Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken (LN) - Volume 13 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Complete Victory 

Seven days had passed since Operation Maze Raider began. 

Maze had been silently swallowing the general soldiers as best he could. 

They failed to pass the report back, leaving Calgurio to spend the restless hours. 

The reason for this constant state of anxiety is to mask instinctive fear. 

There is still no way to contact the other units, and contact with those inside the labyrinth has been broken. 

At first glance they looked completely isolated in enemy territory. Such a situation made Calgurio uneasy. 

"Still no one's coming back!" 

He let out an angry roar, but no one responded. 

That's actually the answer. 

And it wasn't just Calgurio, those staff officers knew the situation wasn't good. 

At first they sent soldiers several times, returning from inside the labyrinth with information. 

Although none of the soldiers came back to the ground, they were still able to interact with the people inside at first. It is possible to consolidate the information and get a general idea of the situation. 

When you enter the maze, you have to check with me at the maze. 

This time the maze prompts the conditions for breaking the barrier. 

The ten men in the labyrinth must be defeated and ten keys collected. That would seem to get the right to challenge the King of the Labyrinth. Defeat the King of the Labyrinth to break through… 

At first they didn't think it would be that hard. 

But nowadays, they have to say it was bad judgment. 

According to the information gathered, the lowest floor in the labyrinth is also more than 50 floors. 

Although the floors were exchanged every time they were full of a thousand people, the soldiers were still able to enter in order. Thus able to make contact with those who had gone in first, but the first time they were able to make contact, the number of people who had entered the labyrinth had long exceeded fifty thousand. 

They repeatedly sent people into the maze several times, and calculated that the floor was probably over fifty-four floors. 

Yuuki had once revealed to them the contents of the report that Shinji and others had brought back, hearing that the maze had sixty layers. Yet this information was not reliable, and they found this out early on. 

That was because the strength of the magical creatures that appeared within the maze was simply not the same as what was heard. 

That said, they said that the King of the Labyrinth was the "Immortal King,” and from that point of view, the words of Shinji and others were no longer credible. 

This was because someone reported upwards the next day that they had found the floor dominated by the Immortal King. 

That "Immortal King" seems to be one of the so-called "Ten Lords of the Labyrinth”… 

Some say the hearsay may be true. 

Nowadays, no one dares to laugh at those people anymore. 

"No matter how powerful the elite personnel are, they seem to be struggling…” 

"Yes. The operation may fail if it goes on like this.” 

‘How can that be’—at the thought of this, Calgurio shivered. 

The phrase Raid Operation Failure was simple to say, but it represented the death of five hundred and thirty thousand Imperial General soldiers. 

Emperor Rudra handed over such important general and soldiers to him, how could he abandon them in three or two times and not save them from death? 

Seven days to go. There's still quite a cushion before the deadline, and the current Operation Maze Raid within the Labyrinth should be ongoing. He would just have to trust these people and wait on the sidelines. 

That would have been the right judgment, but Calgurio—no, he wasn't the only one, even the other staff officers didn't think it would be good. 

The reason why it makes them think that way is because of the existence of the “Labyrinth Ten". 

There are currently four "keys" that they have been given. Although they seemed to come back to life no matter how many times they were defeated, they still managed to get the key from the four Dragon Kings. 

However, there is not even a single sight of the other six to be crushed. 

The "Immortal King" was also one of them, along with the Necromancer Paladin who looked like he was his right hand. 

As well as the queen who rules the insects, plus the mistress of those beasts. 

There's another attacking type of wizard, nicknamed the Undead of Gadra. 

The last one he is not even sure of its true identity. 

If these six were not defeated, it would have been a fool's dream to break through the maze. 

Such conditions could not have been met with the current strength of the war inside the labyrinth— 

Calgurio thought so, and the staff members were unanimous in their judgment. 

"But no matter how much you bet, it's useless.” 

“Yes." 

"That's just a waste of money. And the guards here are disturbing, too, I suppose.” 

So what should be done? 

There is only one answer. 

Only the most primitive method of maze planning can be used—form an elite team to challenge. 

In that case, however, the question is who to choose. 

After a moment of annoyance, Calgurio picked out some of the cream of the crop from the legion. 

He sought out a hundred men and women. 

Only the cream of the crop from each unit is recruited, as well as those who are confident in their strength. 

Sitting in the front row was an elegant man, looking calm and gentle. Even on the battlefield, his battered uniform is still worn straight. 

The man's name is Minute. He was the first right-hand man to Calgurio's side, ranking high as a major general. 

It was the commander of this battle plan that was recommended by Calgurio. 

Next to him sat a cold man with a cigarette in his mouth. 

His eyes seemed to be staring at his prey, and his bearded face was so decent that anyone opposite him would be afraid. And this man also possesses no less strength than his appearance. 

He's Grand Marshal Kansas. 

He is a hero who has made many great achievements. The most famous of these is the "Monster Country Annihilation Campaign". The man in charge at the time was Kansas. 

Self-confidence may be on display in his attitude, which is rampant. Even in the face of a group of superiors, he doesn't show half a fear in the slightest. 

No one else around them made a sound to warn Kansas. It's no wonder, after all, that even his immediate superior, Minute, acquiesces to this attitude. 

Calgurio, personally, while having an opinion on this, is not yet so much as to speak ill of a hero who is also famous in the Empire. Everything was left in the hands of the opposing boss, Minute, so there was no way the crowd on the scene was going to pick up on Kansas' behavior. 

Other celebrities include Michel and Raymond. 

These two are "otherworldly visitors". 

Michel has a unique skill called "Fusionist". She is good at using this power to create high firepower attacks, and is well known in the Imperial Army. 

As for Raymond, he has a unique skill called "fighter". He was originally a fighter, and that seemed to turn directly into his skill. He is a top fighter who is able to use all weapons and fighting techniques, as well as techniques learned in this world, with the utmost skill. 

The more prominent and famous ones are these four, but the others are also one-trick pony fighters. 

The lowest ranked among them have all made it to level A, which is the best among the Imperial Army. 

These one hundred men alone could destroy the Knights of other nations. Calgurio decided to entrust everything in this battle plan to those heroes. 

"So, everyone, you've heard all about it, right?” 

Everyone nodded in silence. Although there were also men like Kansas who existed with a disdainful smile on their faces, most of them listened attentively to Calgurio. 

"Our comrades are currently awaiting rescue in the labyrinth. Certain conditions had to be met in order to leave the maze, one of which was still to crush the Demon Lord. If the strongest mecha legion in our Empire is sent, I am sure this problem will be solved as well. Only pity! That would waste too much time.” 

This maze could not be defeated by the army waging manned naval tactics. Calgurio understood that, but he couldn't say it honestly. 

Doing so would cause demoralization, so he polished the words and explained them to these ministers. 

"We will crush the Ten Lords of the Labyrinth and collect the Ten Keys. That would seem to gain the right to challenge the Demon Lord Rimuru. I look forward to your being able to take on this task. I want to ask you to crush the Demon Lord!” 

Calgurio makes this speech in the face of the elite of the Mecha Legion, who are no longer equalled. 

"Wrap it up on us, Lord Calgurio. For us, the glorious Imperial Army, the Demon Lord is no match at all. Let's prove it next!” 

Minute, the highest ranking man, replied on behalf of everyone. 

He posed gracefully and was guaranteed to win. 

No one in the room objected to Minute's words. Because these people were proud of their abilities, everyone was sure they would win. 

So much so that they elected the brave man in charge of challenging the Demon Lord. 

These people don't know the truth. 

It is because of their ignorance that they get their hopes up. 

Knowing nothing about it didn't reveal the hidden crisis in the maze. 

This is the time when retreat is the right thing to do. 

But it was all too late. 

Calgurio was too slow to make the decision. 

The battle inside the labyrinth was over and no one was left inside. 

He had no idea that the situation had turned out this way… 

The chosen brave men are ready to enter the daunting maze with aplomb. 

***

We were all drawn to the images on the big screen, and we were able to catch our breath.

Should I say it's not surprising? The Imperials seemed to take that as a joke and ignored the warning written on the door. And the number of general soldiers sent into the labyrinth exceeded our expectations. 

"That's great. The results exceeded expectations." 

As I mumbled something, Benimaru nodded along with it. 

"I don't think there's anyone who has to be on guard. One of the reasons should be that the Ten Lords of the Labyrinth are too strong, but it really seems like it's easier than one would think.” 

He said so with his mouth open and not a slouch in his eyes. 

He seems to have switched thoughts, this time putting the focus on the ground. 

"There seems to be another movement on the enemy's side.” 

"Right. This time it didn't have to be manned, the members seemed to have been selected. It's going to come in eventually anyway, they should have made their decision earlier. Then our people in the labyrinth will probably be in a bit of a fight too…" 

"Hey, hey, hey, isn't that just what we want?” 

"Yeah, that's right. But it's disturbing that things are going so well…” 

Benimaru said the words, but one could see from his expression that he took them for granted as a result. 

That's not the problem… 

Since there's no chance of him making an appearance, this guy wants the Imperials to fight a little bit, right? 

He seems to understand his mood, but he doesn't seem to understand… 

No, no, no, if it's figured out, it means I've become a battle nut too. 

I'm not like the Benimarus. 

Such an outcome makes me very happy. 

And one thing has been said many times, and that is that in this world, quality is greater than quantity. 

The troops they selected were probably the enemy main force. These guys are likely to break the Ten Lords of the Labyrinth individually, so they can't take it as a game now. 

The original purpose was to reduce the number of enemy troops. 

That part is done. There are only a hundred thousand or so people left on the Imperial side, and that number alone has been reduced to the point where even the Western countries can adequately cope. 

Simply put, that's it. 

The same is true of the gamble, which is to give the enemy a big win in the beginning, so that they will miss the opportunity to stop it just in time. 

Because the illusion of their winning is so beautiful that these people think they can make up for it even if they lose—which sums up the phenomenon. 

In this case, it's hard to stop even when you know you should. 

This was exactly what the Imperial Army had written about this time, they had sent troops in repeatedly, only to accidentally bet too much on battle power, so much that it was irreparable. 

Personally, I think it's great that the purpose was served. 

It is pleasing that the battle plan is going so well, but the other objective, to force the master out, is not yet achieved. 

There seemed to be a few masters on the opposing side, but none that looked like they could beat me. 

However, as Chloe mentioned earlier, I didn’t seem to be a Demon Lord yet, and I don't think there's much difference in strength from when we lost to Hinata…No, I don't think there's much difference in strength from when we were tied…That said, I still don't see anyone who can pose that much threat. 

To be hard to say, only the people Testrossa killed had Legendary level equipment. 

If it's the eleventh-ranked Tibbs, he might be able to kill me, too. 

Certainly not the current me, but the one who was still fighting Hinata at the beginning. 

The result is still no one who could potentially kill me, that's the conclusion. 

It's no use trying to think about that, and I decided to put that topic aside for now. 

I care more about what the enemy commander thinks. 

Things have gotten so miserable that it would generally be right to choose to retreat… 

What on earth was the commander on the enemy's side thinking? 

<<Answer. There is a lack of knowledge of the current situation because of the impediments to communication with other forces. The speculation may be to hold out hope that one should not have and not give up the chance to win.>> Alas, Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, speaks spitefully. 

Hearing it say that makes sense to me. But then again, it's not good to suppress too much in an intelligence war. 

If the commander had had a real grasp of the situation, perhaps the other side would have retreated. 

<<Answer. No. If you do not teach your enemies thoroughly, you will leave a legacy. There is no need to show mercy to the intruder.>> Good snarky comments. 

While it sounds logical and cold, I don't think it's the right answer either. 

The Empire wouldn't have given up on ambition if it had left them with some full decent fighting power. But if they were completely crushed here, at least for the time being, they would avoid fighting the Eastern Empire. 

No matter what you do, there is nothing worse than not being able to do it. 

The enemy also has their family, and presumably the family that was left behind will feel sad. 

But… 

If one took the opportunity to let them find out how stupid they were this time, one might be able to prevent a fight afterwards. 

It's definitely not righteous to do so, but at least to guard against petty strife, which I think is the right thing to do. 

Anyway, it's too late to say that. 

Unlike Master Raphael, the king of wisdom, I am indecisive. 

If the enemy flee, let them go, and attack again, and then crush them again. 

Maybe I'm still too naive to let my opponent decide what to do in the future. 

I understand it myself, but that's my nature, and it's not that easy to reverse it. 

Seriously, I actually don't want the other person to call me, I hate trouble. 

I sighed quietly in my heart, and at this time, Ramiris got in touch with me. 

"Rimuru, can I talk now?” 

"Yes, yes. I'm Rimuru, no problem.” 

It didn't seem urgent to hear her tone, not knowing what was going on. 

"I'm asking you, there'll be another hundred people coming, right?” 

"It seems so. The enemy seems to be very strong this time.” 

"Mm-hmm. So, the Labyrinth Lords, they want to ask for something.” 

Ramiris told me about what they were asking for. 

Request number one, sponsored by Gadra. 

I didn't expect that there was someone he knew among those labyrinth intruders. The names seem to be Michel and Raymond, who are "otherworldly visitors". 

He would step up and convince, begging me to let them join as partners. 

Request number two, sponsored by Kumara. 

She also seemed to spot familiar faces from among the intruders. 

Yet unlike Gadra, not old acquaintances, but those she wants revenge from. 

This man not only destroyed the Kumara's hometown of Monster Country, but also sold the young—in other words, seemingly nearly three hundred years old at the time—Kumara was sold to the demon lord Clayman. I didn't expect such a vicious bastard to be affiliated with the Imperial Army… 

That's all there is to request, what should be done? 

"What do you think, Benimaru?" 

"Well, send a few more men against them, and it will be easier to win, but it will not be. I know you can't fight a war without knowing what you're going to do, but we can't just accept the proposal, can we? 

If Gadra succeeds in convincing them, it is well to say that even if it fails, there is not much to lose.” 

Indeed, that is correct. 

It's all about spreading each other's fighting power anyway, so leave those two to Gadra. 

As for Kumara… 

"Anyone who wants revenge doesn't want to be hindered.” 

The words came out through Benimaru's mouth looking a little heavy. 

So to put it this way, Kumara used to be dominated by Clayman using spells. Since the man who started it was here, of course she would want revenge. 

Although some people say it's not time for revenge, I think it's a good way to vent one's grievances. 

Instead of holding on to your anger, it would be better to take it out on the other person. 

For these reasons, I have decided to approve. 

"These requests are approved, Ramiris.” 

"Great! If it’s Rimuru. It's reasonable.” 

"Anyway, we want to spread the other side's strength, so Gadra's side we will just let him deal with Michel and Raymond. This way…" 

"Give her the bearded man! I don't know what his name is, but this man's face is nasty.” 

Ramiris was completely on the side of Kumara. 

But I was in the same mood as them. 

"Let's send that guy over there. Then send a message to Kumara to do her best!” 

"OK, let her have it.” 

So much so that I granted their request. 

As for the distribution of the remaining strength… 

"That man over there looks like he's in command. Lord Rimuru, let that man be alone and leave him to Apito to clean up.” 

Benimaru does not change color to say horrible words. 

He also said, "You can't win with more bullying, but you can't win with less," but he said that he was planning to do so easily. 

But I went with his offer. 

"Ramiris, that fashionable middle-aged man seems to be the commander, send this guy alone to Apito’s side.” 

"I get it. To take away his command, so that the enemy becomes a scattered disk of sand. It's a dirty battle plan!” 

Huh? 

And I turn out to be the bad guy? 

Throwing the surprised me aside, Ramiris came up with her own set of explanations. 

"Can we give the rest of the 100 men to Adalman?” 

"Understood! Although other people's Dragon King treasures were lost, others were still trying. Let's work at this pace until the end.” 

Ramiris seemed a little chagrined, but it didn't help. 

Even if those dragon kings were better off, they were no good against the hordes that swarmed in. 

Unlike the other Ten Lords of the Labyrinth, the floors with terrain effects are large. It is true that it plays an important role to find fault with the enemy, but if the enemy side shares information with each other and formulates countermeasures, the advantage will be lost. 

The Dragon Kings were fighting in this situation and I think they all did their best. 

Despite being robbed of four keys, there were still six Labyrinth Lords left to lose. Let's ask them to continue at this pace. 

"It's up to you! But you must not be careless. There may be dangerous people in those 100 people.” 

"No problem, no problem! I said that Rimuru would be watching from the sidelines and everyone was in high spirits. And the king of the labyrinth is Master Veldora!” 

That's saying something. 

This time the maze's condition becomes "Collect ten keys and defeat the king of the maze to win". I can't imagine that Veldora would go down, I think that aspect can be taken care of. 

“Right, me too. Then keep up the good work!” 

“Leave it to us!" 

Leaving these energetic words behind, Ramiris ended the conversation through the Communication Network. 

So next, one last step to go. 

To observe the final battle, my gaze pulled back to the screen once more. 

***

Michel and Raymond sat on the steps, panting as they drank water.

According to the report, it does not appear that magical creatures will appear in the stairwell. Although it's dangerous to take it as it is, they thought it was safer here than elsewhere, so they rested here. 

........... 

........ 

They had been admonished by the great general, Calgurio, and were ordered to enter the labyrinth. For that, they have no complaints. 

Just like Shinji and the rest of them, Michel and others were "otherworldly visitors" picked up by Master Gadra. They all felt that Gadra had been gracious to them, rewarding them with a bite to eat when they fell into this inexplicable world. 

And this Gadra's whereabouts are unknown. 

He seemed to be leading a special force on a mission to the Demon Lord Rimuru’s territory. 

Although Gadra had come back once, none of the other team members returned. I heard that Gadra had reported to Yuuki that all the people who had gone with him had died in battle. 

Then even Gadra disappeared. 

Rumors spread that he had gone to the rescue of his buddies from the previous unit. 

Those who know Gadra will find it a little hard to believe, but if it is true, it cannot be ignored. 

And again… 

These men, who were said to have died in battle and to have travelled with Gadra, were also well known to Michel. 

The three men were Shinji Tanimura, Mark Lauren, and Zhen Liu Xing. 

The incident was momentarily unbelievable, but the truth was that Shinji hadn't come back for either of them. It was said that their mission was to investigate the labyrinth and that something must have happened between there and the Demon Lord Rimuru. 

Shinji explained it best when the three of them challenged Demon Lord Rimuru and were killed as a result. 

Among fellow countrymen, there are those who are sad because they are truly ruled out. The same is true of the Michel and many others. Because they are all from the same hometown, there is an inexplicable sense of connection. 

Also, Shinji Tanimura is a man with leadership qualities and won't leave behind people who are in trouble, this man has a good heart. Although a bit retarded at times, there are people who admire such Shinji. 

Gadra has been gracious to them. Plus Michel and the others also wanted to come and make sure to see if the friends who were going to be good were okay. 

After talking to the pals about such ideas, the two who fought the most among them, Michel and Raymond, were pushed to join the expedition. 

The two of them immediately made their wishes known to Yuuki, only to be rebuffed by the other. 

"It's really dangerous to act now. The situation is a bit confusing and it's best not to act rashly. I can't tell you in detail, but I'm sure they'll be safe…" 

That's roughly the case, the other side didn't actually respond to their wishes. 

Since Yuuki had said it was dangerous, it should be really dangerous. But some people don't have the means to do that. Letting things go like that, those people would probably run over without permission, and instead of letting things evolve that way, it would be better to have people like Michel, who was particularly good at fighting, step in and everyone thought they had a way of handling whatever situation they were in. 

For such reasons, Michel took the liberty. Raymond agrees with her, and the two launch their operation behind Yuuki's back. 

They hired someone to transfer them from the Hybrid Legion to the Mecha Legion so they could carry out this battle plan. 

For there is such a story behind Michel and them, and Calgurio's order is just what they want… 

........... 

........ 

"Maybe it's a big mistake to go in there.” 

"Probably. I didn't expect the enemy to be this strong.” 

The two of them were divided into fifty-nine levels. 

These two were unaware of it, in fact Rimuru and the others had planned to get them directly to the sixtieth level in a single turn. 

But these two are likely to hide their strength. 

There was also the possibility that someone was pretending, so Rimuru and the others decided to see the situation first before they did. 

By the way, this idea comes from the Rimuru—rather the "King of Wisdom Raphael," it should be said. 

They hadn't expected Rimuru's mind to be so deep—both Ramiris and Gadra had explained themselves in that direction and decided to go along with it. 

It was for those reasons that Michel was forced to come to the fifty-ninth floor to encounter a fierce battle. 

We come across things like variable laser beam cannons, sonic cannons, or other scientific weapons of all kinds. Once the wall was down, it created passages that spewed out colorless and odorless poison gas. 

At the moment, it has been moved to the 100th floor, and all the weapons produced by the 95th floor have been put to use on the 59th floor. 

The most extreme representative is the magic puppet, which strengthens the human attack weapon. 

In the Puppet Kingdom Gustav found the ruins of "Amrita" and Rimuru asked someone to bring back information from there. The reappearance of the defense apparatus after the study plays out best in this place. 

When it comes to wiping out the Imperial Army, not even ten percent of these weapons will be used. 

Those are now used to test Michel and others. 

Both sides got serious and fought offensive and defensive battles, and those two exposed all of their best moves. 

Raymond is responsible for buying some time in the guard. 

Michel uses this valuable time to unleash a must-kill strike. 

Michel's "fusionist" effectiveness is as the name implies. The ability to allow substances to mix and also to extract energy from them. Depending on how it's used, it can even turn into an attack of the same level as nuclear strike magic. 

It was also Gadra who discovered this and taught it to Michel. While recalling the favors the benefactor had brought to herself, Michel fought desperately. 

As for the fight, those two got a landslide victory. Faced with a high destructive attack, even the Magic Puppets and Science Weapon Swarm were no match for them. 

Only, the numbers are just too abusive. 

Just the two of them breaking through so many traps alone was very taxing, just one day made Michel tired them half to death, inevitably this would happen. 

“Hey…what to do? Want to move on?” 

"Say what the hell. We'll just have to walk the next floor. With so many weapons and traps, it's dangerous to advance with no countermeasures.” 

"That's true. But when I say you, there's no other way, is there? Once inside the maze, they got separated from the others…” 

Raymond was right. In fact, even Michel understood that, but there was really nothing they could do at the moment. 

Since it's dangerous to move forward, what's the right thing to do? 

Even if you don't go down and instead go up, there's no guarantee you'll necessarily leave the maze. It should be said that if one believes that the will one receives when entering the labyrinth is true, one should not be able to leave without meeting the conditions for breaking the barrier. 

"There's no way this maze can be broken…” 

"Also. If there is time, there may be a turnaround, but even if it takes more than a month to walk through one floor a day, it will take more than a month. It's not really that bad, but we don't have enough food.” 

The biggest problem is this. 

Michel and Raymond did not undergo reconstructive surgery and therefore had to eat. The water part should do the trick, but the grain is only twenty days old. If they didn't have magical creatures lurking on that floor like the one just now, they wouldn't have been able to resort to eating monster flesh and blood. 

They may not last even three weeks at this rate. 

It's only been a day since they broke into the maze. The situation was already desperate, with a sense of unpredictability. 

However, the two of them didn't give up. 

After all, the two of them had one more purpose, which was to gather information about their benefactor and friend. If they give up on this side, then they should never have entered the maze in the first place. 

"By the way, someone sent this to us before we came in. Do you think you can trust it?” 

Pointing one side of his throat, Michel asked Raymond so. His finger pointed to a piece of jewelry that was to be carried out before the maze invasion battle that Calgurio had handed them. 

I heard that it's a test piece produced by the development department, modeled after the resurrection props that Gadra brought back. 

I've heard that there is this even if you die in the labyrinth, you can still come back to life, but Michel doesn't believe it. 

"Of course I can't believe it. Even if it does come back to life, then where will we come back to life?” 

"That's true. If we will come back to life on the spot, we will run to the magical creature that killed us. 

This part of the experiment hasn't even been done yet, has it?” 

"Right. Seems like they’re going to experiment with us. Besides, why hang it around your neck? Isn't that the bracelet I heard you brought back?” 

"That means the Empire's technology isn't mature enough.” 

Since this is a replica of the duck that was rushed to the shelves, someone explained to them that the size became larger. Yet this made both of them even more suspicious. 

“I am not even willing to accept the idea of handing over my life to an imitation, as a matter of common sense." 

"It is only the chosen ones that we prepare such things for them. I'm bullish on you guys and think something like this is worth delivering to you! 

In this way, Calgurio has polished the words in his explanation, which in turn means that he has not confirmed what will happen if he uses them. 

Also not for the soldiers at the end, the results won't be known until it's used. 

At least if there is experimental data, then they are willing to believe it, but only if they are going to be experiments themselves, idiot. 

"If you die first, then I can confirm what happens when I use it.” 

"That joke's not funny. At least I'm not going to rely on that kind of stuff.” 

Raymond gave a practical response. 

"After all, the original version of such a thing, the Resurrection Bracelets, came from the power of the Demon Lord, right? Don't you think a fake like this will make the other party angry?” 

As Raymond continued to pick up where he left off, Michel seemed to share this, shrugging her shoulders in agreement. 

The premise of the action is that there is no way to be resurrected from the dead—a conclusion that both rightly draw. 

All that can be counted on is their strength. So the two stood up with bitter smiles on their faces. 

"Want to go?” 

"Right. Now that it's all come down to this, we can only move forward. If it doesn't work out, people will forgive us.” 

"Will it? Shinji would have laughed, but he…" 

"Please stop. It's hard to forget.” 

"Yeah, sorry. He’s even scarier than the maze.” 

"Hey, hey, how can you speak your mind just because the other person can't hear you? But I also agree that that's it.” 

"Right? I really admire Shinji's retardation. People are so passionate about him, but they are completely ignored.” 

"I agree. But that's the way it's gonna be. About that, actually, he’s also—just that.” 

"Also. Thinking about it this way makes you think that Shinji isn't easy either. Maybe he'll survive if he doesn't do anything to save his life.” 

"Yeah, that's it!” 

A smile appeared on the two men's faces. Even in these circumstances, there is hope and a clear sense of which way to go. 

With cheerful smiles on their faces, the two men began to walk down the steps. 

There was absolutely no telling who would be waiting for them ahead. 

Immediately following… 

"Hello, you! Michel, and Raymond. There's something I'd like to discuss with you two!” 

"Right. Because this thing is really doing you guys a lot of good, it doesn't hurt to listen!” 

"You're supposed to be listening.” 

Seeing the trio of Shinji and others who they wanted to save come out to greet themselves, Michel and Raymond were surprised to the point of stiffness. 

"Well, you guys seem surprised. I'd like to ask you too. Can you hear us out first?" 

There was also a huge magic doll towering in front of us, and a nostalgic sound came from inside. It must be right that the owner of the voice was the one who had been kind to Michel and them—Gadra. 

“You—you're still alive?” 

"Shall we say—what’s going on?” 

Gadra and the others are going to start docking to convince each other. 

The two were in turmoil, and it only took a little more time to convince them. 

***

It looked like Gadra had them convince each other with such ease and simplicity that it was surprising.

Shinji said they would not take part in this war, and even they ran to be lobbyists. Presumably, their efforts were not in vain, and without argument, the other just agreed. 

The two, Michel and Raymond, were both disciples of Gadra and friends of Shinji. They were frantically tested for strength at the fifty-ninth level, and the scarier one was Michel. 

This one’s skills are foul. It looks like she flicked something with her fingers and the result was a small explosion—a nuclear explosion that could be confined to a specific area. The response was small, but powerful to the point of no return. 

The unique technology of the “fusionist”—the ability to denature the substance and fuse it with other substances. The way to use it is to let the tiny shattered stones spoil and then throw them at the enemy, causing them to explode. 

Even if you have to use something like a "barrier" to bullet the gravel, it will still explode when it falls to the ground. It could have been avoided if it had been a clever bounce, however the gravel used by Michel is small enough to be bounced with a fingernail, so it's not easy to actually bounce. The preconditions are such that it would be difficult to bounce it off the ground. 

It's so vicious. Using such a means of attack, one accident and even she herself would suffer a wave of blows, but about that, she did a lot of research. Not sure what kind of training she did all the way through, but it all seemed to predict the route perfectly. 

And then there's Raymond who teams up with Michel like that. 

Raymond's fighting skills were great, as was releasing Fighting Qi to form a shield. The ability to block out all attacks from the front will be fascinating to watch. 

Even the blast wave that Michel had triggered was beautifully defused by Raymond's shield. They’re a great duo, and the two characters fit together nicely. 

It doesn't look like anyone else has changed either, it must be them personally. There was also no sign of the spirit being manipulated, and it seemed that their purpose for coming this time was to save Gadra and Shinji. 

Both seem trustworthy, and it's really great to be partners in earnest. 

In order for the two who became partners to take some time to study for the time being, the intention was for them to work under Shinji and the others. While it should be used without fear of their betrayal, it's better to take precautions first. 

Let's look at the situation first, and then compare them to Shinji and let these two people get promoted. 

Things were going well up to the 60th floor. 

Then come to the 70th floor… 

It is hilly and there are about a hundred people gathered together. 

At first it all seemed a bit fuzzy, but now that the day had passed, they had all calmed down. Above the hills there was a place of great visibility, where these men camped, and several scouts were sent to scout in various places. 

They don't seem to be planning to act right away and feel very deliberate. 

Just the commander running off to somewhere else, but it's amazing that they can still correspond so calmly. 

It should be said that the warriors are outstanding in the various units. 

"Thought they'd panic even more.” 

"No, that's the way it should be. They crafted a clear chain of command from the beginning, even if the commander wasn't there.” 

Unlike me, Benimaru gives commentary lightly. 

If the chain of command is chaotic, how can operational operations be carried out? Someone must be found to lead. 

Of course this has to be clearly laid out—I can understand that, but as a matter of course the people who are gathered here have been brought here on a temporary basis. Yet they were able to find a replacement for the commander right away, which I secretly admired despite being the enemy. 

"Are we okay here?” 

"Of course. Even without me, there is the green legion, and underneath green legion, there are excellent talents standing by. Tactical theory is also a must for the Kurenai, and everyone can be a commander.” 

Oh, you're so confident. 

Even I didn't learn those, at what point did they learn them? 

"That's good. What do you think their purpose is?" 

The chain of command of our army was left to Benimaru and the chiefs of the various corps. I'm going to care about that won't help much, so I'm going to come back to the reality side now. 

About the Imperial General's soldiers who laid out the 70th floor… 

"Their purpose must have been to find out if there were any survivors on the other floors. That's on their bad luck. The rest of the floor is a different story, and this one leaves no trace.” 

Benimaru replied as if he was sympathizing with those enemies. 

Hearing that, I also understood. 

I know there are no survivors on the Imperial side, but one of their purposes is to find companions. 

Meeting up with survivors to increase combat power is a reasonable move from a combat standpoint. 

But now that it was known that it was pointless for them to do so, there was no point in waiting for them to act. 

"Shall we let Adalman attack?” 

When I said so, Shion nodded vigorously along with me. It looked as if she was feeling very bored and she herself was eager to strike out. 

Even so, as long as there were still enemies left in the maze, she was responsible for protecting me. 

Even Shion understood this, so she wanted to finish the matter sooner rather than later and go outside to fight. 

"That's right. There's no way to get any great information if you keep watching.” 

Seeing this look on Shion's face, Benimaru said with a dark smile. 

Instructions to Adalman follow. 

"My god, let me behave!” 

It seems that Shion wasn't the only one who was looking forward to fighting. Adalman had also been preparing his army to meet the Imperial Army early on. 

Adalman and the others continued their winning streak. Seemingly intent on taking advantage of the situation to win even the final battle. 

"Then go for it!” 

“Yes…!" 

The encouragement I gave became a signal for war. 

Adalman and then rest came in force and opened the closed door and struck at it. 

Then an hour passed. 

A startling sight appeared before his eyes. 

There were only three survivors left on the Imperial side. It's just that the only ones who have survived on our side are also Adalman, Albert and the Necromancer Dragon. 

It's now a three-on-three showdown. 

The other remaining nearly a hundred people were all killed along with the Necromantic Army, and these guys couldn't wait for reinforcements. Wait three hours before the army of the dead comes back to life, and when I think about it, I'll be able to determine the winner. 

However… 

"Kufufufufu. Interesting people have emerged.” 

"Mmm. I'd like to fight them too.” 

Rarely do Diablo and Shion give their testimonials. 

Such a powerful warrior was mixed up in the enemy army, and there were three others. 

One was a gentle looking male swordsman. 

The opponent is fighting Albert. 

The other person is the Wizard of Beauty. 

In a magical showdown with Adalman. 

There was also a tall warrior of stature. 

The power of one man alone held the Necromancer dragon. 

Seeing the opponent summon the familiar glowing armor to wear on his body, it must have been a partner who was previously killed by Testarossa and possessed legendary equipment. 

The styles are uniform and definitely belong to the same organization. 

"That swordsman is so strong that he's intimidating. I never thought he’d be on equal footing with Albert.” 

The battle between Albert and the man, both of them used a rare divine skill. Each belonged to the genre of equipping swords and shields, and their strengths were somewhere in between. 

Like Benimaru said, it's true to say that those two are comparable in strength. 

This guy seems to be more than the man who was beaten down by Testarossa. Maybe this guy's ranking is up front, too. 

"Kufufufufu. In the face of an opponent of that level, the magic was surprisingly at the disadvantage.” 

"That said, Diablo. Regardless of the holy and magical attributes, that armor can resist all magic. It's no wonder it's working against Adalman.” 

Shion's comments hit the nail on the head. Although Adalman had the additional skill "Holy Demon Reversal", that legendary level defense was so foul that it could resist almost all magic. 

If you want to break through, you can only use the strongest magic such as "Reiko Bad Destruction". 

Adalman would have used it, too, but the opponent wouldn't let him. 

One can only hit a break with some random magic and then attack while they're at it. But they seem to be thinking the same thing about each other, and the two sides are currently deadlocked. 

Don't forget that last man. 

This guy can't be taken lightly either. 

After all, he could deal with the Death Spirit Dragon by himself alone. 

This guy gives up to win. Because the regeneration power of the Necromancer was too strong, he had already seen that it was impossible to completely defeat the Necromancer. 

He believed that his partner would win and always took the pragmatic route when fighting. 

In fact, without this guy's effort, the winner would have been obvious. 

The Death Spirit Dragon was a monster that even Souei couldn't defeat. Facing such an opponent and being so belligerent, it was more difficult than expected. 

"What do you think?” 

When I finished asking, all three gave different answers. 

"The strength of the theory is that Albert is better. But he is poorly equipped and should lose this battle." 

"Adalman is too eager to get ahead of himself. If he had been calm, he would have won by now, and there was no way to deal a fatal blow to his opponent. If Albert is defeated at this time, they will be defeated in one fell swoop.” 

"They can only win! How can they be defeated!?” 

Three people with three views—should I say that the answer of only Shion is strange? 

Benimaru and Diablo's views are very similar. They both think that Adalman and the rest will lose. 

In contrast, Shion just…thought that one’s spirit could conquer all. That's not called an opinion, it's called a wish. 

"So they might lose, huh? That doesn't seem good?” 

"Anyway, even if Adalman and the others lose, there are still ten others on this side. And I won't lose if I'm on the field, so it should be fine.” 

"Of course! I will also defeat the others, so rest assured, Lord Rimuru!” 

Benimaru is so confident and feels as if there is a solution to whatever problem he encounters. 

Shion is still the same. As much as it was tempting to ask her what her basis was for saying something like that, she couldn't have come up with a basis, I suppose. 

It's true that there is a Shion style, so let's just accept it. 

"Lord Rimuru, you needn't worry. The Ten Lords of the Labyrinth also have Lord Veldora’s apprentice, Zegion, at their head. As long as he sits, there's no need to even bother Lord Veldora.” 

One side giggled and Diablo so responded. 

It's rare for Diablo to compliment someone. That should make it okay, which reassures me a bit. 

While we're at it, the win-loss showdown seems to be getting better. 

In time, Adalman and the rest will win. We were hoping for the same thing, but unfortunately the enemy seems to have noticed. 

"It looks like you're going to stall for time to break through, but it seems too much of a stretch. Get me serious, you guys go to the other world and show off with this thing!” 

The Scandinavian man facing Albert, who was an enemy, shouted the words. 

At this point in time, does he have a killer weapon? 

"Before you guys die, let me give you a name. My name is Krishna. A Knight of the Empire—17th in the Imperial Order of the Imperial Kaiser's Guard!” 

"I am Reiha, the 94th in line.” 

"Thirty-fifth in line, Bazan.” 

Ah, is it really the Imperial Emperor's Knights of the Guard? 

I heard about it from Gadra's side, and it looks like the members inside are really good. The man who had been beaten down by Testarossa was ranked eleventh, and thought the one called Krishna would be ahead of him. Originally I thought strength was proportional to ranking, but it doesn't seem so. 

It felt like Reiha was more strutting than Bazan again, and explaining in that direction should be right. 

These aside, the point is who wins and who loses. 

Seeing Krishna and the others had reported their names, Adalman and the rest also seemed to have renewed their fighting spirit. Thought that would turn the tide, unfortunately things didn't go so well. 

The key to victory lies in this battle between Krishna and Albert. 

Krishna's Sword slashes Albert's Grudge Sword (Curse Sword). 

Whether to say slash, or crush, it's all in the difference in weapon performance. 

That spirit sword was also an excellent escape crafted by Kurobee. The average person doesn't have access to it, but it's the best weapon for Albert. 

Yet Krishna's sword belongs to the legendary class. 

Repeated chops gradually accumulate damage to the opponent's weapon, crushing it with the last breath. That seems to be the kind of combat that Krishna is good at. 

It's a good thing that light can confirm this, even though it doesn't ask about the process but only about the results. 

Just like that, the loss of the weapon defeated Albert. Once the forward was lost, Adalman was momentarily at the disadvantage. Not at all like a defender, he played flashy, unexpectedly sticky, but still got pinned down for it and ended up losing the game. 

The battle ended when the last three launched simultaneous attacks to wipe out the Necromancer. 

If Albert's sword hadn't broken, the outcome would have been different. And in the face of someone who is good at magic, it's too much to overcome with the fighter's fists and feet, so I don't plan to hold him responsible for his defeat. Instead, I'd say that Krishna’s ability to draw out the opponent's killer points makes me want to praise "well done". 

As it turned out, things went exactly as Benimaru and Diablo had expected. Two keys were also snatched by people, but there was nothing that could be done about it. This is the time to praise your opponent for a good fight. 

So, in the face of three people like Krishna, we suffered a bitter defeat. 

Anyway, it's all over, just reflect on it afterwards. 

Now to go to the next stage. 

The big screen illuminates the battle situation on the 79th floor, and the battle situation on the 90th floor. 

Both sides are getting better and better in terms of wins and losses. 

Kumara’s reaction was too intense. Since the bearded man was the one she wanted her revenge on, it was no wonder she was particularly keen. 

Relatively, come and see Apito. 

This side is again a surprisingly tight race. 

That being said, Apito is now so strong that she is on a par with Hinata, who has no use for magic. To be able to fight a tie with such an Apito would mean that the man who looked like a commander was also very powerful. This guy also looks to be a Scandinavian man, and seems to be no slouch in terms of strength compared to that Krishna from a while ago. 

I wonder who wins and who loses in the end. 

We all watched nervously, our eyes firmly on the big screen. 

***

Major General Minute wore his proud suit straight and walked leisurely through the maze.

The style is the same as that of a regular general, but the material is different. Each silk thread is specially selected and is a magically infused fad. 

This set alone was enough to rival the annual salary of the sous-officer class, it was high class, and it was guaranteed to be comfortable to wear, to the satisfaction of even the Minute who loved to dress up. 

Minute the man just loves grace. Because of his nature, he had a lot of complaints about this battle plan. 

The so-called war should be about gathering overwhelming war power to suppress the enemy, with the goal of winning without a fight. 

How can there be a sacrifice, plus the fact that it was caused by our army's own initiative, that would inevitably call into question the ability of the commander. 

It was because Minute thought so that he thought this battle plan would fail before it came out. 

But… 

"Well, there's no way to tell the truth as a matter of course, and that's the sadness of being an official.” 

Even with such a grumble on his lips, Minute had a arrogant smile on his face. 

The men of Kansas are usually very visible, so no one noticed him, in fact Minute himself is one of the most important warriors in the Imperial Army. He is not so weak-minded as to give up fighting in the middle of a war because he violated his own aesthetics. 

"Then again, the Demon Lord Rimuru is also very evil-hearted. Although it was natural to take such a ploy, I did not expect to fly only me, the commander, to another place. In that case, the warriors who came here this time might also be broken by a few of them individually. But the Kansas kid will survive, after all…" 

Not caring even if it was overheard by others, Minute began to mutter to himself. Contrary to what he had said, the look on his face was one of amusement. 

It's no wonder, Minute hasn't been this excited in a long time. Falling into such a dangerous situation was the first time in one's life. 

As far as his position is concerned, there are few opportunities to allow him to be pro-front. 

Minute didn't climb up the ladder hard, but because he was a nobleman and belonged to the upper class. In fact, if left from the army, he could have had more outlets than Calgurio. 

He also has contacts in the political world and has built his own faction. 

The reason such a Minute remains in the army to this day is because he is very belligerent by nature. 

Minute loved seeing the blood. This time he gets his chance and plays to his heart's content. Thinking about this side, he couldn't help but have a smile on his face. 

Such a Minute was thrown to the seventy-eighth floor, one floor up in the Apito dominion. The reason is that in order to analyze Minute's strength, one has to observe first. 

So Minute went to the floor below like nobody's business, fixing the bugs while he went. 

"Really, I hate bugs. The mere sight of those feet moving around was sickening. We have to get the hell out of here.” 

After making a grand entrance like that, he flung his hand to the side. This action alone created a gust of wind that caused many of the bugs to disintegrate into dust. 

This is the power of Minute. 

A "suppressor" with unique skills. 

The power is simple and straightforward. Up to psychological compression down to physical compression, everything Minute can see is affected by its effects. There's no way to escape, and everything goes up in smoke. 

In fact, even a wave of the hand is not necessary, just a glance can damage the subject matter. Thanks to this force, Minute has not lost so far. 

"So fragile. The fight was so boring, it was boring. I wish they had tried harder.” 

No one can stop Minute. 

Although swarms of bugs above the A level would also appear on the 78th level, those were killed by Minute. Not his opponent at all, splitting the win in an instant. 

It's almost unbeatable. 

With this power, it's no wonder Minute is so arrogant. 

Immediately following, it took him a few hours to find the stairs. I thought he was going to head for the floor below, but I didn't expect to see him start resting on his own. 

The bag that hangs around the waist is a high-class travel magic guide. He took the freshly baked food out of it and enjoyed it. 

It also contained a set of bedding with an exorcism effect and a roof, and later Minute went to sleep with a flourish. 

His attitude was nothing short of underestimating the Maze. 

Time came to the next day. 

Minute entered the seventy-ninth level and ended up meeting a truly formidable enemy there. 

The assassination bees came without a sound—these were legion bees, all of which Minute had swatted away in two or three strikes. No matter how dangerous a magical creature it was, the moment it came within his line of sight, it would determine victory or defeat. 

"Hmph, It’s no match for the magical creatures here. What the hell, it's disappointing.” 

Seeing Minute deliver a boast like this, someone went on a rampage. 

That someone is Apito. 

Regardless of the angle from which he tried to sneak in, Minute had a way of coping. From this, it is clear that Minute is able to use Magic Sense. 

Then there's no point in continuing to send Legion Bees over. 

Having so judged, the Queen decided to step in herself. 

"How dare you say such contemptuous things, you damned human." 

"Will it? You're a little too pushy, aren't you? To me, you're no different from the ants here…" 

Minute said as he stomped on the body of the swarm of bees that had fallen to the ground. This behavior further angered Apito. 

"I'll kill you” 

"Try it if you can.” 

Just like that, the two great heroes began to fight fiercely. 

At first Minute looked at Apito very little. 

He wasn't careless, just convinced that his 'suppressor' could crush her. But he soon found it too naive to think so. 

Releasing a jamming wave by sight, Minute puts heavy pressure on Apito. 

The true face of that force is gravity invisible to the naked eye. Minute can have an effect on the surrounding matter, giving gravitational directionality. 

Using the gravitational pull possessed by large mass objects, the planets reflect in all directions. The clever manipulation of gravitational and reaction forces can cause the subject to burst or compress. 

To counter this force, one must either have a strong body that does not move like a mountain, or one that emits directional fluctuations that cancel out the disturbing waves—these are the only two ways. 

Minute has not seen anyone with this ability to date. In other words, he equates to being invincible. 

With such absolute confidence, Minute unleashed his ability. Yet the sight that appeared before his eyes was different from what he had expected. 

"Humph, too slow!” 

What Minute crushed was the remnants of Apito. Apito didn't see past the true face of Minute’s power, but she had already found that it had directionality. Presumably a quick move will get you out of effect range, so pretty dodge. 

"I'm sure it's what I thought. Can you catch my movements?" 

Apito's movements gradually picked up speed. 

This time, no matter how much Minute would use Magic Sense, it would be difficult for him to cast an effective attack on Apito. 

Only this, in turn, excited Minute. 

"Interesting. If it wasn't, the fight would be boring!" 

He allows the ability to be fully liberated, centering himself in a force field. And parallel to that, any direction ahead would be in the way of Apito. 

So much so that Apito had to back off. Although the passage of the maze was five meters long, trying to get past Minute would be trapped by the force field. 

"Gee, that's tricky.” 

"That's my word!" 

Both sides won't even take a step. 

Because of the special training with Hinata, Apito's movements became more pure and sharper. Even the Paladin captain would be toyed with by her, but being unable to get close to the enemy would be useless. 

On top of that, it's dangerous to stop moving. Once caught by the interference wave, even Apito couldn't get out in one piece. 

Coming out this way is a big mistake. If I retired to the Queen's throne room, I would be able to fly more freely. Not sure how long this man's power will last, but one must go back if one wants to defeat him. 

Apito so judged. 

There is no shame in running away. The insatiable desire for nothing but victory is Apito’s basic approach. 

Even after seeing Apito run away like that, Minute didn't look at it as a joke. He had already seen that the retreat was based on tactical considerations, so he instead cautiously pursued it. 

There's no need to rush. Rather than reluctantly do it here, it's better to keep the power for now. 

Ha ha ha. Combat is all about grace. But more than losing, I enjoy watching people struggle miserably. 

Minute thought Apito was beautiful. 

Unlike all the other magic creatures, you can tell this opponent has aesthetic connotations. 

It's a natural thing for a warrior to choose a battlefield that's good for them. Minute doesn't laugh at her, instead thanking his opponent for fighting himself and being willing to give it their all. 

He didn't look down on his opponent, but rather thought about how to drive her into a desperate situation and hunt Apito down while doing so. 

Next he came to a wide open place. 

There was a chair on one of the high platforms. 

Looks like this is the throne of Queen's King's Landing. Also, this place is perfect for me to go toe-to-toe with you. 

Minute deliberately cooperated with the enemy's temptation. At the same time arrogantly thought, "So you'll have to make me happy. 

"Isn't it time to end the hide-and-seek? 

"Right. I'm going to do my best to treat you right. I’ll bet on the name of Apito, the Bug Queen. 

"That's really something to look forward to. I am Major General Minute, the man who is going to kill you. Let's move on to round two!” 

After the big blowout, Minute picked up the pace. 

Those moves just now were just watching the situation, and that's how he got serious. While not to the point of overtaking Apito's speed, such a pace did not lag. 

Yet Apito was unfazed. She rose high into the sky, raising her speed in preparation to play with Minute. 

But all of this was to be expected from Minute. 

"That's naive. Don't underestimate my power!” 

By the time he finished shouting these words, a force had been released. 

The ceiling of the hall takes on an egg shape, and invisible force fields capable of capturing Apito begin to appear nearby. It was Minute who was manipulating the gravitational pull to get Apito on the ceiling. 

“Goo…!" 

Seeing Apito show a look of pain, Minute snorted. 

"Oh, it hurts, doesn't it? I'd like to run you over right away, but you're a little too tough. If it's a normal magic creature, even at this distance, it's enough for me to run it over.” 

Speaking from one side, Minute stepped towards Apito. 

Minute' strength is proportional to distance. The closer he got, the pressure would increase along with it, and he thought to himself that even an expert like Apito was able to run over and kill, which was why he acted this way. 

Plus now he had grabbed Apito and was using the power not to cast in all directions. Just focus all of your power on Apito and he will indeed win. 

Although the fight was tougher than expected, she was really no match for me. Just thank you for bringing me so much pleasure, I'll let you die without pain. 

Minute has no penchant for bullying his enemies. He just wanted to get high feelings by fighting, and the touch of winning. 

It should have been purely out of good intentions to have mercy on Apito, but… 

"Don't underestimate me, human! I've said I'm going to give it my all!” 

After shouting these words, Apito, who had been suffering from the heavy pressure just now, flew into the air once more. 



Her wings were broken and her hands and feet were bent and deformed, and she could be said to have become covered in wounds, but it did not affect Apito's fighting spirit in the slightest. 

Apito is also hungry for a win. 

"Lord Rimuru was also watching the battle. Even if I'm in a mess or something, it's my job to expose the enemy to all they can do!” 

"Ho ho ho, funny. Meaning to see through my power? I'll take your life before that!” 

Minute opened the force field again with himself at the center. Also possessing the power of repulsion and gravitational pull, in addition to being able to bounce people trying to get close to himself, he also manipulates the flow of power with the intention of pinning the opponent to the ground. Minute is looking to crack Apito with a death blow. 

Conversely, Apito isn't going to be pinned down all the time. She flew at a speed beyond Minute's perception, keeping her distance to avoid being caught by the interference wave. 

The inability to find a means of attack is certainly annoying, but the opponent's power is not endless. 

There should be some sort of limit to it, and Apito had been waiting for that moment. 

It depends on whether Minute will come to the limit first, or whether Apito will run out of power first. 

And with that, the two sides began to compete for stamina… 

After a few hours, the situation progressed. 

Following the teachings of Hinata, Apito continually tried all sorts of attacks. 

The broken arms and legs were no longer working, and she flew desperately on her broken wings, continually testing Minute for a break. Fire the poison needle at the dead center, flapping your wings to release the blaster blade. The Legion Bees underneath were also summoned to launch an all-out raid on Minute. These are designed to detect which places are least susceptible to the intervening forces of Minute. 

These actions brought the legionnaires' bees all but to an end. Although she was only a subordinate, it was Apito who called it out after all, and she couldn't help but be chagrined. Even so, Apito continued to let her men launch suicide attacks. 

It turned out that Minute was hardly unharmed either. 

The fancy suit he was wearing became tattered and looked wolfish. He didn't have time to care about elegance either, she could tell he was desperately dodging. 

"Well, I guess you're tired already." 

“...and so are you. I'm honestly amazed to be able to follow it to this point.” 

"I already said that, didn't I? It doesn't matter if it's embarrassing or whatever, just win.” 

"I agree. Only I'll be the one who wins!” 

Both are good at forcing a smile. 

‘I'm so tired that I can barely stand.’ Even in such a situation, they were reluctant to show weakness to each other. 

"You guys are really powerful. This I acknowledge, but not without a hitch. I declare that the next attack will kill you!” 

Apito, who was floating in the air, said so to Minute. Although her face was covered in her own blood, it was with a smile so beautiful it glowed. 

Narrowing his eyes at the sight, Minute also raised the corners of his mouth in reply. 

"It's exciting. Then I also promise you that the next move will set you free.” 

The strength of both of them, was all that was left. The reason why it was said that the next move would be life and death, was because the remaining power in their bodies was only enough for that. 

And the two didn't bother about the aftermath at all, taking out all their strength to strike out. 

Apito takes the operational approach of predicting the movement of the Minute jamming wave by changing the track in the first moment. She intends to use the speed beyond the speed of sound to pounce, thereby outpacing Minute' reaction time. 

Minute sees that too. The question is how well Apito knows the power of Minute. When will the wave of interference, invisible to the eye, be launched, and it must be judged whether Apito sees through that correctly before changing the response strategy. 

She couldn't possibly see through it—Minute was confident in himself. 

The winner is decided in that moment. 

The moment Minute unleashed his power, Apito changed track. Yet this point was as Minute had expected, judging by gut instinct, and she did not see the scrambled waves. 

Winning—Minute laughed; I'll die—Apito laughed too. 

That's right, Apito's attack was premised on death from the start. 

"It's over, Queen Apito.” 

Minute shouted happily. 

Feeling the undulations invisible to the eyes wrapped all over her body, at that moment Apito opened her mouth wide, intending to shoot her ace. 

Queen of needle—Apito bets her life on releasing the strongest poison needle. It wasn't created with demonic qi, it was a part of Apito's body. 

Hard enough to penetrate even "magic steel" with ease. The poisonous needle poured all the power at a very close distance to release, and Apito believed that even the force field in Minute' body could penetrate. 

Minute' power compresses Apito, and Apito unleashes a poisonous needle through the force field towards Minute—the winner is about to be decided. 

The result was a tie between the two sides. 

While not quite winning upset Apito, she had done her part and that part was satisfying. 

Death is not the end. She can be resurrected countless times in the maze. 

She looked forward to the moment of resurrection and disappeared from the scene. 

After determining that Apito had disappeared, Minute decided to quietly recuperate until the wound healed. 

Although the attack just now crushed the heart, Minute was still alive. He won't die from this level of injury, the wound will heal after a while. 

I can fight a battle like never before, Minute is content. 

This showdown was pretty awesome. I would love to taste a little more. That'll prove I'm the strongest… 

Immersed in the afterglow, Minute thought so. His feverish emotions were high, but he was still not satisfied. His instincts backtracked on the idea of still wanting to go up against someone stronger. 

Wanting to push and go beyond your limits. He believes this makes him stronger. 

Like in response to thoughts like Minute, there are anomalies going on this time of year. 

A certain voice rang out. 

“—This was a good fight.” 

The voice exuded a kingly air of making others obey. 

"My 'name' is Zegion. You are qualified to fight me. If you want to fight with me, come before me. 

As if guided by this voice, Minute's closed eyes opened again. 

He saw before his eyes a dark vortex that appeared at an unknown time. 

This is going to make me have fun, right? That being the case, I must respond to the invitation… 

The body not yet healed but not afraid, Minute stood up. And then… 

Undaunted, he went to the place where the other party had invited him. 

***

Once upon a time, there was a paradise called "Monster Country".

It was one of the secret realms that existed around the world, the paradise that people called Evergreen. 

Nowadays it's gone. 

It was ravaged by the Imperial Army twenty years ago and has disappeared from this world. 

Thinking about that day, the Nine-Tailed Kumara was literally losing herself to anger. Because of her lack of strength, she lost her mother and partner. 

The Great Mother is a monster, possessing power comparable to that of a demon lord. However, she is gentle in nature and definitely not hostile to humans, a monster with a good heart. 

Indeed, the king of the monster race, who is hostile to humans, is called a "Demon King". It was a force other than the Ten Demon Lords that was a threat to humans as well, right? 

But this has nothing to do with "Monster Country". 

The monster tribe is the monster tribe and the demon lords are the demon lords. And the Demon King was just a demon lord whose race was not even known. 

But humans—no, for the Empire, the existence of Nine-Tailed Kumara was not allowed. In order to show his country's might to the subjects of the Empire, the “Monster Country" became a victim to make an example to the others. 

The location of “Monster Country" is right on the edge of Demon Lord Clayman’s territory and the Eastern Empire's borders. Hidden between the foothills of the Gustav Mountains and the Imperial Forest is a junction to the Otherworld. 

There are resources from the forest, mountain products, plus a stable climate. The paradise of Evergreen is not a place to live in, it is very comfortable. 

Since they were on the edge of the border, they could not help but think that this side would not be attacked. A private treaty of non-aggression between the Demon Lord Clayman and the Empire. 

The current state of peace has made people unconscious of the crisis. 

Suddenly, armed soldiers quietly attacked the "Monster Country". The warriors guarding the village were useless even if they resisted, and all their partners were killed. 

The mother, the previous generation of the Nine-tails, also died at that time. 

Despite having power, the mother hates fighting. Although the opponent was human, how could she defeat a professional soldier who was particularly good at fighting? 

Then, the Nine-Tailed Kumara would definitely not forget that man. 

“He's called Kansas, isn't he? I remember. He was the enemy who killed mother and everyone else, how could I—“ 

Kumara said hatefully. 

The bearded man with a disgusting smile on his face was a hateful enemy, and even killing him would not satisfy the Kumara. 

In return for payment to Clayman, Kansas surrenders the youngest child of the Nine-Headed Beast, Kumara, who was captured alive. And all the treasures that the village had accumulated were used to enrich them. 

They told their subjects that they had removed the threat posed by the "monster country". 

And this supposed threat is really all a self-directed criminal act on their part. In order to let everyone know that "Monster Country" is dangerous, they brought in nearby residents and a few merchants so that everyone could see these people being brutally killed. 

And the fearful subjects looked upon them as heroes… 

It wasn't someone else who revealed these things, it was Clayman. 

If the Nine-Tailed Kumara hated humans, then her power as a monster would be enhanced. As the monster aura increases, so does the "rank" of being a magical creature. 

Precisely because the Nine-Headed Beast was a very valuable demonic beast, Clayman determined that the Nine-Tailed Kumara would become a warrior in the future. Fortunately, Kumara survived as a pet. 

As Clayman had expected, Kumara accumulated resentment to increase in strength. And was also selected as a subordinate of the Clayman Army—the thumb of one of the five fingers. 

Then it was a mistake to let Rimuru pick her up. 

It was there that she remembered what happiness was, and the contact with the children healed the wounds of her hear—just as the resentful enemy was reunited with her. 

"To kill you. I'm gonna tear you apart with all my might…” 

The Nine-Tailed Kumara muttered, waiting for Kansas to arrive. 

Relatively, come see Kansas. 

Even if he was the only one who had been made to wonder where the place was, he was unmoved. 

Kansas is a soldier who climbs up one step at a time. The empire practiced power-ism, and this man was like a symbol of the empire, climbing to his present position with a pair of fists. 

It doesn't matter if you do something bad, this man is the embodiment of the desire to be great. 

Even the matter of the "monster country" was no exception, and he believed that it was justified behavior that could strengthen his position and strength. 

A little sacrifice for the peace of the majority is not worth it. What he does is a necessary evil, and he is not even guilty of it. 

While greatly questionable in terms of humanity, the strength is unquestionable. 

Had he entered the battle of the rankings, he would surely have been selected in the top 100. The reason why it didn't turn out that way was because Kansas had no interest in joining the Imperial Emperor's Order of the Near Guard. 

He valued his own interests more than his loyalty to Emperor Rudra. The most important thing is to have an officer that Kansas can trust from the bottom of its heart. 

This officer is Major General Minute. 

He and Kansas, in addition to being neck and neck in strength, were men who valued Kansas and promoted him. 

‘I want Minute to get to the top of the legion and hold all the power under him myself’—that’s what Kansas is aiming for in life, and he dreams of that day coming and working his way through. 

He therefore saw this invasion as the perfect opportunity. 

Anyone can see that Calgurio's missteps were inevitable. No, Kansas conspired with Minute, intending to make arrangements privately first to get people within the Mecha Legion thinking in that direction. 

Just save the general soldiers who were left in the labyrinth and give them a favor, then a new faction can be created soon. 

By that time Calgurio would be useless. 

"Oh, laugh at that. How could such a naive idea be allowed to emerge when one wants to climb to the top of the legion on political power alone?” 

It was because it would not be overheard that Kansas laughed heartily at the chief. The next step was to look for the surviving men with no change of face. 

As the day passed, even Kansas began to feel a little strange about the situation. 

Let alone the fact that the labyrinth is filled with forests and deserts where not even a single figure can be seen. Not only that, but not even the magic object was in sight. 

No matter which floor it was, it was quiet to the point of eerie, nothing was happening that even made one feel like an idiot for keeping a vigil. 

Of course Kansas wouldn't take that little thing lightly, but his "danger foreknowledge" was completely unresponsive, which made Kansas even more uneasy. 

Well, it seems the intention was not to neglect me. So that's where they've concentrated their war power somewhere, right? 

Kansas' insight is daunting. He guessed right. 

"Hahahaha, I didn't expect to be greeted with such a big show of joy! Then I'll make myself at home, if you'll excuse me!” 

Doing things spritely enough, that's what Kansas is good for. Thinking that even if there was a trap, so what, just destroy it, he started running, wanting to head for the floor below in one breath. 

The speed was so fast that even the wind couldn't keep up, Kansas ran wild all the way. You can move several meters just by stepping on the ground, only to come to the stairs in a flash. 

A few hours passed… 

Something appeared in front of Kansas, and it was the gate of a vast oceanarium. 

The styling is luxurious, as if it would bring a sense of oppression to the visitor. 

Immediately after, the door opened soundlessly, the battle began. 

*** That beauty was so beautiful that even the most beautiful woman in the world lost face, with a warning smile on her face that made people's chills stand up straight, Nine-Tailed Kumara went to greet him.

"Welcome. You're welcome.” 

Hearing her say hello, Kansas responded with a smile. 

"That's very polite. Your face is nostalgic. You were the little fox back then, weren't you?” 

"Do you remember? That’s delightful.” 

"How could I forget? Because your mother helped me get ahead.” 

Sparks shot out between the two. 

This is not an illusion. The physical phenomenon was triggered by the fierce conflict between the demon qi and the fighting qi. 

"I can't believe I'm saying this without flushing!” 

"Hahahaha, you survived unscathed. Thanks to me selling you to Clayman, you survived. Thank me.” 

“I’ll kill you.” 

The killing qi had increased even more dramatically, and Kumara roared out these words. 

As if to echo the words, the white ape appeared. In order to show his opponent how powerful the Chief of the Eight Sects was, he began to attack Kansas with sticks in succession. 

"Is it a monster that survived? In that case, let me show you something interesting too.” 

With that said, and without any preparatory action, Kansas summoned a magical creature. 

It was a dark ape, a monkey with a black fur coat. 

"You, you are Mother's servant…!" 

That's right. 

If it was true, he was one of the tail beasts owned by the Mother of Kumara. 

"Yes, you do. You miss it, don't you? Let him be your opponent. 

The Dark Ape is also a magical beast with a good heart. Kumara also has memories of playing with him, however… 

The dark ape that brought back deep memories showed a fierce expression and bared its fangs. 

"Have you forgotten your friend?” 

The Dark Ape could not hear the Kumara’s voice, “Kirk…!" The ground let out a sharp cry and ran towards the white ape. 

"It's no use. That monkey has become my faithful servant. About you, he doesn't remember anything.” 

Kansas himself did not participate in the battle, he took the tobacco out of his arms and began to light a cigarette, looking at Kumara with a bad smile. 

"What did you do to the dark ape?” 

"Huh? That's a hurtful thing to say. Are you doubting me?” 

That answer was like mocking Kumara. 

Finding that Kansas didn't mean to answer seriously at all, Kumara was furious as she continued with her next move. 

"Moon Rabbit, Black Rat, you come out!” 

The tails of Kumara turned into a demonic beast. 

That makes it three against one. Once again, Kumara's side had the upper hand. 

But it was also only for a brief moment. 

"Come out, mute rabbit, dark rat.” 

I didn't expect Kansas to cooperate with Kumara to summon the monsters. 

Even Kumara was shocked by this. 

"How, how…?” 

"Surprised, huh? Only, I was just as surprised. I didn't expect you, a brat, to summon three tailed beasts. 

Looks like Clayman is pretty good at conditioning too.” 

Kansas said those words seemingly despising Kumara. There's a reason why that attitude is so confident. For the monster beasts that Kansas summoned were stronger than those of the eight tribes under Kumara. 

"What a pain in the ass. The game is over here.” 

As soon as the words were said, Kansas called out more magic beasts. 

"No way! Even the Dark Tiger and Dark Snake are called out!” 

Only stronger than the individual strength of each one, those magical beasts under Kansas. It's no wonder. The mother of Kumara was a previous generation of Nine-Tailed Beasts, and those Monsters were her faithful guards. 

There were five such powerful magical beasts. At that time, all of the calm and benevolent aura had disappeared, and the raging instincts had been liberated, blocking Kumara in front of them. 

At this point, Kansas considers himself a winner. No matter how much the young fox Kumara had grown, there were only three tail beasts at most that could be manipulated, he thought so. 

After all, even the mother of Kumara could only call out five tail beasts. If it was a demon fox that had lived for thousands of years, it was a different story, Kumara had only lived for a few hundred years, and Kansas didn't think she could make that much power. 

That's why Kansas arrogantly put out the word. 

"If it were you now, I could keep you as a pet. You will betray the Demon Lord Rimuru and come to my side. That way I can spare your life.” 

The tone of voice was less like a bargaining and more like an order. 

It was certain that you would win before you dared to say those words. Yet there was a fatal misunderstanding in Kansas. 

The Nine-Tailed Kumara was furious. 

The smile on her face grew deeper and more beautiful. 

"You're a funny guy. I'm sure you've come to your senses to make me so angry.” 

This question doesn't need to be answered. 

Kumara released all of her tailed beasts, the rest of her men, the Eight Sects. 

Those that appeared were Thunder Tiger, Pterodactyl, Sleeping Sheep, Flaming Bird, and Mirror Dog. 

All eight are hereby present. 

"That's not possible! There had eight of them? You guys…” 

It wasn't until this time that Kansas first showed a look of panic, but that was only for a moment. He immediately found his composure and a dismissive smile appeared on his face. 

"I should be commended for growing to such an extent that it surprised me. But even so, it's still our side that's fighting better.” 

"Shut up!” 

"It's terrible, terrible. That being the case, there's no need to go on and on about it. I'm going to twist off your arms and legs and decorate my room.” 

The negotiations were concluded. 

Immediately following, an eight-on-five matchup ensued. 

The eight sects were more advantageous in terms of numbers, but the opponents were all elite Beasts who had served the previous generation for long years. 

There is a disparity in the amount of magicules accumulated. The most important thing is the difference in experience. 

The white apes and others weren't weak, but those dark demonic beasts were stronger enough to flip the disadvantage in numbers. 

As time passed, the eight sects began to take the lead. Yet even so, Kumara did not give up. 

She observed Kansas's appearance and next thing you know, she noticed something. 

Each one of the magical beasts summoned by Kansas was strong. And the only one who remains rational despite the complete loss of memory. 

Faced with Kansas's instructions to react quickly, it came down to the eight sects again. 

On the flip side, by beating Kansas, who was in charge of the order, Kumara had a chance to win. And there's a killer weapon on this side of Kumara. All it takes is for the eight sects to return to themselves and become the way they should be. 

Kumara thought that would beat them in Kansas. Therefore, Kumara did not panic at all, but gradually analyzed the battle situation. 

And then look at the Kansas side. 

This side looks like it's going to be fine, but it's on the verge of breaking point. 

There was certainly a reason why it was necessary to tame these dark demonic beasts. The secret lies in the power of Kansas. 

The unique skill of the “Marauder”—that's what Kansas has. 

There is little point in this force alone. It's a skill that doesn't have any effect. 

When Kansas was small, he sensed the power. He got into an argument with someone over something trivial and killed a friend's dog in revenge. After that, he was able to summon the Dogs of Darkness. 

Just that alone can more or less make a difference in combat, but the real value of that skill lies elsewhere. 

One thing was discovered when Kansas joined the army to crush the border guerrillas. That is, after killing the opponent, you can summon a "dark avatar" that has the same power as the opponent. 

And there's another thing Kansas has discovered. That is, creatures that can be summoned are limited to being killed by him. 

In other words, the more people you kill, the stronger you become. 

Still, there are limits. 

Through this power, it's not that killing someone can add all the power to oneself, it's that only the maximum can be obtained. 

Whoever you kill will be able to perfectly reproduce the other person's posture and skills. If you need to perform infiltration missions and so on, it is very convenient to disguise yourself and is a very versatile skill. 

But there are limits anyway. That is, there is no way to summon a "dark incarnation" that exceeds Kansas's own capacity. 

If there was a way to do that, it would mean that one person in Kansas could manipulate an entire army. 

It's not that omnipotent any more, Kansas itself has a limit of autobiographical energy. 

Kumara saw through that accurately. 

So even though the current situation was bad for her, she didn't panic. 

"I know you've reached your limit, haven't you?” 

"Yes, so what?” 

"I don't know how you manipulate the dark apes, but no problem. Because just kill you and it's over.” 

This was the battle situation analysis made by Kumara. 

The men of both sides fought evenly, but the commanders of both camps did not participate in the battle. As long as Kumara stepped in to deal with Kansas at this time, there was no way he could give orders to those Dark Beasts. 

In addition, if we only compare Kumara with Kansas, we can see that the amount of magical element is much higher than Kansas. 

"Don't worry. The slave will not let you die too painfully.” 

As soon as these words were said, Kumara immediately disappeared from the scene and came behind Kansas in a flash. Then extended a claw intending to slice Kansas's neck. 

Kansas also made a counterpart. 

He admitted that Kumara was right, but he still didn't change his easy-going attitude. 

"So scary. If I had known you would grow to this point, I would have killed you first at that time.” 

"Shut up!” 

"Ho ho ho, don't be so angry. Consider it a gift, I'll show you something interesting.” 

Kansas laughed when he finished. 

Indeed, Kansas’ "marauders" only has the power to call out the creatures he killed. There was also a limit to the number of people who could call out, and the strength of Kansas itself could only be strengthened to the same extent as the first strongman who had been defeated earlier. 

Only, Kansas still has a hand in it. 

He didn't hesitate and decided to make out at this time. 

"Do you know why I sold you to Clayman? Do you know why I let you go when I knew you'd be a powerful warrior? That’s…" 

This was because there were simpler ways for him to have achieved greater power than taming the Kumara and raising her. 

Kansas made those dark beasts disappear, summoning a huge beast in their place. This was the source of Kansas's power and the reason he didn't need Kumara. 

"That, that face is…Mother…!" 

There appeared a dark demon fox. 

There are five thick tails and four thin tails. With a total of nine tails, she was the mistress of "Monster Country". 

Only the appearance became ominous, completely invisible to the kind face of the living. 

“Ha ha ha ha! That's right. This one is your mother. However, she was manipulated by me, so she was able to use all of this guy's berserk power. It's fantastic. You'd love to see that too, wouldn't you?” 

Her good nature became a big taboo, holding compassion for her enemies. Therefore, even though she possessed the power comparable to the Demon King, she kept a low profile and hid herself, keeping her interactions with this world to a minimum and living peacefully. 

That's what the previous generation of hostesses looked like today. Will have to wield real power through the hands of Kansas. 

"You want to fool even the dead, don't you…” 

"Wrong, it's called a tribute. I'm just trying to put that power to good use, and she should thank me.” 

The dark beast that Kansas summoned out of the city was so slaughtering at the sight of Kumara that not a hint of emotion surfaced in its eyes. Only glancing towards Kumara, that look was like looking at an enemy. 

“Mother…" 

"Kill her.” 

Following the order, the monster began to move. The next moment, the full force blow released by the Integrating Dark Tail Beast swept towards the eight tribes. 

"Pterodactyl, Dog…!" 

Two of them were slower, and this move left them heavily wounded and back in the tail of Kumara. 

There is such a powerful force. It is obvious to see that the eight sects have no chance of winning. 

"Ha ha ha! How's that? Isn't that interesting? It's because of this power that I don't need you. But just looking at the number of tails, you seem to be better than your mother. It just doesn't look like you have enough experience, but I'll make it up to you. Oh, well, it was nice to let you off the hook. If even you can get your hands on it this time, then I can get even more power!” 

Kansas is full of joy. 

He didn't see himself losing at all. 

Possessing the strongest Nine-Tailed Beast, and being strengthened herself, strong enough to rival her. 

Possessing such a powerful fighting power, one could not possibly lose to that little fox. Kansas is convinced of this. 

Even Clayman, Kansas looked down on him. 

Originally, he had planned to use the power of the beast that was comparable to the Demon King’s until the fire was pure, and then come back to clean up Clayman, but he never expected to lose to the new Demon Lord Rimuru. So Kansas mentally taunted Clayman, thinking he was no big deal. 

However, Kumara in front of him was able to summon eight tail beasts. Looking at individual strengths and finding them inexperienced, Kansas is not yet invincible, but growing up it's hard to imagine how strong they will become. 

That's why I said I got lucky. I'm going to kill this one here and stain that body with my power! 

In that case, Kansas's power would have risen dramatically along with it, right? A newcomer to the district, a demon lord with this power would be able to take care of anything. 

With that in mind, Kansas began to attack Kumara. 

Originally, Kumara was still standing dumbfounded, at which point her head shook and her mouth muttered something. 

"If you lose your cool, you lose…I haven't forgotten what Hinata-sama taught me." 

Next, she began to look at the slowly approaching men and magical beasts. 

"Come back, everyone.” 

Reacting to this, those tail beasts all turned into light and were sucked into the tails of the Nine-Tailed Kumara. Next, her nine tails also began to radiate dazzlingly. 

The man and the beast were close at hand. 

However, Kumara did not panic. 

The tail beasts were inexperienced, she admitted. 

Only, she herself was not like that. 

She had an excellent master and a partner to cut her teeth with. Stay in a great environment and hone her to be even stronger. 

Claws and sharp swords closed in, and Kumara gently grabbed both with her right and left hands. 

“—!” 

"What, you guys!?” 

"I don't think yo’ve heard my name yet. My name is the Nine-Tailed…” 

"What, there's a name…!?” 

"I am the Nine-Tailed Kumara.” 

Claws were shattered and short knives were snapped. 

Kansas hurriedly pulled away, and Kumara showed him an overwhelming smile. 

"You don't have to remember. It was intended that you would savor the miserable death slowly, but that would have been too much of a burden for us. So…" 

Before the words could even be said, the dark beast had already been torn apart. By the hand of Kumara, the previous generation of the Nine Tailed Beast was dismantled in pieces by her. 

"How could…!?” 

The incident was so shocking that it caused Kansas to let out a cry of forgetfulness. 

It was the strongest pawn in his hand, and now it was disappearing before his eyes. 

Kansas’ ‘Marauders’ skill differed from the Summoning only in that they form the Dark Incarnation on an entity basis. Thus the vanished individual can no longer be called out. 

At this moment, Kumara had reclaimed the mother who had been taken from her. 

"You, you…” 

"If I were any stronger, I'd make you suffer. It's a shame, but it's almost time to end it.” 

"Wait, wait…!" 

That kind of stupid talk, how could Kumara listen to it. 

Kansas' bitter plea simply could not reach her ears. 

“Farewell." 

When that was said, Kansas' life span came to an end. 

The Nine-Tails Strike—with a glowing tail slashing from all sides, this left Kansas shattered and dead in a few strokes. 

This is the Nine-Tailed Kumara. 

Possessing an alluring beauty, coupled with the generous will of steel, even to the point of coldness. 

‘I still think about what I've lost, but I don't miss it.’ She knew that death was irrevocable. 

So not continuing to be taken away is the point. 

Despite losing the Monster Country, the current Kumara had a home to return to. To avoid having this home taken away from her, that was the most important thing to the current Kumara. 

"I also wanted to give everyone a chance for revenge, forgive me.” 

In this way, Kumara successfully took revenge. 

Her mother could not survive, but she had found her dignity. 

This incident made Kumara's heart content and she smiled from the bottom of her heart. 



*** 

One man meditated quietly. 

He had a darkened exoskeleton with gold stripes on them. 

Like a shining ruby, a horn protruding from the center of the forehead looked like a sword. 

There were dark red compound eyes below the horns, and these eyes were not closed. They will absorb the information around him and process it continuously in the brain. 

As for the exoskeleton, it was modified on a whim by his lord, Rimuru. The cells of Rimuru and 

"Magic Steel" replenish the lost parts. 

Nowadays it is very much in tune with one another and becomes part of one's own body. Its strength surpasses that of diamond, while at the same time being as flexible as a living creature should be, it can even be called the living body magic steel, with unparalleled performance. 

It was the natural armor equivalent of the legendary level. 

However, it’s definitely not the exoskeleton alone that makes him so strong. This "strong" nature stems from the instinct to thirst for battle and never tire of it. 

To this day. 

A new prey came before him. 

Everything is as it should be. 

He was the strongest man in the maze. 

He is the strongest guardian, the "Bug Emperor" Zegion. 

And then… 

Zegion thought to himself. 

The will of those people has been confirmed and they are qualified to fight with him. 

That's why he called the other guy over. 

To make them come to this dark space. 

The people who were able to reach this floor were lucky. 

The pride of being a strong man, of being able to satisfy the dignity of being a human being, to die in such circumstances. 

........... 

........ 

After walking down the steps leading to the 80th floor of the maze, there is a hut where you can rest. 

To show that there are no traps inside, the house has no doors and is open to the public. 

A luxurious door could be seen from the depths of this room. Behind the door is this level’s floor guardian room. 

After walking through the dark vortex, it was this room that Minute arrived in. 

The room is slightly lit, with fruit and drinks on the table, practical necessities, and even comfortable chairs to sit on. 

Several people have been first to this place. Minute’s eyes widened slightly, trying to recall if these men had met themselves. 

The men who had seized such a Minute and were sitting in the chairs talking stood up. 

"Major General Minute, are you all right? I'm a member of the 26th Mechatronics Regiment…” 

"Greetings. This maze wasn't that easy to mingle with, allowing the district's soldiers and subordinate generals to survive. I know that very well.” 

Raising a hand, Minute stopped the other from introducing himself. If it is a person whose identity is above that of a superior general, all the names and units of configuration he can remember. Yet Minute was unimpressed by these people in front of him. 

This represents only one meaning… 

It means that even those of A level or above will have to work hard to survive this maze. At least take a look at the worm-type demon Minute had knocked out just now, even if it was useless to get a big ticket to deal with her. 

Some superheroes have broken through the power mark, but only a small number of them are capable of dealing with such opponents. 

A strongman like that couldn't be willing to serve as a subordinate sergeant, so Minute could speculate on the true identity of the group before him. 

"Yes! It is indeed as you said. I am the seventeenth ranked man in the Order of the Imperial Emperor's Near Guard—the name is Krishna.” 

"I'm the 35th, Bazan.” 

“I’m the 94th ranked, Reiha.” 

"Mmm. You're really all knights of the Emperor's guard, aren't you? The reason for infiltrating our army is to monitor this battle.” 

“Exactly." 

"Even if you answer honestly like that, it's still a bit of a problem, but not this time. Let's leave that alone for now and talk about what to do next.” 

"We just happened to be discussing whether we should do the same.” 

“Mm-hmm." 

As if taken for granted by his own expectations, Minute continued to let the conversation go on. 

Although the fact that he was being watched made him feel bad, what mattered now was how he survived this showdown. 

What is needed now is not class and position, but strength. So Minute has no desire at all to delve deeper into their position on Krishna and believes that something meaningful should be said first. 

"So, what happened to everyone else?” 

"Back to your word. The floor we were teleported from is mentioned in the report, there is a Necromancer over there.” 

On behalf of the three of them, Krishna gives the answer. 

Minute urged him on by sight. 

"We have only ninety-six men short of a commander to face off against the evil King of Necromancers. 

After the battle everyone else was…” 

"It's incredible. We have gathered together a thousand warriors who can act on their own judgement even when no one gives orders. It's not as good as you guys, but they're all elite members of our army.” 

The purpose of this battle plan was to rescue the Imperial soldiers. It has been envisioned for various scenarios, and even the smallest of the end of the line has A-grade strength. 

It was unbelievable that all those soldiers had been killed, so Minute intensified his tone of questioning. 

"That guy is a terrible monster. And the Necromancer who guards that king is also a top swordsman.” 

"Except for the three of us, everyone else was killed on that floor. If there is criticism that we should have shown up earlier, there is nothing to be said for that. Just facing the Necromantic Dragon and the Necromantic Sword Saint, plus the Immortal King, it would be a miracle that even we survived.” 

Krishna talked to Minute halfway through, and Bazan interjected. He spoke with a tone of anger, on the one hand, and as if chagrined at their misuse. Anyone could tell he meant what he said. 

"It's rude to speak to the Major General, Bazan.” 

"But Reiha-san…” 

"No, it's okay. This maze is dangerous. We should not talk about identity here, but rather work together to kill a way out of this.” 

Minute put those words out, offering to work with each other. 

Since the opponent was the Order of the Emperor's Near Guard, then the strength was impeccable. 

Now is not the time to be on this tit-for-tat. 

"With your words, it's like a shot in the arm for us.” 

Krishna was also well aware of Major General Minute of the Mecha Legion. Rationally speaking, even if he was that strong and joined the Imperial Emperor's Order of Near Guard Knights, it was not surprising that he refused to cooperate. 

Krishna waited for the three and Minute nodded silently at each other. As for what's planned after leaving this maze, just think about it then. It was at this moment that the four men reached a consensus. 

"By the way, what did Lord Minute go through before he got here?” 

"I took on a whole swarm of legionnaires.” 

"Legion Bee…!" 

It was a representation of a dangerous monster. Because it's too dangerous to dispose of quickly once discovered, people generally don't know much about it. Once seen they are almost always killed on the spot, so the general public is less aware of such magical things. 

“You were alone in the face of such a dangerous monster?” 

"Since entering this labyrinth, you have met no one else but yourselves. In my case, I was summoned by a voice after beating down the Legion Bees and the Wraith Queen who was suspected of ruling them. 

I've come to this place in a flash. 

"I see, I see…” 

After hearing Minute give a straightforward answer like this, Krishna was impressed. 

Once the Queen Bee turned into a monster, the strength could be said to be beyond imagination, and the strength was afraid to be comparable to that of a low-ranking demon lord. The fact that you can put that kind of opponent with her men to pack up together, do not know how powerful the body of Minute harbors, think of this side will feel that this person is worth looking up to. 

Because of the constant tension, Krishna hadn't noticed that Minute was covered in injuries until just now. There was also a large hole in the chest, reminiscent of what a fierce battle had been previously experienced. 

"And how are you?” 

When Reiha finished asking, Minute smiled and said, "That's a long time coming.” 

"I've got the medicine ready to go. A little rest and some strength will be restored. Forget about that for now, which route did you take to get to this room?” 

The man who holds the reins is Minute. Despite saying that they were on equal footing with each other, the Minute still had the big official posture to ask Krishna to do their bidding. 

After that, the three men also shared the intelligence at hand under Minute's domination, each of them. 

One thing they found out later was that the maze was twisted in its construction. 

Exit reports are so far removed from reality that no benchmarks can be found. Like a blind man touching an elephant on a maze quest, the path that follows is all unknown. 

"But what the hell is going on here? The opponent we're dealing with is also mentioned in the report, it's the 60th level of the barrier demon lord, right? Why doesn't Rimuru let us start from the first floor and follow the sequence?” 

It will take more time for us to get up that way. If it's just going to leave us in a state of exhaustion, it should be done right, shouldn't it? Bazan spoke out the doubts in his heart. 

The man who gave him the answer was really still Minute. 

"It's simple. You've heard the rumors about the maze, right? Even if you go in for the challenge, just equip the bracelet and you'll be resurrected. What do you think would happen if this effect worked on all magical things?” 

“Ah…" 

Hearing someone say that, Bazan let out a cry of dismay, while Krishna and Reiha picked up the slack for Minute with stony expressions. 

"Rather than letting us spend time on the strategy, it would be better to let us in one by one, as that would drain the Imperial Army's strength.” 

"And as soon as you come in, you can't get out. That would be talking about breaking us up individually." 

Minute uttered a 'exactly so' and nodded. 

"Of course, that's because of the confidence in the fighting power inside the maze. I have actually mentioned this to Lord Calgurio as well. But he said we'd take control of the resurrection stronghold and just wait for the monster to come back to life and kill it each time. That makes sense, so I'll just have to back off.” 

It was revealed after the fact that the plan had failed, and Minute said this bitterly. 

In the end, the Imperial Army sent over half a million general soldiers. Sending the fighters in in batches was the most stupid thing. 

The minions of the Demon Lord Rimuru were responsible for guarding this maze, and the reason for this ending was because we misjudged the strength of the other side. 

"Were any survivors found?” 

“This…" 

That statement alone says it all. 

They must assume that there are only a few of them currently surviving. 

"It's not so much a reluctance to believe as it is a reluctance to believe. If anyone survives and comes back to the surface, it's imperative that everyone retreats as quickly as possible." 

"I'm sure His Majesty will be angry, but there's nothing we can do about it.” 

No one bothered to disagree with that conclusion. While this is the approach to be taken, the next step is to grasp the status quo. 

"What's this place like?” 

"No poison was found in the drinks and fruit placed here. I do not intend to receive charity from the enemy, but this is clearly intended to entertain us.” 

"And that door. It won't open with either push or pull, but you can see the numbers on it, right? We were all talking before you came and wanted to say if that was counting down.” 

Behind that doorway located in the depths, there seemed to be an indescribably thick aura of monster matter wafting out. And the door that Bazan pointed out did have some numbers written on it. 

That's obviously indicating time. The numbers say two hundred. It should mean that the door will be open in another three hours or so. 

Coincidentally that time coincided with the time it took for Minute’s physical condition to fully recover. 

It didn't feel like an accident, and Minute sighed helplessly. 

"It seems the enemy wants to fight us who are fully prepared. It's not exactly dangling, but at least the other side seems to be waiting for me to recover.” 

"And it doesn't look like we're waiting for a group of people to arrive for a separate challenge?” 

"That means the opponent is confident in his own strength, right?” 

"We and the Lord Minute have killed the King of the Dead, and he really underestimated us.” 

"But don't be polite to him at a time like this. In a little while Kansas should be coming over as well, and it would be in our interest to buy some more time.” 

"That's true. The more people who can fight, the better. If even Lord Kansas joins us, breaking through this maze isn't impossible, is it?” 

"Exactly. That said, the keys we have now, there are currently seven of them. Did Sir Minute get something like that, too?” 

Reiha said while pulling out a badge. There are ten crystals set on it, seven of which are glowing. 

This badge is the key that gives the right to challenge the king of this maze. 

"Of course. In order to challenge the King of the Labyrinth, the Ten Lords of the Labyrinth must be defeated. The Imperials already had four keys before we came in.” 

"Yes. It's not just the Necromancer, the Necromancer we defeated seems to be one of the Ten Lords of the Labyrinth as well.” 

"So it is. If Kansas wins and gets the keys, the minimum number of keys that can be added to a waiting opponent is nine. There was only a faint glimmer of hope, but there was always a bit of a clear path to follow.” 

If they could get back on the ground right away, they'd probably swear never to come in again. This maze is just so treacherous. 

Yet that wish is unlikely to come true. 

If the enemy had not been defeated afterwards, they could not have made it back out alive. As early as the time they entered the labyrinth, they already had this realization. 

All they can do now is move forward. 

So much so, that Minute and his crew did nothing but wait for Kansas to arrive, while resting on one side. In order to increase the chances of winning, physical fatigue must be removed as much as possible here. 

Although there was no need to worry about poisoning, everyone did not go to eat the food prepared by the enemy. 

Each person took out their own carry grain and did what may have been their last energy boost. 

Take a chance on living. 

When only three minutes remained, Minute stood up. 

After confirming the badge he was disappointed to find that the glow had not increased. 

“...maybe Kansas lost the battle.” 

Even as the wait continued, reinforcements seemed to show no sign of coming. 

This made Minute shed naive expectations. 

He judged the situation calmly and gave the correct instructions. 

"It's time. It's about time we got ready, too.” 

The words made the Emperor's near-guards nod their heads speechlessly. Then they took out their pendants and chanted briefly in unison. 

“Open!” 

In a flash, a stream of light erupted and the three men were armed. 

There were three Emperor Close Guards, plus Major General Minute, the strongest man in the Mecha Legion. Although there were only four people in total, the people gathered here were among the best in the Empire. 

With a team like this in place, breaking through the maze is no dream either. Yes, everyone is so convinced. 

And just like that, the moment of destiny came. 

Time counts down and the rest goes to zero. 

Meanwhile the front door opens. 

Everyone is ready to wake up. 

They didn't hesitate to walk through the door and throw themselves into that matchup that bet on their chances of survival. 

........... 

........ 

There was darkness in front of the door. 

It's a completely dark space where not even light can shine through. 

Reiha hurried to light up with the elemental magic of light 'Wide Range Lighting'. 

The sight that appeared there took the crowd's breath away. 

The place was a vast wilderness, with the bodies of Imperial generals and soldiers piled as high as mountains. 

At the highest point there was a magical creature that was meditating. 

That's Zegion. 

Not sitting directly on top of the body, but floating slightly in mid-air. 

Just looking at it was proof enough that Zegion possessed a high degree of magic. 

"Welcome to you, warriors.” 

The voice was low and flooding. 

Zegion just said the word and a strong sense of oppression appeared throughout the space. 

This time Minute could be sure. 

This monstrous creature was the one who had drawn him to this place, the Demon Lord Rimuru. 

So without thinking, he asked. 

"You are…the Demon Lord Rimuru, right?” 

He had already read the report that said the Demon Lord Rimuru was a Slime. 

But how is that? 

Since it's a Slime, it's not surprising to be able to morph into various forms. 

The most important thing was that this creature released a rather overwhelming "Demon Lord Qi". This proves that the creature is the Demon Lord Rimuru, or so Minute thought. 

He didn't expect that statement to piss off Zegion. 

"How dare you mistake me…for the great Lord Rimuru…" 

“What?” 

An intense rage enveloped the space. 

Seeing such a violent reaction from the other side, Minute this time realized the blunder. 

"My name is Zegion. Just one of the Ten Lords of the Labyrinth. You foolish men who crawl on the ground, it is not a pity to die so foolishly.” 

Despite the passion that burned in his heart, Zegion only blandly informed. 

"There is only one way for you to live, and that is to defeat me. Burn your lives and struggle as hard as you can!” 

Although he spoke arrogantly in the face of the heroes of the Empire, the tone did not sound arrogant and complacent. 

It made it clear to the Minute that knowing Zegion was stating what he knew to be the truth. 

Trying to get him to retract those words, as Zegion said, can only show strength. 

"Guys, we're going all out.’ 

"Yes, sir.” 

"Got it.” 

"I see." 

And just like that, a truly ravaging showdown ensued. 

***

True or false—that’s what I'm saying from the heart.

That said, Benimaru and I were staring at the scene reflected on the big screen. 

The image shows what was going on inside the labyrinth until not too long ago, and now it has become quiet. This means that all Imperial General soldiers on all floors were killed in action. 

The battle is over. 

However, the sight we just saw was too much for us to talk about. 

"That guy…might be better than you?" 

In the end, I finally managed to say what I really felt in my heart. 

Presumably unwilling to admit it, the look on Benimaru's face was hard to watch. 

"On that part, there are a few possibilities…" 

The tone in which he spoke felt very chagrined. 

Benimaru also muttered in a small voice ‘but not to the point where the probability is zero at best.’ 

Just admit it. 

It's time to be honest and admit it. 

"Kufufufufu. I also fought against the one called Zegion. In addition to having intimidating combat credentials, he is also a worm-type demon beast, a demon nemesis, able to directly nullify even half of a man's magic. Truly an apprentice of Lord Veldora, a careless one could have defeated even me. Just not admitting defeat is not a loss.” 

Losing doesn't count! Just like that, although Diablo said it with a smile, it didn't seem funny to me at all. 

Razul was also one of those cases where certain high-ranking members of the Worm-type Demon Beast belonged to the Demon Race's natural enemies. It looked like Zegion had also become such a being. 

By the way, it looks like Testarossa and the girls have challenged Zegion as well, but I hear there is no record of winning until now. Being able to see the chagrined Testarossa, Diablo seemed very content. 

But just the mere fact that it was a tie with Zegion, those three girls could be said to be exceptional. 

Having seen the combat situation just now, I sincerely think so. 

Then let's try to review the battle just now. 

........... 

........ 

The battle within the labyrinth ended, by and large, as predicted. 

Being able to successfully convince a few enemies was a highlight, and Kumara’s victory was also worth applauding. 

While the Adalman group and Apito's side had regrets, it can only be described as encountering a tricky opponent. 

That said, there's a guy who rounds up all these masters and even gives them time to nourish themselves. 

That's all Zegion did. 

Through Operation Space, Zegion forcefully called over the masters he recognized. 

His five senses were really scary. He must have been watching every battle while meditating and paying attention back and forth inside the maze. 

They didn't intervene until the winner was decided, only bringing in the strong ones who had survived. 

That guy is really messing around. 

If losing in such a case was simply idiotic, I'm sure the other Ten Lords of the Labyrinth wouldn't remain silent. 

Yet everyone else was fine with it. 

On the one hand because the people who lost the matchup had no business complaining, but more importantly—everyone acknowledged that Zegion was strong. 

"It shouldn't be a problem to leave it to Zegion.” 

There's even news that Veldora has decided on the guarantee. 

In my opinion and Benimaru's, I hope Zegion sets his sights on actually winning. If the enemy is defeated accidentally… 

Although this layer of worry was inevitable, there were only four people left on the enemy side. 

Complaining over a little thing feels very mosntrous. 

So I decided to stop being a pussy this time and give Zegion permission to be capricious. 

Plus, they can gather combat intelligence. 

It seemed like fun to see Zegion get serious this time, so I decided to just go with him. 

The results show it was all a rampage. 

In a phrase, it's a one-sided fight. 

The first to start the action was Bazan, who had been alone against the Necromancer. In his first move, he used his full strength to kill Zegion with a sword strike that could shatter even the earth. 

Zegion defuses the left hand by using it in a way that doesn't hinder his opponent's movement. As the crossbelly of the sword was pushed away slightly, Bazan lost his center of gravity so that he was unable to deliver a continuous attack. 

Zegion didn't let the break go, and managed to burrow into each other's arms like that. The right foot stomped on the ground with force, and at the same time, the right fist was aimed at the enemy's armor and struck over. 

Only then did he wonder how much power was contained in that punch, and then he realized that the hardness of that punch was comparable to legendary level. 

The glowing armor shattered, and Bazan died as a result. 

It wasn't even three seconds after the fight started that this thing happened. 

The gang probably didn't react for a moment to the sudden death of their partner. The female wizard whose name was Reiha was dumbfounded. It should be clear what would happen if such behavior appeared in front of Zegion. 

She's still lucky. 

There was no pain or fear, just death. 

The Reiha, who had been sliced in two with a hand knife, went limp. 

Seeing this scene, Krishna, who had beaten Albert, let out a shout. 

"Hey, hey, hey, hey...! How dare you kill Reiha! Go to hell, you monster! Dimension Cut…" 

Anger escalates into fighting spirit, and Krishna shows divine skill. 

The so called Demon Extinguishing Subdimension Chop can cut through all defenses and even cut through the subdimension. If I didn't have a space manipulation skill like "Space Domination", it would be impossible to fight against it. It wasn't too much to say that it was a must-kill technique, this strike was even comparable to the Holy Sword Technique. 

But it didn't work on Zegion. 

“Ridiculous." 

After saying that, Zegion began to twist around. 

Hey, isn't that one of the "Absolute Defense" moves of Covenant King Uriel—the Space Twisting Defense Field!? 

Let me use it, the "absolute defense" that is admittedly going to be broken, and Zegion uses it perfectly. 

Facing a stunned Krishna, Zegion said to him. 

"Lord Rimuru granted me this skill, no matter what kind of attack it is, it won't work!” 

I don't remember teaching him. 

<<“……”>> 

Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, it turns out you did the right thing… 

Speaking of Zegion's spatial dominance, that's beyond the scope of unique skills. It's nothing compared to what I use. 

No wonder it's only about fighting, he can fight Veldora to the point where he's evenly matched. 

It's no wonder Krishna's attack was blocked. 

Now that I've seen it, Krishna and the others, they don't stand a chance, but… 

"Listen to me, Krishna!” 

The man, who seemed to take dressing very seriously, was remembered by the name Minute. Minute called out to Krishna. 

"This guy's not simple. Do your best to give him the death blow while I blunt his movements!” 

It looks like they haven't given up trying to win. 

They may be the enemy, but I want to compliment them like that. 

Minute is going to let Zegion bask in his power. 

That force I have also analyzed. The battle of Apito's defeat was not in vain. 

It's a unique technique called "suppressor" to manipulate gravity. Through this force, Minute let the surrounding gravitational pull focus on Zegion's side, intending to hold him in check. 

It's a pity… 

It didn't work on Zegion. 

By distorting the space around him, he was also able to manipulate the flow of gravity and defuse it. 

It turns out there's another use for it—and that surprised me. 

That said, how did Zegion get so strong? 

The doubt in my mind began to swell. 

Is that that Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, has a way of guiding Zegion? 

<<Answer. Perhaps you have forgotten that the Master gave his flesh to him. Under the influence, the 

“soul corridors" have been interconnected.>> 

I remembered. 

Having previously rescued the dying Zegion, I did mend his wounds with a part of my flesh. 

But to put that into perspective, Apito had the same conditions, didn't she? 

<<Answer. It is because of the difference in talent. The physical performance of the individual named 

"Zegion" is extraordinary and has imposed the maximum degree of hyper-optimization. The result allowed him to acquire abilities similar to those of his master.>> Apito was good enough, but it didn't seem to be enough for Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom. It seems to be satisfied with Zegion, and I don't have a concrete idea of how good Zegion is. 

That said, what the hell is hyper-optimization? 

That's simply a big makeover, right? 

Although that was the first time I heard it… 

That is to say, the crystallization of the interest of Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, is equivalent to Zegion being right. With this layer of perception, it's no wonder it's so exaggerated when you think about it. 

It's only right that Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, who is known for often going too far, should be fooling around again without my knowledge. 

Possessing the ideal fighting type, this guy is particularly good at fighting. That kind of Zegion blossomed after special training with Veldora. Unusual people simply could not deal with him. 

And then, as expected. 

"Dimension ray!” 

Only to see Zegion spread out his right hand, five fingers, and casually swing it downward. Just this action cuts the subdimension—in other words there is a spatial disconnect. 

There is nothing that can be done to combat this phenomenon without space manipulation skills. 

Although the two men from the Imperial Army had reacted early, there was no point in just taking a one-sided beating. 

Krishna intended to use the Monster Extermination Subdivision Chop to counteract it, but couldn't defeat his opponent and was cut in half. The power gap is clear at a glance. 

As for Minute's side, he was going to release interference waves around himself, knocking the spatial break off balance, but…it was a pointless struggle. In the face of spatial distortions, almost all physical phenomena are impossible to counteract. 

The expression of surprise on his face was indescribable. The first defeat of a man who has never lost a battle to anyone—that look is what it looks like. 

Maybe it's not too late to admit defeat and Minute is out of the way. 

........... 

........ 

And just like that, the fight began before even a minute had passed and the challenger was dead. 

Presumably that was it, Zegion had been strong to the point of being a mess. 

Although Kumara being so strong as to be abnormal also surprised me, Zegion's strength was not something she could match. It even made me think he might be better than me. 

No way. This isn't working. 

It’s already beyond the limits of biology. 

He’s the Superman of beasts, which is even better than Hinata getting serious. 

According to my calculations, even Apito is strong enough to be on a par with Carrion and Frey. But even this Apito, against Zegion, wouldn’t last more than three minutes. 

If Zegion fights for real, the winner will be seen in a flash. 

No, that's no longer a showdown. 

It is unilateral decapitation and extermination. 

How could such a strong master be nesting in a maze? 

What a waste, huh? That guy's a secret weapon, though. 

Can't let this guy out into the world. 

It's decided. 

However, even so… 

I originally thought that the world was full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons, and I thought that I hadn't taken it lightly, but…I didn't realize that there were such superhumans hidden in our territory. 

I always thought he looked like he was strong, but didn't expect far beyond that. 

There really are some other things in the world that are mind-boggling. 

That said, let's put those aside. 

There were other things to reflect on this time. 

I find that casually leaving things in the hands of Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, can really get out of hand. 

I don't have time for trouble over there right now. To see if it was doing any other good, it seemed necessary to get Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, to have a good chat about this matter later on. 

Thinking on the one hand, the battle inside the maze ended without incident, giving me a temporary sigh of relief. 

***

In this way, out of the 700,000 Imperial troops that had come from the ground, more than 530,000 had already been packed up.

While it was essentially carnage, to me it represented nothing more than obtaining half a million 

"souls". 

That makes a total of over seven-hundred thousand people. Seven subordinates can be allowed to evolve. I’ll wait until the rest of the ground combat is over before I consider who to let evolve. 

As for this ground game, there's no room for carelessness just yet. 

"There are less than 200,000 Imperial troops left. It's still a big army, but it feels like very little compared to when it started.” 

"Right. It had been two days since they had last sent troops into the labyrinth, but nothing had moved since. Nor does it appear that there is any intention of sending any more troops in. If they continue to cling to the labyrinth, then the enemy commander will be too incompetent.” 

Also, Benimaru is right. 

The opponent's battle strength was gradually draining away, so normally, he would not continue to send troops into the maze. So that we don't have to kill out. 

Now that the soldiers who had surpassed the A level were gone, the enemy's fighting power had plummeted. Despite the large numbers, we should still be able to cope. 

Thinking so, or feeling worried. 

"So what's next? Not only is it better than the number of soldiers, but it's also the other side that has the upper hand, right? If the Second Legion is sent directly there, there will be casualties no matter what, right?” 

Can we just nest in our territory and wait for the other side to run out of food. That way our side can win unscathed. 

Inside the labyrinth there was an accumulation of some grain, and we relied on those to fight for a year. 

There was also a certain amount of cultivation going on, and if anything went wrong, it was up to Ramiris to ask her to increase the amount of farmland. 

If it is prudent, we should implement this operational plan. 

"The enemy's supply line is down. In fact on a strategic level it was us who won. It's gotten to this point, and all that's left to do is follow up…" 

"Hmph! As said earlier, we're not going to let those invaders go back alive, are we? It's true that Benimaru is very reliable!” 

Benimaru was only halfway through his explanation when Shion interjected. After hearing her words, Benimaru revealed a dark smile. 

It seemed as if she had been right. 

"The empire cannot be allowed to have that kind of boring ambition again. In order for that to happen, we must kill all the invaders.” 

Benimaru also spoke the same words as Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom. 

If you want to destroy half of the Imperial Army, Benimaru can't be satisfied, but you still have to follow the original plan to kill all the enemies in one piece. 

This man really has no mercy on his enemies. 

Things have come to this, and I'm not going to object. 

I'm ready to come to my senses. Even if I will be resented, I will only be hated by the subjects of the empire. 

It's just that, at any rate, I want to avoid even the West cursing at us… 

<<Answer. There's a proposal I'd like to try to see.>> Oh? 

It seems like there's still a record on Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom's side. 

Seeing that it doesn't say anything like that, it's probably not sure what the odds are. 

Can that be implemented right now? 

<<Answer. No. It takes preparation and some time, and hopefully can wait until the war is over.>> I see. 

That being said, there's no way to start some weird experiment while you're at war. Although I don't know what it's going to do, the person responsible for implementing it is me. 

I’ll talk to Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, about this later. 

I pulled my attention back to the Benimaru. 

He's going to burn down the whole enemy, which I accept. Then there's the very important request, which is really just to hope that there are no victims on our side. 

"We can't die on our side. Is there any way to do that?” 

"As long as we, the leaders, are out there, no one will die." 

Still as confident as ever. 

Hearing these words from Benimaru, not only Diablo and Shion, but even Geld, who was a gentle man, nodded along with them. 

"So what exactly should we do?” 

As soon as my question was thrown out, Benimaru began to illustrate. 

"The guards at Lord Rimuru's side must not move.” 

Everyone listened and nodded. Looks like everyone agrees on that. 

"As for the intruders into the labyrinth, they killed all but Michel and Raymond, right? Then there's no need to be so vigilant.” 

As for the two people mentioned now, they are still taken as captives. It didn't look like they would betray, so there were no restrictions on their movements. 

Just to be on the safe side, we’ll let them stay on the sixtieth floor first, then ask Gadra to keep an eye on them over there. 

Guessing that they might get bored, Gadra asked them to look at the fighting on the various floors. We also have a record of the reaction of Michel and the others at the time, who watched the Ten Lords of the Labyrinth all dumbfounded in combat. 

"Isn't that right? Just like I said, defecting to this side is the right thing to do, right?” 

"Just say it. Be thankful for us.” 

"We're going to have three dinners to show our appreciation.” 

"Geez, don't give them a hard time. We've been down the same road and can appreciate how you feel." 

That was probably the case, Gadra and Shinji and the others even stepped in for comfort. I guess there should be no need to worry about them. 

In this way, it is important to note whether there was an invasion of the town before the war started. 

"Souei, is someone invading the town?” 

"Don't worry. It's all taken care of.” 

Looks like it is. 

But since Souei had answered like that, that meant it was a great relief. 

<<Answer. This time the invaders of the maze were all but eliminated. It is confirmed that the individual named "Krishna" has used the "Resurrection Bracelet", but he has gone outside the maze, so it is not a problem.>> Ah, so Krishna is still alive. 

Although he was strong, hearing Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, say so, the relevant information was all in hand. That would be no problem. 

"Anyway, the inside of the maze seems to be safe, so there should be no need to worry so much. 

Meaning people like that Kansas, Minute, and Imperial Emperor Close Guard Order, those ranks would be better than me before I became a Demon Lord. According to Chloe, it seems that I didn't evolve into a demon lord before, so it wouldn't be surprising even if I was killed.” 

I did not summon Diablo in that time and space, and he was not there. With Veldora not yet resurrected again, Zegion should still be in the same state he was in before he evolved. 

Even in terms of combat power, it should be too weak to be compared to the present. 

If the Empire attacked under such circumstances, it would not be surprising even if we had no way to defeat them and I lost my life. 

<<…Impossible.>> 

No, no, no, I think it's possible. 

I know that the King of Wisdom, Master Raphael, hates to lose to others, but it's too much to lose to say that. 

After all, it was still "The Great Sage" at that time. 

<< “……”>> 



Hm, can't tell. 

It's been a long time since I've talked about winning. 

It's pointless to argue for a win-lose for something like this. 

"Indeed, perhaps Lord Rimuru is right…” 

Benimaru agreed, looking unlikely to accept it. 

That said, Shion just won't admit to anything she says. 

"No! How can you lose a battle!?” 

No, no, no, let's just say it's possible. 

As much as it's tempting to say that history will prove everything, we're now headed for a different history. Facing a person of Shion's type, it would be difficult to explain to her if the truth wasn't really in front of her. 

I gave up explaining to Shion and decided to continue discussing things. 

"Anyway, there's no point in talking about that now. The point is that there are masters on the Empire side too. There may be other masters left, and we should never take them lightly. People say I can't have fewer escorts, and this sentiment makes me happy, but I don't want you to get hurt because of it.” 

The labyrinth should be safe, so it's best to take a breath and get to know it. 

I thought about it so much that I said those words, but they seemed to contain an incomparable amount of power. 

"Geez, since Lord Rimuru has said that, I'll strike too, and make this war over in the blink of an eye!” 

"Diablo, I won't let you run away! This is a great opportunity to introduce my secret troop to Lord Rimuru, and I'm definitely not giving this opportunity away!” 

"My lord, please wait! Wouldn't it be too much for you to give Testarossa and Ultima a chance to be active and me the only one who doesn't? Trouble has ordered me to attack this time too!” 

Diablo, Shion, and Carrera, who opened the door and rushed in, began to clamor and scramble to strike. 

"You guys…” 

This time, Benimaru also had silly eyes. 

Even Geld began to laugh darkly. 

"I know, I know. I will stay here and leave the final showdown to you.” 

As a result, in the end, even Benimaru gave Diablo permission for them to fight. 

***

In this way, the question becomes what kind of combat plan is to be implemented.

"To confirm strength. The main force is my Red Legion of 30,000, plus Geld’s Yellow Legion and Orange Legion who deployed an elite 17,000. From a qualitative point of view, they should also be able to compete with the remaining Imperial soldiers. We should be able to take tactical action according to the circumstances, and if we confine the battlefield to certain areas, we will have the upper hand most of the time. By the way, Shion, what is the approximate number of your secret troops?” 

The current battle strength is 47,000? On average, it's equivalent to a B+ rating, which is more than enough combat power. However, the Imperial Army is nearly four times larger than ours, and even if it is used to our advantage, it may still be defeated… 

"Ten thousand in all. By the way, only those who can survive my special training are left inside, so they can be considered as having a minimum of B+.” 

The Pro-Guard of Shion—commonly known as the Shion Fan Club. 

Unlike the "Yomigaeri", the captains of this mysterious force are all Dagruel’s sons, and it seems to be even bigger than expected. 

"Are there really that many?” 

Didn't think they’d add so much without paying attention, which surprised me so much. 

I know Gobzo was in attendance, and there were all sorts of other people joining in as well… 

"Yes! In order to make them worthy enough to serve as Lord Rimuru's pro-guard, I have secretly exercised them!” 

Well—…let’s say it's not mine, it's yours. 

Never mind. 

It's times like these that reliable partners should be happy. 

"But it's still overwhelmingly negative in terms of numbers. So I want to expect the leaders to perform. 

First, use a big move to throw your opponent into chaos, then take advantage of this time to kill them. 

And of course the enemy is not silent and dry-eyed. Let's assume they're going to get in the way, so somebody's going to have to take the lead, it's just…” 

Originally, this task was expected to be given to Benimaru. 

At times like this, the "Black Flame Prison" is the most suitable one to use a large scale burn attack. 

Only it's a pity that Benimaru is staying here as my bodyguard. 

So who should go? 

"My lord, isn't it my turn to play?” 

Well…that's right. 

It felt like she was well suited for the task. 

I peeked at Benimaru and ended up eye to eye with him. He nodded faintly and let me decide to assign the mission to Carrera. 

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, let me this time—“ 

"Leave it to Carrera. You're going to use super-glam magic to destroy the Imperial Army!" 

"Leave it to your men! Looking forward to it, my lord!” 

Ah, Diablo just seemed to have something to say halfway through as well. 

"Sorry, Diablo. What were you trying to say?” 

"No, nothing. Kufufufu. Not a very important thing. Great, Carrera.” 

"Mmm! I'm so happy." 

It always felt like there was a spark between Diablo and Carrera. 

Was that guy Diablo going to recommend himself? 

It would be embarrassing for him if that was the case, but would Diablo use mass magic? 

It should work. 

He was going to give it his all, right? 

Just thinking about this side makes him feel a little pathetic. 

"Sorry, Diablo. In fact, I was just going to ask you to take care of the Supreme Commander on the enemy's side!” 

I jumped out of my chair, shifted from Slime into human form and stood in front of Diablo. Then put a hand on his shoulder, meaning to say. 

“Huh!" 

Only to see the look on Diablo's face ease up. 

It looked so happy, the whole crowd was ecstatic. 

That's fine. 

"Maybe the enemy still has a master we haven't seen, right? That guy named Krishna seems to have come back to life just now, and tracking that guy's aura is easy for you, isn't it?” 

This guy has a bit of a stalker streak and should be good at this kind of thing. It was based on this thought that I asked, and as a result he replied cheerfully, "Of course, Lord Rimuru!" 

I thought to myself, ‘Sure enough,’ while nodding my head. 

"There are likely to be intimidating masters lurking on the Imperial side. In order to force those guys out, we have to show them what we can do this time. Carrera, Diablo, please!” 

"We vow to do our best, my lord!” 

"Kufufufufu. What an emotionally charged order from Lord Rimuru!” 

Great. With the opportunity to make an appearance, Carrera looked happy, too, and Diablo's mood changed for the better. 

That way they'll be better off in Geld too. 

"In order to avoid the obstruction of Carrera’s magic, other troops were sent to thoroughly intimidate each other. If someone does come out to get in the way, then Shion will send her troops to deal with them.” 

After I finished speaking, Benimaru took over to give instructions. Looks like he'll have no problem with leaving everything else to him. 

"As for the formation, Geld will be in charge of playing the lead, and the Shion side will be playing guerrilla tactics, as mentioned earlier. The pursuit looks to the Red Army for firepower, as to who will be in command—” 

That person needs to be able to link to Benimaru using "Communication Network" to immediately reflect what he means. The wrong action on the battlefield can be fatal if you accidentally take the wrong action. So there is an absolute need for people who can make fine corrections. 

Gobuya should be well suited for the role as well, but the burden of giving instructions to Shion or Geld might be too heavy? 

"Then this time send Gob—” 

"Wait a minute!" 

Someone interrupted Benimaru's words, and at this time the door to the control room suddenly opened. 

Someone came in, and it was Momiji, the leader of the Tengu Clan. 

She is also the daughter of Hakurou and is close to us. Having said that, it's a problem to be able to easily enter the control room in the midst of such heavy guard… 

"I was kindly invited here by Lady Shuna.” 

I see. 

Shuna prepared dim sum and tea for us, and did it without any fuss. It looked like Momiji had been helping her. 

Since that made it okay, I decided to come and hear what Momiji had to say. 

"As for Lord Benimaru's agent, as his future wife, I think it's my responsibility!” 

"What are you talking about…!?” 

This battle, Benimaru's agent is not just anyone to call. It's just that switching to Momiji would be fine. 

Her strength was impeccable, her temperament was rigid, and she would not be overwhelmed by Shion and Geld in terms of her aura. 

"Wouldn't that be nice?” 

I decided to accept Momiji's offer. 

"If it's Miss Momiji, she's also a pretty reliable comrade in arms!” 

It seemed that Shion didn't have a problem with it either. Knowing that she was Hakurou's daughter, Shion seemed to have a special fondness for her. 

"I'm with you. The Red Legion is a collection of powerful demons. Instead of just relying on the Red Flame Clan for control, we should have the Tengu Clan come along and help manage it.” 

Even Geld said so, and the other subordinates were okay with it. 

"No one seems to object, so let your wife take care of it, shall we, Benimaru?” 

"No, but…" 

Benimaru wants to object? 

It's not certain, it's possible that one doesn't want to send one's wife to war. 

"I see, you're worried about your wife.” 

"That's one of the reasons…" “Huh? no!” 

Benimaru didn't fight himself as soon as he was in a panic to deny it. Watching Benimaru like this, someone made up an unexpected slash from the side. 

“Brother!" 

With a "pound", the door opened, only to see Shuna-chan standing up in large letters and shouting at Benimaru. 

“Lady Momiji has been preparing my brother's meal for the past few days. I hope to make my brother eat good food and ask me to teach her how to cook. In the face of such a positive attitude, I will not trample.” 

"Yes, is that so?” 

“Yes." 

At this point, Momiji nodded. 

I've actually noticed that too. That's because some places aren't quite cooked yet, compared to the dishes made by Shuna. 

That's why I wanted to answer Momiji's offer. 

"But that incident is not the same thing as this one…" 

“Brother!" 

“Ooh." 

It turns out that even Benimaru can't beat his sister? 

"It's my brother's indecisiveness that's to blame. Because this indirectly made Lady Momiji feel uneasy. 

Since you're a manly man, you should be strong and say exactly who you love!” 

Ah, indeed that's right. 

Albis vs. Momiji. I'm curious who Benimaru will pick, but it doesn't seem appropriate to talk about that right now. 

I sympathize with Benimaru from the bottom of my heart. 

After all, I wouldn't want to discuss such things in front of a crowd. 

"No, Lady Shuna. I'm going to win on my own!” 

This time Momiji firmly declares. 

Ah, the situation was rather unfavorable for Albis this time. 

Momiji's side has bought off the people they should have bought off, so it looks like it's a winner? 

I was just thinking about this… 

"I won't let you sneak away.” 

I didn't expect even Albis to show up. She lazily walked out from behind Shuna. 

"Just now, I finally arrived here with reinforcements from Eurazania.” 

We didn't ask, and we didn't hear about it—that said, Albis brought the letter from Milim. 

"Do your best!” 

That's all that's written above. 

The phrase is being said to whom, and depending on who the recipient is, various interpretations can actually be made. 

All that aside… 

How did Albis come to be in the labyrinth? 

"It was all through Lady Milim’s magic. Wasn't it all the Lord Rimuru's referral?” 

Oh, I see. 

Milim went to get permission to talk to Ramiris through the "mind talk" and sent the army straight into the maze. 

As messy as it felt that way, Milim was capable of anything. 

Then looking at the army led by Albis, there were 20,000 in all. 

It wasn't just the Beasts, even the Winged Clan had come. It seemed that the Beast King Warrior Regiment had also sent several people from their side. 

Even Benimaru put on a bitter melon face after reading this. 

Since it was Milim's intention, then he couldn't refuse the reinforcements that Albis had brought, and the way things had turned out, presumably Momiji would never back down. 

"I know, I know. Momiji, I’ll just give you my army. You will be my agent.” 

"I'd love to!” 

Momiji looked happy. 

The next battle of woman against woman begins. 

"Don't you pull my leg.” 

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

It was as if seeing visions of sparks popping and flying apart made me a little uneasy about whether this would go wrong. 

***

Although something happened, the members to be sent to fight were finally finalized.

Either way Albis and the rest have these reinforcements to look up to. 

We are still numerically disadvantaged, but even so, this still creates a lot of residual power. 

Geld came to the front and gave the back to Momiji. 

Both sides are guerrilla forces. The right decides to configure Shion, while the left is Albis. 

This is slightly relieving, but the war has to start next. I tensed my nerves and asked the legions to prepare for the attack. 

Seemingly impatient for the moment, Shion and Geld set out. Momiji followed in their footsteps, and the control room suddenly became busy. 

The ninety-five floors now turned to a hundred, and there became a vast expanse of empty land. It wasn't to the point where they could conduct military training, but it was okay for all of them to squeeze over there. 

Thinking about this side, I told Geld's Second Legion and Benimaru's Fourth Legion members to stay near the hundredth floor. 

It took about an hour to get all hands on deck, and I decided to go over there for a morale boost. Either way it would require the use of teleportation magic to transport the legions to the ground, and that kind of spell was the only one I would use. 

"Lord Rimuru, may I have a moment?” 

I was about to move over when this time the Souei came to speak in my ear. 

"What is it?” 

"That's right. Just now Moss contacted me to say that he had found a fight on the Blumund side. The investigation revealed that Miss Treyni was engaged in a battle with someone. 

“Huh!?" 

So, about ten days ago, Miss Treyni had not been seen. She said she was going to say hello to the suspicious person and turned out not to be back. 

Have you been fighting the other side ever since? 

"Souei, I'm sorry. Can you go over there and help her?” 

When I asked him so, Souei hesitated for an instant. Presumably he was worried about my reduced escort, but everyone was overly worried. 

I don't think people need to be so neurotic. 

With Benimaru staying here, if anything, I can still call a Labyrinth Lord over. Instead, he should be more worried about Miss Treyni than I am. 

After exchanging a glance with Benimaru, Souei nodded. It looked like he thought it would be okay with Benimaru on this side. 

I didn't expect them to be so worried about me, I was in such a complicated mood, I felt both happy and annoyed. 

But indeed, to the sound of Chloe's words, it seemed that I had been killed. But now that I've evolved into a demon lord—well, that sounds like a flag. 

If something happens, Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, will inform me, and there is no point in being upset there. 

"As you command. Then I will leave at once.” 

“Please." 

As soon as my words were finished, the Souei disappeared. As usual, it's the perfect "instantaneous movement method". 

If Miss Treyni had been fighting, it would mean that the other side's strength was not too far off. In this way, with the addition of the Souei, they should win. 

I'm a little worried, not sure what the opponent is, but we can't take it lightly. To get this war over with first. 

One hour later… 

The empty space on the hundredth floor was crowded by a large group of monsters. 

As soon as I showed my face, all of them stood up straight and the scene was silent and neat to the point of being a little scary. 

Looks like morale is high and very motivated. 

“This…guys! We will use this battle to drive out the Imperial Army. The goal is complete victory. All must come back alive, and not one less. Now go!” 

Let me say this kind of thing a little bit, I'm really not good at speeches. 

Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, has said that it is possible to have it written in its original form to read for me, but at times like this I have to pretend I didn't hear it. 

I could only try to express it in my own way, not expecting the monsters to be receptive. Based on the follow-up reactions, it seems that not only the minions that were there before, but even the newly arrived wizards are giving positive reviews. 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! His Majesty Rimuru's speech was wonderful!” 

"So I can go to death and there are no regrets!” 

"You idiot! You'll be killed if you go to your death!” 

Vaguely it seems that more and more people are saying this. 

I know nothing of those that send silent armies to the ground with teleportation magic. 

***

The scene became very lonely all at once.

Even Shion and Diablo struck out together, and the only people left on the scene were me and Benimaru. 

"They're gonna win, right?" 

"Yes, it should be fine. It looked like the Imperial Army's general soldiers were unmoved, but those heads seemed to be panicking. It was supposed to be the one called Krishna who reported to them on the inside of the maze. Had it been known that the survivors were the only ones left, I would have retreated instead. But until then, I'm not going to let the situation get to that point.” 

Benimaru replied with an unruly smile. 

That's saying something. 

If it were me, I would feel uneasy about not being able to contact my subordinates, so I would think of some countermeasures. 

I honestly didn't think the enemy would completely and utterly fall for our plan. 

"You can't be too greedy in anything you do.” 

"Yeah. War and plunder are usually tied together, but at least our military strictly forbids such behavior.” 

Very good. 

When fighting, the side that loses its cool loses, while the other side that is stimulated by desire immediately gets hot. This time we took advantage of that habit, and as a result the plan went smoothly to the point of being daunting. 

To use this case as a counter-example, be careful not to follow in the footsteps of the other party. 

I was discussing this with Benimaru on my side and was about to return to the control room. 

That's when a possibility popped into my head. 

"If it were now, would it be just you and me?” 

“Right." 

"That's just a hypothetical. If there's an enemy hiding in the labyrinth, I don't think they'll let that chance go, do you?” 

"How can that be? It couldn't have been done at such a good time.” 

"That's right.” 

That's right. 

That's called being too suspicious. 

Even Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, hangs on to reassure that the interior of the maze is safe and sound. Once you start doubting, you can't collect it, and it's best not to think about it anymore. 

Thinking the same thing all the time makes you feel uneasy in your heart. But there was an ominous sense of foreboding from just now… 

<<……?>> 

It's actually nothing. 

Not in disbelief of Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, just always feeling concerned, thinking that he might be missing something. 

<<Answer. Suspicious persons have all been identified.>> I believe you have confirmed that. 

But on the flip side, what if it's a character we know well? 

Eren the the others, for example. Because I trusted a few of them so much, it would be traumatic to be betrayed. 

Of course this one is hypothetical at best. 

Eren and the others had no reason to betray me, and we had accumulated a lot of trust in each other along the way. Presumably it can be asserted that they must be fine. 

But should other people be seen as well… 

<<“……”>> 

The subordinates of the country are fine. 

As for Brother Myormile, he works tirelessly for me. I have no way of doubting him. 

Except for the subordinates, all the other people close to me were people who came to stay in our country after the founding celebration. 

Yes, for example… 

"Mr. Rimuru…!" 

Some came from the "Labyrinth City" side. 

It can't be them. 

The person who waved at the front of the line, who I also knew very well, was Masayuki. There were two others, both of whom were in his entourage. 

Warrior and Wizard, respectively, with names like Thunder and Bonnie. I rarely have conversations with them, and that's because these people have been hostile to me until now. 

"That's just my guess. Maybe there's a chance that they’re lucky enough to want to kill me, too?” 

"No, no, no, that's a bit much to think about.” 

"That's true.” 

My concerns were overruled by Benimaru. 

I don't want to doubt Masayuki either. 

So, Gadra once said that Masayuki and Emperor Rudra looked exactly like each other… 

No, no, no, they just happen to look the same either way you think about it. 

<<Answer. Considering the history of the empire and other dimensions, the probability of the individual's name being the same person as the Emperor Rudra is zero, considering a variety of factors.>> So to speak. 

I'm relieved for the time being that a vocal response is a blessing. 

"Hi, Masayuki. Did something happen?” 

"You ask me what happened! You're giving me a headache by arranging for me to be a military commander without my permission! They even said they wanted the vampire clan to join them temporarily. Didn't you guys just panic and do something? As a result, people on our side started making a lot of noise and talking about what was going on with everyone…” 

Because more and more people are volunteering, it's a lot of work just to straighten these people out. 

The legion was out in force again in this situation, so it was fortunate that there were some bloodthirsty people on their side who were dumbfounded. 

His expression looked dejected, not at all like he was acting. If it were fortunate and suspicious, Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, would have warned me. 

That means excluding Masayuki. 

"Most people stay in their original towns, right?” 

"Yes, that's right…” 

The town was originally above ground and has been moved to a hundred levels below ground for shelter. People were still able to see the sun and the stars as originally, so unexpectedly they didn't find anything wrong with the situation. The war has long been fought, but it seems that some still believe that the two sides are still a long way apart from the ongoing standoff. 

We asked 20,000 Legionnaires to maintain law and order in the town, and because of this, there was no chaos. Just speaking of Masayuki himself, he seems to have gone through a busy day. 

The problem lies with the researchers who live in the "Labyrinth City". Normally they were all supposed to just deal with paperwork, but most of the people Ruminas sent were very powerful, the equivalent of catastrophe. 

These people seem to be called "overkillers", but they have too much time. To them, this war was also like a celebration, and they even went to Masayuki to negotiate with him face to face, saying that their willingness to participate was high. 

The two men, Barkas and Masayuki, who were currently dispatched from the Paladin's side, were trying to find a way to pacify their partner, Maiden Jiu. It's going to be difficult to clean up after this, so Masayuki came to me and asked me to think of something. 

It is possible that they are inciting Masayuki and want to cause a stir. And then come at me again, but in that case, it would have been much earlier to act. 

So this possibility should also be zero. 

I sighed, feeling that I had really overthought it. 

"This is amazing…” 

"Right? Do something about it!" 

"Don't worry. The war is almost over, so just make up some random excuse before them.” 

"No, no, no. You think it's easy to say things that don't concern you…" 

It was fortunate to complain to me with an embarrassed expression that didn't work. 

But he can't underestimate my perfunctory powers. I don't have that kind of time to run off on my own initiative to get into this kind of trouble. 

It's exhausting to be there, so I want to hurry back to the control room. Then let Shuna make a cup of black tea for me and enjoy a delicious cake. 

"You must be trying to escape, right?” 

"Ha ha ha!" 

"What are you laughing at?” 

It's all crap arguments, but that's the essence of perfunctory. 

I wish Masayuki could follow my example and come to the top of this realm. It is because I have this wish in my heart that I will not save Masayuki from death. 

"If that's the only reason you're looking for me, then I'm going to go back first.” 

"Will the war really be over any time soon?” 

"I want to be able to finish today.” 

"We didn't do anything, it sounds so unreal, since when did the war start…?” 

Also true. 

Don't let the general public notice, that's the way I should ideally fight. 

"Right. That's it, just relax.” 

A smile appeared on my face and I said this to make Masayuki accept it. 

That solves the problem. I'm gonna go back to the strawberry cake… 

"Hey hey hey, give me a minute. It's because Mr. Masayuki is giving you the courtesy that we're silent and patient, but we're not giving up on beating you! You've forgotten about this and told us to do this and that. That's too much of a joke!” 

Thought all the problems were solved, didn't expect a new one to emerge. 

It seemed that it was Masayuki who was following Thunderbolt's lead, and this time started to complain. 

"Oh, shit. It's all a misunderstanding. I can't believe that I'm going to use you…” 

I started to make excuses, but it's a lot to say. After all, I do use them, so the trick may not work. 

It is anxiously awaiting the arrival of reinforcements. 

"Hey, Thunder! You're overstating it. Mr. Rimuru is now working for the people of the town, too!” 

Masayuki stepped in to pacify him. 

Thank you. I'll treat you to cake later! 

I looked at Masayuki with a grateful look. 

Thunder didn't continue to complain after being raised by Masayuki. I guess he's still upset, but he seems to have enough of a belly to be able to take it in stride. 

It didn't match his looks, and I thought to myself that this man was unexpectedly mature. 

All in all, that settles one thing. Originally thought so, but didn't realize it wasn't that simple. 

“Thunder is right, just lucky! The demon lord and daredevil were supposed to be hostile. Don't you keep holding back, it's better to finish him off sooner rather than later!” 

Bonnie always steps back as a spectator, and only then does it get heated. 

I was thinking about how to calm him down. 

"If you're lucky enough to refuse to do it, let me do it for you!” 

After saying this, Bonnie began to chant the mantra. 

I secretly thought to myself, "That's enough," and the next second I changed to a serious expression. 

"Holy Purification of the Frontier!” 

How could I—I almost shouted the words, but finally held back. 

Not only was it difficult to use this spell, but only a small number of people could cast it alone. Bonnie was indeed an 'otherworldly visitor' and had heard that he was good with magic, but hadn't expected to be able to manipulate such high order divine magic. 

In other words, he's serious… 

<<Notice. Confirmed intent to kill. The person named "Bonnie" is the enemy!>> It was at this moment that it finally dawned on me. 

Originally wondering how the enemy could be one of our own, thinking myself overly worried. Turns out that enemy is the immediate Bonnie. 

One person acted faster than I did. 

A crisp and sharp sound rang out, it was the result of Benimaru's Taizen clashing with Bonnie's saber. 

"Bonnie, so you…can use a sword too?” 

The one who was so surprised was Thunder. 

This would have been Bonnie's first time with a sword. That means Masayuki and others are clearly Bonnie's partners, but he has been lying to them so far. 

"Hmph, how could I be so stupid as to show off my true style so easily.” 

To strike is to win and to kill, the expression on his face was written clearly. 

"Damn it! You bastard, not only did you lie to me, but to Masayuki-san as well!” 

"What deceitful talk, to make it sound so unpleasant. I only used him to get close to the demon lord.” 

“You—you say use?” 

"Exactly. It's fortunate that everything is convenient for me to do. Thanks to him, I was able to catch the perfect opportunity like this. And thank him.” 

While Bonnie was sparring with Benimaru with a sword, he was conversing with Thunder with aplomb. I probably shouldn't have said that when I listened to that conversation and heard that attention was drawn past him, but she seemed to be hiding a rather high level of strength. 

"Benimaru, I'm going to help you now…" 

"No, this person, let me handle it. Please, Lord Rimuru is in charge of policing the perimeter.” 

I wanted to add in help, but Benimaru stopped me. I decided to trust Benimaru this time and further raise my guard around me. 

Even in this situation, Bonnie and Thunder continued their conversation. 

"Are you kidding me? I can't believe I'm saying that Mr. Masayuki is doing something convenient for you…!" 

"Right. Actually, you've noticed that. The man was no big deal. He was living off his bluff. 

When he heard that, the expression on Masayuki's face immediately became hard to look at. 

Oops, that's a poisonous thing to say—it’s just a thought that comes to mind, at best, but it's a big problem for Masayuki. What Thunder said next was not what we expected. 

"So what? Whether it's a bluff or some other bad move, Masayuki-san is good! Never fails to live up to our expectations!” 

He really noticed. 

Discovering that Masayuki wasn't just a brat who could bluff, he did see Masayuki for what he was. 

This made me impressed with Thunderbolt. 

Masayuki also looked at Thunder with an incredulous look. 

Only to see Thunder appear such a reaction, Bonnie seemed very unpleasant. 

"Tsk, I've noticed you're sticking to him all day long and respecting that loser, don't laugh.” 

He was unhappy to utter such flattering words. 

But I'm the one who should be upset. 

"There's nothing wrong with bluffing. I'm bluffing my way through life, too!" 

"Mr. Rimuru…" 

"Isn't that what it is? I used to be nothing more than a working man, not living in a world with demon lords and heroes. I'm trying so hard, and I don't want to be laughed at by other people who don't know anything.” 

Hearing me say that, Masayuki also nodded speechlessly. 

"You, you…" 

Even Thunder looked at me in confusion as he muttered something. 

I didn't think so, and the conversation went on. 

"That's normal. One must always convince themselves that they are doing the right thing, or there is no way to be king!” 

Taking advantage of the yelling, I walked over to Masayuki. Avoiding irritation to Bonnie, who was opposing Benimaru’s Sword Strike, the action was slow. 

I've been working hard to create a world where everyone can live happily ever after, because everyone is trying their hardest to survive. It is fortunate that I am helping such a person. He's been a big help! I will never allow anyone to look at him like an idiot! 

I came to stand in front of Masayuki and let out the word to Bonnie. 

Hearing me say that, Thunder nodded deeply. 

Immediately afterwards, even Masayuki spoke up. 

"Bonnie, were you going to use me from the beginning?" 

The panicked look just now seemed like a hallucination, and he asked Bonnie righteously. 

"I've just told you all that." 

Bonnie side kept his distance from Benimaru and didn't fall off his guard, mouth so responsive. 

Benimaru also stepped in front of me and continued to stare at Bonnie. Affected by the 'Holy Purification Boundary', Benimaru couldn't bring himself to exert his full strength. It was probably because of this that he didn't just attack in one go, but planned to observe the situation continuously. 

"Is that what Yuuki-san ordered you to do?” 

"What? Oh, I see. Oh, it wouldn't hurt to tell you, but it wouldn't do me any good.” 

And just like that, Bonnie says something that feels very despicable. But he was, for better or worse, going to keep talking to us. 

Was it because the Holy Purification Nexus was stable, and he was sure he had the upper hand? 

<<Answer. No. There is supposed to be some purpose—some information has been detected. There was another person in the team with the individual name "Masayuki". Retrieving the man's intel revealed that the other person was not in the maze. There is also no record of going out. The other person is…>> Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, reported to me with appalling speed. Judging from the fact that the intelligence collation had not yet been completed, Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, must have considered the situation to be very urgent. 

That being said, there was indeed another young girl in the company, named Jiu. I heard that she and Bacchus were working together to placate the Overkillers… 

<<Confirmation completed. A massacre at the Institute on the 100th floor. Individuals named 

"Bacchus" and several "supercreatures" were killed. Urgent measures have been taken to protect their 

“souls…>> 

This is going to be a big deal! 

Bacchus aside, every single one of those Overkillers is a Special A monster. After parting ways with Masayuki, she killed all these people in that short period of time, and it was a bit unbelievable that something like this happened. 

It would be very difficult to beat them if the Overkillers defended thoroughly. After all, they have 

"super-speed regeneration", and they also have all kinds of special abilities. 

If it's a Benimaru with great firepower or a Zegion with abnormal evolution, it's a different story…but even the other “Ten Lords of the Labyrinth", including Kumara, can't do it. 

There is a more important point. 

The information can't be ignored. For all the circumstances within the labyrinth are in the hands of Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom. And yet there's no way to find her, which means that Jiu… 

"Mr. Rimuru…!" 

The voice resounded directly in my heart as it conveyed itself faster than the "Communication Network". It was in this moment that "thinking accelerated" made my physical time longer. 

Was it myself or Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, who reacted? 

Whoever it was, it saved our lives. 

"Go to hell!" 

A black flash of light crossed over and drove straight into my chest. 

Someone—I’m afraid it was Jiu, she's perfectly invisible just to kill me. But I threw away my face and reputation, and fell straight down and rolled on the spot, only to escape the blade that would surely kill me. 

Thanks to that warning. 

The voice came from the petite maiden—the masked Chloe. 

Although the name-calling to me has changed back to its former name, there is no time to correct it now. 

That said, it's bad. 

I clearly did my best to be on guard all around, and Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, was not negligent in his vigilance. It would have been possible to sneak through this network, and then only one possibility could be thought of. 

In other words, this assassin had something like that. 

It's an ultimate skill. 

Finally, I was able to confirm who the assassin was, and that person was really Jiu. She was still as expressionless as ever, but the atmosphere on her body was very different from before. 

It's not too much to say she's like a different person, with a feeling that's both cold and poignant. 

"What a surprise. You've been tailing me without me noticing, haven't you?” 

The assassination plan against me clearly failed, but Jiu didn't seem to panic at all. The black blade held in her hand was shifting from the pendant, and the blade was pointed at Chloe, and Jiu said so to her blandly. 

"You've been fighting people like that in high profile, so I can smell you." 

"You're a little bit tough.” 

"You don't say that, and I'm not little!” 

As soon as the words were said, Chloe immediately turned into the look of an adult. Next, she drew her moonlight rapier. 

That mythical level of light pointed towards Jiu, and then suddenly stopped. 

The masked "hero" Chloe shows up. 

"Geez, this is a great opportunity, but it's just right, and I didn't expect such a big mistake. You're out of your mind, Jiu!” 

After smacking his lips, Bonnie informed disgruntledly. 

"Sorry. I didn't expect to be ambushed. I didn't count on it." 

Not at all unreasonable, Jiu responded. 

These two know each other. And she's a skilled assassin sent here by someone who wants to take my life. 



It looks like they are on equal footing. 

That means Bonnie is also likely to have ultimate skills. 

He and Benimaru stared at each other. 

Jiu, on the other hand, confronts Chloe with her sword. 

In order to protect Masayuki and Thunder, I stepped in front of them and decided to stand guard. 

"There's nothing we can do about it now. Now that their true colors have been discovered and their battle plans have failed, there's no point in hiding their strength.” 

"I agree with you. The enemy should be wiped out quickly.” 

After saying that, Bonnie and Jiu held the pendant, which was the source of the weapon's power, with great strength. Reacting to the movement, the pendant emitted a strong glow. 

The light was familiar. 

"I see. So you're the Imperial Knights of the Near Guard too?” 

When I finished muttering, the armed finished Bonnie nodded with an unbearable face. 

"You have indeed begun to fight against our men and horses. But don't think we're like the rest of the Near Guard Knights.” 

As he said, I could feel the extraordinary strength in him. 

"Let's end this conversation here. Hurry up and kill her.” 

Jiu also wore unique armor on her body. The styles are similar, but this set is black in color, with a sheen floating above, as if the stars were floating in the dark. 

That, I'm afraid, is legendary and the performance looks very close to mythical. 

On that point, so does Bonnie. The color of the armor was gold, but the performance seemed to be on par with Jiu's. The strength of the wearer will most likely be reflected in that armor. 

“Jiu…even you want to do this to me…?" 

Masayuki questioned Jiu in a sad tone, but Jiu looked this way with a cold gaze. 

"That's for sure. It's all a mission, I'm just responsible for protecting you.” 

She made it clear. Indicates that there is nothing further in the words. Since this is obvious, one can imagine just how injured Masayuki was. 

Personally, I'd love to comfort him, but this is not the time to do that kind of thing. 

"Benimaru, be careful! This person is strong. I'm sure there are some ultimate skills hidden in his body." 

"Ultimate skill? Is it the ultimate of a unique technology? You're supposed to be able to fight it with effort and perseverance, right?” 

"I don't think so. I honestly don't think you can win.” 

"Alas, it's more depressing than one might think to hear Lord Rimuru speak with such certainty.” 

I was told so out of cool judgment, but Benimaru smiled patronizingly and bitterly. The look on his face was subdued, maybe there was something he could have done. 

To deal with ultimate skills, only ultimate skills can be used. I don't think it should be possible to subvert this absolute law, but here it is in the labyrinth. Even if there was any eventuality that it wouldn't die, I decided to leave this matter directly to Benimaru. 

And Chloe. 

She is truly the most courageous person in the name. 

Even without her ultimate skills, she can still beat the hell out of Veldora. But it's not actually Chloe, it's Chronoa who's out of control, but the fighting ability is still very good. 

Besides, she now has the ultimate skill, Jugoslavos, the King of Time, so I don't think she'll lose to Jiu. 

If there's one thing that's troubling—it’s her ability to control the power of Jugoslavos, the King of Time and Space. 

So just to be on the safe side, I decree to Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom. 

<<Understood. Now we'll start analyzing the skills the enemy has.>> Shouldn't that be a problem? 

In any case, I'm going to be in a tight position so that I can help out at any time and watch what happens after the battle. 

***

The first person to get started was Bonnie.

He gripped the pendant and applied the force again. The next thing you know, the shape of that thing starts to change, and finally settles into the shape of a gun. 

"So far it has not been revealed to you, but what I am good at is actually gunplay. I'll show it to you as a hand-me-down for your trip to the Yellow Springs.” 

As Bonnie loftily released his words, he lowered his body and struck a cautious combat posture. Next, without chanting, the magic was unleashed and applied to the lance. 

The magic he unleashed belonged to the thunder attribute, which was the Thunder Strike Great Demonic Rain. It was supposed to be a ranged attack, but all that energy was focused on the lance. 

It felt good, but the threat it posed didn't seem as great as expected. 

In order to confront him, Benimaru also inflicted "Black Flame" on his lovely blade "Red Lotus". 

Immediately after, the red blade began to produce black flames, emitting a demonic glow. 

This side is also so powerful that it even makes one think that the command ability is just an additional skill. An aura that made one feel like he was as powerful as a ghost. 

The two men then launched into action simultaneously. 

Originally it was always thought that Bonnie specialized in magic, to no one's surprise that he was also very good with guns. Sure enough, just like he said himself, this man was amazing. Yet it wasn't too much effort for me to keep up with his movements. 

What I'm more concerned about is the "future attack prediction" not being launched. This means that… 

<<Answer. The skill of the individual name "Bonnie" prevents all interference.>> Is that really the case? The reason why the aura of Jiu is lost is also because of some kind of obstruction. 

Presumably Bonnie and Jiu possess a power that is immune to all interfering abilities. The power is impressive…but what's more curious is what the other skills they possess are like. 

Benimaru and Bonnie fought an evenly matched battle. 

The look on Benimaru's face didn't have half an anxious tinge, enough to handle Bonnie. Conversely, come look at Bonnie, who seems to be a bit annoyed. 

The strength gap is that Benimaru has the upper hand. When it comes to comparing the performance differences of the equipment, Bonnie has the advantage. So Bonnie must have felt very bad about it. 

"Looks like you can do something.” 

"You disappoint me.” 

Benimaru's answer made Bonnie's face twist with a look of wonder. Presumably pride stimulated, he glared at Benimaru with a look like he was looking at a pest. 

"How dare you say that for a magic creature. Then when you've eaten this, will there be any way to talk big like you just did?” 

After shouting that, Bonnie spun his gun around on one side as he tried to escape from Benimaru's strike range. He was going to attack and defend on one side and pull away and hit a must-kill. 

But Benimaru wasn't going to let him do that. 

Seemingly completely seeing through Bonnie's actions, he leisurely approached the other. 

It can only be described as awesome. 

I knew Benimaru had been secretly cultivating, but I didn't expect him to grow so much… 

In my opinion, the strength of the Benimaru is still above Hakurou nowadays. Albert was also a very good swordsman, but it was definitely Benimaru who was superior. 

In addition to this, his control of Black Flame is also excellent. Instead of being led by the nose by that force, he used it as his own. 

It seems that the unique skill "Generalissimo" can completely control even his own strength. 

I honestly admire that. 

I once asked Benimaru if Zegion was stronger than him, but after looking at Benimaru nowadays, I wasn't sure who was stronger. Depending on the situation, the Victory Goddess would smile at both of them. 

"Good, good…” 

"There is something to be said while it's happening, fighting those strong men is simply suicidal. And Mr. Rimuru is stronger than them, right? Therefore, don't impose on others in the future.” 

"Understood, Mr. Masayuki.” 

Right behind me, Thunder and Masayuki began this conversation. Those two probably couldn't see Benimaru and Bonnie, only the flashing paddles. But even so, they could still tell just how strong those people were. 

I personally wanted to keep those two men from being hit by stray bullets—should I say from shockwaves, always protecting them with the "absolute defense" of Uriel, the "King of Vows". But it's conservative and hard work. Due to the influence of ultimate skills, it is possible for Bonnie's attack to penetrate the "absolute defense" if one is not careful. 

It's not me that's working hard, it's Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom. 

Those two in the back would just leave it alone for now, more so than them, it was time to pay attention to Benimaru's combat situation. 

That being said, Bonnie's juggernaut doesn't seem to be able to mount without pulling away. He was all annoyance from a moment ago, trying hard to distance himself from Benimaru. 

On the other hand, the Benimaru side is a very easygoing one. A face of indifference pressed Bonnie and began to make him gradually take some damage. 

At this rate, Benimaru will win sooner or later, but it looks like I'm overthinking it. 

In the face of Benimaru's fierce attack, Bonnie didn't stand still for a moment. Seizing this momentary breakthrough, Benimaru picked up the sword that was wrapped around the Black Flame and slashed it. 

It was a fatal blow—as it should have been, but instead Bonnie was smiling. 

"You're really no match for me!” 

The look on his face lit up, as if it was all a sham to be pushed into a corner, and it sounded to him as if he'd seen it coming—no, it was all Bonnie's doing. 

Exactly what is going on is clear enough. 

An ultimate skill can only be fought with an ultimate skill—in the face of this absolute law, all of Benimaru's attacks are nullified. 

In contrast to the smug Bonnie, Benimaru showed a look of chagrin. Even if his unique skill was useless, his sword skill should still be able to do something, which was what he originally thought. 

Yet the reality is harsh. 

Benimaru's swords did hurt Bonnie, but Bonnie's armor all but kept those out of the way, not to the point of fatal injury. And Bonnie also immediately uses reparative magic to heal his own wounds. 

In that case, if Benimaru wanted to win, then he would have to rely on a must-kill blow to win. 

Benimaru is more powerful in terms of sword skills, but Bonnie has ultimate skills. It wasn't easy for Benimaru to do that in the face of a master who was even better than himself. 

Now Benimaru was in a difficult situation. Later the battle was all in Bonnie's favor, with Benimaru only defending. 

***

Just when Benimaru was in desperate straits.

Chloe also suffered an unexpected setback. 

If we just compare strengths, Chloe has beaten her opponent a lot. However, Jiu is good at attacking her opponent's key points and breakthroughs, and does not intend to go head-to-head with Chloe. In addition to this, they also set up a barrier, etc., to prevent Chloe from calling us for backup, making a poisonous fog that almost blinded one's fingers and blurred the opponent's vision in an attempt to create a situation that would benefit him. 

Chloe wore a mask, and those tricks didn't work on her at all. But Jiu kept running away, and even Chloe had a hard time catching her. 

Jiu runs away, and Chloe chases after her. 

The result was a long delay in fighting. 

But unlike Benimaru, Chloe had Ultimate Skills on her. I'm still above, and I don't think it's too much of a stretch to lose to Jiu. 

I thought this side could rest easy, so I didn't bother to pay attention to them, but it didn't look like it was that simple. Just as Benimaru was forced to defend with all his might, Chloe was in trouble. 

"Look at you moving around. You're a good runner." 

"That's for sure. Your sword is dangerous. I think most will be able to penetrate my defensive net.” 

Jiu was cautious. 

The opponent is the enigmatic Chloe, who has been calmly coping. 

Although Chloe's "Absolute Severance" is a unique skill, I don't know why it's so powerful that it's comparable to an ultimate skill. These words were said by Jiu herself, and I think on the one hand it was also in humility, but at least the fact is that legendary-grade defenses are indeed irresistible. 

That's because even that Veldora was bruised by Chloe, and it's safe to say that Jiu made the right choice. 

"You can't beat me if you keep running.” 

"I don't deny it, but it's okay. My goal is not to win, but to cover Bonnie. When Bonnie kills the ogre man, the two of us will kill you together.” 

But then Jiu really had to play that annoying game. Every time I tried to add in help, someone would attack Labyrinth City. 

Far behind them, fortunately, was a town that had been isolated. If that side is attacked, I wonder how many casualties there will be. 

And Jiu started asking Bonnie for assistance. 

"Bonnie, there are unexpected people who want to come in and get in our way. This woman is more tricky than one might think. It's too dangerous to deal with her and the Demon Lord Rimuru at the same time, so we have to adopt a safety strategy. In order to avoid interference, you will support the attack on Labyrinth City.” 

"Understood. I will assist appropriately.” 

As Bonnie also stepped in to attack, it multiplied my burden. 

Masayuki and Thunder have the "Resurrection Bracelet", and the result is not as bad as it could be. 

However, the Labyrinth City is inhabited by people who know nothing about it. 

And it's kind of the safest place to be, not everyone wears a resurrection bracelet. The adventurers who are taking refuge are a different story, and the average resident wouldn't even bother with one of those. 

In addition to preventing stray bullets from spreading, it is also necessary to deal with Jiu and Bonnie's troubles. Since those were all attacks of the Release System, they could be eliminated with the "Gluttony King Beelzebub", but there was no time to help Chloe. 

No, seriously. 

Honestly Chloe was a big help to even run to my aid. If it was just me and Benimaru on the scene, we might have lost the battle a long time ago. 

After all, Benimaru alone was going to struggle to fend off Bonnie's attacks. If you're not careful, you won't be able to resist the attack, so it's hard to interfere with the enemy's attack on Labyrinth City. 

Even so, Benimaru and Bonnie were still able to engage consistently, and that was because Benimaru's skills were above Bonnie's. 

A mere blow to the front would have killed him, and in the face of such a fierce attack, Benimaru blandly defused it. Although the situation was reversed because of the strengths and weaknesses of the skills, it was Benimaru who deserved the credit. 

That being said… 

I had always thought that these guys were Masayuki's followers, but I didn't realize that they had a great strength hidden in them. 

On the other hand, the fact that they were able to hide it from my eyes to this day is a good indication of the strength of these guys. 

Even Ruminas ignored these guys at the celebration. It should be said that Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, did not notice it and could not blame it. 

All in all, it's safe to say that the current situation sucks. 

The Communication Network that they communicate with Ramiris is also hampered, and the other side is acting meticulously. 

Perhaps it was the unease in my heart that conveyed to her that this time Chloe made the bet. That causes unexpected lapses to occur. 

"Now that it's come to this, I'm going to use my best moves.” 

There's still a hand left to break, and if there is, let's hope she uses it anyway. Yet somehow, at this point I had a bad feeling. 

Just then, the whole world seemed to darken for a moment. 

All the movements were still, and the whole person seemed to be fixed. 

Before I could figure out exactly what was going on, it occurred to me where this feeling seemed to have been experienced. 

By the way, just like when Chloe and Guy used to fight… 

<<WARNING. The energy of the individual's name "Chloe O’Bell" is low. Seems to have failed to control the skill.>> 

It was that feeling of time standing still at the time, just remembering this, Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, had just given a warning. That's when I realized that Chloe had turned back into a child. 

"Hey, Chloe!” 

"No way? The power is so inefficient that the current me doesn't seem to be able to use it…" 

"I told you so! It gets harder to control in time." 

Although it was unknown what was going on, Chloe's stunt had definitely failed. And most tragically, the collateral damage caused Chloe's fighting ability to fall apart. 

As it turns out, even Chloe couldn't fully control the power of the "King of Time and Space Jugoslavos". The last time she fought Guy, she seemed to use it with ease. But in reality, these phenomena are almost all generated by the power of Guy, and Chloe just strikes a counterpart. 

Even so, it's pretty awesome. If it is impossible to act in a world where time stands still, then it would be a unilateral defeat for Guy. 

However mock battles are different from actual battles. 

Chloe seemed to be able to make time stand still for a moment, but that seemed to take a lot of energy. 

The fact that she's back to what she is is proof of that. 

It is because of this risk that it is a problem to use unconfirmed skills in actual combat. 

The situation might have been different if Chloe had been able to fully control the abilities of the Time Lord Jugoslavos, but how could one expect that kind of miracle to happen when even Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, hadn't even resolved it yet. 

"Hey, Chloe! Are you okay?" 

"The situation is a bit bleak. Although I was able to return to my original form, it seems that it will take some time for me to regain my original strength…" 

I asked through the Communication Network out of concern, and the next thing I knew, I heard Chloe answer in chagrin. That being said, the situation is not so far from irreparable. Chloe is not completely incapable of combat and can rest assured for the time being. 

"I don't know what you're trying to do, but it's all a pointless struggle. You can't even grasp your own power, and it seems you're doing things more haphazardly than you thought.” 

"Hahaha, thought so. Jiu, it's you who's over-vigilant.” 

Seeing the lapse in Chloe, Jiu and Bonnie begin to laugh at her. 

However, at that moment, a voice rang out in my heart, which could be said to be a help from heaven. 

<<Notice. The skills possessed by the enemy have been resolved.>> That was fast! 

The "King of Time and Space, Jugoslavos," owned by Chloe, has clearly not been analyzed until now. 

Bonnie and their polarizing skills were so simple to analyze. 

It was a delightful miscarriage of justice to be able to get a rough idea of where the other person's skills fell. 

So what's the content? 

<<Answer. It has been confirmed that the skills possessed by the individual name "Bonnie" and the individual name "Jiu" have most in common. Presumably almost the same skill. Search for unique skills based on their uniqueness, and the ultimate skills that go beyond the limits of unique skills. Even so, the two skills are still very similar, which is to say…>> Which means Bonnie and her power is borrowed from someone? 

<<Answer. Yes. It is highly probable.>> 

I see. 

I actually find it a little unnatural too. 

It takes a lot of work to acquire an ultimate skill. Even that Hinata could only acquire exclusive skills, and even the overkillers like Granbell and Ruminas had failed to acquire ultimate skills. 

It's a little hard to say, but that power isn't so easy to take, not for something like Bonnie and Jiu. 

And the ultimate skill will show the nature of the possessor in a dense manner. While they did a great job of obstructing and hiding tracks, they didn't make a stronger play. 

I was on guard, afraid they were hiding something, but it didn't seem so… 

<<Answer. Yes. It has an absolute advantage for magic and exclusive skills, and it can also completely hide its own abilities. These are the borrowed abilities of the individual name "Bonnie" and the individual name "Jiu". According to the energy inversion of those two, they don't have the energy left to make any more powerful moves.>> That's all they're going to use, is that the right answer? 

How things will turn out, we don't know without an end to it. Seeing Bonnie and them laughing, I couldn't help but have that thought slowly come to my mind. 

"Benimaru, Chloe! I know what the secret is behind their power. A tricky opponent, but not insurmountable. In order to defeat them, I have a proposition. Would you like to hear it? 

When I finished asking, the two nodded their heads without saying a word. 

"Of course. If I could have cut that guy down with my Red Lotus Blade, I would have won long ago. 

The tricky thing is that guy's strength is especially focused on defense.” 

In order to avoid losing, Benimaru is ready to keep fighting his opponent all the time. Not confused by the other side's words or actions, always looking to win. Just stalling for time would be enough to wait until Diablo and Shion returned, he was trying to wait for that time to strike back. 

A man worthy of the "Great General" —this man is calm and reliable at all times. 

"I also believe in Mr. Rimuru. If I want to make up for a mistake, if you have a plan to win, you can say whatever it is!” 

Chloe also trusted me. 

Unlike Benimaru, she would have won if she hadn't had a momentary rush. Using the "absolute severance" should cut through Jiu's defensive net and make it impossible to lose one-on-one to the opponent. 

But the incident was a good lesson of sorts. 

Although this exposed the weakness of Chloe who was not yet used to using the ultimate skill, it would only take more improvement in the future. Looking forward to her future performance, let's focus on getting this fight over with right now. 

"Then I'll tell you. I hope Benimaru can connect with me through the "Soul Corridor.” That way, I can lend you some of my power.” 

"Just the way I want it. Although borrowing Lord Rimuru's power feels unhelpful, it was better than losing to his opponent. I promise to win.” 

Benimaru gladly agreed. 

More than personal appearances, he valued practical benefits, much like a choice Benimaru would make. 

I don't think he has to be ashamed of it. If it was a contest of strength, Benimaru would definitely be above the other. 

Thinking on the one hand, I imposed an 'absolute severance' on the Red Lotus Blade of Benimaru. 

That's as powerful as what Chloe is using. I'm just reversing the Absolute Defense, which would be offset if compared to the Absolute Severance, but it should be sufficient against Bonnie. 

That's it for this side of Benimaru. 

And then there's Chloe. 

"Chloe, Chronoa, you listen to me. If the fight continues to buy time, Benimaru can beat Bonnie. And then we'll put Jiu…" 

This time, the exact opposite strategy was adopted. 

The present-day Chloe had changed back to her adult form, but there was still a long way to go before she could return to normal. It's time to play the safety card and actually win. 

All Chloe has to do is buy time before Benimaru wins. That's what I thought… 

"Wait a minute! I haven't lost. If it's one on one, I’ll beat the other.” 

"That is, Rimuru. I've just been pushed by Jugoslavos, the King of Time and Space, but I can't lose if I fight seriously.” 

The Chloes were full of energy. 

I had expected them to say that, so wasn't surprised. I decided to make an offer. 

"Then I have one condition.” 

"What conditions?” 

"Once again, you will use the "Lord of Time and Space, Jugoslavos," to win perfectly. 

“Huh?" 

"If it's only for a short period of time, it's not working for Jiu because it's too short," he said. 

If she hadn't been so hasty, Chloe would still seem to be in full command of her skills. It's a matter of seconds, but it's not enough time to force Jiu, who has great skills, into a desperate situation. 

That's why Chloe was accidentally out of tolerance once, but should be fine next time. 

"I will also help. I'll help you with the arithmetic, you try it again.” 

"In that case, I personally have no problem with it…” 

"Rimuru is opening up the computing field, right? That should control it.” 

Chloe and Chronoa accepted my offer. 

They seemed disturbed, but I was actually in the same mood as them. 

After all this offer came from Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom. 

One can't help but wonder, "Is that okay? But I decided to trust the King of Wisdom, Master Raphael. 

It should have something going for it, this time don't doubt it, believe it and act on it. 

Thinking about this side, Chronoa asked me a question. 

"But there's not enough energy. The energy is currently enough to turn into a combat type, but not back enough to pause for time. Even if the energy efficiency is improved with the help of Rimuru, the current Chloe is not able to use it as well as it should be." 

I actually noticed that too. 

Next it should be expected to lend power, but is that enough? 

<<Answer. Yes. No problem.>> 

Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, gives a firm answer. 

There's probably something to it. I'll stop pursuing this in depth. 

"No problem. If it's not enough, I'll be ready.” 

Though the one responsible for the preparation was Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom. Anyway, those things don't lend themselves to explanation at a time like this, so let me play nice. 

Hearing me answer like that, Chronoa accepted. 

"Got it. Then I'm for it. Let's show that guy.” 

So, the battle plan is finalized. 

We have to start fighting back. 

***

Benimaru wants to change the offense. Before that, it was all by "static braking", and when I gave the effect of "absolute severance", he became "dynamic braking".

This is a sword skill that focuses on counterattacks. And putting the focus on blocking is essentially an offensive and defensive package that won't actively attack. 

In contrast, the so-called "dynamic braking" is more about the offense than the defense. Attacking your opponent in one fell swoop, not letting them take the reins, and achieving a landslide victory—that’s what it is. 

Benimaru sent out his sword to produce a change that surprised Bonnie and began to take a guard position. Despite the reversal of position, his expression at this time was composed. 

Only those moments of calm disappeared. 

The reason why Bonnie showed subdued composure was because it was actually proven that Benimaru's sword couldn't hurt him, and that was what created confidence. But that's all in the past. 

Faced with Benimaru's fierce attack, he was too late to respond, thus allowing Bonnie to appear broken. 

Benimaru then seized on the breach to deliver the fatal blow. 

“How…!?” 

How can he—is that what he's trying to say? 

That strike sliced through Bonnie's body. Immediately after, Benimaru released another smooth strike, splitting him in two from the head. So he didn't even have time to say his last words and just died. 



That being said, Benimaru is really overwhelmingly powerful. 

"If you did this from the start, you would be able to win easily, too, right?" 

"No, if I did, my Red Lotus Blade would break. I felt that armor was not good to deal with, and in order to avoid burdening the blade, that's why I continued to fight in an unaccustomed way.” 

That's not a good idea. It looks like it's a good look, but it's true that Benimaru is better suited for 

"dynamic braking". 

That being said, the Benimaru of today, he was indeed stronger than Hakurou. Originally physically taller than Hakurou, now even his skills are equal to or even above him. 

That's just the way things are, so in earnest, Benimaru is awesome. It was less than a minute from the time he started fighting back to take Bonnie down. 

Chloe was no less. 

"There's just not enough energy!” 

Trying to unleash that force, Chronoa let out a strained yelp. 

And yet right after that… 

<<Answer. No problem.>> 

I also felt, in addition to the calm voice, I also heard someone sadly yell “Yah-ah-ah-ah!" A sound. 

No, I don't know what's going on. 

I had a feeling, should I say definitely, that it was the man's miserable scream I think… 

Even I felt sad after hearing it. 

It's so sad. 

I admit to myself that the fault is not in me, but the reason is in me. 

So, it's really my fault? 

I vowed in my heart to treat him to pudding next time, not only to apologize to him, but to placate him in passing. 

All in all, the energy problem is solved. 

In the next moment, the whole world stopped… 

Jiu followed the ashes. 

Presumably that was it, we had Bonnie and Jiu down, but by this time Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, was reporting to me in a guilty voice. 

<<WARNING. The individual named "Bonnie" and the individual named "Jiu" are confirmed to be alive. Did not account for them having "resurrection bracelets.>> That…never mind? 

It's rare that Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, would make such a lowly mistake. No, when you think about it, it rarely happens, and it's not too much to say it's the first time. 

"Oh, shit. I should've destroyed Bonnie and their 'resurrection bracelets’." 

"No, they weren't wearing bracelets.” 

"Mmm. I've seen it too, nothing of the sort." 

Alas, unlike me, Benimaru and Chloe do things so discreetly. 

They did remember something like a bracelet, combat side confirmed. 

No, maybe I wasn't careful enough. 

In this way, it can't be said that Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, is looking away, but rather Bonnie and the rest of them. 

"Ah, about that…” 

As we were halfway through the conversation, someone added in to interject, and it was Masayuki, who had been watching from the sidelines. When he finished, Thunder followed suit. 

"Actually, a few of us have always thought of you as an enemy, and we didn't take the bracelet honestly. That being said, there's no need to do it for nothing…” 

Thunder said while rolling up his pantsuit. 

I didn't realize the "bracelet" was on his ankle. 

"This is a bracelet…” 

"Uh, we know yeah. But this is a magic prop, right? So wear it here and it will have the same effect. 

Bonnie once said to wear it that way as a little bit of defiance.” 

It seems that Bonnie had anticipated the possibility of things turning out this way before he set aside this hand. 

Benimaru scratched his head and smacked his lips, while Chloe's side was exuding displeasure. I'm sure there's a big fire under that mask. 

Since that is the case, one cannot expect Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, to do some precautions first. 

After all, through Jiu's power, the place was isolated, and thus communication with Ramiris was hampered. Although it should be possible to communicate with Veldora through "mind talk", I don't think it's easy to explain things correctly. 

And considering the amount of work of the King of Wisdom Raphael master, God knows how much information it has to be processed side by side, just to think about it feels like a headache. 

The challenge is to give the Benimaru the "Absolute Severance" and to assist Chloe and Chronoa in controlling the "King of Time and Space, Jugoslavos". The rest is more to maintain my "absolute defense", plus the ability to parse Bonnie and the rest is too much to count. 

In this case it's hard to predict that some idiot will put a bracelet on his foot. 

"It can't be helped…it can't be helped." 

"Yeah. Forget it. We've seen how much these guys are capable of, and we're sure to win the next time we play them. Although it would be worrying to send someone else besides me, one can always think of countermeasures.” 

In the end we came to this conclusion, and Benimaru and I decided to forget about this incident. 

***

Just like that, we held off Bonnie and Jiu.

Not being able to finish them off was a big mistake, but we all decided to forget about it, so it doesn't count. 

Although the betrayal by his peers was a blow to Masayuki, I am sure he will try to pull himself together. I was thinking about this while watching him walk around with no energy, going back to convince the others and watching him. 

The war will continue. Although I'm embarrassed for Masayuki and them, I don't have time for their business right now. 

I decided to leave Masayuki and them to Chloe to take care of, and returned to the control room with Benimaru. 

This time we should really clean up all the enemies in the maze. The only thing left to do was to watch over the last battle, and the room already had a few guests who had come first. 

"Ah, Rimuru! The sudden inability to get in touch with you scared me to death!” 

"Just say it. But I'm not worried at all, and would like to complain to you about it nonetheless. Besides, Ramiris had to come over anyway. So we'll just hurry—no, we'll just come over a little bit and see what happens.” 

Ramiris looked worried, coupled with the towering Veldora. 

‘Please don't take away my magical essence out of nowhere’—although he complains about it, he's clearly worried about me. 

This guy is just such a place to be cute. 

So say Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, you might as well talk to the other side first to get permission before you borrow the power of Veldora. 

<<The…? It's too late to say those things, it won't matter.>> To say that it was too late… 

You've been using it without my permission, haven't you? 

It always felt like Veldora was used to it too. 

If that's the case, then I'm sorry for Veldora. Not only do I have to prepare a delicious snack for him, but I also have to prepare a new comic. 

“I seem to have worried you. But Veldora can contact me no matter where he is, and if anything goes wrong it's up to you.” 

"Is that so? Master?” 

"Ah! Ahem. That's why I said there's no need to worry!" 

This time, Ramiris began to glare at Veldora. 

Presumably trying to hide his shyness, Veldora changed the subject with a condescending attitude. 

"So, since everything's fine, let's hear what they have to say, shall we?” 

Hearing Veldora finish, I looked along his line of sight, only to find Miss Treyni and Souei right there, plus a suspicious man tied up in five flowers. 

I've long detected the Souei of their scent, but who is the other one? 

Miss Treyni looked exhausted and was drinking juice. 

She seemed to have some left in her, so I left it at that. 

I looked to the Souei instead and asked. 

"That's right, I went straight to the place I heard about from Moss and found out that it was this man who was fighting Miss Treyni, our enemy, Laplace.” 

It was Laplace who was tied up in a pile of flowers. 

He had been beaten to a pulp, but at least he had a breath. 

"How is that guy still alive?” 

Benimaru asked Souei in an icy voice. 

It's a rare thing. He's a killer. 

"I wanted to kill him too, but this guy kept insisting that he had to talk to Lord Rimuru.” 

"Must be a trap." 

With one side of his mouth talking, Benimaru drew his blade. 

Just then, the whole of Laplace, who seemed to have air, bounced as if he were a caterpillar. 

I thought to myself how dexterous he was, and at the same time, a little funny. 

“Ahahaha!" 

I seem to have laughed out loud by accident. 

"First, wait a minute! Don't laugh. Stop those men!” 

"I don't even need to salute!” 

The killing aura on Souei's body was even more intense. But that was just fine, the silent Benimaru was even going to cut Laplace to death. 

I rushed to intervene, all in all, to get Benimaru to cool off first. 

"You calm down. After all, we're still in a truce with that Yuuki guy, right? Now that Laplace is here, let's hear what he has to say.” 

Souei echoed my words. 

Despite angry but still obeying the morals, Souei was really forgiving and calm. 

Only then did Benimaru realize that he had been too reckless and retracted the sheath of the Tai Blade. 

"So what do you have to say?” 

"This is a really scary place. The eldest sister over there doesn't listen to anyone either, and she's much better than she was when we met before. That big brother over there was still relatively amiable, but there was no smile in his eyes at all. And that…" 

“Hah?" 

No way, Benimaru. It's time to reveal your hidden nature. 

I coughed and cleared my throat, trying to change the increasingly heavy atmosphere. 

"In fact, if you're like this, I've been entrusted by Yuuki to deliver a message!” 

Laplace also knows how to read the occasion. He cast a grateful glance at me and began to spell out the reasoning here. 

I thought to myself that I should have done this in the first place and decided to listen. 

"That's the way it is. You watch out for Bonnie and Jiu!” 

“……” 

“……” 

Benimaru and I remained silent and couldn't help but look at each other. 

I wish he'd told us that sooner. 

According to Laplace, there was a man named Damrada under the Yuuki. I heard that he is one of the leaders of the "Cerberus", a secret association under Yuuki. But Gadra gives advice, and after some discussion, they discover that it is suspected that Damrada wants to assassinate Gadra. 

Of course Yuuki didn't give that order. So they began to suspect Damrada. 

To say it's suspicious is actually almost certain. Yuuki has made such a judgment, and has taken this judgment as a prerequisite for correctness and re-examination of the actions taken so far. Later he seemed to find quite a few things suspicious. 

This leads one to speculate that Masayuki's companions were all arranged by Damrada and that there was another purpose behind it. That's why Laplace rushed back from dropping off other assignments and was assigned to deliver the message… 

As Laplace's words grew more and more, Miss Treyni's face grew harder and harder. 

Why didn't you come earlier and pass on the word?—that kind of thing where you don't have to ask and know what the answer is. 

"Since this is the case, make it clear that it is so!” 

"That's why I told you several times that there was something very important to say! But you said, 

"Only ghosts believe you! You don't listen to the troupe!” 

"Well, that's all because you're so suspicious. I've also got some unpleasant memories of you slipping away, so I've got all the energy I need to say I'm not going to make the same mistake again…” 

"Don't you think you're overdoing it? You said, ‘Shut up and cut the crap! I don't listen to any explanation!’” 

Seeing the two arguing ugly in front of me, the answer was clear enough. 

"Have you two been fighting?” 

"That, that is enough…” 

The indignant Laplace began to turn on himself. Sounds like it's been a fight, more than a few days, I think it's been about ten or so. 

No wonder he'd be indignant. 

"I'm so, so sorry!” 

Miss Treyni only realized that she had made a mistake in the first place, and apologized to me with a red face. 

But who among us has the means to blame Miss Treyni? 

You should've trusted Laplace more—that’s a tough one to say. 

Because even now he's suspicious. 

I don't think you can judge people by their appearance, but this guy always does weird things. I think there's something wrong with people who would trust such a dubious character, that kind of talent. 

Although it was Miss Treyni's mistake this time, I can't blame her. 

Benimaru was the same, he just wanted to cut Laplace down and had no position to complain. Souei also looked embarrassed, it should be said that thanks to him he had the means to endure bringing the guy over here. 

"Anyway, those things are in the past. Let's not get into a bull's-eye and put these things in the water.” 

Now it's an afterthought and a pain in the ass to think about it. 

So say, find a way to stall it now. 

More so than that, the battlefield situation is now. 

Not knowing what would happen until the last moment. With that in mind once again, we set off for the big screen. 

***

Calgurio, who was in a state of annoyance, had been waiting for someone to report back to him.

Two days had passed since sending a hundred elites into the maze. But the constant interruption of contact with each other left him very dissatisfied. 

No, it's not just that. 

Outwardly feigning discontent, in fact, Calgurio was troubled inside. 

He was bewitched by the gold and silver treasures and the high quality "magic crystals" before he decided to implement this maze plan. He doesn't regret doing so. In order to ensure the safety of the army's rear, the territory of the demon lord must not be ignored. 

The acquired treasure was also more plentiful than expected, and looking at what had been moved out of the labyrinth, Calgurio's heart sank. In retrospect, those were all ploys of the Demon Lord Rimuru. 

After a dawning realization, he was annoyed at his own ignorance. 

At the same time, he couldn't find a way to undo the situation, making Calgurio begin to fear that he would just lose to the Demon Lord Rimuru. 

"Damn it! Really, there's no news yet!” 

Today alone, Calgurio didn't know how many times to roar. 

None of the staff officers answered him, but just at this time a loud noise came from the outside of the barracks. 

"What's wrong? What happened?” 

As if in response to this query from Calgurio, a subordinate soldier rushed in. 

"Report! Just now, the Charioteer Division joined us!” 

Calgurio said, ‘What?' in his mind 

No matter how good the Magic Guided Tank was, it was impossible not to hear half a drive before they came to rendezvous. 

The messengers had never returned, and they never knew how the friendly forces were faring. This point makes the ominous foreboding in one's mind grow stronger and stronger. 

The uneasiness in Calgurio's mind came true. 

"I'm back…” 

Someone was talking while entering the field tent where Calgurio was staying, a beautiful female non-commissioned officer who had nothing to do with the battlefield. 

Her true identity is one of the heads of the secret society "Big Three", Misha, who represents "Women". 

Acting in accordance with Yuuki's orders, he had come to draw Calgurio, and was therefore involved in this battle plan. 

Only her status as a staff officer of the Imperial Mecha Corps was as it should be. Demonstrate strength commensurate with it by serving as Calgurio's staff officer. 

However, this time the unit Misha was distributed was not the main unit, but the "Magic Guide Tank Division". It was with security in mind that Calgurio arranged it that way. 

Misha's purpose was to monitor Calgurio movements, and to her, this decision really upset her. But her position wasn't enough to interject herself into the matter, so she pretended to thank Calgurio for his kindness and went to report the battle to Yuuki on the one hand. 

Of course, even the "Magic Tank Division" was reported to have failed miserably. After that, carefully withdraw from the battlefield so as not to be spotted by those magical creatures, come again just like that and successfully rendezvous with the main force. 

"Misha, are you all right?" 

"Yes, Lord Calgurio.” 

Misha showed a sultry smile. It was dirty, but it didn't hurt her beauty. 

In addition to feeling relieved to see such a Misha, Calgurio had not forgotten his part. 

"What about the others? How many men will rendezvous with the main force after that?" 

He immediately pursued the question. 

"Take it easy. It's useless to panic even now.” 

"What? What does that mean…?” 

"Everybody's dead.” 

“Huh?" 

"Not only the Magic Tank Division, which the Empire is so proud of, but also the 100 Killer Hovercrafts have all been reduced to ashes.” 

Her face still wore a sultry smile as Misha reported to Calgurio. 

"How is that possible…what are you talking about?” 

A disbelieving smile appeared on Calgurio's face, and Misha didn't even speak. Seeing this scene, Calgurio could only believe it. 

"Really all dead?" 

“Yes." 

"So everyone here is a survivor of the Mecha Legion?” 

"Exactly, Your Excellency.” 

Hearing Misha respond in this way, Calgurio hung his head helplessly. 

It wasn't just him, the other staff officers had a dark look on their faces that followed. 

The invasion battle was a complete failure. Even if the labyrinth is successfully defeated this time and a large number of general soldiers lose their lives, they will not be able to escape accountability. 

Emperor Rudra would never forgive Calgurio for them, would he? 

"What to do?” 

The staff officers were also unable to give an answer when they heard Calgurio's words. 

It was at this time that Misha spoke. 

“We should be retreating.” 

“What?" 

"I've looked a little, but Operation Maze Raider isn't very optimistic, is it? The labyrinth is for exploration. Can't send an army to attack, is that right?” 

"That's what Yuuki said?” 

"Yes. He said that if you want to go through the maze, you should only let the elite in.” 

"What a load of crap! The best men have been sent in…!" 

Misha informed faintly, the emotionally charged Calgurio so shouted in response. 

What Calgurio says is true. 

In fact, two days ago he only sent in the strongest battle force he could think of. 

In addition to that, the elite personnel of the "Mecha Modification Corps" considered themselves to be the strongest among the Imperial Army, with a total of over half a million people sent in by him. 

It would be an extravagant request to send in a more powerful person. 

Those elite people would definitely meet up successfully inside the maze. And I think we should keep going in for the sake of taking the maze. 

Calgurio believes that is so. If he didn't believe it, his heart would have been filled with fear. 

Confronted with such a Calgurio, Misha utters a cruel word. 

"However, despite sending in our elite men, the labyrinth was still not taken. Indeed, it may be that the men inside are still fighting. But we can't spy on the situation, and it's hard to keep sending reinforcements, right?” 

"Shut up.” 

"All we can do is wait for our men to come out alive, right?” 

"I told you to shut up! Listen up, Misha, just relax. We have distributed jewelry with resurrection effects to those in high places. I heard that as long as you wear those jewels, you can be resurrected outside the maze even if you die. The fact that no one has come out proves that they are doing well!” 

Calgurio also understands that it's too optimistic to think that way. But he was the general in charge of leading the army, and one can only say that at a time like this. 

Misha didn't give up on the recovery, however. Unlike the other staff officers, Misha had made Calgurio her captive. Even if she defied him here, she was confident that she could handle whatever happened. 

"But the jewelry is still a trial piece, so we haven't confirmed the resurrection effect, right? According to Yuuki-sama, it's impossible to replicate a bracelet if it's made by skill.” 

In the face of these words, Calgurio was speechless. 

Because we are going to do an experiment, so you go and try to see how he can say something like that to his subordinates. As Misha said, he sent those comrades out without having experimented. 

Jewelry is at best an extra layer of insurance, just in case. 

That's something that Calgurio also knows. 

Misha was right, he was the one who was wrong. 

You don't get to be a military chief just by brute force. Although it's impossible to hold the position because of lack of strength, it's impossible to climb up to that position because of incompetence that you can't even grasp the current situation. 

Only to come across a structure that even half a million elite people can't cheat, Calgurio said anything is unwilling to believe that is true. 

That was a great military force, enough to turn several metropolises into ashes. It was originally thought that even in the worst case scenario, they could still destroy the maze and escape… 

Not only that. 

There are already a number of dead people at the moment. If the labyrinth's inner circle is not saved again, then Calgurio will become an incompetent man who has suffered a historic defeat and will bear the blame forever. 

He had originally led an army of 940,000, but now he had less than 200,000 men left. 

Tell him to just retreat like that, how could he have the means to do something so daring. 

Only now did Calgurio realize that he had underestimated the Demon Lord. 

Only felt that the "Storm Dragon" was a threat, thinking that Demon Lord Rimuru and his army would only be ravaged by our army. It was an opponent that was supposed to be fought, and he didn't treat the other as an enemy. 

That's a fatal faux pas. 

But it's too early to give up. There is one last hope for Calgurio, and that is Minute. 

"You calm down. Major General Minute, my most trusted man, has invaded the maze. He was sure to bring back some kind of information. Why don't we wait for the results to come in…" 

Yet this statement by Calgurio does not go far enough. 

"No, we should retreat immediately, Lord Calgurio.” 

A man suddenly entered the tent and made such remarks without permission. 

"What are you!?” 

The staff officer interrogated. 

Calgurio wondered what exactly the guard was doing, while looking at the man. 

He looked in good spirits, but the bloodstained uniform was concerning. It's reasonable to assume that he's from another unit, a survivor, or… 

"My name is Krishna. One of the hundred who entered the labyrinth two days ago, ranking seventeenth within the Imperial Emperor's Order of the Near Guard.” 

Hearing this, everyone present was astonished. Calgurio is no exception. 

“You, you mean the Imperial Order of the Imperial Kaiser?” 

"Why is the Emperor's guard here?” 

Those staff officers began to falter. 

But should we say that some people are really not simple? The first person to regain his composure was Calgurio. 

"Now is not the time to talk about that! Your Excellency's name is Krishna, right? Can you tell us about it first?” 

He let out a yell to steady the scene. 

Krishna first gave a look of gratitude, then hurried to explain the situation. 

"In a word, that maze is dangerous. If I tell you, you probably won’t understand, even Bazan, who was ranked thirty-five, and Reiha, who was ranked ninety-four, are dead. Major General Minute was also killed before my eyes. While there is no conclusive evidence, I'm guessing that the Colonel Kansas is also dead. There were no survivors in the maze. You're right to think so!” 

Everyone listened blankly to the words. 

‘It wasn't true’—Calgurio was tempted to shout, but Krishna's eyes were serious. His whole body was telling the truth of those words. 

Plus that face he had an impression. Calgurio remembered that Krishna was indeed one of those sent out two days ago. 

He's back from the dead, isn't he? In other words, he holds the "resurrection bracelet". And it's not a knockoff, it's a real bracelet. Then this guy must be the real Emperor Near Guard, right? 

Contrary to the exasperated mood, Calgurio tried hard to calm down and think. 

There were two "resurrection bracelets" given by Gadra. 

One of them was taken to the technical bureau for analysis and used to make imitations. 

The other one is dedicated to His Majesty the Emperor. It was supposed to be the Emperor who gave him that "bracelet" so that Krishna could be resurrected. 

This will confirm that the "resurrection bracelet" does have a resurrection effect, but also confirm that the imitation is not effective. 

Which means that the general soldiers inside the labyrinth are really all dead, that's about it. 

More than half a million of the general's soldiers had been killed—the thought of that fact left Calgurio with no blood in his face. 

But there's no time for that right now. 

Krishna's commentary isn't over. 

"And the man who killed us is not even the demon lord, not even the Four Heavenly Kings below. It's a monster who we haven’t even heard of. It's like one of the 'Ten Labyrinth Lords', but that guy is very different.” 

That being said, the fighting abilities of the 'Ten Lords of the Labyrinth' alone were enough to rival and even surpass those of high-ranking Demon Generals. And among these monsters, the one who called himself Zegion was simply as strong as if he was from another subdivision. 

And even Krishna knew he certainly couldn't beat him. 

"I'll say it again this time, to retreat. There is no shame in that. In order to help the surviving generals and soldiers, please make your ruling now!” 

Seeing Krishna so eager, the subordinates began to back off. He's certainly telling the truth. Everyone's gut is telling them there's no time to hesitate. 

“…you said it wasn't demon lord? A monster equivalent to a high-ranking demon general moving stupidly in there? Is it that strong? If you want to say that the demon lord is new, you don't look too hard at the other party, why do you have such a strong fighting power—!?” 

Seemingly unable to hold back any longer, Calgurio let out a loud scream. 

This call made the staff officers start to stir. 

"Let's retreat now! It's not all our responsibility. Part of it is also due to the negligence of the Intelligence Bureau!” 

"Exactly. We should run away with those who are currently surviving while the Demon Lord Rimuru is still out there!” 

Those staff officers started expressing their opinions in one word or another. They usually get into arguments all the time, and only then do they agree. For they already instinctively perceive that a crisis of life is approaching. 

Lastly, Misha speaks. 

"One thing I forgot to report is that it wasn't the evil dragon Veldora who destroyed our army. Rather, it was because someone released the nuclear strike magic that caused our army to suffer the fatal blow. And still twice. This was magic that was large enough to easily defeat the legion's magic. The people who use this magic are also very threatening, but it's a different thing from what I was trying to express. That’s…" 

The next words don't need to be heard, everyone understands. 

That is, there is still a "storm dragon" in the land where Veldora still sits. 

At this point Calgurio made his decision and he gave the order. 

"Gather all the soldiers! We're going to turn around. Turn around and go back to your home country!” 

Either way it wasn't a retreat, it was a change of direction, and Calgurio shouting out those words was like convincing himself. He knew full well that this was sophistry, but if he hadn't thought so, unease would probably have crushed him. 

Whether it's sophistry or whatever is fine, as long as one can get away with it. The staff officers thought so and immediately decided to obey this order. 

But their decision was made too late. 

Things have been moving forward for a long time. 

It became a raging wave, a sweeping rushing current gradually approaching, to swallow up Calgurio and the others. 

The fate of the imperial army—it is long gone. 

***

A low, flooding voice resounded in the tent to nullify Calgurio's order.

"That's troublesome. The lord said he would not allow you to retreat." 

A pot of cold water was thrown at the panicked commander, and a man, showed himself. 

All eyes were focused on the entrance to the camp tent. There stood a man, wearing a weapon called a sword around his waist and wearing an exotic costume. 

Still a few mottled blonde hairs were received at the back of the head and tied in a bunch. He had a long white beard and his face was covered in wrinkles. Yet his sharp gaze, standing up straight, gave the impression that the man didn't look old. 

"Who are you?” 

At this point Krishna stepped forward and questioned. 

"Excuse me. This one’s name is Agera. This time Lady Carrera sent me to be an emissary.” 

The man's real face is Agera. 

Rimuru was a pacifist, and for better or worse, he decided to send messengers to persuade the enemy to surrender. 

Not many expected the Imperials to take it, and many instead felt sad that they didn't get a chance to perform. But Agera was one of the few who had normal values, and he began to assert that it was the habit of martial generals, and Geld agreed. Momiji didn't object either, so he took orders to come over here and be an emissary. 

But this operation was of greater significance to buy time until the Tempest Army was ready to finish. 

It didn't matter whether the Army was going to fight the war outright or surrender, whichever it was. But they are not allowed to escape. 

Anyone who takes part in this aggression will be punished. That was the decision under Rimuru. 

Agera respected him. 

So there was absolutely no way he was going to let Calgurio’s army go this time. 

Faced with such an Agera, one of the staff officers raised his voice. 

"You said you were an emissary? My lord is referring to the Demon Lord Rimuru, right?” 

Hearing the other person ask that, Agera's expression instantly became sinister. 

"It would be arrogant not to pay tribute to our great lord. Just go to the afterlife world and reflect hard.” 

When this was said, the staff officer who asked the question followed suit. 

Everyone on the scene didn't feel Agera pulling the knife. Even Krishna, who was closest to him, was too late to make any response. 

With this one, Agera dominates the field. 

In the silence of everyone silent, only he was heard asking aloud. 

"It seems you have decided to listen to me. So this one says. Disarm and surrender to us immediately. 

That will keep you in slavery and keep you alive. If you want to resist, so be it. Let's fight valiantly to the death. We will wait an hour for you guys. If you want to surrender, you can do it in the meantime.” 

That was all Agera said and turned away. 

At that moment Calgurio thought desperately about what was the best thing to do. Then, with a glimmer of hope, he decided to deal with Agera. 

"Wait! No, no, no, no. Just a moment, please.” 

"What is it?” 

Agera stopped in his tracks and turned his head to look at Calgurio. 

"Excuse me, my name is Calgurio. I am the chief of this legion, the supreme leader of this campaign.” 

"Mmm. So what do you want to do?” 

Agera's aim was to buy time, to spend it in no hurry to get back. Although he wasn't interested, he decided to listen to what Calgurio had to say. 

Seeing Agera react in such a way, Calgurio put all hope in bargaining. 

"Mr. Agera, you said earlier that if we surrender, you will accept it, right? Can you please review the terms? It is inhumane to be a slave. That condition is difficult for us to accept anyway.” 

The staff officers were uniformly surprised to hear Calgurio say such things out of the blue. But no one is objecting at this point. Everyone knows that the situation is unfavorable, so they all put their hopes in negotiation. 

Seeing that Agera hadn't even said a word was taken as an opportunity, Calgurio unilaterally put the word down. 

"Instead of forcing us to fight to the death, it would be less likely that you would suffer damage and win. Don't make us slaves. Can you let us go for a while this time? Of course we will pay compensation, promising you all that there will be no future acts of aggression. No, it's more than that! I also intend to return to my home country and ask the Emperor to make an alliance with your country! If the Empire joined forces with your country, it would be easy to dominate the world. And being able to have an advantage relative to other Demon Lords as well, I think it's not bad for His Majesty Rimuru. We will not forget this benevolence. How? May I ask you to pass it on to His Majesty the Demon Lord Rimuru?” 

Calgurio lobbied desperately. 

Considering the current situation, both Operation Dwargon Raiders and Operation Maze Raiders have failed completely. All the soldiers who went to carry out the battle plan were killed. 

The only ones who survived were those who were there—less than 200,000. This invasion is a major failure no matter who looks at it or how it looks. 

Things had come to this, and Calgurio could only admit it. On top of that he wanted to at least let those who survived return to their home country safe and sound. 

This matter, and only this matter, is a responsibility that Calgurio can take on. 

After saying what he wanted to say, Calgurio waited for Agera to react. 

He understood that saying those things was all wishful thinking on their part, but not entirely without a chance of winning. 

Although the number of people is significantly reduced compared to the original, less than 200,000 is still a large army. The number of people should not be so far behind the Demon Lord's Army, and if so many people turned into dead soldiers fighting like crazy, it should not be a good thing for Demon Lord Rimuru. 

The ground is not like a maze, and there is no way to rise from the dead. Thus, the proposal just made could give the other side a complete victory that he felt the other side would find worthy of review. 

At least that's not what this Agera was able to do in front of his eyes in response to the lord. He had to relay it to the Demon Lord Rimuru. 

If I could ask him to relay it to the Demon Lord Rimuru, then the next step would be the heavy lifting. 

Even if he can't let everyone go, he can still deal with the other side to let some of them go. 

If you can, wish you could be let go. 

Since he’s going to make us slaves, that means he's not bad enough to even take our lives. Being so naive really wasn't like being a Demon Lord, but this time it might be life-saving. As for the bottom-most general soldiers, just buy them back later. Now in any case, we must first return to our home country and report the situation to His Majesty. 

Calgurio thought so. 

He valued his life. But more importantly, he wanted to save as many General soldiers as possible. And the correct information must also be brought back to His Majesty the Emperor. 

That's what Calgurio really thinks. 

He overestimated the enemy's battle strength. That's the reason for this failure, but in a way, it's all force majeure. 

Dwargon, Tempest, plus the Western nations. Even if he dealt with these three forces at the same time, this time his own army had such a huge battle force, he was still confident that he could overcome the other side. 

It was the certainty that they would win that it turned out the way it did. 

There were several catastrophe-grade equivalent monsters underneath the Demon Lord Rimuru, and how they could not have imagined such an exaggeration. 

With this dereliction of duty, Calgurio will inevitably lose ground, but the emergence of more casualties could shake the Empire State. This time, even if we give up our dignity, we will temporarily retreat and bet everything on future reconstruction. 

As greedy as Calgurio was, he was not incompetent. That is why the proposal was made. 

If the Demon Lord Rimuru wants to take my life, then I have to give it up too. Someone will always take the information back to His Majesty Rudra. In that case, this defeat counts for something… 

Calgurio had come to his senses, thinking that it would be all right if he had to sacrifice himself, and went to intervene. 

Yet it was all too late. 

"The situation is such that you think you're qualified to make a condition? From your disdain for the mercy of Lord Testarossa, your fate is decided. See to it that you resist or obey, and make your choice as you wish.” 

That was Agera's answer. 

No one could move, and Agera left the tent at a leisurely pace. 

The only words dropped at the end were "Don't try to run away". 

"What to do?” 

Calgurio stood bewildered, at which point Misha asked bluntly. 

The brief silence lasted for a while… 

“…can only fight. Our lives all belong to His Majesty the Emperor. You may live longer as a slave, but you are too humiliated to see the Emperor!” 

Quietly, while full of determination, Calgurio made his decision. 

"But we don't have a magical magic tank and we don't have a magicule-disturbing radiation. It might be hard to fight like that.” 

"Doesn't matter. Anyway, our purpose is no longer survival, the point is to bring the information back to His Majesty the Emperor! No matter how many generals and soldiers have to be sacrificed, even if it's just you, you will flee and live.” 

“—! Please, please wait!” 

"So, what are your plans, Your Excellency?” 

"That goes without saying. Let those monsters see the pride of being an Imperial soldier!” 

In such desperate circumstances, Calgurio finally gave up his selfish desires. In the end he becomes a pure soldier, finding pride. 

Seeing the breath change on Calgurio's body, the expressions of the adjutants and staff officers changed with it. 

"How could you do such a shameless thing as to leave your Excellency to flee?” 

"Exactly. Isn't it fun to end up struggling for nothing?” 

"Not sure we're going to lose yet! Next, we're going to show off the true power of the Mecha Legion!” 

Everyone's words were full of energy, and morale was getting higher and higher. 

In such an atmosphere, it was only Misha who let out a sigh. 

"Then let me run away. I don't have the backbone to go along with your suicidal behavior." 

It's like saying let me be the character that's annoying, she said while waving her hand. 

Calgurio revealed a bitter smile. 

"Sorry. If it's you, that Yuuki kid should be able to handle it for you. It is difficult to convey correctly to His Majesty the Emperor how incompetent we are.” 

"Understood, Your Excellency.” 

Misha smiled bitterly at him as well. 

And no one stopped Misha. It wasn't hard for everyone to understand that it wasn't going to be easy to get out of here. 

"You need someone to protect you…” 

“Let us take this mission.” 

Before Calgurio's words could be uttered, silhouettes were already appearing in the camp tent. Their true faces are Bonnie and Jiu, who have just escaped from the maze. 

“It's the single digits…" 

"So it's Krishna, long time no see. Staying here is only a dead end. Do you want to come along?” 

The words made everyone froze for a moment. 

Being the strongest fighting force in the Empire, the "single digits" had already predicted their defeat and said it themselves. This event is enough to express how serious the battle that awaits them next is. 

"No. I want to be with Sir Calgurio.” 

"Yeah? Then I promise you that I will certainly relay your performance to Your Majesty. You will not die in vain, you will become glorious deaths of war. Be exhausted. That must make a meaningful death.” 

These words of Bonnie's resounded heavily, and Jiu silently agreed. 

The next thing you know, the two of them are leading Misha to a quick retreat from the scene. 

Those who are left behind are prepared to die. 

"Do not observe the time appointed by the Messenger. While the enemy's side isn't ready, we're going to hit them with the utmost force!” 

In the blink of an eye, Calgurio's order had extended to the end. Then they were about to face a final showdown, and everyone stepped up to the plate in order to give it their all. 

***

"Yeah? You chose a showdown.

Seeing the Imperial Army step up to the plate, Geld salutes that. 

It's not certain they will win, not only that, but it's an overwhelming disadvantage in terms of numbers. 

Never be careless. In the face of a tiger that is fighting a beast in distress, you cannot let your own people die. 

The Second Corps, led by Geld, were in charge of the defense. To maintain the front line, protect the fire forces in the rear. That way they would naturally win. 

This is the tactic that dwarves excel at. Send in troops to act as a barrier and then cast powerful magical attacks. 

Simple and concise, good for Geld and the others. 

The fourth legion was responsible for outputting firepower, and the commander was Momiji of the Tengu Clan. 

"Go win for my husband!” 

It was amusing to hear her inspire those gathered with these words. 

Starting the offense from the perimeter, it felt very scheming. Unknowingly filling in the other side's moat, waiting for the other side to return to find that the wood has become a boat. 

Geld thinks that Benimaru is not as strategic as Momiji, and surprisingly, Benimaru himself doesn't think it matters. 

If he really didn't like it, he would have found a way to deal with it. Otherwise, the title of 

"Generalissimo" would have made us cry. 

The problem is that there are too many women who love the Benimaru. 

One of the famous ones is Albis. 

Within the management, they are known to compete fiercely with Momiji. Whether or not Momiji will be able to sit on the championship throne, we won't know until the end. 

This time Albis came with reinforcements too, and even Geld was confused, not knowing which side to cheer for. 

At this rate, someone will eventually not get what they want. It's better not to go too deep. 

Geld made very unlike the conclusion that the martial artist would have made. 

Afterwards, he changed his mood and once again confirmed that he was all set. 

The troops on standby in the rear are ready for full support, and there is no problem with the means of attack. 

It wasn't just the main force led by Momiji, but also the other forces led by Shion and the reinforcements led by Albis. 

As far as working with each other in this regard, as long as Benimaru is around, it's a relief. 

As long as I do my duty, we won't lose. 

Geld's defense can be described as a brick wall. 

The elite of the Yellow and Orange Corps combined totaled 17,000 men. These warriors are all endowed with indestructible defenses through Geld's unique skill, "The Guardian". On top of that, coupled with the equipment of the Kurobee and Garm Forge, Geld’s strength had been strengthened, and even the shells were capable of withstanding it. 

Not only that, but Geld’s exclusive skill "Gourmet" has stomach pockets that the entire legion can share is a big plus. In case of some damage, the support unit in the rear will use magic to heal, and will be able to use the recovery potion immediately, even if the damage is huge. 

Just in case, Geld's "stomach pouch" was always stocked with plenty of recovery medicine. Not just this war, but to deal with all the situations, Rimuru took the restorative medicine they had created to Geld for storage. 

This way the quality does not deteriorate and is best for preservation. This time they have been given permission to use the potions to their heart's content. 

From the point of view of a supply station, such a unit is most reliable because it does not need to be moved separately and can be resupplied on the spot. The monsters will build strong walls of protection by their own flesh, so they can function on the battlefield. 

‘We can't lose’—thought Geld. 

The rest is… 

His eyes looked to the sky. 

You can see a military officer named "Carrera" who was assigned to Geld’s unit. 

Lord Rimuru looks forward to that power, and I'm eager to see it. 

It won't be long before the showdown. 

Excited to the point of shaking, Geld waited silently for the moment to come. 

***

Ahead of Geld's line of sight, Carrera stood still in the high air.

She had been assigned to the Second Legion with two of her entourage, but was currently splitting up. 

Rimuru has given her the honor of playing in the starting lineup. 

As a martial arts general, Geld accepted them with open arms and said they could play as they pleased. 

The man was a good one, and Carrera felt he hit it off with herself. 

In fact, Rimuru had secretly ordered Carrera to protect Geld. The same is true of Testarossa and Ultima. 

If there were subordinates on the Army's side who couldn't handle it, the real task for the girls was to buy time to deal with them. 

But this time is different. 

She was in charge of playing lead so that she didn't have to stay with Geld. In fact when Geld and the others take on the defensive duties thoroughly, that's when there's no room for the likes of Carrera on the field. 

Now we have to figure out how to annihilate the enemy first. 

Therefore, Carrera intended to release the nuclear strike magic from overhead. 

"One moment, please! What are you going to do now, Lady Carrera?” 

Ending his mission as an emissary, Agera had just returned and he rushed to stop Carrera. 

The cold-hearted gesture shown against the Imperial Army had vanished. In front of Carrera, Agera is also just a bitter guy. 

He had a bad feeling before he hurried back and seemed to guess correctly. In addition to being able to detect aura sensitively, he was also able to read Carrera's movements, and after long years of exercise, his instincts as a bitter subordinate were already keen. 

"Oops? Agera, you're back, aren't you? I've done all kinds of thinking, and I always feel like I have to practice now to really get on the field and not fail!” 

The person who had intended to take advantage of the situation was not there to intervene, but Carrera did not want to talk to him at all. This is clear evidence that she normally does just that. 

"You mean practice?" 

"Yeah, that's it. It's only going to set off a nuclear explosion overhead, which feels like a relatively large firework, right? The residual temperature will burn the floor, but don't worry about that. How? Is that all right?” 

"That's great, that's perfect! It's true, Lord Carrera!” 

Watching Carera's smug face, the maiden who was standing by her side gave her a compliment. The maiden was a partner of equal status to Agera—Esprit. 

She's cute looking, but has a very bad personality, and it's not an understatement to say it sucks. But she did have considerable strength, and even Agera didn't know what to do with her. 

It's only right that you should have a hard time with your fellow soldiers. However, Esprit was too busy following Carrera to help at all. 

Never intending to admonish Carrera, always going along with whatever she did. Agera, who had put all the hard work on Agera, was a bad character, and he himself was patronizing Carrera. 

In the end creating a disgusting environment, all the drudgery fell on Agera. 

But he finds that Testarossa, who maintains reason as evil, and Ultima, who pursues a more cruel realm, to be very sickening as well. That being said, the problem is not that it doesn't matter without malice. 

Not minding the trouble it would bring to those around her, Carrera was always at full strength, and in Agera's view, a headache for the lord. 

Even if the other person laughed and said "the damage done seems a little big", he didn't find it funny at all. There was no way to laugh with her. 

On that note, fellow Esprit and Carrera are similar on an emotional level and don't seem bothered at all. 

It was something that Agera was very envious of. 

"Where's the…!? You shut up!" 

The bitter man Agera glared at the irresponsible Esprit. Turning next to Carrera, he began to elaborate as if he were talking to a child. 

"Please listen to me, Lady Carrera. I went to the enemy's camp just now to be an emissary, right?” 

"Well, yeah.” 

"That being the case, it is the rule on the battlefield not to make a move until the time is right.” 

"What did you say? It's practice!" 

"Even with practice, what you can't do is what you can't do!” 

That said, Agera's boss, Carrera, is characteristically like a runaway vehicle with fewer brakes. 

It would take a lot of effort to stop her. 

However, her power skills overwhelmed the group and were difficult to clean up. 

Usually, she just goes around stirring up Demon Lord Leon all day long. Every day, nuclear strike magic is fired, repeatedly provoked. It was because Demon Lord Leon was mature enough that it didn't turn into a war, and if it had been another Demon Lord, the war would have started long ago. And Carrera will wreak havoc and end up back in the demon world. 

Her purpose is only brief enjoyment, and she doesn't care at all about winning or losing the war. So even if you lose, Carrera will disappear while laughing. 

Because she herself didn't feel like she had lost, it wouldn't do her any harm, and she wouldn't reflect on it. How to teach common sense in the face of such a Carrera, something Agera had agonized over not long ago. 

But now it's different. 

By far, the demon race was the strongest existence, and among them, the higher ranking ones, those who belonged to the ruling class, such as Agera, no one could command them. What's more, Carrera could even be in charge of the demons of the ruling class, and to simply express an opinion about her would be to bet her life. 

It was only because Carrera likes Agera that he didn't disappear and was allowed to follow Carrera around. 

Yet nowadays even such a Carrera has become a minion of the Demon Lord Rimuru. 

From now on, in order to make a good impression on Demon Lord Rimuru, Agera thought he had to learn to endure. And you can't act on your gut, you have to use your head. 

In order for that to happen, he had to get his boss, Carrera, to learn some common sense. 

In fact, Carrera was able to actually keep the laws and regulations in mind and respond properly. That being the case, hopefully she will also think a little about things in general before acting. 

This way, I won't have to work so hard. 

With such a small wish in mind, Agera strove hard every day to persuade Carrera. 

Therefore, Agera always preaches to Carrera on the point of the problem. 

The person on the sidelines looked like a granddaughter who had been scolded by her grandfather, but the person in question didn't care and thought that now was the time, continued the explanation. 

It must be easy to understand and concise in content. It's easy for Carrera to get bored of listening and not to be nagged, so it's hard to get her to listen. 

Only to see Agera earnestly explain the customs of the battlefield to Carrera. 

And yet at this very moment… 

The Imperial Army suddenly began to move. 

"I said, Agera. It'll be a long time before your appointment, right?” 

"Yes, indeed…” 

"That means the Imperial Army got away first while you were listening to this nonsense, right?” 

A tension rose in Agera's heart. That has two dimensions. 

The whole NPC erupted with anger and loss of control. Since the anger was directed at Agera, then he could not stay small. 

Another layer is irritation with the Empire. 

Still preaching to Carrera about the customs of the battlefield, she was unexpectedly taken down. Such unreasonable behavior on the part of the Empire was no different from betrayal, and Agera had not been so angry for a long time. 

"Lady Carrera! Let's leave that old grandfather alone and let's go educate those fools who can't even keep their promises!” 

At this point, Esprit uses "Thank me, you fool!” The eyes looked at Agera while pointing to the Imperials, as if to distract Carrera. 

Geld and the others are laying it down. 

Nearly 200,000 elite soldiers were closing in on them. Looking up, they were all soldiers of the Empire's generals, and from high above, they just looked like prey at the right time. 

At this point Carrera nodded. 

"Just do it! Agera, I presume you won't stop me?” 

As if to say "stop me or I'll kill you", the questioning was full of killing air. 

Agera's reaction, however, was unexpected by Carrera. 

“Indeed…this one said he would wait for an hour, but did not say they could not attack in the meantime. The blame seems to lie with me.” 

“So?" 

"It's what a samurai should do to send someone who wants to die. With no mercy. Please play thoroughly and do whatever you want.” 

Agera too has come to his senses. 

He wasn't like a demon, a Mr. Nice Guy, but very much hated being treated like an idiot by his lord, or someone breaking a deal. The Empire stepped right on his bottom line. 

"That's nice. The whole crowd was excited. That's why I like you so much.” 

Agera didn't stop her anymore. Finding this out, Carrera smiled triumphantly. 

"Then let's get started. Let them see what happens to us when they underestimate us!” 

"Yes, sir.” 

"Got it.” 

And just like that, the war began. 

This side of the Imperial Army doesn't know it. In fact, their actions are tantamount to granting each other the death penalty. 

“Next…let's have a rain of nuclear magic, shall we?” 

"That sounds good! It feels so good to blow up the ground!” 

And it will be known that, once the normally warm-hearted are pissed off, the other side retaliates with considerable fierceness. 

"No, that's too lukewarm. Lady Carrera, please recall what your lord has said. Didn't he say, "Scare the Imperial Army with a very flashy magic" or something?” 

“Hmm?" 

"Let the other side see our full strength this time, so that we can meet the Lord's expectations, right?” 

This made Carrera's eyes widen in a flash of realization. 

Agera was right. Nowadays Agera himself, who is always whining and trying to keep Carrera from losing control, is telling Carrera to give it her all. 

Just thinking about it made Carrera sigh with emotion. 

"You finally get me, Agera. As you say. I seem to have accidentally painted myself into a corner. Your words sober me up. Okay, I'll show them the grand finale this time! The big magic I didn't pull off, let's make a hot show of it this time!” 

Carrera plucked up the energy. 

And with a full force that has never been used so far. 

Ah, crap—only then did Agera regain his composure, but it was too late. Carrera had long since focused all her attention on unleashing magic. 

What to do? Esprit stared at Agera with such a look, but even Agera did not know what to do. Now that things have turned out this way, they'll just have to watch and do it. 

The supervisor, Carrera, was out of control and would probably be scolded afterwards, but it would be nice to figure out what to do then. Agera looked away and decided to take advantage of the situation. 

Anyway, Agera is still of the demon race. 

As a result, the Imperial Army, which had only just begun its advance, was attacked from high above and eventually destroyed. 

They set up multiple boundaries with legion magic, use the latest equipment to defend against magic, each with a high degree of magical resistance, and don't skimp on joining the many sacred guards. And these defenses were powerless in the face of the mass annihilation magic released by Carrera. 

That magic is a type of nuclear strike magic, called ‘Gravity Collapse.’ 

Among the various types of nuclear strike magic, the most powerful type of magic requires a large amount of mana and sophisticated magic manipulation techniques. 

When the core of the magic "Black Flame Core" is released, it expands to produce the "Flame of Destruction". The so-called "gravity collapse" is the forbidden magic that is formed by compressing those. 

Compression means that supergravity is created. The simple explanation is the ability to produce man-made black holes. 

That disrupts the gravitational field of the planet, creating a localized supergravity field. If someone is caught in the sphere of influence of a localized hyper-compressed space, all will be crushed. 

As for the Imperial Army that was exposed to this kind of magic, it was needless to say that they knew the fate was miserable. 

Gravity suddenly went haywire and the force increased. Under the influence, the soldiers of the Empire's generals, who could not even bear their own weight, were gradually crushed. 

Coming to the clearing was a defeat; there was no way they could escape from the eyes of the demons. 

More than 80% of the nearly 200,000 troops were trapped within the sphere of influence of that magic. 

The soldiers of the General could not move a muscle, but this magic had to work its true essence next. 

At a correctly designated range, the inside scrapes a magic storm. It was a storm big enough to turn the heavens upside down that no one had ever seen. 

The hyper-compressed space came to the tipping point and finally all the energy was focused on one point. Just now those energies were spinning in the opposite direction and small supernovae appeared on the ground. 

A dark pillar connects the heavens and the earth—one would think the gates of hell are open, but it's the sand and dust that rolls up into the sky because of the Big Bang. 

This class is no longer magic that can be used on a confusing star. If there was no limit, the Great Forest of Jura would have been scorched earth. 

There was no one in the Imperial Army who was good enough to fight it. 

That's for sure. 

After all, this nuclear strike magic "Gravity Collapse" encompasses all magic and physical phenomena and is an all-attribute attack. 

In this way, the Imperial Army didn't understand what was going on, and most of them were all dusted off. 

That blow satisfied Carrera. 

It is Agera, who is troubled, who regains sanity. 

The one who incited Carrera to do it was himself and had no business complaining. Agera never expected to trigger such a tragic situation. 

No, it should be correct to say that he had thought, "This is probably not good," but did not know that Carrera's power was so strong. 

What to do, what to do, what to worry about until now, what to do, what to do, what to do? 

The suffering of the bitter man Agera is only now about to begin. 



*** 

Geld laughed and thought to himself, ‘This is really something.’ 

There was a guess that Carrera was supposed to be strong, but she was surprisingly strong. 

“I didn't think I could destroy so many enemies in just one fight. So we don't have a chance to show it?” 

Geld complained like that on the surface, but not so much in private. 

Despite the chaos of the scene, the survivors of the Imperial Army were still over 20,000. Those people were all trying to escape from the living sky and were desperately heading towards Geld their way. 

While the numerical disadvantage has been turned around, it is not to be taken lightly just yet. Geld understood that very well. 

The Imperial Army had seen the horror of death firsthand, and they launched their raids like mad. That pressure is not a cover. 

Yet Geld was unfazed. 

Presumably because the commander was calm, the men under Geld, including the soldiers at the far end, all looked calmly at the enemy. 

"Raise your shields!" 

There was little time left before the two armies made contact, and at this point Geld gave the order in a calm voice. 

The Second Corps responded with a meticulous movement, and the next second they became a barrier that no one was allowed to cross. 

Even though there was going to be a fierce confrontation, they didn't even take a step back, just blocking the Imperial Army. After that, the protective wall Geld and them had formed didn't collapse at all, and didn't take a step back at all, pushing the Imperials back just like that. 

The final showdown began, and the next to take action was Shion. 

"Everyone launch a raid. I will kill all of Lord Rimuru's enemies!” 

Shion’s pro-guard was led by the "Purple Crowd", which matched this statement with a battle cry. 

Immediately afterwards, 10,000 wizards of all kinds began to act individually. 

These people are exercised by Shion and call themselves fans of the Shion. Because of the leadership of the "Yomigaeri", this force seems to be scattered, but in essence it is in order. 

The number of people goes without saying, and the fighting ability is noteworthy. 

The additional skill "Terrible Power" has been extended to all members of the team through the 

"Yomigaeri". Tens of thousands of wizards disguised as horrible knights went to teach the Imperial Army a lesson. 

This is the essence of the "Terror Overlord" skill. It can seal the enemy army's original strength and let its own army wreak havoc unilaterally, which is very effective. 

Wearing the same dark purple armor forged by the three dwarven brothers, the eldest male Garm, the pro-guards wreaked havoc on the battlefield. The figure looked like a nightmare to the Imperial Army. 

There was nothing more striking than the three giants, who released demonic qi so strong that it was in disarray. 

Assimilating Shion's "terrifying overbearing aura" and the demonic aura in herself into a violent incarnation, she was making a big deal out of it. 

Their true identities are, of course, the three sons of Demon Lord Dagruel. 

Others are no less so. 

The "Purple Crowd" is responsible for attracting the enemy's attention, and other wizards take advantage of this opportunity to finish off the enemy. In this way, no harm would be done to their own troops and the number of enemy troops could be reduced. 

Gobzo is one of them. 

"Ah, the head seems to itch.” 

Although he said such things if he didn't, there was actually an empty hole in the top of his head that had been pierced by a sword. This wound gradually heals and is a thrilling experience in the eyes of the unaccustomed. 

"A true hobgoblin brother.” 

"Yeah. If it had been me, I would have died a long time ago.” 

Gobzo had also grown, and even his men were admiring. 

In between this back and forth, three vortexes emerge on the battlefield, centered on Dagruel's sons. 

Using that as a starting point, the left side of the Imperial Army began to crumble. The pro-guards of Shion didn't let this opportunity go, and began to crush the Imperial General soldiers with a furious wave. 

Even if the general soldiers of the empire went into a frenzy to fight and took out the potential that would be triggered by encountering fire, they were still no match for Shion’s Pro-Guards. 

If one only compares individual combat abilities, there really isn't much of a difference. However, there was a world of difference in the level of sophistication, and in terms of skill, the Pro-Guard was even better. 

What kind of exercise did it take to get that way? 

The members of the Pro-Guard were groomed to be particularly good at combat, to the point of surprising people. 

Just as Shion was active on the right flank of its own army. 

The right side of the Imperial Army also made waves. 

“How…how!? How can there be—poof!” 

"Yes, it's the Order of the Beast King…!" 

"No, I don't want to die yet…coo!” 

The Beast King Warrior Regiment came over for reinforcements, and the reinforcements included the monsters under the Beast King. Rimuru had great kindness for them, and they wanted to repay it as best they could, and were giving it their all without reservation. 

"That's a real monster.” 

“Indeed." 

Hearing Albis murmur like that, Zar the Elephant Beast nodded. 

Great magic that had never been seen or heard of appeared before your eyes. 

The terrifying pillars that connected the heavens and the earth instantly reduced over a hundred thousand Imperial General soldiers to ashes. Yet the power did not diminish and still wreaked havoc on the battlefield. 

This one's a winner or loser. 

The only remaining question was whether or not the Imperial Army side was hiding masters. 

They had to make sure of that so that the enemy would not be allowed to flee in this battle. 

Albis knew that Rimuru was normally a very generous man, and it was only fearful to see him thoroughly implement this policy. At the same time, she felt a deep sense of approval that this was how a Demon Lord should be. 

"Although 20,000 troops were sent to help, it seems that they have become redundant. That way there is no way to make a big claim that it's a payback.” 

"Those kindnesses were meant to be repaid.” 

"Indeed. Then at least avoid making His Majesty Rimuru feel sad. We can't fight to the death. Do your best to leave everyone unharmed.” 

"You've heard it all. You must remember your pride as a Beast King's servant, and you must not let up until the end.” 

When Zar finished roaring these words, the Beast King Warriors all responded in one fell swoop. 

In this way, those fierce beasts also began to charge towards the right side of the Imperial Army. 

It was at this point that the big picture was set. 

There was great magic at the back, and both the right and left were thoroughly ravaged. 

This time, the Imperial Army could only wait to be surrounded and annihilated. 

Momiji stared at it all with cold eyes. 

She was calm in her head, but a fire was burning in her heart. 

"It's time. Let a fire of mercy be put out to save the enemy from the sea of suffering.” 

Momiji finished softly and signaled to Gobya. 

At this time, the Fourth Legion began to work together to raise their demonic aura. 

Through Gobya, the order was conveyed to the Kurenai, and the network was extended to all members. 

Following the great reversal, the demonic qi raised by those people were all transmitted to the Kurenai, beautifully tempered. 

Unifying these is Momiji's task. 

"Is it really okay?” 

Gobya was a little uneasy when he asked, but both were dismissed with a smile by Momiji. 

"I'm going to be the wife of Lord Benimaru, and if I can't do anything to that extent, then what should I do?” 

An unwavering confidence can be seen in that attitude. 

The integrated demon qi was even more concentrated, turning into a firepower that pounced on the enemy army. That's what Momiji's proposal is. 

The way of combat was simple and quick, but if the integration of the demonic energy failed, she had to consider the possibility of an explosion. That way, Geld, who was in charge of maintaining the front line, would probably be hit by a wave. It was no wonder that Gobya was upset, but Momiji's confidence made her keep her mouth shut. 

Momiji was Benimaru's agent and the army was entrusted to her. To doubt Momiji is to disbelieve Benimaru. 

"Then I'll leave it to you. Shall we begin?" 

"Yes. It wasn't as powerful as the evil magic that Miss Carrera had put out, but it was still enough to clean up the rest of them. Let's use this blow to win." 

Immediately afterwards, Momiji displayed a once-in-a-lifetime great monster technique. 

"Gently envelop the enemy and blossom the flower of the Red Lotus. Come on, let's be impressed. The Monster Heaven Red Flame—!” 

Red flowers bloom in the sky. 

The first purpose is to burn oxygen rapidly. 

That way the oxygen from the ground would be taken away and the enemy would be incapacitated. 

The second purpose is to bring down the flame of mercy. 

Before the enemy could feel the pain, he would first be robbed of consciousness by the heat of that burst. 

The third purpose is to force out a powerful enemy. 

If they could withstand this attack, those people would be distinguished as strong. If you just want to clean up the stumbling blocks, this monster technique is most suitable. 

The flowers that bloomed on the battlefield afterwards gave up. 

No one survived. 

"Oops? Miscalculated.” 

"As expected. Those who ended up invading the inside of the labyrinth were superior to the others, and I'm afraid they were the aces of the Imperial Army.” 

"Should be. That leaves only the Command as the enemy.” 

"It must be over there, too. After all…" 

"Yes, indeed. If that Carrera-san's entourage comes forward, no matter what kind of opponent they meet, they can't beat them.” 

"I agree." 

"In other words?” 

"Yes. In that case, the showdown is ours to win.” 

Those words made the battlefield roar with laughter. 

The battle of annihilation, known as the Armageddon, ended without incident. 

***

Desperate reports were sent back to Calgurio in droves.

No, you don't have to listen to anyone. 

There is already a great tragedy ahead. 

The only thing they felt lucky about was that things came so fast that they died before they could even feel the fear and remorse. 

On the contrary, those who survived the horrible magic were all changed in their eyes and fled back to the main camp one by one. 

Even the soul felt fear, holding in its heart a sense of mistrust of the Empire, while lamenting its own folly. 

There was no room for rhetoric either, and the staff cried out for a retreat. 

Yet things evolved to such a point that they could not have survived the situation. 

How did this happen? Should one choose to be a slave? No, should I say ,when exactly did I start doing it wrong…? 

Thinking was stuck in a dead end, Calgurio tried desperately to get the thinking circuit back to normal, but failed, and once again he looked out over the desperate battlefield and began to think about what other battle plans he could execute now. 

It's nowhere to be found. 

At this juncture, how could he have just come up with that kind of combat plan? 

No, that's an afterthought… 

"How is that possible…what is that? What the hell was that…!?” 

Calgurio's heart was filled with fear and confusion. 

It was beyond his comprehension that there was such a vicious magic. 

What was it that made it like that—the hundreds of thousands of general soldiers with several layers of 

“Barrier" guards, the tactics used to kill them all like they were wringing a baby's hands. 

Nearly 200,000 troops were destroyed by a single blow. 

For the rest, it was only a matter of time before things came to this point of total annihilation. 

"Hard, isn't it…?” 

“What?" 

"Then, that magic is still on the theoretical side, there is a kind of magic that can interfere with the gravity of the planet. Classified as nuclear strike magic, that kind of magic has the most powerful and evil power, except for the huge amount of energy required, which cannot be realized without precise control…” 

“'Gravity Collapse,’ as I heard from Gadra?” 

That's right, actually Calgurio had heard of it. 

But only theoretically feasible, that kind of magic is still being studied at the moment. 

Not the magic that was found to have existed in the past, but the gathering of the technical essence of the Empire, the mobilization of scientific knowledge from otherworldly sources, the study of theoretical structures from the beginning, and the frustration suffered at that stage… 

Let's not talk about a war, that kind of strategic-level magic can even wipe out countries. But the conclusion had been reached that that kind of magic was not possible. 

The other side, the other side, unleashes that magic to perfection. 

And by just one magic creature. 

The Demon Lord. 

The word began to enter Calgurio's mind with a sense of dread that accompanied the writing. 

He suspected that his own army would not be able to strike at a target that he absolutely could not? 

"Lord Calgurio is a learned man, and I admire him most." 

A staff officer makes an uncomfortable remark that pulls Calgurio back to reality. 

Then Calgurio began to shout, as if to vent his hatred. 

"Whether it's still magic on a theoretical level or not! Gadra is still selling it, saying that once this kind of magic comes true, even Veldora can kill it!” 

"Exactly. That kind of magic is just so powerful, one doesn't know the limits.” 

Unknowingly, the staff officers split their reactions into two. 

"So, is that a monster? There's only one…only one of them, and it's a great magic that can be released..." 

Some people go into a state of panic. 

"Great. Ahaha, go back and write it into a paper! That way we can get that forbidden spell too!” 

Some of them discussed it furiously. 

One group loses their fighting spirit and the other begins to run away from reality. 

Their side has lost its function as a command. 

It's so bad, there's nothing we can do. Even so, however, Calgurio remained the army chief. 

Still responsible for the lives of the remaining generals and soldiers. 

Calgurio, he absolutely must not give up. 

But the situation at hand made it impossible for them to retreat. 

Including those who had escaped, only less than 2,000 general soldiers remained in the main camp. The dragons are headless, and even if they escape, they will only end up being killed. 

Power, so wanting power, Calgurio prayed bitterly. 

As the Empire has always revered, as long as the power is strong enough, whatever is done will be forgiven. It is because of their overwhelming power that they have the possibility to calm the world. 

Yet those who do not have the power end up in a miserable situation. 

Without further ado, one need only look at the current state of Calgurio's affairs to get a glimpse. 

The "Three Generals" are the pinnacle of the empire, and Calgurio, who is ranked among them, boasts of being the dominant player in the world. But now he realizes that it was all just an illusion. 

How powerless and weak I am. I didn't realize I was so miserable that I had to be slaughtered… 

He couldn't help but lament over it. 

Wealth, fame, at the moment, those things are of no value at all. It's only when there's really trouble that certain needs arise, and that's more important than anything. 

"So desperate for power…" 

Large teardrops fell from Calgurio's eyes. 

The glory of the empire—strictly speaking, it is believed that Calgurio, who was the commander, lost nearly a million of his general's soldiers. The fact that such a thing was in front of him left Calgurio devastated and discouraged. 

"Report, report! There was a huge blaze over the battlefield. Based on the heat observed, there should be little chance of survival for those on the ground—" 

"It's over. Now the Empire is completely defeated…” 

The adjutant could not help but murmur these words, and the staff officers fell into a silence. 

Those who fled from reality seemed to wake up from a dream and froze. Trying to face the reality of what will happen afterwards and the brain refuses to accept it. 

"Let's surrender. While it's possible that the other side will accept to use the bait, it's possible that it will work. Everyone will be killed if this continues. That's all that's left for us to survive, what do people think?” 

Instead of dying, it's better to be a slave. It's because of thinking so much that I'm proposing it, but there's always that feeling that it's too late. That said, Calgurio decided to accept the offer. 

“…and right. It may not work, but we can try to negotiate and see. At least if we can keep the enemy's attention on us, the chances of Misha and their escape will increase." 

Even if they end up facing death, as long as word can be sent back to the Empire, this defeat will mean something. It is based on such thoughts that negative approval is given. 

So modest and unlike Calgurio, but his heart was long broken. 

Yet it was because of this, he had a way of thinking about what was best to do in this situation. 

If he could allow his mind to reach this realm sooner, Calgurio would surely become a rare and famous general in the world. Abandoning so much lust and vanity, Calgurio takes back the wisdom he should have had. 

But these judgments were made too late. 

And Calgurio and the others have long since lost all hope. 

"Kufufufufu. Surrender, right? Then there's trouble. You'll have to keep me company for a while.” 

It was Diablo who spoke these words, and he appeared unconsciously in the tent. Dressed in butler's clothes as usual, a smile appeared on his handsome face. 

At the sight of Diablo, Calgurio immediately recognized the absolute difference in strength between the two sides. Now he has found his cool judgment and won't lay down his life for a boring sense of honor. 

The first thing was to engage the other side, so he asked the guards to put down their swords. It was the right thing to do, even if the battle was lost to the opponent. 

The afterglow from the corner of Calgurio's eye saw that Krishna was muttering something about "It won't work…" and the whole person crouched down. Like Calgurio, he felt the gap in strength between the two sides was too great to be filled with despair. 

Calgurio, while weighing the rightness of his choice, was the first to report his name. 

"My name is Calgurio, and I am the highest-ranking officer in charge of this operation. May I ask your name?” 

Asked that, Diablo responded happily. 

"Oops? How polite. My "name" is Diablo. I am the loyal servant of Demon Lord Rimuru.” 

Diablo is fond of saying his name. 

Faced with such a Diablo, Calgurio began to think. 

A victory over Diablo is unlikely. Even if everyone in the command went on together, there was no way they could win, right? 

That magical aura was even denser than the giant dragon's. As for the overbearing aura that emanated from him, it was much stronger than the Demon Lord Clayman, who had also befriended Calgurio. 

And without anyone noticing the aura, Diablo appeared. This meant that he had invaded with such a powerful overbearing aura that it had gone unnoticed until just now. 

Such an untouchable strongman appeared, but Calgurio's heart appeared calm. 

This is an opportunity. They did not seem to allow our troops to surrender, but responded with an engagement. If it buys time, it is equivalent to being able to keep this dangerous man. 

Calgurio thought that it would also be safer for Misha and others to escape in this way. 

But he thought too hard. 

“You're not trying to buy time, are you?” 

“What?" 

"It's because someone ran away from here that you're being used as bait. The idea of sacrificing the ego in this way is great, but it's a shame it's all for nothing. Because those people were packed away long ago.” 

The demon was approaching quietly and would never spare the pathetic prey. 

As if to prove it, Diablo smiled. 

Then out of thin air, two bodies were transformed and left to lie on the ground. 

"Could it be the single digits…!?” 

At this point Krishna shouted with a stunned expression. 

The real identities of those bodies were those of Bonnie and Jiu. 

At this point there was a tension in the command. 

It wasn't just Krishna who was shocked. Those who stayed behind clearly understood what a "single-digit" defeat meant. 

That is, they couldn't beat Diablo. No, more importantly… 

How, how…then our death, the death of all the generals and soldiers, will not mean anything at all—!” 

Deep despair assaulted Calgurio. 

"Everyone, draw your swords! There's an intruder! To crush the invaders!” 

At this time the adjutant let out a loud cry, and the guards followed the order. 

Unlike Krishna, there was no way to see through how strong Diablo was with the strength of these escorting martial officers. So they reacted and didn't know it was too courageous or unwise. 

"Kufufufufu. You're all lowlifes, and you want to fight me like that?” 

Diablo smiled dismissively. 

However, the adjutant was not weak, and he shouted after him. 

"Shut up, you demon! There are more than a thousand other warriors on guard here. No matter how good you are, what can only one person do!?” 

Like trying to hide his fear with anger, the adjutant said desperately. 

Calgurio couldn't move. He wanted so badly to tell the other man to stop, but couldn't even get the words out. This adjutant said what can the enemy do with only one person, and Calgurio was tempted to shout "that's not it", but… 

It is only now that Calgurio understands what it means to be really strong. 

Discover what Emperor Rudra expects of them. 

It only takes one master to defeat a million armies. 

The proof is the superb magic that the enemy has just released. 

Plus there was a monster that could kill two powerful people named "single-digit", and even the Mecha Legion could disintegrate with ease. 

The evidence is… 

“Kufufufufu. That sentence came a little late. Those who survive are just you.” 

It seems the adjutant didn't understand what the other party was saying for a while. Yet what was going on outside, Calgurio knew even without looking. 

He'd been paying attention since just now. 

It felt too quiet outside. 

At this point Diablo "snapped! He snapped his fingers. 

Just then, the cover of the tent was blown open. The light outside reflected into the eyes of Calgurio and the others. 

There you can see mountains of bodies. 

The soldiers were all dead, as if asleep. 

That's right, as if only the soul was siphoned off… 

No, Calgurio found that that was exactly what happened. Before the soldiers could even resist, the souls were taken by Diablo. 

Now on again. Right before our eyes, tragedy rears its head. 

When Diablo snapped his fingers, Krishna and the rest fell to the ground. 

Despair and sadness swept over Calgurio's chest. 

“Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh!!” 

He cried out in blood and tears. 

Immediately after, Calgurio's emotions saturated and exploded— 



*** 

That being said, Diablo had no reason to let the enemy escape. 

Receiving the order from Rimuru, Diablo headed happily to the battlefield. Explore Krishna's aura, discover the enemy's command, and later snoop into the situation. 

This time he just happened to run into Bonnie and the others as they came over, and Diablo wasn't going to let anyone get away, so of course he would finish them off. 

Those two were stronger than one might think. 

I didn't expect that even if you practiced your unique skills to the limit, it wouldn't work. But those powers seem to have been borrowed by them from others. Should I say sensory dissonance, doesn't look like an ability awakening. That would make it possible. 

Thinking about this, Diablo tidied them up with aplomb. 

Misha looked at it and began to feel panicked, so she confessed that she was under Yuuki's command. 

Since Rimuru and Yuuki belonged to the partnership by default, Diablo would not disobey Rimuru, so he only let Misha go. 

Is that an ultimate skill? Guy bragged to me a long time ago, got people on fire, looks like there's research value in it. 

He is not polite about getting stronger, and he has thrown away his reserve in a few moments. He could use anything as long as it was an effective means, and Diablo was such a demon. 

In this way, Diablo began to take an interest in polarizing skills, but he did not forget his work. 

He returned to the Imperial Army's camp and the invasion was successful. 

He was also afraid that it would be troublesome for the other side to make a commotion, so he used 

"End of the world" to take his life when he saw someone. 

Move quickly and pick at random. 

He did not hesitate to kill all the enemy's soldiers. 

Right in front of Diablo's eyes, Calgurio let out a growl. 

Funny—Diablo thought with a smile. 

Calgurio has pushed the limits of humanity. He would have belonged to the qualified people. 

Now that he has surpassed the "Immortal" level, the energy has gradually increased. 

Ah, was it desperation that awakened him? It looked like it was the guilt that was pushing him further up the ladder. That's what's worth fighting me for. 

Up until recently, Diablo was not interested in becoming stronger. 

Yet now he pursues power. 

To be of use to the lord he served—to be a useful tool, a servant to Rimuru. 

To Diablo, tools are meaningless if they can't show their ability to the lord. Tools that don't come in handy have no existence value. 

This is also the reason why they do not have their own ministry. 

He doesn't need incompetent minions and enjoys being a lone wolf along the way. 

It is because Diablo is such a man that he has not forgotten to be aggressive and make himself competent. 

To be able to fight against the strong, it was also a great opportunity for Diablo. 

***

His own roar sounded so distant.

Immersed in such feelings, Calgurio awakened. 

Strength rises, and it's still a growing strength never experienced before. 

Very overwhelming—thought Calgurio. 

The killing of his partner left him feeling anger, despair and fear, and that became the key to pushing his limits. 

And that power is what Emperor Rudra had pinned his hopes on Calgurio, I believe. 

"I look forward to your performance.” 

Rudra gave him these words to his face. 

The events of that day are not lost on Calgurio. 

To this day, he thought that the emperor wanted him to be a military chief and to do his duty for the empire. Yet this is all a misunderstanding. 

I see, so it is. Your Majesty—Lord Rudra was hoping I would awaken! 

With this realization, he realized that the sequence of actions was meaningful. 

Nowadays, Calgurio has transcended the "Immortal" to the "Saint" realm. 

Each cell is mixed, and the spirit overrides the flesh. This caused a transformation in his body, and Calgurio had a tangible insight into it. 

That power was strong enough to rival the awakening demon lord. Calgurrio who had awakened to this realm only realized how incompetent he had been before. 

In the face of this force, the Mecha Legion is also a nullity. In other words, it was impossible for the Imperial Army to defeat Demon Lord Rimuru or Veldora. 

“I-I'm so stupid…” 

“Kufufufufu. That's it.” 

"But that's exactly why! I vow to right my wrongs!” 

As soon as Calgurio finished shouting these words, the divine armor that emitted light wrapped around his body. 

This is the strongest armament handed down from mythical times. 

It was the mythical-grade armor given to him by the Emperor. 

Only the marshals and the three generals could wear it, a testament to the Empire's supreme war power. 

Today it acknowledges that Calgurio is the real master. 

"I'll never forgive you, demon! I'll kill you!” 

"Kufufufufu. That's the fun part.” 

The two men just glared at each other and the final battle began. 

Calgurio raised the strength on his body to the limit, making his best effort with his first move. 

The fist is protected by armor, and that alone is a murderous weapon. It can crush almost any substance in this world, harboring the most destructive power. 

The speed of the forefront of the fist surpassed the speed of sound, and even the residual shadow was not left behind, coming to the realm of myth. That shockwave is capable of breaking through the defenses possessed by matter and destroying the molecular structure. And this fist-infused chakra was able to pass through the mind's defenses and could even inflict damage on the Star Psi body. 

In other words, even if the opponent is a spiritual lifeform, it can kill. 

Calgurio had heard of Diablo's name. 

He was one of the Four Heavenly Kings under the Demon Lord Rimuru, the true face of the evil demon race. And incredibly, the report also states that he is a "demon archduke" who exists only in legend. 

Calgurio hadn't even taken the intelligence agency's findings to heart before and was now willing to believe the reports were true. 

Even two "single digits" to challenge can't beat that. Even if he really was such an appalling presence, it wasn't surprising. 

Yet there was no fear in Calgurio's mind. 

I'll admit this guy is a terrible demon, but when it comes to me now, he's no match. With this power, 

“True Dragon", "Demon Lord" or "Hero" are all good, I'll take them all down! 

If you count human strength as one, those who are classified as Class A have at least ten or more physical functions. 

High-ranking demons were nearly a hundred. 

In the case of a high-ranking magician, the record is one hundred and forty. 

If it was the Demon Lord, the minimum should be three hundred as well. 

The dragon species is undetectable, and I'm afraid it will break the thousand. 

Now Calgurio found himself with a power that had broken a thousand. 

Only awakened saints can reach this realm. 

Plus, Calgurio wore mythical-grade armor that contained enough energy to rival his own. 

With this power, even the opponent, the demon archduke, could be exterminated. It's no wonder that Calgurio is so convinced. 

"Alas, how disappointing.” 

A surefire jab is lightly defused by Diablo. 

"How is that possible!?” 

"What's there to wonder about?” 

"Why, why are you okay?” 

No matter what kind of demon it was, it should have been killed by that blow just now. Even if he misses well, Calgurio thinks it's absolutely impossible to be unharmed, how could something so exaggerated be possible. 

"Ask me why, for a simple reason. It's because you don't have enough fire in you to use this power well.” 

Only to see Diablo answer in a lighter voice. 

"You say I'm not hot enough?” 

"Right. I personally feel very sorry for it too. It is too early to fight. Compared to those two just now, they were still relatively strong. Although it was suspected to be a borrowed power, they already had ultimate skills on them. If your power had been awakened sooner, we would have had a more enjoyable showdown…" 

The fruit is not good to eat without waiting until it is ripe. Diablo lamented over it, thinking he had picked too early. 

It was an insult to Calgurio, and he couldn't take it. 

"Damn it! Don't underestimate me, you demon!” 

With that kind of shouting, the situation turned out to be awful. 

Calgurio understood in his heart. 

He knew he could not defeat this demon in front of him. 

Most importantly, the power of "single digits" has secrets. 

They were the strongest warriors in the Empire, and were handpicked by Emperor Rudra, who then lent his dense powers to these men. 

Diablo's reference to "power being borrowed from men" proves this point. 

It wasn't a power they gained on their own, and therefore didn't work against Diablo. 

Without understanding the nature of power and making it one's own, it would be futile to have even the most powerful power. The same point can be applied to Calgurio. 

Diablo says it's too early for the matchup. This reality is impossible to deny even if Calgurio wanted to. 

“Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!" 

Knowing he couldn't win, Calgurio still gave it his all. 

At least take revenge, or everything they do will be for naught. Wanting to deny that, Calgurio would only fight recklessly. 

But that can no longer be called fighting. 

Diablo does see through Calgurio's power, and to him it's just a homework flow. 

Even with mythical grade armor that contained great power, the current Calgurio could not draw out the performance completely. The armor had identified himself as the master, but had not come to the point of being mindful of each other. 

The mythical armor has a personal will. The accumulated time is simply not enough if Calgurio is to become the true master. 

Props like this make sense only if they are used until the fire is pure. Nothing is sadder than the user's inability to elicit performance props. 

As a result, Calgurio, who was the last man in the Imperial Army, was defeated and didn't even get Diablo to get serious. 

And then his soul was taken away…