Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken (LN) - Volume 22 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Apex's Showdown (頂上決戦) 
 
The top brass from the land of monsters gathered in the control room. 
 
More than a full day had passed since Luminus’s declaration 
 
「I've received word from Soei. It's good that you destroyed the threat known as Zeranus and drove off the calamity known as Vega, but it doesn't seem to be a situation where you can be relieved yet. I think you're all exhausted, but please keep your guard up.」 
 
It was Benimaru, the commander-in-chief, who brought that up.
Soei has also gone to battle so that he can respond immediately to the war situation. There aren't even any clones left here, so he's only connected to Benimaru through Thought Communication. 
 
That was just how urgent the situation was. 
 
The assembled leaders nodded with demonic expressions. 
 
It was fine to protect our homeland, but it would be meaningless if the world were destroyed. 
 
Not everyone could say they were in perfect condition, but they were plenty fired up. 
 
Then again, there were those who couldn’t do anything with spirit alone. 
 
Zegion and others were at the top of the list, and were absent because they had fallen into a sleep of evolution 
 
Speaking of absentees, Diablo wasn’t here, either. He’d said he had some minor business to attend to, and had gone off somewhere. 
 
As far as Benimaru was concerned, I had a rough idea of where he was going. 
 
I smiled wryly at her, thinking she was hopeless, and decided to let her do as she pleased. 
 
「So, Benimaru, what should we do now?」 
 
Ramiris asked on behalf of everyone gathered here.
「All of our forces have returned from former Eurazania, but we will send all of them to Damargania.」 
 
The air in the control room grew tense. 
 
「I'll be in charge.」 
 
Before anyone could ask the question, Benimaru made his declaration. 
 
More than half of the Crimson Flames have been left behind in the old Eurazania, still transformed into ice statues. And yet, they have no intention of carrying out a rescue operation. 
 
Even the leaders like Gabil and Geld, who’d overheard this decision, could only realize that Benimaru’s determination was extraordinary 
 
As far as Gabil was concerned, he was worried about SPHIA, who had just become his lover. However, he didn't have the atmosphere to bring that up right now. After seeing the big picture, Benimaru had made his decision, and it was his duty as a warrior to follow it. 
 
Geld had a similar state of mind. 
 
The Yellow, Orange, and Orange Numbers under Geld's command hadn't all returned yet. Even now, those who had shouldered the damage Geld had inflicted by the Ultimate Gift, Ultimate Gift and Beelzebub were supposed to be eagerly awaiting rescue. 
Whether it’s Gabil or Geld, I feel like heading to the old Eurazania immediately if it’ll be forgiven. 
 
However, that was not allowed. 
 
It's not that Benimaru is heartless. In fact, it's the opposite. He's more compassionate than anyone else. 

That was the decision Benimaru had made, so no one objected to this. 
 
If there's one question... 
 
「How do we get there?」 
 
Alvis, her body weight, asked the tactical core of the matter. 
 
Even the fastest Hiryuu in the land of monsters would take a full day to get to Damargania. Not to mention insomnia. 
 
I don't need to tell you about the other Legions. 
 
If they didn’t go into battle immediately now, there was a strong possibility they wouldn’t make it in time for the serious war situation. 
 
If Rimuru had been there, he would have used a large-scale transport spell to solve the problem. But right now, they had to do something on their own, and the concept of logistics, which they hadn’t needed to think about much until now, weighed heavily on them. 
 
Alvis had been worried about this, and she’d interjected, knowing full well that it would rain down on her 
 
However, Benimaru was unfazed. 
 
Because that problem had already been solved by Shuna, my little sister. 
 
「No problem. Shuna will ‘transfer’ us.」 
 
「Yes. I’ve analyzed Sir Rimuru’s spell, so I’ll carry you all safely to your destination.」 
 
Benimaru declared, and Shuna nodded with a smile. 
 
It shouldn’t be a problem. There’s a huge gulf in the amount of magicules between Rimuru and Shuna. 
 
No matter how simplistic the spell was, it was expected that the burden would be considerable, such as “transferring” a large number of people at once 
 
However, there was no one here to point that out. 
 
It was because everyone had guessed Shuna’s resolve and expressed their understanding. 
 
As long as she doesn't have a problem with it, there's no problem. 
 
Rimuru’s teaching that he wouldn’t say what he couldn’t do. There was no way Shuna would break this, so success was like a promise. 
 
What happens after that can be thought of when the time comes. 
 
「Ramiris-sama, I'll leave the defense of the labyrinth to you.」 
 
Shuna’s request was a declaration that she would be rendered useless. 
 
Ramiris wasn’t foolish enough not to notice this 
 
「Of course! Leave it to me, the strongest demon lord, Ramiris-sama, with a boom!!」 
 
To reassure Shuna, he’d accepted the contract with his usual smile. 
 
Benimaru gave a big nod. 
 
「Apito, I'm counting on you to defend the labyrinth.」 
 
「Understood.」 
 
「However...」 
 
「?」 
 
「―As soon as Zegion wakes up, leave the labyrinth alone and move out.」 
 
「But...」 
There was everything Rimuru had left behind in the labyrinth: Alvis and Momiji, who were more important to Benimaru than his life. 
 
But even so, Benimaru didn't waver. 
 
「I'll leave the defense of the labyrinth to Beretta, Sir Treyny, and the others. I have no intention of dying either, but I don't know what will happen depending on the situation. All you have to do is contact me. Otherwise, Apito, you can judge the war situation yourself.」 
 
Leaving the defense of the labyrinth in the hands of others would normally be an unbelievable order, but that was proof that the current situation was hopeless. 
 
Sensing Benimaru’s state of mind, Apito nodded gravely 
 
It was as if the confident Benimaru had declared that he couldn't even read whether he was safe or not. Since Apito had been left behind as insurance, he should have responded to her trust. 
 
「That's right. Right now, it's time to protect the fate of the world.」 
 
「Exactly.」 
 
「I swear I'll win!!」 
 
I'll win. 
 
And then, we all laughed together. 
 
That resolve was shared by everyone. 
 
「Kumara, you're on the move too.」 
 
「Understood.」 
 
Kumara responded with a fearless smile. 
 
This wasn’t the first time they’d fought outside the labyrinth, either, so they weren’t fazed at this point.
 
Nodding in response, Benimaru announced the final decision. 
 
「It's the Crimson Flames, but until the goblins get back, Hakuro, you're in charge!」 
 
「Leave it to me.」 
 
「I'll leave the Wolf Demon Soldier Corps and Goblin Rider to Gobta. Ranga and Kumara will support Gobda. Run around the battlefield and show us our power!!」 
 
「Roger that!」 
 
「Understood!!」 
 
「It's fun.」 
 
「It's a Hiryuu, but each of us acknowledges a free-for-all fight.」 
 
「--?」 
 
Hearing Benimaru’s statement, Gabil made a face that said, “Huh?” Because he’d thought he was the one in command. 
 
As if to answer this question, Benimaru continued. 
 
「Gabil, Geld, I want to give you two another mission.」 
 
When it came to another mission in this important situation, it was clear that it was incredibly important. 
 
Gabil and Geld held their breath as they waited for Benimaru to speak. 
 
「I don't know if that's what you were planning to do without me ordering you to, but...」 
 
After broaching the subject, Benimaru relayed his plan. 
 
It was a very dangerous subject――But on the other hand, Gabil and Geld's expressions brightened. As Benimaru had said, it was exactly the order they had been hoping for. 
 
「I understand! I entrust my Hiryuu to Yashichi, Sukerou, and Kakushin!」 
 
「Yeah, leave it to me!」 
 
「Indeed.」 
 
「Good luck, Gabil-sama!!」 
 
As if responding to Gabil’s eagerness, his three confidants accepted the contract in their usual manner. It was the same as always, which made him feel as if success had been promised. 
 
And Geld, too. 
 
「Regardless of where I die, I will fulfill that role!!」 
 
“Phew,” she declared with enthusiasm. 
 
I hadn’t fully recovered yet, but I didn’t care that it was no big deal. 
 
Thus, each member of the counterattack was given their own role. 
 
More than a hundred members of the Crimson Flame Clan, a hundred of the Hiryuu Clan, and a hundred goblins of the Wolf Demon Soldier Corps. There were a total of three hundred and several dozen of them, with Benimaru at the top. 
 
Leaving behind Zegion, who had fallen asleep, and Apito, who was acting as liaison, all the other members of the Twelve Guardian Kings of Holy Demonkind, Seimajuunishugoou, were to leave. 
 
The fact that the defensive forces within the labyrinth had dropped this low was unprecedented.
And so, everyone wished deep in their hearts that this would never happen again. 
 

 
Jahilu was pondering. 
 
How am I supposed to move forward? 
 
It hurt that Zarario betrayed me. 
 
There's Zeranus, the [Insect Demon Lord], too, but that thing was too much for Jahilu to handle. 
 
In the first place, I had my doubts as to how much I could trust Feldway. 
 
(Even if I obey Feldway, it won't become my world. That way, it doesn't taste good, and besides...) 
 
I remember Benimaru. 
 
What an abominable enemy. 
 
Despite being an overwhelmingly low-ranking member, he’d been using the Magical 
Emperor, Jahilu, as a gauntlet 
 
That is an unforgivable folly. A lowly demon disobeying a Jahil is a misdeed that must not be committed. 
 
That’s why I had to punish them...but Benimaru was a nuisance. 
 
If they had been up against him alone, there would have been no doubt that Jahilu would have won. However, it had been a failure to give Benimaru the strength to act as a pawn. 
 
Destroying each of them was the correct answer. 
 
I didn’t think I could’ve killed him with [ Wide-Range Blood Magic Heat Wave] or Evil Blood Wave, so it seemed like I’d be standing in front of Jahilu again. 
 
If that's the case, we should definitely have a man and a woman before it becomes a bother, but~ 
 
(Hmm. I, too, have an enemy I must defeat. At the top of that list is...) 
 
It was the Demon Lord Luminus. 
 
Because he was a detestable enemy who destroyed the Divine Ancestor that Jahilu loved and respected so much. 
 
Not just Benimaru, but the demon lord Luminus as well. 
 
There were many enemies, and few allies they could rely on. 
 
The Legion that Feldway had given us had also scattered, and now there were only about seven hundred of them left 
 
This definitely wasn't enough for a force.
In any case, there was no point in sitting and waiting, so Jahilu decided to move to gather information. 
 
They’d sent minions to various places to investigate the current situation. 
 
There were five places mentioned above: the former Eurazania, Rubelios, Damargania, the Labyrinth, and Sarion. 
 
I didn't think it was necessary to attack Sarion myself, but I had him probe just in case. Even if it was unnecessary, it wouldn't be too late to make that decision after hearing the report. 
 
And so, time passed. 
 
Reports came in one after another, but... for Jahilu, that was something he couldn't ignore. 
 
The old Eurazania was closed off to the world of ice. 
 
Even if they tried to investigate the interior, half-baked forces wouldn’t be able to reach the center, so the details were unknown. 
 
As for this, it was presumed that the battle between Gii and Velzard was ongoing. 
 
The problem was the remaining four places. 
 
First off, in Rubelios, Dagrull had been defeated. 
 
「Forget Fen, Dagrull the God of Destruction was defeated?! I didn't think Veldora would be that powerful...」 
 
Even from Jahilu's point of view, a higher-ranking being had left the stage with ease. That fact surprised him more than the betrayal of Zarario. 
 
(It will be difficult to recover from this. Now then, what are you going to do, Feldway?) 
 
At this point in time, the existence of the Three Stars Commander has been reduced to nothingness. 
 
Each Legion has collapsed, and the damage is too great to conquer the Axis world. 
 
Even so, it wouldn’t be a problem if we won... 
 
I'm also worried about fighting in other regions. 
 
The movements of those who entered the labyrinth were one of them. 
 
Apparently, the call had been cut off, and she was nowhere to be found. 
 
What was even more surprising was the fact that even Zeranus had appeared. 
 
With so many strong people participating in the war, it was only a matter of time before the labyrinth collapsed. And yet, there was no progress after that. 
 
This was a serious situation. 
 
And yet, Jahilu’s judgment was different. 
(It can't be. It's one thing if it's Vega, but there's no way Zeranus would lose. Even if that so-called Benimaru had returned, it would be impossible to beat him.) 
 
I was so fixated on my own common sense that I ended up thinking that way. 
 
The reason they hadn’t heard from each other was probably because they’d been continuing their attack and defense inside the labyrinth. They’d figured that even if they were being toyed with by those tricks, it would ultimately be a victory for Zeranus. 
 
In that case, the area centered around the labyrinth ruins would become Zeranus’s territory. 
This is an undesirable development for Jahilu. 
 
In the first place, the reason Jahilu is cooperating with Feldway is to fulfill his own ambitions. 
 
We will avenge the Sacred Ancestor and rule this Axis world. 
 
That was Jahilu's wish. 
 
Knowing that Zeranus also wanted territory, he gave up on obtaining the entire world. 
 
However, he had no intention of handing over all of the important bases. 
 
What Jahil wanted was the Great Forest of Jura, the Fertile Forest, or the prosperous Western Nations. To put it greedily, he wanted to take control of the entire Central Continent, including Jura’s Great Forest, Jura thought. 
If Zeranus was going to take the Great Forest of Jura, he would have to abandon his ambitions. That was a Jahilu he wanted to prevent, but he couldn’t come up with any brilliant ideas, so he had no choice. 
 
However, even if they had given up on the Great Forest of Jura, they had no intention of giving up on even the riches of the West. They assumed that coexistence would be possible, since their values for territory were different from Zeranus’s. 
 
Seal it in the Great Forest of Jura as a surviving zone for the [Insect Demons] [In Sector], and Jahilu can profit civilizedly. 
 
But there's also the problem. 
 
Feldway would take control of the eastern empire, but Dagrull’s goal, like Jahilu’s, was to point toward the western countries 
 
I was racking my brain trying to figure out how to find a way to drop it, but I had a gut feeling about this. 
 
We're going to cede to the West. 
 
Specifically, we're going to hand over the northwest part of the continent, such as Rubelios, Ingracia, and Farmenas, to Dagrull. And we'll be taking control of the southwest part of our continent, including the lower half, Sarion, and Jahilu. 
 
All we had to do was divide the world into quarters, cooperate with each other, and develop. Then we built up our power... and eventually, once Jahilu was at the top, everything would be perfect. 
 
Even the old Eurazania would swallow it at the same time depending on the situation. There was no point if they couldn't dispel Velzard's power, so this place was a challenge for the future. 
 
In any case, what’s important is your own interests. That’s what Jahilu had thought, and he’d made her investigate the situation in other regions as well. 
 
It wasn’t his true intention that the territory Jahilu was supposed to take would be ravaged, so it was a stroke of good fortune that the site of the final battle was in the Rubelios area. 
 
Dagrull’s defeat was unexpected, but since he wouldn’t have to split the area under his control, you could say it was a good result depending on how you looked at it. 
 
As he pondered what to do next, Jahilu received a report on the remaining areas. 
 
It was said that after Milim unleashed the [Dragon Star Explosion] [Drago Nova] at the Tentsukaku in Damargania, she went straight back to Sarion. 
 
「What are you doing, Feldway?!」 
 
Jahil was enraged. 
 
The current “crazed Stampede” Milim was the very Destroyer of Destruction, hiding the danger of destroying the world if she let him do as he pleased. At this rate, she might even lose the wealth that Jahil had to gain. 
 
Damargania was at its peak of chaos, and in Rubelios, they were hastily gathering their forces. 
 
Luminus herself had exposed her true identity, blabbered about the dangers of the world, and even made speeches to the whole world, summoning heroes from all over the world. 
 
Jahilu had laughed at his exaggerated behavior, but now that he knew of the rapidly changing situation, it was no longer someone else’s problem. 
 
I’m curious about Milim’s movements, but I can’t ignore Luminus’s “Apocalypse” declaration, either. If she’s a threat that needs to be dealt with by moving even Velgrind... 
 
「Ivarage!?」 
 
The king of the other world----a being that destroys a world that can be called the True God of Destruction. If such an Ivarage were to materialize, it made sense that Luminus and the others would not exaggerate their response. 
 
Even in Sarion, the battle continues to stop Milim. 
 
Even Jahilu had tried to burn the Sacred Tree to the ground, but she’d decided it was regenerative. If Milim’s [Dragon Star Explosion], Drago Nova, had been directed at it, Sarion’s destruction would have been inevitable. 
(It looks like they’re holding out against Milim, but it’s no longer something you can call a battle. It’s better that they’ve not been overrun, but that’s only a matter of time.) 
 
As Jahilu bitterly thought this, a new report came in: a mysterious being had appeared and begun to fight on equal footing with Milim 
 
I was curious as to what it was, but the report went on even further. 
 
「What?! Veldora appeared?!」 
 
It was said that Veldora, who had defeated Dagrull, had come all the way to Sarion. 
 
「I do not understand. I thought you would return to the labyrinth and respond to Zeranus...」 
 
Now that Rubelios’s situation has settled down, it’s only natural that he’d return to his base. Not to mention that his base is currently in the middle of being attacked. 
 
As far as Jahilu was concerned, he naturally assumed he’d call Veldora back to deal with Zeranus.
 
Ideally, Veldora and Zeranus would collapse together. Even if things didn’t go that well, if Jahilu could finish off the remaining one... 
 
It was overly greedy to expect that much, but in any case, information about the labyrinth was still unknown.
I was more interested in the battle between Sarion, Veldora, and the others than that. 
 
No, more importantly... 
 
Battles are breaking out all over the world. 
 
Zeranus should be running amok in the labyrinth. 
 
It was presumed that in the old Eurazania, Gii and Velzard were clashing. 
 
In Damargania, the threat of the Ivarage was nearing its appearance. 
 
And in Sarion, the out-of-control Milim was raging fiercely. 
 
Now then, Jahilu pondered. 
 
What should we prioritize in this chaotic situation? 
 
Jahil agonized, and then made his decision. 
 
「Milim is controlled by Feldway, so it shouldn't be a problem to leave her alone. I should avenge her for many years here.」 
 
Jahilu’s eyes turned to Damargania. 
 
He’d thought to take advantage of the chaos to get rid of Luminus, who was likely there 
 
Jahilu laughed wickedly and sat up heavily. 

The armies of each side of the Humanity Defense Front were fighting hard against each enemy. 
 
Among them, in the east, where the damage had been severe, the hopeless battle continued. 
Thanks to the Holy Cleansing Barrier, which was barely maintained, the moment of decisive defeat hadn’t come. But it was only delaying the final moment a little. 
Everyone understood that, but they kept fighting with unwavering hearts. 
 
One lucky thing was that the Destruction Dragon Ivarage had stopped moving. 
 
Sitting on the shoulder of the large demon beast, it fell silent. 
She seemed to be enjoying herself as she watched the battle, but she showed no signs of moving herself. 
There was also the idea of seeing that as a chance and launching an attack, but there was no one who could put it into action 
Velgrind was also trying to recover his stamina, and anyone other than her wasn’t strong enough. He’d come to the conclusion that it was better to wait and see than to provoke her carelessly. 
Besides......if I bought time, there was a chance the situation would improve. 
 
(Then again, that’s a request from Rimuru, too...) 
 
Luminus sneered at herself. 
 
It was an excessively fleeting possibility. 
 
It was possible that Rimuru’s subordinates would come to reinforce them 
 
It seems Zeranus, the [Insect Demon Lord], has appeared in the labyrinth, so there shouldn't be any energy left. For some reason, Luminus can't help but get her hopes up even if she thinks so. 
 
It was the same for the others, and the reason they could still fight without giving up was because of that hope. 
 
Besides, if there's any hope... 
 
(It’s hard to imagine that tenacious, stubborn Rimuru has been left to his own devices. He’s apparently been expelled somewhere, but I can’t shake the feeling that he’ll come back aloof.) 
 
She’d been told that it had disappeared, but that was how Luminus truly felt. 
 
The Rimuru statue Chloe had told him about was beautified, but the Rimulu that Luminus herself observed was generally similar. 
She was confident, competitive, softhearted, and kind, giving off a presence that made me want to rely on her. 
 
Even Hinata, who had been as tense as a sharp knife, looked her age when interacting with Rimuru, so it was impressive. Even now, she probably still believed he was safe. 
 
(If I admit defeat now, I don't know what he'll say to me later. I hate him making fun of me, so I have to keep my guard up until the end.) 
 
With that thought in mind, Luminus braced herself so as not to show even a moment’s opening 
It seemed like the war wasn't bad. 
 
If we reduce the number of [Phantom Beasts] and [Crept] before the Ivarage truly makes its move, maybe we can do something about it? 
 
She was leaning toward the upper hand so much that it seemed that way. 
 
The battles in other areas were similar, and it looked like they were able to protect the kind of fights where there would be as few casualties as possible. 
 
[Phantom Beast Tribe] [Crept] is strong as an individual, but they're a race unfamiliar with group warfare. Some of them are in cahoots with their own kind, so we can't let our guard down, but it's good news that we're not in a situation where we can barely handle it. 
 
If only we could do something about the Ivarage... 
 
Just as everyone was starting to think that... 
 
The situation changed completely. 
 
Ivarage, who was sitting on the shoulder of a large demon beast with his legs wobbling, smirked. 
 
“I’ve made more friends with you♪” 
 
Everyone was bewildered by the sudden statement. 
 
But the next moment, I understood what she meant. 
 
It was unclear what kind of ritual had been performed beyond the door, but the nature of the cryptids that appeared had changed.
 
Specifically, it had taken human form. 
 
Most of them were warped to the point where they didn’t even have eyes, nose, or mouth, but some of them had inhuman beauty. The higher-ranked ones seemed to have a tendency to be more combat-capable. 
 
「Tch, what a pain. Did you learn from watching us fight?」 
 
It's Hinata who complains. 
Up until now, it had been a battle against beasts, but now that it had taken human form, the cryptid had begun to use hardened skin as a weapon and even something like a sword technique. 
 
Even the strength of the outer skin, which had been uniform up to that point, had been transformed into something stronger and weaker. It looked like it had gotten weaker with more weaknesses, but there was also a view that it had increased its attack power and increased its danger level. 
 
What's more, she seems to be learning tactics in the present tense. She doesn't have the absurdity to suddenly increase her skill level, but it looks like she'll be at a disadvantage more and more over time. 
 
「There's no end to it. What should we do, Caliglio?」 
 
「I don't want to hear it. We'll have to finish him off with a single blow so that he doesn't show his hand as much as possible.」 
 
Even though I knew that, it was hard to put it into practice. 
 
It would be one thing for someone as powerful as Caliglio or the Minutes, but it wasn’t a feat anyone could imitate. 
 
Furthermore, the existence of higher-ranking units was greater than that of previous ones. Not only were they more durable, but some of them even began to possess Ultraspeed Regeneration. 
 
At this point, it would be difficult to defeat them before they learned. 
 
「This is bad. Ivarage, I'll be watching you the whole time.」 
 
As Hinata had pointed out, the Ivarage had been observing this battle for a long time, which meant that it was learning how to fight by watching and hearing more and more. 
 
The ominous premonition he’d felt at first was half-reality. Everyone sensed it, and he had to fight against the anxiety surging from the depths of his heart. 
 
 
＊ 
 
The harshest situation was in the east, but the other defensive lines were having a tough time with it. 
First, to the west. 
 
Slowly, a beast came out the door. 
 
It had the air of a champion. 
 
A beast sprinting through the void----a scarecrow. 
 
Contrary to her cute name, she had an extremely vicious appearance. 
 
It was close to the shape of a wolf, but far larger. It had a lion's body and a dragon's head, reaching ten meters in length. It was over five meters tall, too. 
 
The dragon scales covering its entire body stand on end like pitch-black needles. And it's sharp enough to be called a spear. Its tail splits into eight halves, wriggling like a poisonous snake. 
 
There were six shining crimson eyes, all glaring at their surroundings. 
 
Because of its huge frame, it seemed to have a lot of blind spots, but that was a mistake. It was because there were glaring eyeballs all over its body. 
 
It wasn’t fixed in place—it was growing and burying. It seemed to be able to appear at will, and could be created on dragon scales as well. 
 
Sharp claws glinted dully on its four tough legs. In addition, countless small protrusions grew between the dragon scales, giving it a truly suspicious atmosphere. 
 
And those fangs... 
 
It was fearless and repulsive, like a symbol of predatory fear in the hearts of all who saw it. 
 
Kakashi glances at the warriors waiting for him, but he soon loses interest. More importantly, his attention is focused on the world he's experiencing for the first time. 
 
She snorted, sensing the wind. 
 
Satisfied, she howls. 
 
The wind trembled. 
 
It became a shockwave, blowing away those lacking in power. 
 
「What a guy...」 
 
Gregory, who hates dogs, shudders as if he's been traumatized. Even so, he takes a stance toward Kakashi with pride as a former 'Sanbusen' in his heart. 
 
The ones who held Gregory back and stepped forward were Sion, Dagra, and the others. 
 
「That's hilarious! We're as easy as a single beast, aren't we?」 
 
Xion stopped mid-sentence and stared at the scarecrow, for it sprawled elegantly, ignoring the presence of Xion and the others. 
 
However, it didn't seem like she had no intention of fighting. 
 
A pack of beasts, presumably members of the scarecrow’s kin, had come out one after another. 
 
They're of the same lineage, with similar appearances. The only difference is that they have a smaller frame and four eyes. 
 
We wouldn’t know how different our combat abilities were until we fought them. 
 
「Everyone, get ready!!」 
 
Xion shouted. 
 
That voice served as a signal, and the scarecrow familia members moved as well. 
 
That's how the war began. 
 
Kakashi’s familia was foreign. 
 
They were a group of cryptids that didn't really flock together. 
 
Moreover, even from an individual’s perspective, their combat abilities were extremely high. 
 
By the standards set by the Free Guild, it was equivalent to an A-rank at the very least. Moreover, it had an unbelievably dangerous level, with a large number of individuals above S-rank mixed in. 
 
Even the heroes of humanity gathered here were A-Rank or higher in their individual abilities. They would never be inferior, but the reality was that if asked whether they could win one-on-one, it would be difficult. 
 
What’s more, this horde is good at group combat. 
 
It was too dangerous an enemy for the human side, which was close to a mishmash. 
 
「You two, get together as close friends as you can! Don't leave me alone!!」 
 
Glenda issued a manifesto. 
That's a very precise instruction. The Kakashi familia members who appear one after another increase their numbers by more than a few hundred. Going up against them alone is nothing short of suicidal. 
 
The battlefront is maintained only if there are conditions advantageous to the human side called the Holy Purification Barrier, Holy Field. 
 
「You damn dogs!!」 
 
Gregory is blasting away Kakashi's familia with a show of lion fighting. The enemy isn't a dog, but it would be uncouth to charge into it. 
 
Xion’s Decapitation Demon Blade crushed several familias at once. They were incredibly capable in battle, but even so, the enemy’s numbers were enormous. 
 
It's as if everyone thought it hadn't diminished at all. 
 
Enemy after enemy appeared. 
 
They were still outnumbered, but there was no telling when that would be reversed. 
 
The warriors' hearts were becoming exhausted as they played the game of Nuits, which never ended. 
 
The scarecrow didn't move, as if it understood that. It glared down at the battlefield with a cold, intellectual gaze, waiting for an opportunity. 
 
And finally, the time had come. 
 
The scarecrow sat up and howled. 
 
It was the second roar of the day, but there was something different this time. 
 
Scarecrows are beasts, but they are also highly intelligent compared to humans. 
 
He was cunning, cautious, and had the judgment to avoid battles he couldn’t win. 
 
That's the kind of scarecrow that decided to attack. 
 
In other words, he was convinced of his victory. 
 
The scarecrow's roar made the air tremble. Unlike the initial threat, this time it was issued a serious attack order. 
 
This changed the movements of the familia members. They were able to boldly attack without fear of sacrifice. 
 
「Man, this is harsh~ This unpleasant feeling...」 
 
Glenda, who had shot and killed one of them as soon as she reloaded with her divine feat, started to grumble. However, she noticed something and raised an eyebrow. 
 
Immediately after that... 
 
「Everyone, stop breathing and get into a defensive position!! If you're not careful, you'll die!!」 
 
With that, Glenda’s loud voice boomed. 
 
Undaunted by Kakashi's roar, it became a Thought Communication and reached my allies. 
 
This became a paper-thin layer. 
 
Kakashi had used his roar as cover to launch another attack in secret. 
 
There was a small protrusion growing between the dragon scales that covered its huge frame, and viscously degrading enzymes were gushing out from its tip. 
 
This was mixed with the scarecrow's aura and diffused into the air as it roared. It was harmless to the scarecab familia, but to the other life-forms, it was a deadly poison mist. 
 
If not for the warning from Glenda, a large number of people would have died. 
 
Some of Sion's subordinates, Yomigaeri, were coughing up blood and suffering. He must have tried to suck on it out of curiosity, but as a result, his lungs burned and he couldn't breathe, his internal organs were festering, pus blood flowed back out, his eyes were crushed, and the mucous membrane of his nose rotted and scattered blood. He was forced to experience the hellish agony that lasted for about three hours. 
 
The unlucky part was that even a recovery potion couldn’t get rid of the effects. It wouldn’t die, but it had to be destroyed and regenerated repeatedly until the effects of the venom mist derived from the scarecrow faded.
Looking at the disastrous scene, everyone was grateful for Glenda’s Danger Detection, 
Ability, and Skill 
 
「Tch, this is why I hate dogs!」 
 
Gregory spat the words out, but in a sense, he was a sore loser. 
 
Still, Gregory was amazing for being able to complain like that, and it was true that it had helped those listening to him regain a little mental composure. 
In addition to this, Xion moved. 
 
「[True Heaven and Earth Killing and Falling] [Caotic Fate]!!」 
 
Xion's longsword, God Gorikimaru, sliced through the air. 
 
That alone was enough to detoxify Kakashi’s “poison mist”. 
 
The bullshit that Ultimate Abilities, Ultimate Skills, Tyrannical King, and Susanoo boasted canceling abilities and negative breaks were still alive and well, and it was a great victory for Sion’s honor. 
 
「Whether it's an enemy or an ingredient, cooking is my specialty! I don't feel like I'll lose this match!!」 
 
This declaration greatly encouraged the warriors. 
As long as Xion was here, she wouldn't lose, which was why she was getting more and more excited. 
 
Even so, the battle was still in its early stages. 
 
The battle in the west had also intensified after Kakashi’s second roar. 
  
＊ 
What appeared in the south was an extremely strange being. 
 
It's a fish-swim that swims between the stars. 
 
When that thing appeared, Ultima spoke up. 
 
「Aww, too bad. He looks like he's in trouble. To be honest, it might be impossible to defeat him without killing anyone.」 
 
That's a fair assessment. 
 
Accepting this, Veyron immediately orders. 
 
「Everyone, get back. Kosei and the others, let's go!」 
 
The heroes gathered from all over the country looked at Veyron with eyes that said, Who is this old man? But before they could raise their voices of dissatisfaction, Yohm gave the order. 
 
「Hey, you guys! Get behind me already!!」 
 
This is where Yohm's coμ comes into play. 
 
Thanks to gaining their trust, the heroes who had a habit or two obeyed. 
 
Some complained, but that was out of respect. Before Swim could show her whole body, the only warriors inside the Holy Purification Barrier were Ultima and the other demons. 
 
「Good call. If you'd been a little later, you guys would've died♪」 
 
She spoke in a light tone, but it was no laughing matter. 
 
However, the correctness of her words was to be proven immediately after that. 
 
「What's with that creepy monster...?」 
 
「Fish...?」 
 
There are some flying fish-type monsters, like megalodons. 
 
Even Swim, who had just appeared, had misunderstood that lineage and said that. 
 
Swim had the image of a raven swimming in the sky, but aside from the tentacle portion, its torso alone was about ten meters long. The tentacles were three to five meters tall, so it would probably be divided into fairly large monsters. 
 
However, that alone was not accurate information. 
 
Compared to super-large monsters like Calybdiss, they were small, but they weren’t so easy to gauge by the size of their bodies. 
 
That's what I'll prove now. 
 
The storm shakes. 
 
The tentacle portion, the small aggregation of aberrations that had been parasitizing the Sweeme, had all left at once and danced through space. 
 
Its speed reached the speed of sound in five seconds. Its maximum speed was unknown due to its short distance, but no one wanted to know that. 
 
Because she could understand that if she was bathed in it, she would die instantly. 
 
As she spun around and went straight ahead, she looked like she was in a rain of spears. 
 
As a matter of fact, the aberration was covered in [Life Fiber] [Arionium] all over, and not only was it not small, it was actually the opposite. 
 
It had transformed into an extremely dangerous being that could pierce anything and everything. 
 
「Seriously...?」 
 
「If I had been in there, I would have died without being able to do anything...」 
 
The sight of that little aberration dancing wildly was fantastical but terrifying. 
 
It was ravaging the interior of the Holy Cleansing Barrier in all directions, with undisturbed movements. 
 
Then again, the reason they were so captivated by her beauty that they could afford to admire her was because there had been no casualties.
 
Ultima pointed it out, and Veyron and Yohm roared in response. With this, the first genocide wouldn’t have occurred. 
 
And the two-hundred-and-thousand-odd demons who remained on the battlefield had given their all on that pride. 
 
「That's annoying!」 
 
Ultima screamed in irritation, instantly burying the riffraff aberration. 
 
That's a divine feat, but Ultima's only target is the big boss, Swim. 
 
The Swim swims through the sky. It swims freely. 
 
Speed is also free. In other words, you can move at maximum speed from your initial velocity. 
 
The maximum speed of a Swim like that was sublight speed.
Light speed is about eighty-eighty thousand times the speed of sound. The speed of the Swim is not as fast as light speed, but it is possible to fly at a speed similar to that. 
 
Though it was greatly decelerated in the atmosphere, it could still travel at over a hundred thousand times the speed of sound, so it was impossible for a normal person to even see it. 
 
However, if it was Ultima, it was a different story. 
 
The moment you grasp its existence, you can deal with it without regard to the laws of physics. 
 
It was a stroke of good fortune that Ultima had been present in the battle in the southern lands 
 
Ultima counters Swim’s speed beyond human comprehension with technique and magic. The outcome will unfold in a realm no one can predict. 
 
Furthermore, the battlefield itself had undergone a transition―― 
 
The grotesques appear one after another after the first Swarm. The Cryptids created by the Ivarage are so diverse that they have no sense of unity. 
 
Some of them are humanoid cryptids like [Insect Demons] and [In Sector]. 
 
Even the heroes, who had managed to escape their first move, were forced to deal with such new things. 
  
＊ 
The north side had turned into hell. 
 
It had been overrun by a bird that flew through the dimension where it had appeared. 
 
The Blood Crimson Knights, Bloody Knights and Black Numbers are being helplessly taken out by one Habatake. 
 
A spray of blood flew, and her arms and legs flew into the sky. 
 
「What's with this guy!?」 
 
「What just happened...?」 
 
Ultima wasn't here. That's why he didn't recognize the dangers of the enemy until he faced them. 
 
「This is bad.」 
 
Adalmann murmured. 
 
I finally recognized the situation, but this wasn’t because Adalmann was slow 
 
It hadn't even been a minute since the massacre started without signaling the start of the war. We'd reached the present before we could even observe the situation, so we had to come up with a plan to deal with it. 
 
Gadora voiced his opinion in response to Adalmann. 
 
「Hmm, a transfer. And judging by the radiance of its entire body, those wings must be the ultimate metal.」 
 
Wrapped in golden feathers, the two-headed eagle----that's the impression I get when I see the postcard. 
 
It was about three meters long, from the tip of its head to the end of its tail. It was large enough to be considered a bird, but it was in the small category of a grotesque cryptid. 
 
However, its fiendishness and combat ability were considered to be the strongest among the [Phantom Beast Tribe]. 
 
Swim is the fastest, and excels at long-distance travel. 
 
Habataki, on the other hand, was slower than Swim, and when it came to long-distance travel, he couldn’t speed up. 
 
Even so, Habataki was stronger than Swim. 
 
That very reason was the “transfer” Gadora had pointed out 
 
「Hmm, hmm. He said he would teleport while accelerating, and cut down the enemy without killing his momentum. It seems to be similar to Lord Glenda's power, though~」 
「There doesn't seem to be any fluctuations in space. It's refined to a level close to teleportation, so it'll be difficult to figure out where it appears with Magic Sense...」 
 
With Glenda’s Unique Skill “Sniper” and “Nelaumono,” it would create distortions in space the moment it connected to space, making it possible to predict where it would appear. 
 
However, in the case of the Habatake mushroom, it was possible to freely set the location of its appearance. It appeared at the same time as space warped, so it was a similar but non-powerful power. 
 
If evasion after sensing wasn’t enough to make it in time, then this was, as Gadora had said, a power that was infinitely close to “instant teleportation.” 
 
「This isn't the time to waste explaining.」 
 
It was the Cloistered Emperor Rui who was angry. 
 
When she saw her subordinates' cruel appearance, she seemed angry. 
 
Then again, not a single one of the Blood Crimson Knights was dead, since they were almost undead. 
 
I’m using “Self-Regeneration” to repair the loss of my body, so I can’t immediately return to the front lines, but it’ll be possible to revive over time. 
 
As expected of the Black Legion and Black Numbers, we're maintaining the front lines. 
 
I saw her shaken at first, but by creating a Multilayer Barrier around her, it seems she’s making it easier to predict Habatake’s appearance. 
 
Since they were under Diablo’s direct control, they were an unbelievably experienced group in actual combat 
 
Adalmann and Gadora exchanged glances at Rui’s attention. 
 
The enemy isn't just the Habatake, but a wide variety of grotesque monsters are coming out of the door. If we leave this alone, we'll be in an irreparable situation. 
 
「It certainly doesn't seem like this is the time to be dumbfounded.」 
 
「You're right. Well then, I'll head out as well.」 
 
The two of them nodded at each other and switched their attention to combat mode. 
 
「Don't worry, everyone. My god is alive and well. I'll show you proof of that as a miracle right now!! Holy magic: [Radiant High Heal] & [Radiated Area Regeneration]~!!」 
 
Now that Adalmann had gained a physical body, he’d been able to fully regain his senses even from his life’s work. Moreover, deftly, he was able to switch between antipersonnel and anti-demons and use both attributes’ recovery magic. 
 
This was truly excellent, and it helped the warriors who were trying to regenerate themselves. The resurrected warriors immediately took on an enemy worthy of their own abilities. 
 
Albert and Venti readied themselves to protect Adalmann. This time, Gadora moved when he saw this. 
 
「I would also like to annihilate the enemy with large-scale magic, but it seems it will be difficult to capture that thing. Well, that aside, there is a way.」 
 
Leaving those words behind, she charged into the battlefield, which had become a mixed battle. 
 
Reincarnated as a [Metal Devil] [Metal Demon], Gadora was also a great close-range combat-type magic user. He still had a long way to go in martial arts, but he could make up for that with magic, so he could exhibit a decent amount of combat ability. 
 
It was enough against cryptids who didn’t even know martial arts, and they began to go wild on the battlefield. 
 
Even Günter, who had been listening to that conversation, looked back at himself in exasperation. 
 
「You outwitted me from the first move, but I can't afford to lose like this.」 
 
「That's right. It seems there are other enemies, so you shouldn't be watching from afar.」 
 
Rui nodded at Günther’s words as well. 
 
These two aren't that close, but they're not bad, either. 
 
They simply hate each other's territory being violated, and when it comes to cooperating, they can show their true worth. 
 
「Lady Luminus is watching, so let's go all out.」 
 
「That's right. I, Günter Strauss, will show you the power of Günsrös so that you won't be ashamed of the name of the Sacred Ancestor's high-caliber disciple!!」 
 
With this flow, Luminus’s manifesto flew as she turned her attention north. 
 
“You’re not cowards, and you guys should hurry up and counterattack.” 
 
It's only been a minute since the war started. 
 
Even in the northlands, they were able to enter the all-out war without any regrets from the opening. 

In this way, fierce battles were taking place on all sides, with Tentsukaku at the center. 
 
Luminus was keeping an eye on the entire battlefield, but what was especially tense was the eastern land where the Ivarage was, after all.
[Super-class Awakeners] [Million Class] like Hinata and Caliglio are dealing with multiple humanoid cryptids. 
 
Powerful people like Cien and the Minutes had definitely taken them out on their own. 
 
The others are doing their best not to make any sacrifices by taking on one group of three. 
 
It was Luminus’s holy magic that supported these warriors 
 
「Indeed. Did I mislead you?」 
 
Luminus pondered whether she should have deployed more recovery casters on each side, but reconsidered that this was the best possible combination. 
 
Thanks to Ramiris’ labyrinth, the number of users of holy magic had increased. I hadn’t been expecting this sort of situation, but you could say this outcome was fortunate. 
 
Still, there were a lot of problems. Even if there were enough recovery casters, they would need to have the strength to protect the caster themselves, so it wasn’t as if they just had to split evenly. 
 
It was important to place them in a fairly well-balanced position, and it was inevitable that they wouldn’t recover in time. 
For these reasons, Luminus had to grasp the entire battlefield... It was only natural that the burden would be greater. And so, while keeping an eye out for Ivarage, she had been in charge of recovery at key points. Here, an unexpected disaster struck. 
 
The remnants of the Angelic Army led by Jahil had attacked them like a nightmare. 
 
「Gulp, gulp, gulp! I went out myself, Luminaaa!!」 
 
Luminus clicked her tongue in annoyance as she watched the evil demon fly from the heavens and laugh loudly.
 
「Tch. To think you'd get in the way at a time like this. You're as clueless as ever, aren't you?」 
 
Luminus hated Jahilu from the bottom of her heart. 
 
Moreover, no matter how you looked at it, her appearance at this time of day was a hundred harms and no profit. 
 
As a matter of fact, Jahilu’s target was Luminus, and she’d charged in as if she didn’t care about the other small fry. 
 
Hinata noticed the Jahilu and tried to fly, but Luminus stopped her. Not only did she not have enough space on the battlefield, but she had even joined the enemy forces to create chaos. She decided that if the Hinatha tried to pull out now, the balance of forces would crumble. 
 
Exactly as Jahilu had aimed, it had become the best possible situation without anyone to protect Luminus 
 
「The heavens are on my side. Well, that's only natural. After all, I, the Great Emperor of Magic, Jahilu, will become the ruler of this world!!」 
 
Arrogantly declaring that, Jahilu smiled vulgarly. 
 
Indignant at this, Luminus retorted 
 
「How laughable! How could someone as vulgar as you become a champion?!」 
 
Don't make me laugh. 
 
They were like oil and water. 
 
Luminus and Jahilu faced each other in silence. 
 
As far as Luminus was concerned, she really wanted to get rid of Jahilu. Unfortunately, Jahil’s strength was the real deal. Not to mention that he was holding the Divine Ancestor’s Blood Spear, Origin Blood, which greatly amplified his power. 
 
(Fighting head-on would be foolish. If I could have at least set up a trap and come up with a countermeasure, I would have been able to get rid of him, but...) 
 
Even if he fought here, he could fight in a way that wouldn’t defeat him. That would be difficult, too, but Luminus thought it was possible for him.
However, destroying Jahil was impossible. 
 
There was a fatal difference in the amount of magicules. 
 
Luminus’s specialty was backhanded tactics. 
 
By using the faith of the warriors on the battlefield, their brains as computing devices, as a medium to “parallel operations,” they’d be able to continuously cast large-scale spells that would become God’s domain. 
 
That was the true nature of Sanctuary, the ultimate technique of the gods. 
 
Using this would make it possible to use holy magic beyond the limits of an individual, but it was impossible in its current state—because prior preparation was necessary to make use of someone else’s processing area 
 
To put it simply, only the spells I’d set up were usable. 
 
In this case, there were only two options: “regeneration” that was constantly active, and “resurgence” that would activate in an emergency. It was the optimal solution if you considered it as support magic, but defeating Jahil required “spiritual collapse” and ‘disintegration.” 
 
(I don't have the leeway to change the spell now. However, with my own mana activated, it would be impossible to destroy this thing.) 
 
First of all, the range is too small to hit. 
The [Spirit Collapse] and [Disintegration] would be faster than light if activated, but before that, we needed to capture the target and surround it. This was the difficult part, and it was said that powerful opponents wouldn't be able to handle it. 
 
After crushing the enemy and preventing them from moving, he unleashed his [Spirit Disintegration] as the finishing blow. This was his ideal, but Luminus knew he wasn’t strong enough. 
 
In response to Luminus like that, even Jahilu hadn’t let his guard down 
 
(You damned bastard! You might have a plan hidden somewhere, so it would be foolish to attack carelessly.) 
 
I don't know if I should call it that or not. 
 
As their creator was the same, they had similar thoughts. 
 
Of course, as a Jahilu, I think I can do something even if I rely on brute force. However, I was worried that in that case, I might be able to escape. 
 
As far as Jahilu was concerned, even the Divine Ancestor, a god, had been destroyed by Luminus, who was right in front of him. If he didn’t get rid of her when he could win, it might be his turn to be defeated next. 
 
(Judging by the state of this battlefield, there's no sign of a trap like the one that buried the Sacred Ancestor...) 
Jahilu laughs wickedly, thinking that if there were no traps, he would have won. Then, cautiously, carefully, he creates the Ultimate Enchant, the Ultimate Flame King, and the Inferno of Agni. 
 
Luminus sensed danger. 
 
(It's an incredible power, but what should I do~?) 
 
Luminus was confident that she wouldn’t lose to an opponent who could push through with simple power alone. But of course, there was a limit to that. 
 
Against an opponent like Veldora, he was aware that no matter what plan he devised and used his underhanded techniques, he would never be able to defeat it—because his recovery speed was faster than the damage he could inflict 
 
That's why it feels like I've been harassing her from start to finish, trying to figure out where to drop it. 
 
But I couldn’t get through to an opponent like Jahilu. 
 
Compared to Veldora, Jahilu was nothing special, but...if they were going to fight like this, it seemed like an uninteresting development for Luminus 
 
「Die!!」 
 
Jahilu’s great fireball fired, concealing the heat that burned through Luminus. 
Instead of taking this head-on, he put up a compressed barrier around his hands to parry the energy, and what he lacked was to activate Divine Oscillation to prevent Luminus from dying instantly.
 
Luminus was standing on the ground, pushed by the great fireball. The ground around her was boiling like magma, a testament to just how dangerously hot the fireball had been. 
 
However, Luminus had a cool look on her face. 
 
「Don't underestimate me!」 
 
He turned to Jahilu and spoke boldly. 
 
I’ve already recovered the energy I’d lost through Ultimate Abilities, Ultimate Skills, and Asmodeus, the Lord of Lust. If I’m just going to keep fighting for a long time, I’ll do whatever it takes. 
 
However, there was no conclusive way to defeat Jahilu, and if he made one wrong move, he was cornered. Maintaining a strong attitude so that he wouldn't notice, he waited for Jahil to wear down and make a mistake. 
 
Luminus was superior in terms of skill and level. She was praying that things would improve while she still had this advantage. 
 
《Luminas, the god of fortune, will explode here.》 
 
An unexpected helper had appeared. 
 
It was a beautiful woman in a suit and two small girls, Kagali and Tia. 
 
「You must be the Demon Lord Luminus. That person is an enemy to us as well, and we would like to fight together here. What do you think?」 
 
Kagali offered, her expression sharp. 
 
Luminus wasn’t going to turn this down. 
 
Using anything you can use is both Luminus’s creed and her way of life.
 
「Very well. Do your best to be useful to me!!」 
 
With that haughty declaration, they decided to join forces with Kagali and the others. 
＊ 
Kagali and Tia had been tracking him the whole time, making sure Jahilu didn’t notice them. 
 
The Jahilu were powerful, but they didn’t know how to keep an eye on their surroundings. 
 
Was he careless because he was strong? Or was he conceited? 
If he had been a real powerhouse, he would have noticed Kagali and the others tailing him, but there was no sign of him in Jahil. 
 
「I knew it. Not only did you not wake up, you didn't even have time to study your powers, so it's just as I thought.」 
 
「Yeah, yeah. It looks like we'll be able to fight like this, but... Even so, we still can't win on our own.」 
 
Kagali and Tia had been observing Jahil while they were tracking him, trying to figure out his weak point. As a result, they’d come to the conclusion that he wasn’t an opponent they absolutely couldn’t beat. 
 
However, they fully understood that they couldn't do anything on their own. 
 
I needed something to do. 
 
The one who had come without being able to find it was the land of fierce battle, Damargania. 
 
Jahil’s target was the Demon Lord Luminus 
 
The girl he’d assumed to be a servant of the demon lord Roy Valentine was an ancient being who lived longer than Kagali. He’d seen images projected all over the world and learned that fact. 
Luminus’s combat prowess was greater than Kagali’s, but she was still no match for Jahilu’s. That was what Kagari saw. 
 
Even if Kagali and Tia helped, there was no chance of victory. 
 
Even so, Jahilu wasn't the only enemy. If we left Luminus to die here, humanity itself would be defeated by the Cryptids. 
 
Kagali sneered at herself, saying, “How laughable, if I do say so myself.” 
 
I wanted to avenge my friends, but that was already too difficult. If I had waited until the very end for a chance to kill Jahil, maybe that wish would have come true. To abandon that possibility and choose to continue humanity... 
 
Kagali was surprised to learn that she was still obsessed with life. 
 
Luminus spoke to Kagali, as if she could see right through her thoughts. 
 
「Your roles are a loss, too.」 
 
「Oh, are you trying to comfort me? Or have you given up already?」 
 
「Pull it out. Even if you die, I will bring you back to life, so buy time with the intention of dying.」 
 
Don't give up. That's what I meant. 
 
“Of course.” Kagali nodded firmly as well. 
 
Even if we can't destroy Jahil right now, reinforcements will surely come. 
 
With Benimaru here, the odds of victory would be much higher. There were many other strong people lined up under the demon lord Rimuru. 
 
From the looks of it, they hadn't arrived yet, but if they bought enough time, they would surely come. If they waited for that moment to strike back, they thought they could destroy Jahil. 
 
There's hope, so I can do my best. Kagali was the same way. 
 
It’s the same for Tia, who believes in Kagali, and Luminus has regained her composure in her heart that this gives her hope. 
 
But, but... 
There's no guarantee that everything will go well in this world. 
 
The next moment, a scorching beam split Tia in two, shielding Kagali. 
 
「Wha!?」 
 
Kagali was shocked, but she also realized the fact that her chest had been burned through, and her consciousness began to fade. 
 
「I won't let you! [Revival of the Dead] [Resurrection]!!」 
A mysterious glow enveloped Tia and Kagali, and the two of them were resurrected, but~ 
 
「Hmph!!」 
 
As Luminus showed an opening, Jahilu’s strong arm punched her away. 
 
The barrage of bullets that followed engulfed Luminus in flames. 
 
It's the tab for underestimating the Jahilu. 
 
It would have been a different story if there had been an overwhelming difference in ability, but it wasn’t enough to overturn the actual heat. 
 
Also, using “Magic Sense” to get a good view of the entire battlefield while taking on 
Jahil, one could say Luminus lacked a sense of danger 
 
She wasn't dead yet. 
 
This wasn’t enough to kill Luminus. 
 
However, there was no mistaking that it was a fatal loss. 
 
Despite the heavy damage, Luminus recovered with the magic she was automatically activating and stood up. 
 
He smiled, as if to say he’d lose if he showed any weakness, and that this much was nothing. 
But he wasn’t a Jahilu who’d be fooled by such an act. 
 
「Gulp, gulp, gulp! I knew it! It seems you can't use the technique that defeated the Sacred Ancestor right now!!」 
 
It wasn’t as if Jahilu was fully aware of Luminus’s deeds. But even so, judging from the circumstances under which the Sacred Ancestor had been defeated, he thought it was due to a powerful “spiritual collapse” or disintegration. 
 
He figured that in the decisive moment, he’d unleash it and aim to turn the tables on them. 
 
That was why he’d just launched himself at Luminus, leaving his remaining strength behind. If he was at full strength, he wouldn’t have been able to devote his strength to defense, so he had chosen to show an opening. 
 
And yet, Luminus didn’t react. 
 
(No! It's not that I didn't react, but that I couldn't!!) 
 
At this point, Jahilu was convinced of his victory. 
 
＊ 
Resurrected by Luminus, Tia and Kagali were keenly aware that their judgment had been naïve.
「Oh my, how harsh. Kagali-sama, what should we do? Should we run away?」 
 
At this point, Jahilu’s attention was focused on Luminus 
 
If it were just Tia and Kagali, they’d have had a chance to withdraw from this place. 
 
However, Kagali refused this. 
 
「No, Tia. Even if we run away now, we'll still be losers.」 
 
I can’t be happy, and I’ll have to keep feeling miserable until the world is destroyed. 
 
Rather than live that way, I wanted to make my remaining life a brighter one. 
 
Kagali was prepared to die here. 
「Laplace and Yuuki-sama both died protecting me. That's why we should survive until the end, but there's no point in staying unhappy. I don't think those two want to live that way.」 
 
「Yeah! I think so too!」 
 
That's right. We must be happy. 
 
Even if it's only for a short time, if you don't think you were happy in your final moments... If you didn't, even the lives of your dead comrades would become worthless. 
Kagali couldn't forgive that. 
 
That was why she’d decided to fight without running away. 
 
Kagali readied her [Royal Scepter of Destruction]. 
 
I put my Ultimate Enchantment, Book of Prophecies, and Agastya into full operation, then “Predictive Calculation” on Jahilu’s next hand. 
 
The same goes for Tia. 
 
Holding the Teardrop Scythe at the ready, I used Ultimate Gift, Ultimate Enchant, and Orpheus to unleash my full power. 
 
「Even if it burns out in this instant, I'll take you with me!!」 
 
「The grudge over Footman, Laplace, and Boss being killed... I'll never forgive you for stealing something precious from me!」 
 
Kagali and Tia took on Jahilu in perfect sync. 
 
Jahilu had been trying to finish Luminus off, but of course he couldn’t ignore these two’s coordinated attacks.
 
Taking a direct hit wouldn’t kill him, but he couldn’t afford to be unharmed. Besides, he understood full well from the last battle that leaving him free would be troublesome. 
「Hmph, you're such a bad doll! You're getting ahead of yourself!」 
 
Jahilu decided to leave Luminus alone and take care of Kagali and the others. He fired a large fireball, ready to burn them to ash. 
 
Kagali and the others didn't panic. 
 
Jahilu's reaction speed exceeded Kagali and the others' expectations, but... No, he had already factored in the possibility of that happening. He was going to use that life-ordeath attack to land a blow on her. 
 
Before the great fireball could hit them directly and burn them to the ground, he unleashed the last of his deadly force. Kagali and the others were ready to take on the challenge. 
 
(Damn it! How long are you going to hold me back?!) 
 
Jahilu braced himself for the attack. 
 
However, in that moment... 
 
A black whirlwind had blown through, holding Kagali and Tia to the side.
The large fireballs, launched into the empty sky, scattered, leaving behind the smell of scorching air. 
 
Sitting up with Kagali and Tia on the ground was a woman in a maid’s uniform. 
Dark skin. 
 
She had gray hair tied back in braids. 
 
Behind his faceless mask, violet crystal-like eyes peeked out. 
 
「What kind of guy is he!?」 
 
「[Heartless clown] [No Face].」 
 
「How irritating!」 
 
Jahilu unleashed a great fireball, but the woman who called herself Heartless [Clown 
Faceless] easily dodged it.
 
Her movements were light and graceful. However, the aftermath of the great fireball alone was enough to burn her. 
 
「What are you doing, Eva?! Run away!」 
 
Kagali shouted, but the masked woman called Eva remained unfazed. 
 
「You too, Kagali-sama. Retreat. As long as you are all safe, there is meaning in my life.」 
 
「What are you―」 
 
「I may be incompetent for not being able to protect Clayman-sama, but even I have my pride!!」 
 
The woman, Eva, refused to back down, telling her to retreat. 
 
Eva was a woman who had served Kagali since she was a princess, and a dark elf. She had lived for a long time, and she was also Kagarim's confidant in the Age of the Demon King. 
 
He was a member of the shadows of the mediocre clown association entrusted by Kazarim with the management of the ancient city of Amrita, located in the Puppet Country of Sisters. 
 
After Kazarim and Clayman’s death, he’d lived as if he’s died as the elder of the Dark Elves. He’d been reunited with Kagali when he greeted Rimuru’s party, and on his new mission, he had been ordered to keep an eye on the demon lord Rimulu and cooperate with her so that she wouldn’t be suspicious. 
 
But knowing the dangers of this world, he couldn’t stay silent any longer. He’d abandoned everything to protect Kagali and the others this time and come running. 
 
That’s why running away wasn’t an option, even if it was under the orders of her beloved Kagali. 
 
EVA wasn't a Deathman, so she wouldn't be able to revive even if she died. But that didn't matter. If she could extend Kagali and the others' lives even a little, that was what she wanted. 
 
The techniques I had honed were for this very moment. EVA even felt joy with her entire body. 
Eva’s worth of existence was less than two hundred thousand. She was pretty good as an average Demon Lord’s confidant, but in the face of the fiendish, peerless being known as the Jahilu, she was nothing more than a tree branch that would fly away if blown away. 
 
Even so, EVA would only use her trained [Grade] and speed-specialized body strengthening to buy time against Jahil 
 
It was nothing more than suicide. 
 
「Stop it already, stop it!!」 
 
Kagali’s heartrending cry echoed across the battlefield. 
 
Eva’s costume burned from the edge. 
 
The mask melted from the heat, exposing Ava’s true face. 
 
She had a fleeting smile on her face. 
 
In contrast, Jahilu flashed a brutal smile. 
 
He’d seen through EVA’s strength and come up with an appropriate countermeasure 
 
Instead of aiming for the nimble Eva, all he had to do was burn through a wide area. Jahilu had been so irritated that the blood had rushed to his head, but as long as he made a calm decision, he was no fool. 
 
After listening to Kagali and the others' conversation like a three-line play, Jahilu had grown uncomfortable. While he was cleaning up the annoying nuisances, he wanted to punish them for offending him. 
 
「All right, all right, you scumbags who get in my way, I'll make you suffer the pain of the flame prison! Repent for defying me and suffer from the inferno!!」 
 
Jahilu grinned. 
 
Everything was going according to plan. Kagali and Tia stepped between them, as if to protect EVA, who had gotten in the way. 
 
(You idiot! The weaker you are, the more you flock to them, but you can't understand the foolishness of protecting the weak and dying yourself!!) 
 
Deja vu unfolds in front of Jahilu. 
 
Those insects called Yuuki and Laplace had also died protecting their comrades, just like Kagali and Tia had now. There was nothing more comical than this, since Kagari and the others, the ones responsible for their protection, would die a dog’s death in a similar manner. 
 
It pleased Jahilu greatly, wondering how ironic the story was. 
 
Once we've dealt with all the nuisances, it's time for the real Luminus. Even now, she's braced herself to activate [Resurrection of the Dead] in preparation for Kagali's death. 
 
She really is a cheeky, troublesome opponent. 
 
However, Luminus’s aim failed. 
 
After all, with the power of the Divine Progenitor’s Blood Spear and Origin Blood, Jahilu could fire a large fireball at maximum power. 
 
Small fry like Eva were one thing, but Kagali and Tia were fairly strong. [Super-Class Awakener] [Million Class] weren’t just for show; they also had high resistance to Jahil’s power. 
 
Jahil intends to break through this and burn it to the ground without leaving so much as a scrap of bone behind. That way, even Luminus’s [Resurrection of the Dead] will be difficult to revive. Even if he succeeds, it should have taken a great deal of time to resurrect. 
 
In the space of a moment, Jahilu had thought that far ahead, and now the deadly great fireball was complete. 
 
The massive fireball swelled up in front of the target, creating a scorching hell. 
 
The fireball swelled up, and the next moment, it vanished with a sad sound. 
「--Huh?」 
 
Jahil was bewildered. 
 
I couldn't understand what had happened, and I was dumbfounded. 
The huge fireball flashes, swallowing up all the nuisances in the room and obliterating them. That should have been the end of it, but... there's only steam floating in the air, a remnant of it. 
 
「Impossible...」 
 
It's been a while since I've felt a sensation that I can't keep up with reality. 
 
Meanwhile, a figure moved on the other side of the steam. 
 
Naturally, Kagali and the others were safe, too. 
 
Anger filled Jahil’s heart, and his fluke roused him as if to say it would never happen again. 
 
How did such a phenomenon occur? Putting off pursuing the cause for it, Jahilu tried to work out the next attack. 
 
However, at that moment... 
 
A cheerful, out-of-place voice had reached Jahilu’s ears. 
 
「Sorry for the wait, everyone!」 
 
I remembered that voice. 
 
It's definitely the person I killed. 
 
「Why you!?」 
 
「Boss? You're safe?!」 
「Yuuki-sama?! Hehehe, you really are stubborn.」 
 
―Tia and Kagali's bewildered yet delighted voices overlapped with Jahilu's shocked shout. 
 
Yes, it was understandable that everyone would be surprised. 
 
The owner of that voice was none other than the man who should have died, Yuuki Kagurazaka. 
 
He stood there gallantly, holding the woman whose face was hidden as if to protect her. 
 
By the way, there's another one with me. 
 
「I'm here too, though...」 
 
That was what Laplace’s murmur was drowned out by a cry of joy. 
 
 
Mai Kojou My Furki was unable to grasp her situation. 
Honestly, it's strange that she's still alive. 
 
It was fine until I jumped into an inexplicable inter-dimensional space with the intention of committing suicide with Vega, but I was caught up in a powerful space-time storm there. I was prepared to die the moment I let go of my consciousness, but for some reason, I woke up. 
 
It was a main stream of energy that transcended space-time and dimensions, impossible for someone like Mai to even measure its scale. 
 
No matter how you look at it, it’s a miracle that she’s safe after getting caught up in such an incredible supernatural phenomenon. 
 
That said, that was as far as miracles went. 
 
Since their current coordinates were unknown, Mai had no way to deal with them right now. 
 
A place where not only the earth, but even the atmosphere doesn't exist. There's no sense of direction, up, down, left, right, and nothing to see. 
 
No, rainbow-colored beams of light were drawing geometric patterns. 
 
It was like a snowflake, and it probably wasn’t the shape someone had intended it to be. It was beautiful yet terrifying, like a scene you’d see before death. 
 
Mai wondered if she was going to end up wandering around without being able to do anything. 
The moment her own energy reaches zero must be the time when life ends. 
 
However, that decision was a mistake. 
 
“Hey, are you awake?” 
 
There was someone who spoke to me so casually. 
 
It was not a voice, but a thought. 
 
The interstice between the dimensions where Mai is is a place where there is no air or anything. There are magicules or not, but even if you emit a voice, that won't be a voice. 
 
Putting that aside, the voice sounded familiar. 
 
“Huh, huh? Could it be, Yuuki-kun?!” 
 
It's someone who shouldn't be here. 
 
He was a great benefactor who had picked up Mai, who had wandered into another world without knowing anything, and even looked after her. 
 
He was cunning, bottomless, and more reliable than anyone. 
 
Then again, that’s just how she looks. She actually thinks she’s much older than Mai. 
 
Because it wouldn’t make sense otherwise. 
It was said that he’d been summoned to another world known as the Axis World and built a foundation within the Empire in just over a decade. On top of that, he was burning with ambition to conquer the world, but... 
 
Hearing that he’d been killed by the Great Emperor of Magic, Jahilu, had made Mai despair as well. 
 
Because I believed that Yuuki would find a way back to the real world. 
 
If she heard Yuuki's voice like that, then... 
 
“Th-That’s it, isn’t it? An auditory hallucination. So that’s what happens before you die.” 
 
“No. I’ll be right here.” 
 
“Ahahaha! I don’t need that kind of realistic explanation. It’s just a dream anyway. But it was unexpected. I thought you were reliable, Yuuki-kun, but I didn’t think it was enough to make me remember you on the verge of death.” 
 
Mai didn't think Yuuki was real. 
 
I couldn't help but agree that this was a hallucination I was seeing on the verge of death. 
 
I don't remember particularly liking her, but I wonder if she was in love with me. I'm immersed in my maidenly thoughts, thinking that I'd be hallucinating anyway. 
 
However, that hallucination showed no sign of ending forever... Yuuki and the other person's conversation seeped into Mai's thoughts. 
 
“Hmm, it’s a space with no light or anything, so maybe it doesn’t recognize us?” 
 
“You’re right. Even if it took us a while to get used to it, this young lady won’t be able to do it for a while.” 
 
“Well, we’ve got plenty of time.” 
 
“Actually, does time flow here?” 
 
“I don’t know...” 
 
“So even Boss can’t tell...” 
What should I do? Mai thought. 
 
Could it be that this isn't a dream or a hallucination, but reality? 
 
I can't help but feel that way. 
 
Besides, as the owners of that conversation had said, even Mai had begun to see a faint silhouette in her eyes. 
 
If you use “Think Transmission” that uses magicules, or “Magic Sense” that recognizes magic essence, you’ll be able to grasp the situation at close range, even in this empty space. 
 
That’s because Yuuki’s power has taken measures to prevent magicules from leaking out, but that’s irrelevant to Mai. 
 
In short, the problem was that as soon as she got used to it, she recognized Yuuki and the others.
 
“Huh? Are you really Yuuki-kun?” 
 
“Wai’s here too!” 
 
“Ah, Laplace?” 
 
“Seya!” 
 
It was only at this point that Mai was convinced as well. 
 
Ah, this is the real thing. 
 
At the same time, she remembered the delusional words she had dribbled out, and in her embarrassment, she let out a voiceless cry of “Aaaaahhhh!!” and roared in her heart. 
  
＊ 

We wait for Mai to calm down, then regroup. 
 
“So, Yuuki-sama, what’s the situation right now?”
“It’s a little late for that, so you don’t have to add ‘sama’ to it.” 
 
“...All right.” 
 
Mai gave up on trying to hide it. She switched gears and looked around, trying to process the situation. 
 
What I understood was that Mai and the others were still floating between dimensions. 
 
It was thanks to Yuuki’s mysterious barrier that Magic Sense had activated even in the other world 
 
It’s called darkness just a step ahead, but outside the barrier really was an unknown world. 
 
I can see a shining rainbow in the distance, but I can't see what's there at all. 
 
A rainbow-colored sphere bulged out very close by, bursting and vanishing. 
 
I had no idea what had happened, but I guessed it was an outrageous situation. 
 
Mai gave up on trying to understand what was happening outside and returned her gaze to the barrier. 
 
“I don’t seem to be able to recognize it clearly yet. It’s Laplace, but it looks like she only has an upper body...” 
 
Mai declared herself a little anxiously, and Laplace laughed it off. 
“Don’t worry, that’s the right answer. Wai lost his lower body when Jahil blew him away.” 
 
This isn’t funny, Mai thought, but she was relieved to know that her perception wasn’t strange. 
 
“Ahaha, isn’t it interesting? Well, it’s Laplace, so there’s no problem!” 
 
“No, no, there’s a problem! If we revive her like this, her lower body will be completely exposed, won’t it?” 
 
“Why don’t you just make some clothes out of magicules?” 
“When you put it like that, you’re so blunt, aren’t you? Wai’s always the one to butt in, so 
I wanna play dumb sometimes!” 
 
“No, no, you’re mostly playing dumb too, y’know?” 
 
Mai was greatly exasperated that it would be difficult for the commentator to be absent. 
 
However, thanks to their comedy routine, Mai's oppressive mood also recovered. 
 
I can't see any hope in the future, but I feel like I'll be able to do something about it, so it's strange. 
 
『So~』 
 
Then, with a serious look on his face, Yuuki asked Mai a question. 
Mai was forced to explain in detail what had happened since then, since she had plenty of time. 
 
“I see. So the demon lord Milim went berserk, Feldway manipulated it, and Rimuru-san was forced to jump and went missing.” 
 
“What’s this? Things are getting really serious.” 
 
“And on top of that, you’ve got Ivarage waiting for you, right? I’m sure the world’s hopelessly chaotic.” 
 
“It’s someone else’s problem.” 
 
“Well, yeah. I mean, we’re in this situation, y’know? Even if we want to do something, we can’t do anything, and there’s nothing we can do about it.” 
 
“You know, like how everyone works together to do something about that...” 
 
Laplace charged at the easygoing Yuuki, but her words turned into a tailspin dragonfly. 
 
“So even you can’t do anything after all, Yuuki-kun?” 
 
“Well, yeah, I’ve been trying a lot of things.” 
 
As a matter of fact, Yuuki had also tried everything she could. 
 
Thanks to that, despite being forced to jump to an incomprehensible place like this, she’s successfully executed the dexterity of immediately putting up a barrier to protect herself. 
 
It's nothing more than a form of treatment, and at this rate, it'll eventually disappear... 
 
“It seems time doesn’t even flow here.” 
 
“Huh?” 
 
“Huh?” 
 
It was the answer to Laplace’s earlier question. 
 
Even Yuuki wasn't confident, but there was no other way to explain it. 
 
“Hmm, I’ve been observing it for a long time, and I noticed that a rainbow-colored sphere bulged out and disappeared there earlier, right? I think that’s probably a single world, a universe.” 
 
“Space?” 
 
“One world...” 
 
“Time flows inside that ball. It seems like time flows around it in the aftermath, but we can’t observe that...” 
 
Strictly speaking, time had passed. However, since there was no way to observe it, Yuuki had guessed that “time wasn’t flowing” or “it was flowing rather slowly” based on his own exhaustion and the fact that he didn’t feel hungry. 
Yuuki couldn't interfere with the “informants” and it was impossible to observe them. So it was all just conjecture, but he'd shown his genius without regrets and found the right answer. 
 
That doesn't mean there's anything we can do to get back, but... 
 
“So one of those rainbow-colored balls of light is the world we came from?” 
 
“I don’t think that’s it. I think that thing’s a derivative world. Everything from the appearance of the light sphere to the end of it’s pretty serious.” 
 
Judging by the amount of energy they could observe, it seemed that the ball of light that could be observed here was probably unrelated to the world Yuuki and the others had come from 
 
Mai agreed with Yuuki’s assessment. 
 
“You’re right. If it’s in a place that’s visible, then my power will make it easy to get home...” 
 
Even with Myu’s computational power, she’d been able to deduce that the coordinates around this area were very different from the base world. 
 
In order to use My Ultimate Ability, Ultimate Skill, and Star Realm King, Terra Martel, to “jump into space-time,” you need the coordinates of where you are now, the coordinates you’re looking for, and in addition to these, the energy required to travel. It’s a convenient power that allows you to exercise without needing to use that much energy on a planet. 
That's why Mai remembered the coordinates of a place she'd been to once before. As a result, she gave up on returning the moment she had no idea where her current location was. 
 
Laplace let out a heavy sigh and hung her head as she explained the situation in a stuttering tone. 
 
“You’re giving up, aren’t you?” 
 
Laplace’s disappointment was great, since she’d been hoping that she might be able to return home with Myu’s power. 
 
It couldn’t be helped, but Yuuki’s reaction was different. 
 
“Hold on a second, okay? Could it be that Myu’s power is evolving?” 
 
“Um, you’re right. Shuna’s a princess, and she’s working on my power~” 
 
Mai explains the situation. 
 
That they’d toyed with their own power in order to escape from Feldway’s “rule.” As a result, Myu’s power had become even easier to handle 
 
When it comes to Shuna, who did things that even I don't understand so easily, I can only honestly feel admiration for her. 
 
“It’s kinda weird, isn’t it? I don’t need to mention that slime itself, but its companions are weird, too.” 
 
“I agree. I wish you wouldn’t say things like toying with other people’s authority like it’s the most natural thing in the world...” 
 
Hearing Mai’s explanation, even Yuuki couldn’t help but be amazed. 
 
But at the same time, I came up with a certain hypothesis. 
 
“By the way, why do you think Mai jumped all the way here?” 
 
“Huh...?” 
 
When asked why, even Mai couldn't answer. 
 
After all, before I knew it, I’d been here. I hadn’t activated my power on purpose, so it was only natural that I couldn’t explain it. 
 
“You think it’s a coincidence?” 
 
“Um, that’s...” 
 
Now that she mentions it, it really is unnatural. 
 
The odds of encountering someone I knew in the interstice between dimensions at the very end of the world were close to zero. 
 
“What happened when you were drifting with Vega?” 
 
When asked that, Mai remembered. 
 
How she’d been caught up in a powerful space-time storm and forced to jump away from Vega. 
 
“...An intense space-time storm, huh?” 
 
That was all Yuuki had to hear to guess. 
 
However, she didn’t say it out loud, instead urging Mai to continue. 
 
“That’s right. It’s too large a scale to be called a supernatural phenomenon, so I couldn’t even get a full picture of it, but...” 
 
“You got caught up in that, but for some reason you’re safe?” 
 
“I see. It’s strange for me, too. I don’t know if I should call it good luck, but it certainly wasn’t bad luck, right...?” 
 
Mai didn't seem very confident in her answer. 
 
Yuuki pondered, not answering this. 
 
“What’s this, what’s that? If you’ve learned something, please tell me it’s a waste.” 
 
“Hey, don’t get in my way!” 
 
“Mai-chan, you’re still on the boss’s side, huh?” 
 
“No, that’s not what I meant!” 
 
Yuuki was lost in thought for only a few seconds. Then again, the concept of time was warped here, so it was unclear how it actually worked. 
 
Putting that aside... Yuuki asked the final question in order to be sure. 
 
“So, what did Mai think of at the last moment?” 
 
Was that where you wanted to go home? 
 
Or was he the person you wanted to see? 
 
Whatever it was, there was no doubt it had an effect on Mai’s power, Yuuki thought. 
 
Mai answers. 
 
“Th-That’s...” 
 
Mai remembered. 
 
The last thing I thought about was Yuuki. 
 
“About what you encouraged me to do, Yuuki-kun, just a little...” 
 
Mai mumbles as she answers. 
 
That's not what I meant! I wanted to make excuses, but the more I said, the more dangerous I felt. 
 
“No, really, I don’t feel that way at all, okay?” 
 
Mai replied, then shut her mouth any further. 
 
But for Yuuki, that was enough. 
 
Of course, she understood Mai's power almost perfectly, rather than her love brain. 
 
“Yeah, yeah, I get it. More importantly, I know how your authority’s changed.” 
 
“Really? That’s fine, then~ Wait, what?!” 
 
Yuuki's salt response makes me sad in its own way. 
 
Moreover, Laplace’s gaze hurt plainly. 
 
She looks at Mai like she's looking at a pitiful person. 
 
Mai wanted to shout at the top of her lungs that she really wasn't. 
 
Of course, I think I can rely on Yuuki, but it's not a romantic emotion. However, having her completely ignore me like this hurts my pride as a woman. 
 
However, it felt like I'd lost to her if I said that. Just as I thought that, Yuuki's bombshell struck. 
 
“Probably, but if you use that power, you’ll be able to go wherever you want.” 
“Does that mean...” 
 
“That means I’ll be able to go home!” 
 
Yuuki was a real genius. 
 
After all, just hearing the story from Mai had seen through the true nature of “The King of the Stars” and “Terra Martell.” 
 
That power----the ability to transcend time and space and reach the place you desire---was correctly inferred. This was truly amazing. 
 
However, even if that was clear, the energy problem hadn't been resolved. 
 
＊ 

Yuuki thought. 
 
I took Myu’s power with [Greedy King], [Skill Steel], and considered the plan Yuuki himself would try using 
 
However, I didn't think that would be enough to get me home. 
 
Yuuki may have had more energy in comparison, but it wasn't as if there was that much of a difference. It was a gamble that I couldn't expect much from whether or not I could reach the coordinates I needed to return to. 
More importantly, I should have thought of something else. 
 
(Let's see... Why don't we take the [Star Realm King] from Mai first, then use [Stealth 
Palm] to concentrate our energy?) 
 
Gathering Laplace and Mai’s energy for himself, he used that power to jump all at once. Yuuki thought it was possible, but he quickly reconsidered that it was no good. 
 
That would put all the burden on Yuuki. He would need strong feelings to return home, and Yuuki was aware that he wouldn't be able to do that on his own. 
 
And besides... 
 
(In the first place, having three people here is kind of bugging me. A space-time storm? Encountering something as rare as the creation of a universe like that, and getting through it safely and getting lucky and being forced to jump to a place I know is definitely no coincidence.) 
 
That was inevitable. 
 
It was reasonable to assume that there was only one person I could think of who was involved. 
 
In that case, there should be some meaning in the fact that all three of us are here. 
 
(That's right... Laplace is probably the one who wants to go home the most. In that case, if we set those feelings as coordinates for the target, then we can concentrate our energy, Laplace's, and mine...) 
 
I have the desire to control the world in order to make it better. But I don't really care if it's not in the fundamental world. 
 
Mai was the same way, and it was probably her original world that wanted to go home. 
 
For those reasons, using Laplace’s feelings was the best way to set the coordinates. 
 
Next up is the energy issue, but this is pretty troublesome. 
 
He’d come up with a way to transfer Laplace and his own energy to Mai, but this was extremely difficult. It would be one thing if Yuuki could control the energy he’d stolen, but he had to force himself to keep transferring it to Mai in sync with her power. 
 
Not to mention that Laplace’s condition couldn’t be called perfect, and if she went wrong, it would end immediately. Not only did it require careful judgment, but it also required processing that didn’t allow for even the slightest error. 
 
My power is so delicate that it's hard to predict how the foreign energy will affect it. If the synchronization fails, it will be impossible to reach the target coordinates. 
 
(That's the most likely method, so I have to do it, but it's like walking a tightrope...) 
 
It's easy to say that while controlling your power at all times, you synchronize your and Laplace's powers with Mai's. But when it comes to carrying it out, it's difficult. The reason Yuuki can't make a decision is because failure is not an option. 
 
In a place like a dimensional interstice, the energy lost will never recover. Therefore, there is only one chance. 
 
Even though Yuuki was so confident, it was understandable that he’d become a little more cautious. 
 
Just then... 
 
《How pathetic, how pathetic.》 
 
A familiar voice echoed in Yuuki’s mind. 
 
(Huh?) 
 
Yuuki couldn't help but get annoyed. 
 
Because the voice belonged to the girl he should call his archenemy. 
 
(What's with you?) 
 
Even though he thought it was ridiculous, Yuuki tried asking that voice. He was hoping it might be some kind of hallucination, but... 
 
《I am Maria. Maria.》 
 
(.........) 
 
Yuuki couldn’t help but abandon his train of thought, and as soon as he rebooted, he almost shouted, “Don’t be ridiculous.” 
 
Maria-Mariabelle was a being who had tormented Yuuki for a long time. She hadn't forgotten her grudge against him for interfering with her complete control of the Western Nations, even now that she had eliminated it with her own hands. 
 
For some reason, Mariabelle was speaking to her own heart. This was a situation Yuuki couldn’t overlook anymore. 
 
Actually, I'm Maria. 
 
......... 
 
...... 
 
... 
 
When Masayuki had unleashed the true power of Ultimate Abilities, Ultimate Skills, and Heroes’ Kings, Sinner Eiyuu, Mariabelle had also been summoned along with Granbell. 
 
However, because Yuuki's soul had appeared as a guidepost, we ended up in an unknown place. 
At this rate, we’d just have to wait for it to disappear naturally, but that’s when Mariabell’s sense of self came out. If she didn’t get back at Yuuki for killing her, she thought the name “Mariabell of Greed” would make her cry. 
 
This was my failure. 
 
He’d left behind scoldings and grudges and should’ve left quietly, but he’d come up with a plan to infuse Yuuki’s authority with his own sense of self... 
 
One example is that being too clever is a problem. 
 
Since Einherjar is a being of the same nature as information life-forms and digital nature, it can also be said that it is composed solely of information. Therefore, Mariabelle thought that she could write self-information into her power. 
 
When I actually tried it out, it went better than I expected. 
 
Yuuki’s Ultimate Abilities, Ultimate Skills, and King of Greed, Mammon, were the evolution-type Unique Skill Greed that had originally been Mariabell’s power, so they really were compatible with Mariabelle, and she’d gotten used to it with a feeling like she’s come back to her old home. 
Not to mention that at the time, Yuuki’s existence in Mammon the King of Greed had been annihilated, so a mysterious blank had formed. As a result, Mariabelle had fallen into it. 
 
It's been good so far, but... 
 
Something strange happened to Mariabelle here. 
 
(It’s strange, it’s weird, isn’t it? Skills are eroding me—no, that’s not it. I’m trying to take over my power!!) 
 

That's right. 
 
By the time I realized it, it was already too late. 
 
Mariabelle was like the embodiment of greed, and it wouldn't have been wrong to call her the King of Greed. She was so compatible with “Mammon the Greed” that she fused with her power and established herself. 
 
It was like merging with [Greed King] Mammon, so to speak, but this was a miscalculation from Mariabelle’s point of view. She’d only intended to lightly harass Yuuki, but she hadn’t expected that she wouldn’t be able to get out of it with her own strength alone. 
 
And so, even after Mariabelle, the “dead hero,” disappeared at the same time as Masayuki’s deactivation, Maria, who had unintentionally become Yuuki’s “divine core” was left behind. 
 
……… ......... 
 
…… ...... 
 
… 
... 
 
Even if it was something that Mariabelle hadn’t expected, it was still a nightmare from 
Yuuki’s point of view 
 
(Hey, hey, what the hell is Maria? She's Mariabelle herself!) 
And Yuuki grumbled, fed up. 
 
In response, there was a defiant answer. 
 
 
《I don't know, I don'T know. I am Maria. I'm not Mariabelle.》 
 
 
In fact, she herself didn’t even know if she was Mariabelle or Maria. 
 
The moment she completely assimilated with her power and became Manas, her sense of self and memories had been separated. She had memories as Mariabelle, but that felt like referenceable data. 
 
Then again, Mariabelle’s personality remained the same. 
 
That's why Yuuki wanted to complain that her personality and voice were the same. 
 
What would make me so happy that I couldn’t stay with Mariabelle, my natural enemy? 
 
It's the worst, isn't it? That's what I really think. 
 
But Maria doesn’t care. 
《That doesn't matter. More importantly, I'm going to help you because you're so pathetic.》 
 
 
And so, he offered to make fun of Yuuki. 
 
Yuuki also got angry at this. 
 
She’s saying that she’s not Mariabelle herself, and after hearing her explanation, I’ve come to terms with the fact that she is indeed correct, but Maria’s reaction is the very Mariabel in my memory. 
 
What's more, sadly, she's like the embodiment of power, so I can't ignore her. 
 
Yuuki thought it was a good idea, but at the same time, he always used whatever he could, so he quickly decided to switch gears. 
(Hmm. So, what are you going to help me with?) 
 
《I am in charge of processing and controlling the power. All you need to do is focus on synchronization.》 
 
 
I see, Yuuki thought. 
 
(Does that mean she’ll forcefully collect energy from Laplace while converting my desires into energy? If that’s possible, I can use it surprisingly well.) 
Setting Laplace’s feelings as her destination, she continued to supply Mai with energy optimized for her. If it was just doing this, it seemed like Yuuki alone would be able to handle it. 
 
(So, is it okay for me to trust you?) 
 
 
《A foolish question. A foolish one. Personally, I want to harass you. Forever. That's why I don't want you to die here.》 
 
That’s an unpleasant answer, Yuuki thought. 
 
However, that overly honest answer was laughably Mariabelle-like 
 
With that incarnation of greed, she wouldn’t easily destroy the toy she’d worked so hard to obtain. 
 
And besides... 
 
If you don’t believe me, you’ll just die here. 
 
(Fine, I'll entrust our fate to you.) 
 
《Leave it to me.》 
 
And so, their relationship was established.
This was the moment when the worst duo, the greedy ones, was born. 
 
 
 
＊ 
 
Yuuki looked up and declared. 
 
“Okay, let’s all go home together, the three of us!” 
 
With a bright smile, Yuuki felt absolute confidence. 
 
Laplace and Mai felt the same way. 
 
《It's not three. It's four.》 
 
(Shut up. You're my partner.) 
 
Yuuki lightly brushed Maria off when she said something troublesome. It looked like she’d already mastered how to handle this troublesome housemate. 
 
That's how we decide on our course of action. 
 
From the end of the inexplicable other world between dimensions, the vagabonds dreamed of their return and “jumped” into the air. 
 
And now... 
Yuuki was standing in front of Jahilu. 
 
Laplace, along with Mai, had also recovered completely after receiving recovery support from Luminus. 
 
Her lower body wasn't fully exposed, so she must have taken proper measures against that. 
 
Yuuki smiled fearlessly, and Jahilu ground his teeth in frustration. 
 
「You little bug.」 
 
He spat that out, but right after that, Jahilu laughed wickedly. 
 
「I'm surprised you're still alive, but you are nothing more than a small fry. I'm sure you used your power to nullify my power, but there won't be a next time.」 
 
Jahilu had already uncovered Yuuki's secret. It was clear that it would be impossible to drown out a vast amount of energy if he were to strike with overwhelming power. 
 
That's why she's so composed. 
 
And yet, Yuuki didn’t waver.
「Hey, just because you've succeeded once doesn't mean it'll be the same next time, right? That kind of assumption is what causes you to destroy yourself.」 
 
These were words that had already come out of my own experience. 
 
That’s why it felt so real, but Jahilu laughed it off. 
 
「Gulp, gulp, gulp! Don't be ridiculous, small fry. You can't lump me, the Great Emperor of Magic, with a bunch of petty people like you!!」 
 
Laughing loudly, Jahilu casually slammed a ball of energy into Yuuki. It was the embodiment of his fighting spirit, and it contained enough pressure to make the air creak. 
 
Jahilu hadn’t just materialized, either. 
 
He fully understood his power, and was able to manipulate the pure power of destruction as he wished. 
 
Yuuki must have been on the verge of death from the violence he unleashed without needing to do anything. 
 
However, the result was surprising. 
 
「It's pointless.」 
 
That’s what Yuuki said in a casual tone, showing off how he’d deflected Jahilu’s tyranny with his left hand. 
 
「--Huh?」 
 
Unable to keep up with her understanding, Jahilu was dumbfounded. 
 
「...Boss, what did you just do?」 
 
Laplace seemed to feel the same way despite being on her side, and she couldn’t help but ask Yuuki a question 
 
Accepting this, Yuuki smiled evilly. 
 
「It's simple. Pure power that isn't strengthened by power is like asking me to steal it.」 
 
She grinned as she explained. 
 
His attitude was calm and composed, and he looked down on Jahilu completely. 
 
But in reality, it was quite a tightrope walk. 
 
(Phew, looks like it worked.) 
 
《Of course I'm here.》 
 
That’s why I’m worried~, Yuuki thought, but she gently put Maria to sleep deep in her heart so that Maria wouldn’t read her thoughts. 
 
Yuuki’s Ultimate Ability, Ultimate Skill, and King of Greed, Mammon, but they’re specialized in stealing things, just like I explained before 
 
But of course, there was a limit to this. 
 
Having suffered a crushing defeat against Velgrind, Yuuki had become painfully aware of that 
 
That's why she knows her place this time. 
 
「I failed when I was up against Velgrind, but...」 
 
「I'm here too, you know? I don't approve of you calling me by my first name.」 
 
Yuuki panicked. 
 
(I tried to rile up Jahilu, but I got sidetracked...) 
 
Actually, I was in the middle of trying to figure out who was on this battlefield, so I hadn't noticed Velgrindo's presence. I couldn't help but say his name, not expecting him to be there. 
 
Being able to butt in at a time like this was an unthinkable miscalculation. 
 
(Actually, it's too much to erase its presence. Dragons are like “dragons,” so I wish they'd give off more energy.) 
 
After mulling over complaints he couldn’t say out loud, etc., Yuuki corrected himself 
 
「I may have failed against Velgrind-san, but it was a piece of cake for someone like you!」 
 
「Being honest is a good thing. I'll overlook your slip of the tongue.」 
 
「Hello.」 
 
It was Yuuki, who cared more about Velgrind than Jahilu. 
 
Seeing Yuuki like that, Masayuki thought 
 
Oh, I was just thinking that even Yuuki doesn't like Velgrindo. 
 
She’d always had a high affection rating, but now she felt even closer to Masayuki. 
 
In contrast, Jahilu looked indignant. 
 
「You stole my power?」 
 
「That's right. I didn't want to be greedy this time. I let everyone else handle the things I couldn't control.」 
 
Yuuki answered Jahilu’s question. 
Instead of trying to absorb Jahilu’s energy with [Steel Life], he’d absorbed only as much as he could accept, and the rest of it had been distributed. By doing this, he avoided becoming a second part of the Vergrind war. 
 
This, too, was the result of the “jumping flight” I’d made a success in the real thing. 
 
With the support of Maria, who had become the [Divinity Core], she could even control overwhelming energy. 
 
And just as Yuuki had said, the influence was affecting everyone around them. 
 
Now that the energy Yuuki had stolen had been distributed, even Laplace and the others had returned to perfect condition 
 
It was precisely because she’d benefited from that that Laplace, too, was shocked by the abnormal act Yuuki had committed 
 
Mai—and not only that, but Kagali, Tia, and even Eva—were all doing well. Thanks to the influence of Luminus’s recovery magic, they were truly flawless. 
 
「Hey, don't worry about losing.」 
 
「Right?」 
 
「Boss really is amazing!」 
 
「Pretty much♪」 
 
Yuuki bantered with Laplace and Tia. It was a form Kagali knew well, a form she could rely on as much as any number of others. 
 
That's why I can't help but ask. 
 
「So, Yuuki-sama, are you really going to be Jahilu's partner?」 
 
Yuuki smiled fearlessly at Kagali’s question. 
 
「I'm not going to take you on. I just have to beat you lightly, and that's it.」 
 
It was half a bluff, half a serious statement. 
 
Yuuki had planned to beat Jahilu in the current offensive and defensive battle. 
 
「Are you serious?」 
 
「Pretty much. Well, I'll steal your revenge partner, but don't do that, okay?」 
 
Yuuki turned to Kagali and winked teasingly. 
 
No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t help but think she was joking, but Kagali knew that Yuuki was surprisingly the type to carry out her word. 
 
That's why I entrusted it to her. 
 
「Please make enough for me too.」 
 
「Leave it to me!」 
 
And so, the battle between the Great Emperor of Magic, Jahilu, and the demon Yuuki began. 
  
＊ 
 
「Can I leave it to the boss?」 
 
「Laplace, what's important is friendship, hard work, and victory, y'know? It's hard to understand why you're trying to abandon friendship.」 
 
「Ahaha, that's not true. Even if I go on a business trip, I'll get in the way, so all I have to do is remain the most important “victory”!」 
 

「Yeah. Effort isn't something you show to others, and I agree that results are important.」 
 
Laughing at each other like that, Yuuki gestured to Laplace with just her eyes 
 
She was used to it, and Laplace could read her intentions and move with precision. Standing in a position where she could protect Kagali, Tia, Eva, and even Mai, she kept an eye on Yuuki and Jahilu. 
 
Then again, there was another purpose to this action. 
 
(Well, if a stray bullet comes at us, we'll be dead in an instant, but I don't think the boss would screw up like that. If we defeat the Jahilu, we withdraw immediately. That's how it is.) 
 
That’s right. Yuuki had already considered retreating after defeating Jahilu. 
 
He was endlessly cunning and shrewd. 
 
And so the battle began, but each person’s expectations were largely split. 
 
Caliglio and the Minutemen were well aware of Yuuki’s troubles. They had a mysterious sense of trust that even if they lost, they wouldn’t get away with it for free. 
 
Luminus saw that Jahil had the advantage. 
 
(That boy seems to be doing quite well, but Jahil is on another level. It would be fine if he were to fight alongside his comrades, but challenging him alone would be suicide.) 
 
As long as Luminus was here, she could come back to life even if she died. It might have been a reckless challenge in anticipation of that, but she’d decided that Yuuki’s chances of victory were slim. 
 
Vergrind is the one who disagrees with this. 
(Hmm, he's gotten pretty strong. It's incomparable to when he fought me.) 
 
It doesn't seem like there's any major change in visible strength, like the amount of energy has greatly increased or you've obtained a [Mythical]-class [Gods]. But Velgrindo feels like a different person. 
 
Even if there was more than ten times the difference in their levels of existence, an even battle could still be fought. If they were as good at fighting as Testarossa, their skill level alone would have been enough to stand in the way of Velgrind. 
 
Even judging from that experience, he was still a curious Velgrind about what Yuuki was hiding. 
 
And Hinata was here, too. 
 
From Hinata’s point of view, Yuuki was a deeply connected opponent. 
 
He was a fellow countryman, a fellow student under the same master, Shizue Izawa, and a swindler who betrayed and used him. 
 
But she couldn’t resent Yuuki. Hinata thought it was her fault for not being able to see through Yuuki’s true nature. 
 
That’s why I was rather sad when I heard he was dead, and why I’m happy to see him safe now. 
 
However, there was another emotion as well. 
「You still haven't gotten back at me for deceiving you, so I won't allow you to lose here.」 
 
Unable to forget the feeling of anger, Hinata felt compelled to at least give him a piece of her mind, so she told him this in part to encourage him. 
 
 
Where did that outfielder's voice come from? Yuuki calmly stepped toward the Jahilu. Then, following the flow, he gave it a light kick. 
 
It was only natural, but he wasn’t a fazed Jahil. He easily blocked the kick with his left hand and struck Yuuki with his right. 
 
His fist was covered in superheated flames, concealing the heat that would burn him to ash in an instant just from touching him, but Yuuki calmly crossed his arms and caught Jahilu's fist. 
 
「Mm, you bastard...」 
 
「Fufufu, I knew it. That body belongs to Footman, and even though it's imbued with an enormous amount of energy, it doesn't seem like your physical abilities have been greatly enhanced.」 
 
Yuuki’s current offense and defense turned his conjecture into conviction. Seeing through the clues to capturing the Jahilu changed the look in Yuuki's eyes to that of a hunter targeting his prey. 
Even as a Jahilu, he felt that Yuuki was an enemy he couldn’t let his guard down against—after all, his own power was completely ineffective 
 
I’d thought she’d be able to twist me down with overwhelming power, but that had become difficult, too. 
 
(Grrr, this guy...) 
 
All attacks granted with Ultimate Enchantment, Flame King, and Agni will be sealed with “Ability Killer” and “Anti-Skill.” That said, even if you hit them with powerful magic, they’ll be absorbed by “Stealth Palm” as well. 
 
(At that time, I should have killed him completely.) 
 
It would be too late to regret it now. 
 
To Jahilu, he was an extremely troublesome opponent, like a natural enemy. 
 
And then, the hunt gets more serious~ 
  
＊ 
 
The overwhelming difference in the amount of magicules and energy was rendered meaningless at this point. 
 
In that case, we’d have to use [Technique], [Arts], and so on to capture [Ability Killing Seal] and [Anti-Skill], but what Jahilu was good at was magic 
 

Even using [Ultimate Infusion], [Ultimatum Enchant], and [Flame King], combined with [Agni], could optimize and strengthen magic to the maximum, but it was systematically classified as a skill, so it would end up being sealed with [Esperial Killing Seal] and [AntiSkill]. 
 
Having said that, hitting it with pure energy would only absorb it with [Stealth Palm] this time. 
 
At this point, the only way to deal with the Jahilu is through physical attacks by the Divine Progenitor's Blood Spear, Origin Blood. 
 
「Don't underestimate me, you trash bug!!」 
 
Jahilu nimbly spun his spear around and pointed the tip at Yuuki to stop her. Surprisingly, her spearmanship had become quite impressive. 
 
「Huh, if you've gotten used to Footman, then you must've put in a lot of effort.」 
 
「Pull it out! Effort is a far cry from the words of a successor to God!」 
 
Jahilu screamed and charged at Yuuki. 
 
Her legs are so fast that they don't suit her giant body. In an instant, she reaches the range of her spear attack. 
 
But Yuuki had read through this. 
 
「Well, I thought you'd say that.」 
 
Since he was using his own power to seal off Jahilu’s means of attack, there wasn’t much he could do left. Of course, Yuuki would expect that to happen, so setting a trap would be a piece of cake. 
 
Jahilu tripped when Yuuki was right in front of him. The foot he’d stepped into had fallen into the pitfall Yuuki had made with his psychic powers. 
 
It’s simple, but it’s extremely effective. 
 
As he lost his balance, Yuuki’s kick exploded on his face. His kick was also under the effects of Stealth: Steel Life, so it ended up draining his stamina more than damage. 
 
Jahilu rolled away from Yuuki, but he wasn’t about to let that slide. He followed her up and delivered a barrage of punches and kicks in a fluid motion. 
 
「Whoa, I didn't think we'd be able to overwhelm a monster like this even if we tried to stand on end...」 
 
「It's hard to believe, but this is Yuuki-sama, isn't it? From my point of view, you and him are almost equal...」 
 
「Now, now. The boss is strong, so that's fine!」 
 
Laplace recoiled. 
 
Remembering her encounter with Yuuki, Kagali began to ask herself what strength was. 
 
Tia praises her sincerely. 
 
All three of them reacted in unison as they watched the outcome of the match. 
 
Only Mai, who felt left out by herself, kept her guard up so that she could withdraw immediately if anything happened. 
 
(Yuuki-kun really is amazing. My position has become hazy, so I wonder if following him like this is the right choice?) 
 
I had no intention of serving under Feldway. Now that I was finally free, I was thinking of living of my own free will this time. 
 
Our ultimate goal was to return to the real world, but I thought Yuuki might be able to make that possible. 
 
The only problem was that Yuuki’s faction had hostile relations with the demon lord 
Rimuru. 
 
It was said that they’d formed an alliance now, but I was still worried that they might have incurred a strange grudge. 
 

(No matter how I look at it, I can't oppose them. If I can do something about that, my worries will go away.)
From Mai’s point of view, the demon lord Rimuru’s subordinates were too dangerous. She’d challenged the labyrinth with Dino and the others, and she’d come to understand the danger it posed firsthand. 
 
I trusted Yuuki, but that was a different story. 
 
(If it comes to antagonizing the demon lord Rimuru, I’ll risk my life to convince him.) 
 
Worried, Mai made up her mind to do so. 
 
 
There were others who were focused on the battle between Yuuki and Jahilu. 
 
Luminus had returned to the sky and was focused on the entire battlefield, so of course she’d observed the battle as well. 
 
(What a surprise. I had noticed this Yuuki fellow working behind the scenes in the West, but I didn't expect him to grow this much.) 
 
That was Luminus’s honest opinion 
 
There were spiteful feelings toward Yuuki, such as resentment at nearly having Chronoa stolen from him. But even so, the moment he saw that she was antagonizing Jahilu, he’d used recovery magic with the theory that “enemy enemies are allies.” 
 
That was the right answer. 
 
It was because Yuuki had overpowered the Jahilu that had been troubling Luminus. 
If Luminus herself had fought Yuuki, she was confident she would win. But she also felt that Jahilu would be tough to deal with. 
 
This is a matter of compatibility. 
 
Luminus could have prepared multiple countermeasures against Yuuki. Thus, she would win. 
 
However, Jahilu had no effective means of attacking Yuuki. 
 
Even though he was overwhelmingly strong, he couldn't win. To Jahilu, Yuuki was like a natural enemy. 
 
(If he defeats the Jahilu like this, I'll be superimposed.) 
 
Unlike his appearance, Luminus had a rough personality, so she settled on the impression that it was fine as long as there was one less enemy. 
 
Incidentally, Velgrind muttered, “I knew it,” and continued to guard Ivarage with all his might. He didn’t seem surprised at all, since it was just as he’d expected. 
 
Hinata thought in her mind, “It’s the same as always that I can’t let my guard down,” and continued slaughtering the enemy while thinking about how she’d deal with Yuuki. 
 
 
And finally, the time to settle things had come. 
「Now then, I'm tired of playing with you, so let's get this over with.」 
 
Yuuki laughed. 
 
In response, Jahilu panicked greatly. 
 
「W-Wait! I am the Grand Emperor of Magic, Jahilu!! I am a god of the next generation who should unite the entire world!!」 
 
Jahilu was desperate. 
 
I shouldn't have been killed by a small fry I hadn't even been paying attention to in a place like this. 
 
After all, Jahilu was the rightful heir to the “Star King Dragon” Veldanava. 
 
The Godslayer. When he saw the Divine Progenitor Twilight, who had been forced to bear this burden, Jahilu thought. 
 
That there’s no need to bother her parents, the Sacred Ancestor. 
 
He thought that by doing it himself, everything would be settled. By killing a god and obtaining that power, Jahilu was supposed to be the next generation of Creation God. 
 
Jahilu had been reincarnated over and over, and had achieved that goal. 
In a sense, it was a great achievement, but it was also the foolishness of throwing the world into chaos. 
 
The world became a war-torn era, and the small country ruled by the king possessed by Jahil was destroyed as well. 
 
There were no results left, and everything was buried in history. 
 
In that case, he’d aimed for Milim, the Dragon Princess, next, but the results were well known 
 
Still, it was true that Jahilu had accomplished the Godslayer, and that was why he couldn’t accept that it would end here. 
 
But, but... 
 
Such a situation had nothing to do with Yuuki. 
 
「So? I'm not interested in the next generation.」 
 
Yuuki was sulking, thinking that I was superior. 
 
「You bastard...」 
 
「Whoops, there's no point trying to run away. I've got Mai over here.」 
 
Even Jahilu knows how convenient Myu is. Our destination isn't just based on location, it's also applied to people. No matter where the target is, it can 'jump' anywhere. 
 
Like Yuuki said, there was no point in running away 
 
「All right! I'll make you my first underling. How about it? Why don't you join forces with me?!」 
 
Jahilu desperately tried to win Yuuki over with clever words. At the same time, he was desperately trying to figure out how to get away from this place, but he couldn't find a good way... 
 
Our positions have been reversed from before. 
 
Those who hunt, and those who are hunted. That becomes clear, and the winner is decided. 
 
「You can't. After all, you treated my friends badly, didn't you?」 
 
「W-Well...」 
 
「You don't need to make excuses. After all, the answer won't change.」 
 
Yuuki's smile vanished. 
 
《Ufufu, that's fine. That's enough! You've given up my power, so make good use of it!!》 
 
I didn’t need Maria to tell me that Yuuki had already used that power to do it. 
 
Mariabelle of Greed was the strongest. 
 
「Then die!」 
 
「I'm still going to die.」 
 
Yuuki activated his power, “Craving for Death” and “Lost Entropy!!” 
 
Jahilu's heartfelt craving to live has been reversed. 
 
In that moment, Jahilu met the death of his soul. 
 
「Even if you die, you'll still regret it.」 
 
Those were the words Yuuki had directed at the dying Jahilu. 
 
The embodiment of evil that had spread misfortune throughout the world had been completely destroyed by the Incarnate of Greed, which surpassed even that desire, so that it could never be revived again. 
 
 
＊ 

 
 
Tears fell from Kagali’s eyes as she watched Jahil die. 
 
「It's over...」 
 
Kagali was overcome with emotion, remembering her past hardships. 
 
「Princess, I'm so glad~」 
Kneeling before Kagali like that, the one who rejoiced with her was EVA, who called herself a Heartless Jester. 
 
She was a natural-born maid who had served Kagali since long ago, when she was still a princess. She was the woman of the Dark Elves who had sworn loyalty to her and lived through history with her. 
 
Ava didn’t know what was going on, but based on the way Kagali was acting, she’d guessed that Jahilu was her enemy. There was no way to know that her true identity was the ancient evil that had taken over Kagari’s father, the king, but just being able to see her happy and safe was enough to satisfy her that it was worth risking her life for. 
 
Yuuki walked up to her friends like that. 
 
「What do you think? Did you fulfill your role as boss?」 
 
Kagali and Tia answered this. 
 
「This is the best, Boss! I swear my loyalty to you from now on.」 
 
「Yeah, yeah, you really were cool! I was able to avenge Footman, so I'm satisfied too!!」 
  
Laplace nodded arrogantly as well, nodding in agreement.
「Yeah. Well, if I'd helped, it would've been a lot easier.」 
 
There was no such truth at all. In fact, he would have been a burden, but Yuuki laughed. 
 
「Ahaha, I'm counting on you next!」 
 
「Leave it to me!」 
 
And so, we were peacefully engulfed in the emotion of being reunited――And there was someone who put a damper on it. 
 
「Looks like it's over.」 
 
And Luminus, who had been watching the battle from above, had descended in front of Yuuki. 
 
Yuuki smiled wryly. 
 
「Whoops, I'm tired right now, so could you complain to me next time?」 
 
「Don't be so cautious. I have a grudge against the past, but now's not the time for that.」 
 
“I’m grateful to my master,” Luminus announced elatedly. 
 
As a matter of fact, she took care of the headache-inducing [Jahil], so it was true that she was grateful. 
 
「In that case, do you need something?」 
「Indeed. What do you intend to do now?」 
 
Luminus had the desire to join the Battlefront if possible. But she also understood that this would be difficult. 
 
The people on this battlefield weren't as rough as Luminus. It was human nature to not trust those who betrayed you once so easily. 
 
Even Yuuki was aware of it, and she had no intention of getting along with him in the first place. 
 
「Well, we're busy too. Stop interfering, okay?」 
 
「Hmph. Do as you please.」 
 
Well, I’d assumed that would be the case, so Luminus wouldn’t keep him. She’d given him a chance to reconcile, and after that, she’d lost interest in Yuuki and the others. 
 
But here was where Yuuki had added a few words. 
 
「Yeah, that's right. We'll be going now, but I'll stay here.」 
 
「Hm?」 
 
「Look, that bird over there. It looks like it's using Spatial Teleportation at will. It's pretty tough, isn't it? With Mai around, I think it'll be a lot easier to capture.」 
What Yuuki pointed out was the Habataki War. 
 
It was impossible to see from this position, but Yuuki had already grasped the situation on the entire battlefield. 
 
He’s quite the man, Luminus thought 
 
「You there, woman. Then hurry up and join the battle.」 
 
With that, Luminus turned to Mai and gave her an order 
 
It was the dignity of a ruler who was used to using people. 
 
On the other hand, as someone who's suddenly brought up the topic, I'm in a state of mind that says, “I haven't heard anything!” 
 
I was determined to believe in Yuuki and follow her, but it felt like the ladder had been removed. 
 
「Umm, I...」 
 
Confused as to what to do, Mai was at a loss for words. I glanced at Yuuki for help, and he gave me a nice smile. 
 
「That's how it is, so do your best over here!」 
 
Yuuki said that casually and patted Mai on the shoulder. 
 
“I’ll listen to your advice if you’re in trouble, and I’ll remember our promise!” 
 
The fact that it was delivered only to Mai via Thought Communication, so that no one would find out, was a farewell here and now. 
 
By the time Mai tried to reply, Yuuki and the others had disappeared. 
 
「Huh? No way? Don't tell me... it's teleportation...」 
 
As far as Mai knew, there was no one among Yuuki and his friends who could teleport. In fact, she thought no one else could. 
 
Elemental magic: [Base Movement], [Warp Portal], and so on could probably be handled, and there were people who could handle [Spatial Teleportation], but that required advance preparations and omens, and it was impossible to do something like disappear right in front of them without leaving a trace 
 
“What’s going on...” Mai was dumbfounded. 
 
(Could it be that he learned it by watching and experiencing it when he went home together with me...?) 
 
I felt like that was probably the right answer, but I didn't want to admit it. 
 
He knew that the boy named Yuuki was a genius, but he was in a state of mind where he couldn’t have imagined this much. 
 
「Yuuki-kun, you're definitely reading mackerel at your age.」 
It was absolutely unbelievable that they were the same age. 
 
A shadyly shrewd, yet reliable boss. 
 
If a boss like that left Mai behind, then there should have been meaning to it. 
 
(He probably noticed that I was troubled, but...) 
 
Mai sighed in exasperation and sharply switched gears. 
 
Either way, the world was on the verge of destruction. Mai hadn't caught up to the situation yet, but she could feel it on her skin. 
 
Mai had a strong sense of responsibility, so she couldn't just leave it be. 
 
So as soon as she made up her mind, she “jumped” of her own free will in order to participate in the Habataki War that Yuuki had instructed her to participate. 
 
The second offensive and defensive battle over the sacred tree was still barely balanced. 
 
Chloe and Veldora played a nervous battle to keep Milim from getting more violent. They were an impromptu duo, but they functioned well thanks to Chloes leading them. 
 
Even the impromptu team, led by Zarario, who was up against Feldway, maintained their will to fight without getting discouraged despite feeling powerless in their hearts 
 
Thus, the world was still protected, but even that was nearing its limit. 
 
「Listen, lightning-type magic aimed at Milim.」 
 
「Are you talking about my cool Thunderstorm Roaring Thunderstorm☆Human Transformation Version ver. II?」 
 
Veldora seemed to be bragging about a lot of things, but Chloe suddenly cut him off. 
 
It’s not like I’m annoyed by the details, like how the version overlaps with the ver. 
 
「Your name doesn't matter, but don't use it, okay?」 
 
With that warning, Veldora realized something. 
 
That Chloe had seen the future again. 
 
「Perhaps We have done it again...」 
 
「You're right. If you take that, Milim will be wearing a lightning strike. Just getting close to her will make it difficult, so there's nothing we can do.」 
 
Showing as little power as possible, using the appropriate amount of force for Milim―almost all of it―to physically deal with it. This is the best move. 
If he carelessly used a emission-type technique, not only would the loss of power be severe, but it could also lead to Milim’s strengthening. Chloe could jump into the past and start over every time she failed, but that was just a tactic like walking a tightrope. 
 
Then again, it's because of that that I can endure it... 
 
「Hmm, I didn't think just showing off your power carelessly would lead to Milim's enhancements. My niece, you've grown at a frightening rate...」 
 
Or rather, my magic wasn't the kind of thing that could be easily imitated, but~ Even as I grumbled, Veldora obediently obeyed. 
 
And then Chloe’s instructions flew again. 
 
「This isn't the time to be impressed! I'll take the next magic bullet without dodging!!」 
 
There was something off about Veldora, too, when he described Milim being strengthened as something like growth. He was off, but on the other hand, that was a problem because he was reliable. 
 
Even now, she was taking the magic bullets Milim had fired, just as Chloe had told her to. 
 
「Gyawah?! Gnngh, y-you're so harsh! If it weren't for me, you'd be crying!」 
 
Despite all the commotion like that, she’d desperately blocked it, obliterating the vicious magic bullets. 
 
Incidentally, Veldora had tears in his eyes. 
 
No matter who looks at her, she's crying. 
 
However, there shouldn't be anyone who would laugh at this. 
 
After all, it was powerful enough that anyone other than Veldora would have been annihilated before he could even cry. 
 
In fact, if he’d avoided it, that magic bullet would have hit the branch city of the Sacred Tree directly, causing great damage.
 
The residents had already evacuated, but not all of them were in a safe place. It wasn’t just those who had fled outside the Sacred Tree; some had fled into shelters within the city. 
 
To the people, the sacred tree is the very definition of a myth of safety. In a way, it can't be helped that it can never even be imagined that it would collapse. 
 
Chloe had seen that future and avoided the consequences. Veldora, who followed it, was impressive, but as long as he didn’t bring Milim back to her senses, she would reach her limit no matter what. 
 
「This is a problem...」 
 
Chloe was fed up with this hopeless situation, but she hadn't given up. If this was enough to break her heart, she wouldn't have been able to travel through time beyond her imagination. 
 
Her courage is different. 
 
「Well, until the end, I'll give it everything I've got!」 
 
「Yeah, you're right. That's right!」 
 
The fact that he nodded lightly at the carefree Veldora was proof of that.
 
They have no basis, no doubts. They truly believe that in the end, things will turn out well. 
 
Besides, it wasn’t just Chloe and Veldora who hadn’t given up 
 
Even Kaeya, the one responsible for guiding Chloe to this place, had been calling out to Milim, his master, the whole time. 
 
The fruits of that labor were finally about to bear fruit. 
 
Milim’s movements had slowed down from time to time. 
 
「I can do this!」 
 
「Kukukuku, it's all thanks to me!!」 
 
「I don't think so, but I'll do my best.」 
 
The two of them were surprisingly in sync, along with Milim's pet, Gaia. Thanks to these three, the world was still alive and well. 
 
On the other hand, Feldway was angry. 
 
She remained calm on the surface, but she was genuinely annoyed that someone had interrupted her at the exact moment when she could control Milim and destroy the Sacred Tree with just one more step 
 
(What an annoyance. How dare you get in my way so many times, you 'hero'...) 
 
Feldway hated Chloe from the bottom of his heart for always getting in the way at the right time—because he felt like he’d been confronted with his own misjudgment that he should have gotten rid of her sooner. 
 
Veldora joined the “Hero” and was now able to deal with Milim in a stable manner 
 
That’s, with Milim in a berserk state. 
 
(I can’t believe it. The more we fight, the more powerful Milim should be, but why are we still competing?) 
 
It was an abnormal situation. 
 
Milim’s power had a frightening quality to it, and no matter who it was, there shouldn’t be anything she could do about it 
 
When they’d gone berserk in the past, Gii and Ramiris had given it their all. As a result, Ramirice, the “administrator” of the planet, had lost her power, leaving her unable to wield anything but limited power. 
 
However, the only reason that was all it took was because Ramiris really was amazing. 
 
By continuing to isolate Milim from the real world through sheer power, he’d whittled down the influence of that power. Meanwhile, Gii worked on Milim, successfully restoring Milim’s sense of reason after all the difficulties she’d faced. 
 
That was a miracle that had been made possible because the two strongest were there. 
 
Even Feldway paled when he heard the report that there was nothing he could do. 
 
But that was exactly why I couldn't accept the current situation. 
 
There was no gii here, and there was no Ramiris. Ramilis hadn’t regained her power in the first place, so she couldn’t be called just useless now, but she still didn’t have the power to do anything against Milim. 
 
(Why? Why doesn't Milim's power increase? Why?) 
 
This was when Feldway noticed, too. 
 
The fact that the two of them, taking on Milim, were always drawing out the best possible moves. 
 
(―That's a perfect response. However, even I can't make it happen on my first try. In that case―) 
 
Feldway observed and came to a single conclusion. 
 
(It's him. He can manipulate time. In that case, he's rewinding time from the future--no, flying into the past!!) 
 
Feldway saw through Chloe’s power with almost perfect accuracy. 
 
Rather than rewinding time, it's more like she's remembering memories of the future. 
 
Judging by the way the “Hero” was giving Veldora instructions, I was pretty sure he was right. 
 
There was a way to seal this away. 
 
If I stop time, I won't be able to lose consciousness in the past. 
 
The reason Feldway hadn’t stopped time was because there were those who could deal with it. He’d also thought that it would only require wasted effort, and that it might create an opening instead. 
 
And above all else, Feldway was a man who hated wasting time. He thought there was no reason to rush the match, since the enemy’s analysis of their forces was complete. 
 
But at this point, it was a different story. 
 
(It'll be a pain until Milim gets rid of the nuisances, but I'll activate the Stop World.) 
 
Thinking that, Feldway tried to put it into action. 
 
However, more and more people are getting in our way. 

＊ 

「Hey, Leon. It looks like you're having a tough time, so we'll help you out.」 
 
That was how Yuuki and the others had joined the battle, feeling truly casual. 
 
With this, against Feldway alone, there were eight powerful people at the top in this world. Those who didn't know what was going on would probably think that the formation was almost unbeatable, but... 
 
「Listen. Feldway has learned all of our power. And while you're at it, you should think that the technique you've shown him once will never work again.」 
 
Zarario warned her out of kindness. 
 
Yuuki and Kagali were also under Michael’s control—because they should’ve assumed he had a full grasp of their power. 
 
Tia and Laplace probably didn't know what to do, but they still couldn't let their guard down. Zarario thought that any unnecessary action would be fatal in the face of the other-dimensional strongman named Feldway. 
 
But even after hearing this, Yuuki’s reaction was actually quite quick. 
Normally, this would be a story that would make her despair, but Yuuki wasn’t an ordinary person, either. 
 
「That's pretty common, isn't it?」 
 
She didn't even have to be afraid to say that it was a common development in manga and the like. 
 
「Well, he probably thought he controlled me, but he was a decoy. He didn't show me everything he had, and he had the power he obtained after that. I don't intend to lose that easily, you know?」 
 
And so on, and so on. Yuuki was so confident in himself that he even provoked Feldway. 
 
Even Zarario was dumbfounded by this. 
 
I don't know about the concept of manga, but if it's common, then I wonder if there's a countermeasure. For a moment, I want to hope that's the case, but then I reconsider. 
 
「―Then I'll ask. How do you plan to deal with it?」 
 
「It's simple. You have to kill him first before he imitates you.」 
 
It’s just the assumption that they don’t know what they’re up to, so I won’t have any trouble if I can do that. 
 
Zarario let out a heavy sigh. 
 
「Or try to find a technique you can't imitate.」 
 
It looked like anyone could come up with this plan. In fact, Zarario had also tried it, so he knew it wouldn’t work. 
 
「Don't do that. It's an act that benefits the enemy.」 
 
「Is that it? Because if I try, he'll get stronger?」 
 
「Well, that's how it is.」 
 
She had no cover, but she didn’t want Yuuki to do anything unnecessary to her. 
 
That said, worrying about the Zarario is unnecessary for Yuuki. Or rather, it doesn't make sense in the first place. 
 
That said, she’d only come here because Laplace had asked her to. 
 
Now that she’d regained her memories and learned that she was Sarion, abandoning her own wife and daughter wasn’t an option. She’d appealed to Yuuki, who’d left even the world’s crisis to live for their own sakes, that she wanted to go help them on her own. 
 
Yuuki was self-centered, but he treasured his friends. His heart was moved by Laplace’s earnestness, and he accepted her request. 
 
Kagali and Tia felt the same way. They went along with it without complaint.
Ava is the same, and her heart is one. 
 
That’s why I’d come here to help Elmesia and Sylvia, not to defeat Feldway 
 
We’d achieved our goal of holding out until Veldora arrived, but that wasn’t the end of it. It was because Milim hadn’t come back to her senses, and someone needed to keep Feldway in check. 
 
Depending on the situation, he’d been trying to join the battle with all his might, but since what was being done was to buy time, even Yuuki had no intention of fighting in earnest anymore. 
 
That's why I fanned the flames and ran away afterward. I had reached that irresponsible conclusion, so I didn't intend to expose my own hands without Zarario's warning. 
 
From Maomao’s point of view, it would be hard to believe, but that was the true nature of the person named Yuuki. 
 
Laplace was in a similar state. 
 
I'm good at toying with people. 
 
I wouldn't waste my time fighting, and it wasn't like I was asserting myself too strongly. If I could achieve my goal, I had the personality to focus on the clown. 
 
That's why Laplace tried to get through it like that again. She tried to fly into the sky to line up with Yuuki, but she failed. 
 
It's because a woman came down to the ground at super-high speed and grabbed her. 
 
「Hey, why aren't you saying hello to me?」 
 
The one strangling Laplace with a smile so grand it made her shudder was Sylvia, who had left the battlefront to switch with Yuuki 
 
It wasn’t until the pure magic bullets fired by Jahilu exploded that she realized Laplace’s true identity—just before they turned into a large fireball.
 
In the flash of light, Sylvia saw Laplace’s true face and realized that she was her beloved husband, who had long since become someone who would never return. Even though they’d been reunited, Laplace and the others had perished. 
 
We didn’t even have time to talk, and this time, we’d never see each other again. 
 
And yet, this was no time to be sad. Sylvia had swallowed her personal feelings and was fighting with everything she had. 
 
However... 
 
This was where Laplace aloofly appeared. 
 
Even Sylvia’s endurance was at its limit at this point. 
 
「Wh-Who are you?」 
 
Here, Laplace had foolishly chosen to cover it up. 
 
He’d called her name back then, but she hadn’t admitted it yet. She’d thought she’d try to hide it by pretending to be someone else’s empty resemblance, or pretend she didn’t know. 
 
It was only natural, but this was going to anger Sylvia. 
 
「Huh? So that's what you're saying. You're going to say it? I'm already mad. Then I'll break my promise to you and cheat on you too.」 
 
「W-Wait a minute!? Time out, time out!」 
 
Sylvia’s grip on Laplace’s neck grew even stronger. 
 
Feeling her life was in danger, Laplace flailed. She wouldn't die from suffocation alone, but her body was reacting to Sylvia's bloodlust on its own. 
 
「Don't waste any time until you remember me!」 
 
Tears welled up in Sylvia's eyes. 
 
Seeing that, Laplace was shaken. 
Now Laplace had memories of the past. Before she remembered, it would have been one thing, but there was no way she wouldn’t react to the tears of the woman she loved. 
 
Laplace resigned herself to her fate, resigning herself to the fact that it would be impossible to fool Sylvia 
 
「We need to talk! Now's not the time for that, so let's have a nice, long talk later, Silvia!!」 
 
Sylvia rejoiced when her beloved husband, who she’d thought was dead and had tried to forget, called her name. 
 
「Sarion. If you're alive, then why?」 
 
Overcome with emotion, Sylvia wept here. 
 
She clenched her fists as if flowing―― 
 
「Wha!? Don't go rocking!! At least~!?」 
 
Her eyes popped open, and Laplace tried to escape, but it was already too late. 
 
「If you were alive, why didn't you contact me at all!?」 
 
Putting all of his anger into the shout, Gold’s right fist became a corkscrew blow, striking Laplace’s left cheek. 
 
Laplace, you've made a lifelong blunder. You've done it so many times. 
 
This takes me back. I can't even save Laplace when she's so carefree. 
 
Anyway, I got fired up. 
 
Laplace removed her mask and smiled at Sylvia. 
 
「Well, we'll talk later! It'd be impossible if you told me to beat him, but I'm good at buying time. Well, leave it to us and rest for a while!」 
 
After putting off the problem like that, Laplace stepped forward as well. 
 
And this time, just as I was about to fly into the sky... 
 
「You're in the way.」 
 
As soon as she called out to me, she suddenly grabbed my shoulder and pushed me back toward Sylvia. 
 
「Wh-What!?」 
 
The man suddenly appeared. 
 
Even as she conversed with Sylvia, Laplace had never let her guard down—and yet, she hadn’t noticed the man’s presence at all 
 
I turn around and accept it. 
 
「G-Geh?! Isn't that Diablo?!」 
 
The man was truly Diablo. 
 
He’d told Benimaru and the others he had some minor business to attend to, and he’d come here on his own. 
 
Laplace thought 
 
This guy's seriously dangerous, she thought. 
 
It wasn’t like she knew Laplace that well, but she remembered having a few conversations with him. 
 
A fear I don't know what will happen if I reply wrong. I'm remembered as an extremely dangerous being who carves his name at the top of the list of things he doesn't want to get involved with. 
 
Laplace wasn’t the only one who didn’t like Diablo. Most of them must have felt the same way. 
 
「Wh-Why did you come here?」 
 
Sylvia asked in Laplace’s place, and Diablo answered with a fearless smile. 
「Kufufufu, I have some minor business to attend to. Shall I be your opponent?」 
 
As Diablo announced this, his gaze fell on Feldway 
 
Seeing Diablo like that, Laplace and Sylvia immediately decided it was best not to get involved with this 
 
Diablo was the kind of man who would frighten even his allies. 
 
＊ 
Diablo spread his wings and flew in front of Feldway. 
 
「Tch, I didn't expect you to come here. Are you trying to get in my way?」 
 
Feldway had thought about stopping time, but he’d realized Diablo had “transferred” to him and stopped him. He’d then been on high alert, waiting to see what was going on. 
 
The reason she was letting Sylvia and the others do as they pleased was because she was focused on Diablo’s movements 
 
In terms of [Magic] [Energy], he was overwhelmingly superior, and now that he was the main body, even [Skill] [Level] was superior. Feldway was confident in that, but Diablo was a troublesome opponent. 
 
If I was going to fight, I definitely wanted to settle things here. 
 
The two males glared at each other in the heavens with their backs to the sacred tree. 
 
Sensing that Feldway’s interest had shifted away from him, Zarario called out to him without thinking. 
 
「Diablo, are you trying to stop Feldway? Then, with us...」 
 
Zarario had intended to suggest that they fight together, but he couldn't bring himself to suggest it. 
 
This was because Diablo had clearly refused before that. 
 
「Stop Feldway? No. I intend to make this fool understand clearly here.」 
 
「----What are you talking about?」 
 
「Your place.」 
 
Diablo smiled faintly as he answered. 
 
His arrogant attitude was not that of someone who felt Feldway was a threat at all. 
 
(...Hey, hey, you've got less magicules than me. What kind of train of thought do you have to think to beat Feldway?) 
 
Zarario was exasperated. 
 
There was no doubt Diablo was strong. Zarario acknowledged that, since he was having a hard time himself. 
 
Diablo’s accumulated [Skill] and [Level] surpassed even Zarario’s, so he also understood that he couldn’t talk about his strength with just the size of his [Magic Energy]. 
 
Even so. 
 
It would be impossible to beat Feldway with a level of skill on par with Zarario’s. 
 
「I admit you're strong, but...」 
 
Just as he was about to say that, Zarario felt something was off. 
 
Diablo was strong. He wasn’t the kind of fool to misjudge his own strength. 
 
Not to mention, he had come to the conclusion that if he had said it after seeing that Zarario and the others were having a hard time, he might have some kind of chance of victory. 
 
That was something Leon and Elmesia, who seemed to be listening, agreed. 
 
“They must have a plan. If they fail, we’ll just have to leave again.” 
 
“He’s dangerous, so let’s let him do what he wants!” 
In other words, let’s leave it to Diablo for just a moment and take a break. 
 
Even Yuuki had no objections. 
 
(This guy isn't dangerous...) 
 
With that, my “Dangerous Prediction” was even more active than when I’d seen Feldway. 
 
This wasn’t Diablo’s first time meeting him, and he’d even had a conversation with him if he wanted to. He hadn’t expected it to be this dangerous at the time, but Diablos didn’t even seem to have any intention of hiding his true nature right now. 
 
What was the difference between then and now? 
 
(Okay. So this guy was wearing a cat...) 
 
Or so Yuuki instinctively understood. 
 
Rimuru had been there at the time, and now he wasn’t. Diablo had truly become an extremely dangerous being, like a reckless car with its brakes off. 
 
Since Yuuki understood that, getting between them here wasn’t an option. 
 
I gladly handed over the role to her, telling her to go ahead. 
 
From the serious Zarario’s point of view, it’s hard to accept that he won’t cooperate with everyone in a tight spot...but his opponent is Diablo, who’s completely uncooperative. 
“That’s true.” 
 
It was inevitable that Zarario would nod in agreement. 
 
＊ 
That was how Diablo and Feldway ended up fighting one-on-one 
 
Feldway was furious, but he thought he’d lose if Diablo got carried away at his pace. He didn’t interrupt their conversation, calmly analyzing Diablos. 
 
(Don't tell me he really intends to defeat me by himself?) 
 
The reason I was wondering that was because I hadn’t been able to detect any trap-like presences. 
 
Diablo looked like he truly thought he could beat Feldway. In that case, what bothered him was whether or not he was hiding some trick behind the scenes. 
 
(No, it's impossible. There's no way he can beat me right now.) 
 
She was imbued with most of that power in order to reincarnate Veldanava. The only one capable of defeating such a Feldway was Milim, who was at the end of her continued evolution. 
 
Of course, she intended to make a move before that happened, so there was nothing to worry about with Feldway. She resolved to set an example for Diablo, hoping he would pay for irritating her. 
 
「Good grief. It seems that you can't measure the top of a god's head with your level of skill.」 
 
「Kufufufu. Now then, what do you think?」 
 
「Go downstairs. I'll show you how serious I am.」 
 
Feldway had tried to figure out what Diablo was after, but instead of worrying about it, he’d decided to resort to force. He’d thought of severing his inseparable ties with Diablos here and now. 
 
「Very well. I will at least let you choose a place to die.」 
 
Diablo nodded arrogantly. 
 
It was as if she didn't doubt that she would be the one to win. 
 
Descending to the ground, Feldway readied his Arc. 
 
Diablo also brought out his Claw Scissors. 
 
「Let me tell you first. Feldway, the cause of your defeat is that you underestimated the enemy.」 
 
「----What?」 
 
「The fact that you haven't been able to kill a single person who's weaker than you is proof of that.」 
 
That’s what Diablo told her, unamused. He continued, his words piled on mockingly. 
 
「Didn't you waste your time thinking you could kill him at any time? Or did your pride not allow you to take him seriously against someone of a lower rank?」 
 
「......」 
 
Diablo’s point was a deafening one for Feldway 
 
Because I hit the nail on the head. 
 
That's why I retort without thinking. 
 
「If that's the case, then you're the same, aren't you? You preferred to go easy on the weak.」 
 
Diablo rarely went all out, either 
 
As Feldway had said, it was true that he often fought as if he looked down on his opponent. 
 
But even when he pointed that out, Diablo was unfazed 
 
「What about it? In my case, it's a hobby.」 
Diablo and Feldway had decisively different motives—Diablo loved to crush them after drawing out his opponent’s full strength 
 
Besides, I wasn’t going easy on her. I was just adjusting my strength to match my opponent’s. After adjusting it to the same extent, I was enjoying a pure [Skill] [Level] comparison. 
 
As such, there was no reason for Feldway to complain 
 
She had bad taste, so there was no point in saying that if it was from the person who had done it. 
 
In other words, a zalario. 
 
「Hey. What did you just say?」 
 
Diablo answered Zarario honestly as he asked with a straight face. 
 
「Therefore, I love to surpass my opponent's techniques. It's not meaningless because it serves both as a hobby and a practical benefit.」 
 
No, that’s not what I want to hear, Zarario thought. 
 
There was a possibility Diablo wouldn’t be able to get through to him if he asked in a roundabout way here, so Zarario asked a direct question to keep himself from getting angry. 
 
「I'm asking if you were holding back when you were fighting me!!」 
 
This question was interesting to Feldway as well. 
 
The maximum amount of magicules Diablo could sense was less than a third of Zarario’s. Compared to Feldway’s, it wasn’t even a twentieth. 
 
And yet, he was able to fight on equal footing with Zarario. 
 
(What if I went easy on him back then? I might consider him a threat.) 
 
That’s what Feldway had thought. 
 
Diablo answered. 
 
「Kufufufu, you're joking, going easy on me. Naturally, I was serious.」 
 
「I hope so...」 
 
In that case, it would be impossible to defeat Feldway. That's what Zarario is trying to say. 
 
Sadly, he was forced to understand that he was no match for her. Even if Diablo joined the same level as him here, he wouldn’t stand a chance against Feldway. 
 
And yet, Diablo was determined to fight alone—a foolish act that could only be considered suicidal at this point.
「Now then, it would be boring to have a long conversation, so let's get this over with.」 
 
「That's my line.」 
 
Diablo’s declaration was answered lightly by Feldway, who then swung the Arc he’d been holding at the ready. 
 
It was a truly casual blow. 
 
However, it contained an incredible amount of power, far beyond the imagination of those present. 
 
If anyone had been observing this planet from outer space, it would have looked like an extremely thin beam of light had been emitted from the planet. That was how far the blow had deviated from the power that the weapon known as a sword could produce. 
 
Accepting this, Diablo’s left hand’s [Claw Scissors Blade] had been smashed to pieces, sending him flying all the way to the base of his left arm 
 
In fact, it's strange how little damage we've suffered so far... 
 
「「「~~!!」」 
 
Everyone was speechless. 
 
That attack had made me realize that Feldway hadn’t even shown a shred of his true strength. 
 
 
 
＊ 
 
「What was it? You wanted to get this over with, right? I agree.」 
 
said Feldway with a fierce smile. 
 
「I was planning to meet your request and end it with that attack. I didn't think you'd react like that.」 
 
「Kufu, kufufufu. I was also surprised to see you break the Scissors.」 
 
「Heh. In the end, it's just a Mythical God, isn't it? There are only seven Genesis-classes in this world, and they're nothing compared to my Arc.」 
 
Feldway replied with a cool expression. 
 
That was all it took for Diablo to show his understanding as well 
 
「I see. So you've been recognized as your master, and you're using it well.」 
 
Convinced, I repair the damage I've taken. 
 
Leaving it alone, Feldway nodded. 
 
「Exactly. I couldn't withstand the power of a sword with my temporary body, but I can handle it without a problem now.」 
 
Diablo agreed, “I see.” 
 
「Good grief. I thought your sword was on the same level as Gii's Wald and Milim-sama's Tenma Asura...」 
 
「You're right. It's just camouflaged, but if you use your true power, you'll be a Genesis class.」 
 
The weapon created by Veldanava, the Star King Dragon, is a Genesis-class weapon that exists only seven times in the world. It was originally intended to be bestowed upon the Primogenitor's Seven Angels, but Feldway was the only one who was able to handle it. 
 
That was why Veldanava had given it to those who had potential and friends, disguised as a Mythical-class Gods, before handing it over to them. 
 
「Gui, Ludora, Ramiris, Twilight, Milim, and Lucia-sama. These are the people with Genesis. They intend to slowly retrieve them in my hands later.」 
 
Feldway remembered that there was no one other than him who could use it. And that was under the condition that the body was in perfect condition. 
Because it was so powerful that it ate away at the body of its owner. 
 
He had left Veldanava, who had lost his power, in Gii's care, without even being able to wield his sword, Asura. 
 
Incidentally, if the current owner, Milim, had taken possession of Asura while still 
“crazed” and “stampede,” she would have undoubtedly displayed her true power as a 
Genesis class. Her destructive power was unimaginable, and it was highly likely that Chloe and Veldora wouldn’t have been able to handle it on their own. The fact that she hadn’t made it was a stroke of good fortune. 
 
As Feldway spoke calmly, he didn’t even seem to doubt his victory. 
 
As a matter of fact, Yuuki’s party didn’t seem to have any words, and Zarario, Elmesia, and the others were in half-resigned mode, saying, “I guess I can’t anymore.” 
 
The only one, Chloe, didn’t give up, glaring at Yuuki as she called out to him, “If you’re just staring into space, then help me out!!” But... 
 
That was something Chloe could only do because she had a reputation for not giving up, and from the other people’s point of view, she was in a state of unparalleled despair. 
 
But there was one more person. 
 
There were those who didn't feel any particular despair. 
It was Diablo, the one involved in the declaration of defeating Feldway. 
 
「Kufufufuhfufu, interesting! It was a truly interesting story.」 
 
And then, with a composed attitude, she burst out laughing. 
 
There wasn't even a sense of danger there, let alone despair. 
 
It was such an unexpected reaction that even Feldway was bewildered. 
 
「Very well. The difference in our weapons' capabilities seems like the perfect handicap.」 
 
「What did you say?」 
 
「It's been a while since I've been able to get serious.」 
 
It’s been a while since I’ve said something like that, but it’s Diablo who sometimes fights in earnest. 
 
But this time, I was serious in the truest sense. 
 
He’d removed all of the various conditions, and just as he’d said, Diablo had unleashed his full power 
 
「Phew, it wouldn't be a problem if I failed in the labyrinth, so I wasn't nervous enough. 
But this situation is really nice! I feel like I'll experience the greatest, most stinging thrill I've ever experienced!」 
 
Diablo laughed as he said that. 
 
It was a gruesome smile that terrified anyone who saw it. 
 
「Thrilling? Foolish~」 
 
Perhaps he had no intention of playing along with Diablo’s nonsense, as Feldway set it up. 
 
The god-speed attack was imbued with the power to cleave even the stars in half. 
 
It was such an unbelievable slash that, after cutting Diablo in half, even if it was a speck of dust, he’d still be able to change his mind. 
 
And yet... 
 
Fissures ran through the earth, and dust danced in the air. 
 
The atmosphere burned, and a life-threatening smell stimulated my nose. 
 
However, the result that everyone had expected was completely off. 
 
Feldway tried to push his sword in. 
 
Against that was Diablo, taking it head-on 
 
The radiant, flickering Nebula Arc and the rainbow-colored Claw Scissors crossed paths. 
 
「Kufufufu. I was a little frustrated because I gave Zeranus to Zegion. I think you would be the perfect test subject.」 
 
「----What?」 
 
Having left the old Eurazania, Zeranus’s incursion into the labyrinth was within the realm of expectations. After all, there were surviving members of the [Insector] within the labies. 
 
Now that his own subordinates had been wiped out, Zeranus the Mushi Demon Lord would have moved to add his kin to his ranks. That was what Feldway had thought as he ordered Vega, Dino, and the others to clear the labyrinth. 
 
Vega and the others alone weren’t enough to make him feel safe, but Zeranus, who was strong enough to even acknowledge Feldway, thought he’d be able to traverse even Ramiris’s impregnable labyrinth. 
 
All right, even if that was impossible, there was no problem. 
 
The labyrinth alone seemed like it would take some time to clear, so it was more than enough to stall the enemy forces. 
 
The labyrinth had the remaining forces under Rimuru’s command. Diablo hadn’t expected them to come this way, but in terms of stalling the others, Zeranus had assumed they’d be a good decoy. 
 
The point is, it's only a matter of time. 
 
Of the three remaining strongholds in this world, only Ramiris’s labyrinth is independent 
If we destroy the remaining two, the Tentsukaku and the Sacred Tree, Ramiris’s labyrinth will be incapacitated with ease. We don’t need to conquer it, we just need to isolate it. 
 
That’s why, when Zeranus left for the labyrinth, Feldway’s plan was as good as a success—but Diablo’s statement just now had a hint of disquiet 
 
「You gave up Zeranus? You’re arrogant, Diablo. He’s not as strong as I am, but he’s also strong. He should be the ruler of this world, surpassing even the ‘dragon race’. You’ll be no match for him.」 
 
Even as he said that, Feldway realized that something was wrong with Diablo the moment he accepted Genesis class. 
 
Diablo’s smile deepened, as if he’d seen through Feldway’s anxiety. 
 
「Arrogance? That's Gii's exclusive right.」 
 
As Diablo parried it with such light banter, he began his counterattack as if it was his turn now.
 
Her speed wasn’t inferior to Feldway’s. 
 
[Demons] For the Primogenitor, who is also the highest-ranking being, rewriting the laws of physics with magic is a skill. 
If you ignore the matter that fills the atmosphere and move, you can even surpass the sound barrier without creating a shockwave. 
 
Though the principle was different from teleportation, it was truly a divine feat. And Diablo was well versed in such skills. 
 
Feldway, on the other hand, had all the skills he’d accumulated so far. By using them, he wouldn’t fall behind Diablo’s movements. 
 
Both males, with unyielding spirit, began to use their techniques in turn. 
 
Flowing and dancing, Diablo parried Feldway’s swordsmanship. His previous attack had made it clear that it was inefficient to block it head-on. 
 
He’d taken quite a bit of damage just because he hadn’t shown it on his face. 
 
No. It's more than that. 
 
It was like I’d somehow succeeded in catching it, gathering all the energy in my body. Combined with the damage I’ve suffered from losing my left arm at the start, it had cost me over ninety percent of my energy. 
 
And yet, since he remained calm on the surface, Diablo’s ability to deceive others was impressive as well.
 
The reason he couldn’t see through that wasn’t because Feldway was incompetent—it was because Diablo’s skill was superior 
 
......... 
...... 

Diablo had used his Ultimate Abilities, Ultimate Skills, and King of Temptations, Azazel, to pull deception off. He’d applied the Seduction World, which activated absolute power in the materialization of the virtual world, to his own body to rewrite the information. 
 
It was a power that wouldn’t work on Feldway even if he used it like that, but by using it out of use like this, he was able to use it splendidly in battle. Such maneuverability was another aspect of Diablo’s superiority. 
 
Besides, there was another reason. 
 
Diablo had secretly taken in the power of the Void Disintegration, as if to compensate for the lost energy. 
 
That would be too dangerous an act, and never do anything like benimaru. Anyone who knew their limits would assume that the risk of failure was too great. 
 
Diablo, however, was different 
 
It wasn’t a labyrinth that could be redone even if they failed, but they’d used the overwhelmingly strong man known as Feldway as a test subject and put that fearsome plan into action 
 
「Wonderful. I can feel your connection to Sir Rimuru so strongly!」 
 
Diablo said that with a look of ecstasy on his face. In a way, he was pure. 
 
She was throwing everything she had into what she liked, so she had no fear or regrets. She was not afraid of failure, and on the contrary, she was interested, so no matter what the outcome, she could accept it. 
 
That's why I'll succeed. 
 
Diablo circulated Void Disintegration through his own body, just as Zegion had done. However, copying him would result in a hundred percent failure, so he used Ultimate Ability, Ultimate Skill, and Seduction King Azazel again this time. 
 
He’d made her firmly believe that her own body could withstand the Void Disintegration. 
 
......... 
 
...... 
 
... 
 
It was a plan no normal person would have thought of. 
 
Diablo, however, was certain of his success. 
I was trying to test Zeranus against the [Insect Demon Lord], but I gave him that role. Thanks to that, I was able to observe the process of Zegion taking in the Void Disintegration. 
 
That’s why Diablo understood that his theory wasn’t wrong 
 
In Zegion’s case, it was only a success because he had Rimuru’s omnipotent cells 
 
Diablo had no such perks, but he had the “body” Rimuru had given him. If he optimized this to “Void Disintegration,” the plan was to make effective use of his energy without having to push himself too hard. 
 
----That's an insatiable theory. 
 
In the first place, the Void Disintegration is an uncontrollable “event” under normal circumstances. It’s like Testarossa is forcing herself to use the “Void” she’s pouring her heart and soul into controlling as pure energy. 
 
You could say that the chaos before the abyss of hell collapsed, or before hell was the very essence of the Void Disintegration. 
 
It would be weirder if she could use that extremely dangerous energy to stay safe. 
 
Diablo was no exception. 
 
Before his body could be optimized, his body was being swallowed up by nothingness. 
Diablo accepted it with a composed face, using Ultimate Abilities, Ultimate Skills, and Azazel to pseudo-regenerate, and by assuming it was the real thing, he was able to maintain his current state as he completed the battle. 
 
It wasn’t on the level of absurdity—it was a destructive action that made one doubt their sanity. 
 
Diablo, however, didn’t let her realize that. 
 
Not only was there no problem for her, but she was enjoying the battle. 
 
That was how amazing Diablo was. 
 
The stark contrast was Feldway. 
 
I sincerely believed that no matter what kind of opponent they were, they wouldn't be an enemy if they were in a full-power state after taking out their main body. And yet, in reality, they were having a hard time dealing with Diablo. 
 
As far as Feldway was concerned, he didn’t want to admit it, but from a third-party perspective, it would be described as an even fight 
 
「----Don't be ridiculous. How can someone like you compete with me!?」 
 
「Kufufufu. Is it strange? It wasn't your real body before, so I let you go, but today, I'll be your opponent until the end. Didn't I tell you? I've prepared a way to kill you.」 
 
Hearing this, Feldway’s heart wavered. 
 
From Feldway’s point of view, Diablo was nothing more than a nuisance to his troubles. 
 
It was an eyesore, but I couldn’t find enough value in getting worked up to deal with it. 
 
More importantly, we should prioritize destroying the Sacred Tree, and if that were to be achieved, the world would be easily destroyed by the hands of the Ivarage, the “Demon Realm Dragon” who would have come through Tentsukaku by now. 
 
If that happened, of course Diablo would be destroyed along with them. 
 
It was understandable that Feldway, who hated wasting time, would think that it wasn't worth taking him on here. 
 
However... 
 
He couldn’t accept the reality that he, who was trying to be the ruler of the world, had the best body Veldanava had given him and the strongest weapon he’d given him, and was struggling against Diablo. He didn’t want to admit it, thought Feldway. 
 
That's why I'll tell her. 
 
「You disgusting devil, then I will show you no mercy!! Before I destroy the world, I will bury you with my own hands!!」 
 
That was the pride left in Feldway: “As long as you’re serious about yourself, you won’t lose to anyone.” 
 
Finally, Feldway had acknowledged Diablo as a true enemy. 
＊ 
Just as Diablo had planned, Feldway got serious, too. 
(Kufufufu, I'm really happy.) 
 
Diablo chuckled. 
 
It wasn’t as if she had some underhanded goal of agitating him and creating an opening. 
 
It was purely Diablo’s selfish desire to win after letting the enemy unleash their greatest power. 
 
That's why the quality is bad, but... 
 
In any case... 
 
Both sides got serious, and the battle was regrouped. 
 
Now that he’d gotten serious, Feldway poured all the skills he had into cornering Diablo 
 
Diablo parried this as if he’d been waiting for it. Surprisingly, he was at odds with both strength and technique. 
「Kufufufu. Be proud, Feldway. This is the first time you've shown your hand this well.」 
 
「Kuh, I didn't think you'd be hiding this much power...」 
 
「It's because you're inexperienced that you can't make use of that power.」 
 
Diablo pointed out from above that the balance between physical body and technique was bad. 
 
「Don't be ridiculous! There's no point in trying to shake me up.」 
 
In contrast to Diablo’s amused expression, Feldway wasn’t amused 
 
He believed there was an overwhelming difference in ability between them, more than an adult and a child. And yet, instead of defeating Diablo, they were resigned to an even fight. 
 
This current situation was nothing short of humiliating to Feldway. 
 
The level of skill that Feldway had accumulated so far was the essence of all swordsmanship and martial arts. If he used it without regret, he should have been able to defeat it in an instant, just like Diablo. 
 
However, it didn't work. 
 
Diablo’s readings were accurate, surpassing Feldway’s 
 
The reason for this was obvious. 
 
It was because Diablo’s [Fighting Sense] [Battle Sense] had reached the realm of the gods, even though Feldway hadn’t noticed. 
 
Diablo had always spent his days fighting to the fullest extent of his opponent’s power and surpassing it—not playing the transcendentally strong like Gii, but enjoying the battle, including the maneuvering of his technique. 
 
That's why she's so strong. 
 
Power and technique----it was Diablo’s true essence to add his heart to this. 
 
Even now, Diablo’s toes grazed Feldway’s cheek with a flash 
 
A few drops of bright red blood colored Feldway’s beautiful face. 
 
「You bastard!! How dare you hurt my body, which was bestowed upon me by Lord Veldanava!!」 
 
Feldway shouted indignantly. 
 
Still, where was Diablo coming from? 
 
「Kufufufu. I suppose that means my body, granted to me by Sir Rimuru, is superior to yours.」 
 
Such were the kinds of remarks that would anger Feldway. 
Naturally, Feldway snapped at this. 
 
She lost her composure, just as Diablo had planned. 
 
At this point, the flow of the match was already in Diablo’s palm 
 
It wasn’t like Diablo had any leeway, either. He’d been fighting with a long-term battle in mind to some extent, but this was the one thing he didn’t know how much his body could withstand the Void Collapse. 
 
Diablo’s worship of Rimuru was on a morbid level, so personally, he didn’t doubt that “no matter how much you abuse it, it’ll be fine.” This was the problem, and it was like walking a tightrope about where it would break down 
 
What’s more, Diablo was abusing his authority while fanning the flames of Feldway. By activating the Seduction World from multiple angles, he’d set up an environment with an absolute advantage. 
 
First, I need to maintain my body. 
 
The moment this broke down, Diablo’s defeat would be decided. 
 
Next, I canceled out my power. 
 
I’d used my own Seduction World to make sure Feldway’s power didn’t function 
 
That was a truly splendid display. 
 
Most [Power] Skills affect the substance known as magicules. 
By freely moving magicules and rewriting the laws, it’s causing supernatural anomalies. 
 
That’s why, like “Magic Interference”, if you disturb the surrounding magicules, you can interfere with the activation of magic and the like, but... 
 
In contrast, the higher-ranking Ultimate Ability, Ultimate Skill, is... 
 
In a sense, it had the power of a god, capable of interfering not with magicules, but with the “reishi” that made up the magicule, and even the smallest of substances, “information particles.” 
 
This was exactly the power Feldway wielded, and the fact that he was interfering with it meant that Diablo, too, knew how to handle “informants.” 
 
In other words, Diablo had used the Seduction World to mess up the informants and seal Feldway’s power. 
 
While Feldway may have invested resources of power into Milim’s rule, it was like all the other Ultimate Abilities and Ultimate Skills had been sealed away. It was truly an abnormal situation. 
 
It was Diablo’s rare feat of combat sense. 
 
Not only had Diablo sealed Feldway’s strengths, but he’d also used the magic and military force he was good at to compete with Feldaway.
Feldway was no fool, either. 
 
Not only would Diablo get on top of her, but he’d soon regain his composure and analyze the situation from a calm perspective 
 
And then, I realized. 
 
Just how dangerous Diablo’s actions were. 
 
It was Feldway, who doubted Diablo’s sanity, seeing that the energy in his body was 
“Void” energy 
 
It really is a power that could destroy the world. 
 
「You, you're abnormal!!」 
 
「Kufufufu. I'll take that as the best compliment I can muster.」 
 
The words she’d unintentionally thrown at him ended with nothing more than making 
Diablo happy. 
 
This is why he's so annoying, Feldway thought. 
 
Their goal was to destroy the world, so as far as Feldway was concerned, even if Diablo failed to control the Voids, they would welcome him with open arms.
 
But, but... 
 
(I don't think he'll fail...) 
 
I didn’t want to admit it, but Diablo really was strong 
 
We've known each other for a long time, and even after Feldway became the Demon Lord, many strategies have been hindered. Diablo has many bitter memories of everything else. 
 
That was why he’d acknowledged them as “true enemies,” but even with the full extent of Feldway’s power now, it was terrifying that subjugation was no match for them. 
 
Normally, she would be overwhelmingly lower in rank. 
 
And yet, the current situation is evenly matched. 
 
At this point, Feldway was painfully aware that he’d underestimated Diablo too much 
 
This was Feldway, feeling from the bottom of his heart that Diablo should have disposed of him before he met the demon lord Rimuru... 
 
However, she still had a trump card left. 
 
(Sheesh, they've gotta hurry too.) 
 
At last, Feldway had made up his mind to launch an all-out war that would be the finishing touches to this operation. 
  
＊ 
Zarario, who had gone around to watch the match, was dumbfounded. 
 
Just as Feldway had noticed, Zarario understood what Diablo was doing. 
 
No, maybe I should say that I understand. 
 
(What are you thinking, Diablo?!) 
 
I scream in my heart. 
 
If I could, I’d like to cut into the battle right now and stop Diablo, even if it means punching him. 
 
Still, that would only benefit Feldway, and more than anything, it was frustrating that there was nothing else we could do. 
 
Not only would I have to leave her alone, but Diablo was asking for her help, too. 
 
Zarario felt sluggish in that situation. 
 
Zarario wasn’t the only one to react like that. 
 
Following Zarario, Sylvia guessed as well. 
 
At almost the same time, Elmesia understood as well. 
 
「You're kidding...」 
「Rimucchi, if you don't come back soon, the world might disappear, you know?」 
 
「Really...」 
 
Rimuru was the only one who could stop Diablo. This was common knowledge to Elmesia, and a source of emotional support. 
 
Her mother, Sylvia, had also heard about it from Elmesia, and she generally agreed with her perception of it. The outrageous act of having the primogenitor, the object of humanity’s fear, at her side was a perception that no one but the demon lord Rimuru could pull off. 
 
And with that, the demon lord Rimuru was gone 
 
There hadn’t been a disturbance among Rimuru’s subordinates, like Elmesia had been worried about, but that was only because the situation was far from that. 
 
In fact, Diablo was acting like he doubted his sanity right now, as if he’d overestimated his own power.
 
Elmesia hadn’t expected Diablo to have any common sense, but... 
 
The Void that could destroy the world had been imbued into its body and used as energy. If it had been in peacetime, it would have been a reckless act that would have prevented it with all its might. 
 
「He sure is calm when it comes to dangerous things.」 
「Elle-chan. You should tell the demon lord Rimuru.」 
 
「I'd love to, but look, Rimcchi's not here...」 
 
Sylvia, too, knew that Rimuru had been erased by Feldway’s hand. But she couldn’t help but think he’d probably come back. 
 
The same was true for Elmesia, who seemed to believe that Rimuru would be safe 
 
That’s why the two of them had made up their minds: Diablo’s foolishness would definitely be pricked. 
 
「What, what? Is he doing something dangerous?」 
 
With that, Laplace tried to join the conversation. 
 
To Laplace, Sylvia and Elmesia were a wife and daughter who had long since been separated from each other. 
 
It was only recently that she remembered that, so for Laplace, her memories were vivid. Well, since her daughter, who hadn’t even been born, had grown up to look just like her mother, she couldn’t help but feel a little gloomy... 
 
(I'm so happy that you've grown up to be a beautiful woman!) 
 
That was how Laplace truly felt. 
 
That said, I hadn't been able to see her for a long time. 
 
From Laplace’s point of view, she’d only just remembered, but from the mother and daughter’s perspective, it was a memory from long ago. 
 
(Sylvia's interrogations were just overlooked because the time was right. It's a good idea to start with a light conversation and close the distance between us!) 
 
Or so Laplace, a man who could read the mood, had thought. 
 
But the topic was bad. 
 
「If you haven't realized how dangerous it is, then it's better if you don't know.」 
 
Silvia replied coldly. 
 
Elmesia’s reaction was even harsher. 
 
「Yeah... Actually, when I heard about your dad from Mama, he was so cool that I admired him...」 
 
She glared at Laplace appraisingly, then let out a heavy sigh of disappointment. 
 
Hearing this, Laplace panicked. 
 
「W-Wait a minute! Dad's really cool, isn't he?」 
 
「A clown wearing a weird mask isn't cool or bad at all...」 
 
Elmesia answered indifferently. 
 
It was a very reasonable opinion. 
 
Elmesia was a fan of the Masked Hero in the first place. 
 
Sylvia had also told me about the Wandering Hero, so I knew it was my father, but it was hard to identify him as the clown in front of me 
 
As such, Elmesia threw out the core question. 
 
「Actually, I don't want to be told that you're my father all of a sudden. I wonder if it's real?」 
 
Judging by my mother's reaction, I assumed it was the real thing. But Elmesia didn't want to admit it. 
 
She had gone missing before she was born, so this was our first meeting. 
 
She wasn't a young girl, so it was a bit late to be getting excited. 
 
「It's the real deal! There's no doubt about it. So, Elle-chaaaaan!」 
 
「I won't allow you to call me Elle-chan.」 
 
Elmesia showed me her serious face here. 
Her dignity as the Heavenly Emperor didn’t matter, but her inability to be honest with herself was complicated. It seemed she still needed some time before she could open up to Laplace. 
 
The man who could read the mood—Laplace—gulped and nodded. 
 
「O-Okay. Dorter.」 
 
「......」 
 
「I-I can't?」 
 
「Phew, just call me Elmesia normally.」 
 
The moment I was exasperated, Elmesia lost. 
 
First, one step. 
 
This was the first step towards becoming father and daughter. 
 
In any case, it was Laplace who’d been allowed to call her by her first name. 
 
Here, Kagali interjected, trying to change the flow. 
 
「I'm sure Laplace's father-daughter theater is important, but could you explain to us what's going on?」 
「You're right. I don't intend to get in your way, but if Diablo is doing something dangerous, I want to assume the worst-case scenario.」 
 
Following Kagali’s lead, Leon asked for an explanation. 
 
Diablo was fighting on equal footing with Feldway, but apparently there was a dangerous secret to that contraption. Kagali and Leon had heard Elmesia and Sylvia’s conversation and decided that was the case. 
 
They didn't know what they could do, but they wanted information to be shared. 
 
Incidentally, Yuuki had joined the Milim Conqueror’s Battle at Chloe’s behest. She’d learned “Teleportation” at some point, and it was to be expected that she’d been quite active. 
 
That's why Kagali thinks she can't lose. 
 
It was the same for Leon. His memories of being used by Yuuki were still fresh, and it would be a lie to say he had no grudge against them. But it wasn’t as if he couldn’t sympathize with their way of life. 
 
Leon was prepared to do anything evil if it meant finding the girl named Chloe. 
 
Yuuki had probably only affirmed all sorts of evil deeds in order to realize his ideals, too. 
 
(In that case, I don't have the right to blame him.) 
 
Resentment was a grudge, and Leon felt he should acknowledge it. Whether they could get along or not was another matter entirely. 
 
One day, we might be able to open up to each other. In order to prevent that possibility from being crushed, we have to do something about the threat in front of us. 
 
「Tell me. Is there anything we can do?」 
 
It was Zarario who declared this. 
 
「I don't have one.」 
 
It was a blunt statement, but this applied to Zarario himself as well. 
 
「That's right. Right now, the best course of action is to restore your power.」 
 
Sylvia nodded. 
 
「Actually, if Diablo’s Void went berserk, the world would probably end, and all I can do is pray Rimcchi comes back before that happens...」 
 
That was Elmesia’s grumbling remark. 
 
(Rimucchi, just like I was worried about, the Primogenitor Black's gone berserk, so make sure you stop him, just as you declared yourself~) 
 
That was the only hope Elmesia had. 
Hearing Elmesia’s statement left Laplace, Kagali, and Leon speechless at the same time. 
 
「「「The world will end...」」 
 
It was easy to say, but there was no exaggeration in it. It was precisely because she understood that that nothing came out of it. 
 
「Wow, this is tough.」 
 
Only Tia seemed to be at ease. 
 
It wasn’t that she didn’t understand how difficult it was, but the feeling of happiness everyone felt together outweighed her. 
 
It was a shame for Clayman and Footman, but they were willing to work as hard as they could with their remaining comrades.
 
(And then, when I go to the afterlife, I'll brag about it!) 
 
Thinking like this, she was a positive Tia. 
 
The atmosphere is conveyed to everyone. 
 
Even if there's nothing I can do right now, I don't need to lament it. 
 
All she could do was believe in Diablo’s victory and pray for the world’s safety. 
 
But if it doesn't work out... 
 
「Well, when that time comes, I'll complain to Rimcchi!」 
 
That's how it is. 
 
They’d settled on that conclusion: If the world was going to be destroyed, Rimuru would be at fault. 
 
The moment both Gii and Velzard got serious, the danger level on the battlefield skyrocketed several levels. 
 
「Moss? This protective barrier should be fine, right?」 
 
Testarossa’s cold gaze pierced Moss. 
 
「I wonder?」 
 
Testarossa asked again. 
 
Moss couldn't say, 'I want to ask that question', even if his mouth split open. 
 
Moss wanted to shout, “Of course it’s impossible!” in a loud voice, but if he did that, he’d be treated worse than dying at Testarossa’s hands before the world was destroyed. 
 
Moss said he didn’t want that to happen completely flat, so he psyched himself up and strengthened his protective barrier. 
 
「I'm doing my best!」 
 
It wasn’t an answer, but he tried to placate Testarossa by replying that way. 
 
Can I count on Moss like that? The backup flies. 
 
「That's right! We're always throwing everything we've got. If anything happens to break this barrier, I'll call you Onee-sama!!」 
 
It was Rain’s statement. 
 
As a matter of fact, they’d taken control of the barrier from Moss, so if anything, Lain’s responsibility was more important 
 
That was exactly why she intervened, but hearing her reply, which was quite off the mark, left Testarossa exasperated as well. 
 
「Does that benefit me?」 
 
With that, Testarossa pondered with a straight face... She let out a heavy sigh and switched gears of thought 
 
「Well, whatever. Prepare for impact.」 
 
Testarossa spoke smoothly. 
 
「Huh?」 
 
Moss was about to ask again. And Rain. 
 
Misery picked up on it and quickly got into position. She didn't even need to look at it. As she was told without understanding what he meant, Soka also took an anti-shock stance like a turtle cub. 
 
This is the difference between a woman who can do it and others. 
 
A moment later, a violent tremor ran through the protective barrier. 
 
The voice came late. 
 
「Whiteout Absorb!」 
 
It was the ultimate attack that Velzard had unleashed with all his might. 
......... 
...... 
 

Velzard had the inherent power he was good at. 
 
That's what it means to stop. 
 
I can stop the movement of matter. 
 
It doesn't reduce kinetic energy to zero. It renders it immobile in that state. It's a convenient power that can even prevent energy from leaking out. 
 
In addition to this, there are the powers bestowed upon me by my brother: Ultimate Abilities, Ultimate Skills, and Gabriel. 
 
Its essence was ❛fixed.” 
 
It's possible to solidify all sorts of materials and create a single mass. 
 
These two powers, 'fixed' and 'stopped,' were very compatible. 
 
I'm good at condensing the moisture in the atmosphere to create walls of ice. There's no need to condense just water molecules. 
 
It affects all molecules, but unifying them with a single molecule increases their strength. On top of that, it also makes them look beautiful, so it's customary for Velzard to add a little extra effort. 
 
When power is compatible like this, synergistic effects can have incredible effects. 
 
If it could even stop the flow of energy, it would be enough to nullify any and all attacks. And since it couldn’t break unless it surpassed Velzard’s bottomless amount of magicules, it was practically impossible. 
 
Looking at the defensive side alone, it would be no exaggeration to say that Velzard boasted invincibility. 
 
So what about the attack? 
 
These two powers are suited to fighting in ways that lower your opponent's abilities, such as preventing them from moving. It's like debuffing your opponent while keeping your defenses perfect, so this alone is plenty useful. 
 
And yet, Velzard had another power. 
 
[Ultimate Ability] [Ultimatum Skill] [Jealous King] [Leviathan] - It is a power specialized in degrading the opponent's abilities. 
 
It’s possible to lower the opponent’s power in accordance with the owner’s abilities. 
 
It went without saying that the effect of degrading an opponent’s abilities was a perfect match for Velzard’s power.
 
Not only does every combination have a wonderful effect, but Velzard’s magicules 
[energy] are overwhelmingly superior to the others 
 
That’s why she’s strong. 
 
Not only did he strengthen himself with the protection of an iron wall, but he also weakened others to the best of his ability. In doing so, creating a situation where he couldn’t lose was Velzard’s surefire way to win. 
 
There were almost no enemies who had to go that far. 
 
This tactic had been devised with a battle against Gii in mind. 
 
That's why there was an even greater trick to it. 
 
That's what it means to be... 
 
It was the ultimate attack that combined Velzard’s own power, “Silence Lost,” “Ultimate 
Ability,” and “Extreme Absorption,” with “The King of Patience,” Gabriel’s “All Things 
Solidify,” as well as “White Out Absore.” 
 
......... 
...... 
 

A white shock assaulted Moss’s protective barrier with all his might, but that was just the aftermath 
 
However, it was extremely powerful. 
 
「Onee-sama, I'm sorry!」 
 
「It's a pain!!」 
 
It was powerful enough to pulverize a protective barrier in an instant. 
Inevitably, Lain, who had been speaking clearly, was calling Testarossa “Onee-sama” as if to carry out her words. 
 
You could say she recovered the flag. 
 
From Testarossa's point of view, it was the height of irritation. She responded to the situation immediately, swearing to herself that she would absolutely crush Lain later. 
 
The only reason the girls were safe was because of the intruders. 
 
「I am here!」 
 
The one who arrived was Gabil, the “Draglord King”. 
 
As soon as they arrived, Gabil instinctively picked up on the situation before he could grasp it. 
 
That now was the time. 
 
Gabil’s ultimate gift, Ultimate Gift, and Moodmaker had special powers that could be activated only once a day. There were many restrictions, but the power to pretend that no tragedy had ever happened was called “fate alteration.” 
 
Gabil shouted in a loud voice as he spun his [Water Vortex Spear] around loudly. 
 
「The world, let me change my fate to the way I want it to be!」 
Right now, Gabil had prevented the tragedy that would have occurred if the protective barrier had been broken. 
 
Gabil wasn’t the only one to intervene. 
 
「Fushuuu!! Are you all okay?」 
 
The one who asked that was Geld, the Barrier Lord. 
 
If Benimaru had ordered a “spatial transfer” here, it would have been a close call. 
 
Even Benimaru hadn’t been able to predict this situation, but through Soei, who’d received a report from Soka, he recognized that it was a dangerous situation. So he’d sent Geld to strengthen the protective barrier. 
 
Geld had bought a small amount of time by deploying his own barrier under Moss’s barrier.
 
Normally, it would have been one step too late, but with Gabil here, too, the results would have changed. If the timing had been a little off, and Gabil’s “Fate Change” hadn’t been usable again, this wouldn’t have happened. 
 
Thanks to Rain’s support, Gabil’s Fate Modification, and Geld’s Barrier, Moss was able to successfully re-deploy the protective barrier 
 
Thanks to this combination of good fortunes, everyone was barely able to survive safely. 
「Man, that was close.」 
 
With that, Rain summed it all up as if it was his own achievement. 
 
Everyone ignored this. 
 
Rain wept dejectedly, but she ignored this, too. 
 
Meanwhile, Gabil spotted Soka and called out to her. 
 
「Oh, Soka! Are you all right!?」 
 
「Brother!! Why are you here?」 
 
「Well, what? Of course, it's because I was worried about my beloved sister.」 
 
Gabil was getting restless here. 
 
「Ah, I understand. You're SPHIA-san, right?」 
 
Gabil’s heart skipped a beat when he hit the nail on the head. 
 
「It's fine. It's still frozen, but that's exactly why I think it'll be fine.」 
 
Soka's words sound contradictory, but that's the truth. 
 
Velzard’s ice also served as the strongest shield to protect the victims. 
Gabil was relieved to hear that, but he himself hadn’t realized it yet—just how superior the “fate alteration” he’d used earlier was. 
 
Even though it can only be used under numerous restrictions and conditions, its scope of influence is wider than I expected. That fact hasn't been known yet, but eventually, everyone understands. 
 
The miracle isn't over yet~ 
 
＊ 
Gii instinctively saw through Velzard’s use of his trump card. 
 
Facing each other, they fought evenly, and the search for each other's stomachs was over. There was no longer any reason for them to hold back, so it was only a matter of time before that happened. 
 
「Whiteout Absorb!」 
 
Velzard’s beautiful voice rang out after the impact pierced Gii’s body. 
 

Gii grimaced at the pain he hadn't felt in a while. 
 
Then again, that’s all. 
In Gii’s hand was a slender longsword, cutting through the blade of cold air woven by [Cold Extreme Disappearance Condensation] and [White Out Absorption]. 
 
「You can be proud that you made me draw my sword.」 
 
That was what Gii told Velzard. 
 
That sword's name is Wald. It's a Genesis-class sword that only exists in seven worlds. 
 
Unlike the Tenma Asura he’d given to Milim, the blade Gii held was well-maintained 
 
Its rainbow luster was beautiful and adorned with a mysterious blade crest. 
  
The pulsating magic sword fits well into Gii's hand. It's been a while since I've held it, but it feels like it's a part of my body. 
 
That was only natural. Genesis-classes also had the property of lending power to their owners, like Mythical-class gods. It depended on the power of their master, but their existence value was equivalent to tens of millions.
 
Unsurprisingly, Gii was able to make the most of The World War II. 
 
He hadn’t been able to use it at first when it was given to him, but now he could use it as freely as a limb. 
 
In other words, the moment he obtained it, Gii's value was equal to Velzard's. 
If they lost even their advantage in power, Velzard would have no chance of winning. 
 
Gii is almighty and the strongest. 
 
After all, Gii had Ultimate Abilities, Ultimate Skills, and Arrogant King Lucifer 
 
Velzard's [Cold Extreme Disappearance Condensation] and [White Out Absorption] have left my entire body covered in wounds. The Frozen Effect also sealed Gii's Divine Oscillation, but there was no particular problem. 
 
Once I recreated Rimuru’s power, the King of Gluttony, Belzebuth, and “predation” the damaged area along with the Frozen Effect, all that was left was to go back to normal. Even my own healing ability was instantly restored. 
 
Incidentally, even Velzard’s King of Patience, Gabriel, and Leviathan had already been analyzed 
 
Velzard’s own inherent ability, “Stop,” was troublesome, but for Gii, it was plenty possible to capture it 
 
Satisfied with the comfortable sense of unity between him and Wald, Gii grinned at Velzard. 
 
「That was your trump card, wasn't it? What should we do? Should we keep going?」 
 
Gii was already convinced of his victory. 
He had spent a long time with Velzard, but the reason for that was because he had no idea what the power he was hiding was. If the material broke, Gii would be able to deal with it without a problem. 
 
It could be said that victory and defeat had been decided the moment Velzard failed to finish off Gii with his hidden power. That was the truth, and even Verzard understood it well enough. 
 
And yet, she refused to admit it. 
 
No, I just didn't want to admit it. 
 
「―Not yet, I haven't lost yet!!」 
 
「You're satisfied now, aren't you? How long are you going to pretend to be manipulated?」 
 
「...Shut up.」 
 
「Ahahaha. Don't sulk.」 
 
「You think you can solve everything on your own, don't you?」 
 
「Yeah. I'm strong.」 
 
「How arrogant.」 
 
「That's who I am.」 
 
「I know.」 
 
Velzard’s heart was still frozen. 
 
But only when I was talking to Gii did I feel a faint warmth. 
 
I feel like I'm going to get swept away. 
 
However, that was not allowed. 
 
 
“So jealousy really did take root. Did you think you could fool me, Velzard?” 
 
 
It was the curse carved into Velzard’s heart. 
 
The cunning and cautious Feldway ruled Velzard through the Ultimate Dominion, but he had doubts about its effectiveness 
 
Because Velzard's love is the real deal, Feldway saw through the ending without wavering. 
 
In the end, I'll be forced to bond with Gii, put a lid on my true feelings, and follow his logic. 
 
That’s why he’d planned the operation under the assumption that Velzard would switch sides. He’d set up a control circuit so that he could keep an eye on him at any time. 
 
In order to be one of the trump cards in the unlikely event of an emergency, I had set it up so that I could activate [Royal Authority] and [Regardless] when necessary. 
 
Then again, this effect was simply built into it like a timed device, with nothing but instantaneous influence. In Feldway, where Milim was putting all her energy into controlling it, dominating Velzard was a pipe dream. 
 
But, but... 
 
Twilight was in Velzard’s heart. 
 
Feldway had negotiated with Twilight and secretly signed a contract with him. 
 
“Twilight, are you still going to slack off?” 
 
There was no need for Feldway to ask that. Twilight was waiting for the opportunity. 
 
《I've been waiting for this moment!》 
 
Twilight wakes up. 
 
This time, it wasn't a fake like a pseudo-dragon body, but a real body of a dragon. 
 
Velzard’s body glowed faintly, transforming into a manly physique 
 
She was unmistakably Twilight herself. 
 
「Hey, Gii. I made a mistake earlier, but I think I'll win this time.」 
 
「You bastard...」 
 
For the first time in a while, Gii felt anger welling up from deep within him. 
 
(This is unforgivable. How dare you lay a hand on my thing! You tricked my cute Velzard into using it... You've got guts, Twilight~) 
 
「If you want to die that badly, I'll kill you.」 
 
Gii’s hair stood on end red with intense anger, like it was clinging to him. 
 
「Ooh, scary, scary.」 
 
With that, Twilight smiled as if fanning the flames. 
 
 
“Hurry up and get this over with.” 
 
The remnants of Feldway, carved into Velzard’s heart that couldn’t even be called a “curse” or “different body,” ordered Twilight. 
 
Twilight nodded at this. 
 
《Yeah, I'll get rid of Gii right away.》 
 
Twilight tried to respond to Feldway with the voice of her heart, but that “thought” ended halfway through. 
 
At this moment, a single path had formed in the Void that had covered Gii and Velzard. 
 
And then, as if to pierce that path, a single bullet was fired. 
 
The name of the bullet that will destroy anyone is called Divine Destruction. 

＊ 

「Hey, Carrera? Don't you think you're overdoing it?」 
 
「No matter how powerful my Divine Destruction Bullet is, I don't think I'll be able to take out a dragon species in a single blow. So it's fine!」 
「Well, I'm sure you're right. That said, I didn't think it would make a huge hole in Lord Velzard's heart...」 
 
Gabil’s miracle hadn’t just protected those who’d been in the protective barrier. His main objective was to free those who had been turned into ice statues. 
 
As far as Gabil was concerned, his main target was his beloved lover (Naritate), but the miraculous effect had been rescuing Carrera, who was closest to him, first. 
 
Thanks to that, or perhaps because of that, Carrera, who had snapped and revived, had gone berserk while saying, “I have a bad presence.” 
 
He unleashed his secret trick, which he could only use once a day, without regret. 
 
Everyone was startled by this, but Testarossa was the only one who was different. Like 
Carrera, she sensed an unpleasant presence from Velzard, so she instantly guessed what Carrera was doing. She’d manipulated the Voids to match her actions, opening up a bullet line to Verzard. 
 
With this coordinated play, the Divine Destruction Bullet hits Velzard directly. It pierces through the Noroy that Feldway set up and destroys it. By extension, it disperses the remnants of Feld Way. 
 
At the same time, even Twilight, who had become the core of Theocracy and resided in Velzard, was unable to avoid its influence. Normally, the core would coexist with the soul, so it would never be able to pinpoint its location. It would be impossible for anyone to attack just the core. 
 
However, in Velzard’s case, it was a different story. He and Twilight were only fighting side by side, and Verzard was nothing more than a host. 
 
Because of that, Twilight had secured a solid existence as the Divinity Core. The only reason it was possible to inhabit the pseudo-dragon body was because it was completely isolated. 
 
This wasn’t something that could be called a weakness, but a direct hit from it would throw Twilight into confusion as well. 
 
(That's impossible!? The probability that something like this could happen...) 
 
Or so I lamented, but this was reality. 
 
And just like that, Twilight’s consciousness was swallowed up by darkness. 
 
With Velzard's protection shot through to the core of his being, his existence had completely vanished from this place. 
 
Then again, he couldn’t deny the possibility that things had gone this well because of Gabil’s “fate alteration” influence. Testarossa, who understood that, secretly reevaluated Gabil. 
 
By the way, if you asked me if everything had worked out, that wasn't the case. 
Twilight had just stolen Velzard’s body, but he had no choice but to relinquish control of it. As a result, Verzard had returned to his original form, but the effects of the Divine Destruction Bullet were immense. 
 
She had lost her reason and gone berserk. 
 
「Hey, you bastard! Think about holding back!!」 
 
And then, Gii, who had just received the perfect response, complained to Carrera. 
 
Though he wasn’t as much of a threat as Milim, Velzard was more than dangerous enough in his berserk state 
 
What's more, the ice statue was being steadily dispelled, and the [Absolute Defense Blessing] [Velzard's Protection] was being lost. 
 
Gii was doing everything he could to avoid that. 
 
「I do feel bad, but I don't reflect on my actions. Besides, I was the one who was frozen by Velzard-sama in the first place, you know? It's only natural to give him a punch in return!」 
 
That's Carrera's counterargument. 
 
It was a very Carrera-like thing to say, both logically and not. 
 
「That one shot is way too big! Think about the consequences before you act!!」 
Gii’s words were sound. 
 
Carrera became “Grrr...” Her first move was the ultimate technique, so she couldn’t say anything back. 
 
「Tch, whatever. This isn't the time to be arguing with you.」 
 
Gii clicked his tongue and grappled with Velzard. 
 
「There's nothing we can do about it.」 
 
Testarossa matched Gii. 

Judging by Velzard’s unconsciousness, there was no doubt that something had happened to Twilight, too. He guessed that Carrera’s Divine Destruction Bullet was probably affecting him, so he switched to canceling out the magic bullets he’d fired with Voids. 
 
While I'm at it, I seal off the ice and snow with Voids in an attempt to do something about it. 
 
It wouldn’t be a problem if it were just us, but for those evacuating, securing visibility was important. 
 
「This isn't the time to be slacking off, is it?」 
 
Testarossa pointed that out in a cold voice. 
 
「It can't be helped. I'll take responsibility for this and help out with the worthless gii!」 
「Heh. Looks like I have no choice but to show off my skills.」 
 
Carrera was motivated from the start. 
 
Rein reluctantly agreed. 
 
Gii was also exasperated by this. 
 
「Isn't it obvious? Stop wasting time and get over here already!」 
 
He yelled at them, allowing them to participate in the war. 
 
 
On the ground, Testarossa was focused on the Void’s offensive defenses to drown out the ice and snow as she asked Misery a question. 
 
「Do you not want to participate in the war?」 
 
「That's right. I was thinking of taking the defensive side.」 
 
「Yeah, I'm sure it'll be safer that way.」 
 
Even Geld couldn’t put up a barrier that could protect a wide area, and even now Moss’s protective barrier was the main focus. Rain, who’d been reinforcing this, had left, so the burden on Misery had increased. 
However, with Geld’s reinforcements added to the mix, even with Lain out of the picture, it still surpassed him in terms of strength. That was a relief, but the problem was that Velzard’s freeze was being lifted. 
 
Even the revived sprites had joined the Barrier Enhancement as if in exasperation. 
 
「I wish you'd at least explained the situation to me.」 
 
Even as she grumbled, she was doing what she had to do. 
 
They had also revived one after another, and as soon as they had guessed the situation, they had retreated from the battlefield or started evacuating. 
 
In this pure-white world, my vision had only just begun to open up. There were more scenes where I relied on other senses, like my sense of smell and hearing. For those who didn't know what was going on, it was a hellish situation. 
 
Her face had gone pale as she felt the roar of battle in heaven and earth, as well as the shockwaves and vibrations that accompanied it.
 
Most people would have preferred to stay asleep if they were going to die anyway. 
 
While reassuring them, the higher-ranking ones are guiding them. It's fortunate that there's not much chaos here, since it's veteran warriors who've gathered here. 
 
Of course, there were those who watched the war unfold without evacuating. 
 
「This is getting serious...」 
 
Then, looking up at the battle scene of Gii and the others, Gobua murmured: 
 
「Yeah. I can only vaguely guess what's going on, but even if you tell me the world's ending, I think I'll believe you...」 
 
Phobio was nodding, standing side by side with the goblin. 
 
Some were as optimistic as Carion. 
 
「There's no need to be scared. Gii'll do something about it.」 
 
She was trying to hold Frey’s shoulders as she said that. 
 
I’d rather say it’s refreshingly someone else’s problem, but I’ve already given up on saying there’s nothing I can do. 
 
「You idiot. It’s true that we won’t be able to help build the barrier, but we can rebuild the army. Hurry up and use Thought Communication to put the warriors together and reassure them.」 
 
Frey answered, pinching her outstretched hand on his shoulder. 
 
Carion smiled wryly and struck a surrender pose. 
 
「Hey, Gii! I'll leave the rest to you!!」 
 
「I'll be back again, so I'll leave it to you until then.」 
 
With that, Carion and Frey left, one after another, to put together the revived warriors. 
 
Gii smiled wryly. 
 
「Man, it's just like Carion to use me with her chin. Well, you don't have to tell me to do it.」 
 
It was a squeak that was favorable to Carion. 
 
I wanted to live up to her expectations if I could, but the situation wasn’t so naive. 
 
Velzard's tyranny was so intense that he didn't know where to stop. 
 
Gii was confident he wouldn’t lose, and he was confident that he’d win if it was just a match, but killing him would be difficult. 
 
It would be possible with time, but the damage that would come before then would be extraordinary. Before that, Velzard was important to Gii, so killing him wasn't an option in mind. 
 
「So, what are you going to do?」 
 
「Gii-sama, what should I do?」 
 
Carrera and Lain lined up with Gii and asked him that question. 
 
「You're right...」 
 
Gii pondered. 
 
It felt like a more difficult question than anything she’d ever experienced before. 
 
Feldway was impatient. 
 
It was because the Curse Order that had been set in Velzard had suddenly been destroyed. 
 
Diablo, in contrast, was beaming. 
 
「Oh? Is something the matter?」 
 
Even as she asked that question with a smile, she had cornered Feldway without loosening her grip. 
 
「Shut up.」 
 
「Why?」 
 
This is exactly what it means to not get along with each other. 
 
That was only natural, since Diablo only wanted to agitate Feldway 
In the first place, I had no reason to obey her when she told me to shut up, so I didn’t have any right to complain. 
 
「You bastard...」 
 
「Heh. Looks like we've reached the bottom. It looks like all of your plans will end in failure, so it looks like the curtain will close on our victory.」 
 
Diablo muttered something like that. 
 
As a matter of fact, she didn’t have that much leeway. 
 
Diablo’s body was already in tatters, and there was no telling if he’d be able to defeat Feldway like this. Plus, he couldn’t ignore the existence of the Ivarage. 
 
Even if things didn't go according to Feldway's plan, it was unreasonable to declare it their victory. 
 
Still, it was true that having a psychological advantage would give him an advantage in battle. Diablo had been faithful to the basics, laying the groundwork to defeat Feldway. 
 
This was yet another technique. 
 
「Phew, what a shame. It seems you've seriously offended me.」 
 
The atmosphere in Feldway changed. 
 
(Rather than continuing to rule Milim like this...) 
 
Feldway made his decision. 
 
Milim is invincible. If we continue this operation, we should eventually be able to annihilate the enemy and destroy the Sacred Tree. 
 
Feldway’s reason was telling him that was the right answer. 
 
Still, that wasn’t enough to get Diablo serious 
 
Even at this rate, victory was certain. And yet, Feldway wanted to show off his full strength in order to silence this impertinent opponent. 
 
If we carry that out, the operation will definitely succeed. 
 
However, Feldway himself had to take the risk. Although it was only temporary, his power was greatly diminished, so he was in quite a precarious state. 
 
Still, he’d thought defeat was impossible, but as a proud Feldway, he wanted to stick to a perfect victory. 
 
But Diablo changed his mind. 
 
Feldway decided to prioritize the success of the operation, even if it meant taking advantage of a little humiliation. He’d decided to abandon Milim’s control and beat Diablo with all his might. 
 
“Milim, destroy the Sacred Tree!!” 
 
Feldway put his whole body and soul into Milim’s control and gave her a forced order. 
 
As a result, the power of control lost its influence. 
 
But there’s no problem. 
 
Because even if Feldway’s rule was lifted, the last order he’d given would be carried out. Besides, Milim’s [Crazy Stampede] was still the same, so Feldaway decided it would be fine to eliminate the nuisances and then rerule them. 
 
I can't stop now. 
 
Milim would destroy the Sacred Tree. If that happened, the world would be over. 
 
Feldway felt his own defenses plummet to an extreme, and braced himself. 
 
But, but... 
 
Diablo only grinned. 
 
(What? This is your chance to defeat me, so why won't you move?) 
 
As he wondered that, Feldway realized Diablo’s gaze wasn’t looking at him.
 
In the end, beyond that was... 
 
＊ 

Yuuki was being handled and used. 
 
「Hey, hey, this is power harassment!」 
 
「Shut up. These coordinates are next!」 
 
「--Yes, yes.」 
 
I can't listen to any complaints. 
 
Chloe’s request was one-sided, and there wasn’t a single opening for Yuuki to intervene.
 
Seeing that, Veldora nodded with a happy “ununun” 
 
She seemed to have a sense of camaraderie with Yuuki, but that irritated her in its own way 
 
(Good grief, why did I have to go through all this...) 
 
Or so Yuuki lamented, but it was understandable that he felt that way. 
After all, Chloe was mercilessly using Yuuki. 
 
First, it was quickly discovered that Yuuki was able to use [Teleportation]. 
 
She had clearly witnessed the time of her appearance. 
 
In the first place, “Teleportation” was a skill that allowed for “Transfer” without even a moment’s delay. 
 
This usefulness goes without saying. 
 
If used in battle, it is possible to avoid almost all attacks. However, there is a condition that it is limited to higher beings at a certain level or higher... 
First, if you were able to use Magic Sense to cover a half-sphere with a radius of about a hundred meters, then by incorporating the code to detect an attack or activate Teleportation beforehand, you’d be able to avoid it, even if it was an attack at the speed of light.
 
Yuuki cleared this, so there was no problem. 
 
Milim’s charge, even the onslaught that would be fatal even if it grazed her, had been dodged even after she’d seen it. 
 
If Milim had had reason, it wouldn’t have been that easy. 
 
But that's just the story of the tarareba. 
It would work on Milim now, so she should have made great use of it 
 
That’s why it’s so much more stable. By forcing Yuuki to play the role of the most dangerous decoy, all he had to do was be careful not to let Milim attack over a wide area. 
 
There was another advantage to this tactic. 
 
In fact, you could say this is more important. 
 
If I had to say something about that, it would be that I could prevent Milim’s enhancements. 
 
There were several scenes where Veldora and the others failed to hold back and ended up activating Milim’s Ultimate Ability, Ultimate Skill, and Satanael, the Wrath King 
 
If that happened, Milim’s power would “multiplie”, so it would only get stronger and stronger. 
 
Yuuki won't have to worry about that anymore. 
 
(Well, I can understand Chloe's intentions, but you're underestimating me, aren't you?) 
 
Yuuki was a genius, so he’d already figured out why she’d been using such a dozing tactic. That was why she was secretly depressed, realizing that she couldn’t be a threat to Milim. 
 
 
《How pathetic, how pathetic.》 
 
Yuuki was annoyed, thinking, Shut up. 
 
It was almost indescribable how annoying Maria was. 
 
It’s not important, but it’s annoying to repeat it twice. 
 
Moreover, her malice toward Yuuki was better than nothing. 
 
Mariabelle's personality, which used to be her archenemy, had been copied, so they weren't compatible at all. And yet, her performance alone was the best, so Yuuki blamed her as if she'd taken the head of a demon when she made a mistake. 
 
Even if she hadn’t made a mistake, she’d sometimes make fun of me like she was now. 
 
(Yeah, I'll have to turn off the audio somehow.) 
 
Or so Yuuki secretly swore to herself. 
 
But still... Yuuki thought. 
 
(This is an outrageous harassment, but it's definitely his doing.) 
 
And she remembered Rimuru, who wasn’t here right now 
 
Yuuki thinks it’s thanks to Rimuru that she’s able to come back here. 
It's because the odds of me meeting up with Mai in that place are so close to zero that just thinking about it makes me faint. 
 
That was proof that Rimuru was involved—in other words, proof that he was alive—and 
Yuuki was convinced of that 
 
In that case, now was the time to do my best. 
 
「Good grief. Rimuru-san is the only one who can do something about Milim, the fiendish demon lord...」 
 
「If you understand, then move!」 
 
「Yes, yes.」 
 
「Okay, I'll do my best too!」 
 
「Don't do anything unnecessary, Veldora!!」 
「Y-Yes. Of course...」 
 
Chloe took charge, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. 
 
She gave precise instructions, keeping Milim away from the Sacred Tree 
 
Not only Yuuki, but even Veldora seemed unable to defy her 
「So, what should I do next?」 
 
「In order to draw Milim's attention, I'll use my superpowers, which I'm proud of, to attack.」 
 
「Huh? Have I ever told you that I can use psychic powers?」 
 
From Yuuki’s point of view, this was like meeting the “Masked Hero” for the first time. He knew that his true identity was Chloe Oberl, a student of the Free Academy, but he was already a different person.
 
I don't think he knows part of Yuuki's secret, but... 
 
「I'll explain later! Let's hurry!!」 
 
「Okay.」 
 
In the face of Chloe’s spirit, Yuuki had also lost completely 
 
I gave up on asking her for an explanation of the situation and had no choice but to obediently follow her instructions. 
 
And so, after a while―― 
 
「Ahhh!!」 
 
Chloe murmured softly. 
 
Without thinking, Yuuki turned to look at Chloe. 
 
Because there seemed to be a note of joy in her voice. 
 
Chloe’s expression, however, remained cold. 
 
The moment Yuuki thought it might have been a misunderstanding, the situation suddenly changed. 
 
“Milim, destroy the Sacred Tree!!” 
 
That's how Feldway's wave of thoughts roared throughout the area. 
 
Accepting this, Milim stared at the Sacred Tree. 
 
「This is bad!」 
 
Yuuki moved in a panic. 
 
I launched an attack on Milim, but she was completely unfazed. She didn’t seem to be taking as much damage as a mosquito bite, and she didn’T even care about Yuuki. 
 
「Dammit, I can't do it!」 
 
「Then I will! [Dragon Claw Destruction] [Dragons Claw]!!」 
 
And this time, Veldora set it up. 
But Milim paid it no mind. She stared straight at the Sacred Tree and readied herself to unleash her ultimate technique, Drago Nova. 
 
In proportion to the [Dragon Star Explosion] [Drago Nova], which was about to unfold on an unprecedented scale, a thin film spread out to protect Milim, glowing a pale blue. Veldora struck, but it deflected it. 
 
When unleashing a [Dragon Star Explosion], a [Barrier] expands to protect the caster. This is the true form of the bluish-white film, but it is a cocoon of star particles, and it is impossible to pierce this unless you are well versed in its properties. 
 
「Mmm, what a strong barrier. To think that even my Dragon Claw Destruction skill wouldn't budge...」 
 
Veldora had to admit how dangerous Milim was, too, saying he was surprised that this wasn’t meant for defense. He’d been fairly confident in that, so it was a shock that she’d blocked it so easily. 
 
But she couldn’t give up now. 
 
「It can't be helped. I'll have to use all my power to manipulate the probability and change the trajectory of the Dragon Star Explosion Conqueror, Drago Nova...」 
 
The odds of that succeeding were close to nothing, but Veldora had seen through that it was possible to interfere with the star particles with [Fatair Paradox] and [Fabulous Mysterious Waves of Abundance]. 
 
In the worst-case scenario, even if it means taking serious damage, I should be able to aim to cancel it out. 
 
「Yuuki, help Us!」 
 
「...I guess I have no choice. So, what should I do?」 
 
「That's right. I'll calculate the coordinates for you.」 
 
And just as he’d given that much instructions, Veldora suddenly realized something 
 
Chloe, who had been in charge until just a moment ago, had strangely quieted down 
 
Did she give up? I thought, but she seemed different. 
 
Before they knew it, they’d taken up positions in front of the sacred tree and were glaring at Milim. 
 
(Do you have a plan? In that case, I should join you.) 
 
If nothing happened, we'd be in a position to take a direct hit from Drago Nova. 
 
That would honestly be suicide, but since he and Yuuki were there too, Veldora decided he could at least survive 
 
「―Before that, let's meet up with Chloe.」 
「Roger that.」 
 
Together with Veldora, Yuuki teleported behind Chloe 
 
And so, looking directly at Milim―― 
 
Star particles glittered between Milim’s hands, and the power of unworldly destruction swirled around her 
 
It was like a nebula. 
 
An extraordinary amount of energy had been compressed to an ultra-high density, and it hid so much danger that it could easily annihilate even a star system 
 
Milim had no reason to hold back now, and she had nothing to do with holding back. At this point, she had already reached over a hundred times the power she’d unleashed on Zeranus. 
 
Veldora murmured, understanding that. 
 
「Indeed! Even We can't cancel that out!!」 
 
She gave up quickly, but everyone thought that was the case. 
 
It's because it's easy to predict that anyone who can see and understand it will be able to spread destruction at a level observed for the first time in the world on the axis. 
 
It wasn’t surprising that the force that had destroyed the sacred tree could shatter even the stars. 
 
Feldway roared with laughter. 
 
「Hahahaha!! Wonderful. Wonderful, Milim!! Now, release it and fulfill my ambitions!!」 
 
In response to her order, Milim fired off a [Dragon Star Explosion Conqueror], Drago Nova. 
 
Everyone was prepared for the world to end. 
 
The main stream of bluish-white, shining light wrapped in electrical discharge burned the air at almost the speed of light as it closed in on the sacred tree. 
 
Up ahead, Chloe, Veldora, and Yuuki floated. 
 
Looking up at the three of them, the warriors who had tried to protect this land. 
 
No one is despairing. 
 
They say that the heavens save those who are saved, but everyone except for a few is satisfied that they've made it through to the end. They experience a small amount of time before the final moment arrives. And they witness a miracle. 
 
In that moment, the space shook. 
 
Someone appears. 
 
Her gleaming, moon-white hair flutters, captivating everyone's eyes. 
 
Time, which felt like it had stopped, began to flow, but everyone’s senses seemed numb. 
 
There was no destruction. 
 
The sacred tree was safe, and the world hadn’t been destroyed. 
 
But... 
 
「It hurts!? Wait, it really hurts like hell!」 
 
A relaxed voice rang out. 

The Dragon Star Explosion Conqueror, powerful enough to destroy the world, had vanished without a shadow. 
 
Chloe moved as if she knew that would happen. 
 
「Rimuru-san!!」 
 
She had turned her back to him, who was more reliable than anyone else, and embraced him without hesitation. 
 
Man, this is bad. 
 
As soon as she got back, Milim was right in front of her, out of control. 
 
That was, well, exactly what I was aiming for, but the worst part was that it was the moment Drago Nova was shot. 
 
Ciel-san boasted that she could use [Time Leap] to go back at any time she wanted, so it was a mistake to trust her words and leave it to her. 
 
As a result, an accident occurred along the way. 
 
I was trying to cover it up by saying it was just my imagination, but I wasn't fooled. 
 
That’s why I’ve come back at such a bad time. 
 
 
《No, the timing was perfect.》 
 
Lie!! 
 
If you’re saying it’s perfect, you should’ve returned before Milim unleashed her [Dragon Star Explosion Conqueror], Drago Nova! 
 
If I had, I wouldn't have had to go through this much pain either. 
Actually, wouldn’t it have been better to just use brute force to cancel it out instead of segregating it in imaginary space? 
 
Didn't she brag about how much energy she had saved up? 
 
In that case, wouldn’t it have been easy enough to cancel them out? 
 
《No. I was able to handle it without causing any damage, so it was the perfect way to deal with it.》 
 
I wonder if it's true? 
 
It feels like I got a terrible hangover because I swallowed it. 
 
I don't feel well, and I have a headache... 
 
...Wait, hold on. 
 
Perfect timing... Could it be that you ate the [Dragon Star Explosion] [Drago Nova] on purpose? 
 
 
《……》 
Hey, hey? 
 
《It's already over, so I think we should switch gears.》 
 
...Phew. 
 
I swallowed my anger. 
 
Looks like I've gotten used to being swayed. 
 
Seeing Ciel-san acting the same as always actually makes me feel relieved. 
 
Anyway, we've made it back safely, so let's leave it at that. 
 
「Rimuru-san!!」 
 
And the one who called out to me as she hugged me was an attractive beautiful girl. 
 
She's so beautiful that I can't help but feel my heart skip a beat. Or rather, Chloe. 
 
「Y-Yeah. You're Chloe, right? Weren't you evacuating into the labyrinth?」 
 
「Yeah. That's right, but Kaeya was about to rush to Master's place, so I helped him come with me.」 
 
I see. Did she sense that Milim was going berserk? 
 
It seemed like Gaia and Milim had a bond of their own, so it was entirely possible they’d jumped out of concern 
 
Thanks to that, everyone seems to be safe, so it might be a big venus. 
 
Even now, Gaia herself was calling out to Milim, “Kyui, kyui!!” 
 
As for Milim... 
 
《It seems to have weakened its dominance in response to Gaia's call.》 
 
That's what happened. 
 
Looks like the influence of dominion is rapidly disappearing after we finished shooting the [Dragon Star Explosion Conqueror], huh? At this rate, I could expect her to regain her sense of self soon. 
 
I unconsciously patted Chloe’s head as I thought about how it actually felt good. 
 
She suddenly came to her senses and hurriedly apologized. 
 
「Ah, sorry, sorry. I couldn't help but pat your head like a child.」 
 
「No, I'm fine. Praise me more.」 
 
Oh, Chloe, if you say so... 
 
 
《No. That would be sexual harassment.》 
 
Oh, so it's no good after all. 
 
When she said that, I realized that Leon was looking up at us and glaring at us, too, so now wasn’t the time to be taking it easy. 
 
I gently patted Chloe on the shoulder and had her let go. 
 
At that moment, Veldora cut in this time, firmly crossing his shoulders with me as he spoke. 
 
「Kwahahaha! Well done making it back safely, Rimuru. I am not worried about you, but I have been working hard as Chloe's arms and legs in your stead. Give me a reward later!」 
 
「Yeah, thanks. So, where's Dagrull?」 
 
「Of course, my victory is complete!」 
 
「Wonderful. I knew you would live up to my expectations!」 
 
「Isn't that right? Even so!!」 
 
Kuahahaha and Veldora are overjoyed. 
 
She seems to be looking forward to the reward, so I'll prepare a magic weapon for her [Temporary Demon Body]. 
It’s a pseudo-MMORPG that I’ve been playing in Ramiris’s dungeon using [PseudoDemon] [Avatar], but there’s been an increase in players lately, and it’s plainly becoming more popular. 
 
It seemed like we’d be able to play against each other as a team before long, so leveling up was important. We couldn’t neglect to upgrade our equipment, so interesting equipment and such were a popular item that would please them greatly. 
 
We're in the middle of a war right now, and no matter how you look at it, this isn't the time to be playing around, but it's precisely because I feel like something fun is waiting for me in the future that I can do my best. 
 
「Once it's all over, I'll prepare a wonderful item for you!」 
 
「Indeed! Rimuru, you really do understand what I'm saying. I expect great things from you!」 
 
Veldora nodded in satisfaction as he said that. 
 
It seemed like a lot had happened, so I decided to take my time listening to her talk later and thank her. 
 
And so, they rejoiced at Chloe’s reunion with Veldora, but Yuuki was there, too 
 
「I resent you, Rimuru-san...」 
 
「What's this all of a sudden? I didn't do anything.」 
 
「I did! Why would you push someone with such a bad personality onto me?!」 
 
I had no idea what she was talking about, but Yuuki complained. 
 
I don’t have time to take my time listening to Milim since she’s about to make her move, but... I’m worried about Yuuki being furious. 
 
Well, they were technically allies, but they were the ones who were trying to use me. I didn’t think they needed to be that friendly with me, but he was Shizu-san’s disciple, even if only temporarily. It would be bad for me to leave him alone, so maybe I could at least hear him out. 
 
Just as I was thinking that, Yuuki began to speak, paying no heed to my circumstances. She’d single-handedly used her Thought Communication to tell me that Mariabelle’s sense of self had taken up residence inside her. 
 
Apparently, she would talk to Yuuki without considering the time and place and make fun of him. 
 
When I heard the story, I definitely thought, “I don’t want that.” 
 
But that’s all. 
 
「Please do something!」 
 
「I can't.」 
 
Why do I have to do that? 
In the first place, if Yuuki was going to have a hard time, she was more than welcome for me. 
 
「Besides, that's a mana core, isn't it? It's an extremely rare power, so you should just get along with it.」 
 
It's the same with Ciel-san, but the Divinity Core is useful. Cooperation is the smartest way to go. 
 
Before that, if you've gained that much sense of self, don't think it's impossible to separate them. 
 
 
《Exactly! The Sacred Ancestor and its host cannot be separated.》 
 
 
I'm sure you're right. 
 
“I fused with Chronoa, though.” 
 
And then Chloe cut in. 
 
Just as I was remembering that there was a pattern like that, Ciel-san declares with a big nod. 
 
 
《Don't worry. I'll always be with you, Master.》 
 
Uh, uh. 
 
Staying as a duo rather than fused together made me happy as well. 
 
It's a pain sometimes, but that's one thing I've decided on. 
 
In other words, Yuuki’s complaint was rejected. 
「Give up.」 
 
「N-No way...」 
 
Seeing Yuuki lament didn’t hurt my heart. 
 
If anything, I thought it was a mess. 
 
＊ 

Now then, I'd like to celebrate my return more, but I should finish what I need to do first. 
 
I decided to capture Milim before she made her move, so she wouldn’t go any wilder. 
 
I grappled with Milim, and the moment I thought I was relieved, she hit me hard on the head. 
 
Even though a certain level of attack had Pain Sense nullification, it hurt so much that it made me want to cry. 
 
Damn Milim, just because she’s gone berserk doesn’t mean she’ll do whatever she wants... 
 
Now, what should we do from here? 
 
It wouldn’t be fun to have my head pounded like this. Honestly, it hurts. 
 
Maybe I should take slime form here and get tangled up in it. 
 
I was hesitant because it looked like I was out, but my patience was at its limit. 
 
Just when I thought it was about time to act, someone turned to me and complained. 
 
「Don't be ridiculous! What are you so excited about? Do you think you've already won?!」 
 
“Who’s there?” Wait, it’s Feldway. 
 
I don’t care if I feel like I’ve already won. Milim’s still out of control, though. 
 
It was just that every time Gaia called out to him, he could see a reaction, and he was reacting to Veldora, too. I figured he’d regain consciousness if I held him down like this. 
 
If that happens, let's begin the counterattack. 
It's too early to think I won, but I didn't think I'd lost in the first place. 
 
If you're going to do it, you have to aim for the best, and you'll definitely win. The question of where to set the conditions for victory is up to you. 
 
《...You're easing the victory conditions too much.》 
 
Well, yeah. 
 
It's to leave behind a track record of winning, so that's part of it. 
 
Well, I don't think that's necessary this time! 
 
「Our victory was decided from the start!」 
 
I'm good at fanning the flames. 
 
When he heard my reply, Feldway looked frustrated. It was exactly how Zamaamiro felt. 
 
Diablo was the one who sympathized with me 
 
「Kufufufu, that's Sir Rimuru for you!!」 
 
Without wavering in the slightest, she played my drummer like she always did. 
 
Now that I take a closer look, it's shredded. 
 
「Diablo, you're not okay, right?」 
 
For some reason, she seemed reckless, and her body was starting to collapse. She was as calm as ever, so I’d overlooked it, but Diablo had taken so much damage that it was no surprise he’d disappear at any moment. 
 
 
“It seems he was able to use the Void, but his body must not have been able to withstand that power. It’s impossible to use magicules to regenerate, so it’s only a matter of time before Diablo’s body completely collapses.” 
 
Hey, hey, you're in a tough spot. 
 
「Kufufufu, there is no problem at all. It is a shame that the body Rimuru-sama gave me will be lost, but I will surely revive someday and serve you again.」 
 
At that rate, Diablo didn’t seem the least bit bothered. 
 
I'm amazed, but also impressed. 
 
She had sacrificed herself to take on Feldway. I should have done something about this. 
 
《...Phew, there's one way.》 
 
Oh, what's that? 
 
《Master's omnipotent cells, just like the ones I gave to Zegion.》 
Ah, I see... 
 
So she’s giving Diablo my cells... Hmm. 
 
It didn’t bother me when we were in Zegion, but I’d hesitate if we were up against Diablo. 
 
I feel like she's going to thank me more than necessary for holding me up so excessively. 
 
But when I saw her collapse right in front of me, I felt reproached to watch her go without doing anything. 
 
It can't be helped. 
 
「Diablo, use this.」 
 
With that, I tossed a portion of my body, disguised as a recovery potion, over to Diablo 
 
I made sure to use [Teleport] to make sure Feldway didn't steal it from me. Once I memorized it, this was a pretty convenient technique. 
 
That’s how it ended up in Diablo’s hands, without any particularly snatched mistakes. 
 
「Oh, Sir Rimuru! I thank you. This is my heirloom.」 
 
「Just drink it right now. It's an order!」 
 
What is heirloom? 
Do demons even have the concept of a house in the first place? 
 
Even though Diablo was capable, he sometimes came up with strange ideas, which scared me. I’d gone out for a bad side this time too, but he’d followed my orders and downed the recovery potion, the fake, so I decided to leave it at that. 
 
「Kufu, kufufufu. I see, that's wonderful! With this, there's nothing for anyone to fear anymore.」 
 
The collapse of his body stopped as well, and Diablo’s body seemed to have completely healed. 
 
She's boasting like she has nothing to fear, but she should be afraid of Soei. 
 
After all, we were in the middle of searching Diablo’s room. It’s wartime, and it’s been postponed because this isn’t the time, but I’m sure he’ll be terrified and wary if the investigation resumes. 
 
Well, I’ll be watching when that happens, but I’m not someone else’s problem, either. 
 
There’s also my secret agreement with Lain, so I’ll have to use Diablo as a reference to come up with a countermeasure. 
 
《...》 
 
Well, I have money. 
Setting up an impregnable secret base outside of the labyrinth is probably a good idea for a man's romance. 
 
That’s why I want Diablo to do his best as a diversion, too. 
 
Even if it's against Feldway in the future. 
 
Diablo would be the one to rely on until Milim was returned to normal. 
 
Feldway was a formidable foe. Diablo probably understood that well enough. 
 
They're probably bluffing against Feldway, trying to buy time. 
 
《I don't think so...》 
 
Huh? Really? 
 
After all the damage you’ve done, it’s not something you can gain the upper hand over just because your wounds have healed, right? 
 
《No, that wound is Diablo's own.》 
 
Oh, it's a self-destruct. 
 
Hmm, so even he makes mistakes like that. 
 
I feel a bit close to her. 
 
I decided to cheer Diablo up with a light cheer. 
 
「Impressive, Diablo. You're the only one I can count on, so do your best!」 
 
Diablo rejoiced when I said that. 
 
She really is exaggerating. 
I can even see streaks of tears out of the corner of her eyes, so she must have been really happy. 
 

But, well, she seemed to be getting more and more motivated. At this rate, it seemed like it would be okay to leave Feldway to her. 
 
「I'll leave that to you!」 
 
「Leave it to me.」 
 
As soon as I heard Diablo’s reply, I focused my attention on Milim 
 
I figured I’d hurry up and get rid of the Stampede status and free Milim. 
 
＊ 

As I continued to call out to Milim, I decided to investigate the current situation. 
 
Only I, Veldora, and Gaia could show Milim a reaction. 
 
I felt like her reaction to Gaia was the biggest, but she still showed no signs of regaining her sense of self. It was just that she felt more hopeful about doing it than not. 
 
At this rate, there was a chance it would end with maintaining the status quo. 
 
There was no point in that, so I thought of a more effective method. 
 
What’s important is Milim’s work on her consciousness. Our voices are reaching her, so she’s trying to find a solution in the direction of dispelling Milim's anger by conveying something stimulating. 
 
I cast my Surveillance Magic spell, Argos, to reflect the current state of the old Eurazania 
 
「Ah, Frey and the others are back to normal...」 
 
What appears on the screen is an unexpected sight. I don't know what happened or what happened, but the people who turned into ice statues have revived. 
 
Frey stood out because she was flying, but it looked like my friends were safe, too. 
 
Oh, Testarossa's here! 
Soka, Gabil, and Lain were there, too. 
 
I’m glad to see that Carrera and the others are back in action, but it doesn’t look like Velzard disarmed them himself, so what kind of trick did he use? 
 
Even I wouldn't have been able to disarm it. 
 
《No! It should have worked out somehow!》 
 
When the word 'should' comes up, I don't think I can count on you. 
 
Ciel-san's competitive nature hasn't changed, but now's not the time to argue. 
 
“Good work. What’s the situation over there?” 
 
I called out to Testarossa. 
 
“~!! Sir Rimuru, you made it back safely, didn’t you?!” 
 
The moment I casually called out to her with “Think Communication,” she responded with surprising delight. 
 
“Oh, yeah. It’s not that big of a deal...” 
 
No, she was worried about me. 
 
I thought it hadn't been that long since I'd been forced to jump, but that wasn't the issue here. It seemed I had made everyone worry that we might never see each other again. 
It was a stroke of luck that I was able to come back, and apologize later~ Wait, it's not my fault, is it...? 
 
This is all Feldway’s fault, so he should take responsibility once he frees Milim. 
 
“That aside,” I said. 
 
Testarossa was something else, and she’d neatly swallowed her emotions and told me the situation. 
 
According to that, a lot had happened during the Velzard War, too. 
 
Curse you, Feldway! 
 
“You’re doing whatever you want here and there,” I said, growing angry at Feldway. 
 
“But, well, it’s a good thing there haven’t been any casualties. Keep up the good work, and make sure you guys don’t get caught up in the battle and get hurt!” 
 
“Understood!” 
 
Testarossa gladly accepted, which put me at ease. 
 
Now then. 
 
Well then, let's solve each problem one by one. 
 
「Hey, Milim! Can you hear me? All of your friends are safe! Stop thrashing around and get your senses back!!」 
 
Feeling like the police were calling out to the culprit, I spoke gently to Milim. 
 
「Kyui! Kyuikyui!!」 
 
Kaeya was matching my pace. 
 
At this rate, I continue to call out to her as if I'm trying to fold her up. 
 
「Frey-san will cry if she sees you like that! Are you sure? I can send that video over there!」 
 
「......」 
 
「Karion's here. I'm sure he'll laugh at you for being pathetic!」 
 
「......」 
 
「Gii's here too. Don't complain to me if he makes fun of you.」 
 
「...Wait. They won’t find out unless we send them an image, so isn’t it okay to complain to Rimuru?」 
 
「Hmm? No, no, it's worse to do something like that. Besides, everyone already knows you're going on a rampage in the first place. Wait, what?!」 
 
The next thing I knew, Milim had returned to her senses. 
 
Before I knew it, her form was no longer ominous. 
 
It's so natural that I'm dumbfounded. 
 
Maybe it was because I’d used the Surveillance Magic spell Argos to reflect the state of the battle on the other side, but did the word “everyone’s safe” reach Milim? 
 
It's possible that Kaeya's calls up until now have been affecting her. 
But still... 
 
Crimson horns sprouted from her forehead as if to split her beautiful [Sakura Gold] and [Platinum Pink] hair, but there was a glint of reason in her eyes. Dragon wings spread across her back, and her entire body was covered in jet-black armor without a scratch. 
 
In other words, despite how much she’d gone on a rampage, there hadn’t been much damage. 
 
Chloe was surprised as well, with eyes that said, You're kidding. 
 
It wasn’t just Chloe—Leon, Elle-tan, and the others all looked up at Milim with unbelievable eyes 
 
Whatever the case, it would have been difficult to defeat Milim, so it was all well and good for her to come back to her senses 
 
However... 
 
「Don't play dumb, okay? It's your rampage, but it won't be like it never happened.」 
 
「Grrr, how long are you going to keep doing these little things...」 
 
「It's not small.」 
 
Honestly. 
 
It’s all well and good that she’s back to her senses, but she’ll definitely stop trying to cover up her own failure. 
 
I swore firmly in my heart that I would never let the person who caused me trouble apologize. 
 
「Now, now, Rimuru. There was no major damage due to our efforts, so why don't you forgive him with a smile?」 
 
And then Veldora said something carefree. 
 
Chloe had nothing to do with this, but Elle-tan waited for her as well. 
 
She fluttered in front of us and tried to calm me down. 
 
「Milim-chan didn't mean anything bad by it. She was just being manipulated. Isn't it a little different to pursue responsibility for this?」 
 
Elle-tan's usually strict, but she says she'll ignore this. If the Heavenly Emperor is fine with that, then I don't have any complaints... 
 
“Indeed, that’s exactly what I’m saying! As expected, you understand perfectly!!” Milim was praising Eltan in high spirits, but I don’t think he’s that naive, you know? 
 
「Well, that's true, but you're the one who caused the most trouble, aren't you?」 
 
「Of course, we need to talk about that! We'll have Rimcchi help with the reconstruction later!」 
 
Huh? 
 
Why me? 
 
「No, no, we should have Milim take responsibility for that, right?」 
 
「What are you saying? You’re the guardian of the demon lord Milim, so you’re not wrong about asking Rimcchi for help!」 
 
Elmesia winked at me as I told her that. 
 
I see. So that's how it's going to be. 
 
True, it’d be impossible for Milim to help with reconstruction work, so yeah, I’ll help, but... 
 
It didn't seem like I could refuse that proposal, so I accepted it as if giving up. 
 
 
＊ 

Now then, it was fortunate that Milim had returned to her senses. 
 
Feldway looked frustrated, but Diablo kept him in check, preventing him from moving. 
 
Chloe and Veldora must have lost their focus, because they were descending on the sacred tree’s leaves, looking exhausted. 
 
「I'll leave the rest to you, Rimuru-san.」 
 
「Indeed. It seems Milim went on a rampage at the Tentsukaku as well. It appears that some troublesome people have appeared, and I am concerned about that.」 
 
Hey, hey. Milim, did you do something at Tentsukaku...? 
 
「I-I don't know! I didn't do it!!」 
 
「「「......」」 
 
Whether they're doing it or not, there's no such thing as an argument. unanimously, Milim was guilty. 
 
「Hey, according to the information I have, Milim-chan unleashed the Dragon Star Explosion Conqueror, Drago Nova, even at Tentsukaku.」 
 
Elle-tan says with a smile. 
 
「Seriously, what are you doing?」 
 
「I-I don't know! It's not my fault!」 
 
「You're doing it as hard as you can. Now it's impossible to talk your way out of this...」 
 
「Ugh!?」 
 
Milim groaned at my overly honest outburst. 
 
This is... after I was forced to jump, isn’t it? No one would agree if I tried to hide Milim’s rampage with this. 
 
Exasperated like that, I use my surveillance magic, Argos, to display the area around Tentsukaku as well. 
 
When I did, it looked as if all the forces in the world had been concentrated, and a largescale battle was taking place. 
 
「Whoa, this is amazing.」 
 
「That's the demon lord Luminus's call. It looks like a great war is breaking out over there against invaders from the other world.」 
 
「Seriously...?」 
 
「You there~」 
There, Elle-tan glared at Feldway and continued as if spitting out a grudge. 
 
「----It's because of that shitty idiot who keeps talking in his sleep about how he wants to destroy the world that we ended up causing trouble for him too. He's the one who caused the demon lord Milim to go berserk, so he has to take responsibility.」 
 
Elle-tan seems to understand that she can't win on her own. I can tell she's ready to rub it against me. 
 
“That’s exactly right. It’s not my fault,” I said, leaving Milim, who was getting worked up over something like that, alone. “It can’t be helped,” and I agreed. 
 
She must have done whatever Feldway wanted after jumping me. 
 
In order to prevent that, Luminus took Ondo and said, “We’re in the current situation.” 
 
That meant Luminus had no choice but to move, since Gii was so obsessed with Velzard. 
Well, yeah. 
 
Dagrull’s an enemy, Leon’s here, Ramiris’s probably working hard inside the labyrinth, and Milim’s been running amok all this time. 
 
I didn’t know what Dino was doing, but I couldn’t expect anything from him. The reality was that Luminus was probably the only one who could move. 
 
Thank you for your hard work, and for your help. I was grateful in my heart. 
 
Anyway, let's do something about Elle-tan's so-called shitty jokes first, and then get things sorted out quickly. 
 
「Anyway, let's blow up Feldway.」 
 
「Indeed! I shall help as well!」 
 
We're all fired up now. 
 
Sylvia-san came here as well. 
 
「I don't really want you to defeat him, but are you sure about that? He's just like Veldanava-sama, the ‘Star King Dragon’.」 
 
Um, really? 
 
Well, I thought it was cool, but since it was an enemy, I assumed it had nothing to do with it. 
 
Milim stared blankly back at Sylvia-san. 
 
Or rather, looking at Milim reminded me of something 
 
「Ah, I see. So you look the same as Milim's father.」 
 
「That's right! Her hair color is different, so it's definitely not her.」 
 
「Then there is no problem! I have no memory of it in the first place, so I don't mind!」 
 
If Milim wasn’t worried about it, then there was no need for me to be considerate 
 
I'll defeat the enemy. That's all. 
 
In other words, we'll decide the course of events from now on. 
 
“Are you okay with that?” I ignored Sylvia-san and Elle-tan’s mother-daughter expressions and told Milim my course of action 
 
「Once we defeat Feldway, I'll go help Gii. You go to Tentsukaku and help everyone.」 
 
「Mmm, I'm going to rescue Frey and the others.」 
 
「As you can see, Frey-san and the others have already been released, so I can handle the rest on my own. More importantly, if I don't earn points here, there's no doubt that everyone will get mad at me later.」 
 
Milim nodded at my persuasion. 
 
「I-I understand. Velzard is strong, but, well, Gii and Rimuru should be fine.」 
 
She seemed to have thought it was dangerous, if only vaguely. 
 
She was probably worried about us, but Gii was there too, so I think it'll be fine. 
 
「You’re right. We can leave my sister to Rimuru. In other words, We shall accompany Milim!」 
 
You ran away. 
 
I had originally intended to leave Veldora in charge of helping Sion and the others, so there was no problem, but I decided to warn him just in case. 
 
「I don't mind, but it looks like Vergrind-san's at Tentsukaku. She's on edge, so be careful not to upset her too much.」 
 
She was on edge, or rather, wary of someone. 
 
Velgrind’s gaze was fixed on a small child. 
 
A child...? 
 
She's sitting on the shoulder of a large monster, her legs jiggling. 
 
It was so out of place that it was eerie. 
 
《I think it's the Ivarage.》 
 
I see. That makes sense. 
 
Had the stage of stopping them from appearing been long past? At this point, it looked like we had no choice but to defeat them or turn them away. 
 
「I-I would never do something like that to anger my sister... *mumble*」 
 
You're getting weaker and weaker. Are you okay? 
 
Well, that’s Veldora’s problem. 
 
「The Ivarage seems stronger than I expected, so don't let your guard down.」 
 
「Yes, leave it to me!」 
 
「They are not my enemies!!」 
 
Well, these two should be fine. 
 
In other words, let's get rid of Feldway already. 
 
With that in mind, I tried to back Diablo up, but... 
 
Huh? 
 
「Mm, this is one-sided...」 
 
「Indeed. Diablo wins.」 
 
Isn't that right? 
 
While we were deciding on a course of action, the battle was coming to an end. 
 
I thought for a moment that “Feldway won’t get in my way,” but that was only natural. 
 
After all, it was because Diablo had cornered Feldway with overwhelming power 
 
The time to settle things was about to come in front of us in surprise. 
  
For Feldway, Rimuru’s return was unexpected 
 
Seeing her safe gave me a bad feeling. 
 
At this rate, it felt like something terrible was going to happen~, but Diablo got in the way and couldn’t do anything. 
While they were doing that, Rimuru had thrown something at Diablo 
 
I sensed that thing was dangerous. 
 
That’s why I tried to get in the way, but that was impossible. 
 
After all, Rimuru had made it look like he was tossing it over, then “transferred” it over 
 
(―[Teleport]?!) 
 
It was precisely because she could use it herself that she understood how troublesome it was 
 
The power to ignore time and space and move freely. Using it was beneficial in every way. 
 
It was a skill of great use not only in mass migration of Legions, but also in combat. 
 
Even Feldway understood that well enough. 
 
And yet, she’d barely used it in her battle with Diablo 
 
There was only one reason for that. 
 
Because Feldway himself didn’t have enough experience. 
 
Feldway is a fearsome genius who can even make other people's levels his own. However, his personality is cautious, and he doesn't use techniques he's not used to in actual combat. 
As the one who stands at the top, he always uses only the surest way to win. Even when dealing with unknown enemies, he never resorts to dangerous tactics and uses certain tactics. That's how Feldway fights, and it's the secret to his constant victory. 
 
But, but... 
 
To put it another way, it means I’m lacking in application. 
 
Feldway didn't research techniques on his own. That was the role of his subordinates, and no matter how useful a skill was, he wouldn't incorporate it into battle unless a wellestablished application was discovered. 
 
That’s why Rimuru’s use of [Teleport] made him feel a sense of danger. Anxiety crossed his mind that if he left her alone, she’d grow to the point where he couldn’t do anything about it. 
 
That was why Feldway was so impatient. 
 
(Heh, Diablo is already breathing like an insect. The demon lord Rimuru, too, was hit directly by Milim’s [Dragon Star Explosion Conqueror], Drago Nova. He’s pretending to be calm, but on the inside, he’s probably in tatters. In that case, now’s the time.) 
 
Taking advantage of the fact that Milim’s rule had been lifted, he’d do everything in his power to get rid of Diablo. He’d thought of setting him up in Rimuru and destroying him before he could become any more of a threat. 
 
But Feldway’s plan was too naive. 
The collapse had begun, and Diablo, who was supposed to be annihilated soon, had been completely restored by the recovery potion Rimuru had given him 
 
Diablo met Feldway’s assault with a fearless smile. The moment their swords and claws crossed, Feldaway realized his calculations had been thrown off. 
 
(...?! Is he getting stronger?) 
 
Diablo was able to block even a blow with more force than any he’d put into it before. He’d crashed head-on, paying no heed to the difference in weaponry’s capabilities. 
 
Diablo’s fighting style had changed. Up until now, he’d been parrying the shock, but instead of relying on such delicate techniques, he went into a contest of strength. 
 
It was a bad move against an opponent with an overwhelming difference in power. It was supposed to be suicide, turning to dust in an instant. 
 
However, this didn’t turn out the way Feldway had envisioned it. Diablo, in fact, was dealing with it with composure. 
「~~~!?」 
 
「Kufufufu, what are you so surprised about?」 
 
「You bastard, that power...」 
「As you may have guessed, I am utilizing the energy of the Void. Is there a problem?」 
 
「What are you―」 
 
Just as I was about to say something stupid, I remembered that we were in the middle of a fight to the death. 
 
No matter what it takes, as long as we win, it will be justice. 
 
Besides, Diablo showed no signs of pushing himself. 
 
Unlike before, her body seemed to accept the Void. 
 
Feldway shuddered at the impossibility. 
 
In the first place, “emptiness” is the power of destruction that could destroy the world. 
 
It was the same with Testarossa, but it wasn't something that could be controlled so easily. 
 
First of all, it was difficult to even call them to the surface. 
 
It's possible to manifest it with magic and the like, but there's a limit to that. Even if you can manifest the Void, that negative energy will also be neutralized, so at the end of the day, harmony will be maintained as if nothing had happened. 
 
A rampage of emptiness so great it could destroy the world was impossible unless a door connected to the abyss of hell was opened. 
 
Paradoxically speaking... 
 
That meant Testarossa and Diablo had opened such a portal. 
 
From Feldway’s perspective, who was trying to destroy the world, it would be ideal if he failed to control it as it was. If that happened, he could achieve his goal without destroying the Sacred Tree. 
 
And yet, Diablo had circulated such “emptiness” within his own body 
 
This wasn’t even a matter of suicide, but since she had complete control over it, it was hard to believe. 
 
It would have been one thing if it had been his own body given to him by Veldanava, but Diablo’s body was nothing more than a collection of unknown raw materials. And yet, there was no way he could withstand an unprecedented power. 
 
However, reality was heartless. 
 
Diablo had used the fearsome Voids perfectly. 
 
The reason for that was the omnipotent cells Rimuru had given him 
 
These cells were imbued with the power of “Unlimited Regeneration,” and their regenerative speed surpassed even the rate of collapse caused by “Void 
(Kufufufu, that's Sir Rimuru for you! He truly gave you a wonderful body to command the 
Voids!!) 
 
This was Diablo’s grand misunderstanding. 
 
Rimuru was simply trying to heal Diablo’s wounds. 
 
It would be one thing if it were Ciel, but Rimuru wasn’t thinking of making Diablo do something so reckless 
 
But there was a reason for Diablo’s misunderstanding 
 
There was a successful example of Zegion, so there was no way Diablo wouldn’t do something reckless 
 
Still believing in Rimuru, Diablo put his full strength into putting the Void into his body. As a result, he’d found the limit his body could withstand and succeeded in making it his own. 
 
Now that it had come to this, the established rules of battle between transcendentals would no longer apply.
(Tch, Diablo... To not be swallowed up by the fearless power of the Void... No, what is this?!) 
 
Feldway, too, realized how dangerous Diablo was. 
 
Normally, regenerating the body drains energy as well. It's the same with Velgrind's “other body” as well, but no matter how invincible and invincing it is, it always requires a price. 
 
Even the inexhaustible energy of the “dragon species” could not avoid wear and tear during battle. That was why it was the standard practice of the higher-ranking players to preserve their energy like Velgrindo and learn how to fight while recovering. 
 
In the end, whoever runs out of energy wins. 
 
As a result, battles between transcendentals tend to take a thousand-day hand, but this concept crumbled. 
 
Diablo had summoned the Void and was using it as an energy source. The element that made this possible was the Unlimited Regeneration of Omnipotent Cells, but even the energy to do this was covered by Void energy. 
 
What she meant by that was that... 
 
(Diablo isn’t wearing himself down?) 
 
That was the conclusion Feldway had come to. 
 
If that's the truth, then the contrast of total energy is meaningless now. 
 
All that matters is the output. 
 
By repeatedly unleashing high-powered techniques powerful enough to overwhelm an opponent, there would be no victory unless their existence was wiped out. 
And by that logic, Diablo’s [Grade] level wasn’t inferior to Feldway’s. On the contrary, even in this battle, he’d gained learning and continued to evolve. Naturally, the power and precision of the technique were impeccable, and he could freely manipulate the hard-to-handle Voids like a limb. 
 
Feldway’s Arc sliced through Diablo’s shoulder, but this, too, recovered in an instant. 
 
The power of Genesis class was reduced to nothingness in an instant. 
 
(Kuh!? This guy... He's using this 'power' while still recovering!?) 
 
Diablo was being reckless, but that was only a short while ago. 
 
He himself believed that Rimuru had just given him a new body. By doing so, he was searching for a perfect balance of energy. 
 
It was the work of Diablo’s outstanding combat sense. 
 
Feldway would arrive at the truth he didn't want to admit. 
 
In terms of existence value, Feldway was overwhelmingly superior. 
 
In terms of combat ability, however, Diablo outranked her 
 
And the gap between them didn’t close, and at this rate, defeat would be inevitable, he thought. 
 
「Dammit, Vega, what the hell are you doing?! You're as tough as Ramiris' labyrinth, and you're bothering me~」 
 
My composure had been lost from Feldway, and I couldn’t help but grumble. 
 
Diablo laughed at this. 
 
「Kufufufu, Vega, is it? If it were him, I would have disposed of him long ago. He might still be alive, but wouldn't he be better off dead?」 
 
「What did you say!?」 
 
Vega was more greedy about becoming stronger than anyone else, a dirty living man who would do anything to survive, but that was Feldway, who felt reliable. 
 
It was hard to believe that Vega had been defeated like that. 
 
But the fact that Diablo was here was proof that the story was true. Feldway understood that, and he had no choice but to accept it. 
 
Of the Three Stars Marshals, Zarario betrayed and Fen was defeated. 
 
「All that's left is Jahilu.」 
 
「Oh, I took care of that one.」 
 
「You bastard!」 
 
The idea of summoning Jahilu to find a way out was denied by Yuuki, who had suddenly arrived. 
 
I tried to get rid of Yuuki, still irritated, but Feldway’s attack was easily dodged 
 
「It's pointless. Well, I can't beat you myself, but if I'm just running away, I'll be fine.」 
 
「[Teleport], huh?」 
 
「Correct! A lot of things happened, and I learned from Mai.」 
 
Yuuki toyed with Feldway as he bantered like that 
 
She mercilessly fanned the flames, as if to repay her debt. 
 
「Kufufufu. That skill is quite troublesome, but if you show me that much, I think I can at least come up with a countermeasure.」 
 
Diablo laughed, but Yuuki didn’t seem amused. 
 
「Tch, Rimuru-san, you've got some dangerous pets under your command, too. I don't want to get in your way, so I'll leave the rest to you.」 
 
With that, Yuuki retreated. 
 
Just as he’d said himself in the first place, Yuuki hadn’t thought he could beat Feldway. He’d just wanted to get back at him a little. 
 
She was fairly satisfied that she’d taken a shot at the mastermind who’d tried to control her. As long as Diablo took care of the rest, there was no problem for Yuuki, either. 
 
Besides, Diablo was too abnormal. 
 
(Honestly, I don’t think I’ll be able to beat this guy. Even my subordinates are like this, so it’s impossible to beat Rimuru...) 
 
Yuuki had no choice but to admit it. 
 
Even among you, Yuuki... 
 
《It's impossible. If you lay a hand on him, you'll be doomed.》 
 
And well, Maria was making a fuss. 
 
I don't need you to tell me that. Yuuki was extremely fed up with it. 
 
And then Diablo’s onslaught began. 
 
Feldway’s Arc was deflected by Diablo’s Claw Scissors. They were clearly on a different level, but the fact that they didn’t take that into account was terrifying. 
 
「Oh man, so this is what he's really up to.」 
 
And Zarario reacts like it’s someone else’s problem. 
 
Even Zarario, boasting an existence value of over twenty million, didn’t feel like he could beat Diablo now. He’d sensed such an isolated gap that he’d even left his feelings of frustration behind. 
 
Leon was nodding gravely, perhaps feeling the same way. 
 

This time, Feldway, who had been overwhelming them until now, was being one-sidedly pushed forward. It was impossible to tell them not to be dumbfounded. 
 
And finally, the time to settle things had come. 
 
「End of World Requiem.」 
 
Diablo’s full-power attack had caused Feldway to fall to the ground. 
 
Diablo won without waiting for my turn. 
 
It was wonderful, but it was an unbelievable feat. 
 
「Man, good work. That's amazing. I didn't think I'd win.」 
 
Feeling like I’d lost one job, I thanked Diablo. 
 
As a matter of fact, Feldway was strong, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to win, either. If I still had to do something about it, then this was the place to get Milim involved and aim for a certain victory. 
 
Honestly, I hadn’t imagined Diablo being this strong 
 
Well, her current state seems even worse than her worn-out appearance earlier... 
 
「Thank you for your praise. I am extremely pleased!」 
 
Diablo responded to me with a look of joy, but it was strange to see him standing there. 
 
It's not a physical story, but a mental one. 
 
His energy was depleted, and his face was lifeless. He looked like a dead man, or to put it a little more subduedly, like someone on the verge of death. 
 
「Are you okay?」 
 
「Kufu, kufufufu. Of course. I am ashamed to show myself in front of you, Sir Rimuru.」 
She apologized, but Diablo hadn’t done anything wrong. 
 
On the contrary, it was a huge victory. 
 
Out of consideration, I tried to tell her to leave the rest to me and go home to rest. 
 
But at that moment, Feldway, who seemed to have been reduced to dust and completely annihilated, began regenerating his body. 
 
「Tch, what a stubborn bastard. I thought I was completely out of breath, but I didn't think it was destroyed yet...」 
 
Diablo spat out those words in annoyance, his eyes sharpening. 
 
It didn’t look like she could move anymore, but it looked like she was still going to fight. 
 
I said, “Hold on,” and stopped Diablo. 
 
Besides, Feldway had been muttering something to himself for a while now. 
 
「--Don't be ridiculous... Don't screw with me... I'll definitely... stop the world... if I do that. So why... why did I lose to the likes of Diablo...? No, I haven't lost yet. It's not over yet. That's right, we'll meet again... without fail. Make him regret throwing me away... Why? Why did he disappear~?」 
 
It sounded like a curse, but it was a bit hard to understand. 
 
The atmosphere was a little dangerous, so I decided to observe from a distance. The moment I thought that, my eyes met with Feldway's, who looked up. 
 
Her eyes were so empty they gave me the chills. 
 
And yet----for some reason, I felt like there was a sadness filled with despair. 
 
What should I do? I wondered. 
 
It was only natural that they should be defeated, but if they did that, the lump would remain... 
 
I know I'll definitely regret it, but I'm hesitant to do it. 
 
If you understand your regrets, then you should stop them. 
 
It's my fault for dressing up like that. 
 
Feldway looked up at the heavens, and then, in the next moment, disappeared in front of us. 
 
That untraceable power----I used [Teleportation] to jump somewhere. 
 
「Hey, Rimuru-san?! She ran away!」 
 
「Well, wait. Don't make it sound like I'm at fault.」 
 
「But no matter how you look at it, Rimcchi's the cause, right?」 
 
「Hey, hey, come on! I'm just being thoughtful!」 
 
Things have gotten really bad. 
 
It had been completely my fault that Feldway had run away. 
 
No, no, wait a minute. 
 
Sure, I stopped Diablo, but you wouldn’t think he’d be able to get away, would you? 
 
Feldway seemed so proud that “running away” didn’t seem like an option... 
 
There was also the conceit of being able to find her even if she ran away. 
 
And yet, it was “Teleportation.” 
 
Unlike 'spatial transfer,' this one doesn't create any distortions in space when leaping. It only creates discomfort when coming to a different place, but it's realistically impossible to find out. 
 
Well, I guess it'd be possible if I could perceive the entire Axis world, but~ 
 
《It's possible.》 
 
-Impossible consultation? Huh? 
 
Seriously? 
 
Isn't it untraceable? 
 
“It’s impossible to track them, but by observing magicules all over the world, we can pinpoint where they appear. In this case, they haven’t appeared on the ground, so they must have fled somewhere else in the other world.” 
 
O-Oh-ho... 
 
In other words, as soon as you come to this world, you'll be able to find it, won't you? 
 
《Exactly.》 
 
In that case, well? 
 
We managed to escape, but I don't think there's any problem. 
 
「Calm down, guys. It's not that big of a problem that Feldway ran away. On the other hand, we can focus our forces on other challenges, so let's think positively about this!」 
 
I emphasized that and tried to change the subject. 
 
Casually, I lure her into giving a low estimation of the importance of the problem so that my responsibilities will be reckless as well. 
 
「Exactly! With Sir Rimuru’s deep recklessness, it doesn’t matter what Feldway does. In the first place, I didn’t have any energy left, so even if I couldn’t stop him, I couldn't do anything.」 
 
It was the perfect flow. 
 
Diablo’s support of me had made it more convincing 
 
「I was afraid that if I pushed myself any further, I wouldn't be able to serve Sir Rimuru. I would love him as deeply as I could to prevent that from happening.」 
 
She's a little persistent. 
 
There were quite a few misunderstandings involved, so it was about time to end that conversation. 
 
「Now, now, that's how it is. For now, let's save the matter of Feldway for later. Let's split up and prioritize solving the problem for now.」 
 
Everyone nodded at my words. 
 
＊ 

And then, the situation moved all at once. 
 
I decided to head to the old Eurazania as planned. 
 
Milim and Veldora would be heading to Damargania to prepare for an anti-Ivarage battle 
 
Chloe had insisted on being with me, but she had rejected it. Because the power to “see” the future was useful in anti-Ivarage warfare. 
 
As someone who doesn't want to cause as many casualties as possible, I think it's fine to have insurance. 
 
So, about the others... 
 
Leon, Zarario, and Sylvia-san. They were mentally and physically drained, but they insisted on accompanying Milim and the others. 
 
Elle-tan, or Elmesia-san, is still summoning the [Magical Order] that can move. 
 
Naturally, it was Yuuki’s role to transport those forces 
 
「So it was me after all.」 
 
「Isn't it obvious?」 
 
「Good grief. I don't have the desire to be a hero to protect the world, though.」 
 
「You don't have to be a hero. Sometimes progress is important, but this time, results are everything.」 
If I can't protect the world, it'll all end. 
 
I tried my best, but it didn't work out, so there's no point this time. 
 
I reminded Yuuki. 
 
Even Yuuki understood that she had no choice but to do it, and she would have cooperated even if I hadn’t told her. Even so, she probably just wanted to be indebted to me for begging. 
 
She's been using me, deceiving me, and messing with me all the time. 
 
I'm willing to let my grudge slide, but I can't fool my heart. 
 
「I'm sure you understand, but let's continue to have a good relationship, okay?」 
 
I turned to Yuuki and said that with a smile. 
 
It felt like she was implicitly telling me that I wouldn't forgive her for this. 
 
Yuuki smiled wryly. 
 
「I know. We'll talk about that later!」 
 
She's as resilient as ever. 
 
I smiled wryly as well, and we decided to have another leisurely discussion later. 
 
As we conversed like that, Kagali watched us with concern. 
 
She was someone who knew everything about the history between Yuuki and me, so she probably thought that their fates would be decided depending on how I acted. 
 
Well, I have my reasons, but I've also been told about Yuuki and the others' circumstances. If you accept the condition of monitoring them so that they don't do anything bad, you can live however you want. 
 
In other words, Kagali’s worries were unfounded. 
 
It’s a needless worry, but from their perspective, there must be a mountain of other problems that bother them. 
 
The best place to do that would be to go home. 
 
We can't return to the Kingdom of Inglacia, and we've lost our place in the Empire. 
Clayman's territory, formerly our own, is now under my control in Milim's domain. 
 
At this stage, Yuuki and the others had nowhere to return to. 
 
Especially Kagali. She just got her revenge on Jahilu, so it wouldn't be surprising if she had burnout syndrome. It'd be one thing if she could save the world and have a happy ending, but it might be hard to get motivated without a reward... 
Still, what bothered me was the mysterious woman's existence. 
 
I feel like I've seen her somewhere before. 
 
“I am the elder of the Dark Elves, the Black You Earl, who was in Clayman’s castle.” 
 
Yeah, that's right! 
 
I remember now. It felt a little gloomy, but right now, she's on guard to protect Kagali. 
 
I see. If I was originally a comrade, then that would mean I was an enemy after defeating Clayman~ But at the time, Claymann was also under mental control and treated the [Black You Earl] [Dark Elves] as slaves... Thinking back on it, the elder’s state of mind must have been complicated. 
 
「Oh, it's been a while. You're here too, EVA?」 
 
「It's been a while, Maou Milim-sama.」 
 
「How have you been?」 
 
「It's hard to say I'm doing well, but...」 
 
Huh? 
 
「Milim, did you know the elder?」 
 
「Indeed! EVA is good at cooking, so she's done a lot for me!」 
 
Ah, yeah. I guess so. 
 
Before Middray's presence, the forgotten Dragon City offers only raw vegetables. Milim seems to rely on the other demon lords when it comes to delicious food. 
 
One of them was EVA, also known as the elder. 
 
I see. In that case, I might as well... 
 
「Milim, I have a proposal.」 
 
「Mm, what is it?」 
 
「It's the territory of the puppet country, Sisters. Why don't we give it back to Kagali-san and the others?」 
 
「Mmmph?」 
 
「「「~~!!」」 
 
That's right. What I just came up with was that I probably needed bait to make Yuuki and the others feel better. That optimal solution was the puppet country, the one that was having trouble handling it. 
That place was far from the new capital of Milim and the others’ country. They were planning to rebuild the ancient ruins as a tourist attraction, but that was going to be in the future. 
 
I was in charge of managing everything up until that point, but to be honest, I had a lot of things to do too. Leaving the [Puppet Country] Sisters to Yuuki and the others seemed like a brilliant idea to me, killing two birds with one stone. 
 
It’d be a reward for Yuuki and the others, and I wouldn’t have to worry about handling difficult territory, either. 
 
There weren’t many exchanges between the people right now, so it didn’t have much of an economic impact. It should be possible to transfer it without that much chaos, so if Milim agreed, this plan would be decided. 
 
「Yes, that's a good idea! It seems I've caused you a bit of trouble as well. Let's proceed in that direction with the intention of apologizing!」 
 
「Milim's causing more trouble than just a little, and I'm the one who caused it, so I thought you'd agree.」 
 
「A-A little!」 
 
「That was a huge nuisance!!」 
 
「Grrrrrrr...」 
 
There was a bit of a barren argument, but Milim agreed. 
 
「Are you sure, Rimuru-san?」 
 
「Is it really okay if I look forward to it?」 
 
Yuuki was calm, and Kagali asked me timidly. 
 
「It's not my property, so I can't promise anything. Milim agreed, so, well, I think it'll work out somehow.」 
 
I nodded. 
 
Currently, the only ones remaining in the [Puppet Country] Gistave are those who follow 
EVA the Elder. In other words, they were probably former comrades of the Demon Lord Kazarim in the truest sense of the word, so it should be a difficult path to get them to ally with us. Even Carion and Frey would acquiesce to the policy of handing them over at least if they did. 
 
Well, that's only true if the world is protected. 
 
「That's Rimuru-san for you! In that case, I think I'll try a little harder too.」 
 
Yuuki smiled cheerfully. 
 
I wouldn’t be fooled by Yuuki’s shady smile anymore. 
「Listen, don't forget to protect our cooperation from now on, and to prioritize listening to my request! I'll keep an eye on you!!」 
 
「Of course!」 
 
I can't trust half of it, but I've taken my word for it. 
 
It seemed like I’d be spending a lot of time with Yuuki, so I decided to keep warning her from time to time. 
 
While we were doing that, the preparations for the [Magical Order] and [Meigass] were complete. 
 
Now that we're on our way, Kagali speaks to me with a brooding expression. 
 
「Sir Rimuru, may I ask you something?」 
 
「Hm? I wonder what it is?」 
 
「It is said that you will return our safe haven to us, but that is based on the assumption that we will win the battle to come. Are you certain you can win, Sir Rimuru?」 
 
Hmm... 
Milim will hand over the [Puppet Nation] Sisters, not me. But that's fine. If you ask me if I'm sure I can win, the answer is that I don't have anything like that. 
 
But... 
 
「There's no point in thinking about losing. I'll basically assume the worst-case scenario, but we're already in that state. So we have no choice but to win with all our might, right?」 
 
That’s why I don’t think about what I’ll do if I lose. I only think about the things I can do to win. 
 
Fighting should be done with as much effort as possible to avoid it. That's why you mustn't provoke or corner your opponent. 
 
But if a war were to break out... 
 
When that time comes, I have no choice but to prepare myself. 
 
「In other words, if you're going to do it, you have to be prepared to win.」 
 
And so, I answered Kagali’s question with a smile. 
 
Yuuki nodded at this, patting Kagali on the shoulder as she opened her mouth. 
 
「Well, isn’t that just like you, Rimuru-san? We’re pretty much the same, aren’t we? The point is, we just have to win and win back.」 
 
It sounded like something Yuuki would say, but life wasn't a gamble. 
 
 
Then again, it'd be a problem if I tried to challenge her lightly with those feelings, since it seemed like she'd do a better job. 
 
「Yeah, that's right. Prez, you're overthinking things. We're already game over, so you should be wrapped up in something long from now on!」 
 
That long thing isn't me, is it? 
 
Well, it's fine. 
 
「You're right. Well, you don't have to worry. Rimcchi will do something about it anyway, so we'll do what we can in our own way. Don't get worked up, okay?!」 
 
What is the Heavenly Emperor saying? 
 
「Don't throw responsibility at me!」 
 
「Now, now.」 
 
「Don't say 'so-so'!」 
 
「Well then, let's go!」 
 
「Roger that!」 
 
「Okay then, I'll do my best here!」 
 
「Wahahaha! We'll make up for our loss in the battle against the Ivarage!」 
 
「Rimuru, you don't need to worry because I'm here! Well then, I'll be going!!」 
 
「Okay, Rimuru-san. I'll go on ahead and wait over there!」 
 
And so on and so forth, all of them saying whatever they wanted. 
 
Then Yuuki's 'Teleportation' activated, and I was the only one left in the room~ 
 
「Kufufufu. Now then, Sir Rimuru, let us depart for the former Eurazania.」 
 
「Ueh!?」 
 
I was startled. 
 
I couldn't help but let out a strange voice. 
 
As if that was only natural, Diablo was holding back for some reason. 
 
It was so natural that I hadn’t noticed, but I was surprised at myself for that. 
 
「Why are you still here?」 
「As Sir Rimuru's butler, I am in a position to serve you at all times.」 
 
「......」 
 
Loyalty is too heavy. 
 
Well, whatever. 
 
Diablo was in tatters now, so they couldn’t expect much from him as a force to be reckoned with. Even if he headed for Damargania in such a state, it might have only served to disrupt the peace. 
 
Putting her under my watch would put her at ease. 
 
...That's what I decided. 
 
And so, I switch gears. 
 
「Let's go!」 
 
「As you wish.」 
 
Diablo bowed his head at my words. 
 
First Milim, then Velzard. 
 
Why are all dragonewts so troublesome...? 
Swallowing my grumbling, I “Teleport” with Diablo to the old Eurazania~