, which was a tremendous in itself. Only Obera of the Three Phantom Commanders had been left to guard the Palace of Monsters in the depths of the Otherworld. When Dino heard of this plan, he could not hide his surprise at their drastic actions. Dino was not the only one who was approached by the remaining colleagues of the ‘Originals’ on the surface. The remaining two who had been living undercover in a human country were also called into the operation. They were Dino’s subordinates, but Feldway had taken the liberty of using them without permission. Their role was to keep the labyrinth in its state of destruction. It was a precautionary measure in case Dino failed. If Ramiris wanted to, her labyrinth could be turned into a prison. That would make it very difficult to escape from, so Feldway took steps to prevent that from happening in advance. Dino cared the most about his two subordinates, so he first confirmed where they were on the monitor. Hey hey, no way! Even with Pico and Gracia as opponents, they’re able to fight on equal footing… Pico was the petite beautiful girl, and Gracia was the tall female warrior. After Veldora was defeated by Velgrynd, the city, which had been isolated in the labyrinth, was brought back to the surface. At this point, Geld had come forward to defend the city, but Dino had no idea that he could rival Pico and Gracia. Geld, the Barrier Lord, and Kumara, the Chimera Lord. By the way, Kumara had that group of beasts. Is she a cryptid? Could she be related to the World-destroying Dragon Ivarage—No, no, no. No way… Dino hastily quashed the unpleasant thoughts that had involuntarily flashed through his mind. Then, while thinking, ‘They really are the Twelve Guardian Lords,’ he shifted his gaze to the other battlefield. The one fighting there was Zalario, of the Three Phantom Commanders. Oh, that Zalario guy is as strong as ever. He doesn’t seem to be taking it seriously at all, and he’s showing a lot of confidence against Charys and Treyni. His old colleague was still as strong as ever. He had already felt at the time that Zalario was terrifyingly strong, and even after thousands of years he was still creepy to look at on the screen. He looked fine so Dino checked out the next monitor. Cornu? From what I’ve heard, he was defeated in a major invasion a few decades ago. Is that why he seems so impatient? 55

As Dino had predicted, Cornu was in a hurry. It was no wonder. He had lost his entire army in the last defeat and had been injured so badly that it would take several decades to recover. If he failed this time, he would be purged by Feldway. Moreover, Feldway was supposed to be hiding at Cornu’s side by now, so Dino thought that Cornu must be under a lot of pressure and was not able to perform as well as usual. Unlucky guy. But then again, Masayuki is really weak, and the people standing in his way don’t seem like a big deal. I’m concerned about Venom being a dependent of Black, but he seems to be a newcomer compared to Beretta, so I guess it should be fine. Dino wasn’t too worried about Cornu since they weren’t that close to begin with. Even if Cornu failed, Feldway would take care of it. In other words, the operation seemed to be going well. Perhaps it was because of this sense of security that Dino’s lazy mind got mixed up in the distractions. Hmm, but it’s incredibly strange. Why do I have to worry about the success or failure of this mission? I don’t understand. That was a very important point of suspicion. For some reason, Dino could not shake his feeling of discomfort about this mission. He could not figure out why, and it left him feeling uncomfortable, as if the cause was on the tip of his tongue. But alas— “What are you playing at, Dino? I’m about to make my move, so you’d do your job quickly.” The peaceful moment had come to an end. Che, I really don’t want to work. Dino had nothing against Beretta and Apito, in fact, he rather liked them very much. That was why he was even more disgusted by this order. But…orders could not be disobeyed. Thinking that it couldn’t be helped, Dino decided to get serious. After giving Dino another order, Feldway remained hidden and observed Cornu’s battle. Cornu was a reliable subordinate, despite his tendency to be overconfident. He was also a comrade who had received his name from Veldanava, and Feldway believed him to be very useful to him. However, Cornu had made a terrible mistake in the last invasion, losing a third of his forces. This was in spite of their overwhelming superiority in terms of strength against one of the insignificant other worlds. That was reason enough for Feldway to be disappointed. Cornu was also well aware of this, and this time, instead of using his usual style of playing with the enemy, he was desperately trying to finish the job. That was no fun for Feldway. The Three Phantom Commanders, who should be overwhelmingly strong, should not be at the mercy of the weak. Even now, Cornu had missed an opponent he could have killed with a single blow. He was unaware that Masayuki had been replaced by an impostor, and had fallen for 56

the enemy’s schemes. So furious that he was speechless, Feldway looked back and released a killing intent from his anger. He kept telling himself to calm down with his self-control until he barely managed to suppress his killing intent. Then, leaving Cornu alone, he moved to dispose of Masayuki. On the other hand, Masayuki, who was on the run, felt very upset… Every step felt heavy. He could not accept that he was the only one to escape. Of course, scary things were scary, but abandoning a friend was something even scarier. If anything happened to them, he would never be able to forgive himself for the rest of his life. Masayuki stopped in his tracks and looked back. He could see his companions fighting hard in the distance. Minits blocked the enemy’s movements, the vampires used their immortality as bait, and Calgurio and Venom attacked whenever they saw an opening. A special mention should be made of Jiwu’s maneuvering, as she was able to position herself well to block Cornu’s massive, destructive attacks. For a makeshift team, they really worked well together. However, if any one of them went missing, this team would fall apart. “Hey, Masayuki…” “Bernie, I’m going back. I was always afraid to talk about my true feelings because I didn’t want my true identity to be exposed…but I really wanted to become better friends with everyone. I may be a coward, but I don’t want to be a scumbag, you know?” Masayuki spoke his mind. At that moment, the ‘Voice of the World’ sounded in his head. «Acknowledgement of the Hero’s ‘Courage not to Run.’ This satisfies the three conditions and releases the hidden power of the Unique Skill ‘Chosen One.’ Do you wish to activate it? YES/NO» Huh? Masayuki was confused. He was worried that he’d done something wrong again, but was relieved to find out that wasn’t the case. He wasn’t interested in any hidden powers, but it was too late anyway, so he decided to approve it for now. «Confirmed, now adding a new power to the Unique Skill ‘Chosen One’… Successful. From now on, ‘Champion’s Guide’ will always be in effect.» A difficult explanation echoed in Masayuki’s brain. Immersed in that nostalgic feeling, Masayuki began to understand his own skill. There was ‘Champion’s Aura’ to intimidate his opponents, ‘Champion Blessing’ to make him super lucky, ‘Champion’s Charisma to give courage to his comrades, and ‘Champion’s Action’ whose effects were unclear but had positive results, nonetheless. Those were Masayuki’s current powers. The addition of ‘Champion’s Guide’ seemed to be a power that could make him a heroic banner. Um, guiding the souls of the dead? I become a vessel? What the hell is that? If it’s premised on the death of a companion, then I don’t need this kind of skill… 57

Another useless skill, Masayuki thought to himself. He hadn’t expected much from it though, so he wasn’t too disappointed. As long as things didn’t get worse, that was enough for him. “Masayuki, you…” “So, Bernie, let’s get back to the others.” Masayuki went back to the main topic. He was oblivious about his hidden powers. “Okay. If you say that much, then I’ll just go along with what you want.” Bernie scratched his head in resignation. The two smiled at each other and turned to go back to the others—and that’s when things took a major turn. Feldway made his move. He did not care about Bernie, but he knew he would get in the way if he wanted to take Masayuki. Bernie had let his guard down and could be slaughtered with a single blow. No, it wouldn’t matter if Bernie was aware or not, because to Feldway, Bernie was nothing but a speck of dust. Without disturbing the wind, or showing even a hint of his presence, Feldway drew his sword and was about to cut off Bernie’s head. However, what sounded was a clear resonating tone. It was the sound of a sword clashing with another. “Who is in my way?! Who are you?” His surprise was gone in an instant as Feldway asked who it was. The answer was given by a young ‘masked’ girl. “I am Chronoa. I’m a Hero.” 58

There was a moment of silence. Then, Feldway started laughing. “I never thought I would meet a hero here. In that case, let me introduce myself. I am Feldway. Phantom King Feldway.” Hearing his name, Chronoa remained unconcerned. She was in perfect sync with Chloe’s consciousness, and was now a cold-hearted fighting machine. “Phantom King? Hmph, so you’re the master of the phantom tribe. I cannot overlook the evil you’ve done in front of me, so I’ve come out just in time to eradicate this threat to humanity.” “Fufufu, you are a bold one. I’ll show you what it means to be self-aware, you fool.” As soon as he finished speaking, Feldway, in his bright red uniform, moved, and Chronoa, in her white ‘Holy Spirit Armor,’ disappeared in a flash. The interplay of red and white lights glittered before Masayuki’s eyes, and the two disappeared from sight at the same time, leaving only the sound of sword blades clashing in succession. Far from any shock waves, there was not even a whisper of wind. The battle was unfolding in an unimaginable realm. The masked girl, who had saved Masayuki before, had now saved him again from a crisis. Although Masayuki understood that, he was not sure that he could even do anything to help the girl who called herself Chronoa. “Well, what should we do…” “This isn’t something we can do anything about. We can’t afford to worry about it. We’re on our own doing what we can, so let’s go and help the others!” Bernie sensed that it was him Feldway had targeted based on the sound of the sword strikes ringing in his ears. The fact that he had been completely unable to react to them at all told him that this enemy was on a different level. It was not because the current Bernie was weak, but because he and Feldway were so far apart in ability that they would not have even had a proper battle. If that was the case, then there was no point in going back and forth. The right thing to do was to act simply and decisively—Bernie demonstrated this way of thinking that had been drilled into him as a soldier. “Okay. I don’t know who this Chronoa person is, but I’ll leave it to her!” Masayuki was no stranger to improvising in the face of unexpected situations. That’s why he decided to obediently leave the scene. And so, without regard to Masayuki and Bernie, Chronoa and Feldway crossed swords. However, that only lasted for a short time. In just a few seconds, countless attacks and defenses had been played. It seemed as if the battle would go on forever, but then Feldway realized something. “Hahahahahah!! Oh, so it was here the whole time? I knew it. Veldanava-sama was also hoping for my victory!” “What, all of a sudden?” “Huh, it’s none of your business. No, actually, since you and I will be companions from now on, I don’t mind telling you.” “…?” “Obey my command, Hope King (Sariel)!” It was an absolute command. The Angelic Ultimate Skill could not resist Michael’s ‘Ulti60

mate Dominion.’ “What… What did you do—?” “Oh? So there is still a residual sense of self? As expected Chronoa, who is famed as the most powerful Hero. However, resistance is futile. In a matter of hours, you will fall completely under my control.” Feldway was delighted at his good fortune. Throughout history, the famed Hero Chronoa had been known throughout the Empire for her valor. The fact that the Hope King Sariel had sprouted within her seemed to be a blessing from God. Just as Feldway had hoped, Chronoa fell to her knees. “I am Sariel. Give me your orders, Michael-sama…” Chronoa’s mask came off, revealing her true face and beauty as those cold words escaped her pretty, cherry blossom-colored lips. Feldway couldn’t help but feel sure of his victory. And he was. Thus, Feldway made an extreme error in judgment at this point. Between Cornu of the Three Phantom Commanders, one of his confidants, and the strongest Hero, even if she wasn’t the main body—with these two, it would be easy to accomplish his goal, he thought. And so Feldway… “Good. You will cooperate with Cornu and kill the boy. I have business on the surface, so I will leave the rest to you.” …left the labyrinth after giving his command. Seeing Masayuki and Bernie running back, Venom really wanted to sigh up at the sky. Not that he had anything to complain about. He had sensed a terrifying presence swelling in the direction Masayuki had fled, and was beginning to despair that he had failed in his mission. “I’m so relieved that you’re okay!” “Haha, it’s too early to say that since we still have enemies.” “That’s right.” Venom admitted as much. Cornu is strong. Despite the clear advantage we have in the labyrinth, he is overwhelming, not to mention winning, and now I don’t even know if I can survive. But even so, as soon as he saw Masayuki’s face, he felt relieved for some unknown reason. An inexplicable surge of confidence welled up within him, making feel as if there was always a way. Minits and Calgurio seemed to feel the same way, and their faces looked better than before. “Kukuku, I know this is a bad time, but I’m having fun.” “I agree with you. Truly, it’s as if I am sharing the battlefield with His Majesty.” 61

The Imperial soldiers laughed. Even the vampires, who should have had nothing to do with it, seemed to be getting excited about the fight. Meanwhile, Cornu was in a state of confusion. Just as he was about to attack, another Masayuki had appeared. Cornu wondered if he had failed to grasp his location, but upon a second glance, he found that there were indeed two Masayukis. That meant that one of them was an impostor. Needless to say, one of them was Jiwu in disguise, and the other one was the real Masayuki. “How dare you underestimate me! You’re just a bunch of stubborn worms!!” Even though he was furious, Cornu had no way to tell which one was the real one. His senses told him that they were equal in strength and that both were insignificant. That was why it was even more troublesome. If Cornu got serious, both could be involved and get killed. If that was the case, then there was no telling where they would escape to. Therefore, Cornu knew that he would have to tighten his nerves even more to avoid a wrong-handed kill. And that’s when a helping hand appeared. “Cornu-dono, is it? My name is Sariel. I come at the command of Michael-sama.” An unfamiliar girl, who flew in at such a high speed that his eyes couldn’t keep up, offered to assist him herself. Cornu did not doubt her words. The girl who called herself Sariel had a hint of Michael about her, just as she had said. “That would help. You should aim for the Masayuki on the right. Do not kill him, just take him alive.” Cornu had picked one at random, and fortunately or unfortunately, his choice was the real one. “Understood.” Sariel nodded and turned her gaze to Masayuki. Masayuki sensed this and grew impatient… Their eyes met. Um, Sariel? That girl seemed to call herself Chronoa before, but I have no idea how she got turned to the enemy’s side in such a short time. I mean… Masayuki was confused and desperate, but Chronoa’s beauty too stunning for him to feel any fear. Or rather, he had no time to feel it. What’s going on?! This girl…is super cute!!! Masayuki was so shocked that he forgot that he was in the middle of a battle. If he had to describe her in one description—that’s it! Saying she was a transcendentally beautiful girl would be more appropriate. Masayuki came to the same conclusion as a certain blond-haired demon lord. Don’t wear a mask in the first place!—Masayuki even started complaining about such pointless little things. However! There was hope lurking behind those trivial thoughts. Sariel’s hand went to her sword, and Masayuki was prepared to die. Perhaps this was the reason that a thought came rising up within him like a magic lantern. She’s really a beautiful girl, isn’t she? She’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen in my life… 62

As soon as that thought bubbled up, Masayuki felt a vicious chill for some reason. His survival instincts were screaming at him, telling him that he shouldn’t think any further. So he decided to trust those instincts. …Or not—Second place. That’s right, the second most beautiful. After all, the most beautiful is still— What came to his mind at the time was the blue-haired beauty he had last seen in his original world. Yes yes, that’s her! The kind and gentle type, and so mature and sexy—A perfect score… Even in the face of death, Masayuki’s fantasies were unstoppable. However, that was the right decision. «Confirmed. The ‘Champion’s True Love’ has been established. The fourth hidden condition has been fulfilled. The Unique Skill ‘Chosen One’ has evolved into the Ultimate Skill ‘King of Heroes.’» Huh? Masayuki was stunned. Rather than calling it love, it was more of an annoyance. Why was it being glorified as love? However, he felt too embarrassed to complain about it. But before that… Why did I get an Ultimate Skill without even doing anything?!! I have to earn up to it!! Masayuki shouted in his mind. It was too much—Masayuki even wanted to question the Voice of the World. However, even complaining about the results would not change anything. Moreover, even if he received an Ultimate Skill that he did not know how to use, it was still impossible to defeat Sariel in front of him. It’s an amazing power, but it’s too late now. Well, I did my best, so I might as well go out in style. Thinking this, Masayuki gave a refreshing smile. The effect was tremendous. “Protect His Majesty!!” The other soldiers, who had previously been keeping at a distance because they were in the way, began to launch suicide attacks without any regard for their own lives. This was the effect on those further away, so the change of those close by was even more dramatic. “Power is welling up. I feel as if I can’t lose!” Shouting loudly, Calgurio slashed at Cornu. Calgurio had been on the defensive up until now, but his sudden desperate attack scared Cornu, if only for a moment. Minits was not to be outdone. “Listen up, imperial soldiers! Let the His Majesty the Emperor give witness to our bravery!” While shouting these words to inspire the soldiers, he himself did not take his eyes off of Sariel, constantly applying pressure with his ‘Oppressor.’ Normally, his Unique Skill would not work against an Ultimate Skill. However, this time, the attack succeeded in forcing Sariel to retreat, though only slightly. The vampires were also very active. “This is incredible! I’m feeling great right now, as if I can do anything!” 63

Someone was laughing while forcing an attack, even though the lower half of his body had been blown off by his recklessness. “Take this!! Eat my energy cannon with all your strength!!” People began repeatedly dying and resurrecting over and over again. “Hyahahahahaha! This is so much fun!!” Someone who specialized in regeneration began protecting solders from stray bullets without giving any thoughts about the consequences. The crowd had become beyond fierce and were launching an even fiercer onslaught of attacks than before. How were they able to do so? It was, of course, all thanks to Masayuki’s skill. Unlike his previous ‘Unique’ level skill, his new Ultimate Skill ‘King of Heroes’ could provide the minimum protection needed to fight against ultimate skills. Only those with an existence value of at least 100,000 could withstand the ability, however those who did not have such a value still received a blessing of luck. Anyone who was a follower of Masayuki would be under his protection. A true balance breaker. It was an uncanny power that could turn the tides of battle simply by having him on the battlefield. If Masayuki had not seen Chloe Aubert’s true face, then he never would have awakened the ultimate skill. One only had to think about it that way to understand what a major faux pas Feldway had committed. In any case, the battle fell into a temporary stalemate, barely maintaining its equilibrium for more than ten minutes. Of course, it was impossible to defeat the duo of Cornu and Sariel. However, the winner had already been decided. The moment Masayuki had acquired the Ultimate Skill ‘King of Heroes,’ the path ahead was clear. And now, thanks to the warriors who bought their time, the moment had come. Velgrynd had vanished from this world. At the same time, the gears of fate began to shift… «Confirmed. A ‘Soul Corridor’ with the individual named ‘Velgrynd’ has been established across time and space» Huh? Just as Masayuki was becoming more confused, that person appeared. At first, he thought it was just an enormous mass of energy. But that wasn’t the case. It was a humanoid figure. The form of a very beautiful, nostalgic, woman. With a crimson aura of supremacy that illuminated her distinctive brilliant blue hair, the ‘Scorch Dragon’ Velgrynd had now manifested. Her eyes contained a domineering aura that could make all beings fall flat. No one could even move, as if time itself had been frozen. Cornu, too, was bewildered by the suddenness of the situation, and stared at Velgrynd. The same was true for Sariel, who was waiting for Cornu’s instructions. 64

That was the limit of a person with a newborn ego. All of the Imperial soldiers present understood instantly. The person before them was the most powerful being who had protected the Empire for so long. It had been reported that she was currently engaged in battle with Veldora, but that did not seem to be the case. Because Velgrynd was now hugging Masayuki in a deep embrace. In anyone’s eyes, this was the way one acted when facing their beloved. “I’ve been looking for you for a long time, Rudra. Always, always, always, longing to see you…” After saying that, Velgrynd’s eyes welled with tears as she looked at Masayuki. Then, she gently put her hands on his cheeks, bringing him into a passionate kiss… 65

Masayuki was stunned. Hey, so soft… No, it’s sweet? No, no wait…! His head imploded and his cool judgment was lost in an instant. This terrifyingly beautiful woman had hugged him, which was okay, but the problem was what followed afterward. Fir—First kiss!!! The casual coordination of her shirt and jeans was slightly more mature, and combined with Velgrynd’s beauty, exuded a cool aura. It would be a lie to say that I’m not happy to be kissing such a beautiful woman. However, there was a key point that should not be left out. This beautiful woman had referred to Masayuki as Rudra. Oh no, she must have the wrong person… In this atmosphere, there was no way to tell her that she had gotten the wrong person. That said, this beauty was still kissing him even now. Masayuki felt like he was going to run out of breath soon. Be cool, be calm, it’s times like these when one needs to keep their cool—Masayuki checked the situation once again. His location was on the battlefield. Right in front of the enemy. Locked in a hot kiss with a beautiful woman. Moreover, because he was in such close contact with this beautiful woman, he couldn’t help but be aware of the touch of her ample breasts. It’s almost too comfortable as if I’m ascending to heaven…but I must not enjoy it now! What the hell am I doing?! I— The more Masayuki thought about it, the more confused he got. The only thing he understood was that the moment he was exposed as the wrong person, his life would be over in an instant. Now that he had done this in front of so many people, there was no excuse. Even with Masayuki’s good fortune, this situation could not be expected to improve. A situation where he was enjoying a heavenly good fortune, while waiting for the promise of misfortune that was waiting for him. Masayuki stopped thinking. Since he was about to die anyway, he might as well be grateful that he could experience kissing at the end. He came to that conclusion and resigned himself to it. His consciousness was gradually getting hazy as Masayuki’s face grew dreamier. Now that he had made up his mind, all he had left to do was enjoy the situation. And that attitude only accelerated the misunderstanding of the onlookers. “His Majesty is so skilled.” “It might be a bit disrespectful, but I feel the same way. It is a privilege to witness the unwavering love of two adults who look at each other with such deep affection. I can sense the unshakable bond that leaves no room for anyone else.” “Fufu, Velgrynd-sama is like a maiden in love… Fufufu, so the guardian dragon of the empire is in love with His Majesty.” “Yes! Now the empire will be safe!” Not a single person harbored any ill feelings towards Masayuki. In fact, no one even had 67

the slightest doubt that Masayuki was the real Rudra. Masayuki wanted to shout out that this was a big misunderstanding, but Velgrynd was still keeping mouth shut. In the first place, I’ve never even had a girlfriend, so don’t go talking about marriage!! Masayuki lamented the absurdity of this world. In the end, it was the enemy Cornu of all people, who rescued Masayuki from this situation. “Don’t be ridiculous, Velgrynd! You’re supposed to be under Michael-sama’s control! So why are you getting in my way?” From Cornu’s point of view, Velgrynd was just one of the pawns that had already been conquered. And now that she had shown up to get in his way, he erupted in discontent and anger. “Hey, that’s just tactless. There’s a limit to how stupid you can be for interfering with us.” Velgrynd, who had finally separated from Masayuki, glared sullenly at Cornu. Though frightened by her gaze, Cornu could not stop himself. “Shut up! Stop playing around and just cooperate. That that guy you’re holding, strangle him to death!!” That was a forbidden sentence. It had never occurred to Cornu that his words would touch Velgrynd’s reverse scale. “Just now, did you just tell me to kill this man?” The battlefield went silent. Only Cornu failed to comprehend the situation, and shouted in his own anger. “Don’t make me repeat myself, Velgrynd. You may be stronger than me, but I am the superior authority here. All you have to do is follow my orders!” Until the very end, Cornu did not recognize the current situation. He never got the time to realize that Velgrynd different than before. “You’re going to die.” It was a merciless blow. The newly reborn Velgrynd was much stronger than before. With her sophisticated magic power manipulation, she burned Cornu cleanly to the ground. Far from fighting back, Cornu disappeared from the world without leaving room for a single retort. What was even more terrifying was that Velgrynd’s attack even spanned time and space. This was the true essence of the ‘Spacetime Continuous Attack’ that made full use of Velgrynd’s newly acquired ‘Dimension Leap’ ability. Cornu’s main body in the other world was instantly wiped out before even being allowed to feel the threat. “I let you off the hook last time, but you really are stupid. I’d almost forgotten about my grudge against Feldway, but I guess I shouldn’t have let it go.” Velgrynd spat out and then turned her attention to Sariel. “Oh, this person is really Chronoa, someone who helped me…” “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything, because there’s no need. Michael’s control of the Ultimate Skill ‘Hope King Sariel’ seems to have given it an identity, but that girl is resisting it on her own volition. The fact that she’s stopped moving is proof of that. If you’re still worried, just 68

let Rimuru take a look later. I’m sure he’ll take appropriate measures. Although, I don’t think that will be necessary.” Velgrynd finished speaking as she turned away from Sariel—Chronoa. After seeing Velgrynd’s completely unconcerned expression, Masayuki finally felt relieved. And so, the battle had ended. While there were many people who were as relieved as Masayuki, there were also others who became nervous and started fidgeting from awkwardness. It was those who knew Velgrynd’s identity who were disturbed. Bernie, who was standing next to Masayuki, was the first who was determined to act. Because he was standing closest to Velgrynd, he jumped forward and dropped to his knees. He then spoke with such momentum that he almost fell flat on his face in prostration. “Lord Marshal, I am Bernie, 7th of the Single Digit hierarchy! May peace be with you, Lord Marshal.” “No need to salute. So, what are you trying to say?” “Yes! I disobeyed the Commander’s order and abandoned my mission to eliminate this boy Masayuki. I understand that my crime is worthy of death, but before I am punished, there is something I would beg of you, Lord Marshal.” Again, the entire place fell silent. The soldiers who had been listening to Bernie’s statement finally realized that Velgrynd was the Marshal, the supreme leader of the Imperial Guard. Quite a few people were confused, but most of them were convinced. As the understanding gradually deepened, reality finally dawned on them. Those perceived as losers would be punished by Velgrynd. It was useless to resist her. In the face of an absolute Marshal who would destroy even this labyrinth, they had no choice but to wait for her judgment. Naturally, they began to line up and wait for the judgment to come. In this tense atmosphere, the conversation continued. “What is it?” “Our loyalty to the Empire is unchanging. Whatever His Majesty the Emperor wills, we know that we must obey his orders. Therefore, I would ask your permission for the soldiers to return home! The executives, including myself, have no complaints about taking responsibility of their punishment, but—” “That’s enough.” Bernie despaired when he was interrupted. He felt like crying at his own helplessness, thinking that he could not reverse their fate after all. But when Velgrynd saw Bernie, she chuckled. “Oh, dear, did you misunderstand me? You’ve all done a great job for a bunch of fools, and I commend you for that. I thank you for protecting my beloved Rudra.” 69

All of the solders fell down to their knees and hung their heads in unison. “So then…?” “I had no intention of doing anything to you guys in the first place. All that matters to me is Rudra, and because Rudra cares about you guys, then I will protect you all as well. That is how it was before, how it is now, and how it always will be in the future.” Velgrynd’s words were like gospel. The soldiers erupted in cheers. Some shed tears of joy. Calgurio and Minits were no exception, deeply moved and convinced by Velgrynd’s words. In the end, the crowd was endlessly chanting ‘Long live the Empire! Long live His Majesty!’ while Masayuki was standing there wondering what the hell they were even talking about. If I’m hearing what they just said correctly, then they really have mistaken me with Emperor Rudra. I should have pointed it out already. Besides, Bernie already knows the truth. If it’s exposed, I’ll be the one who gets in trouble. And the kiss…the kiss… I’ll definitely be killed… Masayuki’s name was not Rudra, but for some reason, no one was asking any questions. It made him feel like he was going crazy or something. To be honest, Masayuki was overjoyed about the kiss. However, he sincerely felt that it was not his intention to get involved. “You look upset, what’s wrong? If something is still bothering you, you can tell me.” Much to his dismay, Velgrynd returned here attention back to Masayuki who had been left alone. “Huh? No, no, it’s nothing. I don’t have anything on my mind…” He replied a bit incoherently. Seeing Masayuki’s unnatural attitude, Velgrynd’s expression became worried as she began asking warily. “Perhaps you do not remember me?” Masayuki felt like he was being tested for the correct answer. The consequences of an incorrect answer were unimaginable. Even though all he wanted to say was ‘Give me a break,’ Masayuki desperately tried his best to use his brain. If one asked whether he remembered her or not, he did. That beautiful woman he had last seen in his original world was definitely her. In that case, did he know her name? That guy just now, called her Velgrynd, right? I think that Velgrynd was Veldora-san’s sister…and the rumors were that she was strong to the point of being outrageous. And she was said to be a guardian of the empire or something… Masayuki’s desperate thinking was paying off, as he gradually recalled more and more information. Judging by the reaction of the Imperial soldiers, Masayuki decided that his guess was correct, and took a gamble. “Velgrynd…san, wasn’t it?” Velgrynd’s face broke out in happiness when she heard the answer. “Yes, that’s right! You remembered me, Rudra!!” Luck had yet to abandon Masayuki here either. Just him saying her name made Velgrynd very happy. And that wasn’t all. “Oh, now I understand why you were looking so glum. I was so happy to see you that I forgot that your name is Masayuki now.” 70

“…!!” The situation had improved all on its own, and even Masayuki’s concerns about his mistaken identity were resolved. Eh, eh, eh, eh?! Does this person even know that I am Masayuki Honjou? What an absolute relief. It was the first time in his entire life that he had felt such a deep sense of relief. He was so relieved that he almost peed himself, and then hurriedly pulled himself together. “Yes, that’s right. Actually, my name is Masayuki, not Rudra. That’s why I’m a little confused.” Masayuki grinned amiably, while also cautiously observing Velgrynd’s reaction. Besides, it wasn’t just Velgrynd, but also the soldiers of the Empire who were a problem. According to the conversation just now, they think that I’m Emperor Rudra, right? But if I tell them that I’m not the emperor at this point, they’ll all be confused. I would be charged for perjury by the emperor, and then I’d have to prove my innocence! He didn’t know if there was such a charge or not, but he still wanted to make things clear. So, Masayuki decided to convey his thoughts. Velgrynd, however, did not care. “There’s no problem at all. The value of the empire is nothing more than Rudra’s property. It was just Rudra’s hobby that led him to build it, and he kept it because it was necessary for his game with Guy. If you don’t want it anymore, why don’t we just scorch it clean?” It was truly a statement of something transcendent like the divine. The Imperial soldiers’ faces all paled. All their eyes pierced into Masayuki. St-Stop it! Don’t look at me like that!! Don’t blame me!!! Masayuki opened his mouth while feeling the weight of an unnecessary responsibility. “No, the empire is important! Rimuru-san also wanted to be friends with them in the future. When the war is over, let’s establish diplomatic relations—friendly relations.” In short, Masayuki desperately insisted that the Empire must not be turned into a scorched earth. All of the Imperial soldiers began looking at Masayuki with worshipful eyes, as if he were a god. Velgrynd was a ‘just do it’ type of person, and it didn’t take much effort for her to do what she said. If Masayuki hadn’t opposed it, the empire would have been destroyed. Everyone understood this, which was why their appreciation towards Masayuki was so great. “Really? If you say so. Then I’ll just continue to cooperate as usual.” With that, Velgrynd flashed a smile. For their part, the Imperial soldiers breathed a sigh of relief. In the midst of this, Calgurio spoke up on behalf of the group with a question. “I am sorry to interrupt you just now even though things have been settled, but there is one thing I would like to confirm.” His expression was grave, and it was clear that he was hesitant to say anything. “What is it?” Velgrynd asked. “Yes! It is about Rudra-sama, the current Emperor. What will happen next for His Majesty Rudra?” Upon hearing this, Velgrynd also expressed her understanding. 71

“Oh, that’s right. After all, you guys can’t see the true nature of the soul, can you? The Rudra now is nothing more than an empty shell. But the real Rudra’s soul was gathered by my beloved Masayuki.” “Huh? Me?” “Yes. Even without your memories, there is no doubt that you are ‘Rudra,’ so I love you and will try to make you love me too.” “Uhhh, yeah.” Is there any man who wouldn’t get excited after being told that by a beautiful woman? No, there isn’t! Masayuki was no exception. Although she was in love with him now, there was no guarantee that her love would last forever. So in order to hold onto his good fortune, he vowed work even harder. What exactly he would do, however, was a matter left for the future. Masayuki had made his decision, but there was still another problem. “Then we must make Masayuki-sama the true Emperor!” “Huh?” “That’s right. But it might be difficult. In terms of bloodline, he’s of a completely different pedigree. It won’t even work if we say he is the emperor’s illegitimate son. There would be no way to cover it up.” “Wait, what?” “It doesn’t matter. The army will be suppressed by Calgurio-dono, and I will handle the nobility. It’s okay, they won’t be able to argue. If we fail, the empire will be destroyed anyway, so we can’t afford to take any chances.” When Calgurio set the course, and Bernie raised the issue, it was Minits who offered the solution. The soldiers present were all willing to support the plan to the best of their ability. And just like that, before Masayuki had a chance to interject, the plan moved forward step by step… “Good luck with that, Masayuki.” That…I don’t have the right to refuse? Probably not, so Masayuki gave up. His legendary life was only just beginning. Dino decided to take things seriously. It was a very annoying situation where he was struggling against an opponent he could easily defeat, but that was over now. “You can’t afford to look the other way, can you?” The words fell out and Beretta’s sharp fist slice across his cheek. “What an underestimation. I can’t believe you’re taking us on with your head in the clouds.” Apito’s Osiris Rapier also flew by. The sting was sure to be painful—Dino did his best to avoid it. 72

I thought I was far superior to these guys, but was I just being overconfident? Even with two opponents at the same time, I didn’t think I’d be having such a hard time. Dino felt a little unsure of himself, wondering if he had become weaker after slacking off for such a long time. The fact that he had time to think about it was proof that he still had the strength, but not the self-awareness. Apito, thanks to her training with Hinata, had acquired an intuition that could almost predict the future. The difference in ability between Apito and Dino was obvious, but Apito was still an opponent to be reckoned with. Beretta acted as a shield, and Apito attacked from behind. Beretta would also occasionally join in the attack, so the two of them could reach Dino. And Beretta’s magic was even more troublesome. Dino was immune to most spells, but Beretta’s magic was predominantly the support type. In other words, Beretta’s magic was not used to attack Dino directly, but to strengthen his own physical values. Weakening Dino’s magic was ineffective, but there was no way to interfere with spells that increased the speed, strength, or durability of Beretta or Apito. In that case, all he had to do was to interfere with the activation of the spell, but Beretta, being a demon who was good at magic, could unleash magic without even thinking about it. Moreover, Beretta was immune to the Unique Skill Sloth’s ‘Fallen Hypno.’ Because of this, Dino had been struggling. But now, that was finally over. The long-awaited feeling had finally accumulated, and it was time to fight back. “Shut up! Two people teaming up to bully a weak man like me, and yet you talk so high and mighty! It’s only because I’m patient that I’ve been able to keep you guys company. You should be grateful! Take this and get some rest!!” By the time he had finished saying this, the Fallen Hypno had been activated. As was typical of Dino, there was no concept of fairness in his dictionary. “Phew, is it finally over?” Seeing Apito fall to her knees, Dino was convinced of his victory. His eyes turned their attention to Beretta—only to be met with an incoming fist that he scrambled to avoid. “Whoa, you resisted my sleep?!” “Of course I did. It was a mistake to get caught even once, so how could I get caught twice?” It was because the demon race was resistant to abnormalities that Beretta was able to devise a countermeasure. With his Unique Skill ‘Double-Crosser,’ he was able to reverse the drowsiness. “Seriously…” “Well, it’s too bad for Apito, but I’ll just let her die and come back to life.” Beretta remained calm in front of Dino. Dino was more impressed than dismayed by the way he was so obediently following the logic of victory. I can’t believe he’s managed to keep things this even until now with me as an opponent. It’s not because of me, but because Beretta and the others are so good. In that case, I’ll have to use that… Dino had a secret move. He didn’t want to use it, because it would bring back terrible memories, but now there was no other choice. 73

“I’ll admit it. You should be proud of yourself for making me take you this seriously.” As soon as Dino shouted this, he unleashed the power that he had sealed away. Ultimate Skill ‘Heavenly King Astarte’—the ultimate skill given to him from Veldanava. «Confirmed. The evolution of the Unique Skill ‘Sloth’ through the ‘Creation’ of the Ultimate Skill ‘Heavenly King Astarte’… Successful» Dino’s ‘Sloth’ had a special nature—the lazier he usually was, the more powerful his strength would increase. To put it simply, it was possible to accumulate energy. Dino took advantage of this, and evolved the Unique Skill ‘Sloth’ into the Ultimate Skill ‘Sloth King (Belphegor).’ That was Dino’s secret move. The ‘Creative Evolution’ of the Ultimate Skill ‘Heavenly King Astarte.’ If one uses the power of the Ultimate Skill ‘Heavenly King Astarte,’ they can achieve their desired evolution, though it is limited to their own Skill. Of course, that wasn’t everything, but Dino wanted to preserve his Ultimate Skill ‘Heavenly King Astarte.’ This was because the labyrinth was under constant surveillance, and things were constantly being recorded. Dino, as a Watcher,’ was reluctant to expose everything about himself. Also— That Rimuru guy is terrifyingly intelligent with an abundance of resources. Even when he took out Clayman, he brought out recorded footage as evidence. If my power is exposed, then he’ll easily be able to take countermeasures. Demon Lord Rimuru was not an opponent to be underestimated. When it came to him, Dino knew that there was no such thing as too much caution. That is why Dino created the ‘Sloth King Belphegor’ as a power he could show. Now, that power was targeting Beretta. “Now sleep! ‘Fallen Catastrophe’—!!” The laws were rewritten, and the positive factors began to regress to the negative factors. This temptation, regardless of whether the person was alive or dead, lead them from a state of activity to a state of cessation. However, there was no compulsive force to this, and the target of the attack would voluntarily walk the path to destruction. This could be considered a type of hypnotism, except that the effect reached different dimensions. One would not be able to awaken from the slumber of the evolved ‘Sloth King Belphegor.’ It destroyed not only the mind, but also the body. In this case, however, the guided destination was ‘destruction,’ but it was also possible to lower the level and limit it to abnormalities such as sleep. It was a very versatile Skill. Because this power did not use sound as a medium to transmit the interference waves, it could not be prevented by physical ‘barriers’ or the like. It was worth mentioning that there were very few means of defense. Absolute domination over those who possessed wisdom and feelings—that was the power of the ‘Sloth King Belphegor.’ 74

Truly the terrifying ultimate evolution of one of the seven deadly sin series, ‘Sloth.’—Dino was impressed by it. He tried to destroy Beretta carefully so that he would not be able to move for a while. That is why ‘destruction’ had been chosen, but now it proved to be more powerful than expected. Beretta had vanished into the dust, and it would take some time for him to recover. The bracelet had also disappeared with him, but Dino didn’t care, thinking that Ramiris’ power would be able to handle it. Furthermore, if he had gone easy on Beretta, he would have failed in his mission. Don’t blame me if you die, Dino thought irresponsibly. But hey, even Beretta is only a mid-tier player amongst all Demon Lord Rimuru’s subordinates… It was only natural that Dino felt like complaining. Even an opponent as troublesome as Beretta was still only a lower-ranking existence who had yet to acquire an Ultimate Skill. Moreover, he wasn’t even the demon lord himself, but merely a subordinate. Dino thought while shuddering at the fact. If the upper ranking members of the labyrinth had remained… Would he even have been able to win by himself? Annoyed, Dino turned his attention to Ramiris. He saw that Ramiris was sleeping, and touched her body. He should have been able to touch her. Ramiris turned into a particle of light. Then, taking the form of a butterfly, began to fly around Dino. It seemed to be mocking him. —H-Hey, no way. Am I hallucinating…?! He didn’t want to believe it, couldn’t believe it. But there was no other way to explain the situation. Sure enough, this battle was being monitored. I’m glad that I was cautious, but still… One of his trump cards was also exposed to the enemy. And… His next opponent would surely be far more dangerous. Clack, clack, clack the click of footsteps rang out. The beautiful butterfly of light fluttered like a dance to the man who approached slowly, stopping at his arm. The butterfly turned back into a particle of light, and then changed its form again…into the innocent, sleeping Ramiris who had a blissful expression on her face, seemingly unaware of anything around her. Beretta, who had somehow been resurrected, reverently received Ramiris, who had made his forearm her bed. “Beretta-dono, please take care of Ramiris-sama.” The man spoke quietly. “Yes, leave it to me. Do you need support?” “No need. I alone am enough.” From the very beginning, Ramiris’ escort had been foolproof. Deep in the safest part of the labyrinth, many heavy traps were laid out. All according to a certain someone’s instructions, orders were sent out to the battle forces to fight in small, gradual bursts in order to expose the abilities of the encroaching enemy. And above all, this labyrinth had the strongest of guardians. 75

Before leaving the labyrinth, Veldora had entrusted the protection of Ramiris to his trusty disciple and confidant. Ramiris was the only one who did not know about it. And now… That person was on the move. The man standing before Dino was the ‘Mist Lord’ Zegion. The absolute powerhouse of this labyrinth. 76

Zegion had cocooned himself for the sake of his evolution, but his consciousness had always been kept awake. In response to Veldora’s request, he grasped the situation in the labyrinth perfectly. With the overwhelming blessing of ‘Absolute Defense,’ he was able to ensure Ramiris’ safety. Dino recognized this as well. Seriously, you’ve got to be joking… Those were Dino’s honest feelings. Just when he thought he had finally beaten the enemy, a new one suddenly appeared, all the while with the purpose of exposing his own hand. I knew it! That Rimuru is such a cunning bastard, of course he would prefer this kind of tactic! At this point, the operation has failed. Forget about capturing Ramiris, Dino’s own escape had now become a difficult problem. Besides that, when did he even evacuate Ramiris in the first place? I was in this room the whole time and even saw Ramiris talking. She turned into a butterfly, so she should’ve been long gone by then, right? If that wasn’t the case, then that meant Zegion had let Ramiris escape in a way that even Dino couldn’t see. —But if that’s true, then… I’ve been talking to an illusion this whole time? If so, then that was also a big problem. It was an unusual state of affairs. Dino is an Ultimate Skill holder, and is also well versed in hypnosis. Even so, it seemed Zegion had left Dino in a state of hallucination, which should have normally been impossible. However, the possibility could not be dismissed in its entirety. If Zegion also possessed an Ultimate Skill and was proficient in mental attacks…then there was still the possibility that he could use illusions that were enough to fool even Dino. Dino also knew how powerful Zegion was. He was a powerful humanoid of the Insectar race and was also of the Demon Lord Seed. He was favored by the Demon Lord Rimuru, and had acquired extraordinary fighting abilities. It was heard that Zegion had taken Veldora as his teacher, and that his fighting skills were even superior to those of the ‘primordials.’ That was Zegion, the one regarded as the absolute king of the labyrinth. When the Imperial Army had invaded the labyrinth, Zegion had eliminated the intruders with an overwhelming power. At that time, Dino had taken the opportunity to observe the fight and concluded that Zegion was invincible in physical combat. However, the most important point here was that he had only been fighting physically. He hadn’t used any mental or spiritual attacks, let alone an Ultimate Skill—he hadn’t even seemed to use a Unique Skill. —No. Is his Distortion Field skill alone strong enough to reach the ultimate level…? Still, it was a physical ability, and Dino, who was good at mental attacks, thought that it 78

was still manageable. At this point, the only thing that came to his mind was the celebration from the other day. On that day, Demon Lord Rimuru had granted Zegion some kind of power. Under the guise of a celebratory reward, he had initiated an evolutionary ritual that awakened his subordinates who had distinguished themselves in battle. In fact, some of them, such as Gabil and others, had greatly increased their power and had entered the slumber of evolution. It was a phenomenon very similar to the Harvest Festival for demon lords, and it was also no wonder that Zegion had acquired new skills. But isn’t that still strange? How is it that even his subordinates can evolve into the same realm as the lord Rimuru?! I can understand if the subordinates of an awakened demon lord are at the level of Demon Lord Seed, but even his subordinates are at the level of an awakened demon lord—that’s too much of a foul!!! This was a phenomenon that even Dino, who had lived for a very long time, could not have predicted. Even Guy could not have done such a thing. —No, once it’s all said and done, this is unending. In the first place, the fact that he uses the ‘primordials’ as mere subordinates is insane. With a guy like that, no matter what he does, it shouldn’t even be a surprise anymore. Dino was inwardly cursing at Rimuru. As the strongest of all demons, they could have easily stopped Dino in his tracks. The superiority and inferiority of existence values could not be a reliable factor with a ‘primordial’ as an opponent. For Rimuru to take such existences as his minions was completely abnormal in Dino’s eyes. Dino had thought it’s best to stay uninvolved as much as possible. And yet… The Zegion in front of him was comparable to those primordials. He was clearly foreign. More than just becoming a Million-class, his domineering aura gave the impression of endless power. A power that transcended numbers—It was an aura that only those with the ultimate power could emit. It also implied that Zegion, like Dino, had acquired an Ultimate Skill. This is why I hate working… Dino lamented having drawn the short end of the stick. Exhaling a sigh of resignation, he tried to look for the best solution forward, but good ideas were not easy to come by, and time waits for no one. Zegion calmly walked up to Dino, who had been thinking long and hard. “Is there anything else you would like to say?” He asked. “Haven’t you just been hiding from me all this time to force out my cards? Don’t be ridiculous, it’s despicable!” Putting his own actions up until now on the shelf, Dino was the first to complain. He was 79

just taking it out on him, but it would be helpful if the other party got angry. “Ridiculous. This is a fight.” Of course, Zegion was unconcerned. Dino also realized this, and the conversation ended. Tension flared between the two. Dino knew Zegion’s strength. This was an advantage for Dino, however, his trump card had also been exposed to Zegion. In that case, there was no other choice but to go head-to-head… Zegion specializes in melee combat. Furthermore, although unconfirmed, it is highly likely that he possesses an Ultimate Skill. Dino, on the other hand, specializes in mental attacks. No, Dino is not limited to that if he uses his hidden skills, but he didn’t want to expose his skills in this labyrinth. Well, I’ve already exposed a bunch of trump cards, but it would still be a huge loss to expose them again… And Dino also naively thought that it would be okay to just run away. “Why do you not attack?” Zegion’s words were doubly stressful. The mere question almost made him stiffen, but Dino fought it back with all his strength. “Hah! Don’t underestimate me. No matter what, I am still a pillar of the Octagram. After living for so long, there is no way I would lose to a little chick like you!!”2 He then raised his greatsword up high and swung it down towards Zegion. “Eat this and perish! Fallen Strike!!” —There was no exchange of tricks, just a single deadly blow. It was a great move that Dino, a lazy man, did not want to waste. However, the power of this technique, ‘Fallen Strike,’ was real. Dino had also applied the ability of his Unique Skill ‘Sloth’ to his swordplay, and had created the ‘Phantom Flow style.’ By hindering his opponent’s perception, he could control the battle at his will. And now, the Unique Skill ‘Sloth’ had evolved into the Ultimate Skill ‘Sloth King Belphegor.’ The effect was incomparable, and the ‘Phantom Flow style’ had become more accurate and powerful. Although Dino was a bit of a pain in the ass, he still had a great sense of combat. But even so… Dino had decided that fighting close combat with Zegion was still not a good idea. If his own abilities did not work, then the Phantom Flow would not be viable. In that case, there could be no more reservations—so Dino unleashed his special technique. This was the Fallen Strike, one of the few orthodox sword techniques of the Phantom Flow Style, and it contained Dino’s full intentions. The intent was to incapacitate his opponent. Even a mere glimpse of it could deprive the target of the will to live, as it contained special vibrations that stimulated negative emotions. It was not something that could be ignored like an illusion or a hallucination. It was impossible for the weak-minded to resist it. Only those whose mental power was strong enough to acquire the Ultimate Skill would be able to withstand the attack. Even then, it was impossible to go unharmed. The ‘will of laziness’ that Dino had poured 2 I’m not positive, but Dino might have briefly used Kasai dialect here. 80

into this attack would also cause physical destruction. Even if one succeeded in evading it, the negative vibrations would be emitted from all directions. The mere exposure to them would diminish the target’s energy, and their fighting ability would inevitably decline. After that, it was only a matter of taking advantage of that chance and stabbing the enemy with his sword. This technique, which could trick enemies with double or triple his strength, was the strongest blow that Dino could deliver with confidence. The best way to get out of this situation was to kill Zegion without taking any chances. Although Dino was reluctant to do so, he was not willing to cut corners when it came to making things easier. Even Guy wouldn’t be safe from a direct hit. So then, can you take it? Dino grinned, confident in his strike. Zegion has always seen only Dino’s laziness, and probably did not expect him to use a big move all at once. Dino was convinced that everything went as planned. But Zegion did not move. It wasn’t that he couldn’t react, it was just that he had plenty of time to deal with it. Zegion confirmed the trajectory of Dino’s sword and caught it just before it hit him. The mythical-grade greatsword “Kuzurekiba (Crumbling Fang),” which swung down from above, was powerful enough to shatter any material on earth. Zegion calmly met such a blow with his left-hand exoskeleton that had been transformed into hihiirokane. “Idiot! You didn’t even dodge my sword, and just took it head-on! I’ve won this battle!” Dino shouted. The lazy act that he had been performing had finally come to fruition in this moment. Although, to tell the truth, it was neither an act nor a performance, but he just liked to think of it that way. It was the fastest attack the current Dino could release, but as expected, Zegion was able to catch it. This was unavoidable, since speed tended to be sacrificed in larger swords. But in exchange, the power was extraordinary. As if it was a trivial attack, Zegion had caught it with one hand. That in itself was admirable. But for now, Zegion’s left arm must have received a tremendous impact. His left hand doesn’t seem to be shattered, but I guess it will be useless for a while. He’s still standing there, but I’ll just have to be patient. Dino thought to himself, looking at Zegion, who seemed so unconcerned. However, this game was Dino’s victory. Zegion’s ‘Distortion Field’ is amazing, but it could only prevent physical attacks. Dino’s ultimate ‘Fallen Strike’ would penetrate all physical barriers and go directly to Zegion. Letting my opponent mistake this for a physical attack with a big sword and drop their guard, when in fact it was a lethal mental-type attack being used—this is my victory. Zegion is indeed strong. That is why Dino predicted that Zegion would look down on him to show off his superiority. He knew that Zegion would not dare to evade the attack because he was good at melee combat. “Hmm. Give me a break, man. I’m sure the bracelet will bring him back anyway, so I should collect Ramiris quickly.” Spitting that out, Dino turned towards Beretta. But at this point, there was a pause. Some81

thing’s wrong, he thought. First of all, Beretta was not wary of Dino. In addition to the repeated battles, Dino’s remaining magicule count was also low due to the fact that he had used his trump cards. Even so, Beretta would be no match for Dino, and yet, the look in Beretta’s eyes still revealed the calmness of a victor. He couldn’t see his true face under the mask, but it was still creepy. “Do you think you can beat me?” “Hohoho, you must be joking. I am not thinking about winning, it’s just that you are not my opponent.” As soon as those words fell, Dino felt a strong chill. Dino hurriedly looked back at Zegion in a panic. Indeed, there was something unnatural about the Zegion who had stopped moving. The fact that he had not been shattered by a mythical-grade blow meant that Zegion’s left arm was also of mythical-grade strength. If that was the case, then it was not surprising that he had a willpower comparable to that of a spiritual life form. It seemed correct to assume that he had an Ultimate Skill, which had been a concern earlier. “No way…!” “I’ll ask you, is the effect of your attack delayed? Or did you really think that you could beat me with just one breeze-like blow that doesn’t even tickle?” Damn it, Dino thought. There was no doubt about it, Zegion was the holder of an Ultimate Skill. Although it was unclear what kind of power it was, it was at least powerful enough to nullify Dino’s spiritual attacks. “You suspected that I possessed an Ultimate Skill, didn’t you? If that was the case, you should have attacked me in more ways than one instead of taking such a mild approach. That lazy nature of yours is the reason why you lost this time.” “Don’t talk as if you’ve won!”—in the face of such a shouting Dino, Zegion held out his left hand. When his clenched fist opened wide, five flashes of light shot out from it. It was Zegion’s ‘Dimension Ray (dimensional cutting ray).’ “That hurts…” Dino took evasive action as quickly as he could, and barely managed to avoid a fatal wound. However, his right arm was severed from the elbow down. It hurt so much that he wanted to cry out in pain, but now was not the time. His instincts were warning him that he would be in real danger if this continued. “So you have an Ultimate Skill after all, huh? I didn’t expect you to be able to neutralize my ‘Fallen Thanatos (Hypnotic Induction of Death).’ Don’t tell me that mental attacks don’t work on you, either?” ‘Fallen Thanatos’ was the lethal mental attack that Dino had put into his ‘Fallen Strike.’ It was effective as long as the opponent had a mind, so even if the target was a ‘Clone,’ it would affect the main body at a distance. It was a sure-fire power with no way of escape. And yet, Zegion looked as if nothing had happened after being hit. It was no wonder that Dino couldn’t accept it. In order for him to win—no, in order for him to even escape from this place, he needed 82

to figure out this mystery. Dino knew that he would never get an answer, but he couldn’t help but ask Zegion. “I am not obligated to answer that question.” Of course, Zegion was indeed ruthless. But then, a cold voice gave him the answer. “—But I will answer for you, wretched one. This so-called dream, that is to say, the mystery. From the very beginning, you have been in the palm of my hand. Remember, I am the ‘Mist Lord,’ King of the World of Illusion, and mental attacks are useless against me!” This was the attitude of a strong man who showed mercy to his enemies. Hearing these words and deducing the facts from them left Dino stunned. The fact that his own ability had been neutralized meant that his opponent’s ability was stronger. In other words, he realized that Zegion had evolved into an existence equal to—no, and existence even greater than himself. It’s gotta be a lie, right?! His melee combat is so strong, and yet he’s better at mental combat?! And this guy—he just said that he’s the King of the World of Illusion? In other words, has he reached the point where he can create a ‘unique world’? You’ve got to be kidding me!! How much stronger can he get?! It’s impossible to win against this kind of opponent without preparation!!! Dino’s Skill was the strongest of the deadly sin series, and had even evolved into an Ultimate Skill. But even so, Zegion was able to defeat it. It was no longer something that evolution could explain because Zegion should not have had an Ultimate Skill until just recently. Dino is definitely not weak. But this time, his opponent was very strong. No, rather he was too overpowering… The mission to kidnap Ramiris was fundamentally wrong from the start, but as soon as Zegion had completed his evolution, it was guaranteed to fail. Realizing this, Dino sighed heavily and looked up to the heavens. At that moment, he saw a figure on one of the monitors, and was left completely speechless. Oh, Velgrynd… That blue-haired beauty was, without a doubt, Velgrynd. She was supposed to be fighting against the Demon Lord Rimuru outside the labyrinth after subduing Veldora, but now she was somehow with Masayuki and the others. What was even more worrisome was that Cornu was nowhere to be seen. No way, no way, no way!! Bad premonitions often come true. Dino understood this from experience. Hold on a minute!! There’s just too much information for me to understand. That, is that…?! Velgrynd was supposed to be under Feldway’s control, but was that a lie? Or did she escape from it? Either way, does that mean that Cornu was disposed of by Velgrynd? No, no, no, this…it’s no longer a matter of combat failure, is it? Dino let his Thought Acceleration run at full speed as he tried to comprehend the current situation. In the end, he came to the conclusion that no matter how hard he tried, it would be impossible to go on with the operation. He had always been eager to run away from the very beginning, but at this point, he didn’t even have the will to try anymore. For Dino, he had done 83

good enough. “Pray. He who has touched the depths of hell, repent for your sins and die! ‘Dimension Storm!”’ From the very beginning, this location was a part of Zegion’s dominant space. That pointed to one fact. No matter what Dino did, it was impossible for him to leave this realm. If Dino had used the powers he had reserved, there was a possibility that he could have seen a glimmer of light. However, even then, the odds would be so ridiculous that Dino had no regrets about giving up. In fact, the only other possibility he had now was… A rainbow-colored storm swallowed Dino, and his existence was erased into nothingness. It was, indeed, a supernatural high-energy storm. There was nothing Dino could do, and he disappeared from this world without leaving a single piece of flesh behind. “Oh, were your prayers answered? Your bad luck is to be commended.” Zegion murmured. There was a small sound of something breaking coming from somewhere as Dino’s existence seemed to be reborn. Zegion had a proper grasp of the situation. His voice remained calm, as everything unfolded as Zegion expected. Outside the labyrinth, Dino awoke. “Well, I guess I won the bet.” Dino let out a sigh of relief. His equipment was still intact, and there was no physical damage. “No, this is something else. Ramiris was merciful enough to let me escape, right?” After muttering that, Dino looked at the broken bracelet. It was a cheap bracelet that he had bought at a store in the labyrinth—yes, it was a Resurrection Bracelet. Because Dino hadn’t recorded a save point, the resurrection point was still above the labyrinth. It was left in place as one of the escape routes, just in case something like this happened. “Not giving me a real bracelet with an unlimited number of resurrections was meant to be a warning. But you could have eliminated the entire function if you wanted to, you naïve yet sweet fool.” Dino sadly muttered to himself. He had kept the item made by Ramiris, the target of kidnap, as a secret insurance. The fact that he was able to do such unprincipled things without hesitation was what made Dino, Dino. It was an inferior product that could only be used once, and it was made in large quantities by Ramiris. He had gambled his fate on it, but it seems that heaven was on Dino’s side. I guess I’m still an angel, even after I fall. Thinking to himself, Dino looked around. He was planning to join his colleagues who were 84

fighting Geld and the others, and retreat as quickly as possible. He also didn’t forget to contact Zalario through ‘Telepathy Net,’ telling him that the mission had failed. Dino’s colleagues had been tasked with obstructing the re-closing of the labyrinth in order to secure an escape route. Until Zalario came out, they were unable to escape either. Since the mission had failed, they should not stay much longer. But even so, that guy is way too strong! I really can’t stand him—Dino grumbled again, remembering Zegion. Feldway would be furious, but Dino felt lucky to have survived. That said, this is probably the first time Feldway’s plan has ever failed. Also, it seems like Cornu was taken out… I don’t know how, but I really shouldn’t be hostile to Demon Lord Rimuru… In fact, Dino, who had been reluctant about this mission from the start, wondered to himself why he had even agreed to it. The thought of what was to come made Dino feel depressed. All in all, since Zegion had become such a monster, it would be hopeless to conquer the labyrinth in a straightforward manner. Not only Zegion, but all of the higher-ranking executives of Tempest were monsters. He didn’t even know what was happening with Rimuru and the others, but he could guess that something terrible had changed. That’s why I didn’t want to do this!!! Dino wanted to live in peace and quiet in the labyrinth. But still, all this had happened. Even though it was unavoidable as his job, he could not help but feel depressed. I don’t know what Feldway is thinking, but he’s probably not going to give up. But this really isn’t possible… Just now was probably the best chance they could have gotten. Now that the opportunity was gone, Dino understood that there would be no next time. In addition, there was another problem. Aah, I won’t be able to go back anymore because of this hostile relationship. The days of living in the labyrinth were very comfortable and easy for the lazy Dino. Even though it was work, helping Vesta was fun. He had become friends with Gabil, helping each other in various ways. Dino was also happy whenever the researchers made a discovery. Dino had developed sense of companionship with Vesta and the others as he spent his days without boredom. And one more thing. Perhaps everyone had forgotten, but Dino was here under Guy’s orders. In other words, he had been given an intelligence mission to report on the events occurring in the labyrinth. Dino doesn’t think that Guy expected much from him, but he still felt it was a bit unbearable. He’s a pain in the ass when he’s angry… To be honest, it was super troublesome. It was just as troublesome to keep thinking about it, so Dino hurried towards where his companions were. 85

When Dino arrived at his companions’ location, the battle was at a stalemate. The ‘Barrier Lord’ Geld was fighting against the muscular female warrior, Gracia. It was shocking that the two were fairly equal in strength. To Dino, it was a sight that really made him wonder if something was wrong with his eyes. If he’s evenly matched with Gracia, does that mean his power is already greater than mine? You’ve got to be kidding me…to evolve into this… Geld’s body was stained with blood, but Dino couldn’t tell if it was his own or if it was his enemy’s. After all, he didn’t see the slightest sign of injury anywhere on his body. If the damage was caused by a mana attack, the effects of a healing potion would not be enough to heal the wound. Naturally, Gracia’s attack would be mana tinged with the intent to destroy. The fact that Geld was unharmed by such an attack might be due to his incredible defensive power, or to his supernatural recovery ability. As Dino was pondering this, Gracia flashed her longsword before him. The blow sliced through Geld’s scale shield and ripped open his arm. However, Geld was completely unfazed. He simply threw away his broken shield and took a new one out of his ‘stomach’ and held it up. Dino saw it. There were no wounds left on Geld’s arm. Aaaaaah, it’s Ultraspeed Regeneration. It’s skilled enough to heal even Gracia’s attacks… Dino was not happy at all, even though he knew the answer. “That’s enough! You’re so stubborn! You don’t even change your stance when I attack you—are you crazy?!” “Hmm? Is that so? I actually don’t know much about it myself, but should I have praised you for your excellent attack?” “You’re being sarcastic! Damn it, if I don’t kill you with one blow, the wound will heal right away. I should be the one praising your toughness.” With that said, Geld and Gracia resumed their fierce battle. Neither of them cared about their own injuries and did their best to take advantage of their opponent. Geld’s meat crusher knife was flicked away by Gracia’s circle shield as fierce sparks wildly flew about. Just that alone sent a shockwave rushing through the ground. Dumbfounded, Dino completely missed the chance to speak to Garcia. Geld had always been a behind-the-scenes, silver-tongued kind of guy. He had no outstanding record against the Empire, so Dino had thought lightly of him. But that was a terrible mistake. I get it now! The people of this country are all just crazy!!! Dino was forcibly convinced that he had finally found the truth. And above Dino’s head, a fierce air battle was also underway. “Ahhhh, dodging left and right is so annoying!” 86

“That’s what I wanted to say. You don’t even have wings to fly with, but you’re so cocky!” “Hmph, it’s easy enough to manipulate gravity. Compared to that, I’ve had enough of this game of chase. Shall we end this now?” “That’s my line!” The mysterious Kumara and the childlike Pico. The two bewitching girls looked quite good together, but their battle was intense. Pico unleashed a Black Thunder that covered the ground, charring the surface of the earth. Yet, for some reason, it was unable to take effect on Kumara’s surroundings. It was only natural from Kumara’s point of view. The Thunder Tiger Raikou, Kumara’s pet and one of her tailed beasts, specialized in lightning attacks, so it only made sense that her defense against thunder would be excellent. This time it’s my turn—Kumara moved out with such intent. Driving her eight tails in a fluid motion, she launched a series of nine-tailed slashes. However, these were all blocked by Pico’s spear movement. A high-pitched sound rang out on the battlefield. It was a truly even battle, forcing Dino to revise Kumara’s fighting ability upwards in his mind. The Twelve Guardian Lords, huh? What a scary bunch. Dino admitted it honestly. Not one of them, but all of the members were a threat. That was safe to assume, Dino thought. Pico and Gracia, the former seraphim, were comparable to awakened True Demon Lords. They had been out of combat for a long time, so it was not a simple matter of comparing their strength, but they were definitely not weak. With the Tempest executives out of picture, Dino had originally thought that he and the two girls alone would be enough to conquer the labyrinth. Feldway had even taken the trouble to send in two of the Three Phantom Commanders, and had even entered the battle himself. It was a situation of absolute victory, but the results were as one could see. Dino almost felt dizzy in the face of this reality. Both Pico and Gracia seemed to have lost their composure, perhaps because they hadn’t fought in a long time. No wonder, Dino thought. Even though they had fallen, they were still the highest-ranked seraphim. The once brilliant Seven Primordial Angels were struggling in a battle, and their pride must have been torn to pieces. Dino was no stranger to this, but he had already tossed all that aside. “You two, fall back! We’re retreating!” Dino shouted. The two girls reacted, but seemed unhappy about it. “We’re just getting started, you know? Don’t talk nonsense when I’m about to get serious.” “Shut up! From the moment you two came to fight, this operation was already in ruins!” Pico and Gracia’s role was originally to provide logistical support from the rear, but since there was a gap in the battlefield, it was more prudent to take part in it. The fact that they were caught up in the middle of a battle meant that the enemy’s strength had exceeded their expectations. A tactical victory here would be completely meaningless in terms of strategy. “Wait, you mean the mission failed?” “Huh? Ahhhh, yeah, it failed. If it hadn’t failed, I wouldn’t have run away!” “Huh?! But Feldway made the plan, right? How could that cautious, perfectionist Feldway 87

misjudge the enemy’s strength?” “That’s the way it is.” “It can’t be. With Zalario and Cornu here, how could the mission still fail?” “Because we already lost. I told Zalario to stand down, but that Cornu bastard was probably killed. In short, none of the goals were achieved, so there’s no point in fighting anymore!” “Is this a lie…?” “Seriously, I really don’t think that’s possible…” Pico and Gracia were speechless. In contrast, Geld and Kumara wore proud expressions. “Hey, hey, does that mean you lost too?” “Huh? I mean, don’t ask me that! Don’t you have the decency to pretend not to notice?” Facing Gracia’s question, Dino replied perfunctorily, as if he didn’t care. Gracia was stunned, not by the failure of the mission, but by Dino’s lack of remorse. In any case, there was no reason to doubt Dino’s words. With their heads already cooled down, Pico and Gracia accepted the retreat. “Damn it, don’t think that you’ve won!” “That will not happen. You were splitting your power to stop the labyrinth from recovering during the fight with me, weren’t you? Next time, I hope I can face you in perfect condition.” “Huh. Ahahahaha! You saw that, did you? I like that. See you later!” Gracia and Geld acknowledged one another and peacefully said their goodbyes. Pico and Kumara on the other hand… “Your name was Pico, right? You get to keep your life for today!” “Huh?! I wasn’t even serious! You’re the one who gets to keep her life!” They glared at each other viciously, then grunted and turned their faces away from each other. Despite the completely different atmosphere, the two agreed to end the battle. With that, Dino and the others had successfully withdrawn from the scene. Zalario always kept his cool. His role in this mission was to create a diversion, and he carried it out perfectly. The men he had brought with him were fighting on equal terms with the resistance in the labyrinth. This was a literal meaning, and not an act. It was surprising, but they would need to revise their intel on the enemy upwards. That is what Zalario concluded as he assessed the battlefield. Most notable were the two people in front of him. Charys and Treyni, two names that Zalario felt it necessary to remember. Still, Zalario concluded that he didn’t need to get serious. Originally, I was told that there were only insignificant rabble left here, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. I had thought that in order to intercept me, the enemy would exhaust all 88

of the forces in the labyrinth, but there is still the strong one called Zegion. I hope Cornu and Dino can complete their mission before he wakes up. He was a little worried, but there was no mistake in the plan Feldway had made. Believing that, Zalario was able to enjoy the battle with confidence. “Oh dear, Veldora-sama is going to laugh at me later when he learns I was at the mercy of someone who is cutting corners.” “Such fears are unnecessary. Veldora was defeated by Velgrynd and has fallen into our hands.” “That’s not a very funny joke.” “It’s no joke. You’ve noticed it, haven’t you? That is why you are getting a bit impatient.” “…” Charys was a majin of great strength. Even to Zalario, who had destroyed many dimensions, Charys belonged to an extremely rare group of excellent talents. Treyni, who harbored the spirit king, was also very talented, but not as much as Charys. The high-powered magic she excelled at was threatening, but because it didn’t have much effect on Zalario, it was not much of a problem. Charys was similar. He deftly manipulated his energy, converging heat energy and shooting out high-powered heat rays. However, this could be nullified by Zalario’s prided ‘Distortion Field.’ What Zalario really needed to be wary of was his accurate and calm judgment. Unlike Treyni, Charys would always try all sorts of tactics against Zalario. He fought cautiously, as if he were checking the effectiveness of each move. Zalario knew from past experience that such opponents could not be taken lightly. But that was coming to an end. Charys had begun to grow impatient, losing the prudence from a moment ago. He was not going to enjoy this fight anymore. It’s almost time, Zalario thought. “I’m sorry about this, but I think we should end this now. You have both been very brave, very strong warriors. But, alas, you are no match for me.” The difference in strength was obvious. The total amount of energy was also too much at Zalario’s advantage. Most crucially, there was the issue of compatibility. Angels had an innate advantage over spirits. Charys and Treyni, who were rooted in the power of spirits, could not give decisive damage to Zalario, who was a former seraph, albeit a fallen one. “It’s a shame, but it looks like Triss has reached her limit. I will only be able to hold onto the Spirit King for a few dozen seconds. Charys-dono, do you have any plans left?” “Unfortunately, no. But don’t worry, Rimuru-sama and Veldora-sama have thoroughly trained me in the art of never giving up.” Despite the hopelessness of the situation, Charys laughs and said that the battle was just beginning. Seeing this, Treyni also smiled. “In that case, I will go along with you. I will not let insolvents have their way in Ramirissama’s labyrinth!” Although they had taken a great deal of damage, their energy was sufficient. They still had a strong will to fight and showed no signs of giving in at all, much to Zalario’s disgust. 89

“Truly, you do not appear to be the kind of fools who do not understand your situation, but are you really going to cling to life in misery until the very end? If you think that you can just be resurrected and have nothing to worry about, then you’re mistaken.” According to Zalario’s calculations, it would soon be time for Dino to take Ramiris out of the labyrinth. The labyrinth’s unique ‘immortality’ was only made possible because of Ramiris’ presence. Strictly speaking, if Ramiris just left the labyrinth, it would be fine, but if she left the labyrinth after losing consciousness, then all of the records would be reset. In other words, once Dino’s mission was accomplished, Ramiris’ followers would no longer be immortal. Zalario was aware of this, which is why he was taking it easy on Charys and Treyni and letting them accumulate damage. “Your fighting ability is worthy of praise, so if you wish, I can give you a painless and proud death.” That was Zalario’s way of showing mercy to the strong. But of course, Charys and Treyni answered with a rejection. “Fufufu, you think you’ve won? How foolish.” “I agree. In a battle, you never know what will happen until the very end. As long as you don’t give up on your victory, you won’t lose, but you don’t even know that, do you?” That defeatist remark was enough to provoke Zalario, and while he had not yet lost his cool, it was enough to make him feel agitated and uncomfortable. “How unpleasant. It’s rare that I would want to show you a little mercy.” “Mercy, is it? There are a lot of people who have been defeated after saying that they were going to win in the end. Don’t you know that that’s called a ‘doom flag?”’ Charys recalled having a discussion with Veldora about the ‘list of things you should not say or do.’ There were many of them, but the ‘showing off and taking it easy when you’re about to win’ in particular, was an absolute no-no. Once you decide to kill your opponent, you must do it quickly without saying a word. If you don’t, you will surely be caught by your opponent with a counterattack. “How foolish, as if a miracle in this situation—” “—Will show up. Because Rimuru-sama has performed miracles many times. The people under his command have long become used to such instances, and there are even quite a few who have started to imitate them. Even now as well, you see!” In the first place, by being in this labyrinth, even stalling for time was often enough to turn the situation around. This time was no exception— “…That’s right. And if you dare to go after Ramiris-sama, a friend and ally of my God, then I, the ‘Gehenna Lord’ Adalmann, shall be your opponent!” Another warrior had awakened. So what if one more warrior is added? Zalario originally thought as such. What bothered him more was the delay in hearing from Dino. Too slow. Although I’ve known about Dino’s slacking habits for a long time, if we don’t get 90

this done soon, there’s going to be more and more trouble on my side. Zalario’s frustration was gradually accumulating as the situation failed to go as planned. Then, a knightly-looking man stepped up in front of Zalario. “I am reluctant to challenge you with so many people against just one person, but I am not a Paladin anymore. Pragmatism is more important than honor, so please forgive me.” It was Albert who said this. Armed with a set of mythical-grade armor given to him by Rimuru, and having received a ‘gift’ upon Adalmann’s awakening, he had evolved into a ‘Gehenna Paladin.’ As the official owner of the glorious armor, Albert pointed his sword at Zalario. “There was still a man like this…?” Even in Zalario’s eyes, Albert’s presence was tremendous. His gestures exuded the air of a swordsman, and the mythical-grade blade in his hand had the potential to wound Zalario. He knew at a glance that this was something that could not be ignored. “I’m here too.” That voice belonged to Wenti, the ‘Hell Dragon King’ who had awakened from her evolutionary slumber to become a ‘Gehenna Dragon.’ Now knowing where she learned it from, Wenti bowed gracefully. Zalario’s expression turned blank as he realized his disadvantage. 91

Even in the face of these opponents, it should still be possible to him. But that was not the point. Unless Dino did something about Ramiris, Zalario could not win. Even if I were to reveal my true abilities here, it would only be exposing my hand to the enemy. But it’s not going to be enough to deal with these guys unless I do so. Zalario made his decision. If it was only Charys and Treyni, he could handle them with restraint. However, with the addition of three strong awakened demon lords, even Zalario would have a difficult time. But now, if Zalario did not act as a diversion here, then Feldway’s plan would fail. As someone who prided himself on his 100 percent mission success rate, Zalario could not accept such a situation. It can’t be helped. I’m going to kill them all anyway, so let’s show them what I can really do. Just as Zalario was about to make up his mind… “Oh yes, I’ll tell you a story that may be of interest to you as well. My realm of protection is the seventieth levels of the labyrinth, so why do you think I ignored the intruders over there?” “What?” “I don’t want to draw out the answer, so I’ll tell you briefly. It’s simply because there was no need for me to be there anymore.” “…What are you trying to say?” Adalmann, a skeleton in the robes of a saint, smiled evilly and laughed. Zalario, uncomfortable with this, asked back. Wait a minute… What does he mean? There’s no need for him to be there? Does this mean that something happened to Cornu during the invasion? Without hearing the answer, Zalario arrived at the truth. However, Adalmann’s goal was actually to make Zalario waver, so he told him personally what had happened on the seventieth levels. “That foolish intruder has been eliminated by Velgrynd-sama. That’s why I felt safe to come to you with confidence.” “…” Zalario was not foolish enough to doubt those words. With Cornu’s defeat confirmed, Zalario decided to inquire about the success or failure of the most important objective. “Huh, I see. With Velgrynd as an opponent, Cornu is no match. There seems to be a lot of odd things going on, but they should still be remedied. So then, you’ve sent the rest of your meager battle power to me?” As for why Velgrynd hadn’t come him yet, he could only assume that it was because of Masayuki. After all, Masayuki was possibly the inheritor of Rudra’s soul, he thought. Feldway, who had examined the information obtained by the Imperial Intelligence Bureau, had ordered Masayuki’s extermination in order to eliminate any possibility. However, Velgrynd seemed to have found out about it. Cornu is also unlucky. If he hadn’t switched roles with me as he had originally planned, none of this would have happened. But I can just ignore Velgrynd. With Michael-sama around, 93

she can easily be controlled. Right now, what’s more important… What’s more important was what Dino was doing. “So you can afford it. I see, so then you’re strong enough to take on Velgrynd-sama. I hate to admit it, but it looks like we’ve really been underestimated.” “That’s true. There’s a good chance we’d lose even if we all took on the challenge together.” Charys was wise, but Adalmann also had a quick mind. Both of them realized from Zalario’s attitude that he must be hiding incredible abilities. But even so, Adalmann and the others had the advantage. Adalmann explained the reasoning behind this. “I already know the purpose of your questions. You’re really after Ramiris-sama, aren’t you? However, we are under orders to ensure the safety of Ramiris-sama at all times and with the highest priority.” Upon awakening from his evolutionary slumber, Adalmann had first confirmed that Ramiris was safe. Naturally, if Ramiris was safe, then everything else would be fine. Above all, it was a supreme order from Rimuru. The main purpose of Adalmann and the other Guardians was to protect the labyrinth. In other words, they were to ensure the safety of Ramiris. “So, Ramiris-sama is safe, isn’t she?” “Of course, Treyni-dono . Zegion-dono is on his way, so no matter how many people there are, they won’t be able to touch Ramiris-sama.” “I see, that’s a relief.” Treyni smiled. The others did the same, each with a look of relief on their faces. Now they could focus on Zalario with peace of mind. As for Zalario… The mere mention of the name Zegion once again gave him the feeling that Dino had failed. Zegion was the one who could use Distortion Field, right? But if Dino fights seriously… No, that man can’t be expected of much. He was already very reluctant to take part in this mission, so by now he’s probably long gone… Zalario had a pretty good idea of the current status quo. As if aiming for that moment, a ‘Telepathy Net’ arrived from Dino. ‹Hey, Zalario, I know you can hear me. The mission has failed. Apparently, Cornu screwed up when Velgrynd entered the fray. I’ve also got a nasty bastard on my end, so I’m retreating now. You should get out of here before the labyrinth closes. See ya!› It was so one-sided that Zalario couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. Zalario thought to himself that this was really in Dino’s style, and decided to retreat as well. Since victory at this point was now meaningless, then any unnecessary actions should also be avoided. “This is the first time I have ever tasted such humiliation—to have to retreat when my opponents are merely a bunch of stragglers who could easily be swept away. There will not be a next time, so remember that.” After blandly uttering his regrets, Zalario took his men with him and teleported away from the labyrinth. Those who remained behind felt no lingering sense of victory, but immersed themselves in the peace of mind that came with having successfully defended the labyrinth. 94

The threat had left the labyrinth. Zegion released his skill ‘World of Illusion,’ and then looked at Beretta, who had just finished laying Ramiris down on the couch. “Has Dino-dono escaped?” “It would seem so.” “Hohoho, you’re too modest. It was only the mercy of Ramiris-sama that let him get away.” Beretta was right. Zegion had long noticed that Dino was wearing the Resurrection Bracelet. He had noticed it, and purposely overlooked it. It was an experiment. —Will Ramiris’ blessings be effectively activated even if there is clear hostility towards Ramiris by the equipper?— The result was as one could see. Dino had won the bet and survived. For Zegion, it could have gone either way. The results of this experiment were obtained only incidentally, and the victory condition had been fulfilled when he defended Ramiris. “If that is what Ramiris-sama wants, then there is nothing I can do about it.” Beretta nodded back. If they had succeeded in intercepting the enemy, then there was no need to kill uselessly. Of course, there would have been no next time if the enemy had been oblivious to the generous master’s mercy. Zegion had intended to pursue Dino depending on his reaction after being resurrected. If there had been no sign of escape, he would have crushed him, but it seemed that that was not necessary. Dino not only chose to escape, but also persuaded his companions to retreat. His two companions accepted this and also withdrew from the area. “So, what about Zalario?” “Adalmann-dono rushed over, and there is no sign of the other party anymore. They must have given up and fled as well.” At this point, Adalmann and the others had resurrected and joined the fight, and the remaining enemies seemed to have decided to retreat. “That’s just as well.” “Hmm. If it weren’t for Ramiris-sama, we would have been the ones who were defeated, right?” “Indeed. Even if we had won, there would certainly have been casualties, and for us, that is tantamount to defeat.” “Exactly.” Zegion and Beretta nodded to each other. The thought that it was necessary to revert to a more vigilant posture came to both men at the same time. But that could come later. With that, the labyrinth had been successfully secured. After confirming Ramiris’ safety once again, Zegion returned to his domain. 95

Chapter 2 Interviews Well, I was in trouble too. That’s what I thought as I finished listening to the report from Ramiris and the others. It was a bigger incident than I had expected. “So, is Chloe going to be okay?” “There are no problems. She reverted to her child form and is conscious. She’s just resting in the infirmary for now, just in case.” I was relieved to hear that from Shuna. I had been told from the start that there were no casualties, but even so, I couldn’t rest until I saw for myself. She was probably already asleep right now, so I would go visit her tomorrow. That being said… This time, the enemy was a real pain in the ass. A strategy to use the intruder as a diversion and separate Ramiris from her guards. Then use the opportunity for Dino to betray us. Dino’s strength was far greater than Beretta’s. Even Beretta and Apito joining forces were unable to stop Dino, and he had almost got his hands on Ramiris. In the end, Ramiris was saved thanks to Zegion’s timely arrival, but if even one step had gone wrong, it would have been a disaster. I shuddered to think about what would have happened if Zegion had not woken up in time. I was really glad that he made it in time and couldn’t help grabbing my chest in relief. Still, Velgrynd-san’s return had come as a bit of a surprise. She was currently discussing her future plans with Masayuki and the Imperial commanders. We would have to meet and talk later, but I suppose they would all want to collect their thoughts. That being said, if Velgrynd-san had protected those people, then it must have been because of Masayuki. I feel that many things have become clearer to me, but have also added more questions. Then again, I’ll just think about those questions later. I looked around at the people who had just given their report to me. “Ramiris, I’m so glad you’re okay!” “It was nothing. But then again, that Dino really didn’t seem to want to do anything to me, but it would have been awful if I had actually left the labyrinth. Why? If I really got serious, then I could have knocked him down with all forty-eight of my special moves!” Ramiris was the same as always. Although she was very angry, the moment she felt safe, she would put on a show of bravery. It was kind of cute. She was still sleeping happily when 97