The rainbow-colored darkness spread rapidly, enveloping everything around it.
"What the hell?" By the time Luminas sensed the danger, it was already too late. Unable to resist, the rainbow-colored darkness entered the interior of the Barrier.
"...What is this?" Luminas uttered in astonishment. Then she touched the darkness and understood. "Is this some kind of mystical power?"
It was a power similar to prayer, a healing force that promoted recovery and growth. There was no need to resist—it was undeniable.
Luminas was engulfed by the darkness, along with Shion, Ultima, Gadra, Adalmann, Albert, Dagruel's sons, and even Basara, the enemy. Others, whether famous or just soldiers, who touched the darkness, were lulled to sleep equally.
And then, while all life was wrapped in sleep, the earth sprouted green. Veldora stood in the heart of the rainbow-colored darkness. Before him was Dagruel, the God of Destruction. Glassord and Fenn were also present, their forms released from the Trinity (Ashura). Glassord seemed to have done his job, but Fenn seemed uninterested and turned away in a huff.
Dagruel, on the other hand, was calm. "You've changed the world using us as your seedlings, haven't you?"
"Hmm. It's a bit of an exaggeration to call it an alteration, but I'll admit I've played around with it a bit," Veldora answered cheerfully.
Dagruel was annoyed by this attitude, but he was already unable to move even if he wanted to do something. His limbs were buried in the trunk of a large tree, just as he said he had used them as seedlings. The same was true of Fenn and Glassord. Although their torso parts, from the waist up, appeared to have grown out of the tree, their limbs were assimilated into the trunk. It was impossible to disengage, as they were no longer able to move of their own free will.
"What did you do?" Dagruel demanded.
"I’ve restored it, I guess."
"What?"
"With the magicule, we restored the devastated land to its natural state."
"Are you saying... magicule changes state?"
"Yes, the magicule has two states: a piercing state for attacks and a stable, calm state. The Desert of Death was always in a rough state because it was exposed to aggressive magicule. Stabilize it, and the surface would be as green as the Great Jura Forest."
"But such a feat was impossible for me or other demon lords," Dagruel protested.
"Even Luminas, who has the most mystical power, couldn't neutralize the tyranny of Milim," Veldora explained. "If they had been able to do so, the reconciliation between Dagruel and Luminas might have been realized. Artificially generating a change in the state of the magicule was unrealistic, so the only solution was to wait for time to solve the problem. Yet, I managed to do it."
"The Fertile Paradox isn't strictly an attack. I've given this land my blessing, harmonizing the disordered magicule and encouraging the growth of life by feeding those who disturb nature. This land, once suffering magical disasters, will be restored to normalcy and return to its former state of fertility."
"...Hmm..." Dagruel growled, stunned by Veldora's words.
"By the way, it has your body as its nucleus. I've used your abundant energy, and now you are sealed! Since my power cannot be released by anyone other than myself, you will not be able to rampage anymore," Veldora laughed, confident.
Dagruel was horrified by Veldora's power. "I know. It's so damned cunning..."
"Kwaaah-hahaha! I'll take that as a compliment," Veldora laughed.
Dagruel never meant it as a compliment, but Veldora laughed it off. Dagruel could only laugh.
"Don't worry. When this war is over, I will let you go. By then, your sanctity will be restored, and the land will be back to normal. Inevitably, there will be no more reason to fight with Luminas, will there?"
In a few decades at the latest, they should be able to find Rimuru. Then Dagruel would no longer be a threat and could be released, Veldora thought.
Dagruel was surprised at this. "You're going to let me go? No, more importantly... are you aware of the situation in my country?"
"I was surprised that he was so thoughtful. Anyone who knew Veldora in the past would have been astonished," Dagruel thought.
"Hmmm. I sense a hint of disrespect, but that's OK. The current state of your country is that in a few hundred years or so, the water will run out and the land will be uninhabitable even with the life force of giants, isn't it?"
This was too accurate. Dagruel had to admit Veldora was really more thoughtful now than in the past.
"I knew you had noticed. I guess you realized the true purpose of my invasion of Luminas' territory, even moving the Binding Gods."
Dagruel's defeat at the hands of Fenn reminded him of his former rampage, but his nature had not changed. The seeming betrayal of Rimuru and the others was only a move in the right direction, a king's cool-headed decision on how to handle this upheaval. Dagruel felt embarrassed that Veldora had recognized this.
Veldora responded to Dagruel with a wry smile. "No, I don't know about that. It has nothing to do with me. So, the fact that there were no young soldiers or women and children under your command, but only dead soldiers, is also of no concern to me."
"Ha-ha-ha-ha! You're not kidding. That's just like you, Veldora."
Dagruel, laughing like this, was definitely a friend of Veldora's. He had once been defeated by Veldanava. Once defeated, Dagruel was assigned to guard Heaven's Tower, the road to the Heavenly Star Palace. The Giants, led by Dagruel, had faithfully followed his orders. However, there was an incident of Milim's outburst, an incident for which Milim could not be blamed.
________________________________________
Dagruel, unable to hold a grudge against anyone, solemnly made the choice to die according to his destiny. However, his defeat by Fenn reminded him of the old days. He regained his spirit and decided to take one last gamble. Luminas was the perfect opponent for his grudge. If they could challenge Luminas and take her territory, the Giants would have a chance to live. Even if they were defeated, they could buy time for those who remained by significantly reducing their numbers in the great battle. Either way, it was a possibility. That is why Dagruel agreed to Fenn's offer, even if it meant being stigmatized as a traitor.
"If I had been the only one to perish, it would have been fine. But it was unbearable for a king to impose the same fate on his young men. I'm sorry, Luminas, but I thought I had a chance..." Dagruel repented.
Veldora shrugged. "Hmm. After all, the world is a place where the strong thrive and the weak perish. No one will blame us for trying."
This was true. Complaints might arise, but there was no need to listen to them. Without Veldora's intervention, the defeat of Luminas would have been irreversible. The victor would be the righteous one. This time, Dagruel and his group were not so lucky.
"But, Veldora, why did you bring this place back to life? To save us? Out of sympathy?" Dagruel asked.
As he pointed out, the desert ravaged by magicule had been transformed into a lush green land, rapidly expanding and encroaching upon Dagruel's territory. Veldora laughed.
"Kwah-ha-ha-ha! I just proved that I am stronger than you. I also wanted to show off a bit to put Luminas in a good mood. Enriching the land was just a bonus."
The harmony of the magicule promoted the growth of crops, greening the desert with undeniable effectiveness.
"But that can't be the only reason," Dagruel pressed.
"I'm not kidding! I didn't think that even the Desert of Death would be included in the effect range... it was a miscalculation!" Veldora insisted.
Dagruel chuckled at Veldora's insistence. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! You're going to play innocent, huh? That's good. I don't owe you a thing, Veldora!"
"Of course not. Friends don't owe each other anything! We'll fight again, but I'll win next time!"
"I'm not so naive as to be defeated again and again by a little boy!" Veldora and Dagruel looked at each other and laughed loudly. There was no rancor between them, only a fresh camaraderie.
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