V21

The monsters were shaken. They realized that Rimuru was their only hope. The report sent shivers down
the spines of the leaders of Tempest.

Benimaru woke up on a bed in the infirmary of the recreation facility in the labyrinth, where Souei had
carried him. Not much time had passed since the siege of the Sacred Tree. A great sense of loss made him
jump out of bed. The same was true for Gabil and Geld, who were sleeping next to Benimaru. At the same
time, they woke up as if in unison.

The executives gathered in the "Control Room" set up in the labyrinth. Eight members of the "Twelve
Guardians of the Labyrinth" were present: Diablo, Zegion, and Kumara, who were assigned to guard the
labyrinth; Benimaru, Gabil, Geld; Ranga, who lurked in Gobta's shadow and healed his wounds; and then
Testarossa, who had returned urgently from the Kingdom of Ingracia.

Testarossa, with a strong sense of responsibility, threw everything into the hands of her men and rushed to
the scene, stressing the gravity of the situation. Naturally, Shuna, Rigurd, and the others in charge of
politics, Gobta, Apito, and others were also there. Excluding those currently in battle, all who were able to
move were present.

Ramiris, who had become the master of the Control Room, gasped at the report. The labyrinth was under
attack from hostile forces. However, the information was far more important than such a situation. Ramiris
was filled with disbelief. Beretta and Treyni were also upset, though they did not say much. Charys, who
had sent Veldora off to stay at home, was also unable to maintain his composure.

It was Souei, who had been watching the situation most closely through 'Clone,' who brought the report.
Souei told them that Rimuru had disappeared.

"Is it true that Rimuru-sama disappeared?" Benimaru asked on behalf of everyone, though he did not doubt
Souei's words. On the contrary, he felt the connection with Rimuru inside him had disappeared, which was
why he asked Souei to deny his words.

"Yeah... I'm sure. There was no room for me to be in the escort..." Souei replied with a voice filled with
regret, but no one complained. After hearing Souei's report, it seemed the result would have been the same
no matter who was there. After all, Rimuru himself, whom everyone trusted, had been helplessly caught in
the enemy's hands. Now was the time to think of countermeasures rather than to complain and hold
Rimuru accountable for his actions.
 V21 in the Control Room. Then suddenly, the desk shattered with a roaring sound. "This
Silence reigned
happened while I was with you..." Souei, who usually kept his cool and never got angry in any situation,
smashed the desk in a fit of rage.

Testarossa closed her eyes and agreed with Souei's words. Yes, it was normal to think so. "I couldn't do
anything either..." Testarossa's mind was covered with an unshakeable sense of guilt that she had sent
Rimuru, whom she respected and admired, into the battle. Therefore, she could not refute Souei's words.
She could not even console him. All she could do was contemplate her own helplessness. This was not
only Testarossa's view but also the common view of those present.

However, Diablo responded to this. "Don't be so conceited, Souei. All you're doing is causing one more
person to die for nothing." With a cold, disdainful look, he cut Souei's comment to pieces.

"Kuh..." Diablo's words were truthful, although they were not reserved or considerate. Souei understood this
and could only remain silent, unable to retort. He was ashamed of his inadequacy and had to bear the
pressure of losing Rimuru. Diablo let out a sigh of relief.

"You are out of line, Diablo," Testarossa said. She let out a breath and continued, "Anyone here would have
been the same in the face of Milim-sama's outburst. Diablo, isn't it the same for you?" Testarossa looked at
Diablo with disbelief. She was smart enough to understand Diablo's intention. He was trying to provoke the
anger of those present by playing the role of a villain. If we are to face despair, we must raise our emotions.
We are creatures who are consumed by despair if we only mourn. We need the will to live. The quickest way
to get it was to burn with anger. Diablo knew this. And so did Testarossa. That is why she could read
Diablo's thoughts and see through them to their end. And that was something Testarossa could not
tolerate.

"Diablo, you're just going to incite everyone's anger here and get yourself exiled, aren't you? And then you're
going to challenge Feldway?" Testarossa asked categorically.

"No." Diablo thought disgustedly, ‘This is why I don't like this woman.’ He had known her for a long time, so
he couldn't hide anything from her. Diablo seemed to be calm, but in fact, he was desperate. ‘Why didn't you
take me with you, Rimuru-sama?’ He was trying so hard to control his grief that was driving him crazy.
Testarossa accurately sensed Diablo's state of mind. Therefore, she mercilessly accused him with a verbal
blade.

"I heard you made a fool of yourself in front of Rimuru-sama."

"What?"

"You couldn't do anything because you were stuck in time, right? How underwhelming."
Hearing V21
this, Diablo also refuted, "Kufufufu... I heard that you, too, missed a small fry, didn't you?" Diablo's
eyes did not smile. His eyes were serious, ready to kill Testarossa. The Control Room was on edge. Silence
reigned, and everyone was sad and desperate. Geld and Gabil, who had been wounded in the previous
battle, looked mystified and refused to open their mouths. Kumara was pale and trembled. Benimaru
clenched his fists tightly to suppress the surge of anger.

Ramiris was on the verge of tears and was lying on her face. In times of trouble, Rimuru had always been
able to help. Rimuru is gone now. In a sense, it was fortunate that Shion, the most short-tempered person,
was not here. If not, we cannot deny the possibility that Shion's words and actions might have dragged us
all to the worst possible way, that is, to be crushed by the enemy.

-But that is just a possibility.

There was still one person in this room who did not waver. Breaking the immovable silence, Zegion moved.
He uncrossed his arms and arose.

Then he said gravely, "Nonsense. What are you worried about? What does it matter that Rimuru-sama has
disappeared?"

Zegion remained steadfast. As if questioning everyone's agitation, he said so. From his attitude, we could
see that Zegion truly believed that Rimuru could not be destroyed. "If Rimuru-sama is our Lord, he will
return even from the end of time and space. If not, there must be a reason." Zegion asserted strongly.
These were the words that everyone present had hoped for. A fire of hope was lit in everyone's hearts.

Assessing the reactions of everyone, Zegion continued, "Infantile. We are not mere children abandoned by
our parents. Think deeply. And feel. We still have the blessing of Rimuru-sama!" Zegion's words were
natural, and his conviction was unquestioning. He was trying to blow away everyone's fears by showing his
unflappable attitude.

Testarossa was also impressed by Zegion. Her mood improved, and before she knew it, she had a faint
smile on her face. She was not the only one who felt so. Everyone realized that he was right. Everyone
present was convinced by Zegion's words. The bond that connects souls seems to have been cut off, but
this is not equal to the disappearance of Rimuru. There was still a sense of being enveloped by a warm
presence that we could not perceive.

Is it just a residue, or... Be calm, says Zegion. The connection may have been broken, but Rimuru's Blessing
had not disappeared. Some of us had noticed it, but we were worried that we were just being wishful
thinkers. I thought that it would be better not to expect anything from the beginning than to have false
hopes.

But I was wrong. It is only when we do not give up until the end that the way opens up for us. You can worry
about it later. For now, let us do what we can do. That's what we all promised ourselves. Hope becomes
fuel and burns hot.
V21
"Know that we are being tested by Rimuru-sama. We are not so vulnerable that we must rely entirely on
Rimuru-sama. But if we cannot do anything without Rimuru-sama, then -" Zegion said with strong
conviction that those who are too weak to leave their parents' nests should be destroyed according to the
natural order of things.

These are words that everyone can only sympathize with. "That's right," Benimaru agreed with a large nod
of his head. Thinking back, I think I have been relying on him since the time we first met. Benimaru
remembers his former failure. He was so upset just because the connection with Rimuru had been severed
that he had caused extensive damage to his friends in the Farmus Incident. At that time, Benimaru made a
vow. He vowed to be the kind of person who

He vowed to be the kind of person who could lead others without relying on Rimuru. And that he would
never repeat such a tragedy again.

Zegion, a newcomer to the group, reminded Benimaru of this determination. It was a bitter disappointment
for him, as the person who was entrusted by Rimuru to take care of the rest of the project. Now that Rimuru
is no longer with them, the responsibility for all of this rests on Benimaru's shoulders. Now was the time for
Benimaru to take a stand. No matter how anxious he was, he should not show it. It was the responsibility
and duty of a leader.

So Benimaru smiled wryly. "Well, we have to prove to Rimuru-sama that we can handle it so that he will not
worry when he comes back."

Benimaru spoke in his usual tone, to which Gobta nodded his head and cheerfully responded, "Exactly! Just
because Rimuru-sama disappeared doesn't mean he is dead! He's a stubborn man, he'll come back to us
even if something happens to him!"

Rigur laughed at this comment. "Gobta! You're still talking like a jerk!" Rigur said, while dropping a fist on
Gobta.

"Indeed. We've always depended on Rimuru-sama. As Benimaru-sama said, we should do our work to
honor Rimuru-sama," Geld added gravely. All the executives nodded their heads in agreement.

"Right! You can't just depend on us all the time!" Gobta joked, sparking everyone's annoyance and laughter.

At this point, there was no one left to look down and lament. The time for lamenting was over.

"True, I became anxious just because Rimuru-sama was not here. Rimuru-sama would laugh at me like
this!" Gabil also expressed his regret.
 V21 words make me doubt that Rimuru-sama has been eliminated, but it is impossible for
"Souei-dono's
Rimuru-sama to be defeated. It must be some kind of a plan," Geld also expressed his opinion gravely. This
also made everyone think that this possibility could not be denied.

"Yes, yes! Well, I trusted Rimuru and I wasn't worried at all!" Ramiris regained her energy and said in a good
tone. The labyrinth group nodded in agreement.

"Exactly! Rimuru-sama can't lose!" said Kumara. The atmosphere was revitalized as everyone expressed
their hopes for the future.

Seeing this, Benimaru also thought, I wasn't the only one who relied on Rimuru-sama. I did not mean to
spoil them, but their presence made a big difference. Just by being there, we all felt at ease.

"It sounds good to rely on them, but it's the same thing as putting the responsibility on them," Benimaru
said casually but seriously. Everyone could think of something like that, and their faces tightened up.

"I think I've always left everything to him. This is a good opportunity. Let us get through this difficult time
with our own power!" Benimaru declared.

Rigurd nodded his head in agreement with Benimaru's declaration. "Yes, that's the spirit! Let's do our best
so that we can welcome Rimuru-sama with smiles on our faces!"

Souei followed him. He thanked Zegion lightly and expressed his regret. "I'm sorry, Zegion, for not being
cool about what I did."

Souei, cool as always, was quietly burning with determination. Starting with this, everyone made a
declaration of their determination one after another.

Finally, Diablo started to laugh. "Kufufufu... Oh dear, I didn't need to give you any encouragement, did I?"

Zegion responded to Diablo's aloofness, "You're too much!"

"Is that so? If you don't wake up here, you're no good to Rimuru-sama, aren't you?" Diablo retorted.

"But that doesn't mean you have to waste your power in the face of the enemy," Testarossa interjected.

Diablo laughed as he was passed over. On the large screen, there was an image of the "enemy" marching
through the labyrinth. As Zegion said, this is not the time to argue among ourselves. Still, this was a
necessary ritual. At least, if they could not change their minds at this point, defeat would be what awaited
them after the battle. Diablo had read it all. But now that worry was gone.
"You areV21
right, Zegion. We must prove to Rimuru-sama that we can fight on our own so that he will not be
disappointed. There is no time to be discouraged here. We must quickly destroy the fools who have
invaded the labyrinth, and at the same time, we must go to the rescue of Carrera and the others who are
now in the ice. Now that everyone's consciousness has switched, it's not impossible," Diablo said.

"Yes, that's the plan. Let's quickly settle this world and have Rimuru-sama come back to us," Testarossa
said with a smile. She continued, stating her plan for the future, "If Veldora-sama has gone to Ultima, we
don't need to worry anymore. Then I will go to help Carrera."

Diablo nodded. "I know you're going to ask why I'm helping you, but we have to rescue Milim-sama's men,
too. I'm counting on you."

With these words, Testarossa moved. Now that she had approved the plan, there was no hesitation in her
decision. After looking away from Testarossa, Benimaru turned his attention back to Diablo.

"So, Diablo, what are you going to do?"

Diablo looked at the big screen, smiled wryly, and said what he really meant. "I was going to get rid of
Feldway and give this world to Rimuru-sama, but I've changed my mind. If we don't strengthen the defense
of this land, we may be disobeying Rimuru-sama's order."

The tone was casual, but the content was something that could not be ignored. Zegion reacted with a start.

Benimaru asked on behalf of everyone, "What? Do you think they are a threat?"

Benimaru also looked at the image of the enemy. The information of the enemy was displayed on the
screen, and the approximate existence value of the enemy was also calculated and displayed. They were
Vega, Dino, Pico and Garasha, and Mai Furuki, the "Seven Angels of Death." Each of them exceeded the
figure of one million easily, and some of them exceeded ten million. They were definitely a threat, but not
enough to bother Diablo, Benimaru thought.

"Sure, I'm not at my best right now, but Zegion is here too. You are free to move around without any
concern," Diablo did not change his mind.

"Just in case, you know. Of course, it doesn't mean I don't believe in Zegion," Diablo responded.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just doing my job," Zegion said with conviction. His words were filled with his
determination to protect all the beings in the labyrinth.

"If you've made up your mind, I'm going to go now," Zegion said, always unfazed. He turned his back and
walked away, followed by Apito, who bowed and left. The labyrinth had the strongest guardian, Zegion.
There was nothing to fear.
V21
Ramiris' expression softened at this reassurance. "Well, well. With Zegion-chan, we are safe." Beretta and
Treyni, who had remained silent, could not help but nod their heads at these words. It was frustrating, but
everyone agreed that Zegion was a capable man.

"I'm going to concentrate on my recovery," Geld said, closing his eyes. He suppressed his impetuousness to
fulfill his role, saying that it was his job to rest now.

"I, too, must rest before my turn!" Gabil was also badly injured, though not as badly as Geld. He was more
mana-depleted than Geld and was out of gas. His wounds were healed, but his physical recovery had not
caught up with the others. Like Geld, he was right to rest now.

Gabil was also worried about the old Eurazania, which he said was iced over. He was worried about his
friends Carrera and the others, but he was also concerned about the safety of Suphia, who unexpectedly
became his girlfriend. If it were true, he would have run away, ignoring his injuries. But Gabil had a
responsibility. He had to understand what he could do and what he had to do now, and he had to do it. Gabil
swallowed his many thoughts and devoted himself to his medical treatment.

Thus, the executives of Tempest began to move. Their faces were full of power, their anxiety dispelled.
They were shining with strong will. They were no longer the children who could do nothing without Rimuru,
as Zegion had said. They knew their roles and were doing their best to fulfill them. They would not disgrace
the name of Demon Lord Rimuru. They aimed to have the returning Rimuru recognize and praise their
abilities. Now was the time for them to leave the protection of their Name Granter (Rimuru).

X
 V21

You came, Luminas thought.

Veldora stood calm and unruffled before Dagruel. Naturally, unlike Luminas, who was powerless when time
stood still, Veldora could move through the Suspended World as if it were second nature.

Looking at Veldora, Luminas felt a pang of absurdity. The despair of the past seemed trivial now. The
tension that had built up in anticipation of death dissipated, replaced by an inexplicable sense of relief. Yet,
it was a feeling Luminas didn’t want to acknowledge.

That's ridiculous. How could I be relieved just because Veldora is here? Luminas pushed these thoughts
aside and focused on the present situation.

"Kwah-ha-ha-ha!" Veldora’s laugh echoed. Even in this critical moment, he was as carefree as ever, a sight
that brought Luminas unexpected comfort. In the standstill of time, no one could hear Veldora's voice
except Dagruel, who had activated the Suspended World. Yet, Veldora’s spirited demeanor remained
unchanged.

What are you fooling around for?! The hateful tone belonged to an old enemy.
 V21
Oh, right. She's here too, isn't she? Luminas remembered Ultima's presence.

In the Suspended World, the nature of Veldora’s transcendence of time and space involved Ultima. That
makes sense.

For Luminas, who had only just recognized the Suspended World, the events unfolding before her were
incomprehensible. Yet, if it was real, as Ultima claimed, there was no time to be dumbfounded. Luminas,
conscious but unable to move, heard Ultima’s unrelenting voice in her confused state.

"So, how do you feel? Are you aware of the situation?" Ultima asked.

"Well, yes. I'm not fully aware, but I understand we're out of immediate danger," Luminas replied without
hesitation.

Ultima smiled. "Hmm, it's your first time experiencing the Suspended World, yet you can recognize voices
and have a conversation. You're pretty good at this, aren't you? A worthy opponent, indeed."

Although Ultima hadn't experienced the Suspended World many times, she didn't need to reveal that. She
sought to assert her superiority, then aim to reconcile the situation.

"If you can talk, you can see them, right?" Ultima continued.

"Of course I can. That damned evil dragon is glaring at Dagruel," Luminas responded, as her Ultra Intuition
began to grasp the situation, albeit dimly. Only Veldora and Dagruel moved freely. Though Ultima spoke
confidently, she wasn’t yet accustomed to moving.

"Hmm. So it's possible to interfere with the 'information particles'?" Luminas pondered.

No light, no sound transmission. The Suspended World’s recognition required interference with a special
matter, smaller than spirits or photons, connected to the world’s core. Luminas understood this substance
as what Ultima called "information particles."

"If we can move these 'information particles' freely, we can move even in stopped time, right?" Luminas
asked.

"Exactly. I think I've already got a feel for it," Ultima said, regaining feeling in her limbs. Once she did,
navigating the Suspended World would be as natural as breathing.

I won't be outdone, Luminas resolved. She sharpened her senses, grasping her inner self and the
surrounding matter, selectively moving the unbounded "information particles."
Luminas'V21
fingertips twitched.

"That's good," Ultima remarked. "It's a race."

Time stood still, but there was no time to lose. The outcome of Veldora and Dagruel’s battle was uncertain.
They had to be ready to move before it was decided. Luminas and Ultima honed their senses, competing
with each other in readiness.

While the others began to resist time, the conversation between Veldora and Dagruel continued.

"Veldora, huh? How did you manage to appear at the perfect moment?"

It was incomprehensible to Dagruel that 'Spatial Transportation' was performed in the middle of the
"Suspended World." It was an insane act to come from a distant place with pinpoint accuracy, even if it was
within the visible range.

"Well, you know what I mean. Heroes always make a good appearance," Veldora answered in a knowing
manner to Dagruel's question. It was not the answer he was hoping for, but Dagruel was satisfied because
it was Veldora's way.

To Dagruel, Veldora made a ridiculous proposal.

"So, Dagruel. I'd like to talk to you about something."

"What is it?"

"If time stands still, won't people know how good-looking I am?"

Dagruel thought to himself, What the hell is he talking about?

Once time is stopped, there is not much effort to maintain it. However, it is a hassle in its own way, so there
is no need to deal with it. This aspect also shows Dagruel's good relationship with Veldora.

Veldora said, "If you can move anyway, there is no reason to keep stopping time. That's why I want you to
start over."

"Hmm?"
 V21
"I want to make my appearance again just in time for time to start moving. I'll catch your fist right in front of
Luminas' eyes."

"..."

"That's how I need to impress Luminas."

"May I ask why?"

"What, it's simple. I've done many things in my time. Luminas has a bit of a grudge against me. I'm here to
make a good impression on her and ingratiate myself to make it all go away."

Even Dagruel was disgusted by this story that did not benefit him in the slightest. Therefore, he retorted as
if he were soothing a child.

"Hmmm. I'm going to cancel 'Time Stop' myself, but there's no reason for me to go along with your farce."

He had a good point. Yes, Dagruel had no reason to go along with Veldora. He was a good-natured guy
even if he was just listening to him. In fact, if you are dealing with someone who can move in the
"Suspended World," there is no point in stopping time. It would have been pointless, as it would have
wasted time and energy.

But that is the case when there is only one opponent. The moment Dagruel releases the time-stopping
state, he has to deal not only with Veldora but also with Luminas. Shion will be revived by Luminas, even
though she is down now. This would be more troublesome than now, so it was worthwhile to keep the
"Suspended World."

However, Dagruel was concerned that not only Ultima but also Luminas might recognize the "information
particle" and that the current advantage might be lost if this situation continued. Dagruel was concerned
that the current advantage would be lost. If so, it would be like letting the enemy gain experience. If that is
the case, I would like to cancel the "Suspended World" as soon as possible, but Veldora keeps on
complaining.

"Well, aren’t you a breath of fresh air? Since I have bowed down to you so much, why don't you lend me a
favor?” he insisted, as if it were a matter of course, with his selfish logic.

Dagruel let out a big sigh of exhaustion. And then there was Luminas, who could understand Dagruel's
feelings very well.

(You rotten lizard, I'll shimmy you later!) Luminas turned red and became furious. If she could have moved
now, she would have kicked him. Veldora's attitude was so infuriating that she might be able to move in
anger. Perhaps he thought that Luminas would not hear him because of the "Suspended World," but he was
V21that his true feelings were leaking out.
so careless

I'll hurt you later, Luminas promised herself.

Veldora was free. Dagruel was disgusted. Luminas was angry. Ultima quietly understood the "information
particle." In the midst of these conflicting thoughts and more chaotic situations, the strange phenomenon
continued.

It was Shion who caused it. Her eyes remained closed. Wounds all over her body remained open, blood
continued to flow... Yes, it's unnatural. In the "Suspended World," no matter how badly you are injured, blood
never flows out. It is only natural since even the heart has stopped. And yet, Shion's blood was flowing.

Shion moved with a swaying motion. Her bloodshot eyes widened, and she stood up like a ghost.

"What?"

Before Dagruel's astonishment, Shion took a deep breath.

"Shion...you understand 'Suspended World'?" Dagruel muttered involuntarily.

"Mmm, Shion, now that's me..."

Veldora, who sensed that he was about to be deprived of her turn, talked to Shion awkwardly.

However, Shion spoke up in response.

"Ve, Veldora-sama...that man is my prize. Will you give him to me?" Shion asked Veldora, holding a large
sword as a walking stick and breathing on her shoulder.

"Uh-huh." Veldora nodded his head in a muffled manner. The atmosphere was such that it was impossible
to say no.

Veldora, who had a bad idea, and Shion, who had a different attitude and spirit. Veldora's only choice was to
be dressed up and watch Shion's request.

"Hmmm, okay! I'll lend you a little help. Fight to your heart's content!" Veldora responded while supporting
Shion who was about to fall down. Then, he poured energy into Shion to help her recover.
 V21
(I said I'd lend it to her, but I couldn't give it to her. I said I'd lend you some, but you took it from me without
reservation...)

Veldora, deprived of magicule by Shion, almost wobbled, but he endured desperately.

"Oh, thank you very much..."

"Don't worry about it." He smiled brightly and cried in his heart. Veldora sent Shion off.

Dagruel stood tall like a towering wall. Standing in front of him, Shion readied her daggers with delight.

"I've kept you waiting, haven't I? So, I will entertain you a little more this time."

"Hmm. Well, I'll take you at your word."

The two nodded at each other comfortably, and then faced each other again.

"I must live up to your expectations!"

In the frozen world, the real battle between Dagruel and Shion was about to begin.

Shion reflected on the situation. Inside Shion's mind, tempers flared. She was angry that Dagruel had taken
advantage of her and that she was no match for him. Anger at the fact that her own men and those of the
SS were being defeated. A sense of helplessness in the face of an unreasonable reality. Feelings of
inadequacy and frustration, and envy for the strong. She swallowed all these feelings and suppressed them
with her calm judgment.

Anger was the driving force. She did not run wild as she used to do. She thought about what she could do
and what she could not do. Shion did not hesitate. She did not hate her opponents, but observed them with
her soul. Shion already knew that good or evil—in itself—has no meaning. In the midst of battle,
unnecessary information is useless. Can we conquer it or not? That was all that mattered.

Shion put aside her swirling emotions and accepted things as they were. Following Rimuru's words, Shion
put them into practice. No matter how absurd and difficult the idealism may be, she did so honestly and
simply. As a result, Shion had come to intuit the essence of things with her soul.
V21
Shion's intuition was demonstrated in the battle against Dagruel. Shion felt Dagruel's bottomless and
overwhelming awesomeness even before the battle. Hidden in his gentle appearance, hidden before, was a
raging soul, a fierceness that she had never noticed before. Or perhaps that is the ultimate perfection that
Shion is striving for. Dagruel embodies this, and it makes Shion shudder.

If one thinks about it calmly, the difference in power between Dagruel and Shion is obvious. It was obvious
that they could not even compete on the same level. But still. Shion did not have the word 'retreat' in her
vocabulary.

Rimuru's plan was perfect. There must be a reason why Shion was placed here, because it had to be so.
Therefore, there was no reason for Shion to retreat unless she was ordered to do so. This was Shion's
thinking. She genuinely believed in Rimuru. In a sense, it was an abandonment of thought. However, for
Shion, Rimuru's order was supreme and everything.

(Rimuru-sama would not let us die in vain without doing something. This situation must have a meaning...
then I will do my best to obey until new orders are given.)

A person without hesitation is strong. Shion did not fear even death, but maintained the front line with
undaunted determination. It was this kind of Shion that moved the heart of Luminas.

The noble Blood-sucking Princess hated to be defiled. That's why Luminas had planned everything and set
up a trap with a perfect lineup.

Since the trap was broken, there was no possibility of victory left. Even Shion could understand this, so how
could the wise Luminas not understand it?

The right thing to do was to join Rimuru's forces guarding the labyrinth of Ramiris while preserving as much
strength as possible. Shion, who had so much thought of this, did not resent Luminas' choice. On the
contrary, 'A wise Luminas would quickly get out of this battle zone. At least, she would stop Luminas from
leaving this battlefield.

(Luminas-sama's help was unexpected. If it had been only me, I would have been defeated a long time
ago. But it was a choice like 'fufufu,' if I may say so.)

Demon Lord Luminas was not what Shion had expected. But that made Shion happy. It was reassuring to
know that you have friends you can trust. Shion was glad to have touched the heart of Luminas in the end,
even if she would have to die here, or even more so.

Dagruel was strong. Shion realized this when she actually crossed swords with him. Dagruel was still
hiding his power, Shion was sure of it. If he really wanted to, she would be easily swallowed up by his
power. Defeat is certain. But if even that was what Rimuru wanted, Shion's role was obvious. She must find
V21nature of Dagruel, and then lead it to the next step.
out the true

With this determination, Shion's challenges, which could be called reckless, were repeated. Shion wielded
her sword as if it were a model of what Dagruel should be. Shion wielded her sword as if it were a model
for Dagruel, the man he should aspire to be.

Then, after repeating "death and rebirth" by the power of Luminas...

Time stands still. On the edge of Shion's perception, the world has lost its color.

Not yet! It's not over yet! Shion tries to roar with spirit, but her body does not respond. She stays still,
unable to get up. In fact, she could not even open her mouth. She could not move even for a second. Only
her consciousness continued to be puzzled. But Shion does not give up. The colors fading from the world
are burned into her mind. That moment must be the cause of this mysterious phenomenon.

(Then, all we have to do is to reproduce it!)

It was an absurd theory. Unless we are guided by a great destiny like a Hero, it is impossible for us to
control time with our unique level of power. But, but... Shion neither knew nor cared about such truths. If
there is a possibility, the only thing left to do is to do it.

Shion activates the Unique Skill 'Cook' and remakes her body. As a result, her body, which had been
optimized over and over again, accepted Shion's request this time. The only thing that matters is the result.
Shion had transcended logic and made the "Suspended World" her own. But it was only a process. The goal
was far, far away, and Shion was still a challenger.

A sword flashed in the air. It is a metaphor, for in a world without light, swords would not sparkle. But with a
sharpness that can only be described as such, Shion's sword strike struck Dagruel. In the "Suspended
World" where all physical binding power has been lost, Dagruel was in control of his body with his own will.
He hardened his own body harder than a vajra stone and caught Shion's blow with both arms.

As a result, Dagruel fell to the ground on both knees. Dagruel was unable to catch the force of Shion's
sword as it came down from the top and was engulfed by the force of the blow. Dagruel's eyes widened.
V21
 V21
45-55

In the Suspended World, there is no vibration of air. All connections are severed, preventing the
transmission of energy and the exertion of will. Under these conditions, the body feels as if it's scraping
through a dense medium, making it impossible to gain propulsive force by kicking the ground. The force of
such an action would only gouge the earth, causing the foot to slip, much like Dagruel’s.

In this world, the laws of physics don’t apply, and magical laws are almost entirely ineffective. The battle
under these conditions is unlike any other. Dagruel, with a surge of power, repelled Shion’s sword. This time,
Shion was firmly planted on the ground with both feet.

After several rounds of sword and fist exchanges, both fighters began to adapt. Dagruel relied on his
instincts, and Shion learned from the ongoing fight. The battle grew more intense, not just in appearance
but in the attack and defense of authority.

Dagruel, being an ultimate life form close to a True Dragon, does not possess an Ultimate Skill. Just
swinging his fist generates destructive force that defies physics, causing localized destruction when
released. However, in the Suspended World, these powers are meaningless, greatly limiting Dagruel's
abilities. At this point, fate began to favor Shion.

Shion swung her sword with a clear mind and quick reflexes. Despite this, she couldn't reach Dagruel, who
deflected all of Shion's strikes with his bare hands.

“Wow, so many blows and yet no damage,” Dagruel remarked genuinely. His body, hardened with the power
of ‘destruction of all things,’ made the compliment sincere.

“Of course! My beloved sword was given to me by Rimuru-sama. I love it so much that it is now like a part
of my body!” Shion replied. She polished the sword daily, infusing it with her demonic energy. It had
become an extension of her, reaching the mythical-grade of "Hercules Deluxe," which is why it remained
unbroken in the Suspended World, allowing Shion to survive Dagruel's destructive power.

Dagruel was a phenomenon, possessing powers equivalent to Ultimate Skills, such as Hardening
Transformation, Destruction of All Things, Magic Nullification, Attribute Neutralization, and Quake Wave. He
was known as the “Continent’s Wrath.” Normally, Shion stood no chance against him. Dagruel transcended
both physics and magic, making close combat a suicidal move. However, Shion adapted, using her Unique
V21to produce the results she desired, constantly optimizing herself.
Skill ‘Cook’

Shion emulated Dagruel, trying to incorporate his powers. “I don’t believe it. You think you’re as good as me
with that kind of power?” Dagruel was amazed. Shion’s Unique Skill ‘Cook’ allowed her to hold her own,
even with a significant energy disparity.

Despite the fierce battle, Shion’s imitation couldn't match the real thing. But her luck hadn’t run out yet.
Veldora was present, ready to intervene.

“Hm, it’s about time for my...” Veldora began, but a hand touched him, causing a sudden weakness.
“Gaaaaww!” Veldora’s panicked gaze fell on Luminas, who was recovering from wounds.

Luminas, absorbing Veldora’s vitality, spat, “Hmph! I’ll be punished for being late!” Her blood color improved
as she regained strength and her clothes regenerated. “You just stand there and watch.”

With Veldora out of the way, Luminas joined Shion in the fight against Dagruel. Ultima was also ready. “I
can’t lose to Shion-san. Don’t forget about me!” Known for her rapid growth, Ultima had mastered the
"information particle," fighting more freely than in the real world.

Dagruel, seeing the new arrivals, lamented, “Oh dear, we’ve lost our advantage!” The Suspended World was
now a hindrance against Shion, so Dagruel canceled it.

As time resumed, the battlefield’s noise hit their ears. Ultima, ready to challenge Dagruel, returned to her
opponent, Fenn. Veldora placed a hand on Shion’s shoulder. “Shion, you fought well. But the only reason
you could fight Dagruel was because you were in the Suspended World. Now that time has moved on, the
world is governed by the laws of physics again. Dagruel’s restrictions are lifted, and his supernatural
powers are unleashed.”

Shion thanked Veldora but didn’t fully grasp the warning. Her instincts, however, recognized the danger.
Paralyzed by fear, Shion kicked the ground, launching herself like a cannonball towards Dagruel, swinging
“Hercules Deluxe.” Dagruel caught the blade with his bare hands, their powers clashing in a fierce battle.

Luminas and Veldora watched over the clash. Luminas, sternly asked, “What are you doing?” Veldora
remained silent, disheartened by Shion’s disregard for his advice. He decided to stay silent, feeling he had
missed the right moment to act.

Shion, despite her regenerative abilities and Luminas’ healing magic, faced overwhelming odds. Dagruel’s
destructive power couldn’t deliver a decisive blow, leading to a seemingly endless battle. Dagruel, with a
bitter expression, praised Shion. “My goodness, you’ve really got me fired up, Shion!” He unleashed his
immense power, causing a violent tidal wave on land, dissolving molecular bonds and laying waste to
everything.
 V21 of despair, Shion couldn’t stand, tossed around by the violent forces. Luminas had no time
In this moment
to help, and Veldora, characteristically, did not move without Shion’s call for help. Shion’s body and mind
reached their limit, but then, something deep within her broke loose.

“Rimuru-sama?” Shion was stunned. The pain was overwhelming, but she felt a sudden loss—Rimuru was
gone from this world, bringing true despair. Her mind filled with emptiness, swallowed by despair. For
Shion, Rimuru was everything. Without him, all meaning faded.

“Woooooooooooooooooooooooooo!” Shion howled, rage covering her despair, activating her survival
instincts. She felt a response to her fury, as if a voice was calling back to her.

56-66

<Confirmed. Individual: Shion's seal is lifted. With this, the restricted skill begins to evolve... successfully.
Unique Skill 'Cook' has evolved into Ultimate Skill 'Susanoo'.>

This was the moment Shion awakened to her ultimate power. If Rimuru had been alive and well, she would
never have acquired this power. While fighting against Dagruel, Shion was rapidly transforming her
essence. With honesty and straightforwardness, she accepted things as they were, without being bound by
common sense, and grasped her power. Not only her body, but also her spirit, laid the foundation for
Shion's evolution.

And now, Rimuru has disappeared. This was the moment.

Shion had the potential to kill Rimuru. Ciel, who had been wary of Shion's potential, disappeared with
Rimuru, lifting the watchful eye on Shion. With this, Shion's authority was fully realized. However, the
evolution of authority was meaningless to Shion. Without Rimuru, all power was useless.

No.

Absolutely not.

Shion saw the light in hell. Rimuru's plan was sound. It must not be. Then even this situation was part of
the plan.

Shion was a fool. She did not doubt and fear. She did not doubt Rimuru's victory, even though she had no
evidence to support it.

(That's Rimuru-sama! You saw this coming!)

It was anV21
overestimation based on Shion's assumption, but for her, it was the truth. Joy and envy filled
Shion's heart, and she felt an unbelievable outpouring of power. Pure violence. The power of destruction. A
force of tyranny, without regard to good or evil. It was the most powerful power that could kill Rimuru. If
Ciel had been there, she would have grumbled, "That's why I had sealed it." But Shion did not notice it.

(Thank you, Rimuru-sama!)

She took the power she had won with glee. Shion, who had always been aware of Dagruel, had been
considerably influenced to optimize her body. The same was true for her evolved power, the Ultimate Skill
'Susanoo: The Lord of Tyranny,' which was the incarnation of tyranny. Dagruel, the incarnation of tyranny. In
a sense, it was inevitable that the Ultimate Skill 'Susanoo' took control of the tyranny.

Therefore, the violence of the Tidal Wave, which was raging in the sky, could be controlled without any
difficulty by Shion. Absorbing all the energy that had been raging on the battlefield, Shion stood up with
aplomb. She stared at Dagruel with unyielding will and declared, "This time, it is my turn to crush you!"

The endless thirst for victory drove Shion. The battle between those who possessed penetrating violence
was about to come to an end.

Veldora, who had foreseen Shion's defeat and was about to step forward with clenched fists, took a sad
and courageous step forward and scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

"What are you doing?" Luminas's look of disgust hurt Veldora.

Veldora coughed to cover his mistake and laughed loudly. "Quahaha! It seems that Shion is doing as well
as I expected."

"..."

"Oh-hon." Coughing once again, Veldora looked at the others besides Shion. On the battlefield, local battles
were still ongoing and local tensions were high. The entry of the top ranks of both sides into the battle had
caused a disturbance in the chain of command. The effects of this were obvious.

The Titans had become agitated, making it difficult for them to mount an organized resistance. Individually
strong, they were not good at coordinated military actions. Luminas's forces, on the other hand, were well-
prepared. Each of them knew their role, and they had trained for every possible situation. Thanks to them,
the battle line tilted in favor of Luminas.
 V21that, there were swirling eddies of various sizes in various places. The warriors avoided the area
Apart from
due to the fierce fighting. At the center of the small whirlpools were Glassord and Albert, engaged in a
serene yet furious battle. A swordfight continued in their own private world, where stillness and movement
intersected violently.

In a larger vortex, multiple figures clashed. Louis Valentine, the champion of blood-sucking demons, and
Basara, the "Four-armed" leader of the Five Warrior Generals, were engaged in a fierce battle, one of the
best in the preliminary stage. Joining them was Gunther Strauss, steward of Luminas. Impressed by the
Lord's determination to defend the land to the death, Gunther stopped thinking about the future and took to
the battlefield. It was not an order from Luminas, but exactly what Gunther wanted.

"I'll help you, Louie."

"Well, it's been a few hundred years since we fought together. I hope you haven't lost your strength,
Gunther."

They talked lightly, and the rest was a natural pairing. Around them, the famous and powerful men were
fighting in a group battle. The Seven Nobles under Louis and the Five Warrior Generals, the core of the Titan
Army, clashed with each other. The Titans were strong enough to overcome their numerical disadvantage.
The battle went back and forth, with both sides saving their hidden gems. Even at this stage, predicting the
outcome of the battle was difficult.

In the largest vortex, the most intense battle was taking place. Adalmann, who had become a young man
through 'assimilation by possession' with Wenti, was challenging Fenn, the "three-star general," with all his
might. Ultima cooperated with Adalmann. Ultima had taken Fenn by surprise as soon as the "Suspended
World" was released. In terms of numbers alone, Fenn was so transcendent that even if the two fought
together, the battle would be inconceivable. However, the synergistic effect of Ultima and Adalmann, with
their accumulated experience and superior skill level, made it an evenly matched battle.

In all areas, the battle was competitive. Veldora saw this and decided he did not need to intervene.

"Hmm. They are all reliable, aren't they?" Veldora muttered.

Luminas interrupted. "What, you're still here?"

Veldora was startled by her cold words but smiled broadly. "Kwaaah-hahaha!" He tried to cover up with a
smile, as if he were losing the game. But Veldora was not at peace with the situation. He was upset when
he realized that the connection with Rimuru had been severed. However, Veldora still believed in Rimuru.
Although the connection was broken, he still felt a faint presence.

(I am sure that something happened, but there is no need for me to panic. Yes, it would be more dangerous
to abandon the work at this moment.)
V21
Veldora sensed this and decided to watch over the situation, ready to intervene at any time. Luminas glared
at Veldora and spat, "You're in my way. If you don't want to fight, just stay out of the way."

Veldora was frightened for a moment. (Ugh, Ugh...why must I be treated like a villain?) Since Luminas was
scared, it was natural for him to get a little teary-eyed. However, it was his own fault because of what he
said. Veldora did not realize this, so there was no reflection on his part.

"Luminas, don't be so cold! I am doing my best. I saved your lives just now!" Veldora boasted with a smug
look.

He said this to appease Luminas, but her cold attitude did not change. On the contrary, he felt he had
stepped on a land mine.

"Really? I was saved?" Luminas's cold gold and silver heterochromia eyes looked at Veldora.

"Uh-huh!" Veldora broke out in a cold sweat but seemed to regain his composure and puffed out his chest.
It was a bluff, but it also had the opposite effect.

"You evil lizard!" she spat at him and turned her face away.

Veldora was saddened, feeling this was more painful than being yelled at.

Veldora's sadness was none of Shion's concern. The battle with Dagruel had reached its climax, and the
end was near. Dagruel and Shion clashed. Shion's attack hit Dagruel directly but did not even cause him an
itch. Shion, however, was undaunted and repeated her attacks. Dagruel, not to be outdone,
counterattacked. Shion's "Hercules Deluxe" caught a fist heavier than a massive iron hammer. Before the
next barrage of blows could be unleashed, Shion continued to fire her fighting spirit with her large sword.

Dagruel floated in the air. It was an unusual sight. He was more than one size larger than Shion, and there
was a huge gap between them in terms of the amount of magicule. Sensibly, it was an impossible
phenomenon.

"Nooooo!"

"Not yet!" Shion followed.

She put V21
more fighting spirit into "Hercules Deluxe" and slammed it into Dagruel. Her deadly sword, whose
blade had more than tripled in length, struck Dagruel directly. Dagruel, however, was also a great fighter.

"Nnnn!" Dagruel formed a defensive membrane with his whole body filled with his fighting spirit, eliminating
Shion's technique. The "Hercules Deluxe" was caught by Dagruel's crossed arms. He then returned the favor
with a kick. Shion, however, clicked her tongue and retreated from the situation. The residue of Dagruel's
fighting spirit hit Shion, but she was strangely unconcerned, as if nothing had happened.

"Hmm?" Dagruel wondered, suspicious that the response was different from what he expected, and tried to
find out the cause.

Shion, by contrast, was unconcerned. She did not even realize her power had increased, and just kept on
attacking Dagruel.

Dagruel immediately realized that even he did not understand. In such a situation, it was hard to expect to
gather information through conversation.

(Never mind. We can just smash them as we had originally planned.) Dagruel changed his mind and
counterattacked with more force. As a result, Shion's power also increased, and the battle became more
and more fierce.

The reason for Shion's change was her evolved power. The essence of the Ultimate Skill 'Susanoo, the King
of Tyranny' was the offsetting ability (Mai Nasu Break), which can be called the natural enemy of spiritual
life forms. When she received energy from Veldora, she unknowingly utilized the power before it was
completed. She offset the received energy with her own, neutralizing it and converting it into her own. Not
only that, she could also take the target's energy and divert it by her own attack, making her able to defeat
any enemy in the end.

However, the "eventually" was the key point. Since Shion's energy was limited, it could not become
inexhaustibly strong. If this were the only reason, it would not be as strong as Dagruel, which was far
superior to Shion. The reason Shion was able to approach Dagruel so rapidly was because she was
operating her power beyond the limit. Shion had been trying to absorb and own the huge amount of energy
that would normally collapse her own body. Even if she was damaged by the surplus, she exercised her
power without worrying about it. This caused Dagruel to accumulate more fatigue than necessary, reducing
his physical strength even though he was not injured. This is why she is a natural enemy of spiritual life
forms. Combined with Shion's immortality, the effect was all the more vicious.

Shion, as the name of the tyranny implies, controlled the raging energy. She took the energy and put it in her
own body to fight against Dagruel. Thanks to the Ultimate Skill 'Susanoo', she fought a good battle against
Dagruel, a mass of energy.
However,V21
that was about to end. Dagruel was a monster with a hundred battles under his belt. He had not
claimed to be a demon lord and was not so soft that he could do whatever he wanted to the newly
awakened chicks.

(I see. She seems to be appropriating my power, doesn't she?) Dagruel thought. (Then, the countermeasure
is easy. All I have to do is end the game with a power that Shion cannot control.)

"I will do my best. Don't hate me even if I die!" Dagruel declared.

"I hope so!" Shion responded.

Dagruel unleashed his localized destruction technique, an anti-personal technique that converges
maximized energy shockwaves.

"Maelstrom Buster!"

Dagruel's high energy shone blue, and the wave spiraled like a whirlpool. Riding the wave, Dagruel's huge
frame took the lead and approached Shion. At first glance, it looked like a drop kick, but its hidden
destructive power (energy) was truly Catastrophe-class. Even with her Ultimate Skill 'Susanoo, the King of
Tyranny', it was impossible to neutralize all of them. Dagruel tried to end the game with power that was an
order of magnitude different from Shion's. (The difference in power was overwhelming, something that
could not be overcome by level.)

"I am sorry, but you should know that what you have cultivated is powerless in front of me."

Dagruel recognized Shion. He did not underestimate her and admired her experience and strength of mind.
However, Dagruel knew well that there was no room for such feelings in a battle, and that the only result
would be an overthrow by force. Shion fought well, but only so far. When faced with Dagruel's true spirit,
she had no other choice but to face the irresistible end.

For Dagruel, it was not a certainty but a reality that had to happen.

67-74

However, Shion was unaware of Dagruel's inner thoughts. In the first place, it did not matter what the
enemy was thinking once the battle had begun. Even in the face of the oncoming Dagruel-polar vortex
maelstrom buster, Shion smiled fearlessly.

Dagruel noticed this and became suspicious.

"Has sheV21
given up in the face of death? No, that's not it..."

Shion looked like a challenger who had not yet given up on victory. Her expression showed her will to fight
back. At a time when there was nothing she could do—

But at that moment, a flash of light fell on Dagruel's brain.

"True Chaotic Fate!"

Shion's flame arrived late. Dagruel's eyes widened in astonishment. Yes, there was an intense pain in his
brain and forehead that he had not felt in a long time. It was a pain that had been there for thousands of
years, but that was not the only thing that startled Dagruel.

He felt a solid response as if a maelstrom buster had exploded with the intention of killing Shion and his
respect for her. This was as expected, but Shion's response was unexpected. Shion threw away all her
defenses and focused all her energy on the attack.

"That's ridiculous! Is she trying to die?"

Dagruel liked Shion. He was even attached to Shion to the extent that he did not want her to die if possible.
Although they were enemies now, he thought they might become friends when the war was over. Even if
that was impossible, Dagruel had no intention of killing her. If she was as strong as Shion, there was a
possibility that she could survive as long as she was on the run. As long as she did not give up her life to
the end, Dagruel was willing to let her go as long as she did not disturb him anymore.

However, Shion died in a vain attempt to save her life...

"What?"

At that moment, Dagruel noticed something strange. He was distracted by the pain in his brain, but there
was something else wrong. Incredibly—yes, unbelievably, but unrealistically—Dagruel was on his knees on
the ground. He could not get up.

"What happened?"

Dagruel read his memory again. Shion did not defend. She had done her best to counterattack, perhaps
realizing that she would not be able to defend herself completely. She slashed "Hercules Deluxe" from
below to counter Dagruel's attack from above. Normally, the blade would never have reached Dagruel
because it would have been repelled by the violence of the maelstrom buster. The difference in power was
that great, but at the moment of intersection, Shion's blade disappeared as if in a haze. It was as if the
V21
blade had defied the laws of physics and struck Dagruel directly.

"No way... Guaranteed Outcome? Did Shion perform 'causality manipulation' on me?"

Dagruel's understanding was correct. Shion had already had the experience of reaching Dagruel with her
blade on several occasions. Although she had not been able to inflict much damage, she had certainly been
able to "hit" him. So for Shion, it was a simple matter to reproduce the phenomenon.

The power of the Ultimate Skill 'Susanoo' is 'Thought Acceleration, Universal Perception, Demon Lord Haki,
Guaranteed Outcome, Infinite Regeneration, Behavioral Alteration, Emptiness Offsetting, Illusion
Destruction, Spacetime Manipulation, Multidimensional Barrier'—all outstandingly diverse and useful.
Among them, 'Infinite Outcome' and 'Illusion Destruction' are the most dangerous ones, and if combined,
they could kill even Rimuru, as Ciel warned. Since Shion made full use of these powers, it is natural that
Shion's true Chaotic Fate gave Dagruel a severe blow.

However, Shion herself would not be safe. Shion was also directly hit by Dagruel's Chaotic Fate, and her
'Ultraspeed Regeneration' or even 'Infinite Regeneration' should have killed her instantly. But that is only if
Shion was alone.

"Rebirth!"

Luminas's beautiful voice echoed through the battlefield. The voice of Luminas echoed on the battlefield to
save Shion by the hand of God before the violence of Dagruel shattered her soul. Shion, who was destined
to die, was rescued from the brink of death by Demon Lord Luminas' Ultimate Skill 'Lustful King Asmodeus'.

Shion stood proudly against Dagruel, who knelt on the ground. The victory was clear for all to see.

"Uh-huh. Thank you for saving my life, Luminas-sama."

"You dummy... what were you going to do if I couldn't save you?"

In that case, Shion would have died. Shion's strategy had worked, as she had hoped that Luminas would
surely be able to save her.

"Of course, I believed that Luminas-sama would do something about it!"

Hearing this, Luminas let out a big sigh of exasperation. She shook her head and smiled.

"Don't call me 'sama'. You can call me Luminas."

"—!" V21

"Are you dissatisfied?"

"No, Luminas, from this day on you are my friend!"

Very straightforwardly, Shion smiled and showed her goodwill.

"Hmph! You can think whatever you like!"

Luminas responded with a bright red cheek, as if embarrassed. Then, she turned away from Shion with a
tsuntsun.

Veldora, who was watching the battle, also saw Luminas talking with Shion. He guessed that this was a
tsundere, but he had enough sense not to say anything about it. For now, he was more concerned about
joining in the conversation and getting out of the "botch."

"Quahhhhhh! That was really brilliant. That was really brilliant, Shion!"

Veldora laughed with amusement. Veldora was convinced that they had mingled naturally. But he was
naive.

"The evil lizard is still here?"

Luminas gave him a cold stare. The warm look she had given Shion was replaced by a gaze so cold that
even the flames seemed to freeze.

Veldora's heart core was almost broken by Luminas' cold attitude. He felt like running away, but he held
back and pretended to be unconcerned.

"Of course, of course. I was watching over you because I was worried about you!"

"Really?" Veldora emphasized. "Shion, you have exceeded my expectations! Well done! I am impressed!"
 V21 Shion in this way, Veldora tried to somehow warm up the cool air.
While praising

"Enough is enough," Luminas thought. Actually, she was not that angry. In fact, she was grateful for the
help. However, she hesitated to express her gratitude. She felt that Veldora might take advantage of it, and
moreover, Luminas was not able to be honest with Veldora.

For this reason, Luminas decided to end the discussion at this point.

"Well, it would be too early to let up."

Even though they defeated the enemy general Dagruel, the war was still going on. They were not ready to
relax yet. And just like that, Luminas' fears came true. The defeat of Dagruel affected morale, and the
atmosphere on the battlefield became harsh on the Titans. The fall of the generals buoyed the Titans. That
was fatal on the battlefield.

Glassord was also upset, and his sword became dull. As a result, Albert was beginning to overwhelm him.
Fenn also clucked his tongue and tried to rush to the rescue, but Ultima did not allow him to do so. She is
not the kind of person who would overlook the enemy's weakness, so she attacked him at the right
moment. Adalmann was no different. In return, he and Ultima worked in close cooperation and hunted
down Fenn.

Victory seemed imminent, but then, a loud laugh broke out on the battlefield. The owner of that spine-
chillingly powerful laugh was Dagruel, whom Shion had just defeated.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha! No way, huh? I never thought I would be made to kneel on the ground. I underestimated you,
Shion. I apologize."

Saying this, Dagruel stood up nonchalantly. Shion felt that the response was real. She had succeeded in
reducing Dagruel's Energy significantly, although she had not inflicted any serious wounds. Yet, Dagruel did
not seem to respond.

"No need to apologize. I am ashamed that I thought I had beaten him."

"Ha-ha-ha! Don't be modest. No one has ever been able to make me bleed since Veldanava. You should be
proud, Shion!"

True to his words, blood still trickled down from Dagruel's brain to his forehead. And, due to Shion's vicious
power, it showed no sign of recovery. Nevertheless, Dagruel's haki was gaining momentum. An eerie feeling
was hanging over the battlefield centering on Dagruel.
SensingV21
this, Shion and Luminas braced themselves. But here, there was one who rejoiced. It was Veldora,
of all people.

"Ku ku ku...you are Dagruel, after all. That's the man who used to be my rival!"

With these words, Veldora walked up to Dagruel.

"Shion, you may rest there."

And then, Veldora and Dagruel faced each other.

"After all, I am your opponent, am I not?"

"Yes, I am. If you were going to come out, we should have done this on our own."

Dagruel's goal is Luminas, but if Veldora interferes with that goal, the priorities change. The importance of
the two was very different. For Dagruel, for lack of a better term, "this is no time to be dealing with wood
chips."

"You should return to your true self so that you will not regret it. Let's do our best to settle our differences!"

Veldora said in a loud voice. Dagruel nodded in agreement.

"Very well! Let's see who's better, the dragon or the giant!"

75-86

Both of them glared at each other happily.

"Today is the day I'll make you understand that I'm superior!"

"I won't hold back, Veldora, you too!"

Both shouted at the same time. They transformed into their true forms simultaneously. Veldora changed
into Dragon Mode, and Dagruel summoned his brothers.

"Glassord, Fenn, come. Now is the time to show our power!"

 V21 answered his call. Glassord bowed to Albert and joined Dagruel. Fenn kicked Adalmann, who
The brothers
was clinging to him, and punched Ultima, who had taken him by surprise.

"Damn, they're a bunch of weaklings. I'll deal with them later," he said, returning to Dagruel. And so, the
three brothers were reunited.

"Open the door, Ashura!"

By Dagruel's order, the ancient seal was broken. The three brothers—Dagruel, Glassord, and Fenn—were
enveloped in a dazzling light. It was the return of the mythical god of destruction. A three-faced, six-armed
titanic god with unimaginable energy was revealed.

Thus, Dagruel's preparations were complete.

"Kwah-ha-ha-ha! Dagruel, is that your true nature?"

"Yes, it is. Be prepared, Veldora, for I am not so kind now!"

The heavens cried, and the earth trembled. A mythical battle was about to begin between those who
possessed supernatural powers that could destroy the world.

Shion and her team realized at first sight that the Giant God was a formidable being. The overwhelming
haki released from Dagruel, which had merged with his brothers, was truly worthy of being called a god.
The atmosphere vibrated, and thunder roared. It was as if the heavens were frightened by the might of
Dagruel. Shion and the others were so overwhelmed by the strange atmosphere that they could not speak.

Luminas barely managed to speak her mind. "What a monster... I can't handle it."

This was the impression that all the people who had seen him must have had. There was no point in being
patient. If they were going to die a dog's death, it was better to run away with a chance of survival. However,
because Veldora was facing such a giant god, the expressions on the faces of Shion and Luminas were
more relaxed. No, it was a sign of resignation. They knew that their fate would be over once Veldora was
defeated. In other words, it was as if they had left everything to Veldora. It was easy now, and they were
less fearful. Shion and Luminas decided to watch the game as if they were spectators.

Veldora shouted to Shion and the others. "Shion, when the battle begins, defend yourselves with all your
might. With your power, you will be able to unite everyone's strength to your advantage."
Veldora'sV21
voice became a 'Telepathy Net' that reached the entire battlefield. "Adalmann, Albert, and the
scattered blood-sucking demons (vampires) will all cooperate with Shion. If one of us fails to do our part,
we will all be caught in the middle of this and be obliterated! Quahhhhhh!"

Dagruel did not stop there either. Like Veldora, he prioritized the safety of his men. "Basara, do you
understand the situation? Secure the safety of your men as soon as possible."

Basara was now engaged in a heated battle against Louis and Gunther. The mood was really good, but the
king's order was the only way to comply with it. "I'll wait a little longer to settle the matter. But if Dagruel-
sama defeats Veldora, the aftermath will be a disaster for you."

As soon as Basara said these words, he called together the Five Warrior Generals under his command and
started to rebuild his forces. Louis and Gunther had no objection.

"They were very strong, weren't they?"

"Well, it's the famous 'Four-armed'. He's not ready yet."

"I guess he hasn't. I wasn't serious either, but let's see who has more tricks up their sleeve..."

Louis did not see the point in winning or losing on the field. He was saving his strength to be of use to
Luminas when the generals would finally decide who would win. However, this was no longer necessary.
They did not expect that Veldora, their old enemy, would fight on their behalf, but now there was no room
for them to intervene. It was annoying that Veldora was giving them such high-handed instructions, but
since Luminas was in favor of this situation, Louis and Gunther had no objection to it. Veldora took charge
of the situation as if it were a matter of course, and gave orders as if they were decisions.

The last person he called out to was the fainting sons of Dagruel.

"Dagura, Liura, Debura, don't sleep! Dagura, Liura, Debura!"

The three brothers jumped up after being hit by a loud 'thought.' Veldora confirmed this and continued.
"Watch what is about to happen. We are about to defeat your father!"

Veldora finished gravely. The three brothers were speechless at the unusual and heroic appearance of
Veldora. However, they seemed to understand that something extraordinary was about to happen, and they
nodded their heads in a panic. Not only the three brothers, but everyone was pressured by the serious
atmosphere of Veldora.

What was about to happen was a battle of mythical proportions. They must be witnesses to the battle and
pass it on to the next generation. The atmosphere of Veldora was unusually serious, which impressed not
only Shion and the others but also Luminas. Well, only Luminas was a bit skeptical...
V21
As a matter of fact, she was right on the mark.

"Kuku, now I look pretty good! Everyone is amazed at my brave figure! This is it! This is what I've been
waiting for!"

Veldora was thinking of something that would ruin the atmosphere. It is fortunate for everyone that no one
noticed Veldora's true intentions.

The myth was reenacted. Dagruel, the incarnation of tyranny, and Veldora, the incarnation of windstorm.
The common element in their powers was "thunder." Dagruel could manipulate the difference in electric
potential between the atmosphere and the earth at will, thanks to his own supernatural ability. Therefore, he
was able to use lightning, the most powerful means of attack in the natural world, and the same was true
V21Veldora could generate lightning naturally by circulating his own energy.
for Veldora.

Inevitably, both Veldora and Dagruel were highly resistant to lightning. Therefore, it would be meaningless
to just hit each other with lightning blasts. Yet, Veldora and Dagruel converted each other's fighting aura
into lightning and hit each other. The lightning, which was so powerful that it could obliterate an army of
10,000 men in an instant, dissipated in the air, unable to even touch each other's skin. This was the result of
the 'Barrier' they were wearing, which caused the different energies to interfere with each other and create
a vast column of lightning over a vast area of the battlefield.

Within a few minutes, the battlefield became a screaming inferno. Both sides had set up defensive
positions in advance, so there were no casualties. However, they were so exhausted that it was difficult for
them to maintain their defensive positions.

They thought to each other, "This is not good. We would not be able to witness the myth, but we would all
perish as collateral damage."

As soon as Luminas realized this, she shouted. "Evil dragon! This is why I don't like people who don't know
how to take it easy!"

It's no use complaining, but Luminas was very harsh because of the trouble she had suffered from Veldora
many times. It was just a way of venting her frustration, but someone else responded to her.

"I understand. If our generals get really violent, it's not good for the people below us."

It was Basara. They were worried about the strength of the 'Defense Barrier' they had built by themselves,
so they approached the Luminas group thinking of using them as a shield. As the 'Barrier' of the two camps
made contact with each other, Luminas' complaint was heard.

Basara just muttered a few words in agreement. He did not think that Luminas could hear him, and he had
no other intention. However, Luminas was a hell-ear. She noticed Basara's reply and glanced at him.

"Hmmm. If we continue like this, both camps' 'Barriers' will falter. If that happens, only a few will survive..."

The Titans would be wiped out, even if their own camp was not. Luminas did not want to exterminate the
Titans. She and Dagruel were on bad terms, but that was because of a grudge. She thought that it would be
bad for her sleep to take all of them with her in their quarrel. She wanted to save the lives she could, if
possible. There was only one chance that all of them could survive.

There was a moment of hesitation. Luminas decided to speak to Basara.

"Basara,V21
I have a proposal for you, since I believe you are brave enough to defeat Louis and Gunther."

It was a thought that echoed through the minds of the entire army. This meant that the negotiations were
taking place in a situation where even the ends of both camps were listening. Basara steeled himself
against answering carelessly.

"I'm listening, Blood-sucking demon queen."

"You must cooperate with me."

"What?"

"We must all form a defensive formation. We'll need to gather all of our strength and have Shion reinforce
it."

This was the answer that Luminas came up with. On this battlefield, it is difficult for people who have been
enemies to suddenly cooperate with each other. However, if they did not do it, they would all die. Basara
understood this.

"This is a proposal, but in effect, it is our salvation..."

If only Luminas with Shion could survive, they might be able to survive. Certainly, it would be easier if
Basara and the others cooperated. Even considering that, it was not enough reason to help their arch-
enemy.

"I mean, it would be better to take advantage of this situation and get rid of us. And yet, this queen is so
kind."

"We're no match for her," Basara thought. "I'll be glad to take you up on your offer. You fellows have nothing
to complain about?"

The Titans responded! They responded. Thus, Luminas' proposal was unanimously accepted. Thus,
everyone survived.

Dagruel manipulated waves at will. Shaking the earth could cause earthquakes, and shaking the
atmosphere could generate electrical discharges. It was also easy to create a vacuum wave by intentionally
manipulating air currents. However, this did not work with Veldora. It was natural. Veldora, after all, was an
incarnation of a windstorm. Dagruel was well aware of this, and there was nothing to panic about now.
They had been quarreling with each other for many years, and they knew each other's nature very well.
V21 the story is different now.
Nevertheless,

With his own full power—now that he had become a part of the Trinity—Dagruel thought he would have the
upper hand against Veldora.

"Come to think of it, this is the first time I've tested this power on you."

"Hmm. I must tell you, I'm not the same as I used to be."

"Give me that. I've prepared an excuse for you if I lose!"

It was the first time that Dagruel had released his true power since his defeat at the hands of Veldanava.
Even if Fenn had not been sealed, he would not have needed his power. Dagruel himself was that strong.
But now that he had become an Ashura, even his former self seemed small. Dagruel realized that his blood
was boiling and he was excited.

Now was the time to face off against his long-time opponent. He was convinced that Veldora, once his
equal, was no match for the Trinity. Magic would not work. Now that he had three faces and six arms, he
had no blind spot. Even before that, his body, which had reached the highest hardness, even surpassing
that of a vajra stone by his 'hardening ability,' could repel any attack. For example, even if a Glassord with a
mythical-grade body attacked the current Trinity (Ashura), it would not be able to inflict even a single wound
on him. That is how invincible Dagruel is now.

So, he said arrogantly, "Let me have some fun, Veldora!"

To which Veldora replied with a laugh, "Kwah-ha-ha-ha!”

“Stop laughing! Bark when you win."

Even in front of Dagruel, Veldora was the same as usual. No fear, no pride, no overconfidence in his own
strength. He was simply and genuinely ready for battle. It was the way of a warrior. Veldora understood
this. If he lost, Luminas and Shion would not survive either. Veldora would not allow it. Now that he had a
burden to bear, Veldora was serious despite his playfulness.

The battle that began in this way resembled a great battle of monsters. Veldora shot a monstrous ray of
light—Thunderstorm—from his mouth. He charged magicule particles compressed inside his body and shot
them out as a cannonball. Accelerated to sub-light speed, it was as powerful as a charged particle cannon.
Naturally, it was impossible to avoid it, and just as it was about to hit Dagruel with a discharge after
passing by, it was grabbed by one of Dagruel's outstretched arms and vanished.
"You areV21
so boring, Veldora. These kinds of tricks won't work on me."

Dagruel's words were not intended as an insult but as his true intention.

87-92

Veldora's superb attack was no threat to Dagruel, who had become the Trinity (Ashura). But Veldora was no
slouch either. He didn’t care about Dagruel's words and moved on to the next move as planned.

In other words, using Thunderstorm as a decoy, Veldora created his own 'Split Body' with his Ultimate Skill
'Chaos King Nyarlathotep'. Though he couldn’t deploy as many 'Split Bodies' at the same time as his sister
Velgrynd, he could deploy them many times. These 'Split Bodies' had the same combat ability as his,
making them extremely dangerous and vicious.

The dragon claws of Veldora's 'Split Body' closed in on Dagruel.

"This is the real deal! Take a bite, Dragon Claw!"

The name of the move was just as it sounded, but its power was guaranteed. Veldora's dragon claws were
released at ultra-high speed, and although they were small compared to the dragon's huge body, they had
the ability to tear apart any matter in the world. The claws of Veldora's six fingers on his left hand slashed
at Dagruel with a bewitching purple glow. Dagruel's 'hardening ability' and Veldora's 'splitting ability'
collided, and the world seemed to creak under the strain.

Impact—and arms upon arms disappearing. One of Dagruel's arms that blocked Veldora's claw vanished,
and Veldora's left fist, which had done the damage, disappeared as well.

It was a blow. In Veldora's case, however, it was only one arm of a 'Split Body'. It wasn’t much damage.
However, Dagruel wasn’t defeated either. One of his lost arms was regenerated in an instant.

"Damn! I've just damaged your unreasonably strong body, but it regenerates after all..."

"Spit it out, Veldora! I'm truly surprised that you'd wound me now..."

They complained about each other's unreasonableness. Veldora was annoyed that his supposedly deadly
blow had little effect. Dagruel, on the other hand, was feeling abhorrent because his invincible body, of
which he had been so proud, had been so easily damaged. As if they had been longtime rivals, they were in
perfect sync. They were in the mood for a small test. As if the real work was just beginning, their attacks
became more and more severe.
 V21

"This is no time to enjoy the battle," Veldora finally thought.

The unexploded 'Split Body' had been recovered quickly. So, there was not much energy drain. He still had
energy. If he fought at this pace, the recovery rate of the magicule was faster than that of the 'Split Body'.
But it was the same for Dagruel. Half-hearted attacks would be meaningless to each other. He understood
that and felt it firsthand—however, it was not possible to make a big move out of the blue.

Since they couldn’t expect their opponents to let their guard down, they needed to create an opening
somehow. Just like "kuzushi" in judo, it was important to secure your own advantage first. It was a fool's
errand to put forth one's best effort in the preliminaries. "Storm Dragon" and "God of Destruction"—they
were evenly matched, and the one who was too hasty would be defeated.

But, however...

Veldora ignored all such theories and launched an attack on Dagruel.

"Kwah-ha-ha-ha! Let's go, Wingblade!"

Veldora created several 'clones'. Unlike the 'Split Body', they couldn’t synchronize their consciousness and
act freely. However, they had been ordered to act in advance so that they were as powerful as the real
'Clone'. The 'Clones' swarmed around Dagruel in ultra-high-speed flight. Their wings vibrated, turning into
high-frequency blades. The vibrations of the two pairs of wings, one large and one small, created a "blade
world of death" that cut through molecular bonds. But Dagruel wasn’t panicked.

"Damn, he still can't read!" he said, but took appropriate actions on the spot. In other words, a sword to the
blade. Instead of Dagruel, Glassord's face, which had been on the side, turned to the front. Then, he held up
the greatsword with both hands and gave a flash of his spirit.

"Nope!"

Dagruel (Glassord) swatted away Veldora's 'clones' like flies. Even the continuous attack of the "Blade of
Death" by multiple 'Clones' was just annoying child's play to Dagruel. The top speed of the sword, now more
than ten meters long, easily surpassed the speed of sound, as befits a giant god. With the level of Glassord,
who was a master of the sword, an invisible gap "absolute offensive and defensive sword area" was already
formed. As soon as they entered the "absolute offensive and defensive sword zone," Veldora's 'Clones' were
destroyed. Without any success, all of the Veldoras were intercepted.
Dagruel V21
didn’t slow down his attack. Fenn's face turned to the front.

"Bind the chains!"

In Fenn's hand was the Gleipnir, which binds even the gods. With it, he tried to capture Veldora.

"Gee wha!"

Fenn released a chain, which bound Veldora in Dragon Mode. Several 'clones' disappeared, leaving only the
bound Veldora.

"Too bad, Veldora, you tried to deceive me, but to no avail. It is easy for my 'true eye' to see through your
true nature."

Dagruel's 'true eye' had found the one with the largest amount of energy among several 'clones' without any
difficulty. No matter how many imposters (dummies) Veldora produced, they were meaningless in front of
the 'true eye'. Veldora, bound with chains, vanished in a black mist. Immediately after that, a cheerful voice,
not unlike those on the battlefield, echoed out.

"Alas! It was my imposter!"

Veldora shouted in a mocking manner, trying to rouse Dagruel. Dagruel was annoyed and surprised at the
same time. He was annoyed and surprised because he had been so easily fooled by the 'true eye'.

"Really? You have deceived my eyes, haven't you? Isn’t that peculiar? What kind of trick did you do?"

"Hmmm. This, Dagruel, is the difference between you and me!" Veldora said with a smug look on his face
that sounded like a sound effect. Veldora was beginning to get a bit carried away, though there was not
such a big difference.

"Even if you unleash your true power, you can't beat me. There is a reason why I can't win!"

Veldora blurted out some mysterious statement at random. Although there was no solid basis for this
statement, Dagruel was deceived. Dagruel was feared as the incarnation of tyranny, but he was an honest
man at heart. This was evident in the fact that Dagruel had the strongest personality of all the members of
the Octagram.

"The reason why you can't win, you say?"

 V21 I'm growing up too. I don't want you to think I'm the same as before!"
"You're right.

Dagruel should have been thrilled that Veldora was letting his guard down. However, he didn’t do so, and
that is why Veldora is Veldora. Veldora dodged Dagruel's question. However, Veldora really believed that he
could beat Dagruel. Because he had grown up and gained new authority. He couldn’t explain more than
that. Therefore, it was not certain, but for Dagruel, who didn’t know it, it was like a smoke screen.

Incidentally, the way Veldora misrepresented the 'true eye'... Normally, it was impossible to deceive the 'true
eye. The trick that made it possible was in the power of Veldora's Ultimate Skill 'Chaos King
Nyarlathotep'—'Probability Manipulation' of Veldora's Ultimate Skill 'Chaos King Nyarlathotep'.

93-100

Veldora changed the probability of his existence and switched the body and the 'Clone' in an instant. It was
a kind of fraud. However, with 'Parallel Existence,' 'Probability Manipulation,' and even 'Spacetime
Manipulation,' he could surely fool any 'Analyze and Assess' by any authority. It was one of Veldora's hidden
gems, useful in every situation.

Veldora, as he boasted himself, had acquired a different kind of strength than in the past. Not only by the
visible measure of magicule quantity, but also by daily effort. It seemed that he was always playing, but he
was also training. For this reason, he instinctively knew how to use his powers, even if he did not
understand the detailed principles of his powers. Veldora thought that this was not a problem, even though
he could not explain it in words. Therefore, he could not explain it even if he wanted to. On the other hand, if
he had understood it, he would have explained it proudly. It was fortunate for Veldora that he did not do so.

Even Dagruel did not expect an answer. He did not mind and continued.

"I don't know what you are boasting of, but it seems to be true that you are growing up. Certainly, you are
not the same as you used to be."

In the past, Veldora was just a forceful fighter. Now, however, he fought with his head. He was using his
authority to gain an advantage in the battle against Dagruel. Dagruel praised him, saying that he should
admit this. However, this did not mean that he admitted defeat.

While conversing, Dagruel created a favorable situation for himself. This was also one of the skills of
combat. Even a man as strong as Dagruel did not disregard the art of small tricks. Rather, he believed that
it was important to gain even a slight advantage through such small tricks.

Dagruel had a singular goal from the beginning. Instead of building up small moves like Veldora, Dagruel
was trying to win the game at once with a big move.
V21
"Your power is real. Then I will finish you with my strongest move!"

Dagruel silently grasped the space and expanded the range of the interference wave. After checking the
interior of the space with his "true eye" and confirming that Veldora's "Clone" was not hiding in the space,
he cut off the dimensions and formed an isolated space.

In the isolated space, only Veldora and Dagruel existed.

"What?"

Veldora noticed something unusual. But it was already too late.

"I've got you, Veldora! Now is the time to break the karma! Destroy, Quasar Break!"

Dagruel's Quasar Break filled the cut-off space without any space between the two. A tremor shook the
space. Starting from Dagruel, an invisible super space-time vibration wave was generated. As they filled the
interior of the space, irreversible destructive interference waves were generated. The space, which had
been compressed by the containment of expansion, was screaming. This was the destructive absorption
ray that Dagruel had created by consuming 60% of his own Energy. Dagruel transformed himself into a
pseudo-black hole, destroying and engulfing all the matter inside the space at will. The friction created by
the creaking of the space caused a dazzling light to flood out from beyond the separated dimensions. It
was a fantastic and terrifying sight. If subjected to the interference of this overwhelmingly high density of
energy, any life form would not be able to survive. It would only be decomposed and become food for
Dagruel.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha! You are so proud of yourself, Veldora! Even if I can't see the main body, I can just eliminate all
of its multiple alter egos at the same time!"

Dagruel laughed. This technique, which combined offense and defense, was an excellent technique for
recovering energy at the same time. However, most of the energy absorbed was used to maintain his own
existence, which was depleted by this technique. Otherwise, Dagruel himself would be blown away. Quasar
Break generated unimaginably huge Energy through repeated expansion and compression. It was a
dangerous technique that could be a double-edged sword for Dagruel if it was not controlled properly. Of
course, it was a means of attack for insta-kill, which could not be used continuously, and victory was
guaranteed as soon as it was used.

Veldora's plan was brilliant, but it would be powerless in the face of absolute violence. Dagruel was
confident that he had defeated Veldora and was ready to see the result. The damage caused by the Quasar
Break had destroyed the isolated dimensional space. Dagruel absorbed the damage and returned to his
original dimension. We could see that the space was distorted only by the remnants of the powerful Energy
flow. This would harmonize with the passage of time, assimilate with its surroundings, and return to its
original state, but it was indescribable as a mark of extreme destruction. Just by looking at this, we could
V21how dangerous this technique was.
understand

There was no one in the world who could withstand such an attack. Veldora must have collapsed into
existence together with him, and it was thought that they were caught up in the dimensional collapse and
disappeared together.

If it was a "True Dragon," it might be resurrected sooner or later. However, there was no near future in
which Veldora would be resurrected, and the winner here was Dagruel.

As it should be, however, a cheerful voice echoed in the battlefield.

"That was a close one, wasn't it?"

Dagruel's eyes widened in shock. He doubted his own ears, thinking he must be hearing things.

"But, you idiot! You ate it and you're still alive?"

Dagruel exclaimed in surprise. The Quasar Break had not been used against Veldanava either. It was a
trump card that Dagruel was now able to use only because he had grown up, since he could not control it
before. It was the most powerful technique he had ever used with the intention of completely annihilating
Veldora. It was natural that Dagruel was upset– a direct hit would surely annihilate him. There was no
escape because of the limited space. It was impossible to imagine that Veldora would be safe in such a
situation.

However, Veldora had somehow survived.

"What the hell did you do?"

"This is nothing to me!"

This was the end of his patience. On closer inspection, Veldora was not all right. His two pairs of wings,
one large and one small, were battered and bruised, and a black mist was rising from his body. The
magicule had begun to leak out because it did not have enough energy to sustain its existence. This was a
fatal symptom for a spiritual life form, which is often the case with demons and other such creatures. In
fact, Veldora was almost dead.

By making full use of 'Probability Manipulation' of the Ultimate Skill 'Chaos King Nyarlathotep,' he was able
to reduce the probability of his existence to the utmost limit. By making use of the Ultimate Skill 'Probability
Manipulation' of 'Chaos King Nyarlathotep,' he could barely escape from the interference waves of
Destructive Energy. By allowing it to pass through his own body, he was able to avoid the Energy wave of
destruction. However, he was not unharmed. All of the 'clones' were obliterated, and the body was also
V21
damaged by the interference wave.

How terrible was the Quasar Break that Veldora, the "True Dragon," could be driven into such a corner? At
least, the old Veldora would have been destroyed for sure.

"Then, let's take another hit, shall we?"

"What?"

Even though Veldora knew that this was a threat, he was still a little scared.

Thus, Dagruel was defeated. Veldora was wounded. Both players could not make a move too rashly, since a
bad move would result in a loss. The two players started to glare at each other, trying to think of their next
move.

Veldora thought.

"This is not good. Since I couldn't avoid the attack completely, I am sure to get hit next time. But there would
be no next time," he thought. Veldora was wounded, but so was Dagruel. Although they were superficially
unscathed, they must have lost a lot of energy. The question was, then, which one was more worn out or
depleted? What would happen if the actual conditions were compared?

Veldora checked the current state of himself. Although magicules were leaking from the surface of his
body, they were intentionally left untreated. Veldora had been trained in the labyrinth, and he had become a
surprisingly cunning person. The Quasar Break had caused more damage than expected, but it was not
fatal. Though the damage was not fatal, it was made to look severe so that Dagruel would not notice it.

"I have taken into account the loss of Energy from Shion and Luminas at the beginning. The remaining
energy is about less than 50% of the current level."

"We have indeed lost a lot of energy. But as calculated!"

Dagruel and Veldora were almost equal. Dagruel had an estimated existence value of over 110 million,
while Veldora had an estimated existence value of less than 90 million. Although it seemed that Dagruel
was the stronger player, thanks to his Ultimate Skill 'Chaos King Nyarlathotep,' Veldora seemed to have the
winning hand. Still, Veldora lacked decisiveness. No matter what moves they tried, it was difficult to
penetrate Dagruel's unbeatable durability.
 V21 deplete his remaining energy so that he could directly hit the opponent with his own
Could Dagruel
techniques? It would not be an exaggeration to say that the outcome of the game depended on this. Thus,
Veldora thought that it was necessary to exhaust Dagruel at any cost. So far, Veldora's calculation was
correct. The reason why they attacked without following the theory was to induce Dagruel's pride. By
alerting Dagruel's authority, he made Dagruel think that Veldora wanted to play an endurance war using his
brains. If that happened, Dagruel was sure to make a big move that would push Veldora out of the game.

And so it was- Dagruel made a big move and wore himself out. According to Veldora's estimation, the
amount of energy had been reduced to the same or less than his current level.

That is correct.

100-110

Dagruel's exhaustion rate was a little less than 70%, and his Energy level was slightly lower than Veldora's.
It was a reversal. Veldora had won the bet. The disadvantage in Energy was reversed, and the situation was
now in Veldora's favor.

(...But it was really a close call. It's a good thing the bet succeeded.)

Veldora shuddered as he recalled the threat of Quasar Break. The chance of surviving it had been very
small. "I'll never take such a risk again," Veldora vowed. Of course, if he lost the bet, he could always ask
Rimuru to regenerate him. Veldora knew that Rimuru had not been destroyed, even though it seemed he
had vanished from this dimension. If Rimuru had really perished, Veldora would not be safe either.

(I will be regenerated anyway, so there is no need to be afraid, no matter how risky the gamble is! Kwaaah-
hahaha!)

This was why Veldora told Dagruel he could not win against him. Veldora was calm because he knew he
would win, and he was not afraid of any dangerous gamble. Veldora, who was surprisingly cunning, smiled
broadly with a grin he could never reveal.

Dagruel, who did not know this, was at a loss to understand Veldora's behavior. The Veldora that Dagruel
knew was mischievous and playful, yet bored. He did not have the personality to face any difficulties and
would give up and throw things away as soon as he was seriously threatened. After all, Veldora had no
obligation to Luminas. There was no reason for him to have a serious fight with Dagruel. Dagruel thought
Veldora would admit defeat when he captured him in the isolation space. No, if he tried to escape from
there, Dagruel had no intention of pursuing him. At least, Dagruel had no grudge against Veldora. They used
to fight a lot, but it was just like playing with each other. He had no intention of killing Veldora and would
V21
have been glad if he had run away.

But Veldora stood up to him. He unleashed his special technique to destroy Veldora, but for some reason,
Veldora took it in stride. Dagruel could not understand what had happened. So he asked the question.

"...Why? Why did you have to risk so much?"

"Hmm?"

"You would have risked your own extinction by facing my Quasar Break head-on. The old you would have
chosen to flee without hesitation!"

When asked, Veldora nodded.

"Hmm."

Then, he made one denial first.

"It is not escape, but a turnaround. The word 'escape' is not in my dictionary!"

No one was willing to jump in on Veldora's big lie, although it was just a boast. If Velgrynd and others had
been here, they would have had very nice smiles on their faces and a three-hour sermon course waiting for
him.

Anyway, Veldora answered why.

"Well, one of the reasons is that I wanted to test myself."

"Hmm..."

Indeed, Veldora is getting stronger. Dagruel had to admit that.

"Besides, Luminas and Shion will be wiped out if I run away. I can't allow that."

"Why? Why should you risk your life for the sake of Luminas and humans?"

This was a question of Veldora's resolve. Depending on the answer, Dagruel would have to make up his
mind. Veldora's answer, however, made Dagruel more and more astonished.
"Rimuru V21
will be angry. You know, Dagruel? Rimuru is really scary when he's angry!"

He said so, and even started to laugh loudly. Now Dagruel understood. Veldora would not retreat.

"I see. That means that you, too, have become responsible for your own actions."

Veldora had grown up. If so, Dagruel recognized it and decided to seriously defeat Veldora.

"Very well. I accept you and will fight with you even if it takes a long time!"

Since Veldora does not run away, they had no choice but to defeat him. In this case, the one who makes his
opponent use up his Energy first will win. There are cases where the victory is decided at once by a big
move, but Dagruel had just used his most powerful technique. The correct tactic, then, is to carefully
reduce the opponent's strength. Dagruel increased his fighting spirit. As he did so, his huge body, which had
been over 20 meters long, was rapidly becoming smaller and smaller.

"What?"

Dagruel returned to his normal size of just under twenty-five meters. However, lightning flashed from his
body, transforming it into something that gave the impression of hyper-compressed energy density.

"Really? It's something else."

"Ha-ha-ha, that's right. This is a higher level of transformation than 'Titanification' and is called 'super god-
ification.' It was difficult for me to control my powers in this state, but you taught me."

"What?"

Veldora was puzzled, unable to remember what he was talking about.

Dagruel answered honestly, as if he had no intention of hiding it.

"I want to know how to train to control your youki. I think it's called 'controlling your anger will give you more
power'?"

At this, Veldora remembered. He remembered that he showed him the scriptures (comics) and boasted
about his knowledge of them. He also shared his great strength with Dagruel, and he thought it was in one
of their conversations.
 V21remember exactly what happened, but as a practical matter, Dagruel's power was stable.
He couldn't
Dagruel's ability to go from a mere chitchat to a real battle level was something to be admired. Even though
he had returned to his original size, he was still an ashura. The discharge from his entire body was even
more threatening than when he was a giant.

Veldora intended to end the battle as it was. However, sensing Dagruel's determination, he decided to
accept his invitation.

"Goodness gracious, that's Dagruel. If you have learned to control your power by my advice, you must be
my partner."

With these words, Veldora also 'transformed' into a human form and compressed Energy to counter
Dagruel. He was carefully matched in height and fixed at the size of 25 meters. Size is power, but the
common sense of a spirit life form is different. Energy Density is power. A fist with a force compressed to
the limit can shatter any matter in the world. Even if it is a body compressed with the same Energy. Then,
the two stared at each other and moved. A paranormal battle had begun.

From the clash of the great monsters, a sophisticated battle ensued. Then, the battle turned into a slugfest.
Dagruel's fist slammed into Veldora's abdomen. At the same time, Veldora's elbow pierced Dagruel's face.
When you get hit, you hit back. The rules of the fight were as rigid as those of professional wrestling, even
though there were no rules. The fight became more and more intense, and neither fighter was willing to
give an inch. Kick for kick, fist for fist. Attacks on the opponent were rebounded as attacks on themselves.
Instead of fighting on the ground, the battlefield was shifting from one to another. From the sky to the
ground. Then to the desert, blowing up the surroundings. Then again, to high altitude. At times, even
outside the atmosphere. For both of them, who were masses of energy, the battlefield was the same no
matter where they were. They did not need the earth to repel and amplify their power, but only to turn their
own bodies into cannonballs, and to strike their opponents with super-compressed Energy. They then
successfully released the received Energy out of their bodies to prevent a fatal wound. It was important to
reduce one's own energy loss as much as possible and to exhaust one's opponent. Their fists crossed each
other with such power that even the greater majin could be obliterated by a single blow. Those who were
watching the battle remained frozen inside the 'Barrier,' unable to make any rash moves. Although they
were no longer huge in size, the aftermath of the Energy aftermath alone was extraordinary in its power.

"It's amazing..." muttered Luminas.

The battle between Veldora and Dagruel had caused tremendous destruction around them. Luminas felt
bitter about this, but she knew that there was nothing to do about it. "There is nothing we can do,"

– that was her true feeling. It is absurd to say that they should not cause any damage when they are
dealing with the Mad King—Dagruel, the God of Destruction. Numerous pillars of lightning were standing in
the earth, carbonizing those who touched them. The multiple layers of 'defense barriers' that protected the
holy cityV21
were already useless. The long walls that had protected the city for so many years had been
obliterated by the interference wave that hit the city when Dagruel and Veldora first collided. It was almost
graceful that they were blown down without being able to endure even for a moment. Since the long wall
was destroyed, the 'monster intrusion prevention barrier' could not survive. As a matter of course, it had
lost its effectiveness. Since the 'Barrier' was installed to prevent the intrusion of monsters below a certain
level, there was no way that it could withstand the attacks of "True Dragons" and "Giant Gods." The only
thing that remained was the 'Defense Barrier' that had been activated by the combined power of everyone
with Shion at its core. That was exactly what they were doing, all of them risking their lives to maintain the
'Barrier.'

It was a wonder that they were still safe, and it was obvious to everyone that at this rate, their fate would
run out as soon as the 'Barrier' collapsed, and it would only be a matter of time before the city center would
also be affected. The reason why this had not happened yet was probably because Veldora was taking care
of the situation as much as possible. Acknowledging this, Luminas continued.

"Veldora seems to have grown up a little. He is protecting us in his own way."

Shion nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. Veldora-sama is really good!"

Her eyes sparkled with honest praise.

"It's great, isn't it? They are guiding Dagruel to avoid a direct hit to us."

Ultima's analysis of the situation was also accurate. Gadra nodded in agreement.

"Well, yes."

Luminas could not deny Veldora's greatness, though she did not want to admit it. It seemed to Luminas
that she could not deny Veldora's growth. She even wondered how Veldora could afford to be so relaxed in
this fierce battle. Adalmann and Albert also seemed to be at a loss for words, just watching Veldora's
battle. Luminas also turned her eyes back to the battle unfolding in the sky above. It was an exchange of
supernatural abilities that exceeded even Luminas's imagination. Of course, it was suicide for even
Luminas to participate in the battle. Even if she wanted to complain, there was no way for her to do so.
They had to leave their fate to Veldora, just as they left their luck to the heavens. It was not her place to
complain, and to begin with, Luminas was fascinated by the battle. It was a beautiful battle, though it was
bloody and brutal. They seemed to be competing with each other in strength and skill, and improving each
other. Veldora's skill was more brilliant now than it had been just after this battle began, and it was
evidence of that.
 V21
The battle became more intense. Next to Luminas, Shion was also watching the battle intently. No wonder,
Luminas thought. After all, such a mythical battle was a rare occurrence that might happen only once in a
thousand years. A battle of the strong is an experience just to watch it. And, moreover, such a battle
between the transcendent is rarely witnessed. Basara, who had been watching the game with them before
she knew it, let slip a comment.

"But when did Veldora become so skilled in close combat? He's got three faces and six arms, and he's got
more moves..."

It is unnatural that they are evenly matched. But that is the opinion of those who do not know Veldora.
Basara, who had just awakened from the seal, did not know, but Luminas and Shion knew why.

111-120

"In that labyrinth, he's been doing whatever he pleases under the guise of training," Luminas remarked dryly.

"No, Luminas. Veldora-sama is the leader of the labyrinth guardians. He works hard every day to prove his
authority as the final gateway," Shion countered enthusiastically.

"Labyrinth?" Basara asked, confused.

"Ah, you don't know, do you?" Luminas explained. "In the labyrinth of Ramiris, you can train and come back
to life even if you die."

"What? That's cheating!" Basara grumbled.

No one refuted his opinion; everyone had thought it was unfair. Veldora's efforts in the labyrinth had
culminated in his current prowess. On the ground, this training would have caused significant damage, but
in the labyrinth, such concerns were minimal. Recently, damage to the hierarchy had started to appear, but
it was fine for combat training, particularly against Zegion.

That is why Veldora had acquired top-notch fighting skills. Already a strong fighter, he had now risen to the
next level, his momentum unstoppable. If he had not become a member of the Trinity, he would have
undoubtedly surpassed Dagruel. Moreover, with the experience gained in this battle, Veldora had learned to
fight against a maneuverable opponent. This was what it meant to be out of control.

No wonder everyone was fascinated. The fierce battle seemed endless, but then, the time for the final
showdown arrived. Veldora's preparation had begun even before the fight started, ensuring his victory.
Veldora V21
had been watching for an opportunity. Training with Zegion and Ultima, and mentoring the
strongmen in the labyrinth, had made him stronger. Close combat was Veldora's strongest fighting style.
Even the most cunning and devious tricks were learned from Rimuru's example.

"Victory or defeat is decided before the battle is fought," according to Sun Tzu's Art of War. Rimuru often
emphasized the importance of preparation. "If you finish the preparations in advance, you will not panic
regardless of the situation," Rimuru had said. Veldora had unexpectedly entered the war this time, so he
was not fully prepared, but he had developed one or two tricks. If you had more energy than your opponent,
it was almost certain to work.

He steadily reduced Dagruel's strength, assessed the difference between them, and waited for the right
moment. Even after he was convinced he could do it, he stayed with Dagruel out of courtesy to his old
friend.

"I thought I'd mastered this, but I'm not there yet..." Dagruel, who had planned to defeat Veldora decisively,
was genuinely surprised. Despite becoming a trinity (ashura) and performing his innermost techniques, he
still could not win. He had already given up the idea that he was superior.

Dagruel finally admitted it. "Dagruel, back off now. If you go home quietly, I won't do anything more."

"You're being a pain, Veldora. I must defeat Luminas. It's the only way I can repay my dead friend."

Veldora nodded. He understood the importance of courtesy to the dead but thought the living were more
important. Rimuru had said it was a case-by-case situation. Neither of them was right or wrong; it
depended on the person's mind. Veldora had no choice but to keep quiet because it was not something a
third party could judge.

"Well, I'm sorry, Dagruel, but I will finish you off with my final move!" Veldora declared.

Dagruel became nervous, but it was too late. Veldora unleashed his power. The power, fully prepared for the
attack, went wild, and a rainbow-colored darkness covered the area around them, engulfing a vast area of
the Holy Empire of Lubelius and the Desert of Death.

"Fertile Paradox!" Veldora proclaimed. In the rainbow-colored darkness, a cruel miracle occurred.

The rainbow-colored darkness spread rapidly, enveloping everything around it.

 V21
"What the hell?" By the time Luminas sensed the danger, it was already too late. Unable to resist, the
rainbow-colored darkness entered the interior of the Barrier.

"...What is this?" Luminas uttered in astonishment. Then she touched the darkness and understood. "Is this
some kind of mystical power?"

It was a power similar to prayer, a healing force that promoted recovery and growth. There was no need to
resist—it was undeniable.

Luminas was engulfed by the darkness, along with Shion, Ultima, Gadra, Adalmann, Albert, Dagruel's sons,
and even Basara, the enemy. Others, whether famous or just soldiers, who touched the darkness, were
lulled to sleep equally.

And then, while all life was wrapped in sleep, the earth sprouted green. Veldora stood in the heart of the
rainbow-colored darkness. Before him was Dagruel, the God of Destruction. Glassord and Fenn were also
present, their forms released from the Trinity (Ashura). Glassord seemed to have done his job, but Fenn
seemed uninterested and turned away in a huff.

Dagruel, on the other hand, was calm. "You've changed the world using us as your seedlings, haven't you?"

"Hmm. It's a bit of an exaggeration to call it an alteration, but I'll admit I've played around with it a bit,"
Veldora answered cheerfully.

Dagruel was annoyed by this attitude, but he was already unable to move even if he wanted to do
something. His limbs were buried in the trunk of a large tree, just as he said he had used them as
seedlings. The same was true of Fenn and Glassord. Although their torso parts, from the waist up,
appeared to have grown out of the tree, their limbs were assimilated into the trunk. It was impossible to
disengage, as they were no longer able to move of their own free will.

"What did you do?" Dagruel demanded.

"I’ve restored it, I guess."

"What?"

"With the magicule, we restored the devastated land to its natural state."

"Are you saying... magicule changes state?"

"Yes, theV21
magicule has two states: a piercing state for attacks and a stable, calm state. The Desert of Death
was always in a rough state because it was exposed to aggressive magicule. Stabilize it, and the surface
would be as green as the Great Jura Forest."

"But such a feat was impossible for me or other demon lords," Dagruel protested.

"Even Luminas, who has the most mystical power, couldn't neutralize the tyranny of Milim," Veldora
explained. "If they had been able to do so, the reconciliation between Dagruel and Luminas might have
been realized. Artificially generating a change in the state of the magicule was unrealistic, so the only
solution was to wait for time to solve the problem. Yet, I managed to do it."

"The Fertile Paradox isn't strictly an attack. I've given this land my blessing, harmonizing the disordered
magicule and encouraging the growth of life by feeding those who disturb nature. This land, once suffering
magical disasters, will be restored to normalcy and return to its former state of fertility."

"...Hmm..." Dagruel growled, stunned by Veldora's words.

"By the way, it has your body as its nucleus. I've used your abundant energy, and now you are sealed! Since
my power cannot be released by anyone other than myself, you will not be able to rampage anymore,"
Veldora laughed, confident.

Dagruel was horrified by Veldora's power. "I know. It's so damned cunning..."

"Kwaaah-hahaha! I'll take that as a compliment," Veldora laughed.

Dagruel never meant it as a compliment, but Veldora laughed it off. Dagruel could only laugh.

"Don't worry. When this war is over, I will let you go. By then, your sanctity will be restored, and the land will
be back to normal. Inevitably, there will be no more reason to fight with Luminas, will there?"

In a few decades at the latest, they should be able to find Rimuru. Then Dagruel would no longer be a threat
and could be released, Veldora thought.

Dagruel was surprised at this. "You're going to let me go? No, more importantly... are you aware of the
situation in my country?"

"I was surprised that he was so thoughtful. Anyone who knew Veldora in the past would have been
astonished," Dagruel thought.
"Hmmm.V21
I sense a hint of disrespect, but that's OK. The current state of your country is that in a few
hundred years or so, the water will run out and the land will be uninhabitable even with the life force of
giants, isn't it?"

This was too accurate. Dagruel had to admit Veldora was really more thoughtful now than in the past.

"I knew you had noticed. I guess you realized the true purpose of my invasion of Luminas' territory, even
moving the Binding Gods."

Dagruel's defeat at the hands of Fenn reminded him of his former rampage, but his nature had not
changed. The seeming betrayal of Rimuru and the others was only a move in the right direction, a king's
cool-headed decision on how to handle this upheaval. Dagruel felt embarrassed that Veldora had
recognized this.

Veldora responded to Dagruel with a wry smile. "No, I don't know about that. It has nothing to do with me.
So, the fact that there were no young soldiers or women and children under your command, but only dead
soldiers, is also of no concern to me."

"Ha-ha-ha-ha! You're not kidding. That's just like you, Veldora."

Dagruel, laughing like this, was definitely a friend of Veldora's. He had once been defeated by Veldanava.
Once defeated, Dagruel was assigned to guard Heaven's Tower, the road to the Heavenly Star Palace. The
Giants, led by Dagruel, had faithfully followed his orders. However, there was an incident of Milim's
outburst, an incident for which Milim could not be blamed.

120-128

Dagruel, unable to hold a grudge against anyone, solemnly made the choice to die according to his destiny.
However, his defeat by Fenn reminded him of the old days. He regained his spirit and decided to take one
last gamble. Luminas was the perfect opponent for his grudge. If they could challenge Luminas and take
her territory, the Giants would have a chance to live. Even if they were defeated, they could buy time for
those who remained by significantly reducing their numbers in the great battle. Either way, it was a
possibility. That is why Dagruel agreed to Fenn's offer, even if it meant being stigmatized as a traitor.

"If I had been the only one to perish, it would have been fine. But it was unbearable for a king to impose the
same fate on his young men. I'm sorry, Luminas, but I thought I had a chance..." Dagruel repented.

Veldora shrugged. "Hmm. After all, the world is a place where the strong thrive and the weak perish. No one
will blame us for trying."
This wasV21
true. Complaints might arise, but there was no need to listen to them. Without Veldora's
intervention, the defeat of Luminas would have been irreversible. The victor would be the righteous one.
This time, Dagruel and his group were not so lucky.

"But, Veldora, why did you bring this place back to life? To save us? Out of sympathy?" Dagruel asked.

As he pointed out, the desert ravaged by magicule had been transformed into a lush green land, rapidly
expanding and encroaching upon Dagruel's territory. Veldora laughed.

"Kwah-ha-ha-ha! I just proved that I am stronger than you. I also wanted to show off a bit to put Luminas in
a good mood. Enriching the land was just a bonus."

The harmony of the magicule promoted the growth of crops, greening the desert with undeniable
effectiveness.

"But that can't be the only reason," Dagruel pressed.

"I'm not kidding! I didn't think that even the Desert of Death would be included in the effect range... it was a
miscalculation!" Veldora insisted.

Dagruel chuckled at Veldora's insistence. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! You're going to play innocent, huh? That's good. I
don't owe you a thing, Veldora!"

"Of course not. Friends don't owe each other anything! We'll fight again, but I'll win next time!"

"I'm not so naive as to be defeated again and again by a little boy!" Veldora and Dagruel looked at each
other and laughed loudly. There was no rancor between them, only a fresh camaraderie.

Now that the rift with Dagruel was settled, an unexpected intruder appeared. A blue-haired, incredibly
beautiful woman entered the space without regard for the "rainbow-colored darkness." It was Velgrynd, a
symbol of fear to Veldora.

"I guess it's settled. Now let's talk about the next challenge," Velgrynd announced.

"Hey, hey, sister!" Veldora exclaimed, surprised.

"Don't be surprised at all. But Milim has attacked Heaven's Tower."

 V21 what?" The information shocked Veldora and the others. Dagruel, in particular, was
"What? Sister,
immensely upset. Near Heaven's Tower, their relatives were taking refuge. Most of them were women and
children, entrusted with the future, and they would struggle to cope with an attack on Heaven's Tower.

"Don't lie to me, Velgrynd!" Fenn was the most surprised.

Feldway's operation had never mentioned anything like that.

"It's true," Velgrynd stated plainly.

Fenn was flustered. "Why? I thought we agreed not to touch that place! Why did you...?"

"We weren't supposed to interfere, but Feldway kept quiet to avoid arousing suspicion. I don't know what
Feldway is thinking," Velgrynd replied.

"Fuck you!" Fenn shouted.

"Shut up, you idiot. You knew Feldway was going to destroy the Sacred Tree, didn't you? Then, you could
have predicted that Heaven's Tower would be in the way, couldn't you?" Velgrynd retorted.

Fenn was silenced by the truth in Velgrynd's words. Only a few could read that far ahead, but it was just
lame to admit it.

Velgrynd had expected it. That was why she helped Souei evacuate the residents of "Holy Void"
Damargania and protected them. So, for now, everyone was safe.

"The outer wall of Heaven's Tower withstood Milim's Drago Nova, thanks to my 'Star Barrier.' We managed
to hold them off," Velgrynd explained.

Dagruel and the others were relieved. "Oh my God... you saved us?"

"Yes. Rimuru has helped us a lot, so we're very grateful," Velgrynd replied, returning to the topic.

"They've probably broken down the gate. Here comes the great evil..." Velgrynd continued, grimly
mentioning Ivarage, the World-destroying Dragon.

"So we were really just bait..." Fenn realized.

The Dagruels guarding Heaven's Tower were gone, making things easier. Fenn had to admit this.
"So, whyV21
did you come here to tell us that?" Fenn asked.

Velgrynd took a cold glance at Fenn. "Nothing. I don't want anything from you. It's Luminas I want to talk to
about my problems, and your brother too."

Veldora became suspicious but was ignored.

"So, as soon as this darkness clears, you will go to the Sacred Tree?" Veldora asked.

"Yes, that's right. Feldway's going to make Milim destroy the Sacred Tree. He failed once but hasn't given
up. Now that he has controlled Milim again, Feldway has no reason to stop," Velgrynd replied.

"He really wants to destroy this planet, doesn't he?" Veldora remarked.

"I'm sure he does. Well, I'll try to stop him," Velgrynd smiled grimly, knowing the difficulty.

Even if it seemed impossible, Velgrynd would keep struggling until the end, as she had learned from the
battle with Rimuru and the others.

"So, what are you going to do with Luminas?" Veldora asked.

"Accept refugees. Damargania will be the front line of the Holy Void, and we must evacuate them, or they
will perish," Velgrynd explained.

It was a reasonable opinion. Everyone agreed, and Dagruel and the others thanked her from the bottom of
their hearts.

The rainbow-colored darkness lifted, revealing a transformed landscape. The wilderness spread out, and
the Desert of Death stretched into a vast expanse of green. Grass and trees grew at a tremendous rate,
creating fertile soil. The effect of the mysterious fertility wave (Fertile Paradox) was spreading, forming a
vast forest area as large as the Great Jura Forest.

The problem was the Holy City. Perhaps due to the use of magicule, even the buildings were buried under
the trees. Stone foundations and wooden walls, made of materials containing magicule, were affected by
Veldora's power.

"Wait, did I overdo it a little?" Veldora thought, but it was too late. The transformation was even more
dramatic than intended. It seemed Luminas was going to be angry now.
 V21
Indeed, Luminas, with a very nice smile on her face, approached Veldora, who was looking anxiously at her.
"So, Veldora. You're going to explain what's going on, aren't you?" Luminas asked with a clear blue streak on
her forehead hidden by her beautiful silver hair. She smiled, but her eyes did not.

Veldora immediately felt the danger. (No, that's impossible! It was supposed to be a perfect plan to clear
my name!)

The plan was to save Luminas from the crisis and make her and Dagruel's territories fertile. But now, things
seemed suspicious. With Velgrynd behind her, the situation was very difficult. Veldora had no choice but to
rethink his position.

"No, no, Luminas. Well, let me see... there is a reason deeper than the sea for this... well, I'd like to explain it
to you thoroughly, but I'm too busy. So, we'll talk later!" Veldora said hastily and took to the sky, leaving the
land faster than when he was fighting Dagruel.

"Damn, he ran away again!" Luminas grumbled, but she had no intention of going after Veldora. When she
woke up and saw Velgrynd, she knew something serious was going on.

She had been asleep for a short time, but much had happened. After glancing at the three Dagruel brothers
who looked like they were growing out of a tree, she turned to Velgrynd, who seemed to know what was
going on.

"So, what's the situation?" Luminas asked.

"The world is in danger," Velgrynd replied.

"Can you do something about it?"

"We have to," Velgrynd said.

Luminas asked, and Velgrynd cowered. She regretted not being able to stop Rimuru from being obliterated,
but it was a dangerous situation to meddle in. If she had made a move, Velgrynd's 'Split Body' would have
been obliterated. The right thing to do was to hide and protect the people of Dagruel.

(Besides, Rimuru would have been able to do something about the "Chrono-Saltation.")

129-137
 V21

Velgrynd thought that she could do something. Since she could return, she felt that Rimuru would be able
to return too. Velgrynd believed in this, although she had no evidence to support it. Therefore, it was time to
put Rimuru's worries on the back burner and make the best possible move now.

She explained the situation to Luminas. Luminas, who was very bright, immediately understood. "I see. In
that case, we will accept the refugees."

"Thank you," said Dagruel. Dagruel was relieved. He was immobilized but still able to communicate. With
this, Luminas and Dagruel made peace.

However, the city had been successfully defended, but the outer edge was in a terrible state. Inside the city,
trees had overgrown the buildings, and the streets were cut off. Rebuilding seemed extremely difficult, but
there was no way to get any compensation from Dagruel's side. The only victory was to rejoice that they
survived. But that was the important thing. As long as they were alive, the rest would take care of itself.

Luminas, too, was angry about the damage, but the world crisis was more important now. She quickly
changed her mind, deciding to think about rebuilding the city after all the difficulties were over. Besides, she
had a good idea that Rimuru would be happy to cooperate with them. Although Velgrynd had told her about
Rimuru's disappearance, Luminas was not so worried. She had been observing Rimuru for a long time and
knew him well. That slime is not a being that can die so easily. So Luminas decided to think about the
future without worrying too much.

"Now then, how are we going to get the people to safety?"

"I'll take care of that," Velgrynd said.

With that, Velgrynd connected the other side and this side with the 'Spacetime Connection.' Then, under the
guidance of the 'Split Body' waiting on the other side, the Giants began to move one after another.

"There's no need to panic," Velgrynd said gently, smiling. Her smile was affectionate but not overly so. In
fact, a disastrous atmosphere was leaking out of Heaven's Tower. Velgrynd felt the space-time creak and
frowned. This is not good. There's even a hint of Ivarage. If we don't set up a serious defense line, the world
V21 in an instant...
could collapse

It seemed that there was still enough time for the "World-destroying Dragon" Ivarage to appear. However,
the cryptids that would appear as an advance force were not the same small things that came through the
rift in space-time in the past. From the sense of destruction she could feel, it seemed certain that each one
of them was a threat level higher than that of the Disaster-class.

They were no longer at the stage of being able to resist them by themselves. It seemed that it would be
difficult to overcome this crisis without the concerted efforts of champions from all over the world.
Velgrynd decided it was not necessary to inform the refugees of this fact.

The reception of the refugees was led by Louis. He used his authority as Pope to appeal for peace of mind.
By this, great confusion was avoided. The people of the Holy City were now in the same situation as
refugees. Many had lost their homes, so all of them would take refuge in the cathedral. Since there was a
limit to the number of people that could be accepted in one place, they were dispersed to underground
shelters and to cathedrals and dormitories in various parts of the sacred mountain, evacuated one by one.

In the meantime, a strategy meeting was held with the participation of the Dagruels, who had become big
trees. The main members gathered were Velgrynd, Luminas, Gunther, Ultima, Shion, and the sons of
Dagruel. Adalmann, Gadra, Albert, and the "four-armed" Basara were also present.

"We should try to stop the cryptids before they fly to other places," Dagruel said. Everyone agreed.

"We're going to have a hard time because of the unreliable gatekeepers!" Luminas was still annoyed by this
sarcastic remark.

"I don't appreciate it!" Dagruel had no choice but to bow his head.

"That's why you've been taking advantage of me," Ultima said. Dagruel was puzzled as to how he should
react to this. Anyway, Dagruel was definitely responsible for the confusion. From a third party's point of
view, the fight was a complete waste of time. Since the cause of the confusion was attributed to Dagruel's
deception, they had no choice but to accept it, even if people complained about it.

On the other hand, "True Dragon" is very rough. "Forget about the details, Luminas." There are no details at
all, but from Velgrynd's point of view, it doesn't matter much whether the city is destroyed or not. Indeed,
they are alike in this respect, sister and brother.

Luminas thought to herself, but Velgrynd would be furious if she heard this. Veldora, too, would not like it.
Regardless, they had to make a decision.
 V21 when Ivarage comes out, we will have to deal with them. And if we have to do it while
"As you know,
defending this planet, it will be difficult to give it our all," Velgrynd explained. Those who did not know the
threat of Ivarage, the "World-destroying Dragon," still did not seem to understand. Luminas, however, was
different.

"So Veldora is headed for the Sacred Tree?" Luminas asked.

"Yes," Velgrynd confirmed. Feldway's goal cannot end with the destruction of the Sacred Tree. He also
planned to summon Ivarage, the "World-destroying Dragon," so that he would destroy the planet to reset
everything. So, it was a lie all along...

The reasons for destroying the Gate and the Sacred Tree all added up to one thing: Feldway had only one
goal, to destroy the Sacred Tree. He had no intention of keeping his sweet words about the division of the
territory from the very beginning. No, it is more correct to say that there was no need to protect it. Once this
planet is gone, there will be no more territorial disputes. Recognizing this again, Fenn sank into a deep sigh.

"So, don't get back to those details," Velgrynd interrupted again. Surprisingly, she seemed uninterested in
Fenn's situation. Laughing at this, Luminas summed up the conversation.

"Aside from Ivarage, I will have to deal with the cryptids. But even if we take an army with us, we will only let
them die in vain."

Basara nodded with a look of willingness to participate. "I agree. If we go, we only need the general."

No one argued against this opinion. However, there was a serious practical problem. Adalmann pointed
this out. "But, don't we have enough forces?"

Only eleven of the current members were able to move. Even if they added Louis and other famous
generals, there were four Five Warrior Generals other than Basara and seven nobles. Velgrynd had to be
excluded because of her role in the war, and she was not able to commit her full strength to the war. Who
would participate in the war was also a problem.

The good news was that they were recovering from the fatigue of the previous battle. Under the influence
of Veldora's mysterious wave of fertility (Fertile Paradox), Luminas and the others had fully recovered. That
in itself was an impossible miracle, but the rest of the situation was so crazy that everyone was taking it for
granted. The atmosphere was such that it would be a loss if they tried to get into it.

For this reason, eleven of them here were willing to participate. If escape from here would lead to
destruction, it would be better to hang on until the end. With such resolve, all of them were willing to risk
their lives. Velgrynd nodded in agreement.
 V21the situation to Masayuki in Ingracia, and he said that Hinata Sakaguchi is also going to
"I explained
participate," Velgrynd said.

Velgrynd was trying to stop Masayuki from joining the race, saying that it was 'too dangerous.' If Rudra had
been manifested, it would have been like going to die. She tried hard to persuade him, but it seemed that
she could not stop him.

Masayuki brought good luck to his friends just by being there. Even if he did not have the strength to fight,
he was more useful than anyone else. If Lubelius falls, Ingracia is next. And the Western Nations will be
consumed by the fire of destruction. Masayuki, a good-natured man, could not bear to sit and wait for such
a future. For this reason, Hero's participation was also decided.

The core members had been decided, but the problem had not been solved yet. In fact, the problems were
still piling up. The members were changed, and the meeting continued. New members were Hinata and
Masayuki. Those who left were Dagruel and his sons. The discussion was held in an empty conference
room.

The conclusion was reached that even if the defense forces were reorganized with only the selected elite,
there would not be enough strength at all. Judging from the enemy strength projected by Velgrynd, there
are only a few who can be taken. Of course, they must be of A rank or higher, but they must be specialized
in mobility. The reason is simple: to be able to protect themselves.

"Cryptids are self-regenerating, so it's hard to cut down their strength, but their offensive power is not that
great," Velgrynd said. "If you know their habits, I think you can deal with them."

However, this was only her opinion because she is a transcendent, and the reality was very different. It is
very difficult to reduce their physical strength, and a direct hit from an attack will kill them with a single
blow. Even a single graze would seriously injure them. In other words, each and every one of them was as
big a threat as a Charybdis. Moreover, they were surprisingly cunning and even swarmed together,
depending on the situation. It was estimated that there were more than a thousand of such creatures
stirring about. By any estimation, the world was in danger.

Since they could not take the strategy of setting a trap, driving them into a corner, surrounding them, and
then killing them, as the Obera group, who had become the Four Heavenly Kings of Milim, had done, it
seemed that they could not afford to rescue them even if there were casualties.

Based on this judgment, they had no choice but to limit the number of people they would take to the strong.
"I called V21
Calgurio. Minits is coming too. We've brought back the Empire's 'Split Body' so they'll be less
protected, but it's better than the world falling apart," Velgrynd said.

Masayuki nodded in agreement. He and Hinata had joined the meeting.

"You are very reliable. I'm just protected, but I don't think the attacks will reach around me, so I think I can
manage," Masayuki said.

Recently, Masayuki had been open. He had given up on using his Ultimate Skill 'King of Heroes,' which is
supposed to be his power, and had decided to let his luck take care of itself.

"I have realized for quite a while now that it would work out better for me. I had been trying to give the
impression that I was 'doing it right,' but I realized that it was not the time to waste my time. The reason
why I decided to participate this time is not a champion motive."

(If I didn't do anything, the world would be destroyed. It's no use if I'm the only one who survives; I might as
well bet on the possibility of everyone else's survival...)

This was a very passive reason why he was there. However, it was true that it made everyone's mind
relaxed. Regardless of Masayuki's motive, if they only looked at the result of his action, he was undoubtedly
Hero himself. And Hinata was also there.

138-148

Faced with this crisis, she left the Western Nations behind and rushed to the scene.

Hinata had been patient when she heard the report of Dagruel's advance, but this time was a different
story. Rimuru was not there.

(I can't believe he lost...)

Rimuru was aloof no matter what happened. Just by being there, he made everyone feel secure. From now
on, they could no longer be naive in thinking that he would take care of things. Therefore, Hinata had no
choice but to act on her own.
 V21 the best of the best with me, leaving the minimum defense forces of each country. If we
"I have brought
can't rely on Rimuru, we have to do our best. If we can't protect the place he's coming back to, he'll definitely
complain about it."

Hinata's expression was stern, even more cold and icy than usual. Rimuru's absence had caused her to lose
her composure, reverting to her old ruthless self, to the extent that those who knew her in the past felt it.

(Well, it can't be helped.)

Luminas thought so too and did not dare to point it out. After Rimuru was gone, everyone was reminded
again and again that they had relied on him too much. However, they couldn't bemoan all the time. The
discussion focused on whether or not to announce this critical situation to the whole world. Since it was
predicted that they did not have enough forces, they should call up the main warriors from all over the
world.

"I understand the importance of self-defense, but it is meaningless if the world is destroyed," Luminas
argued.

"To be honest, I don't care what happens to humans. I care only about those I protect, but I really don't care
if the number of those who don't respect me will decrease. There will be more of them soon anyway, right?"

Yes, if they increase. But this crisis is different. The disaster that will come through Heaven's Tower will be
the natural enemy of all life forms. If left unchecked, there is no guarantee that human beings will survive.
Therefore, Luminas argued that this site should be protected. Regardless of what happens to other human
spheres of existence, she believed that they should concentrate all their forces on the front line, which
would be the source of the problem. However, the weak were not included in the forces here. She thought
they should survive on their own.

In this way, Luminas made decisions not for the sake of mankind but for her own convenience. However, no
one could argue against this. It was because things would not go well only with beautiful words. Since
everyone understood this, they tried to cope with this crisis by placing importance on profit and loss and
interests.

"So, what exactly are you going to do?" Hinata asked.

"Let's be honest here and tell the nations."

Luminas answered that they should inform the countries about the coming crisis. "If we just make people
uneasy, we may not be able to maintain security," she said. But that was not Luminas' concern.

"It doesn't matter. If you don't trust me, then you're on your own."
 V21 question, but it's also a valid one. If they couldn't protect everyone, there was no point in
It's a rhetorical
making a fuss, so they should at least wait and see. This was the position of the protector. In reality, the
human mind would be defeated by fear and anxiety, and a mob would be born. She was well aware of such
a situation, but really could not afford to devote her valuable forces to such fools.

"Well, only a certain number of champions are of use to us, so all we have to do is to unite the people with
the rest of the champions."

"That will be difficult, but we have no choice but to let them do it," Hinata agreed, and Luminas' opinion was
adopted.

Luminas was to make a speech to the whole world at a moment's notice, but there was no time this time.
Normally, the oracle should have notified all the countries, made preparations, and given a solemn speech.
This time, however, it was decided to go ahead without notice.

For this reason, the image of Luminas suddenly appeared in the sky above each country. It was broadcast
simultaneously all over the world. The people who looked up at the sky were surprised. Luminas opened
her mouth, as if she did not care about such things.

"Listen, my name is Luminas Valentine. I am a god and demon lord, the ruler of Lubelius."

This was the greeting speech, but one could only imagine the shock of those who heard it. A big revelation
right from the start. Luminas's subordinates were puzzled, wondering what she was going to do to make
those who believed in God doubt their faith.

"There is no time for pleasantries, so I will tell you in a nutshell. The world is now in a state of
unprecedented crisis. I will do my utmost to protect my people in the name of God. More than that, I swear
to you that I will fight with the pride of the Octagram and not run away. As other demon lords do."

Luminas dropped the next bullet without the slightest wrapping of a smile. Her words were so violent that
one might have thought she was trying to provoke a riot. But on the contrary, the people became calmer
because they were about to fall into extreme chaos. The beautiful girl who floated in the sky above showed
no sign of lying. Her beauty, which was worthy of being called a goddess, was enough to attract people.
There was no one who doubted the words of Luminas.

"Well, there is no use in running away. We have no choice but to fight because this world is going to be
destroyed in the end. I, in my pride as a demon lord, will not turn my back on my enemies. And it is not only
I."
 V21changed one after another in place of the figure of Luminas who told them so.
The images

"Demon lord" Luminas was at the head of the group. "Primordial" Ultima. Saint Hinata. Hero Masayuki.
"True Dragon" Velgrynd. The current image was projected in a flowing manner.

"They are also my friends who are facing this crisis."

Hearing this, the people thought. That's a "sure thing," they thought. Especially the residents of Ingracia,
who had just seen Masayuki's heroic figure. His absolute good looks were so clear that some of them even
wanted to visit him. The name "Velgrynd" meant a lot to those who knew how bad "True Dragon" was.
Velgrynd reigned as a fearsome empress whom even Veldora could not resist.

And then, Ultima. Her cuteness and loveliness had been attracting a rapidly growing number of fans all over
the world. Fools are fooled by looks, but there must be a problem with Ultima posing prettily too.

Add to that Hinata, and you have the god of Luminism. And with the god of Luminism joining the fray, the
natural reaction might be, 'What's there to lose? Is there any reason to lose?' Unaware of this, Luminas
continued.

"Even so, it is not enough. Gather together, my brave warriors! There is no future ahead of you if you run
away! And even if we survive at the expense of many champions, we will be able to live proudly in the
future! Then, this is the time to show our courage."

Luminas' speech was beginning to have an unexpected effect. The audience was mesmerized by Luminas's
charm. Those who decide to go for Ultima. Those who are bowled over by Hinata's good looks. Those who
cheer at Masayuki's grin. And those who were awed by Velgrynd's mysteriousness. In a sense, it was a
good decision to show the video. It was a good decision in a sense because the godliness of the images
gave hope to the people, instead of the despair they were expected to feel.

To be more precise, it was a crucible of excitement to see the summit beings gathered as if they were
reenacting a myth in this apocalyptic situation. This was, well, an unexpected reaction for those who knew
the reality of the situation. However, for the people who did not know the nature of the threat, they had no
choice but to be excited by the lineup.

The speech reached its climax.

"Listen, leaders! You are only great because of your people. You are nobles and kings because you live
proudly. You cannot run away. Lead your people righteously so that they can stand against the crisis of this
world! Those who live their days in ignorance, so be it. Just get out of the way and struggle to live! And
lastly, you who are strong, you have a place to die. Give your lives so that I may win the victory!"
 V21
It was the speech of a lifetime for Luminas, which would be recorded and passed down to posterity.
Luminas concluded with her last words.

"Victory to us on this planet! We will strive for victory at all costs."

This was a declaration to put the wisdom, power, and courage of mankind above all else. The people of the
world responded. Knowing the determination of the Luminas-champion people, everyone was ready for it.

"Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Victory to us! Victory on this

planet!"

There was a roar of cheers from all over the world. It was a frenzy. The Charys of Luminas was no joke.
Although she did not make full use of her powers, the human race seemed to have been charmed, and in an
instant, they showed their unity. This is the 'doomsday message' of Luminas that has been handed down to
posterity.

While the frenzy was still high, emergency meetings were held in various countries to discuss the situation
in a short period of time. It was decided that the largest possible force, with a minimum of strength, would
be dispatched as reinforcements.

While Luminas was giving a speech and forces were steadily being gathered, Dagruel was also giving a
speech with the surviving "Chained Titan Army." Dagruel's sons were also called to the front, and the three
of them were standing in the front row.

"Listen! Now that I can't move, I'm giving the command to Dagura as my deputy. Liura, Debura! Help Dagura
and do your best for the prosperity of the Giants!"

"Oh! Yes, sir!"

Nodding, Dagruel continued.

"Warriors of the Giants! Forgive me for my inadequacy. From now on, think of Dagura as yourself and obey
his orders!"

This too was met with a shout of "Ouch!" This was met with a chorus so loud that it almost resembled a
shout of "Oui!" and everyone agreed. Dagura, the legitimate son of Dagruel, was also well-liked, even though
he was only a deputy until Dagruel was able to move.
 V21brother. I'm here for you. I'll protect you and Dagura no matter what."
"Don't worry,

Saying this, Basara, the four-armed man, patted Dagura on the back. As his uncle, he declared himself
Dagura's guardian.

Dagruel was relieved. At this point, he finally smiled.

"It does not mean that the relationship between me and Luminas has disappeared, but I have been
indebted to her more than I can repay on this occasion. I will keep my past grudges in my heart and look
forward to the future."

Thanks to Veldora, the land will be restored. The time will come when territorial ambitions will no longer be
necessary. Then there will be no more reason to be hostile to Luminas.

Fortunately, there were few casualties in this battle. A certain number of those who were dying on both
sides were healed by the fertile mysterious wave (fertile paradox) and revived safely. Thanks to this great
miracle, there were few lingering doubts. Therefore, they should now look to the future. Dagruel
communicated this thought to his sons.

"Dagura, you will be a king in time. Do not just follow my opinion, but use your own judgment to decide
what is right from now on. The fate of the Giants rests on your judgment. Be mindful of that. You too."

Dagruel directed this to Dagura and even Liura and Debura at the same time. The three brothers were
scared by this.

"Yes, yes! Father, of course! I'll risk my life to fulfill my duty as acting king! I'll save you too. I promise to live
up to your expectations."

"Of course!"

There was no way they could dare to be cowardly in the face of Dagruel, who was giving off the air that he
would not allow them to backslide at this point. The three of them, under pressure, made their vows.

"And we all pray for the return of Dagruel-sama, and we will serve our country according to the order of
Dagura-sama!"

Understanding Dagruel's defeat, Veldora's salvation, and Luminas' warm-heartedness, the elite of the
"Chained Titan Army" obeyed Dagruel's decision without question. Dagruel watched and nodded his head in
satisfaction.
 V21that I will not be able to witness this war, but it seems that we are running out of time. I believe
"I am sorry
there is a future and we go to sleep. The rest is in your hands, Dagura. Now, farewell."

With these words, the Dagruels were sucked into the tree and disappeared. They were to go into a long
sleep in order to regenerate the land and their own bodies.

Thus, the rebellion of Dagruel's army was settled. At the same time, the "Chained Titan Army" also
participated in the final battle.

(149-155)

Thus, a large force was gathered from all over the region. Those who could not make it to the defense were
not counted as part of the force from the beginning. The fact that they were there now proved that all of
them were strong, one-hundred-thousand-strong men.

The highlight of the battle was the Pegasus Knights led by champion Gazel Dwargo with 500 cavalrymen.

"I can't be concerned only with my own country if I'm told like that," Gazel Dwargo said bitterly.

Despite his words, his eyes were full of motivation. He was inspired by the knowledge that he was the one
to protect in Rimuru's absence.

Hinata led the 300-member Holy Knight Order.

"Defend yourselves to the death. Even if you die, Luminas will bring you back to life."

The members nodded their heads in delight at this seemingly impossible order. Since everyone was a Holy
Knight of Over A rank, their fearless attitude toward even death was both bizarre and encouraging.

Pope Louis led the Bloody Knights of less than 400 members. His sacred vestments were so striking that
he also served as a portable shrine.

There were a hundred new Imperial Guardians, led by Calgurio with Minits as his second-in-command. As
the guardians of Masayuki, they were ready to defend the city with an iron-clad formation.

The main force was made up of over a thousand elite warriors selected from the "Chained Titan Army."
Dagura, the acting king, would be the commander-in-chief, but he would be assisted by Basara, who
seemed to be in good hands.
V21
In addition, there were about 500 champions from various countries. Among the champions were Youm,
Myuran, Grucius (Queen Myu), and Razen. Sare and Grigori, former members of the "Three Martial Sages,"
temporarily returned to fight along with 30 Master Rooks. Sare and Grigori were scared when they saw
Hinata, but they did not run away, which showed that they had some spirit.

Since the champions lacked cohesion, they were a team of those who were close to each other or who
knew each other. The hierarchical relationship seemed to have been established immediately due to the
power relationship based on name recognition.

Thus, although hastily prepared, a defense force of the most elite of the elite was formed. The total number
of members was a little less than 3,000. The best possible force was assembled, all of whom were of the
highest A-rank class.

Luminas looked around the army deployed around "Heaven's Tower" and muttered with deep emotion. It
was a magnificent sight, but she wondered how many of them would survive. Whether the champion dies
was of no concern to Luminas. Still, she was concerned because each of them had a spark of genuine soul
in their hearts.

Standing next to Luminas was Shion, who had made a full recovery. She seemed to be in high spirits. When
she woke up from the fertility paradox of Veldora, Shion was in an incomplete state. This was proof that
Shion's magicule had increased to such an extent that even her madcap powers could not recover.

"No problem! As long as you don't let him die."

Luminas wondered on what basis she could make such a statement. No, Shion had no evidence, and she
did not even believe it was a hope. She was saying, "It should be so, it should be so, it must be so." She was
simply expressing her feelings with an irrational violence of thought. Luminas liked Shion in this way. There
was no use in being pessimistic. Luminas herself thought that it was better to scatter with hope for the
future than to die in despair.

Anyway, she was curious about the conversation between Shion and Adalmann.

"Yes, we can use Immortal Legion as a decoy..."

"Oh, that's impossible."

 V21
"Why not?"

"Actually, I think I've been incarnated..."

After hearing that, Luminas looked at Adalmann carefully. Indeed, he had incarnated. She knew that he had
merged with Wenti during the battle with Fenn, but she had assumed that he had remained the same.
However, she was wrong. The mini-dragon on Adalmann's shoulder was a modified version of Wenti. In
other words, Adalmann had graduated from the skeleton in its original state. And it seemed to have been
applied not only to Adalmann but to the whole Immortal Legion. It was the effect of Veldora's fertility
paradox. It seemed that the undead were judged as an anomaly and restored to their original state.

"How is that possible?"

Even Ultima, who didn't seem to be interested in the subject, was not so sure. Since even the "primordial
demon" was surprised, it seemed to be an anomaly for sure. Anyway, it was a matter of opinion whether it
was a good thing that they were no longer immortal or not... but in that case, those who were less than A
rank were not enough to be a force to be reckoned with. They were asked to work behind the scenes,
guiding the people of the holy city and the giants to evacuate, distributing meals, and so on.

There were only a few days left before the war began. Thus, preparations were steadily being made.

Zelanus was healing her wounds. It was not a wound sustained in the battle with Milim. Zelanus was
forced to undergo Life Reconstruction, and this was the effect of that. Peliod's death was unexpected, and
although it was a slight deviation from the plan, it did not cause any problems. Even the death of Peliod
was not a problem, because for Zelanus, it was a scheduled event. All insectars were designed to belong to
Zelanus. Peliod created them "so be it." Therefore, the power came back to Zelanus even after his death.
She was supposed to return to Peliod and become a super-enhanced being. Instead, she returned directly
to Zelanus with her own power. The result was the Life Reconstruction of Zelanus.

However, this was nothing to Zelanus, who even ate herself with the "Devastator Virus." She nurtured the
power of the dependents she produced and fed on them. The more the family grew, the more powerful she
became. Wisdom, power, and experience all became Zelanus'. This was the essence of Zelanus' power—
Ultimate Skill 'Sefirot.'

It was true that Zelanus expected Zess to surpass his parents, but she was sure that it would be
impossible. She intended to give up the title of 'Sefirot' if she could achieve it, but she never did. In the end,
Zess died and disappeared as Zelanus' food.
V21
(It was not yet the right time, but it seems to have been ripe enough.)

Zelanus thought so, and was satisfied. She was full of strength. For the first time in a long time, Zelanus
felt great, as if she had regained all her powers. She was now dozens of times stronger than when she was
born. Zelanus was much stronger now than when she fought Milim. Zelanus' existence value had exceeded
a billion, and she had become a transcendent being, surpassing even the "True Dragon." But it was not
enough. There were still other children of Zelanus who were enjoying their lives. She should have embraced
their power and aimed for a higher level.

Zelanus rises.

"Let's go!"

she muttered to the empty sky, and Zelanus walked away.

Dino was depressed. He was now, under Feldway's orders, conquering the Labyrinth of Ramiris. Dino was
already fed up even though he had just started. He wanted to take Pico and Gracia and run away. But this
was not allowed. Feldway's rule was absolute, and only a certain amount of free will was allowed. "The son
of a bitch really annoys me," he thought to himself, but he couldn't help but resent himself for his lack of
strength.

There was one more person who annoyed Dino. Walking in the front of the pack in high spirits was Vega.

"Hey! I told you to watch out for traps!"

Again, a large rock rolled down the path because of the switch that Vega had stepped on. It was a trap to
be expected when the path was marked with a slope. Dino's frustration with Vega's foolishness was about
to reach a climax. Dino remembered how this happened.

Mai's power had brought him to the Tempest in an instant. In front of the labyrinth, Vega, Mai, Dino, Pico,
and Gracia looked at each other. It was for the final meeting.

"Listen, you have to follow my orders from here on out," Vega said in a proud tone. Vega said to Dino in a
brash tone. Dino felt antagonistic, but he had no right to veto the order. Vega and Dino and the others were
on the same level, but it was Vega who was in charge of the mission. Dino had no choice but to follow the
V21 he felt that he was in trouble.
plan, although

"So, what is your plan?"

Dino asked Vega confidently.

"It's easy. We'll go in head-on and knock them all out. That way you guys can get some experience, and I'll
be stronger if I eat the stronger ones."

Dino was disgusted to the core, thinking that this guy was an idiot. In other words, Vega himself was trying
to become stronger by having Dino and the others take care of the dew. It was a terrible strategy. So Dino
said to him.

"Hey, hey, don't be reckless! That labyrinth is impregnable. I know it sounds like I'm making excuses
because we failed to conquer it, but it's really dangerous in there!"

He took this opportunity to express his true feelings.

"Besides! Even if you die in the labyrinth, you can come back to life as long as Ramiris is there! In other
words, there's no end to the number of times you can defeat him, so it's absolutely impossible to conquer
the labyrinth."

Dino thought to himself, 'This is impossible.' Even when he was an ally, he thought it was a bad idea, but
now that he was an enemy, he understood the horror of this labyrinth better.

So, Dino wanted to just give the impression that he was just doing his job properly, and then quickly cut the
game short.

Pico and Gracia followed him.

Thus, a large force was gathered from all over the region. Those who could not make it to the defense were
not counted as part of the force from the beginning. The fact that they were there now proved that all of
them were strong, one-hundred-thousand-strong men.
 V21 of the battle was the Pegasus Knights led by champion Gazel Dwargo with 500 cavalrymen.
The highlight

"I can't be concerned only with my own country if I'm told like that," Gazel Dwargo said bitterly.

Despite his words, his eyes were full of motivation. He was inspired by the knowledge that he was the one
to protect in Rimuru's absence.

Hinata led the 300-member Holy Knight Order.

"Defend yourselves to the death. Even if you die, Luminas will bring you back to life."

The members nodded their heads in delight at this seemingly impossible order. Since everyone was a Holy
Knight of Over A rank, their fearless attitude toward even death was both bizarre and encouraging.

Pope Louis led the Bloody Knights of less than 400 members. His sacred vestments were so striking that
he also served as a portable shrine.

There were a hundred new Imperial Guardians, led by Calgurio with Minits as his second-in-command. As
the guardians of Masayuki, they were ready to defend the city with an iron-clad formation.

The main force was made up of over a thousand elite warriors selected from the "Chained Titan Army."
Dagura, the acting king, would be the commander-in-chief, but he would be assisted by Basara, who
seemed to be in good hands.

In addition, there were about 500 champions from various countries. Among the champions were Youm,
Myuran, Grucius (Queen Myu), and Razen. Sare and Grigori, former members of the "Three Martial Sages,"
temporarily returned to fight along with 30 Master Rooks. Sare and Grigori were scared when they saw
Hinata, but they did not run away, which showed that they had some spirit.

Since the champions lacked cohesion, they were a team of those who were close to each other or who
knew each other. The hierarchical relationship seemed to have been established immediately due to the
power relationship based on name recognition.

Thus, although hastily prepared, a defense force of the most elite of the elite was formed. The total number
of members was a little less than 3,000. The best possible force was assembled, all of whom were of the
highest A-rank class.

Luminas looked around the army deployed around "Heaven's Tower" and muttered with deep emotion. It
was a magnificent sight, but she wondered how many of them would survive. Whether the champion dies
was of no concern to Luminas. Still, she was concerned because each of them had a spark of genuine soul
V21
in their hearts.

Standing next to Luminas was Shion, who had made a full recovery. She seemed to be in high spirits. When
she woke up from the fertility paradox of Veldora, Shion was in an incomplete state. This was proof that
Shion's magicule had increased to such an extent that even her madcap powers could not recover.

"No problem! As long as you don't let him die."

Luminas wondered on what basis she could make such a statement. No, Shion had no evidence, and she
did not even believe it was a hope. She was saying, "It should be so, it should be so, it must be so." She was
simply expressing her feelings with an irrational violence of thought. Luminas liked Shion in this way. There
was no use in being pessimistic. Luminas herself thought that it was better to scatter with hope for the
future than to die in despair.

Anyway, she was curious about the conversation between Shion and Adalmann.

"Yes, we can use Immortal Legion as a decoy..."

"Oh, that's impossible."

"Why not?"

"Actually, I think I've been incarnated..."

After hearing that, Luminas looked at Adalmann carefully. Indeed, he had incarnated. She knew that he had
merged with Wenti during the battle with Fenn, but she had assumed that he had remained the same.
However, she was wrong. The mini-dragon on Adalmann's shoulder was a modified version of Wenti. In
other words, Adalmann had graduated from the skeleton in its original state. And it seemed to have been
applied not only to Adalmann but to the whole Immortal Legion. It was the effect of Veldora's fertility
paradox. It seemed that the undead were judged as an anomaly and restored to their original state.

"How is that possible?"

Even Ultima, who didn't seem to be interested in the subject, was not so sure. Since even the "primordial
demon" was surprised, it seemed to be an anomaly for sure. Anyway, it was a matter of opinion whether it
was a good thing that they were no longer immortal or not... but in that case, those who were less than A
rank were not enough to be a force to be reckoned with. They were asked to work behind the scenes,
V21people of the holy city and the giants to evacuate, distributing meals, and so on.
guiding the

There were only a few days left before the war began. Thus, preparations were steadily being made.

Zelanus was healing his wounds. It was not a wound sustained in the battle with Milim. Zelanus was forced
to undergo Life Reconstruction, and this was the effect of that. Peliod's death was unexpected, and
although it was a slight deviation from the plan, it did not cause any problems. Even the death of Peliod
was not a problem, because for Zelanus, it was a scheduled event. All insectars were designed to belong to
Zelanus. Peliod created them– "so be it." Therefore, the power came back to Zelanus even after her death.
He was supposed to return to Peliod and become a super-enhanced being. Instead, it returned directly to
Zelanus as his own power. The result was the Life Reconstruction of Zelanus.

However, this was nothing to Zelanus, who even ate himself with the "Devastator Virus." He nurtured the
power of the dependents he produced and fed on them. The more the family grew, the more powerful he
became. Wisdom, power, and experience all became Zelanus'. This was the essence of Zelanus' power—
Ultimate Skill 'Sefirot.'

It was true that Zelanus expected Zess to surpass his parents, but he was sure that it would be impossible.
He intended to give up the title of 'Sefirot' if he could achieve it, but he never did. In the end, Zess died and
disappeared as Zelanus' food.

(It was not yet the right time, but it seems to have been ripe enough.)

Zelanus thought so, and was satisfied. He was full of strength. For the first time in a long time, Zelanus felt
great, as if he had regained all his powers. He was now dozens of times stronger than when he was born.
Zelanus was much stronger now than when he fought Milim. Zelanus' existence value had exceeded a
billion, and he had become a transcendent being, surpassing even the "True Dragon." But it was not enough.
There were still other children of Zelanus who were enjoying their lives. He should have embraced their
power and aimed for a higher level.

Zelanus rises.

"Let's go!"

He muttered to the empty sky, and Zelanus walked away.

 V21

Dino was depressed. He was now, under Feldway's orders, conquering the Labyrinth of Ramiris. Dino was
already fed up even though he had just started. He wanted to take Pico and Gracia and run away. But this
was not allowed. Feldway's rule was absolute, and only a certain amount of free will was allowed. "The son
of a bitch really annoys me," he thought to himself, but he couldn't help but resent himself for his lack of
strength.

There was one more person who annoyed Dino. Walking in the front of the pack in high spirits was Vega.

"Hey! I told you to watch out for traps!"

Again, a large rock rolled down the path because of the switch that Vega had stepped on. It was a trap to
be expected when the path was marked with a slope. Dino's frustration with Vega's foolishness was about
to reach a climax. Dino remembered how this happened.

Mai's power had brought him to the Tempest in an instant. In front of the labyrinth, Vega, Mai, Dino, Pico,
and Gracia looked at each other. It was for the final meeting.

"Listen, you have to follow my orders from here on out," Vega said in a proud tone. Vega said to Dino in a
brash tone. Dino felt antagonistic, but he had no right to veto the order. Vega and Dino and the others were
on the same level, but it was Vega who was in charge of the mission. Dino had no choice but to follow the
plan, although he felt that he was in trouble.

"So, what is your plan?"

Dino asked Vega confidently.

"It's easy. We'll go in head-on and knock them all out. That way you guys can get some experience, and I'll
be stronger if I eat the stronger ones."

Dino was disgusted to the core, thinking that this guy was an idiot. In other words, Vega himself was trying
to become stronger by having Dino and the others take care of the dew. It was a terrible strategy. So Dino
said to him.

"Hey, hey, don't be reckless! That labyrinth is impregnable. I know it sounds like I'm making excuses
because we failed to conquer it, but it's really dangerous in there!"
He took V21
this opportunity to express his true feelings.

"Besides! Even if you die in the labyrinth, you can come back to life as long as Ramiris is there! In other
words, there's no end to the number of times you can defeat them, so it's absolutely impossible to conquer
the labyrinth."

Dino thought to himself, 'This is impossible.' Even when he was an ally, he thought it was a bad idea, but
now that he was an enemy, he understood the horror of this labyrinth better. So, Dino wanted to just give
the impression that he was just doing his job properly, and then quickly cut the game short.

Pico and Gracia followed him.

"There are even opponents who can compete with me, you know? And since they won't die, it's like they're
going to throw everything they've got at us, no matter the cost. Honestly, don't you think it's not about
whether you can win or not?" Pico said.

"That's right. The guy who fought me was as hard as a joke, patient, and had an indomitable fighting spirit. I
don't want such a fierce fighter to come at me without fear of death," Gracia also seemed to be really
displeased with the situation and spoke her mind quite bitterly.

Pico and Gracia were not really serious either. So, if they tried to fight with their full strength, they might win
easily. However, since they would still come back, Pico and Gracia would be the ones who would eventually
run out of power. Knowing this, they really did not want to push themselves too hard.

"So, let's not do it because it's useless." From Dino's point of view, this was sincere advice. They did not
want to attack the labyrinth again, but that was something they did not want to say. But it seemed that
Vega was even dumber than Dino thought.

"It's no problem. Even if he comes back, it's only because I beat him."

"What?" "Just eat him. If you lose your body, you can't come back."

"Is that right?" Dino wondered. No, the authority of Ramiris was supposed to control the soul. If so, even the
body should be reproduced from the information of the protected soul.

Vega stopped Dino, who was about to say that it was possible to revive him, with a laugh.

"Doesn't matter. Then so be it. I can take away the power of the person I've eaten, and even if he comes
back, I can easily beat him next time, can't I?"

Dino's irritation grew at Vega's easy words.

"So, the V21
labyrinth guardians are real, they can't be defeated so easily!"

Dino was angry in his heart that he was told not to assume that he could win.

"This is why I hate ignorant people..." "It's not a problem."

"No problem. If you guys are worried about it by yourselves, I'll create your minions with 'Evil Dragon Spawn
Production'. As long as we have enough food for them, we can spawn four of them at the same time," Vega
said confidently.

Hearing this, Dino felt like stomping on the ground. (Why doesn't he listen to me?) Dino wanted to shout
out, but unfortunately, Vega had the upper hand. It's all the fault of being under Feldway's control. Hating
their own misfortune, Dino and the others had no choice but to obey him.

"I warned you, didn't I?"

"Heh, he's a worrisome son of a bitch. Okay, okay. Then I'll use my Ultimate Skill 'Evil Dragon King Azi
Dahaka' and eat the labyrinth itself!"

"Don't be absurd!"

"Are you stupid?"

"Don't talk nonsense in your sleep."

"Are you serious?"

Dino, Pico, Gracia, and Mai all came in at the same time. Vega's comment was so ridiculous that even Mai,
who had been silently watching what was going on, joined in.

"Don't be fooled. If I'm like you now, this labyrinth is no problem for me!"

Mocking everyone's reaction, Vega became even more motivated. Then he opened the door of the labyrinth
as if no further discussion was necessary.

Dino gave up trying to argue back.

"All right, I guess I'll just have to follow your lead..."

 V21
"That's the way it's going to be!"

No matter how reckless the decision was, it had already been made. As long as Vega had made this
decision, there was no way he could go against Dino and the others.

"...At the very least, I hope my 'World Map' will help us get out of here."

"I think you'll probably be fine." Dino answered comfortably to Mai who seemed to have made up her mind.

The labyrinth of Ramiris was surprisingly loose in terms of comings and goings. They did not accept those
who came and did not chase those who left. I have heard that there are some useful features such as
Isolation, and the more the number of levels, the stronger the defense is, but I have not heard much about
keeping those who leave. So Dino was not worried about escaping.

"That's a relief. You are small fry, so don't drag me down!"

With these words, Vega entered the labyrinth.

"Okay." Dino followed him. Pico and Gracia followed him with a look of annoyance. Mai also silently entered
the labyrinth.

Thus, the story took the worst turn that Dino had feared, and only the five of them were left to challenge the
labyrinth.

And now, Vega's reckless march continued.

"Hey, hey, hey, I thought you were going to send out your boys!"

Dino, wanting to take it easy, urged Vega to get his 'Evil Dragon Spawn' out of there as soon as possible.

In response, Vega yelled at him.

"Shut up! There's no food for it, so just wait a little longer!"
 V21
Monsters who were supposed to be roaming around in the labyrinth were not seen today. There were some,
but there were fewer than usual. They were just small fry without intelligence, and instead, there were more
traps than usual.

Dino was convinced that they must have already figured out our plan.

It was as if they had held the strategy meeting in such a way that he could hear them, which made Dino feel
relieved. However, it was no fun to be trapped as much as a fool. Dino was frustrated that he should be
made to feel more comfortable.

"You have to be on your guard in this labyrinth because anything is possible."

"I know. I told you I'd invade the labyrinth, didn't I? Leave it to me to stall for time."

As soon as the five of them entered the labyrinth, Vega's invasion of the labyrinth was underway. However,
the results were not immediate. Of course not. The labyrinth of Ramiris was not organic, so the Ultimate
Skill 'Organic Domination' of 'Evil Dragon King Azi Dahaka' was not effective.

Yet Vega did not give up. It was partly because he did not understand his own power deeply, but it was also
because he felt that he had some kind of a response. He put tiny magical bacteria along the labyrinth wall,
even though it was meaningless to do so. Since he was drained of Energy, he did not have enough time to
play 'Evil Dragon Spawn'.

In spite of such a situation, Vega was outstandingly getting caught in the trap. This made Gracia angry.

"Then don't come forward."

"That's right. And don't set off the traps on your own."

Even Pico was saying whatever she wanted to say. And so, the team led by Vega moved on to the deeper
levels of the labyrinth.

(164-170)
V21
 V21

There were people watching over the labyrinth attack team. Believing in the return of Rimuru, they were the
Benimaru group, determined to protect the place where Rimuru would return. In the "Control Room" located
at the lowest level of the labyrinth, there was a huge monitor on the wall in front of the center of the room.
The monitor showed the situation of Vega and his group, but it was difficult to see their exact actions.

Benimaru was sitting in the chair usually used by Veldora, staring intently at the screen. Beside him was
Ramiris' chair, carefully fixed in the air. It was mini-sized but luxurious, complete with a desk. The "Control
Room" had been redecorated accordingly. Some devices were just flickering lights with meaningless
decorations, but most were real. Various instruments were provided to monitor everything happening in the
V21
labyrinth.

The Treyni sisters were vigilantly observing.

"Switch over. Launch the next trap!"

"Data collection is going well! We've measured the enemy's presence!"

Each person was performing their assigned roles perfectly. Vega's team cleared traps one after another. At
first glance, this might seem meaningless, but it had a crucial purpose.

Benimaru, who had overheard their conversation, had decided not to give Vega any prey. Therefore, he led
them into traps to minimize their encounters with monsters.

Finally, Vega's group broke through the 50th level. Incidentally, Mezer and Gozer, the bosses of the 50th
level, had already evacuated just in case. Being eaten by Vega posed an uncertain risk regarding their
revival, making it too risky a gamble.

As Dino had shown, complete revival was possible as long as souls were intact. However, there was no way
to know what would happen if they were eaten alive. To avoid collapsing the myth of the labyrinth's safety,
they took precautionary measures.

Despite this, an unexpected attack method on the labyrinth emerged. Dino had done an excellent job
exposing Vega's plan in advance. Thus, the boss room was breached without incident. Awaiting them was
a well-prepared arsenal of state-of-the-art scientific weapons.

With many floors' Guardians absent, Ramiris was hurriedly reforming the labyrinth structure. The numerous
traps were also meant to buy time. And so, the real work was about to begin.

"It's started, hasn't it?"

"Yes. Everything is going as planned," Ramiris nodded at Benimaru's muttering.

Ramiris posed on the desk, hands crossed, chin resting on them meaningfully. She nodded to Benimaru's
words and smiled as if to say it was the atmosphere that mattered.

"Stop playing around and get to work!" Shuna, folding up the fan in her hand, slapped Benimaru on the
head.
"Ow! You folded it, it hurts! Don't you have any kindness for your beloved brother?"

Benimaru lamented that Shuna didn't understand his sense of fun, but Shuna was unfazed.
"There isV21
no such thing. I understand that you're trying to ease your anxiety by Rimuru-sama's absence, but
please stop playing around and be serious!"

She cut him off with a single blow. In support of Shuna, Beretta spoke up.

"Shuna-sama is right. This is a time of emergency. If you don't stop this, I'll report you when Rimuru-sama
comes back."

Ramiris panicked when Beretta sharply interrupted.

"Hey! What are you talking about? I'm serious!" The suggestive gesture was instantly blown away, and she
started to make excuses in a panic.

"Benimaru, you too. Now is not the time to be playing around; be aware that this is a battle you cannot
afford to lose."

Souei reminded him, and Benimaru nodded.

"I understand. But a commander needs to stay relaxed."

(171-180)

"Yes, that's right! We wanted to make everyone feel at ease, so we were showing them a relaxed attitude,"
Ramiris joined in on Benimaru's excuse.

Benimaru thought that it was difficult to imitate Rimuru. Rimuru would have reassured everyone with his
aloof attitude, no matter what kind of danger was approaching. If Benimaru tried to do the same, the result
would be as bad as it was now. He tried to play along with Ramiris and showed an air of composure, but all
he did was offend the serious ones.

Ramiris complained that Rimuru would never get angry at her for a little bit of fun, but it was time to move
on. It was time for her to stop trying to imitate Rimuru because Rimuru was not in the same league as her.
Benimaru needed to reassure everyone in his own way.

Benimaru and Ramiris exchanged glances and shared their innermost thoughts. They adjusted their
approach and gave orders to deal with Vega and the others. The situation was proceeding as expected.

Benimaru asked, "What do you think of the enemy's strength?" "What is their presence value?"
 V21
One of the operators answered, "This black-haired girl here has a presence value of 1,660,000. The bow she
is carrying is of mythical grade, equivalent to 1 million, so her total is 2,660,000."

The twenty-four dryas doll dryads were now doing their part without waiting for Beretta's instructions. He
quickly operated his desk panel and switched the screen display. A girl with black hair tied in a ponytail
appeared on the monitor. Her eyes were sharp and slit, and her cherry-red lips were set in a tight line. The
name of this serious-looking girl was Mai Furuki. Mai's weapon was a crescent bow created by Oria. It
disappeared once after Oria's death but was reproduced when Vega inherited 'Multiple Weapons.' It was
lent to Vega as it was.

"This woman is a transferee, isn't she? Theoretically, we should destroy her first." "I don't think we can. I
believe she can escape from my labyrinth. Isolation is meaningless," Ramiris said.

Dino and the others were right. Dino was lazy, but he was surprisingly smart. "He's a threat, but killing him
is the last thing we need." "Why?" Ramiris asked. "Because Rimuru-sama won't like it," Benimaru answered.

Everyone agreed with him. Mai was apparently from the same town as Rimuru and was still a child. There
was no doubt that she was under Feldway's control, even if she was acting on her own will. The only time
they would kill her would be when they had no other choice.

Ramiris herself did not want to kill her. Therefore, she was in favor of Benimaru's decision. However, it was
too much for her to admit it frankly, so she forced herself to make a stern face and plunged into the
discussion.

"You are surprisingly generous, aren't you?" Benimaru and the others knew what Ramiris was thinking. With
a wry smile, Benimaru answered, "Of course. When a commander loses his composure, it is a lost battle."

Thanks to Benimaru's reply, everyone felt a bit more relaxed. As a result, the atmosphere in the "Control
Room" became calm. Next, Pico appeared on the monitor.

"This girl here..." She was not a girl in terms of age, but her appearance was enough to proceed with the
story. "She is the one who fought with us, isn't she? I think her name is Pico," Kumara, who was waiting on
the lower floor, said in a voice. Kumara's eyes were glazed, as if eager for a rematch.

"The conversation was recorded. The individual must be Pico," the operator answered simply. The operator
continued to disclose Pico's information. She had a presence value of 1,890,000 and possessed a mythical-
grade spear-trident. In total, her existence value was 2,890,000.

"This one is also a formidable foe." "Benimaru-sama, I hope you'll let us deal with her." "I'll consider it,"
Benimaru said, putting Kumara's proposal on hold without hesitation.
 V21was shown. "That's the girl I fought. She was not serious at all, but she was a pretty good
Next, Gracia
fighter," Geld said.

Benimaru thought that Geld wanted to fight again, but he wanted him to heal himself first. The wound itself
was healed, but Geld's fatigue was not something that could be healed easily. It seemed that he had been
distributing the damage he had taken with his power to his companions, but he had given it back to them at
the end of the battle. The burden on Geld was quite heavy. It would have been suicidal for him to go into the
battlefield under such a situation.

Nevertheless, Benimaru understood Geld's feelings. He himself had not fully recovered from the exhaustion
caused by the previous battle but was eager to take the lead. He wanted to relieve his anxiety about
Rimuru's absence by fighting. However, now was the time to take one action at a time. Benimaru decided
that it was too early to put Geld on the battlefield.

Anyway, he turned his attention to Gracia's figures. "This individual is Gracia, with an existence value of
2,440,000, carrying a mythical-grade one-handed sword (longsword) and a round shield (circle shield). In
total, Gracia's existence value is 4,440,000."

As this figure shows, the existence value is not just a matter of being large. If we want to increase only the
number, we should possess more weapons. However, such an imitation does not lead directly to strength.
In the first place, the number of mythical-grade weapons is small, and it is meaningless if you cannot
master them. In the case of Gracia, I guessed that she could pull out the maximum performance, so she is
a strong opponent for sure.

"What should we do next?" Benimaru turned his eyes to the next information. On the screen, Dino was
shown. Dino looked somewhat absent-minded and unmotivated. Ramiris was glaring at Dino's unchanged
appearance.

"I'm going to get back at you for what you did to me last time! Prepare yourself, Dino-chan!" Ramiris
declared, though Dino couldn't hear it.

"So, what is Dino's information?"

"This individual is Dino, a member of the Octagram, also known as the Sleeping Ruler," the operator
explained what everyone knew without hesitation. Then, the existence value of Dino was revealed in detail.
The existence value was 2,260,000, and the mythical-grade sword on his back was 2,200,000, which was
quite impressive. The total value was 4,460,000.

"He's completely unmotivated," said Ramiris, as if she had seen through him. "What's your basis for that?"
Benimaru asked, though he thought she was right.
 V21intuition." Ramiris replied.
"A woman’s

Everyone let it go, and the air was filled with a sense of blankness. The last person to check was Vega, who
was regarded as the biggest threat. Everyone focused their eyes on the numbers displayed on the monitor.

"17,370,000,000, it's a monster," Benimaru muttered on behalf of everyone. Diablo was the only one in the
room who kept smiling. "If you want, I can take care of him," Diablo offered with a deepening smile.
Benimaru hesitated for a moment before replying, "No, that's not a good idea. It's his power, but there are
still a lot of unknowns. Testarossa escaped once, so we need to be very careful."

With firm determination, Benimaru told everyone to wait for the right moment. If they did not at least
separate Vega from Mai, he would be able to escape easily. To avoid such a situation, they needed to be
tactful in dealing with Vega. Diablo agreed and obeyed.

When everyone was satisfied, Ramiris spoke up. "Besides, that Vega guy seems to be doing something
wrong." "He was talking about eating the labyrinth, as mentioned in the conversation with Dino, wasn't he?"
Benimaru nodded, and Treyni, who was listening to the conversation beside him, interrupted. "Is it
possible?" "What? Of course, it's impossible," Ramiris answered nonchalantly.

They all thought so too. But Ramiris' explanation did not end there. "But I guess we can't be too careful. I
was curious about it because it was giving me the creeps, so I checked it out, and it's really been feeding on
the labyrinth."

Ramiris said that Vega's magical bacteria were trying to cover the labyrinth walls. The labyrinth itself is an
imaginary substance, neither organic nor inorganic. It is impossible for bacteria, which can only affect
organic matter, to harm the labyrinth, but Vega is not giving up on the challenge.

"It seems to lose its control when the level of the labyrinth is changed, and it seems to have understood
that..." Vega loses control over the bacteria if it is not in a continuous space. And yet, they keep challenging
it by moving from one level to another.

"Actually, the weaker monsters in that hierarchy get eaten, and it's like they're slowly building up their power,
and it's kind of weird..." "That's another thing..." Benimaru groaned.

It was a good thing that Gozer and Mezer were evacuated. Perhaps they thought so too, as they looked at
each other and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Have you finished taking samples of the isolated bacteria?" Diablo asked, and Ramiris nodded.

"Of course we have!" she boasted proudly and had Beretta bring in a beaker-like container.
"I'm not V21
that stubborn," Diablo said. Diablo took some of the food and tried to destroy it. Benimaru, copying
him, tried to burn them with his own fire. As Diablo said, it seemed to be easier to kill than he had expected,
which was a relief.

"It seems that once they are out of your control, their vitality is not that high." "Yes. But just to be safe, I
think it would be better to destroy them all."

Vega's growth rate is astonishing. Since there is no way to know what might cause it to mutate, it is always
better to play it safe. In fact, Vega alone was fluctuating in abundance, albeit slightly. If we do not take care
of it now, it may become a serious threat in the future. Having shared these results with the group, we
naturally decided on a policy. As soon as Mai and Vega are isolated, Vega is to be eliminated for the sake
of the future.
 V21

(182-190)

The guardian of the 60th level, but in Gadra's absence, was the Demon Colossus. It is a 'violent device' that
unleashes an overwhelming force of destruction when ordered to eliminate intruders. It has been modified
by Gadra (Master) and is now equipped with various weapons. The viciousness of these weapons was
beyond the control of ordinary adventurers. However, in the face of Dino and the others, their power could
V21
only serve as a stumbling block...

"You're making me nervous, you know. It's so strong, this thing..."

"I mean, why are they disappearing in particles of light?"

"I don't think so, but... this golem isn't going to come back to life, is it?"

Dino complained, and Pico and Gracia followed him. It had become a familiar scene by now. Gracia's words
were denied by Mai, who was the picture of seriousness.

"Of course not. This is a golem, isn't it?"

Everyone agreed with her. However, they could not feel secure in this labyrinth, and Dino understood this
the most.

"You're sweet, aren't you? Anything is possible in this labyrinth, right?" he said with a smug look on his face,
but Mai just gave him a cold look.

"Well, even if it comes back, it won't be that much of a threat," Gracia interceded.

"If you think it's too much trouble, then I agree with you," Mai added.

Dino, too, understood that what he said was not right. However, he wanted to express that what was really
wrong was this labyrinth. It seemed unreasonable for an artificial golem to regenerate. But when he
remembered Ramiris' evil smile, he could not deny the possibility.

(She might be able to do it...)

Dino remembered that such a study had been done before. He had never heard of any success, but he
couldn't help feeling uneasy when he remembered the people in the research facility, which was like a den
of demons. Led by the most dangerous fiend, Gadra, Blood-sucking demon, Kaijin, his dear boss Vesta, and
many others whose heads seemed to be unscrewed, the research was progressing day by day. It was no
wonder that they had already been put to practical use.

Ramiris was also one of the "dangerous" ones. She had no power to be a threat, but her brain was clearly
dangerous. Although everyone was deceived by her appearance and behavior, Ramiris was quite intelligent.
That's why this labyrinth was transformed into an impregnable fortress in such a short period of time.
 V21
"Seriously, can we go home now?" Dino's whining was understandable. And Dino's fears proved to be true.

"It's time to start! Today we welcome you with a full course of Golem! Please enjoy!" Such an
announcement was made in the voice of an extremely cheerful Ramiris.

What followed was a nightmare. Laser beams flew around them, lava flows like a burning furnace upended,
missiles followed them relentlessly, interference and destruction by monstrous sound waves. The end
result was a hail of unquenchable fire-thermitic plasma... (Damn you, Ramiris!)

Ramiris was having a good time! Dino was furious. He cried tears of blood. It was natural for him to feel
that way since he had been used as a test subject for the new weapon, and he wanted them to stop. A
direct hit did not kill them, nor did it wear them down too much. Still, it was a painful experience, and if they
kept on doing it, they would get exhausted in their own way. There was no such convenient thing as a
'Barrier' that could handle all kinds of effects, and since Rimuru was well aware of this, there was no reason
why this trap should be ineffective. Besides, it was the power of Ramiris that made Rimuru's idea feasible.

"Why is there a blast furnace inside the labyrinth?" The scene that would have been impossible under
normal circumstances was easily realized by Ramiris' intervention. It was, and still is, right in front of their
eyes.

"It's back!"

"What the hell! What's going on?"

Pico and Gracia shouted at the same time.

"I mean, Ramiris should have had enough of this!"

A beat later, Dino complained.

"I'm sorry. I didn't expect this..." the serious Mai retracted her statement and apologized. Dino had a bad
feeling when he heard that a golem was going to greet them, but it turned out to be right.

The golem, which had disappeared into particles, came back as good as new. Not only that, the number of
them had increased. Ramiris had introduced new models and prototypes without hesitation.

"You're harassing me, Ramiris!" they exclaimed, and Dino and his colleagues devoted all their energy to
intercepting them. Within Ramiris's domain, her creatures were endowed with immortality. When this was
applied even to inorganic golems, the threat level was unimaginable. They realized for the first time after
confronting each other that Ramiris' Intrinsic Skill, 'Labyrinth Creation', was a kind of power of
unreasonableness. Dino found it unbelievable that Ramiris, who had such power, had been neglected for a
V21
long time.

"Hey, you've finally calmed down..."

"Yeah. As a matter of course, when supplies are depleted, the attacks will stop."

Dino let out a sigh of relief, and Gracia nodded her head. They had been fighting for three hours straight, but
there was no sign of the golem coming back to life. Missiles and bullets seemed to be impossible to
regenerate, even with Ramiris' power. If it were possible, it would be easy to create an infinite engine, and
this is a natural result.

Dino's plan to make an endless engine was successful.

"I'm really tired. I mean, if Mai hadn't made us jump out of the way of the power unit, we might have had to
fight for a long time."

"Thanks to Dino-san's precise instructions."

Dino's point was precisely to separate the power section of the Golem and transfer it to the outside of the
labyrinth. The "spirit core," which is the Golem's power reactor, could generate an inexhaustible amount of
energy as long as it had magicule. If the situation had continued as it was, as Pico said, they would have
had to fight endlessly.

It was because of the strong 'Spatial Domination' ability of Mai that the strategy was successful. Thanks to
this intense joint battle, Mai and Dino and the others succeeded in getting to know each other. Although it
was a tiring mission, there were some good points.

Dino looked at Vega, who was sitting in a meditative posture, with a stern look on his face. The reason why
Dino and the others were defending this place was because Vega had ordered them to do so. Vega said to
them:

"Listen, boys. I'm here to take away the power of this labyrinth. It seems that the connection is lost as you
move through the levels, so I'm going to try to set it up while you guys are defeating the boss."

It was an idea that Dino did not think would succeed, but Vega would not listen to him if he denied it before
trying it. So everyone agreed to it, though reluctantly, or rather, they were forced to agree to it. The difficulty
this time was mainly Vega's fault.
So Dino V21
did not even try to hide his displeasure and spoke to Vega.

"Hey, how's it going?"

"Yeah... "Yeah..."

Vega opened his eyes dimly.

"So-so."

Vega stood up as if stretching out.

"I've figured one thing out. My power is still no good against 'inorganic things'."

Dino's anger grew at Vega's blithely stating such a thing.

"Oh? Does that mean our efforts were in vain?"

It was true that he had been working for three hours, though he had not tried hard. It was hard work for
Dino, and he felt he had the right to complain about it.

Not caring about Dino's irritation, Vega continued his explanation.

"Different levels of the labyrinth lose their right to control the magical bacteria (bacteria), which means that
each level of the labyrinth is a different level of the labyrinth. So, if I cover the labyrinth with my power as
soon as you enter the labyrinth, all the people in the labyrinth will become my food. Isn't that a good idea?"

Vega was not listening to others and thinking only for his own convenience. It was good that he was so
positive, but he had no consideration for his fellow Dino and his friends. Dino was angry at Vega, but he put
up with it. He was angry with Vega, but Dino put up with him because Vega's opinion had some points that
he needed to hear.

"I see. Let me ask you something, if we cover it with your germs, is it possible to teleport directly to the
inside of it?"

"Oh? That's impossible… surely, it's impossible."

Vega confidently answered Dino's question. Mai gave her endorsement to Vega's question.
"As VegaV21
said, I think it is difficult. Because the inside of an organism's body is hard to read the coordinates
by itself."

Coordinates are difficult to calculate inside a space that is constantly changing. Mai explained that it would
be difficult to jump from the inside to the outside, but not vice versa. Hearing this, Dino smiled.

"It's great that we can avoid surprise attacks from those who are in our way, even if the monster we
defeated will be your bait. It might even prevent the enemy from escaping, which has other advantages."

Again, Dino was not a fool. If it made his life easier, he would find the right answer with a high degree of
certainty. If they fed him more food here, Vega would create 'Evil Dragon Spawn' as he had more energy to
spare. Then, Dino and the others would have an easy time.

In the labyrinth of Ramiris, Rimuru's friends could easily teleport. Vega's idea might be useful in preventing
this. In that sense, Vega's idea would have been meaningless in this golem level, and the next level would
be the best place to implement Vega's idea.

Dino summarized his thoughts in this way. Vega himself, the creator of the idea, was pleased to hear this.

"Oh, good, good, good! Dino, you know what you're doing! Yes, I do. With me, you'll be able to conquer this
place with ease!"

He was so full of himself that he even said, "All right, I'll just get on your shoulders."

"I know, don't tap me on the shoulder. You better get your 'Evil Dragon Spawn' out of here, will you?"

"Oh, I'm on it. I'll concentrate on seizing the labyrinth in the next level and leave the rest to you, okay?"

Dino nodded his head in agreement, accepting Vega's proposal out of a desire to make things easier. Pico
and Gracia had no complaints if Dino agreed. Mai simply obeyed. Thus, the strategy in the labyrinth, which
had been unclear, was clearly decided.

(190-200)

Dino and his team were disappointed when they reached the 61st level.
 V21suddenly disappeared. What was that onslaught we just saw?" Pico asked.
"The enemy

"From the 61st level, there should be a lot of dead spirits coming out, right?" Gracia added.

"That's true. There don't seem to be any lower-level monsters," Dino replied.

Even Mai looked surprised. "Damn, are they afraid of me? What's the point of ruling the hierarchy if they're
afraid of me?"

Dino responded, giving the correct answer. "Well, you know what? Maybe they went to intercept Dagruel."

Mai was surprised. "Are you kidding? How many monsters did they take with them?"

Since she was a specialist in 'Spatial Transportation,' she was curious to know what kind of a fool she was
being taken for.

"Well, it can't be less than 10,000,000, can it?" Dino answered.

"Is it possible?" Mai exclaimed.

"I think Adalmann can do it by using dead spirit summoning," Dino replied casually, not caring how difficult
it would be.

"I mean... to use even the monsters left unattended in the labyrinth as an army... isn't that foul play, to be
honest?" Mai wondered.

"Cheating isn't the word I'd use. It's an idea I wouldn't have thought of," Pico and Gracia discussed it as if it
were something else.

"I don't know, don't complain to me. You should talk to Rimuru about that!" Dino wanted to complain too, but
he was fed up with it.

Dino and the others, who had no time to spare since no enemies appeared, exchanged a lot of light talk
with each other. They walked up to the monster-infested level, arriving at the 71st level.

"Oh, Zegion is here, isn't he..." Dino muttered disgustedly.

With all those bugs stirring around, there was no way that Zegion, the King of the Insects, would be absent.
Dino was in tears inside, knowing that he had lost the game.
 V21
"Well then, as per the plan, please do your best," Dino was approached by the easy-going Vega.

"Yeah, I'll do my best," Dino responded casually, thinking that if he couldn't win, he would let Vega do what
he wanted.

Vega began to invade the labyrinth as planned. He subdivided his own cells into smaller pieces, producing
demonic bacteria. Then, he started to cover the inner walls of the labyrinth with a thin layer of the bacteria.

Dino would have liked to ask Vega to release 'Evil Dragon Spawn' first, but it seemed that Vega couldn't
handle their powers at the same time. Or rather, Vega was not all-powerful, and if he played 'Evil Dragon
Spawn,' he would not have enough energy.

"Well, it can't be helped. Let's hunt these bugs and feed them to Vega," Dino said.

"I agree," Pico and Gracia responded.

While protecting Vega, Dino's team set up a temporary base there and began hunting bugs. And what about
Vega, who remained there? The power of the Ultimate Skill 'Evil Dragon King Azi Dahaka,' of which Vega
was not even aware, was about to evolve in an unbelievable direction.

In a small room on the seventy-first floor, Vega was sitting in zazen meditation. He had done this many
times on other levels, so he was used to it by now. This time, unlike before, he had a clear goal in mind.
Vega unleashed his authority with great enthusiasm.

As usual, he tried to invade the labyrinth, but the response was slow. Of course, Vega's Ultimate Skill 'Evil
Dragon King Azi Dahaka' is a power to manipulate 'organic matter,' which cannot be used against imaginary
matter such as Ramiris' labyrinth. The labyrinth of Ramiris will not work even if he tries to take it over.

But, Vega was very much mistaken here. Or rather, he did not understand 'Evil Dragon King Azi Dahaka' at
all, even though it was his power. Vega's power was still in its infancy. And since Vega thought that he
could only control 'organic matter,' he used 'Evil Dragon King Azi Dahaka' on the organic matter in his body.
Organic matter was easy to take into Vega's body, and it was the source of 'Evil Dragon Spawn.'

However, the essence of the power of 'Evil Dragon King Azi Dahaka' is to absorb the power of the target he
has eaten. If it was impossible to do so, he could take away its energy by means of 'Skill Absorption.'
Therefore, it was correct to use 'Skill Absorption' instead of 'Organic Domination' when dealing with the
labyrinth.
Vega didV21
not realize it, but at that time, he was in a good mood and released all of his powers by skipping
the troublesome procedure. He had usually controlled his power because it was too draining, but he was
determined to show Dino and the others that he was good at it. He knew that he was being taken
advantage of. So, Vega followed his instincts and bit into the labyrinth...

(What? He's reacting differently from before...?) A question arose. It was not an inorganic reaction like
before. (Hey, hey, hey, hey, this might work, right? I think it's going to work!)

Vega was elated. The Ultimate Skill 'Evil Dragon King Azi Dahaka' has the ability to take in 'organic matter'
and create an infinite number of alter egos if they are rooted in the earth. What happens when this power is
applied to the labyrinth?

The results were astonishing. Although it failed to take in imaginary matter, it began to absorb Energy from
the labyrinth itself. It assimilated itself into the surrounding natural environment, making itself a part of
nature and enabling Infinite Regeneration. This was the essence of the Ultimate Skill 'Evil Dragon King Azi
Dahaka' and the correct way to use it. Vega had unknowingly made it his own.

Incidentally, the environment that has been drained of energy will be destroyed and perish. Such a fact is
not known to Vega, and even if it were, he would not care. What matters are the consequences that lie
ahead. If Vega succeeds in assimilating the labyrinth of Ramiris, the right of the labyrinth will be taken
away by Vega. Then, Ramiris' 'Labyrinth Creation' would be Vega's, but it was a divine right beyond human
control. It would not only destroy him, it would cause terrible consequences.

Unaware of this, Vega pressed on without fear. I feel great! I could suck Energy directly from this labyrinth!
Even if I can't dominate it, this way, at worst, I won't lose.

Since Energy was supplied inexhaustibly, Vega had become invincible. It would be great if he could take
away the power of the labyrinth, but even if that was impossible, he could destroy the labyrinth by sucking
up all the Energy. If he did that, the invulnerability of the enemy would be lost. They would run away in a
panic, but there was no safe escape on the ground. Vega should have left the rest to Feldway, not to worry
about it.

(But, once I control this labyrinth, I will not allow the enemy to escape!) Vega was sure of his victory at this
point. This labyrinth was really impregnable and the biggest threat. Unexpectedly, he found a clue to the
solution. Moreover, the greatest contributor was Vega himself. It was as if he had taken the immortality of
the enemy, and it was difficult to tell Vega not to get carried away. Dino and his team were extremely wary
of the labyrinth, but Vega found it amusing. He imagined himself surpassing them, which made him look
forward to the moment of victory even more.

The more dangerous the labyrinth was, the more rewarding it would be when they surpassed its power. It
was impossible not to be happy to conquer the labyrinth that everyone feared with Vega's power.
 V21

Dino and the other four were attacking the labyrinth with Vega as their starting point. To tell the truth, they
did not expect Vega's plan to succeed. On the contrary, Dino still wanted to escape from the labyrinth as
soon as possible.

(You idiot! I'm not counting on you from the beginning. But if you can make it so I don't have to work, I can
depend on you a little more...)

Despite Dino's constant requests, Vega had not released 'Evil Dragon Spawn' or whatever it was called. The
reasons for this were understandable, but they were not forgivable.

In the first place, there was Zegion, whom Dino did not want to fight. Dino was not willing to attack the
labyrinth. He could not escape from the labyrinth because it was controlled by Feldway, and he had no
motivation to do so. Besides, he had an appointment with Rimuru, so he could not do anything rash. Dino
tried to talk with him as much as possible, so that he could know their plans. He hoped Rimuru would
forgive him, but it depended on Rimuru's mood.

(Ahhh, damn, what a hassle!) Dino lamented the current situation.

Anyway, whether Vega could conquer the labyrinth or not, it didn't matter to Dino which way he turned. The
same went for Pico and Gracia. Mai was the only one who did not seem to be loyal to Feldway, though Dino
was not sure about her intentions. It was just Dino's intuition, but he was never wrong. Either way, escape
was already impossible. Dino hoped that he could at least be forgiven for complaining, but he had no
choice but to give up and follow Vega's lead.

"I mean, he's really annoying me! Who does he think he is?"

"Yes, he is. He orders me around like a big shot, and frankly, I don't like it. Why do you do what he says,
Dino?"

"I don't have a choice. Feldway's got us under his thumb."

"Well, can't you get him off the hook?"

"If you could, you'd have done it by now, wouldn't you?"

"I know... If we could, we'd have done it by now, wouldn't we? Vega is a pain in the ass, but Feldway is
unforgivable."
As long V21
as Pico and Gracia have the angelic Ultimate Skill, they cannot escape from absolute domination. It
would be a different story if they could do something about it, but the reality was that there was no way to
solve this problem at the moment.

In this sense...

"Mai, you say. Your power is not angelic, so you don't have to do what Feldway says, do you?"

"Yes," Mai's power was different from angelic power.

"What?"

Mai rolled her eyes, perhaps in surprise at being suddenly pointed out. Then, in a panicked manner far from
her usual calmness, she said, "I was given 'Alternative' by Michael-sama, too..."

"You can defy him with your willpower," Dino said. "But when you're given an order, you feel like you have to
obey it."

"It's all in your mind!" Dino was not good at working hard himself, but he was good at getting others to do
something. If someone was motivated, he could make it easier for himself. This time, Mai was chosen as
the target.

"You will save us!" Dino said.

"Yes, Mai! Let's run far away from here without taking orders from those bastards!"

Even Gracia was talking nonsense, saying that they could go to another dimension if they wanted. Mai, who
was not used to being on the receiving end of such a challenge, was puzzled by her three comrade’s
flattery. She did not have that much confidence in her own authority. On the contrary, she felt that she had
been let down.

Mai wanted to see her beloved brother, but it was impossible for her to cross the dimensional barrier. She
had given up even before the fight, saying that escape was impossible.

"You should have more confidence, you know. I don't mean to say it, but that 'Instantaneous Movement' is
an unbelievably great power. If I'm not good enough, I won't be able to beat you..."

"That's right. If you wanted, Mai, you could blow Feldway away! Somewhere far enough away that he won't
be able to control it. I'm counting on you!"
Pico andV21
Gracia joined in on Dino's words, even going as far as to say something absurd. For some reason,
Mai felt comfortable with this. She would never have felt this way if she had been under the control of Dino.

"Fufu, of course it's impossible." Despite her modesty, Mai had started to think positively somewhere in her
mind.

While getting to know Mai better, Dino's group spent their time killing bugs. Then, a happy-go-lucky voice
echoed through the room.

"Ohoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Dino-chan, I'm

going to make you regret your last betrayal against me!"

It was Ramiris's exultant laugh. Ramiris' vicious, evil hand crept up to Dino's group and showed itself at last.

(200-210)

The structure of the hierarchy changes as Ramiris' high-pitched laugh reverberates around the room.
Beretta, Zegion, and Apito appear, as well as Kumara and Ranga. These were the five warriors who had set
out to intercept Dino and the others.

"Damn, I knew you'd be here..." Dino looked up at Zegion, feeling the weight of his predicament.

Dino wanted to escape from this situation as soon as possible. But Ramiris would not allow it.

When Vega and Dino were far enough away from Ramiris, she decided to execute the operation. To be
precise, Dino's group was a bonus, and the main target was Mai. The objective was to isolate Vega and
eliminate him while Mai was stuck in the labyrinth. Even if that was impossible, Ramiris had to ensure that
Vega could not escape from the labyrinth by isolation alone.
Ramiris V21
appeared in front of Dino, who looked around with disgust. It was an elaborately reproduced three-
dimensional image (hologram). Dino's eyes twinkled when he saw it.

(Ramiris does elaborate things in odd places, doesn't she...) He sighed and shouted out loud.

"You used the golem to abuse us a while ago, didn't you! Can a righteous demon lord really do such a
thing?"

Dino complained to Ramiris. A new concept such as a "righteous demon lord" had been introduced. He had
been working hard since he entered the labyrinth, and his stress was piling up. Dino was in a rage, as if he
wanted to complain at least.

Ramiris, however, was not in a hurry. In front of Dino's eyes, she said as if trying to stir him up, "What are
you talking about? It's just a short greeting. Now is the time to get back at you!"

Hearing this, Dino was fed up. He took this opportunity to appeal to her.

"Give me a break, Ramiris-san! You and I are on the same side, aren't we?" He threw away his pride with all
his might and pleaded with a pathetic voice.

But Ramiris was not fooled. She heard Dino's pathetic wish with a 'hmmm' and then made a bombshell
statement.

"I prepared five people for you because you had five people, but I have one person left. Then, I'll ask Dino-
chan to play with Beretta and Zegion," she said deliberately.

Dino was at a loss to understand what was being said. But when the words reached his brain, he tried to
grasp their meaning...

"You've got to be kidding me, you idiot! I can't win!"

Dino's pitiful exclamation echoed through the labyrinth. He regained his composure and resumed the
negotiations.

"Hey, if I'm going to have to deal with two people, can I go get another one?"

"No!"

"No, you can't! Think about it. So, who's left to fight who?"
 V21knew it, Pico was set for a rematch with Kumara and Gracia was to fight Ranga. The only one
Before Dino
left was Mai, who was paired with Apito.

It seemed that the story was going to be wrapped up quietly, ignoring Dino. Dino, who thought that this was
a bad idea, quickly came up with an idea.

"Wait, how about this? It's called a point-scoring game. Let's fight one by one and decide who wins! Right?"

Dino was quite desperate. For him, this was a desperate measure. If he was lucky, he might not have to
fight against Beretta and Zegion at the same time. If not, at least he could avoid dealing with them
together.

Besides, since they had to buy time for Vega to invade the labyrinth, they had to persist somehow. This
proposal would kill two birds with one stone, which was good for Dino.

(At this last moment, I'm so smart, ya know?) Dino was proud of himself. This proposal was a gamble. If
they entered into a combat situation at this point, it would most likely end in Dino and his team's defeat.
Knowing this, Dino was desperate.

(To tell the truth, if they were to play against those two, they would not last more than a few minutes.)

Dino believed they would not last more than a few minutes against Beretta and Zegion. He could manage
with Beretta alone, but with Zegion, it was a dead end. He could ask Mai to escape, but that would leave
Vega to die. Since Feldway was not likely to allow it, he would be purged from the situation.

If there was no way out, Dino wanted to take a chance that he could still survive. Hoping to push through
this proposal, Dino waited for Ramiris' reply as if praying. However, the proposal was too convenient for
Dino and his friends. (I knew that such a good idea would not be accepted...) Dino was about to give up,
but...

"Hmmm, okay! I've got my own reasons..." Ramiris' video became noisy, and then it was back to normal.
"Oops! That was nothing. It's nothing, don't worry about it!"

The proposal was accepted. There was a somewhat suspicious exchange going on, but Dino let it go.
(Maybe Ramiris wanted to buy some time? But it's convenient for me.)

Whatever the reason, it was better than being killed. Dino listened to Ramiris and Benimaru's smelly
conversation and was happy that his opinion was accepted.

"So, let's start with Kumara-chan."

Ramiris'V21
intentions were not further probed. The battle was about to begin in the form of a spectacle
(wrestling).

Ramiris was also pleased with the way things were going.

"Hey, Ramiris-sama, you surely looked suspicious?"

"Don't worry, don't worry! Dino-chan has no time to be suspicious of us."

Ramiris was optimistic, but Benimaru was of the same opinion. In the face of Zegion, who is the absolute
leader, there is no time to worry about other things, he thought. It was true. Ramiris and Dino have known
each other for a long time, so it is surprising that they know what each other is thinking. It is an example of
a relationship where the more they fight, the better they get along.

And so, the first round begins. The first pair is Kumara vs. Pico. The labyrinth had somehow changed its
structure and the stage was set. Pico moved forward to the center of the circular Colosseum. Kumara was
ready.

"We're going to settle this today," Kumara said.

"That's my line. I won't take it easy on you just because you're a kid."

Pico's line was not quite right, since they looked completely opposite. However, as Pico said, there was a
huge gap between their ages, as big as the distance between heaven and earth. It is not a metaphor, but it
was simply a fact. Even though age does not equal experience, Pico is certainly a better fighter than
Kumara. Ramiris knew this very well, so she thought that it did not matter which way the game went.

As proof, Beretta was also standing in the center of the Colosseum.

"Well, before we start the fight, let me give you a reminder. First of all, both of you, please put these on."

He presented the "Resurrection Bracelet" created by Ramiris.

"Oh, I've been wanting one of these!"

 V21who said this in a friendly manner, accepting the bracelet without being asked for it.
It was Dino

"I'll give it to you later, okay?"

Saying that, he put on the bracelet quickly. (Oh, well, now I can escape anytime I want!) Dino played his
tricks to his own advantage. Of course, the world is not so easy.

"Dino-chan, let me tell you first that the bracelet's resurrection point is set to 'the place where you died.' You
know what I mean, don't you?" Ramiris explained in person.

Hearing this, Dino was disappointed, thinking that he would not be able to escape. Ramiris continued to
explain to Dino as if she was trying to catch up with him.

"I didn't think you'd like the bracelet that much, Dino-chan. Then I'll give you five of them as a special gift!"

"What?"

For a moment, Dino didn't understand what Ramiris said, but as the words set in, he didn't have to think too
hard to realize that she meant only one thing… She said she would kill him five times.

"Hey, you, that's not funny!"

"Hoo-hoo-hoo! You should know how much I hate you!"

So Dino's argument was rejected, and he was kicked out of the Colosseum for interfering with the match.

Then the fight began. Kumara was bare-handed against Pico's spear. She did not have any weapon of her
own, but she had a fan as a weapon. The fan is a hobby of Kurobee, and its performance is equivalent to
that of a legendary-grade weapon. Even so, it was not considered to be a weapon that could be used
against a mythical-grade weapon, being it was a mass-produced model.

Kumara, however, looked relaxed.

"White monkey Byakuren!"

As soonV21
as Kumara gave this command, one of her tails changed its shape and a monkey-shaped majin
appeared. The white monkey Byakuren, which looked more human-like than before, held a stick in its hand.
The name of the stick was "Shin Kou-bou."

Rimuru had Kurobee make it for fun, based on the weapon of the main character 'Sun Wukong' in the
'Chronicles of the West.' It was one of the finest works by Kurobee. Although it may not look like anything
special, its performance is laughable. Even if it was just for fun from Rimuru's point of view, Kurobee was
serious about it. The materials used were not so fancy. They used hiirokane, which were simply leftover
scraps.

It is no wonder that Kurobee was serious about this project, and the performance of this project is of
mythical-grade. This is truly a superb work by Kurobee.. The design was specialized only for strength, but it
also had an unexpected side effect. Although not as flexible as the real thing, it could be made to expand
and contract to some extent at the will of the owner. It is a real weapon, not a mass-produced mythical-
grade weapon.

With such a steel rod in his hand, white monkey Byakuren danced.

"Kieeeeeeee!"

"Hush!"

The white monkey Byakuren, who was approaching Pico with a strange voice, was a top-notch dancer.
That's because he had been under Hakurou's tutelage whenever he had free time in the labyrinth. Kumara
was now an expert in the art of stick fighting and had even mastered the art of battle will. Moreover,
Kumara was able to freely distribute her power to her tail and summoned the white monkey Byakuren with
concentrated effort.

In other words, the current white monkey Byakuren was equivalent to the Million-class, whose existence
value exceeded a million, and its threat was immeasurable. Of course, Kumara, the host, was no match for
Byakuren. She had endured Hakurou's rigorous training and was now an accomplished master. In fact,
Kumara was even better than white monkey Byakuren in terms of level alone. Kumara had even attained
divinity and reached fox djinn. There was no way she was weak.

The white monkey Byakuren was summoned because it would ensure the victory. Kumara had grown up a
lot with her experience against Karion and Frey. White monkey Byakuren and Kumara teamed up against
Pico. White monkey Byakuren, who had no fear of dying, stood in the front, while Kumara attacked from the
rear with a series of tail attacks. Kumara had a good record in the fight against Oria, where she had
successfully prevented Trident. Pico's skill was better than Kumara's, but it was not a problem for Kumara if
she kept her eyes on the defensive.
 V21 Byakuren, Kumara would seize the opening to counterattack. If Pico aimed at Kumara,
If Pico targeted
Byakuren would step in to protect her. It was very efficient, but it was not so easy for the attacker.

"Who the hell is this guy? I mean, wasn't it one-on-one?" Pico whined.

There was no such rule from the beginning. She was just being a sore loser.

"Eat this!"

Pico exercised her power. A lightning bolt, 'Black Thunder,' struck Kumara. Kumara, however, did not move.
She deployed her eight tails like lightning rods and dealt with the lightning without harming herself.

Pico's eyes peeled. (This girl...she looks like a different person from when we fought before! She's
unnaturally improved her ability!)

Pico's tongue was tied behind her back. She was not a loser by any means, but she felt the need to admit
the reality.

(211-220)
In the battle of transcendents, three elements are necessary: strength, compatibility, and luck. The basic
premise is that they are equal in ability. In addition to this, the advantage or disadvantage of compatibility
was added, and finally, luck was the deciding factor.

Kumara had a certain level of skill. She had already become a player who could beat Pico. Now, Pico had
no choice but to take the game seriously...

(But what's the point of winning? Even Dino's main goal is to survive...) Pico was not motivated at all. If Pico
had been serious at this point, she probably would have won against Kumara. If Pico had used her Ultimate
Skill 'Rigor King Jibril,' and exercised her terrible power of 'Ten-no-Sabaki,' she could have eliminated the
white monkey Byakuren with a single blow.

Pico's 'Ten-no-Sabaki' is a very powerful ability that makes the target's body reproduce the damage it has
inflicted on the enemies it has defeated so far. To resist this, it is necessary to have at least some kind of
higher power of alteration, such as law, event, or fate. Kumara's Ultimate Gift 'Beast King Bahamut' is a
power specialized in controlling natural influences. Pico's 'Ten-no-Sabaki' would have worked against it,
though it would not have worked if it had been a purely mental attack, since it is imbued with divinity. In
such a case, the white monkey Byakuren would have taken his place as a shield, but he would have had a
hard time.
But PicoV21
did not make that choice here. Instead, she should have chosen to fight now. (I have to stall for
time anyway, so let's play!) Pico decided to enjoy the game until the end.

Then, the time of the final battle arrived.

"Fallen Spear!"

Pico's special blow finally destroyed the white monkey Byakuren. But that was the end of the story.

"Nine-hole blow!"

Pico, who had been immersed in the momentary afterglow, was left with a small opening. Kumara did not
miss it, and at that moment, she hit Pico with a series of tail strikes. Pico's body scattered as particles of
light, and she revived on the spot.

Ramiris' voice echoed over to Pico, who looked disappointed. "Yes, it's over! Kumara-chan wins!"

Kumara, a bewitching beauty, does not look good with the "chan" suffix, but from Ramiris' point of view, she
was a kogitsune until just a short while ago. Since we can't suddenly change the name, such a misguided
declaration of victory has been made. Anyway, Kumara's victory was unquestionable, even though it was a
big upset for Dino.

"Hey, hey, did you cut corners at the end? Wouldn't you have won if you had really tried?" Dino asked Pico
when she came back.

Pico answered in a very disappointed and grumpy way. "Well, it's good that the effect of the bracelet was
proven to be real, isn't it?" She put on the spare bracelet. "Well, yes, but..." Dino read the situation and
stopped asking further questions. This was a very good move by Pico.

In fact, Pico had enough strength and did not use any of the aforementioned tricks, so she could have won
the game if she had insisted on winning. However, in that case, the question was what they could gain. If
they continued to fight with all their might, it would be a war of attrition if they were not careful. Even if they
did not, they would surely suffer from exhaustion, and all they would gain would be the pride and honor of
having won. Such things were meaningless if they did not survive. On the contrary, it was a loss just to
expose their hand.

Dino and his team were stalling for time so that Vega could invade and control the labyrinth. But whether
they could accomplish this was unknown.

"Well, you know. Even if we win, it won't matter. You know what I mean. We must not forget that we are in
enemy territory. We have a sense of security that we can come back to life even if we die, and Ramiris
seems to be in a carefree mood, so we are tempted to let our guard down, but it is dangerous to give our all
V21
so that we cannot recover in time."

"That's right. We don't have any supplies, and we can't expect reinforcements. It's not just a matter of
winning, is it?" Gracia understood. There was no guarantee that Ramiris would keep her promise. Even if
they win all the games, they have their own reserves.

"This is troublesome, isn't it? Then, why don't we cut corners and lose all the games?" Dino made a very
casual proposal without any hesitation.

Mai, who had remained silent, let out a big sigh, and Pico and Gracia looked at each other in response,
shaking their heads in exasperation.

Pico finished the battle, leaving her forces at full strength. Dino thought it was the right thing to do, even
though it was not part of the plan. There was no guarantee that Vega's plan would succeed, and it was
important to leave some extra strength.

"Okay, it won't be easy, but Pico, you get some rest." Saying this, Dino also lay down gracefully.

Pico's eyebrows shot up when she saw this. (You idiot, you are more comfortable than me!) She was
annoyed, but that was Dino's character.

"I'll let you do it." Pico, who had reached a state of resignation, said nothing more and took a break sitting
next to Dino in a triangle. Mai, holding a crescent bow in her hand, went to the Colosseum with a relieved
look on her face.

"Well, this way is..." she said. Apito came forward as Ramiris led the way.

"I'm Apito-chan! And this is-"

"I'm Mai Furuki. I'm from another world, though I'm not a human anymore for some reason."

"Yeah, yeah. You and Rimuru seem to be from the same place. I'll give you a chance to discover it."

For a moment, the sound was cut off. There was a hint of a struggle... and then the voice came back.

"Then, it's Apito vs. Mai's game!"

 V21
With that voice as a cue, Apito appeared in the Colosseum. It looked like 'Instantaneous Movement,' but it
was an optical illusion caused by super high-speed movement. It was not enough to fool Mai's eyes, which
were searching in all directions with 'Magic Perception,' but it was enough to make them feel Apito's power.

(We can never be too careful.) Mai tightened her grip on her bow.

Seeing Mai, Apito smiled wryly. "Both of you, fight with all your might!"

And the second match started. Apito was good at moving at ultra high speed, but Mai's moves were
nothing to be underestimated. Mai, who used the Ultimate Enchantment 'World Map,' was able to perfectly
see Apito's movements and get behind him without a second thought.

The most important factor in combat is speed. Mai was the top of speed, and the natural enemy of the
speed-specialized fighters like Apito.

"She's good!" Dino exclaimed in admiration. Perhaps because it was not his turn, Dino was watching Mai's
fight as if he was at home.

Having fought against Apito before, Dino was struck by Mai's abnormality. "Apito, she was just as fast as
me..." he said.

"It's amazing, isn't it? With that speed, I would have had a hard time. And yet, she is being shown who's
boss."

"That bow's tricky, too. How many arrows split in midair and block their escape! We should rather praise
this Apito for fighting the good fight."

The three agreed that Mai had the advantage. They also gave unreserved praise to Apito, who showed
excellent response to Mai's moves. However, it was because they were confident that Mai would win the
game. The conclusion was reached that winning is meaningless, but it does not mean that one has to lose.
Since Mai's victory would be a great honor, Dino and his friends decided to cheer for Mai seriously.

But what was eerie was Apito's smile. She was at a huge disadvantage, but her eyes were filled with the
determination to win.

"Wuhuhu. She is still strong. Instantaneous Movement is so troublesome, isn't it?"

Spatial Domination is the highest among the spatial powers. It is said to be the ability to not only 'Spatial
Transportation' to a memorized location, but also to instantly teleport within the visible space.
V21
 V21the same as 'Instantaneous Movement,' but it has a fatal flaw. Since it is necessary to connect
It is almost
the destination and the space, the destination can be detected at the moment of activation. In other words,
the power is not usable in a battle against someone with superior 'Spatial Domination,' even if the opponent
has lower spatial awareness.

However, 'Instantaneous Movement' is different. It allows for movement through space without leaving any
traces or giving any warning. In a battle, no other power could be more useful.

Against Mai, who cannot be caught even at the speed of light, there are few moves that can be made. In
fact, the only way is to set a trap. Naturally, Mai understands this. She has been well warned, so she did not
think that she would easily fall into a trap.

The reason why Apito looks so relaxed is that she is still evolving. Apito's existence value is still increasing,
and her strength is growing even during this battle.

Isn't that strange? By the time Dino realized it, it was already too late. The evolution accelerated when
Apito's existence value reached one million. As if emerging from a chrysalis, Apito began to radiate a
strong presence.

"Are you kidding? She gets stronger in battle?"

It is a common story, but Mai was not happy about it. The fact that she was okay with losing was based on
the assumption that she trusted her adversary. Because Mai was so serious, she could not trust her
adversary that much. Therefore, she was determined to win at any cost.

With a massive force that overwhelmed the space, Mai unleashed her special attack. She had only picked
up the bow because she was a member of the Kyudo club, but now she could shoot her fighting arrows at
will. Without worrying about the number of arrows left, she could fire meteor arrows from her crescent bow
with any power and any number of arrows by her hidden will.

Mai's style of combat was to shoot arrows like meteors with continuous 'Instantaneous Movement' and to
be unpredictable. Mai, who had been such a player in the past, decided to fight a short battle because of
the danger Apito posed to her. It seemed that no matter how she tried, she would not be able to escape
from the arrows that would aim at Apito from all directions. Unless she could use 'Instantaneous
Movement' like Mai...
 V21
"Stardust Rain!"

Mai's energy, arriving late, split the sky as the spirit of "Rekubaku." Apito had no escape. It seemed to be the
end, but at that moment, Apito's evolution was complete.

There, the queen of insectars revealed herself. To the uninitiated, she would have looked much like Peliod.

(220-230)

Although there is a difference between an antlion and a bee, there is no doubt that Apito's appearance has
the ultimate in deformed beauty. Having evolved in this way, Apito held her hand up to the sky before the
arrow could reach her.

"Insects in the sky."

A thin, rainbow-colored membrane enveloped Apito. It was a distortion field that prevented all attacks—a
defensive technique that Zegion excelled at. With her evolution, Apito had also gained the power of 'Spatial
Domination.'

"-? My secret..."

The Queen does not run away. She does not give in. She only moves forward. As if to embody this, Apito
took a step forward. Mai backed away as if frightened. Now that her strongest move had failed, the game
was as good as decided. Mai understood this, so she thought it was pointless to continue the battle.

"Why... why all of a sudden...?"

Apito's hand twinkled before Mai's words reached the others.

The Empress Stinger.

In an instant, like the twinkling of a star, the deadly needle, sharper and faster than Mai's arrow, pierced
Mai's heart.

"How did you become so strong?" Before she could ask the question, Mai was defeated. This question
puzzled not only Mai but also Dino and the others who were observing the event. However, no one could
answer them, and there was no way to know what had happened.

Dino and the others looked so fed up with the event that one could almost hear their voices saying, "That's
why I don't like it."
 V21

Incidentally, Ramiris, who was watching the game on the big screen, was also puzzled by the evolution of
Apito.

"...existence value, fixed at 1,737,775," reported the operator who was observing Apito, causing a
commotion.

"Why...?"

Ramiris' muttering, "Why...?" showed that she too could not hide her surprise at the unexpected situation.

The reason for this evolution, however, was the disappearance of Peliod. The death of the Emperor, the
female who ruled as the Insect General and Vice Sovereign of the insectar, had been passed on to Apito,
the only other female in existence. Apito, who was originally to be raised as the next queen, was now able
to properly exercise her power. Thanks to this, Apito had taken on divinity, becoming the "Xin Hou." This
was only the inheritance of Peliod's divinity, and Apito's ability was not yet sufficient. However, it is true that
she became a god (Xin).

Thus, Apito had acquired the strength to be a part of the ultimate beings, worthy of being Zegion's
watchman. To those who did not know what was going on behind the scenes, Apito must have seemed to
be the very embodiment of unreasonableness. Thus, Apito's timely completion of evolution resulted in her
overwhelming victory over Mai.

Ramiris was cheerful because they had won two games in a row. Dino was the last, and Ramiris decided to
play the third game: Gracia vs. Ranga. But here, Geld expressed his opinion apologetically.

"I know it's selfish of me, but could you permit me to take Ranga's place in the next fight?"

Geld, who seldom tries to be selfish, expressed his wish at this moment. This was not something that
Benimaru and his team could ignore, and they were troubled by it. After all, Geld was wounded all over. It
was absurd for him to go into battle in his condition.

"But, Geld..."

"I know. The potion has healed my wounds, but my strength is gone. But she is waiting for me."
 V21took everyone's breath away. His will was so strong that it was hard to believe he was running
Geld's spirit
out of energy.

"Well, well? It doesn't matter if we lose this one, does it?"

Ramiris was overwhelmed by Geld and gave in.

"Yes, I guess so. The Dino group's information gathering is going well for now, right?"

Benimaru confirmed that there was nothing wrong with the plan and agreed that there was no problem. In
fact, everything was going well. Two victories. They had observed two deaths and two resurrections.

Ramiris and her team decided to fight here for a reason, of course.

Their original goal was to isolate Vega and Mai. This was accomplished on its own. Dino and Vega had
started to go their separate ways. From the conversations they overheard, they learned that Vega was
planning to invade and control the labyrinth.

Ramiris was uncomfortable, but it was also convenient. Since they knew in advance, they could isolate the
labyrinth around Vega. Since the labyrinth was originally planned to be isolated, it started without any
problem.

The labyrinth of Ramiris is operated under the motto "Do not reject those who come, and do not chase
those who go." It was not used for the purpose of trapping the enemy, but it was not impossible. However,
even if the enemy has the right of 'Spatial Manipulation,' it is possible to make it impossible for the enemy
to escape by simply expanding the hierarchy around the enemy in multiple layers.

However, this is a different story when it comes to 'Spatial Domination.' If a clear target 'spatial coordinate'
is stored outside the labyrinth, it would be easy to escape from the labyrinth. If the coordinates can be
managed in interstellar dimensions like Mai's, it would be useless to isolate them.

On the other hand, Vega does not seem to be capable of 'Spatial Domination.' Vega does not even
understand 'Spatial Manipulation' and did not seem to notice when Ramiris started isolating the labyrinth.
Ramiris was relieved to see that this was a piece of cake.

Thus, Vega's isolation proceeded smoothly. Then, it was time to move on to the next step. In other words,
they should try to figure out how Dino's group is controlled and try to break the control.
AlthoughV21
they had already checked all the external information, it was the internal information that was the
problem. Therefore, they decided to observe the death and resurrection by defeating them in the labyrinth
and scrutinizing the influence of the authority. Besides, they were going to take out Vega as soon as his
isolation was completed. They needed to keep Dino and the others on their toes so that they would not be
disturbed.

The proposed and implemented format was the current one-on-one battle. This was a very convenient
development for Ramiris, as it bought them time and allowed them to gather information.

They had already obtained information on Pico and Mai. Gracia, however, was not a must-be defeated.
Then, there was no problem in respecting Geld's will.

At that time, a 'Telepathy Net' arrived from Ranga, who had been chosen as Gracia's opponent.

In that case, Geld! Let me help you!

In response to Geld's wish, Ranga offered his cooperation.

"Hmm?"

I will make up for your lack of energy. Geld, transfer your injuries to me!

As soon as he said this, Ranga appeared at Geld's feet with a 'Shadow Step.'

"Hmm, but..."

Geld tried to decline, saying that the damage he had done was too great. Ranga, however, only laughed and
said it was no problem.

If Gracia and Geld had a history, it would be bad for his sleep to take the role. Ranga thought so.

"Thank you."

"Mm."

He wondered if he would be able to use it for that purpose, but all's well that ends well. Geld willingly
transferred his damage to Ranga. As a 'stand-in' for the Ultimate Gift 'Gourmet King Beelzebub,' Geld
transferred his damage to Ranga in the same way that he shared his damage with a fellow comrade.
V21
"Gyahhh!"

Ranga jumped. He curled up in a ball, his eyes white and twitching. Ramiris was startled by the sight of
Ranga. Gobta rushed to help Ranga, but Benimaru looked at him with a look of dismay, saying, "Of course,
that's how it should be."

The most surprising person was Geld himself, who had fully recovered. He had not expected to be able to
use his powers of attorney to outsource his own damage, although Ranga had given his approval and made
it easy for him to do so. Unlike the others, who were like dependents, Geld even felt a sense of freedom, as
if all burdens had been lifted from him. Ranga was able to manage the situation because he had enough
strength, but it would have been very difficult if he had transferred the damage to a partner of the same
rank as Geld.

Geld thanked Ranga for his offer, knowing the risks involved.

"I'm sorry, I owe you."

"Don't worry about me, I'll take care of it."

"Ranga!"

Ranga and Gobta were left alone, thinking that if they could afford to play such tricks, they would be fine.
Geld then appeared in the center of the Colosseum with 'Spatial Transportation.'

"Uh, a change of players here. Geld is here instead of Ranga! Clap!"

Ramiris' cheerful voice echoed through the Colosseum.

"They're totally playing around, aren't they?" Dino looked disappointed.

Mai nodded in agreement. "Well, that's all right. If you can come back to life even if you die, it's just like a
game."

Laughing, Gracia put on the "Resurrection Bracelet." She walked to the center of the Colosseum and
confronted Geld. Gracia was happy to have a rematch with Geld.
 V21 the third round, Geld vs. Gracia. Both were skilled fighters specializing in defense. They
Thus began
skillfully maneuvered their shields and defended against each other's attacks. Although not flashy, the two
fighters' solid skills made this battle a favorite of the experts.

Geld is armed with a scale shield and a meat cleaver that has become part of his own body. Gracia, on the
other hand, was equipped with a longsword and a buckler shield given by Vega.

Although there was a difference of more than 2 million in existence value, the battle was evenly matched.
As was typical of Geld, who had never conceded even a step even against stronger opponents, was now
attacking Gracia with a ferocious assault.

Although Geld has focused on his defense, his offensive ability is also quite impressive. However, it was
difficult for him to land a hit on Gracia, who was a skilled fighter. A small move would be easily parried, and
if he tried to build up his power, it would be obvious from his movements.

Geld himself could not imagine that he would be able to land a blow upon her.

"Sweet!"

"Hmm, this won't work either."

Once again, Gracia detected Geld's feint and avoided his main swing. However, even though Gracia
counterattacked immediately after the feint, Geld took the counterattack without any difficulty.

The two fighters did not take a step back but only exchanged blows.

"You're repulsing all my attacks! You're a tough opponent!"

"Since I have been given the title of 'Barrier Lord' by Rimuru-sama, I can't allow myself to be defeated so
easily."

"I see! You're one who looks bold but fights steadily. I'm impressed."

"I'm not happy to be praised by the enemy... but I'm a little embarrassed when you say that."

In the course of repeated short battles, the two fighters recognized each other and felt as if their hearts
were in sync.

Both Geld and Gracia were using their skills to outmaneuver each other, relying only on the level they had
honed.
V21
(I was trying to buy some time... but I guess I can't afford to take it easy on him now, can I?)

Gracia also praised Geld inwardly.

As Gracia had expected, the battle naturally became a stalemate. The battle became a subdued mixture of
truth and falsehood, like a friendly competition between practitioners.

(230-240)

To begin with, Geld's Ultimate Gift 'Gourmet King Beelzebub' is not suitable for individual competition. It is a
power that should be applied on a corps scale. It is only when you have allies that it shows its true value,
such as strengthening your subordinates, making them more iron-walled, and improving the endurance of
the whole army by distributing wounds received is not very useful in the battle against Gracia because it
does not become stronger by consolidating its power into Geld alone.

On the other hand, Gracia seemed not to use her power at first glance. It is a loss for her not to use the
Ultimate Skill 'Glory King Haniel,' even though she has awakened to the ultimate power. Normally, one
would think so, but actually, it is not the case.

In fact, 'Glory King Haniel' is a passive skill. Its main effects are attack detection, hostility detection, energy
harmonization, offensive and defensive balance adjustment, and automatic recovery. She could detect
enemy traps, detect enemy movements, change disadvantageous attributes into advantageous ones,
reverse offensive power into defensive power, turn defensive power into offensive power, and automatically
heal all wounds—Gracia was continuously and unintentionally activating these powers.

As long as this is the case, Gracia will never be defeated. As a perfectly balanced warrior, Gracia can assert
herself perfectly in her duel with this power. Compared to Pico, Gracia is more balanced in offense and
defense. It is all thanks to 'Glory King Haniel.'

Gracia's defense is equal or superior to Geld's, and her offensive ability is far superior. With such an
advantage, Gracia should have been the sole dominating force. However, this has not been the case. This
reality is exactly what makes Geld such a great fighter.
 V21
Gracia attacked hard. She kicked Geld to push him away and tried to break his position, then threw her
sword down. However, Geld did not collapse. He had 'Full Body Armor' by his authority and caught Gracia's
kicks head-on.

In such a case, Gracia would lose her balance, but she was determined not to let that happen and escaped
backward with the force of the kick. Gracia's sense shined through in this case. However, it was Geld who
should be praised. With his skillful technique, Geld prevented Gracia's attack. And that is not all–
Gracia, who was supposed to be superior in both offensive and defensive skills, was being overwhelmed by
Geld.

"What?"

"Nuh!"

Now, once again, Gracia took a step backward due to the pressure of Geld's sword. It was strange that
Gracia, who was supposed to have an overwhelming advantage in terms of existence value and the effect
of authority, was having a hard time against Geld. But that was the reality.

And now, Geld's attacks are slowly accumulating damage to Gracia. Gracia's attacks have failed to reach
Geld. How did such a phenomenon occur?

The reason lies in Geld's fighting style. When he saw that his direct attacks did not work, he changed his
strategy. He abandoned the insta-kill strategy of hitting the enemy with a sword or slashing the enemy and
focused on each attack one by one. When he struck Gracia's shield with his Meat Cleaver, he also applied
'Corrosion' to the shield to accumulate fatigue.

In other words, Geld attacked Gracia's shield with the intention of shattering it, anticipating that Gracia
would be hit by his shield. Although Geld does not possess the power to destroy weapons, this action has a
meaning. If she continues to receive the attack, her arm will be damaged. Gracia tried to avoid this, but
Geld did not allow her to do so. The result was what Gracia was seeing now.

To the expert eye, the fight between the two was great. But to the uninitiated, they were boring as hell.
"I'm tiredV21
of it..." grumbled a small, child-like figure.

Benimaru laughed when he heard the little mutterings echoing in the Control Room. The battle between
Geld and Gracia was a simple one with no special moves or magic and lacked flamboyance. Neither of
them was wounded, and the battle was a casual one. Ramiris seemed to find it uninteresting. The fight was
incredibly dull to Ramiris, who had no idea of the advanced skills of Geld and Gracia or the clever
gamesmanship between masters.

"Hey, why don't we call it a draw and start the next fight?" she even suggested.

Moreover, Ramiris seemed to have forgotten the reason why she was making the fighters fight one-on-one
to stall for time.

"I think it's time for Dino-chan to pay for what he did," she said excitedly, looking forward to the next fight,
showing no interest in Geld's match.

At this time, there was no Beretta here to scold Ramiris. Treyni, who only spoiled Ramiris, chimed in with a
supportive, "Well, you're right!", which only validated Ramiris. That is why Benimaru needed to intervene.

"You know, Ramiris-sama, have you already forgotten that you need to stall for time?"

"Ah...Th-that, that's what I meant…"

"Ah."

Ramiris is a demon lord of the same rank as Rimuru. Normally, she should be respected on such a formal
occasion. But...

Ramiris herself has forgotten such a setting and has succumbed to her childish nature. Others have
realized this, and so it's inevitable that Benimaru's tone would become stern.

"You can't fool around!!!"

"Hey, sub-commander! I, the Commander-in-Chief, need more respect!"

"Yes, yes..."

"H-Hey! I don't feel your sincerity…..-What's wrong?"

 V21
To tell the truth, Benimaru was getting tired of using honorifics with Ramiris.

"W-well, it isn’t important anyways!"

Benimaru had a point, and Ramiris hastily tried to misdirect.

"Well then! Hmph, let's get back on track."

"Yes, yes."

Benimaru saw that Ramiris was satisfied and turned his attention back to the screen. Geld had fought well.
Benimaru really felt that there was no way to stop this fight. It is not often that we see such a great match.
There are many things to be learned from watching the competitive battle. Many people seemed to feel so,
and so the reactions in the "Control Room" seemed to be splendidly polarized.

The matches may be boring for those who are not interested in them, but if you have an eye for these
things, there is nothing more interesting than this. Not only Benimaru but also Gobta, Gabil, and others
were fascinated by this battle, which is a favorite of these experts. Perhaps their enthusiasm was conveyed
to the audience; even Ramiris was staring at the big screen as if she were devouring the fight broadcast
before them.

Geld and Gracia were engaged in a fierce sword fight. The momentum of the fight was accelerating, and
the once simple tactics were now a thing of the past. With each blow, the earth was rent asunder, the air
was blown apart, and dust danced in the air. Like a beautiful dance that captivated all who saw it, the two
continued to fight. Against Gracia, who is supposed to be a superior fighter, Geld fought hard to make up
the difference.

"Ah, I guess it's almost over," Gobta muttered.

Benimaru agreed. Then, the tension of the battle reached its climax, and the balance was broken. It was
clear to everyone that the battle was about to end.

Gracia was in a hurry because she had dropped her shield.

"...you, what have you done?"

Gracia finally noticed something wrong with her left arm holding the shield. Although it is not fatal because
of the automatic recovery, this is a serious situation. But it was too late, and the shield was finally released
from her hand by Geld's subsequent attack.
V21
Gracia has lived for a long time and is experienced in warfare. In terms of level, Gracia was not defeated by
Geld. However, there was something missing. That is, the experience of fighting among the same ranks. It
is a common problem among the long-lived species that they do not often have the opportunity to engage
with an equal opponent after they become strong.

Even if they are the most skilled ones among their ranks, like Guy, they are still inexperienced and can
overwhelm their enemies only by their physical performance, so their growth rate is low. It was not easy to
experience a battle against a superior opponent. There are only a few opponents whom they cannot beat,
and to begin with, they do not fight against those whom they should be wary of. Therefore, there was never
a situation in which they had to fight a hard battle, and they usually ran away if they had to do so.

On the other hand, Geld never backed down. If he had to fight, he did not run away from any opponent. He
has never missed a training session, and he is so serious that he trains for combat instead of doing
preparatory exercises while working at the construction site. On his days off, he is under the tutelage of
Agera and Hakurou.

Although he does not stand out among the "Twelve Protector Kings," Geld's level has reached the realm of
the very best, as he is always training. Although his offensive skills are not yet up to par, his defensive skills
are unparalleled. He had mastered all the techniques that seemed to be useful, such as the technique of
inflicting damage on the enemy while defending, or the technique of accumulating damage without letting
the enemy know the main purpose of the attack, as he had just shown against Gracia.

(241-250)

Because of this, Geld had mastered all the techniques that seemed useful.

Geld made a decisive move against Gracia, who was now without her shield.

"Khao Slash!"

Geld's Meat Cleaver, radiating a terrifying aura, swung down at Gracia.

"Tsk!"
 V21 back in panic. Geld's movement was large and seemed full of gaps. Even Gracia, who was
Gracia jumped
shieldless, seemed capable of striking back at Geld.

That is why Gracia did not let her guard down. She saw that the strike was powerful but believed it was a
trap to lure her in. If she tried to exploit Geld's apparent opening and attack carelessly, she thought, she
would be cut down with a single stroke.

But no. Geld's actual target was the shield Gracia had dropped. He swallowed the shield and 'Predated' it.
The Ultimate Gift 'Gourmet King Beelzebub' could transform the swallowed substance into Energy. Since
Gracia's circle shield was created by Vega, its resistance was lower than that of natural mythical-grade
shields. Therefore, the absorption was fast, and Geld completed the 'Predation' without any problem. Geld
had successfully captured its power.

Geld's scale shield shone. The shield, now part of Geld, had also gained enhanced performance.

"Oh...no way, can it reach inorganic materials?"

"No, if it has reached mythical-grade, it is natural that it has a will. The origin of this shield seems to be a
fake created by someone else, but that's none of my business."

Geld explained matter-of-factly. He was not proud of his victory, but his words were significant. Geld meant
that organic or inorganic matter could be 'predated' without distinction. And even if the subject had a will, if
it failed to resist, it would be consumed.

A cold sweat dripped down Gracia's forehead. She realized that she had lost her balance. At this point,
Gracia's defensive power had decreased drastically, and the gap between her and Geld's existence value
had narrowed. And if she were hit by the sword as well...

A moment of silence. As if to break the silence, Gracia opened her mouth.

"Well, I guess I lost," she said with a bright smile.

"Hmm."

Geld remained cautious. He still did not fully trust Gracia, although he thought she was not bluffing.

Gracia laughed at Geld.

"Okay, okay. I've always wanted to experience coming back to life in this labyrinth, so give me a clean slate."
 V21
When she said that, Geld had no choice but to believe her.

"Are you sure I've won? Then there is no need for further fighting."

Geld put away his weapon. He did not like to torment the defeated, so he ended the matter now.

"Well, you're a warrior. I've been defeated."

With a wry smile, Gracia accepted her defeat gracefully.

"OK! The winner is Geld!"

Ramiris declared victory, and Geld and Gracia left the venue. Finally, it was Dino's turn, which Ramiris had
been eagerly anticipating.

Ramiris' voice echoed in the Colosseum.

"Come on, Dino, come out! I haven't forgotten what you did to me last time. It's my turn to beat you to a
pulp!"

Ramiris was bent on revenge. As shown by the fact that she gave Dino five "Resurrection Bracelets," she
intended to kill Dino five times. She made a series of comments that seemed driven by personal desire,
ignoring the true purpose of the project.

Dino, on the other hand, looked relaxed.

"Hey, Ramiris, I've decided."

"What?"

"I’m going to pass. I'm just gonna take the next fight..."

"WHOMP!!! That’s a no-go, Dino."

Dino made a foolish suggestion, but Ramiris unceremoniously rejected it. He was surprised at Dino's
shamelessness in making the proposal, as it was an unforgivable suggestion.
 V21surprised that you could dismiss my brilliant idea so easily...but, hey! I have another plan!)
(Damn! I'm

He quietly grumbled about it, but there was nothing he could do. The enemies were Beretta and Zegion. In
all honesty, Dino felt he was no match for them.

Dino didn’t hesitate to show his master plan at the start.

"You win! I hereby declare defeat!"

Dino declared his defeat without even fighting. This was the strategy he devised after seeing Gracia's
defeat. He thought it would be better to lose quickly without fighting a hard battle.

Gracia returned to Dino's side and muttered quietly.

"Geld has become so strong. He looks like a different person from when we fought before."

"What??? Did she really lose?"

"What are you talking about? She only lost because she lost her shield..."

Gracia was astonished. "Did you really think it was all just an act?"

"By the way, I was serious too," said Pico.

Pico also declared herself. Mai nodded her head quietly, confirming that the situation in which all the
players were defeated was quite serious.

At this point, Dino, with a smug look on his face, asked, "You guys have enough strength to escape, don't
you?"

"Of course we do."

"Obviously. It’d be suicide to be so exhausted that you can't move."

Gracia and Pico nodded at each other. Mai, who was very serious, advised them here.

"I think it's useless to declare defeat. Because Ramiris has a grudge against you, doesn't she? Why don't you
just apologize and say you're sorry?"
It was aV21
surprisingly good argument. Dino was at a loss for words and could only nod his head and blurt
out, "Oh, yeah, I guess that's true..."

But it was too late for that decision.

"What? What are you talking so naively! I don't care if I win or lose. I just want to see your crying face!"

Ramiris' selfishness exploded, and Dino was forced to fight. If he had apologized a little earlier, Ramiris
might have changed her mind. But that was a hypothetical situation, and Dino's chance to try it had passed.

With a dead-eyed look, Dino turned his attention to Beretta and Zegion. There was no way he could win, he
thought hopelessly. But then a small question occurred to him.

(Wait a second… Was Zegion's magicule volume always that small?)

It was a strange feeling that he could sense only because he had fought Zegion once before. The sense of
coercion that he felt from Zegion seemed to be weaker also. But Dino had no time to worry about such
questions. The lamentable moment that he had been trying to postpone was about to begin.

Ramiris called out to Beretta.

"Beretta-chan...you can lose, but only after you make Dino suffer!"

"Hmmm, you must be joking. If you lose many times, you will get in the habit of losing. I'll win this time."

Overhearing this exchange, Dino is beginning to get depressed.

(Damn it, Vega! Hurry up, I don't care if we don't make it in time!!!)

It wasn't Vega but Dino who was in trouble if they didn't make it on time. Dino let out a big sigh, looking
unwilling to do anything. Beretta was also getting stronger. As Gracia said, his presence had grown
surprisingly strong in a short time. In Dino's view, he was still the stronger of the two. But that was only if he
didn't have any troublesome authority. And with Zegion on the other side, it would be meaningless just to
beat Beretta.

Thinking it was over, Dino headed for the Colosseum. He faced Beretta. Dino was relieved that Zegion did
not come out. They stared at each other for a while.

"Then, let's get started!"

Ramiris V21
shouted happily, and thus, the battle commenced. Unlike Pico and Gracia, Dino was not fond of
fighting. Rather, he disliked it because it was so troublesome. Dino was not allowed to abstain, and so he
planned to lose while pretending to try his best.

(I’ll just pretend I’m trying my best and end this fast.)

Dino thought he lightly avoided Beretta's fist; however, that wasn’t the case. The metallic arm betrayed its
appearance and shot out at Dino. It undulated like a snake, extending and contracting at will, and even
splitting apart. It was no longer a mere punch but a powerful, intentional messenger.

(Ignoring its own appearance?! This isn't the same thing as before. Gracia is right...)

Dino agrees. He had heard that Beretta was a majin form (golem) created by a demon possessing a
magisteel doll made by Rimuru. However, it had now completely assimilated, and its movements were so
smooth that one could not perceive any of the hardness of the steel.

In a moment of attack and defense, Dino saw through to the danger Beretta had become. Although his
presence increased, his appearance did not change, but when they started to fight, the difference was
obvious.

In an instant, he discarded the naive idea that he could defeat Beretta at any moment. It would have been
easy to beat him before, but it was impossible now. It seemed to him that even if Dino was serious, it would
be difficult to beat him.

(I mean, he has grown too much in such a short period...)

Kumara and Geld's growth was extraordinary, but Apito and Beretta's growth was even greater. Apito, for
example, seemed to have grown stronger in the process of fighting against Mai, and it is common
knowledge that Rimuru's subordinates will hurt you if you underestimate them.

However, Dino did not disrespect his opponents. (On the contrary, I respect him, so please don't bully me
any more!)

Thinking such things, Dino ran away from Beretta. Beretta's fist hit the ground. It looked soft, but it was
actually a mass of "hihiirokane". He had no weapon, but that was simply because he had no need for one.
Beretta's fist was harder than any weapon. Its power was beyond comparison.

Beretta did not seem to be using any mysterious power, but he was a troublesome enough opponent even
for a mere combat fight. For Dino, who had been wary of Zegion only, Beretta's growth was unexpected.
And yet, Beretta was not the only enemy. There was still Zegion, an absolute powerhouse, standing behind
him. Dino was at a loss for what to do, and he was tempted to bemoan the impermanence of the world,
V21
wondering why he was in this predicament.

So, he decided to buy time. He tried to buy time by running away from the situation as much as possible to
avoid feeling any pain. This was the best solution that Dino, who had given up trying to beat Beretta, could
come up with.

And yet...

Dino's feet were sinking beneath him into a swamp. (Oh no!) By the time Dino realized this, it was too late,
and his feet were caught in the ground. He was knee-deep in the ground, but that was just the beginning.
The ground transformed into fluid metal and was further engulfing Dino. It was now difficult to escape by
force. The metallic mud became a fetter, holding Dino captive. The more he struggled, the more Dino's
lower body was buried deep in the ground. Moreover, the ground hardened like steel, making it impossible
for Dino to escape.

It was the liquefaction and hardening of the ground by Beretta's combined technique of 'mineral
domination' and 'geo-manipulation.' Dino gave up instantly. Beretta had been the guardian of Ramiris and
had once held the rank of overseer of the Ten Dungeon Marvels. Moreover, he used to be a greater demon
who served Black, and he was by no means weak. However, Dino did not expect to be beaten so easily.

"Hey, you didn't have this kind of power when I was in the labyrinth!"

He had given up on the idea of escape, so he was very determined since he had nothing more to lose. They
didn't have this kind of power when they fought before. This meant that he had gained this power in a short
period before the rematch with Dino. He thought it was impossible, but he had to admit the reality of the
situation. Beretta coldly told Dino, who was thinking in such a carefree way.

"Is that so? I suppose I can use ‘it’ now."

Dino was about to say, "Of course you can," but he wasn’t given the opportunity to say it aloud. As soon as
Beretta said those words, he exercised his power and pierced Dino's body with a metal spear. Dino's
consciousness darkened, and Beretta's victory was assured.

When Dino regained consciousness, he awoke to Ramiris' congratulatory cheers.

"Yes! Beretta-chan has won. Clap!"

 V21
It seemed he had only been unconscious for a moment.

(Geez, I wish this was the end...)

Ramiris' "Resurrection Bracelet" was effective, but Dino wasn’t so enthused about it. There were only four
"Resurrection Bracelets" left, and that meant Ramiris would not be satisfied until Dino was killed four more
times.

(251-260)

Then, who will be next?" Dino heard someone ask.

Apito stepped forward into the Colosseum. "Ramiris-sama, I'm next. I’d like to try out my newly acquired
power."

"Done! Then, Apito-chan is next," Ramiris announced.

Dino realized what was happening. "Oh, so that's how it is," he said, recognizing he was being used as a test
subject.

"You're kidding me, Ramiris! You're bullying me, you know!"

"What? You're the one who always targets my weak self. That's why..."

There were many things Dino wanted to say, but they all sounded like excuses. He knew it, so he swallowed
his words.

"Let's begin!" Ramiris announced, seeing that Dino wouldn’t talk back.

With that, the second fight started for Dino. He was at the mercy of Apito's speed. With the great sword on
his back, Dino couldn’t even catch Apito's afterimages. Apito's fists were fast, and sharp needles protruded
from them, concentrating all his speed.

"Pssri."

Apito's needle stuck in Dino's arm, which he thought he had evaded. The impact was surprisingly light - too
light, actually. It wasn’t a real fist but a virtual one.
 V21
"What do you think? How’s my 'phantasm needle' taste?" Apito asked with a smile. It wasn’t a shock but a
pain that was delivered to Dino's soul.

"Ow, ow!"

As a spiritual life form, Dino, of course, possessed 'Pain Nullification.' Feeling real pain was an experience
he hadn’t had for a long time. His soul was complaining of pain as if mocking his naive thought that he
could handle the next death.

Dino rolled over, crying out in extreme pain. Apito didn’t attack further but watched happily, like a merciless
queen, always on the side of the weak and helpless. This was the will of Ramiris, the master of the
labyrinth.

In fact, Apito's 'phantasm needle' did no physical damage. Even a 'lethal attack' wouldn’t work against a
high-ranking spirit like Dino. Apito, thinking so, set the 'lethal attack' to be triggered multiple times so that
Dino's instincts would send out a strong danger signal.

Instead of making each attack less powerful, it had a lasting effect. Each time the attack was repeated,
Dino had to resist. Dino's survival instincts considered the 'phantasm needle' a danger, making him resist
more violently. As a result, he overreacted to the sensation of the 'phantasm needle,' and the power of the
needle increased beyond necessity.

This is why Dino felt intense pain. He wasn’t attacked by Apito but by his own defensive reaction to the
signal - he was feeling pain.

"Hmmm... It seems to be very effective," Apito said, satisfied that Dino was in extreme pain.

If Apito's intention had been read and Dino had accepted the 'phantasm needle,' nothing much would have
happened. However, once the effect was established, it was irresistible. This was the true value of Apito's
ruthless technique, 'resistance-breaking factor (anaphylactic shock).'

Once the effect was established, Dino's fate was already in Apito's hands.

"You're dirty! Do you enjoy hurting me? Don’t you think Rimuru will be sad that you're being such a coward?"

"Shut up! There's nothing dirty or clean in a fight. If you win, you're good. If you lose, you die! That’s the
ironclad rule, declared by Lord Rimuru himself!" Apito rebuked Dino's outburst.

Apito's thorough victory supremacist statement silenced Dino. Kumara nodded in agreement.
 V21 Adults are dirty creatures. They win by any means! That's what adults are like. That's what I
"That's right.
read in my textbooks."

Beretta seemed a bit taken aback by their words but didn’t say anything.

(I have a feeling Rimuru-sama's statement is getting more and more misinterpreted, but I guess it's not wrong
if applied correctly...) Beretta thought, feeling a bit unsure.

Unlike Beretta, Apito was very optimistic. Arnaud and his colleagues, who weren’t present but had trained
with Apito, were so irritated that they said, "He's still kind enough to say it in his own words, isn't he?" They
were harsh, and Apito's mentor, who was also absent but trained with Apito, was described as "still kind
enough to say it with words."

This was probably because Apito's mentor was Hinata. Hinata was also merciless to her enemies, and
Apito had inherited this character. Apito was quiet only when scolded by Zegion. Now that Zegion didn’t say
anything, no one could stop him.

Apito smiled and held up her beautiful hand toward Dino.

"Hey, wait a minute! Wait a minute! Calm down, and let's talk about it. We'll understand each other! I think
we can understand each other!"

Dino tried hard to calm Apito down, but it was no use.

"Maybe so. But-"

Apito smiled at Dino's suggestion, but what followed was disturbing. Dino hid his uneasiness and asked
with a hopeful expression on his face, "But?"

"It's my job to hurt you."

Apito then stabbed Dino with a smile. Dino's scream echoed through the Colosseum.

"Ow! Wait, wait! Wait!"

"Too bad!"

"It hurts! It really hurts!"

 V21
With teary eyes, Dino ran away from Apito as if rolling away. He begged for mercy, but Apito didn’t stop.
Three more times, she stabbed Dino with the 'phantasm needle.' Ramiris was delighted.

"Hoo-hoo-hoo! How do you like that, Dino-chan? If you cry and apologize to me, I'll forgive you, won't I?"

Hearing this, Dino was furious. "No, yo9u won’t! I’m crying already! Besides, I’ve been apologizing for a long
time, Ramiris!"

Dino desperately pleaded, "Please forgive me!"

It wasn’t indignation but a brilliant cry-down, reminiscent of a crying baby. But Ramiris was irresponsible.
She didn’t take responsibility for her words but told Apito to continue her attack.

"You're too soft, Dino-chan. Since you betrayed my pure heart, it's against my honor to forgive you so easily!
You’d better reflect a little more so you won't betray me again. That's all I'm saying. Beretta-san, Apito-san!"

Dino's appeal only brought the worst result, forcing Beretta to participate again. Dino was buried in the
ground again and tortured by Apito without being able to move. Dino's sad screams echoed through the
Colosseum, and the intruders knew the horror of Ramiris. It was almost the end of the time for Dino's
punishment. At the same time, the time for Dino to make a decision was approaching.

In the Control Room, Ramiris' happy laughter echoed. Dino's crying face was seen, and he seemed to have
lost some of his composure. Treyni was looking at them happily, but Benimaru was quite disappointed.

"Well, it was Dino who betrayed us first, so he deserved it. But still," Benimaru's beliefs made him reject the
idea of many against one.

It would have been a different story if this was a war, but it was a sanction against Dino.

"Commander-in-Chief, isn't this too much?"

"Don't worry, don't worry! I gave Dino-chan the Resurrection Bracelet so he wouldn't die."

"No, no, that's not the point..."

On the big screen, Kumara had replaced Apito. Beretta had also pulled out, and it was now a one-on-one
battle. The picture was better than the previous one because of the mock battle style. Still, Ramiris was
looking at the big screen with a satisfied look on her face.
V21
Benimaru guessed from her appearance that the purpose of the fight wasn’t only to sanction Dino.

"Dino is tougher than I thought," Ramiris said.

"Well, he is like that now, but if he had been serious, we might have lost," said Benimaru frankly.

Ramiris agreed with Benimaru's opinion. She knew from the beginning that Dino wasn’t going to be serious.
He was still crying behind the screen, but that was just to keep Ramiris company. It was Dino's way of
apologizing, though he didn’t say it in words.

Ramiris knew it well. However, that was that, and it was what it was. She was just too determined to get her
revenge on Dino because it was important for her to get her revenge.

"Well, I guess I'll let you off like this."

"I'm sure you will."

Benimaru let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, I managed to defeat all of those other kids at least once, and I managed to kill Dino at least twice.
Isn't it about time you realize how you're being controlled?"

Though spoken casually, this is exactly what Ramiris really meant. Of course, she was serious about
punishing Dino, but she also wanted to free her friend from unreasonable restraints.

"So that's what this is all about, isn't it?"

"You're the merciful one, Ramiris-sama!"

Treyni, Trya, and others praised Ramiris. If Beretta had been there, he would have thought, "That's no good!"

Ramiris said smugly, "Dino-chan, you're missing the point. You think, 'I'm cunning, and no one can cheat
me!' right? Are you an idiot?"

Dino would have shouted 'Objection' if he had heard this, but he wasn’t there. There was no one to stop
Ramiris, and the truth was spreading to everyone. Rumors are scary, Benimaru thought. However, there
were times when Ramiris' words couldn’t be ignored. As Rimuru and others often said, 'those who claim
they won't be fooled are the ones who fall into the trap when they are fooled.' It seems that they are too
V21 to admit that they have been cheated.
embarrassed

This seems to increase the damage even more, and the ability to honestly admit one's mistake is an
important part of what to do after a failure, according to Dino. In this respect, if Dino had admitted his
mistake earlier, he wouldn’t have been made to cry so much. Benimaru thought he could have done more,
though he couldn’t move so freely because of Feldway's control.

Nevertheless, if the question was whether he was an idiot or not, the answer was obvious. "Well, ah...well,
yes, I guess so," Benimaru agreed with Ramiris while keeping his words vague. Dino's story was not a
matter for others. Benimaru was secretly reflecting on the fact that he had a similar aspect to Dino.
Benimaru decided to digress, as if to cover his mistake.

"So, Ramiris-sama, what's the current rate of progress?"

"Well, we've completed the Isolation of the hierarchy. And as for the erosion rate of Vega, it's about 90% of
the Isolation space."

"That's good. So, Zegion is working?"

"Yes. They can't wait to see it!"

Ramiris and Benimaru nodded at each other. As you can see from this conversation, the Zegion in front of
Dino was an illusion. This is also why Dino felt Zegion's presence wasn’t so strong. And even though Dino
was aware of this, he was still following Ramiris' revenge...and Ramiris had already forgiven Dino.

So, the only remaining problem is Vega...

This problem has already been taken care of, quietly and surely. The defensive phase had already
transitioned into its final phase.

The atmosphere in the Control Room became calm as Ramiris was satisfied. Everyone knew that Ramiris
had an agenda. So did Shuna. Although she wasn’t as paranoid as Treyni and the others, there must be a
reason why she was hurting Dino so much. The reason became clear to everyone when they heard
Ramiris's comment.

Normally, she wouldn’t have hurt Dino so persistently. Ramiris, despite her abrasive and boisterous words
and personality, is very tolerant in her nature.
 V21
(261-270)

In other words, she isn't easy to deal with. So, it was thought that Ramiris wouldn't hold a grudge against
Dino for long. But when they targeted him not once, but twice, and even a third time, there had to be a
reason.

Seeing Ramiris in high spirits, Shuna had an epiphany.

(I see... she wanted to get Dino-sama back, didn't she?)

If that was the case, Ramiris' attitude made sense, and the repeated sanctions had a clear intention.
Ramiris and Dino Feldway, who were joking around with each other, were now divided into friend and foe,
which neither of them had intended. Ramiris wanted Dino to be released as soon as possible. For this
reason, she had been fixated on Dino, trying to find a chance to break the control.

That’s why she was so angry at Dino's carefree behavior. Shuna guessed that was probably the reason. If
so, she thought she would help out a little. Dino was good friends not only with Ramiris but also with
Rimuru. Rimuru wouldn’t want to lose a friend here.

Shuna turned her determined gaze to the big screen. At that moment, Shuna's Unique Skill 'Analyst' and
'Manufacturer' were transformed.

<Confirmed. Individual: Shuna's wish has integrated Unique Skill 'Analyst' and 'Manufacturer'. Success. It
was reborn as Ultimate Skill 'Yaoyorozu'.>

It was a miraculous event.

(This... this must be the will of Rimuru-sama.)

Shuna smiled. Her all-seeing eyes turned to Dino and the others. They were gentle and compassionate, as
if they could forgive and guide anyone.
 V21Vega was on a roll. Laughing and giggling, he was invading more and more of the labyrinth. He
Meanwhile,
never realized he was in a hierarchy that had been isolated by Ramiris.

Intuitively, this hierarchy would soon fall into Vega's hands. In fact, the assimilation rate was currently over
90%.

"Hey, hey, it's a piece of cake!" Vega muttered in a good mood.

The others had warned him about the horrors of the labyrinth, but it seemed less serious than expected.
Even Ramiris' labyrinth seemed unable to resist Vega's Ultimate Skill 'Evil Dragon King Azi Dahaka'. They
were left to be overrun.

"Ku ku ku. I didn’t think the labyrinth itself would attack me. I guess I won the battle."

Vega exulted in self-praise. If the enemy gained immortality in the labyrinth, Vega could copy him. Within
the hierarchy he had taken, he would have the same power. Although he couldn’t affect the whole labyrinth
yet, Vega would have it all if he continued to erode the labyrinth.

Only then would the tables turn. The enemy was sitting on its absolute superiority. Vega wondered what
they would look like when their strongholds were taken away from them. The mere thought of it made
Vega's heart flutter. He could imagine the fools in a panic. He was going to round up all of them, all of them
who had lost their power.

(That’s my style. Perfect plan.)

Vega laughed. He wanted those who disrespected him to know that he was worthy of their respect. Then,
Feldway would see Vega for what he was, and he would give him the first of the "three-star generals." Fenn,
Zalario, and Jahil didn’t like any of them. Vega thought he should have been the best man to stand with
Feldway. That would soon be reality.

"Heh, heh, heh! I'm going to eat this labyrinth and prove that I'm the best!"

These words were uttered unintentionally. He didn’t expect a response.

"Don't be so arrogant. You should know that you can’t bring down this labyrinth."

Cold voices echoed in the empty space.

No, just one.

 V21 caught something that shouldn’t have been there. It was a butterfly. A butterfly of light with
Vega's vision
beautiful rainbow-colored wings was fluttering in the sky.

"Ah?"

Before Vega's suspicious eyes, the butterfly's outline blurred. And then he noticed it represented a human
figure. A warrior figure, protected by a jet-black adamantite exoskeleton. The armored skeleton of his arms
and legs, and the single horn on his forehead, shone with hihiirokane's characteristic iridescent radiance.
The warrior's name was...

"Who are you?" Vega asked.

"My name is Zegion, loyal servant of the great demon lord Rimuru-sama, and the one who bears the title of
'Mist Lord'," came the solemn reply.

The real Zegion was here, not the illusion before Dino and his friends. Ethereal, dreamlike. The strongest
guardian in the labyrinth had appeared before Vega.

Normally, Vega would have understood the danger of the labyrinth at a glance. But Vega was on a roll. He
felt invincible because he had discovered a new use for his power and thought he had the labyrinth to
himself.

And since he was here in the space he controlled, Vega had a vague idea of the power of Zegion's
presence. The comparison was about four to one. Vega's presence had grown to a little less than four
times that of Zegion's. That’s why he was sure he could win.

"Zegion?" Vega spat out, but it was impossible for him not to know. Dino had explained it to him so much
that he had sounded like a broken record. Vega just hadn’t been listening because he had no interest in it.

Vega didn’t perceive Zegion as a threat and asked condescendingly, "When did you invade my domain?"

If he didn’t notice the intrusion, he should have been more vigilant. But Vega was indifferent. He was
surprised he didn’t feel anything until now, but he thought it didn’t matter much. What mattered was the
ability to fight, and hiding wasn’t enough to beat the enemy. This was a lesson Vega had learned from real
"experience," having lived his life on the run and in hiding.

Zegion replied without concern, "Simple. I was here from the beginning, that's all."
 V21That's a blind spot," Vega was convinced. No wonder he felt no sign of intrusion and found no
"I see, I see.
trace of the roots Vega had spread all over the labyrinthine ground. Once he knew the reason, he wasn’t
afraid.

"You’re a fool. If you had stayed hidden until the end, I would have missed you."

Vega chuckled. The small fry who had been hiding too late must have realized they were trapped. He must
have jumped out in his haste, Vega thought. He hadn’t even heard the other party's line more than half the
time. He didn’t care about the meaning of the words "Mist Lord," nor did he feel the weight of Zegion's
words.

"You're a lucky man, you know that? But it doesn’t matter; you'll be honored to die as my food."

Vega then created four 'Evil Dragon Spawn' and ordered them to eliminate Zegion. Each one was stronger
than the one that fought Hinata and the others. Their existence values exceeded 4 million, and they had
accumulated much combat experience. The problem was that they couldn’t produce many of them due to
the scarcity of materials, but they still had plenty of time to spare since they could use the energy they
obtained by eating the labyrinth inexhaustibly.

In Vega's mind, Zegion and 'Evil Dragon Spawn' were equal. It would be difficult to defeat Zegion with only
one spawn, but with four spawns, he thought he had enough time to defeat Zegion.

But the next moment.

Four 'Evil Dragon Spawn' attacked their prey at once, and in a flash of light, they were cut into small pieces
and disappeared. It was so fast that even Vega couldn’t tell what had happened.

"What? You really beat my 'Evil Dragon Spawn' so easily? What kind of trick did you use?"

While Vega worked to control the labyrinth, the majin, who calls himself Zegion, didn’t attack at all. This is
because he was afraid of Vega. Vega remained disrespectful to Zegion because he thought that if Zegion
wanted to interfere, he could have done it earlier.

What mattered to Vega was not the truth in front of him. What mattered to Vega was how he thought and
felt. Because of this false thinking and perception, Vega didn’t see the threat of Zegion...

But that was not important to Zegion. The reason Zegion didn’t attack initially was that Ramiris waited until
the Isolation of this hierarchy. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have missed Vega's actions. Since this was not the
80th level, Zegion was not in charge of it. However, it was an emergency now, and other Guardians were on
their way. As long as Zegion was entrusted with the responsibility of looking after his friends, he was
responsible for them.
 V21 was a place that had to be protected. Zegion wouldn’t allow anyone to defile it. Allowing
The labyrinth
someone like Vega to do whatever he wanted was impossible.

Yes. Zegion was angry, though it was rare. Unaware of this, Vega poured more fuel on the fire.

"Heh heh, don't get carried away just because you beat a little fish. This labyrinth belongs to me now."

"..."

"I know. Demon Lord Rimuru has some famous minions, doesn't he? The Mist Lord? I know you're trying to
say you're one of them, but to me, you’re all the same."

After hearing that, Zegion clenched his fists.

"Doesn’t matter, the one we have to watch out for is the woman we fought the other day. Well, I let that one
go, so if I run into her again, I'll eat her myself..."

Vega said this without hesitation, which Testarossa would have been outraged by if she had heard it. Then
he continued.

"And Benimaru, right? I think there are others, but I don't care. Whoever they are, they're small fry to me!"

He said proudly. It was as if Vega had signed his own execution order.

Vega was convinced of his overwhelming superiority and didn’t doubt it. But, however. It didn’t take him
long to realize that he was mistaken.

"Nonsense. If you have an enemy in front of you, you can judge his strength by looking at him."

"Ah?"

If we only focus on the enemy, we won’t need any other information.

(271-280)

"You're just a weakling who hid away like a coward."

"Well, you'll have to see for yourself."

Hearing V21
Zegion's reply, Vega snorted in amusement. Then, slowly raising his coercion, he took a stance.

"All right, I'll show you. I'm going to end this boring battle and let the world know how great I am," Vega said
arrogantly.

Zegion responded calmly, "You're right in that dueling you is a bore."

Vega added, as if pitying Zegion, "You truly are pitiful, aren't you? You still think you won't die, don't you? But
you're mistaken. I'm in control of this labyrinth now!"

It was Vega who was pitiful. In the labyrinth where Ramiris had set Isolation, he was like the 'Naked King,'
unaware of what was happening.

"You thought you could come back to life even if you died, so you can challenge me, who is far superior to
you. You're a fool!" Vega was trying to tell Zegion he could fight without worrying about the difference in
strength because he had the assurance he could revive even if he lost, but he couldn't finish his speech.

Zegion moved before Vega could finish. His story was too long.

Zegion's patience had reached its limit. Defiling the labyrinth was an act tantamount to being scandalized
by Zegion. Once Ramiris was ready and the Isolation of the hierarchy was completed, there was no need to
be patient. Zegion unleashed his anger and interrupted Vega's words.

With a light jab, Zegion blew Vega away.

"Y-you!!!"

Vega stared at Zegion, holding his bleeding nose. (Wait, wait! I ate the labyrinth and I'm immortal... but I'm
not dead...)

Finally, Vega realized that whether he was immortal or not was not important; his real strength had not
changed. He thought the supply of energy had become inexhaustible, but it did not mean his instantaneous
firepower had increased.

Existence value is not equal to combat capability. If resources are allocated to the parts that are practically
irrelevant to the combat, it is not that helpful. It would be more realistic to judge by the amount of magicule,
and in that sense, even if Vega's existence value was four times more than Zegion's, it was not a basis for
winning the battle.
 V21 chased after Vega. Vega's vision went dark without understanding what had happened. It
Zegion silently
was Zegion's kick. When he had closed the gap between them, his foot raised high to the sky, showing the
true nature of the attack. Slowly lowering his foot, keeping Vega in sight, Zegion said, "A hardy one. Next
time I'll go a little harder, OK?"

With that, Zegion disappeared. It was Zegion's 'God Speed Maneuver,' far beyond Vega's perception. No
matter how much 'Magic Perception' he used to 'grasp space,' and no matter how much he used 'Thought
Acceleration,' Vega could not capture Zegion's movement. Zegion's movement was not only fast but also a
mixture of reality, illusion, and falsity.

Through actual combat experience in the labyrinth, Zegion's combat methods were evolving day by day.
Zegion, the strongest warrior in the labyrinth, was the pioneer.

Since Zegion and Apito were connected by soul, it was possible to reproduce their powers to some extent.
Zegion was a fearfully evolved creature. He researched and studied every possible ability. With the Ultimate
Skill 'World of Illusion' of 'Illusion King Mephisto,' Zegion was testing all his abilities. He especially
emphasized 'Spacetime Manipulation,' and even improved his own interpretation of "Veldora Style Killing
Arts™."

It was a near-impossible task for anyone to spot Zegion's moves at a first glance. Vega could not have
done it. However, Vega survived by making a quick decision. In particular, the ultimate enchantment
'Multiple Weapons' obtained by eating Oria worked well.

Vega, in majin form, was protected by mythical-grade armor. It would be impossible for an ordinary majin to
break it. It would have been extremely difficult even for a Demon Lord Seed. What would happen if Vega
concentrated only on defending himself, regardless of his appearance?

Vega's whole body shone suspiciously and showed its maximum strength. In addition to this, an almond-
shaped kite-shield appeared three times in front of Vega with his hands outstretched in front of him.

But... Vega was so exaggeratedly defensive, and Zegion's attack here was merely a punch. The power of
the punch was immeasurable. It shattered two of Vega's three kite shields and cracked the last one. And
still, it was only a punch.

This fact was enough to change Vega's perception. (He's a monster! Damn, I thought I had underestimated
Demon Lord Rimuru a little bit, but there are still such bastards left...)

Vega regretted that he underestimated Zegion. Not just a little, but completely. Lack of reflection is a bad
habit, but positive thinking is one of Vega's few virtues.
 V21

Having recognized Zegion, Vega began his analysis once again. His overwhelming combat sense and
destructive power showed that he was better than Vega in close combat. Judging from his movements
beyond the limits of the laws of physics, he was convinced that Zegion was close to a spiritual life form.

(Heh, but I'll still win!) Even the mythical-grade kite-shield was shattered without any difficulty, but that was
because it was a fake created by Vega. It's a renewable item, and we're not losing that much. We can still
make up the lost points since we have enough energy to spare.

(Here, you can think about it the other way around. You didn't break two shields. They only broke two
shields!) Positive attitude is the beauty of Vega. And it worked here, too.

As soon as he realized that his triple shields were useless, Vega shouted, "Protect me - Invincible!"

In response to his command, four rings, each about one meter in diameter, appeared and stood still in mid-
air. The absolute protection, each one of them mythical-grade, began to automatically protect Vega. If you
are worried about three rings, just produce four.

From Vega's point of view, it was an invincible defense. Even if Vega did not recognize the attack, it was no
problem to let the automatic defense of "Invincible" take care of it. It could handle attacks from all angles
and perfectly protect Vega, its master. Moreover, this ring was an excellent device that regenerates
instantly even if it is shattered. Vega was convinced that as long as he was protected by this ring, he would
never be defeated.

Vega, who had regained his composure, smiled and talked to Zegion. "Hey, you played me for a fool, didn't
you? Did you think you'd won already? I'm sorry to hear that. I'm not ready for this to end yet."

"..."

"Don't be a coward! You, you know I'm..." Two rings were shattered, one on top of the other. Vega swallowed
his words in fear. As if Vega was not important to him, Zegion attacked again and again without any
hesitation. The rings shattered and regenerated. And so on and so forth.

Vega was scared at first, but he regained his composure as soon as he realized that Zegion's attacks could
not reach him.

"Hehehehehe! How's my 'Invincible'? You're a good fighter too... but you're still just a small fry, after all.
You're no match for me."
 V21
Vega was always in his element. Overconfident in his own strength, he believed without a doubt that the
repeated attacks of Zegion were all-out attacks. (I knew it. His fighting ability is great, but that's all he's got.
If he can't even break my shield, you've done yourself a disservice by being so scared.)

It's pathetic that he was so scared, but Vega didn't care about that. He had already dismissed Zegion as an
entity that would only repeat useless attacks in the dark. It's not positive anymore, it's just stupidity.

"That was pretty funny. I'm going to show you my real strength, out of respect for you!" Vega said, and held
out his arms to Zegion. The two arms joined into one and changed into a turret-like shape.

"Die, Infinite Eater!" This was Vega's most powerful attack, which he unleashed with absolute confidence. It
was the special killing technique that Moss had used in the previous battle at the capital of Ingracia. Vega
had learned it through the eyes of the 'Evil Dragon Spawn.'

The technique worked surprisingly well with Vega. While Moss had the disadvantage of not being able to
use it again until the absorbed energy was fully sublimated, Vega, who had the Ultimate Skill 'Evil Dragon
King Azi Dahaka,' had no such limitation. In other words, it was possible to use it repeatedly.

The magical bacteria, which turn all materials into dust and consume them, transform into a wave of
annihilation, piercing the enemy. It was a technique of absolute destruction that couldn’t even be defended
against, reducing all wavelengths, in other words, the frequency of energy, to zero.

If the enemy was of a lower existence value than himself, he could eat it almost without resistance. It was
an extraordinary feat of power, but the simplicity of the technique made it very effective. It was applied to
life as well, and even spiritual life forms such as angels and demons were no exception. On the contrary,
the higher the energy body, the more pure it is, the more suitable it is as bait. Once Vega mastered this
technique, he became invincible.

Vega's current existence value was just shy of 20 million. He was the strongest of the "Seven Angels of
Death" and was now on par with Zalario and Jahil, the "three-star generals." Zegion, on the other hand, had
less than five million. The gap between the two was widening to the point of desperation. Even Zegion
couldn’t stand up to Vega's "Infinite Eater," which he unleashed with all his might.

"It's useless. I know that. It won’t get through."

Despite being bathed in a vicious wave of destruction that engulfed all matter, Zegion did not move an inch,
as if standing on windless ground. With an air of overwhelming strength, he looked down on Vega and said,
"It's no use."

Vega may have been out of his mind, but he was in for a bad time. Zegion had fought Moss in many mock
fights and had experienced his techniques. The first time he had hit it, he had been unable to avoid serious
damage. Although Zegion ended up winning because Moss was not as strong as Zegion, he had to admit
V21
that it was a dangerous technique.

If so, Zegion would not have left it alone. He had already determined the nature of the technique and
devised a countermeasure against it. The essence of "Infinite Eater" was in the waveform. The wavelength
of energy was reduced to zero, and then the user took it as his own—in other words, he ate it. To prevent
the wavelength from being reduced to zero, it could be canceled out by hitting it with the opposite phase.

In addition, Vega's technique was less mature than Moss's. To some extent, he was able to imitate Moss
thanks to his authority, but his skill was not as good as Moss's. In terms of efficiency, it was far from
perfect, and Zegion could have easily beaten it.

"Are you crazy? That's impossible! Why are you so unconcerned? How can you be safe from my Infinite
Eater?" Vega was upset, but it was nothing to be ashamed of. Moss was also in a panic when this
technique was broken.

Zegion then said the same words to Vega as he had said to Moss. "Stop laughing. The wave that cancels
the wave is also a wave. Then just wrap it up. Know that the truth of the universe is to identify with the flow
without opposing it. Since dreams and visions converge into the ethereal, it's easy for me to see through
your waves."

It was a simple but impossible feat for a normal person. Or rather, it would be impossible for anyone. At the
very least, it would have to completely outperform the opponent's computing power. And Zegion had
already figured out that Vega's computing power was limited.

"I don't get it!" Vega exclaimed, unable to understand how Zegion had countered his ultimate technique.

(281-290)

Vega snapped. It was an escape from a reality he didn't want to admit. He was supposed to fill the space
with the wave of annihilation and kill Zegion. And yet, the result was Zegion standing there, unscathed.

Vega finally understood that the superiority in existence value was meaningless. At the same time, Vega's
heart was filled with fear.

"You fool! You're not my enemy. Don't, don't come near me! And you should know that you're nothing but
dust to Veldora-sama and Rimuru-sama."

Zegion stepped up to the frightened Vega. Zegion had already taken control of this Isolation space. From
the beginning, everything was controlled by Zegion's power—Ultimate Skill 'World of Illusion' of 'Illusion King
Mephisto'.
A worldV21
where even the flow of time is twisted by Zegion's imagination. In a world where everything is
determined by Zegion's will, no matter how hard Vega tried, it was all for naught.

"Damn it! Don't get carried away, you! Just because you blocked my attack doesn't mean your attack can
get through to me!"

Vega decided to make the invasion of the labyrinth a priority as he ran away from Zegion. If he could
control the labyrinth and ensure his immortality, he would have nothing to fear from Zegion. Vega thought
he would win someday, if not now. Until then, he would just have to endure.

But...

Zegion would have none of it. "It's time for you to end this farce. It's time for me to end it, too."

Regardless of Vega's intentions, Zegion acted according to his feelings. He slammed his fist into the circle
in anger.

"Such an attack is not going to work on me..." Vega was about to say, but then he exclaimed, "What?!"

Zegion's fist shattered the ring like a piece of paper. Then, the four rings overlapped each other, and all of
them were smashed into pieces.

Vega panicked, and the maximum number of rings that could be deployed at the same time appeared.
However, they were destroyed effortlessly by Zegion. It was an unbelievable sight for Vega. No matter what
he did, it was useless. The Invincible had been completely broken.

"-Huh, huh!?"

Vega fell miserably on his ass. He had to admit it. Vega could never beat Zegion, no matter how hard he
tried.

"Your abilities may be absolutely powerful in the material world. But in the spiritual world, they are poor.
That's why you are like this," Zegion pointed out Vega's inexperience.

"Wait! Calm down and listen to me!"

Vega pleaded with Zegion, but Zegion didn't stop. Vega, sensing the danger, crawled backward and
deployed his "Invincible Shield." As long as he kept this shield in place, no attack could reach him. Vega
thought that no matter how many rings were shattered, as long as he was safe, that was all that mattered.
Zegion'sV21
left hand shone. A dimensional equivocal cutting wave (dimensional ray) was released. In the next
moment, all the rings protecting Vega were torn into tiny pieces. At the same time...

(Next! We have to prepare for the next one quickly...) Vega panicked as a glow unique to hihiirokane was
sucked into his abdomen.

"Goboah!"

It was an afterglow. Zegion's backward kick, released with divine speed, struck Vega. The afterglow
vanished like a haze. What was left was Vega, his face crumpled up with tears and a runny nose, covered in
his own vomit and excrement. Vega, crouched on his stomach, pleaded with Zegion.

"I can't take it anymore, please help me!"

It was a brilliant plea for his life. Between Vega and Zegion, there was a gap in ability that was hopelessly
difficult to fill. It wasn't a matter of the size of the existence value, but the difference in the "rank" of the two.
Vega couldn't beat the well-trained Zegion. This was the reality and the eternal and immutable truth.

Zegion's left fist began to glow with a dull color.

"No, don't!" Vega's scream ripped through the sky. At that very same moment, something strange happened
in the labyrinth.
V21
 V21

In the Control Room, everyone was in a state of exclamation.

"We've got the subject cornered."

Benimaru received a 'Telepathy Net' from Zegion, indicating that he had cornered the subject. Of course,
there was no reason to stop him, so he gave his permission, but less than five minutes had passed since
Zegion started his action. Nevertheless, it seemed that Zegion had cornered Vega with a series of
overwhelming moves.

"Zegion-chan is too strong, isn't he?" Ramiris commented, stunned.

"Yes. Zegion, as expected, has a lot of power," Benimaru nodded.

Or rather, no one denied it. The strongest warrior in the labyrinth was obvious to everyone.

"I guess they didn't like our plan to invade the labyrinth after all..." Treyni also commented.

Everyone nodded in agreement, as this was the opinion of everyone living in the labyrinth.

"By the way, Zegion seems to have really lost his temper. I'm glad he agreed to the mission," Benimaru said
with relief.

It was essential to get rid of Vega, but they couldn't let him escape. That was why the labyrinth Isolation
operation was launched, an idea that would not have come from the labyrinth group. Zegion was not
originally under Benimaru's command. Nevertheless, he followed the order, probably because he was
convinced that it was reasonable.

Now that Rimuru was no longer with them, they couldn't afford any discord among their colleagues.
Because they understood that, they took the initiative to show that Benimaru was the superior one.

"Well, Zegion, unlike you, is calm, isn't he?"

"No, no, I'm calm too, Commander-in-Chief!"

"You're aV21
good actor even in a situation like this."

"I'm honored by your praise, Ramiris-sama."

Benimaru and Ramiris nodded at each other. Their faces were cheerful as the mission was about to reach a
major milestone. Vega would be taken care of soon. Besides, the Colosseum was about to be finished as
well. Benimaru turned his eyes to the big screen.

"Don't worry, Rimuru-sama. I will protect the labyrinth, even if it costs me my life!"

In Rimuru's absence, Benimaru was the one in charge of the labyrinth. Ramiris's cooperation was
reassuring, but they couldn't be too careful yet. Benimaru was now in the thick of things, he thought to
himself.
 V21

(292-294)
 V21
While Zegion was fighting to the death with Vega, Ramiris was anxiously watching her friend on the screen.

(Dino's such a fool. What are you doing at this critical moment?)

The mission was already in its final stages. She was going to tell Dino and the others about it as soon as he
had finished with Vega. Then, they would have to make a choice. Either they would remain Feldway's
puppets, or they would regain their complete freedom and take Ramiris' hand.

If Dino and the others refused Ramiris' proposal, there would be no choice but to imprison them. Not
wanting to kill their friends, they planned to throw them into a 'labyrinthine prison' with a modified labyrinth
structure. This was a special space created by Ramiris based on the "secret of the infinite corridor" that
Rimuru had obtained from somewhere. By constantly changing the spatial coordinates of the labyrinth,
escape was prevented.

Nowadays, the labyrinth is becoming more dangerous. With more and more fools smashing through the
hierarchy, Ramiris wanted to have at least one or two ways of punishing them. This time, it seemed they
would have a chance to use them. It would be tedious to keep computing all the time to prevent escapes,
but it was better than killing Dino and the others.

But...

The result Ramiris hoped for was not so simple.

(Let's be silly and experiment together again. Hey, Dino...)

Ramiris wished. She hoped, believing in the plan Rimuru had made. She prayed that Dino would become
one of Ramiris' friends again. Ramiris' thoughts and feelings were felt by those present at the meeting.

That was why Shuna moved.

"Will you leave it to me to persuade Dino-sama?" she suggested, smiling gently at Ramiris.

"What?" Ramiris couldn't help but stare at Shuna.

Shuna was the real power in the land of monsters, not just in the labyrinth. Even Rimuru would not refuse
Shuna's request. After all, Shuna was the one always relied upon by everyone, the one who controlled the
pocket money and the kitchen...

"Are you sure there's something you can do? Are you okay, Shuna?" Ramiris and Benimaru asked worriedly.
 V21
Shuna just smiled and nodded quietly.
 V21

(297-302)

Dino was exhausted. He was taking a break now, having been killed four times already.

"We have more for you," Beretta said, offering him a "Resurrection Bracelet." He must have had a devilish
smile under that mask. No, he was the devil, Dino thought as he looked up to the sky.

He had been killed so many times that he was getting used to it. Dino decided that it was just his
imagination that he was starting to feel more comfortable, and he had come to accept the situation.

Why is Ramiris doing this? If it was just for revenge, she wouldn’t go this far. Ramiris is persistent, but not
this persistent because of her forgetfulness.

(No, no, it’s not surprising. It’s just as I see it.)

Dino thought to himself. (Yes, that's right. Ramiris is mad at me because I'm doing Feldway's bidding. But,
what can I do? As long as I have angelic powers, I have to obey orders absolutely...)

Ultimate Dominion was absolute. It was fortunate that they hadn’t been deprived of their free will, but that
was because they were obedient. If they displeased Feldway any more, they might suffer worse.

In the current situation, they could defy Feldway for a moment. If they could get behind Feldway’s back at
the critical moment, they could help Rimuru and Ramiris.

In the first place, Dino leaked the information to Ramiris and the others so that Vega wouldn’t know about
it. Since he was such a valuable informant, he thought it would be right to treat him with more care.

(You know what I mean? They want me to find out how my death experience affects their authority, don’t
they? But you know, Ultimate Dominion is not such a simple mechanism...)

If it were possible to break it, it would have been done already. By exploring his state at the moment of
death, Dino found that Feldway’s power was binding his soul tightly. To be precise, the Ultimate Skill
'Heavenly King Astarte,' which was rooted in Dino's soul, was controlling the command center of his body.
The onlyV21
way to break it was to erase the authority completely. That meant death. Or, they could overwrite it
with another authority.

(Impossible...)

Dino had another power. Unique Skill 'Sloth'—no, it had evolved into Ultimate Skill 'Sloth King Belphegor'
now, which seemed to embody the essence of Dino. If they could use this power to work on the Ultimate
Skill 'Heavenly King Astarte,' it might be possible to interfere with the 'Ultimate Dominion.' But he hesitated
to try it.

(Because...if we succeeded, Feldway would definitely find out...)

If that happened, Dino's friends Pico and Gracia would be completely puppeted, deprived of even their free
will. They would move to seize Dino, and then hostility would be inevitable. Although he was not that close
to Mai, he still could not leave her alone. For what it was worth, Mai was very caring and Dino felt at ease
with her. Dino wanted to get along with her anyway.

Dino was a kind man despite his appearance. He did not want to see his friends hurt, especially by his own
hands. He might be able to escape from the control by himself, but that was not enough.

(I guess we have to keep the status quo...)

It was at that moment that Dino was about to give up.

(Are you sure about that? Can’t Dino-sama save everyone at the same time?)

He heard a reassuring voice that seemed to encompass everything. Dino thought absent-mindedly, (This is
Shuna-san, isn’t it? Why is she talking to my mind? Is this an auditory hallucination, or is it real?)

(No, it's true that I’m really afraid of Shuna-san getting mad at me, but I’m more afraid of her talking to me
gently like this...)

(That’s even scarier,) Dino thought. Because it was not a question but a command. There was a sense of
coercion, as if he was being forced to do something. If he said "I can't do it," he was sure to disappoint her.
Even lazy Dino thought that was a no-no.

Then, there was only one answer: do it. Besides, although there were many disadvantages in case of
failure, the return of success was greater. Remembering the smile of Ramiris, Dino made up his mind.
(Yes, youV21
are right. Why was I hesitating to do this? Try it, and if it doesn't work, give up. It wasn't like me to just
lament without trying!)

Dino’s doubts were cleared. Whether the voice was really Shuna’s or not was not important at this point.
What was important was that the voice guided him to make up his mind. Before he lost his motivation, Dino
decided to take action.

Dino clenched his fist and punched his cheek as hard as he could. There was no pain—but it felt like an
awakening. The damage was brain-numbing, but Dino's smoldering worries were gone.

"Hey, guys! I've made up my mind. If I'm going to live halfway, I’d rather take a shot and win my freedom!"
Dino declared loudly.

Pico and Gracia looked at Dino with cold eyes.

"Finally!"

"You're too obtuse to realize it after being killed four times, aren't you?"

"You know, for all your talk about how we should keep our strength up, what about yourself?"

"You're so exhausted, you can't even run away."

A verbal barrage of bullets came back at Dino. He was about to ask, "What about you?" when Mai muttered,

"I've finally made up my mind. As far as I know, Dino is the only one who is this indecisive."

This was Mai's true intention, which was heartbreaking. But it was a compliment to Dino.

"Well. There aren't many men who are as unwilling to finish the job as I am."

Dino said with a smug look on his face, to which his peers reacted very coldly.

"I didn't mean it as a compliment."

"Oh man, you're so self-conscious, I can't stand it."

"Well, it'sV21
just like Dino, isn't it?"

But still, there was a certain trust. Dino was surprised by Pico and Gracia's reaction. He did not expect them
to believe in him. He had thought it would take some time to convince them, and he was afraid that Mai
would not listen to him.

"Well, are you sure? I haven't explained anything yet..."

When he asked them about it, their response was to blackmail him.

"Get on with it."

"If you fail, I'll kill you."

"Well, we have to trust him. I don't like to talk about it like it's a one-shot deal, like a gamble."

Gracia, Pico, and Mai, in turn, declared that they trusted Dino.

Dino told Beretta with a wry smile, "So, do something about this metal that's holding me up to my waist!"

Beretta silently released Dino.

(302-307)

"Okay, I guess I made you wait a bit," Dino said as he stood up. He stretched his arms out wide and smiled
briskly. Then he looked around at everyone and tightened his expression.

"Well, it's been a while since I've been serious," Dino muttered, his always sleepy eyes widening. "It's easy to
do. If it's just me, that is."

"Look, the reason we can't go against Feldway is because the Domination Circuit is built into the angels'
Ultimate Skill." Everyone was listening to Dino's explanation with curious faces. "Because of this, we are
forced to obey the higher authority absolutely..."

"I could have escaped from the control if I had erased my rights with the administrator's authority like Obera
did."
 V21also very bold, though she can't do the same thing anymore," Gracia muttered bitterly, and Pico
"Obera was
nodded in agreement.

Aside from Mai, Dino and the others had administrative privileges. It would be a pity to lose the authority
given by Veldanava, but it would be better than following Feldway. Unfortunately, that means is now
forbidden. If Obera had not acted arbitrarily, she could have managed with his administrative authority. Dino
and his colleagues could only resent Obera for not consulting with them before implementing the plan.

Well, Obera also had a situation where she couldn’t take such a long time, but still, we couldn’t deny the
feeling that she didn’t consult with us enough. Since there was no point in complaining about such things,
Dino cut to the chase.

"Well, listen. What I'm trying to say is that if we can get rid of the Domination Circuit, we can break out of
the current situation."

"How? If we could do that, we wouldn't have any trouble."

"Is that a plan that can work even if you don't have administrative privileges like I do?"

Dino was asked and answered in three different ways. "It can be done, you know. The problem is timing."
Dino explained in detail.

In fact, Dino thought that he might be able to remove the "Domination Circuit" by evolving his own power.
He thought that he might be able to eliminate the "Domination Circuit" by forcing an evolution of his own
authority. With such momentum, would he be able to forcefully interfere with others using his own
exclusive power? That would be the first bet. Since he had never actually tried it before, it would be a bit of
a hail mary. Even if he could get through this, there was a strong possibility that Feldway would find out and
interfere before he could finish everything.

"It's so haphazard, isn't it?" Mai said regretfully. It was a gamble, a big gamble, Dino thought. But still, Mai's
determination remained unchanged. Since she had decided to do it, she had no intention to backtrack.

Since Mai, the most serious person in the group, was like that, it went without saying for Pico and Gracia.

"Do it before they find out."

"I mean, if you say you can't do it, I'll kill you."

They urged Dino to get on with it with a confident attitude that there was no way he could fail. Dino nodded
his head.
"I'll help V21
you," Shuna said, coming up to him with a smile.

"What?" Dino was unintentionally upset and tried to find out Shuna's true intention.

"I will support Dino-sama. I will imitate the process of Dino-sama's evolution of the authority and do the
same for the other three of you."

Dino was seriously puzzled by Shuna's smile. "So, please don't worry."

(What? You are serious...right? Can you do such a trick?) It's a divine feat. Even Dino's evolution of Skill is
usually impossible, but to read it out and use it on others at the same time was unthinkable.

(No, that lazy Rimuru might be able to do it, though...) Shuna, perhaps sensing Dino's thoughts, added a few
words.

"Rimuru-sama must have seen this coming. He believed that Dino-sama would join us."

This was followed by Ramiris' voice. "I believe in you too! Dino-chan, I'll forgive you if you succeed, so just
trust Shuna-chan and get back to where you were!"

"Oh, oh!" Dino could only nod his head. Either way, he was going to do something on the spur of the
moment. If it would increase the probability of success, it would be a good suggestion. There was no
reason to reject Shuna's proposal.

"Okay, then, let's do it."

"Yes, I will," Shuna looked Dino in the eye and nodded.

 V21

(308-315)

It was doubtful that Rimuru had foreseen this moment, but Shuna was not afraid of the situation. Deep in
her soul, she sensed a solid connection with Rimuru. The proof was the Ultimate Skill 'Yaoyorozu' that
Shuna had acquired. This skill, a composite of various powers, was the culmination of all the skills that
Rimuru had accumulated and analyzed. Indeed, Shuna's 'Yaoyorozu' was born from Rimuru's Ultimate Skill
'HarvestV21
King Shub-Niggurath'.

Therefore, it could not fail.

Dino activated his power. He canceled 'Heavenly King Astarte' with 'Sloth King Belphegor'. After temporarily
disabling the Domination Circuit, he activated the evolution of his Skill.

“Evolution.”

It was a gamble whether Feldway’s eyes could be fooled or not, but he succeeded. In the next moment, the
Ultimate Skills 'Heavenly King Astarte' and 'Sloth King Belphegor' fought each other and merged. Dino won,
gaining the combined power of 'Heavenly King Astarte' and 'Sloth King Belphegor'. This new power
combined the creative and destructive force of 'Heavenly King Astarte', which Veldanava valued, with the
absolute superiority over the spirit of 'Sloth King Belphegor'. It was a very powerful skill.

Dino was once the chief advisor to the "Star King Dragon" Veldanava. Always by his side, he served as
Veldanava’s sword on the battlefield. Though it was past glory now, his position as the greatest swordsman
was established at that time. The world was pacified, and strife vanished from the earth. Veldanava then
gave him the task of being the "watcher" of the earth, and he began to travel the world.

But in Dino’s absence, his master Veldanava passed away along with his beloved wife Lucia. Dino was
furious and destroyed the foolish nation responsible. The creative power of 'Heavenly King Astarte'
unleashed in a rage of fury and hatred led to the complete and utter destruction of a great and prosperous
nation. However, this did not make Dino feel any better. As soon as he finished his revenge, Dino regained
his reason, but everything was no longer important. He thought about destroying the world itself but
understood that doing so would make everything meaningless.

Dino was caught halfway. He was too rational to stay angry but never became positive. He needed a reason
for everything he did, and not being able to find one, he set limits on his actions. The reason he sealed off
his power of 'Heavenly King Astarte' was because he felt responsible for the destruction he caused in a fit
of passion.

Dino lost the meaning of life. His fall was precisely at that time. It was fortunate that his colleagues, Pico
and Gracia, were with him. If Dino had been alone, he might have disappeared without a trace in this world.
Thousands of years have passed since then. Dino continued his mission as a "watcher" of the earth,
without knowing the meaning of life.

Thanks to his efforts, he found Milim, the last remnant of Veldanava and Lucia. Not wanting to
acknowledge Milim as his master, he only observed her from the shadows, but he was lucky that he was
not bored. He let Pico and Gracia gather information while he lived in idleness. Dino, too, had become a
demon lord. When Milim went out of control, Guy and Ramiris stopped her. Dino helped from the shadows
at that time, thinking it was dangerous to allow her to rampage. If Milim went out of control, the world was
V21
in danger of being destroyed. Dino thought it was his role to stop Milim from doing so.

In this way, Dino found a new meaning of life. After becoming a demon lord, his daily life continued as
usual. The change came at Walpurgis, where Rimuru became a demon lord. Clayman, a small man who did
not deserve to be called a demon lord, hit Milim. It was such a shock that Dino thought he was going to
wake up in an instant, though he was always in a lazy mood.

He wondered what Clayman was going to do if Milim lost control, but then he realized Milim seemed to be
acting. He tried to find out the reason and discovered that the newcomer, Rimuru, was the cause of the
problem. Realizing this, Dino became interested in Rimuru, who had become a demon lord. By touching the
essence of Rimuru—was it coincidence, or was it destiny—Dino found a new meaning of life.

"I'm awesome. I succeeded in removing the Domination Circuit," Dino said proudly, but then he looked
around and was absolutely mortified.

Shuna was much more impressive.

“Imitation.”

What Shuna did was imitate Dino. Therefore, it would be normal to think that Dino was the more amazing
one, not Shuna who was just imitating Dino. However, this was not the case. Shuna ‘Analyzed and
Assessed’ what Dino was doing, extracted the key points perfectly, and imitated them instantly. She was
also able to decipher multiple authority figures simultaneously, which varied widely from person to person.
The degree of difficulty was quite different from that of Dino, who only played with his own authority.

It was hard to believe that one could perfectly understand another person’s title in a moment. Yet, the fact
that Shuna could do it so easily was a testament to her greatness.

"No way..." Dino muttered as he watched Pico, Gracia, and Mai rewrite their powers.

Pico’s Ultimate Skill 'Rigor King Jibril' became 'Austerity King Jibril', with more freedom. Gracia’s Ultimate
Skill 'Glory King Haniel' became 'Light King (Hamiel)' without outside involvement. Mai Furuki’s Ultimate
Enchantment 'World Map' evolved into Ultimate Skill 'Terra Mater,' reflecting Mai’s desires more.

It was hard to believe Shuna could achieve this alone. Dino didn’t think it was possible for her to do such a
thing.

“I knew it, Rimuru saw through it all…” Dino’s mind was filled with images of Rimuru with impudence. He
was convinced that there was no one but Rimuru who could do such an impossible thing without
hesitation. This time, too, he was sure that Rimuru was the only one who could make this miracle possible.
It seemed that Rimuru had exercised his authority through the eyes of his subordinates, even though he
was not V21
present. Shuna did not deny this.

“Well, yes. It is not only my power, as Dino-sama seems to think,” Shuna said. She was sure it was not
Rimuru, but it was definitely Rimuru’s power, she said. The reason why Shuna succeeded in 'imitation' was
because someone else was involved. In fact, it was impossible for Shuna to reproduce it by her own will.

It was probably because the information was delivered across space-time at the right time that even Shuna
could accomplish this. Shuna gave up the idea of pursuing it. For now, she was happy that Dino and the
others were free of Feldway’s control.

Just as Shuna was thinking this, things suddenly changed. The labyrinth rumbled. It was a phenomenon
that should not have happened in the labyrinth. Everyone knew that something unusual had occurred. It
was the very moment that Zegion was about to finish Vega off.

“What is this?” Shuna was astonished. The feeling was the same as when the labyrinth’s hierarchy was
broken. There were only a few people who could do such a thing, even among the leaders of the monster
nation. Moreover, the tremor was greater than anything he had ever felt before—more so now than when
Velgrynd had been ravaging the labyrinth.

“Are you kidding me? Is Vega really trying to eat Ramiris’ labyrinth? No way. But these tremors…”

“I don’t think Vega’s capable of this. If he could, he would have done it from the beginning,” Dino and the
others agreed with him.

Then, what happened? Dino and his team members looked at each other in bewilderment at the occurrence
of an unexpected and unusual situation.
 V21

318-320

Speaking of unpredictability, the same is true for Ramiris.

In fact, it was Ramiris, the creator of this labyrinth, who was the most astonished by this situation.

"No way! I was just about to complete the Isolation... or rather, I don't care about that. Something worse has
happened!"

The hierarchy of Vega's Isolation was smashed, which was surprising enough. But what astonished Ramiris
even more was the fact that an "enemy" with an unbelievable existence value had invaded the labyrinth.
 V21 value of the hostile entity has been measured. The hostile entity is determined to be Insect
"The existence
Lord Zelanus, and its existence value is 104 million."

The operator was absolutely mortified. An existence value of 104 million was akin to a creature of the
Genesis level. Milim and Guy were no match for Ramiris. Of course, neither was Benimaru.

"...Tough, isn't it? Heh, I mean, you can honestly say 'impossible' if you want."

Ramiris teased, but there was no energy in her voice. Fortunately, they knew immediately about the
invasion. If someone as powerful as Zelanus had taken them by surprise, they would have been helplessly
beaten. The fact that Zegion was defeated in an instant was proof enough.

While everyone was in despair, there was one who laughed. It was Diablo.

"It's funny that he beat Zegion. Shall I deal with him?" Diablo confidently declared.

"Impossible!" Benimaru immediately retorted. "Even you are too vain!"

Ramiris followed suit. If Beretta had been there, she would have been in favor of stopping the Black King
(Noir) from the very beginning, saying, "It's very, very difficult..." But he wasn't there, so there were more
naysayers.

"We won't know until we try," Diablo responded with a bit of a miffed look on his face.

Before the atmosphere turned sour, Treyni intervened. "Well, well, well. Actually, all of them, including
Benimaru-dono, are not in good physical condition. Diablo-dono is the only one who can handle this, so I
guess we have to leave it to him, don't we?"

Treyni was right. No one could argue with her. Gabil was seriously injured, and Ranga was out of mana as a
substitute for Geld. Gobta and Rigurd weren’t candidates, either. Zegion and Apito, plus Kumara and Geld,
were on their way. Only Diablo remained.

Charys, the guardian of Ramiris, the Treyni sisters, and the four great dragon kings were counted as part of
the force. However, they were the last resort, and in the first place, there was no one who could deal with
Zelanus.

Normally, they would have expected Zegion to be able to handle it, but...

Since there were no objections from the others, it was agreed that Diablo would be the one to deal with
Zelanus.
V21
 V21
323-329

The inside of the labyrinth shook again. The source of the tremor was approaching the level where Dino
and the others were.

"Hey, I have a bad feeling about this..." "That's funny, Pico... I have a bad feeling too..."

Pico and Gracia exchanged uneasy glances, and it seemed their fears would soon be realized. The ceiling
of the labyrinth cracked. The labyrinth's layers were being broken by an unimaginable force. Normally, it
would be impossible to break through the labyrinth, but this was not the case with such overwhelming
power.

Inside the labyrinth, each level exists in a different dimensional layer, making it almost impossible to break
through. However, there are several powerful beings in the land of monsters who can accomplish such
feats. The phenomenon occurring before their eyes, however, was different. To Dino, it seemed as if sheer
force alone was tearing through the dimension.

"Isn't this bad?"

"It's not good. I mean, can they really do something like that in real life?"

Ramiris' labyrinth is easy to escape from but difficult to enter. 'Magic Perception' becomes difficult once
you are several floors away from the labyrinth, making it impossible to teleport to a specific person. Yet, the
presence emitting a ferocious aura with no intention of hiding was heading straight for where Dino and the
others were.

A person familiar with the labyrinth's inner workings might be able to predict who and where they might be,
but Dino couldn't think of anyone fitting such a description.

(Who is it? Dagruel is probably at war with Luminas, or maybe it's Feldway or Zelanus, but who else?)

Dino tried to deduce who it was, but there was no time for speculation. It was faster to ask than to think.

"Hey, Ramiris!"

Dino shouted a question and received a panicked response from Ramiris.

"I'm busy here, so I'll see you later!"

 V21Who's attacking—"
"Wait, wait!

Before he could finish, the answer became clear. A strange creature descended from the crack in the
ceiling.

"Zelanus..."

It was a powerful figure, easily recognizable. Worst of all was the presence of the person Zelanus was
holding with his left hand. It was, of course, the strongest warrior in the labyrinth.

"No way! Zegion has been defeated!"

Zegion, whose defeat was unimaginable, was being dragged away unconscious. At this point, there were
two types of reactions: calm and panicked. The calm ones were Shuna, Geld, and Beretta. The upset one
was Apito, who jumped towards Zelanus, shouting "Zegion!" and was stopped by Geld. Kumara and the
others were in a state of shock, unable to accept the reality of Zegion's defeat.

"This is no time to be fooling around!"

Shuna instructed the team to retreat. They all wore "Resurrection Bracelets," but they still needed to be
careful not to get caught. Beretta checked the exit route to secure everyone's safety. Dino and the others
decided to escape to the "Control Room" for the time being. They planned to rescue Zegion after assessing
the enemy's strength, knowing that a reckless charge would only end in defeat.

As they all tried to move as one...

"Let's go!"

Zelanus moved at a speed that no one could see, targeting only one person. He landed, focusing solely on
Apito, who was held by Geld.

"Nooo!"
 V21 forward to protect Apito, but it was futile. Apito was struck down by the slender hand of
Geld stepped
Zelanus' secondary arm. Geld, usually unrivaled in defense, was knocked unconscious by a single blow
from Zelanus, who didn't even seem serious. The sight was hard to believe, but after seeing Zegion's defeat,
everyone's surprise seemed small. The priority now was to escape.

"We've changed the resurrection point, so you don't have to worry!"

Ramiris' voice echoed. As if to prove her words, the "Resurrection Bracelets" on everyone's arms began to
shine. Despite the chaos, all possible measures seemed to have been taken. Dino thought:

(We were enemies just a moment ago, but is it safe to trust us so easily?)

It would be difficult to gain their trust if they just ran away together. Dino, at least, believed it was a bad idea
to return to Feldway. If they just ran away, they wouldn't be trusted.

"Pico, Gracia, will you go out with me?"

"Of course!"

"I knew you'd say that."

As ancient comrades, Pico and Gracia knew what Dino was thinking. They drew their weapons to stand
alongside Dino, who had stopped.

"I'm here, too," said Mai, standing behind them with her crescent bow at the ready.

Zelanus took one look at Dino and the others.

"Huh, you were Feldway's men. Did you betray him?"

"It was Feldway who betrayed us."

"That's right. He took control of us and everything. He was a real dick. If you're going to fight us, Zelanus,
you'd better be ready."

It was a big show, but they had no choice but to appear strong. Frankly, they didn't think they could win.
They had only faint hopes that their bluff might work.

Of course, such a bluff wouldn't work on Zelanus.

 V21If you send her to me, I'll let you go."
"Nonsense.

The woman he referred to was Apito. Dino guessed that they needed her because she was one of their
own. He realized that Zegion was still alive not because Zelanus couldn't kill him but because he intended
to bring him back. Zelanus knew that killing them in the labyrinth would only bring them back to life. On the
contrary, he could kill them outside the labyrinth.

He might be planning to add Zegion and Apito to his group, but it was obvious that the situation would be
troublesome in either case.

(Kill them or recruit them, it doesn't matter. If they take them out of the labyrinth, we've lost.)

Dino thought, and he was right. For Zelanus, it didn't matter. Zegion and Apito were part of Zelanus' Sefirot,
the King of Life. He could gain their power by killing them or wait for them to grow and become his
subordinates. However, Zelanus' power didn't extend to them in the labyrinth, so he needed to take them
outside.

If anyone interfered, he would simply remove them. Zelanus had that power.

So, no matter who it was...

"I won't let you, King of the Insects."

Someone got in the way. Someone unafraid of Zelanus.

"Diablo!" Dino shouted joyfully.

Diablo, who Dino would hate if he were an enemy, was a much more dependable friend. Even against the
"despair" of Zelanus, Diablo seemed confident.

Diablo looked at Dino coldly. "You're a creep, Dino, but get everyone to safety."

Diablo stood in front of Zelanus casually. Thus, the battle between "Diablo, the King of Black" and "Zelanus,
the King of Insectars'' began.
 V21

331-340
 V21

Facing Diablo, Zelanus stood his ground. He threw Zegion aside, revealing his cowardice. Despite his
bravado, the moment he saw Diablo up close, Zelanus felt a chill—a dangerous premonition he had only felt
when facing Demon Lord Milim. Though the sign was small, it was not to be underestimated.

"Insect Lord Zelanus, let me test you to see how good you are," Diablo said.

"You really have the nerve to address me, demon!" Zelanus retorted.

Zelanus moved silently, slipping through the wall of air and spinning around behind Diablo. He aimed a kick
at the back of Diablo's head, but Diablo reacted as if he had anticipated the move, leaning forward and
kicking backward. Zelanus's kick was intercepted by Diablo's kick. Despite Zelanus's larger size and heavier
kick, Diablo offset it effortlessly. Both men moved away, preparing for their next move.

The exoskeleton covering Zelanus's body glowed with rainbow colors. "Good grief, it's a hihiirokane. It's
going to be hard to crush, Kufufufu" Diablo remarked as he transformed his mana to reveal scissors blades,
shining in rainbow colors—a sign of mythical-grade.

"Stop laughing. Don't dream what you can't do," Zelanus growled, his body in motion. Silvery hairs running
from his forehead to his back stood on end, reflecting the light from the labyrinth. Two pairs of wings, one
from his back and another from his waist, glowed red and spread wide, threatening Diablo.

Zelanus uncrossed his three pairs of arms, taking a stance for each. The lower arms prepared for magic,
the upper arms vibrated to become a blade, and the middle arms were poised to block any attack from
Diablo. Zelanus had no weaknesses and could attack at long, medium, and short range.

Diablo, however, was not afraid. He was enjoying the battle against Zelanus, an opponent supposedly
overwhelmingly superior.

It is common knowledge that 'mana', which refers to the instantaneous maximum output, is more
important than just the amount of magicule. Diablo specialized in mana. The amount of missing magicule
could be supplied from the atmosphere. Therefore, he yearned for pure "strength".

Humans had always been Diablo's boredom killers. Most were boring, but some had beautiful souls that
shone brightly, like Shizue Izawa. The courage to challenge an unbeatable opponent fascinated Diablo. The
way people struggled against their destiny was beautiful, even if it was muddy. Diablo, although strong,
focused thoroughly on the way he fought. He didn't just want to win; he wanted the real strength to win
V21
under any circumstances.

This experience was put to good use in the battle against Zelanus. In most cases, battles between
transcendents are either over in an instant or prolonged. Diablo knew this well and never hurried. If Zegion
was defeated, whom Diablo acknowledged, then Zelanus' strength was real. Rushing to defeat such an
opponent would only lead to easy defeat. The only chance to win was to strike Zelanus with the most
powerful Okumichi at the moment he was caught off guard. Until then, all Diablo could do was endure. Yet,
he seemed to enjoy himself from the bottom of his heart.

"Don't you understand the difference in our abilities?" Zelanus taunted.

"Kufufufu, then get on with defeating me. Can't you? Then you're not as capable as you think," Diablo
replied, in great shape despite facing a superior opponent.

Diablo was winning the verbal fight, which annoyed Zelanus, but it didn't slow him down. Zelanus remained
cautious, not letting his opponent's words fool him. Diablo appreciated this point—a weak-minded enemy
would have been defeated long ago.

Zelanus' cautiousness was annoying. Despite his overwhelming energy, he used only martial arts, creating
plasmas in the aftermath of the space that he fought. Zelanus was overwhelming Diablo using only his
body as a weapon, but Diablo parried his powerful blows. With extraordinary computing power, he induced
Zelanus' power.

"Cheeky..." Zelanus's emotions waved slightly, showing irritation. Unlike when he fought Milim, Zelanus was
confident he wouldn't be defeated by Diablo. However, this was the first time he faced such a persistent
opponent, which seemed troublesome. Normally, an enemy like Diablo wouldn't block Zelanus' supremacy,
yet he persisted.

"Kufufufu, what's wrong? Are you tired already?" Diablo taunted, maintaining a calm and composed attitude,
which irritated Zelanus further.

Somewhere in his mind, Zelanus thought Diablo was a small, petty person standing in front of him, who
was about to become the god of creation. Yet, Zelanus did not panic. Unlike Milim, Zelanus didn't use his
full power against Diablo. The key to victory was wearing down the opponent. As long as Zelanus
continued his current fighting style, he would never be defeated.
 V21
Diablo, seemingly in a comfortable position, was amazed at Zelanus' steadfastness.

(It is much more troublesome than I thought it would be,) he admitted. Zelanus kept fighting, allowing Diablo
to deal with him. Leaving the situation as it was wouldn't give Zelanus an opening, so there was no way to
reverse the situation. Diablo tried to make Zelanus lose his cool, but he remained unmoved.

The only way out was to forcefully shake him… (An unwise gamble that would be a suicidal move.)

Diablo decided the best thing to do was maintain the status quo. Even if he couldn't defeat Zelanus,
Benimaru was still waiting in the wings. Zegion would be back, and the other leaders would regain their
strength. The "Control Room" recorded the battle, providing valuable information for the next encounter.

However, Diablo felt it would still be tough. Zelanus' strength was extraordinary, as if he had reached the
realm of a god. Defeating Zelanus in an all-out battle might be possible, but the battlefield would suffer
heavy casualties. The labyrinth itself might collapse, causing immeasurable damage and grieving Rimuru
upon his return.

(I can't let that happen!), Diablo thought. Zelanus' target was Zegion and Apito. Once Diablo was defeated,
their fate would be sealed, making Zelanus stronger. Protecting them raised an issue.

Zelanus had broken through the labyrinth's hierarchy to reach Zegion and Apito. With Ultra Intuition, he
knew their location. Continuing the fight in the labyrinth was dangerous, but fighting elsewhere would
increase the difficulty of defeating Zelanus.

(We may not be the only ones who can't be resurrected, but there are many others who can...)

More than half of the "holy demons" couldn't be revived. Unless fully alive, they would never return after
dying. Diablo's best option was to gather information.

As Diablo tried to finish the simulation in his mind, he felt confident he wouldn't make a mistake. However,
"nothing is absolute in this world."

Zelanus sneered, "Hmph, you are a small being who can only play tricks. Your master was a lowly slime
too."

Zelanus' words might not have disturbed Diablo. He might have been angry but would have let it go. But not
this time.

The an insult to his master was a forbidden “taboo” in every sense of the word. At least, it was not a line to
be uttered in Ramiris' labyrinth.
"What?" V21

The light went out of Diablo's eyes. A bottomless darkness peered into Zelanus. Without realizing it,
Zelanus had violated the taboo.
 V21

(343-350)

Dino and the others, who had witnessed Diablo's battle, were stunned by its sheer power. Despite being
ordered by Diablo to evacuate, they ignored him and watched the battle, regretting their decision as they
lost their chance to escape.

The level of the explosion was so high that they could barely recognize it without maximum 'Thought
Acceleration.' The air was exploding with tremendous force, but it was merely the aftermath of the main
attack, a straightforward physical battle.

Diablo was parrying Zelanus's blade with his scissors. Zelanus, with his flowing silver cilia, aimed to cut
Diablo, who gracefully performed Magic Power Manipulation to create a dummy and change the target.
Seeing an opening, Diablo tried to counterattack with his scissors blades, but his efforts were thwarted by
Zelanus's ironclad defense. Diablo quickly gave up, not pursuing too hard, and prepared for the next attack.
His methodical approach was a model of how to fight against a superior opponent.

"Hey... can you copy that?" Dino asked, marveling at the fight.

"No." Pico, Gracia, and Mai responded harshly, in unison.

Dino was left more troubled by their response, realizing even he didn't know the answer to his question.
Mai, for her part, wasn't fully aware of the fight. She could only picture it in fragmented glimpses—
disappearances, reappearances, explosions, and disappearances again. Her true intention was to get out of
the place as soon as possible.

Mai's ability wasn't enough to intervene in the battle. Neither was Apito's, even though she could move at
the speed of sound. Intervening would mean being crushed to pieces instantly. The battle itself was insane,
and Diablo was fully engrossed in it.
 V21truth, I was going to fight in a good-looking way, but I would have lost even if I had put up a good
"To tell the
fight," Dino admitted.

"Well, I guess. If I could have bought a few minutes of time, I would have been satisfied," Gracia replied.

"Dino could have tried a little harder, but I can't do it. With that kind of power, he would have been cut in half
by a single blow," Pico added.

Mai, who could not even see the battle, shook with a shiver, realizing that attempting to join the fight would
have led to her demise. Apito stayed behind, perhaps worried about Zegion. Pico and Gracia were healing
Zegion, but their efforts weren't enough to bring him back to consciousness. Mai remained ready to escape
at any moment, but it was a comforting thought. If attacked before her consciousness could react, she
would be killed instantly.

All they could rely on were Ramiris's words that she had 'changed the resurrection point.' All they could do
was pray for Diablo's victory.
 V21

348-351

Unlike those who stayed behind, Shuna quickly evacuated to the Control Room. Beretta, Geld, and Kumara
were with her. Beretta was carrying Geld, and Shuna and Kumara were supporting her.
 V21 there was nothing Shuna and her team could do. The burden on Ramiris would only increase
In that battle,
if they had to return to the dead again and again. Shuna understood that she was not a fighter and would
only be a liability, so she stayed out of the way. Even Geld was severely injured, so Shuna and Kumara stood
no chance.

"Welcome home!"

"I'm back!"

Shuna bowed her head as Ramiris welcomed her. She immediately started treating Geld, then looked at the
big screen and was stunned by the sheer scale of what was happening.

"If it weren't for Diablo-sama, we would have been wiped out," Shuna revealed her true feelings.

"Yes..." Ramiris agreed.

"I can't deny it," Benimaru added, nodding in agreement.

Beretta also looked at the big screen, impressed. "It's Diablo-sama..."

Even Beretta, who was in awe, knew that he wouldn't be able to endure even a few seconds of the attack
and defense.

"To be honest, I don't understand what is happening," Beretta admitted.

"Both fighters are not using any major techniques in this extreme battle. Even when their opponents have
an opening, they continue to fight in a way that does not exhaust their strength. At first glance, it may look
simple, but both fighters have tremendous skills," Charys explained in response to his comment.

"I can't do it. I can't win by myself even if I use my intuition," Gabil confessed.

"Don't worry, Gabil. I can't do anything either," Gobta reassured him, though not at all convincingly.

Gabil did not care about this not-at-all-reassuring response. It was useless to worry about it, as it was not a
matter of winning or not winning at this point.

Gobta and Ranga were also unable to follow the moves of Diablo and his opponent. In Ranga's case, his
'Keen Smell' allowed him to track movements, but not at such a high speed. It was no longer a fight; they
would have been killed even if they had come to support him. The same went for Kumara. There was
nothing Kumara could do, since even Ranga couldn't keep up. She would be killed before he even
V21what was happening.
understood

It was such a battle in an isolated world.

"I left Apito-san behind..." Shuna lamented.

"Don't worry about it. Zelanus wants her and Zegion, so it's the right thing to do," Benimaru reassured her.

"I see. To be honest, I feel bad, but I set Apito-chan and Zegion's resurrection point to the 'Labyrinth Prison'.
It's better than getting everyone else in trouble," Shuna admitted.

"However, I don't think the 'Resurrection Bracelet' will come into play," Benimaru concluded.

Benimaru came to the same conclusion as Dino. If Zelanus killed Apito or Zegion, it would be after they
were out of the labyrinth. If so, it would have made no sense to set the resurrection point. He just set the
resurrection point in case Apito or Zegion might use themselves as a decoy. It may seem cold, but this was
a difficult decision for Ramiris.

Unlike Rimuru, Benimaru and Ramiris could not easily perform a miracle to save everyone. They believed in
Diablo's victory.

But then...

"Hmph, you are a small being who can only play tricks. Your master was a lowly slime too," Zelanus's voice
echoed in the Control Room.

He even went to the trouble of interrupting the battle to taunt Diablo. Hearing this, someone muttered, "Oh."
It was probably Ramiris or Treyni.

"It is forbidden to say that," Benimaru said, slamming his fist on the desk, shattering it.

"Excuse me, that's very expensive..." Ramiris's voice trailed off, charmed by his whispering.

The Control Room was filled with murderous intent. However, while Benimaru and the others were no
longer in the room, there were still people behind who were threatened and angry.
 V21

354-36

The warrior awakens.

Anger, a rage that burns every cell in his body, brings Zegion back from the brink of death.

Was it coincidence, or was it the inevitability of it all? Zelanus's one unnecessary word had changed the
course of destiny.

"Ah, Dino. It looks like I'm in good hands." Zegion stands up nonchalantly.

"Hey, hey, don't do anything rash."

 V21You're not completely healed yet," Gracia and Pico try to stop him, but Zegion does not nod. He
"Yes, I am.
turns his gaze to the Insect Lord Zelanus, determined to fulfill his mission.

"Even Diablo is in that condition. I think it will be tough even for you," Dino said to him.

Zegion smiled lightly, "Take care of Apito." He said and pushed Dino forward.

"Can you win, Zegion?" Dino asked.

"Of course," Zegion's unwavering answer made Dino laugh.

Not only did Dino think it was tough, but he really thought there was no way Zegion could win. Yet, Zegion
declared 'I will win' as if it were a matter of course. Dino was amused by Zegion's laughable confidence. So
he casually handed Zegion the greatsword in his hand.

Dino's favorite mythical-grade greatsword - "Houga."

"You can have it. Just kill him and let me get on with my life," Dino thought he heard a voice from
somewhere far away saying, "You didn't do anything," but he ignored it completely.

Zegion nodded lightly, saying, "I'll take it." He took it with one hand and put it on his back. At that moment,
the "Houga" glowed brightly. When the glow subsided, a pair of shining wings appeared on Zegion's back. It
was the reborn form of Houga, which had merged with Zegion.

It was the moment when Zegion's new power-"Kuzuha"-was born. Seeing this, Dino commented, "...It seems
that Kuzuha recognized you easily. I wasn't recognized as the Lord after all..."

Zegion did not care about this and continued on his way to the battlefield.
 V21

359-362

Zegion stood quietly next to Diablo.

"Take over!"

Diablo was just about to attack Zelanus when he heard Zegion's calm voice and regained his composure.
 V21
"You know what I'm talking about, don't you? He insulted Rimuru-sama. We can't let him get away with it."

"Of course. I promise I'll see to it."

Zegion never says what he can't do. Diablo, who knew him well, nodded his head in satisfaction.

"Fine. You’ll take it from here."

"Thank you."

Thus, Zegion and Diablo switched places, and the father-son duel of the century began.

Zelanus stood poised. He had defeated Zegion once, so his attitude was relaxed. It would have been
troublesome if Diablo had cooperated with him, but he was confident he could defeat Zegion even so.
Moreover, Zelanus laughed inwardly, thinking Zegion was a fool for taking him on alone.

Killing him in the labyrinth would only bring him back to life. However, if he consumed him with the
Devastator Virus...

If he escaped with the soul, he would be revived, but Zelanus might be able to capture Zegion's power. As
Ramiris and her colleagues had feared, they did not know if it was possible to revive a person who had
been eaten in the labyrinth, as there were no cases to test yet. Because of this possibility, they could not
experiment carelessly. In this case, it was the right thing to avoid such a situation. Yet, Zelanus was going
to use such a method.

Zegion was his son, and if possible, he would take him out of the labyrinth and make him his family
member. He was going to make him swear allegiance and become a new creator god. But it would be a
different story if they were to be enemies. Since he still had Apito, there was no need to be concerned
about Zegion.

Creating a new Warre family would be a painful task, but with that little Apito as a mother, they could
increase the number of strong sons. He would also make his sons compete with each other and bring in
their power as well. Zelanus would do whatever it took to increase his power.

"Son, I will give you one chance. Swear your allegiance to the Wallé and work as his hands and feet. If you
do so, I will make you the next god of creation."

"I refuse. My god is already here."

 V21
Zelanus's offer to Zegion, which he had offered out of the utmost compassion, was cut short without
consideration.

"Then die!"

Against Diablo, it was fatal to make a big move because it would catch him off guard. But if it was Zegion...

"Devastator Virus!"

Zelanus attacked without any need for caution. As if to unleash his left fist, his arm turned into a black mist
that clung to Zegion. It was a dark, all-consuming hunger. Zegion was helpless, sucked down to his bones.

Yet, a fighting aura covered Zegion's entire body. As soon as he touched the fighting aura, the Devastator
Virus disappeared.

"-?"

Zelanus, who had kept his exhaustion low in the battle against Diablo, had now made a big blunder. But
what Zegion did was more important than that. Zegion's whole body was glowing with rainbow colors. It
was the same hihiirokane glow as that of Zelanus. Zegion's presence grew bigger and bigger. It was just
such a powerful presence that Zelanus could not ignore it.

"Kufufufu... I see you have opened the door too, Zegion..."

"Of course. Our God is always loving to his servants."

"That's right. However..."

"I'm not foolish enough to fall prey to its power."

With these words, Zegion took a step forward. The pressure shook the hierarchy with an earth-shaking
sound.

"Seriously, what is that thing?" Pico, who was watching the game, asked Dino.

Since Pico, one of the observers, did not know, there was no way Dino would know either.

"I don't know what to ask you, Diablo," he said, "so explain it to me!"
 V21 asked Diablo, who was standing next to him, but was coldly dismissed.
He involuntarily

"You idiot. Shut up and watch."

"Yes, sir."

Dino had no choice but to back away from Diablo's attitude, as if he did not want to play with him.

"Dumbass."

"He's an embarrassment."

"...phew..."

Dino's friends also reacted sadly.

"Friendship is so fragile," thought the lonely Dino about the existence of something that may or may not
have existed in the first place.
 V21

365-366
 V21
On the big screen, Zegion's heroic figure fighting against Zelanus was displayed.

"What's going on?" someone asked, stunned by the sight.

It was a numerically impossible reality. Zegion's existence value had swelled to just under 8 million by
incorporating "Houga." As Dino had said, Zegion was now fully recognized as a master, and all of its power
seemed to have been put to good use. Still, it was a far cry from Zelanus. Nevertheless, Zegion did not back
down against Zelanus. In fact, Zegion was beginning to overwhelm Zelanus little by little.

"Well, Zegion knows the power of Zelanus..." Benimaru mused.

"You know that power, Benimaru?" Ramiris asked.

But Benimaru was not sure of his answer. It was a power that was hard to explain. (Perhaps it is the power
that Rimuru-sama lent him...) Even Benimaru was aware of it to that extent. Actually, Benimaru was vaguely
aware of the existence of "Ciel" in Rimuru. As a result of being somehow guided by the power of "Ciel,"
Benimaru's Prominence Acceleration against Milim became very powerful. The result, however, is that he is
now wounded to the bone. The cost of using 'Nihility Collapse,' which even Rimuru had not mastered, was
unexpectedly large. The damage could not be healed by recovery medicines or magic, and his body could
not return to the battlefield immediately.

(I don't care if it was Rimuru-sama, it was a very dangerous power for us. Zegion was reckless to have that
power in him...) Like Benimaru, even if we use it for a moment, the repercussions are huge. If we continue
to use it for a long time, the cost will be tremendous. Considering this, we should have stopped the use of
Zelanus right now. But that would not be enough to beat Zelanus. Benimaru remained silent, believing that
Zegion would win.
 V21

370-372

Zelanus was upset.

Zegion, who was supposed to be his son, had shown unexpected power. It had long surpassed Zess and
reached a level that even Zelanus could not ignore. The same chills that he had felt against Diablo had
struck Zelanus again.

(He has exceeded my expectations, but this is no threat to me!) Zelanus thought, trying to steady himself.

Zelanus was very cautious. He was not easily fooled, nor did he make the mistake of overestimating his
enemy and losing the game. He guessed that Zegion's extraordinary power-up had some kind of trick to it.
Otherwise, there was no explanation. He calculated that the burden of maintaining such an increase in
V21 be immeasurable.
power would

All he had to do was fight the battle without exhausting himself, as he did against Diablo. Then, Zelanus
would win soon. After that, he could slowly explore the secret of Zegion's power. With this in mind, Zelanus
repeated his monotonous attacks without hesitation. Zegion responded in a calm manner, and for a while,
a simple attack and defense continued. Neither of them let their guard down, and neither made any big
moves. It was a mechanical attack and defense that could have continued endlessly.

Zelanus reflected on the situation. He had tried to eat Zegion with "Devastator Virus" out of the blue, but it
was a mistake. He should have weakened Zegion more and made sure to finish him off. Determined not to
make that mistake again, Zelanus tried to hunt Zegion down. But...

Zelanus's silver cilia flowed, aiming to cut Zegion into tiny pieces, but Zegion's new power, "Kuzuha,"
prevented it. The pair of wings vibrated at divine speed, shattering the molecular bonds of all matter. It
could even be made directional, cutting down anything that came within its sphere of influence. The silver
cilia of Zelanus were touched by this. However, since Zelanus's cilia were not weak enough to be shattered
by the touch, they were only repelled. Still, it was true that Zegion prevented Zelanus's attack.

Zelanus looked astonished for a moment. Zegion did not miss the opportunity, and he fired his fist as a
follow-up attack. Of course, Zelanus could not take a direct hit and evaded it with a margin. The fist grazed
Zelanus lightly, but it didn't even scratch the hihiirokane's exoskeleton.

"Cheeky! Cocky! You should know you're shortening your own life span by trying to defeat me with such a
stupid trick."

"What are you-" Zelanus tried to retort but felt a sharp pain in his side and jumped back.

"'Veldora Style Killing Arts™' - 'Void Fist Veldora Style Killing Arts™." That was Zegion's response. It was his
answer to Zelanus, asking what he had done. By compressing energy to the limit in his fist, Zegion created
the power of insta-kill. Ideally, Zegion had been told, a glancing blow would be fatal, even if it was evaded.
Such a feat is an impossible fantasy, but if 'Spacetime Manipulation' is possible, as in the case ofnZegion,
then it is no longer a pipe dream. Zegion was able to transmit energy just by making contact with a part of
his body. The destructive energy of 'Nihility Collapse' stored in his fist was struck into Zelanus, who had
thought he had evaded it.
V21
 V21

374-378
 V21
Then, it became a wave that traveled through Zelanus' body. Even if the exoskeleton was made of
hihiirokane, it could not prevent it. Starting from the flank where he had been hit, a destructive energy raged
through his body, accompanied by tremendous pain.

Zelanus howled. His eyes turned red with anger. It was humiliating. He had lost to his son, whom he had
thought was so insignificant. In the face of this unbelievable reality, Zelanus was consumed by an
irresolvable rage.

"You are not mature enough to be emotional on the battlefield," Zegion told him plainly. This was nothing
but a declaration that his position had changed.

From that point on, Zegion's fierce counterattack began. Clearly, Zegion's power was increasing. Zegion's
entire body glowed in rainbow colors, indicating that almost all the exoskeletons covering his body had
evolved into hihiirokane. The power of his fists was overwhelming. It ruptured the sky and shattered the
earth. The speed of his fists was accelerating rapidly, so fast that it easily surpassed even Apito's 'divine
speed.'

Zelanus was also amazing in dealing with it, but Zegion's onslaught was divine. The reason for this is that
the energy of the 'Nihility Collapse' is circulating within his body. It is an extremely dangerous power that
runs through Zegion's body like blood, a power that could destroy the world if mishandled. The power it
produced was fear itself. Zelanus' reaction speed became too fast.

Little by little, fist by fist, kick by kick, Zelanus began to be hit... and then, at one moment, the balance was
broken.

Zegion struck. Zegion kicked. Zegion broke. Zegion pierced. Zegion threw. Zegion struck. Zegion slammed.
It was one-sided violence. Zegion, the monarch of destruction, was exerting his overwhelming power.

Zelanus' power was real. As the Insect Lord, he had reigned for all eternity. And yet he was no match for
Zegion.

"No, no..."

Zelanus did not understand. Zelanus' consciousness was in a state of confusion, and he could not grasp
what was happening to him. Then Zegion stopped.

"Gopaaa!"

Zelanus crouched down, vomiting blood. Zegion looked down at Zelanus coldly. Zegion was not so naive as
to think that Zelanus hesitated to kill him because he was his parent. It was because Zelanus had treated
Zegion and the others as expendable pawns that he had fled to this Cardinal World while protecting Apito.
V21
Zegion had no intention to take revenge, but since the situation had come to this, it was his destiny. Even
though he had hurt Zelanus so much, it was not a mortal wound. It would come back in time. Zegion
understood this and tried to release all his might to finish him off.

With all his power, he tried to unleash a "dimensional storm," a force that would bring all existence to
nothing. Zelanus did not have the power to stop it now.

"Wait!"

Zelanus, his exoskeleton shattered and ripped, his limbs shredded, uttered these words with all his might.
Hearing this, Zegion remained unmoved.

"If you're begging for your life, it's not worth it."

"No, my son, you've won. I accept, and I entrust you with this..."

Zelanus entrusted Zegion with his life, the Sephiroth. Just as he could reclaim the power of his household,
it was also his authority to relinquish that power. But only at the moment of his death, during the moment
of his extinction. For Zelanus, it was now. Now was the time for Zelanus to admit his defeat and transfer
his regency. It was as a coronation ceremony for a new creator god.

"Nonsense! I'm offering my body to the god Rimuru-sama. I have no intention of succeeding to the throne.
Your ambitions will be crushed here."

Zegion responded indifferently. But Zelanus laughed happily.

"I don't care. Live your life as you wish, my son. I am satisfied. My wish to surpass my parents may not have
come true, but my son has surpassed me, and my wish is fulfilled."

Those were the last words of Insect Lord Zelanus. Zelanus, who had maintained his vitality through his
power of authority, ended the inheritance of his wish as if to break the "curse" with his own hand.

"Foolish father, rest in peace."

Although death does not absolve all sins, Zegion forgave Zelanus. Apito also joined Zegion in silent prayer.
The chain of karma between father and son was thus neatly broken.
V21
 V21

384-395

Dino and his group were also stunned by the result.

"Why are you pinching my cheek?"

"Oh, it's not a dream."

"I thought it was a nightmare too, but it seems to be real."

"No, listen! I'm in pain!"

 V21 Dino's cheek to determine whether the scene before him was a dream or reality. The only one
Pico pinched
who complained about the method was Dino himself, who felt the pain from the pinch.

"Can you stop playing around and tell us what happened?" Mai asked Dino. She understood that something
significant had happened, but she didn't know the details.

Mai could not believe her eyes when she saw the Insect Lord Zelanus lying on the ground. How could
something like that happen? Zegion was a fearsome warrior, but there must have been a gap between them
that could not be filled.

"Well, that's the thing..." Actually, Dino wasn't sure either. He had no idea why Zegion's power had increased
so rapidly.

(Thanks to the weapon...but that can't be it...can it?) So, I can only assume that he did something...

When in trouble, it's Rimuru's fault. This somehow explains it. When I think like that, I can understand how
strange that slime is.

As if to prove it, Diablo said with an ecstatic expression on his face, "Ah, Rimuru-sama is wonderful! You
knew this would happen from the moment you met Zegion!"

These were unintelligible words to Dino. The question was whether he should listen or not. Diablo was in
this "Rimuru-sama praising mode" and he could not stop talking. But he seemed to know something. Dino
was curious about that.

"Hey, can you explain it to me too?" Dino asked boldly, but Diablo's response was cold.

"What? You idiot. Why should I share this excitement with you?"

He answered with a straight face, which made Dino exclaim, "Wha-’Why should I share this excitement with
you?!’”

Diablo did not want to let the secret of his power leak out.

After all, it was the energy of Rimuru's 'Nihility Collapse.' Only those who are connected to Rimuru by the
Soul Corridor and who open the door have the right to borrow its power. However, it would be suicidal to
draw this power lightly in Rimuru's absence, as it is a terrible power that can destroy you if you make even a
V21 move.
single wrong

When Diablo saw Zegion circulating the energy of 'Nihility Collapse' in his body, he questioned his sanity.
But the question that arose at the same time was, 'Why is Zegion alive?' But at the same time, the question
arose: 'How is Zegion alive and well?’

Because his body would have destroyed itself in an instant if he tried to do so. What is the reason why it
has not done so? Diablo could think of only one answer. It was "the fact that a percentage of Zegion's body
is composed of Rimuru's cells."

Diablo thought that Rimuru must have given Zegion his own cells because he was aware of this situation.
With this understanding, everything made sense. All that remained was a simple task of praising Rimuru.
Of course, Rimuru did not foresee such a thing and just saved Zegion without thinking.

If you want to talk about that, Apito's body is also made of Rimuru's cells. Diablo is also quite lax in his
attempts to make the case consistent with his own convenient imagination without taking that into
consideration. Diablo's eyes are always glazed over only when Rimuru is involved in the case.

However, this assumption is partially correct. This was the key point that Diablo was not completely off the
mark, and this was the reason for his delusion. In fact, Zegion survived because of the transformation of
the pluripotent cells, also called Rimuru cells or slime cells, that withstood the energy of the 'Nihility
Collapse.'

Zegion, like Diablo, was overconfident in Rimuru, and he was convinced that the body given by Rimuru
would meet his expectations. There was no basis for this belief. Zegion's safety was simply a matter of
luck. However, it is also true that "results are everything," and when Diablo shut his mouth, the matter was
buried in the dark.

Dino, unaware of this, was shocked at the refusal. He had been prepared for Diablo's "Rimuru bragging," but
he was met with a cold response.

"Isn't it terrible?"

Dino lamented, but Pico and Gracia's reactions were less than favorable.

"Well..."
"Diablo, V21
well..."

"You're lucky he didn't beat you up."

"Yeah, right. Right."

Dino tried to be consoled, but he failed miserably. Seeing Dino in such a pitiful state, Mai let out a big sigh.

A relaxed atmosphere began to prevail in the labyrinth. This is because they felt that now that they had
conquered the despair of Insect Lord Zelanus, they were now safe. However, the crisis was not over yet.
There still survived in the labyrinth a man who was the embodiment of vice.

"Damn you...you licked me...you mocked me...damn you!"

Vega, looking half-dead, was pinned to the ceiling wall of the labyrinth. He was muttering a complaint, as if
he was cursing everything in the world. It was a curse against those who had wronged him.

Vega, however, had bad luck. When Zelanus intervened and saved the day when Zegion was about to put
the finishing touches on him. And now, while trying to regain his strength, he was vigilantly watching for an
opportunity.

Vega was secretly exercising his Ultimate Skill 'Evil Dragon King Azi Dahaka.' He had been spreading his
roots in the labyrinth and absorbing the power of the Evil Dragon King. The labyrinth where Vega was
located was isolated by Ramiris, but it was connected to the lower labyrinth by the appearance of Zelanus.
By getting out of the labyrinth, Vega was able to feed on the main body of the labyrinth.

This anomaly should have been immediately apparent, but again, Vega's luck was in play. The surveillance
of the labyrinth was focused on dealing with the threat of Zelanus, and the rest of the labyrinth was not
monitored at all. For this, we cannot blame Ramiris and her friends, since Zelanus was such a threat. But as
a result, Vega had nine lives. Or, rather, it seems that Vega's bad luck was real since he had died many
times over.

And even now, Vega had the best bait of all lying right under his nose. It was the dead body of Zelanus, the
bug demon lord who was defeated by Zegion. Moreover - in the current situation - no one was aware of
Vega's existence, or even that he was still alive.

Perhaps because of his near-death, Vega's presence had become scarce. In addition, the state of the
hierarchy had become unstable due to Zegion's tremendous energy radiation. The magicule was disturbed,
and 'Magic Perception' alone was not enough to recognize it. Such a situation was also fortunate for Vega.
 V21Apito left the Colosseum, leaving only the bait in the center. Is this a trap? Vega was wary, but
Zegion and
he decided that it didn't matter. As long as he could get his hands on the power - the overwhelming power
of Zelanus, Zegion would be no match for him. After all, Zegion was now exhausted. Perhaps in reaction to
his excessive power against Zelanus, his movements have become lackluster.

Therefore, this was not the time to hesitate. This moment was Vega's best chance.

"Let's go, 'Evil Dragon Spawn'!"

Vega shouted, creating four 'Evil Dragon Spawn,' the maximum number he could produce at the same time.
He ordered them to run amok as they pleased. Dino and the others were there, but from Vega's point of
view, they were as good as traitors. They did not attack the weakened Zegion but seemed to be in harmony
with each other.

(Well, I'm going to eat you, too, so don't hate me!)

Vega watched the event while thinking about how convenient it would be for him. Then, the luckiest thing of
the day smiled on Vega. Things worked out in Vega's favor.

One of them was foolishly directed at Diablo, and in an instant, he was gone. One of them went somewhere
on its own and left the hierarchy. The other two began to run amok in the hierarchy. Vega did not let the
chaos go unnoticed. Rather, he went straight for Zelanus, regardless of his appearance and without
thinking about the consequences.

And then Vega said, "Infinite Eater!"

Vega succeeded in consuming the corpse of Zelanus. Malice, the fangs are bared.
V21
 V21

397-405
 V21became aware of Vega's presence after things had already taken a turn for the worse.
Diablo only

"Rampage, 'Evil Dragon Spawn'!" Vega attacked, shouting his command. Naturally, Diablo reacted
immediately, ready to fight Vega in an instant.

The same went for Zegion. No matter how much damage he had taken, Zegion could still fight. However,
Zegion had not fully integrated the power that Zelanus had given him and was in poor shape. As Vega had
expected, Zegion was so weakened that it wouldn't be surprising if he collapsed at any moment. The
reaction to using 'Nihility Collapse' was so severe that it was a mystery how he could even stand. The fact
that Zegion did not let anyone realize his condition was his true greatness.

Dino and the others reacted late, struggling against two 'Evil Dragon Spawn'. They seemed unable to handle
Vega, completely caught off guard by being attacked by one of their own.

"I'm sorry. I can't fight now that I gave Zegion my weapon," Dino said with a smile, but it was no excuse.

"Don't you dare, you fool!"

"Get serious now. Then I'll forgive you."

Gracia and the others mercilessly berated him.

Diablo quickly realized he could leave Dino and his group alone. He then confronted the real target. "Zegion,
you’re going to have to let me have this one," Diablo said with a sneer. It wasn't a proposal, but a decision.
Zegion had no reason to reject Diablo's words. He nodded and, with Apito's support, moved backward.

Vega, eyes flashing red, stepped out in front of Diablo. He shouted to draw Diablo's attention and took the
opportunity to consume the corpse of Zelanus. It was only natural that Vega felt triumphant.

"Ha-ha-ha! This is great, this guy is so powerful!" Vega exclaimed happily. He had nearly been killed by
Zegion, but Zelanus' intervention saved his life. Now was the perfect time for Vega. The power of Zelanus,
which had overwhelmed Zegion, was now his. It felt as if his power had multiplied several times.

"Did you say Diablo? If you swear to be my servant, I'll let you live," Vega offered. In Vega's mind, Zegion was
a dangerous opponent, and now was the time to kill him and take his power. He didn't want Diablo to
interfere.

However, there was no way that would work.

"What?" Diablo asked, not understanding what Vega was saying.

 V21
"Don't tell me you think less of me?" Diablo found it hard to believe that Vega could think so little of him. It
was more than just a wound to his pride to be considered inferior by someone like Vega. It was an
unforgivable outrage.

Diablo hated not only the verbal abuse toward Rimuru but also the behavior that made him look bad. Vega
had stepped on Diablo's landmine without realizing it.

"Yeah, yeah. That's not so bad, is it? That slime ought to have been killed by Feldway by now."

At that moment, Vega's fate was sealed. Before he could even comprehend what had happened, he was
beaten to the ground. Vega's surprise came before the pain.

"Gah! What the hell did you do to me?"

"Wha-what did you do? What the hell are you talking about?"

The same bottomless darkness that had been directed at Zelanus was now enveloping Vega. It was the
power of emptiness coming from the depths. Diablo, like Zegion—or even more so—had become able to
open doors at will. Therefore, it couldn't be measured by numbers.

"Huuh!"

Vega instinctively realized his fear. He finally understood that Diablo was a dangerous opponent. The pain
on his cheek was unbearable. He should have lost his sense of pain by now, but the pain was so intense
that it felt as if it was working directly on his soul.

"Are you ready?"

"No, wait!"

Vega tried to negotiate, but it was too late. There was no way out.

"No, I won't wait."

Hearing Diablo's reply, Vega was distraught. (I’m going to die? Me? No, I won't. No way!)

In his fear, Vega's power overloaded. It didn't matter if he couldn't defeat Diablo. He unleashed his power in
a desperate attempt to find a way to escape. As a result, he fell into an unexpected situation.
 V21
Vega's labyrinthine entrainment accelerated. Vega's power was to nourish the earth by putting down roots
in it. As evidenced by Vega invading the labyrinth, he used not only corpses but all kinds of things as
nutrients. Until now, Ramiris had isolated him, preventing Vega's immortality from being demonstrated. But
not now. The labyrinth itself had been supplying energy to Vega inexhaustibly. Moreover, he had taken the
best food, Zelanus, into his body. He felt more full of power than ever before.

But Diablo did not understand that. Not content with half-hearted efforts, Vega pushed the limits of his
power. He sucked in more and more power from the labyrinth, making himself bigger and bigger... Still,
Vega was not satisfied. (It's not enough! This is not enough power to fight this monster! Not only do we
have to take this labyrinth... but we also have to feed on those hiding in the lower levels...)

His desires grew endlessly. It was a suicidal act. Uncontrollable power is a destroyer of oneself. Yet Vega
was obsessed with the need for more power. It was as if he was trying to escape from fear.

The labyrinth was teeming with monsters. Not only Zegion, who overpowered Vega, but also this demon
Diablo was too dangerous to be mentioned. One of Vega's 'Evil Dragon Spawn' had been so completely cut
to pieces by Diablo's scissors that it couldn't regenerate on the spot and disappeared. Vega witnessed this
with his own eyes, so there was no doubt about it. The current 'Evil Dragon Spawn' was stronger than the
one that fought against Hinata and the others. That is why there were only four of them because he
thought it would be meaningless to create more small fry.

Vega was learning, but it was meaningless against Diablo. Two 'Evil Dragon Spawns' were after Zegion, but
they too should not be expected. They could defeat the Insect Lord Zelanus, no matter how weak he was,
and so Vega was in a hurry, as if something was driving him. He was plotting to take more and more power
until surpassing Diablo and Zegion.

As a result, Vega accelerated the erosion of the labyrinth. He became one with the labyrinth as he wished
and seized its power. However, there was no way he could get away with such an act. Vega's
consciousness became muddled, and he fell into a runaway state in which he only recognized large energy
reactions as bait. In a word, his rationality had been blown away.

"I'll eat you. I'm going to eat you, too, and prove that I am the strongest!" Vega shouted with an expression
tinged with madness, drooling from his mouth. His intimidation was the opposite of fear.

Diablo let out a sigh looking at Vega. (Oh dear. Needless to say, he will be a threat if his power were to grow
so large...) He felt that Vega was a very boring opponent. Vega's power was troublesome since Testarossa
had let him go. In fact, since it had taken root in the labyrinth, it would revive if he was just defeated. Since
it would continue to supply energy from the labyrinth, it had become a nearly immortal being.

Worst of all, Zelanus' body was eaten. Diablo admits that this was a mistake. After all, Vega's characteristic
of "eating everything" and Zelanus' "Devastator Virus"—the power to control tiny dark cells with a will—
Zelanus' dark cells were a perfect match for Vega's "Devastator Virus"—the power to manipulate tiny dark
cells with a will. Zelanus' dark cells were not, strictly speaking, cells, nor were they life forms. It just
V21
appeared that way, but Vega's inclusion would have changed its properties into something more
troublesome.

Fortunately, Vega himself was unaware of this fact. He was lucky to be an idiot...or perhaps Diablo felt that
he was a trivial opponent who was not worth fighting against. An immature fool who had no faith, no
determination, and could not even control his own desires. He was an opponent with whom Diablo could
never feel any emotional highs, and there was no glory in that. Even the seemingly emotionless Insect Lord
Zelanus had a "hot soul" compared to Vega. (If I had known this to be the case, I would never have given
him to Zegion.)

Diablo regrets it a little. Anyway, this situation has become rather serious. It was Ramiris and her team that
neglected the Isolation of Vega, but it was Diablo's fault for not seeing it through. The threat of Zelanus
disturbing his concentration was nonsense and no excuse. Diablo was determined to take responsibility for
Vega's actions.

"Control Room, are you aware of the situation?"

"Of course I'm aware. Yeah, Ramiris-sama's in no condition to answer, so I'll take it from here."

"Yes, sir. Now, the one that got away- Can I take care of him?"

"I've changed the structure of the labyrinth as a top priority. At the 100th level, in the hall where Veldora-
sama was supposed to be waiting, the Four Great Dragon Kings and Hakurou are waiting. I doubt if we can
defeat them, but it will buy us some time."

"I doubt we can defeat them, but it'll buy us some time," Benimaru said. "No need to defeat the 'Evil Dragon
Spawn' individually. Once we take out the main body, the rest will fall easily."

"With the ability to revive in the labyrinth, the four dragon kings alone should be enough. And if Hakurou
joins, it would be no problem."

"Kufufufu... you are Benimaru-dono. I should have minded my own business," Diablo said with a
mischievous grin.

"No, I appreciate your advice. But don't be reckless," Benimaru responded, his tone firm but grateful.

"You must be joking," Diablo replied, his confidence unshaken.

With that, the conversation between Diablo and Benimaru ended. Diablo turned his attention to Vega,
pondering how to handle him.
 V21

408-414

As the conversation between Diablo and Benimaru ended, the "Control Room" was in chaos. Ramiris, in a
panic, had eyes wide with worry. "Oh, no, no, no, no!" she cried, fretting over the labyrinth being consumed.

Seeing their panic, Benimaru swiftly activated the various defense mechanisms in the labyrinth. Rimuru had
prepared a manual for such situations, and it proved to be useful. Benimaru said, "This reminds us of the
greatness of Rimuru-sama."
 V21
Benimaru sighed, "Sometimes I thought it was a bit exaggerated, but now, in Rimuru-sama's absence, we
have no choice but to reflect on the situation..."

Shuna, her head lowered, shared his sentiment. Rimuru always prepared for the worst, never troubled by it.
He used to say, "If you always assume the worst, you won't panic when the time comes."

That's why defenses were built to such an excessive degree. Despite all that, we're in this situation now.
Benimaru reflected on his own immaturity, realizing he had been too optimistic.

"Calm down, Ramiris-sama. I'll cooperate with you. Let's start by isolating the eroding hierarchy," Treyni said,
trying to calm her down.

"I'll support Treyni too. We need you to recover quickly," Benimaru added.

"That's right. Rimuru-sama always told us to do what we can. Ramiris-sama, I'll help you too," Beretta said,
emphasizing that there was no need to be reckless.

"You are right," Benimaru thought to himself. Hearing Rimuru's words was the only thing that could calm
him down now. He was convinced this was the quality of a true leader.

"Y-yes, that's right! I wasn't upset at all, and if everyone says so, I'll work with you!" Ramiris exclaimed. The
more confused we are, the more we need something to do to calm down. Routine tasks are the most
effective.

Ramiris, who had been in a panic because Vega was about to take away her authority, finally showed signs
of recovery. Benimaru, too, was determined to fight back. The first step was to confirm the current situation
and secure a safe zone. The most secure area was the "Control Room."

Benimaru's biggest concern, his wives, had been evacuated to the adjacent waiting room to ensure their
prenatal care wasn't disrupted by the war situation. Momiji and Alvis would be relieved to know their
children were safe there. There were playthings to keep them entertained, though he might be scolded later
for treating them like children. This arrangement eased Benimaru's anxiety.

Next was the city of Tempest, which Rimuru cherished. Vega couldn't invade it unless the last line of
defense was breached. All other exits were sealed off, leaving only the great hall of Veldora as an entry
point. The Guardians, now the main force, had been sent out to defend the building. The defense strength
of each level was zero, leaving no way to stop the invasion of 'Evil Dragon Spawn' unleashed by Vega.
Benimaru was ready to respond by concentrating the remaining strength in a single point, as explained to
Diablo.
However,V21
it was uncertain whether they could counter the 'Evil Dragon Spawn.' Benimaru was especially
worried about Hakurou, who had left determined to protect his grandson, despite Benimaru's words of
caution. Although strong, Vega's 'Evil Dragon Spawn' was not to be underestimated. It was questionable
whether Hakurou could defeat it with his swordsmanship alone.

If connected to the labyrinth, the 'Evil Dragon Spawn' would regenerate endlessly. To defeat it, they needed
to separate it from the labyrinth first. Everything depended on Ramiris, who was now working hard to
restore the labyrinth's functions and isolate Vega. Treyni was assisting, and Beretta was helping with
arithmetic. They had no choice but to rely on them and keep an eye on the situation.

Benimaru recalled Rimuru's words: "If you imagine the worst situation, think about how to stop it. Find the
crucial point and attack it. That way, the 'worst' won't be the worst." By repeating this process, they could
stabilize the situation.

(The worst thing that could happen is that Vega will take over the labyrinth completely. If we can prevent
that, we'll have enough time to recover.) Benimaru concluded.

It would be troublesome if Vega escaped the labyrinth, but they could manage it. They could buy time and
devise countermeasures before the next encounter. As long as they didn't lose the labyrinth—or more
precisely, as long as their companions and the people in the city were safe—they could revive. Benimaru
smiled wryly at the thought, "Then there's no problem."

"Benimaru-chan? You seem to have plenty of time to spare for a second-in-command," Ramiris remarked.

"Yes, I do. That's right, Mr. Commander-in-Chief. If you think about it, it's quite simple."

"What?"

"We just need to destroy all of Vega's infiltration points."

"What?"

"It's true that the labyrinth will be in trouble, but we can rebuild it. We've made it this far from scratch. Can't
we do better next time?"

"No, that's true, but..."

"Then this is not the time to hesitate. The evacuation of the residents is complete, and as many monsters
as possible have been isolated. I understand it's a waste of the facilities we've built, but Rimuru-sama
always said it's important to cut our losses."
 V21just as well, isn't it?" Ramiris nodded, agreeing with Benimaru's proud statement.
"Well, that's

"If we detach the 'Evil Dragon Spawn' from the main body, it will lose its regenerative ability. Let's isolate the
area where Vega has its roots, focusing on the level where Diablo and the others are fighting."

Ramiris, realizing the task, quickly froze all operations, including the rebuilding of the labyrinth. She
analyzed the safe hierarchies and isolated all the suspicious ones. She decided to cut off the seventy-one
to eighty levels of Zegion's domain, the eighty-one to ninety levels of Kumara's domain, and the sixty-one to
seventy levels of Adalmann's domain, where he was rebuilding the castle with the Imperial Guard.

Adalmann would be the saddest, but as long as there were no casualties, he would recover. "Why was I in
such a hurry?" Ramiris wondered.

"I don't know, but please explain it to Adalmann," Benimaru said.

"Wait a minute! You told me to—"

"What are you talking about, Ramiris-sama? You're the commander-in-chief now, aren't you? You're
supposed to take full responsibility!" Benimaru replied with a smile.

Ramiris, although flustered, felt lighter. Treyni and Beretta were relieved. "It's all right. I'll go with you and
explain to Adalmann-dono," Treyni said.

"Yes, of course. I'm sure he will understand."

"Unlike Benimaru, you are my friends!" Ramiris glanced at Benimaru while pretending to be impressed.

Benimaru smiled. "All right. I'll apologize to you, but please don't exclude me."

"Fufu, if that's the way it is, I don't blame you! Well then, let's make up with Benimaru-chan and get on with
our work!"

The group was relieved to see Ramiris was fine. They then focused on the battlefield again, ready to settle
the score with Vega.
 V21

417-422

Dino and his team struggled against two of Vega's 'Evil Dragon Spawn.' Dino was especially desperate.
Bare-handed, he could do nothing but run around, desperately asking for help. But everyone ignored him.

"No, you know what? I'm being bullied by Apito, Beretta, and the others, aren't I?" Dino complained, but
leniency was not an option.

"I don't care, idiot!" Pico retorted. "That's your own fault. You're getting what you deserve for living in
idleness."
V21
"Exactly," Gracia agreed. "If you had been serious from the start, you wouldn't be running around empty-
handed now."

Their harsh words were cutting, but perhaps necessary. Dino protested, "I don't know about that. I was
pretty serious too. At least, I resisted the pain as much as I could!"

Pico and Gracia looked at him like he was an idiot.

"What's the matter with you two? I've got my reasons..." Dino tried to explain but was quickly silenced and
forced to join the fight.

"Damn it! I thought you were my friends, Vega!" he shouted.

"Bullshit!" Pico snapped.

"You're so obvious, I'm not impressed," Gracia added.

Even Mai joined in the banter.

"How can you talk so much when you're in trouble?"

Finally, Dino relented. "No wonder. I'll give it my all too," he said, looking up at the sky as if resigning himself
to his fate. The next moment, he tightened his expression and shouted, "Armed with the divine spirit!"

Dino revealed his true form for the first time in a long while. Just like Hero Chloe's "divine spirit armament,"
Dino's equipment reached a mythical grade. Usually hidden, all their capabilities were now unleashed. Dino
underwent apotheosis, embodying the authority of a god.

Dino, Pico, and Gracia had restricted their powers to operate on Earth. This was the first time Dino lifted
these restrictions, and he didn't know what would happen. Still, he decided it was the right thing to do.
Dino's strongest form emerged—a shining figure with twelve black and white wings. Clad in jet-black
priestly garb, he held two summoned swords: a golden Excalibur and a dark silver Kali Vaughn.

These mythical-grade sacred weapons, forged from the core of a star, were the strongest. Dino wielded
these opposing swords masterfully. His previous style with the "hoga" was a tentative facade, and Ramiris
had realized Dino was not serious. With dual swords, his level surpassed that of Albert and Glassord. Dino
was the strongest swordsman in this world.
 V21 Zegion spoke, impressed. "It seems you also broke the 'Dream's End' curse I carved. I guess I
Seeing Dino,
was right after all."

Zegion recognized Dino's hidden power, which is why he trusted Apito with confidence. "What? Oh, no. Well,
now I don't have to do your bidding...you never intended to kill me, did you?" Dino laughed, and Zegion
responded with a chuckle.

"I'm not in the right frame of mind yet. Diablo will handle that one. Can you take care of the others?" Zegion
asked.

"Damn it, I don't have a choice. I'll take care of the rest," Dino grumbled. Though he had no intention of
betraying us, at this moment, he realized he was back. Finally, Dino came to his senses and was willing to
apologize to Ramiris, even verbally.

"I'm sorry, Ramiris. I didn't mean to betray you, but I had reasons deeper than the sea and higher than the
mountains. You understand that, don't you?" Dino's apology was genuine, albeit awkward.

Ramiris' response was, "I knew I was right. I've been proved right after all! Fine, I'll forgive you! So, Dino—
take out the bad ones first!"

Dino, relieved but amused, smiled. "No matter how old we get, it's always difficult to apologize," he thought.
With the air cleared, Dino faced the 'Evil Dragon Spawn' to be defeated. "It's time to take over!"

With these words, he sent the three struggling men to the back. Seeing the transformed Dino, Pico and
Gracia were delighted.

"Oh, he looks amazing! He's really good-looking!" Pico exclaimed.

"Yes! Go on, Dino! Let's blow that monster out of the sky!" Gracia cheered.

"Yeah!" Dino replied. In an instant, he slashed the two 'Evil Dragon Spawn' to pieces. Everyone was stunned
by his speed and skill.

"What?! Since when has he been cool?" Mai was also stunned, unable to believe her eyes.

People are vulnerable to gaps. Dino, who had only ever shown us his bad side, suddenly looked serious.
That alone was impressive, but when he killed the enemies Mai and his team struggled against in an
instant, it was easy to admire him. Pico looked as proud as if she had done it herself, but his tone was still
piercing.
 V21have started from the beginning!" Pico swore, unable to hide her happiness.
"You should

Gracia took a break, reminiscing. It had been a long time since she had seen Dino like this—maybe since
Veldanava was still alive. She felt relieved just seeing his true form. No matter the enemy, she didn't feel
like losing. That was the same impression she had then as she does now.

(I'm really lazy...)

Despite her dismay, a smile naturally broke out on Gracia's face.

 V21
(NOTE: Illustration provided is not from between these page numbers)
 V21

425-430

Vega's ego had returned to the thin air, even though he would have been happier to let his instincts run
rampant. Thanks to the 'parallel thinking' ability of 'Evil Dragon King Azi Dahaka,' another ego was
independently derived from the main body in a runaway state. At the same time, an understanding of the
current state of affairs emerged.

His magicule count continued to grow. In fact, Vega's existence value was increasing, having fed on the
remnants of Zelanus and absorbed the labyrinth as well. On the other hand, Diablo, the enemy Vega was
trying to kill, remained stable. That stability was terrifying. From the beginning, Diablo was an opponent
Vega could not match. Vega was being pushed back despite his efforts. When Vega tried to capture him
with tentacles, Diablo simply cut them to pieces. When he fired a high-power beam, it was deflected.
Diablo's V21
level was outstanding. Vega tried every possible way to escape from the fear, but nothing worked.

Finally, Vega understood that strength wasn't just about existence value but the total power, including luck.
Vega was definitely lacking in level. He had experienced only monotonous battles because he had been
strong without effort. Diablo, on the other hand, had grown through the enjoyment of fighting, creating a
gap between them that was now insurmountable.

(I can't kill him... but I won't be killed either...)

Diablo was passive, not offensive. He wasn't aiming for Vega's body but his 'Evil Dragon Spawn.' However,
the "intense pain" at the hit point didn't disappear, exhausting Vega's mind. Besides...

(I don't know. Maybe they're after something...)

Vega feared the lack of attack. Diablo had a wry smile on his face, clearly viewing Vega as weak and not
doubting his inevitable victory. And it wasn't a bluff. Vega understood his position as the weaker one.
Despite his increasing versatility, his fear of Diablo was unquenchable—a sign he would never win. Vega
was left with only one option: escape. But it wasn't going to be easy. Vega had continued to erode the
labyrinth unconsciously, achieving a 30 percent erosion rate, which was impressive. However, this posed a
problem.

(Oh, no. There is nothing to do from here...)

Vega realized that the enemy had countermeasures. Vega, lacking transferable skills, couldn't escape.
However, there was still a possibility. If there was a branching cell of Vega left somewhere, he could
completely revive from there. Of course, it wasn't simple; a 'duplicate' the size of an 'Evil Dragon Spawn' was
necessary. Preserving them was impossible as they would die at a certain distance from Vega.

This might seem meaningless, but it served as an insurance policy. Vega had used this strategy to escape
from the cunning Testarossa. It was a career move he was proud of. This time, he left one outside the
labyrinth but had lost contact due to the dimensionality difference between inside and outside the
labyrinth. At this moment, only one 'Evil Dragon Spawn' remained, aiming at the lowest level of the labyrinth.

(The entrance to the labyrinth has been sealed too...)

It turned out that Ramiris' labyrinth had rules that couldn't be overturned. One was that 'the connection to
the real world must be maintained.' The next was that 'there must be an entrance and exit for each
dimensional level.' The explanation was that 'different dimensions must always be connected,' akin to a
space elevator connecting a satellite and the earth. Unlike satellites pulled by earth's gravity, the structure's
position wasn't fixed in the other world. Thus, the labyrinth needed a connection point. The entrance and
exit Vega used had been closed for a long time, and a new one had opened past the great hall of Veldora.
 V21 Good thing I shared my power as much as I could. At worst, one of us will survive.)
(It's a gamble.

Vega thought an 'Evil Dragon Spawn' would survive based on probability. He could produce only four, each
with an existence value of less than 5 million. Their outer skins were mythical-grade strength, strong
enough to overrun any opponent. However, numbers couldn't assure victory. Vega tried to find a way to
survive using all his wits. Forces in the labyrinth seemed concentrated on defeating Vega's main body. He
needed to accelerate this process. Diablo, Zegion, and maybe others, but a rampage here would make it
easier to deal with the 'Evil Dragon Spawn.'

(I'll do it, I'll do it, I'll do it! We should just kill them all here to forget about unnecessary worries.)

Vega, knowing it was impossible, remained cheerful. His cheerfulness was admirable. Diablo was scary,
but maybe luck would be on his side. Vega thought he was 'lucky.' Backed by this confidence, he believed
the operation would succeed. Unaware that his luck had already run out, Vega began to go on a rampage,
just for the fun of it.
433-436V21

What is he up to?
Diablo looked at Vega with narrowed eyes.

Kufufufu. He's just trying to survive, isn't he? It's a useless effort, but I'll play along, Diablo thought. He would
not be complacent. He would not make the blunders that Vega expected.

The reason Diablo had not gone on the offensive was to get an accurate reading of Vega's capabilities. It
was almost done. He had taken Vega's growth rate into account, and now that the labyrinthine Isolation
had reached its final stage, he could decipher the limit point of the labyrinth.

All that remained was to make Vega disappear without leaving a single speck of dust. However, one
troublesome fact emerged from the analysis: Vega might revive from branched cells even if the main body
was destroyed.

Probably, Vega's 'Evil Dragon King Azi Dahaka' will be inherited, and the information on Zelanus' dark cells will
be transmitted. Even if we kill him now, the escaped 'Evil Dragon Spawn' will resurrect as a new Vega...

No wonder Testarossa let him go, Diablo thought bitterly. He could not allow himself to make the same
mistake. It would be easy to defeat Vega, but he needed to ensure Vega couldn't revive. There were two
more concerns.

First, Mai might be targeted. Since Vega lacked teleport capability, it was natural he would try to take it
from her. However, with Zegion closely watching her, Vega's hope would not be fulfilled.

Second, this was a problem. It was a move Vega, by his nature, was unlikely to make. But one never knows
what a cornered man will do.

While Diablo pondered this, Benimaru sent a 'Telepathy Net' to him.

 V21 is trying to isolate Vega, but we've decided to scrap it all.
The hierarchy

Hmm. I agree with you on that.

Hmm? Is there any other problem?

Benimaru understood the situation from the big screen, but he relied on Diablo's opinion to gauge the
temperature on the ground. It was Rimuru's policy to share even the smallest problem.

No, you know. If we deal with this thing as it is, there's a high possibility it will be taken over by the 'Evil Dragon
Spawn' heading for the lower level. We have to get rid of it first to prevent that from happening.

It was logical to quickly eliminate an opponent like Vega. Otherwise, they might gain extra power and
become more troublesome. Diablo hadn't done so yet because Testarossa had made the mistake of letting
him go. Diablo admitted Testarossa's mistake, though he often made fun of her. If she had erred, it was
something to be appreciated by her adversaries.

In fact, he found Vega's nature troublesome. The more troublesome an opponent, the more carefully you
should proceed, even if it takes longer. Diablo reminded himself of this and braced himself.

The 'Evil Dragon Spawn' that Dino and his team were dealing with had been revived many times. The first
one Diablo had defeated was also resurrected, and now he faced three at the same time. Even so, they
were no match for Dino, who had been working hard, but they seemed to be getting stronger, perhaps
because Vega was sharing more of his power with them.

The one headed for the lower level is far from the main body, so it may not be invulnerable... He's a pain in the
ass, Diablo mused.

I see... Benimaru, too, was troubled by the situation. Seeing that Diablo was dominating Vega, Benimaru
planned a new strategy. After Diablo defeated Vega, Benimaru would discard the Isolation labyrinth. This
way, even if Vega revived, he couldn't come back to the labyrinth. Once the labyrinth isolation was
completed, they wouldn't be able to check the status on the monitor anymore. Before that happened,
Benimaru planned to make arrangements with Diablo.

All right, all right. We'll take care of that. You just keep things as they are. We'll be waiting to hear from you.

With these words, Diablo terminated the 'Telepathy Net' with Benimaru. Then, with a nonchalant,
disinterested look on his face, he began to chip away at Vega's power.
 V21

439-445

Dino, who had been fighting with great vigor, was becoming less and less energetic. When the number of
'Evil Dragon Spawn' increased from two to three, he lost a lot of motivation.

"But there's no end to this..." Dino slashed down the 'Evil Dragon Spawn' that attacked him and grumbled.

Vega had been trying to seize control of the labyrinth and had succeeded, albeit only partially. Ramiris was
in the process of isolating the 61st to the 90th levels, meaning Vega's control had extended. In other words,
'Evil Dragon Spawn' could come back to life inexhaustibly as long as they didn't run out of energy. Moreover,
they seemed to be getting stronger, even though they could be killed with a single blow before.

Fortunately, the number of 'Evil Dragon Spawn' was limited. However, there were other troublesome points.
Dino fired a concentrated mana bullet at the second one, but it did not kill it except for a hole in its chest. At
that time, Zegion gave him a word of advice.
 V21 technique is pointless. Know that you are benefiting your enemy."
"The release

Zegion, the strongest guardian in the labyrinth, knew its nature. He knew what not to do.

"What?" Dino realized.

Diablo, too, was dealing with Vega only with blows and slashes. He was convinced. Since Vega was in sync
with the labyrinth that was being isolated, he should have thought that all the energy released in the
labyrinth would be captured.

Dino had a good guess, but he was too lazy. He did not have the ability to guess without being told, like
Diablo and Zegion. Or rather, most of us would be described as distracted when compared with those two...

Dino's magicule was huge, so a few thousand mana bullets wouldn't be a problem, but it wasn't interesting
to know that the energy was just flowing to Vega.

"Really? So Vega is the only one of them being protected by the labyrinth?" Zegion nodded silently in
agreement. If that was the answer, it meant that Dino and the others would not be able to end their battle
unless Vega himself was defeated.

Dino became depressed early. The 'Evil Dragon Spawn,' which could regenerate endlessly until it ran out of
energy, was coming at him, gradually getting stronger. Even if you are not Dino, you might want to let out a
sigh or two.

The only saving grace was that 'Evil Dragon Spawn' had no level. If it had been 'Split Body' like Velgrynd's, he
would have been out of the woods by then. Anyway, we have to deal with it even if it turns out to be
useless.

Dino decided to fight 'Evil Dragon Spawn' with only his two swords, though he was reluctant. At the same
time, he asked Ramiris if there was anything he could do.

"Hey, Ramiris! Your labyrinth has some weak points, doesn't it? Tell me that. Otherwise, we'll never be able
to finish defeating it!"

He showed a little consideration by secretly using 'Telepathy Net.' However, it was not that simple.
Especially nowadays, Ramiris had no time to spare, so her response was salty.

"I'm not a fool! My labyrinth has no weak points!"

"Are you an idiot! Don't be so arrogant after Vega took your invincible labyrinth away from you!"
"I haven'tV21
lost it! He’s just imperfectly imitating my authority because I'm in the process of isolation!"

But it was still not enough.

"Idiot! That's why we're having a hard time."

Dino's twin swords gleamed as he exchanged a few words with Ramiris. At the same time, an 'Evil Dragon
Spawn' vanished into dust. Despite his grumbling, Dino's technique was brilliant. Ramiris was impressed.

"Keep up the good work, Dino!"

"What?"

Diablo and Benimaru were discussing the fact that one of them was attacking and if they didn't kill it, Vega
might take over. Ramiris's explanation was not quite sufficient, but Dino also understood the situation.

(I see. So that's why Diablo had been prepping for this.)

Diablo was carefully managing his mana while fighting off Vega. Dino had wondered why Diablo wasn't
finishing Vega off, even though he had already reached the density where he could defeat him. If he
thought he could escape the situation by putting the finishing touches on Vega now, it would have been a
reasonable response. But then, the status quo would be maintained until Ramiris and the others were dealt
with...

Dino's holy sword and magic sword shone with black and white auras. Wielding them skillfully, Dino fought
off the 'Evil Dragon Spawn.' Since he was getting nowhere, he switched to energy-saving mode.

"It's still going to take a while. I'm sorry, but can't you guys help me?" Dino asked without looking back. Pico
and Gracia had already put on their "divine spirit armament" and had apotheosized themselves. Looking at
their appearance, they were very enthusiastic.

"Finally, it's my turn!"

"Well, Dino can't do anything without us. I'll help you."

The two of them had been ready to help from the beginning but joined the fight with lighthearted
comments. Taking on forms similar to Dino's, the three fought to support each other. Even though it had no
ego, the 'Evil Dragon Spawn' was dangerous, attacking on instinct. Its existence value now surpassed that
of Dino and the others who had not yet attained apotheosis. Fighting with only a sword to save energy was
more hard work than expected.
It wasn'tV21
exhausting, but mentally troublesome, as monotonous tasks are more prone to induce mistakes.
Dino asked for cooperation without showing off, and it was the right thing to do.

The combination of Dino and the other two was excellent. Gracia summoned Aegis, and her defense was
perfect. She stood in the front and took the role of the shield. Gracia endured and Dino slashed. Pico
supported them, moving around a bit to stay out of the way.

The three 'Evil Dragon Spawn' came at them one after another but were easily repelled. Although they were
stronger than before, they were no match for the three working together. Dino's swordsmanship, Gracia's
shield handling, and Pico's situational judgment were all in place, allowing them to fight for a long time
without getting tired.

Apotheosis is a heavy burden. It doesn't affect them for a short time, but if it continues for long, they fear
the repercussions. During a battle, the apotheosis may suddenly release. It would be fatal, so it was natural
to take countermeasures. Dino and his friends could fight for hours.

Just when he thought he had no more worries, he received 'Telepathy Net' from Ramiris.

"Oh, yes. There’s the isolation of the labyrinth, but you won't be able to see what's going on there once it's
fully completed."

"Oh, so?"

Dino tried to ignore it, but Ramiris' next remark left him in shock.

"That means that I will be out of power, right?"

What may be a matter of course for Ramiris was a surprise for Dino. After all, what did it mean?

"What? Does that mean that the effect of the 'Resurrection Bracelet' will also disappear?"

"Of course it does, doesn't it?"

Dino was puzzled.

"Hey, then how are we going to escape after the isolation is over?"

Ramiris explained that the isolated hierarchy was going to be purged. If they stayed in this place, they might
end up wandering in the space-time void with Vega. Dino was concerned about this and asked Ramiris
back.
V21
"Oh, Benimaru will go there when the time is right," Ramiris said. Ramiris explained that they planned to
connect the space with Benimaru's 'Spacetime Manipulation' and let everyone escape.

Dino was very anxious about whether they would be able to succeed in their impromptu attempt.

"Is it really that easy? Can you really do it that well?"

"It's not whether we can do it or not, but whether we will do it. It's the only way to get out of here!"

"Yeah."

Dino gave up, saying there was no point in asking any more questions. If Ramiris said there was no other
way, then there was no other way. All that remained was to somehow make the operation succeed.

445-447

After finishing the communication with Ramiris, Dino explained the situation to everyone. This was a
conversation he did not have much time to spare because he was fighting.

"So, please keep the status quo!" Dino urged.

"Well, I'm glad we can see the future," Pico remarked.

"Yeah, I guess so. I have a feeling that we're in trouble if we provoke Vega any further. Diablo will take care
of it," Gracia added.

No one argued because the key was timing. In fact, even if there was a complaint, there was no alternative,
so they had no choice but to comply with the situation.

In such a situation, Mai, who was supporting in the back, asked noncommittally, "Well, what about me?"
Thinking she could easily escape with her own authority, she tried to point it out, but the coordination
between the three of them was so complete that Mai could not interfere.

The proposal came as a surprise to Dino. As someone who likes to take a rest even when he shouldn't, he
thought Mai should take a rest when she could. So, pointing in the direction of Zegion's group, he gently
told her, "Mai, you stay there. Zegion will protect you if anything happens, so cover us from there."

"Right. It's not safe to go forward," Zegion agreed.

 V21
"Well, we'll take care of this!" Pico chimed in.

That's how it was decided. Mai stood next to Apito, who was supporting Zegion, and decided to trust Dino
and the others.

450-455

In the Control Room, Benimaru finished explaining the situation.

"No way, he's really a nasty guy..." Benimaru said. "This is already a problem."
"It was aV21
good decision to isolate him, wasn't it?" Treyni agreed.

"Indeed it was. I was thinking of reusing the labyrinth, but I'm afraid it might still be alive somewhere. This
is what is known as the 'defilement idea.' To put it simply, it's like not wanting to use a toothbrush that has
fallen into the toilet bowl, no matter how well you wash it."

Many people nodded in agreement. Treyni was one of them, nodding her head in agreement with Ramiris.
She agreed with whatever Ramiris said, so it was possible she had a different thought, but it did not matter.

Beretta prepared a glass of juice and handed it to Ramiris. Ramiris gulped it down and said, "But, can you
beat this 'Evil Dragon Spawn'?"

It was a question that really got to the heart of the matter. Benimaru was also worried about it. Although he
had tried to be nice to Diablo, he thought it would be impossible with the Four Great Dragon Kings and
Hakurou.

"I'll have to go myself," Benimaru said.

On the big screen, Hakurou was cutting down 'Evil Dragon Spawn.' His brilliant swordsmanship was one of
the best, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough to destroy 'Evil Dragon Spawn.' Although 'Evil Dragon Spawn'
had lost 'Infinite Regeneration' since its connection with Vega was severed, 'Ultraspeed Regeneration' was
still present. It allowed them to regenerate again and again.

However, Hakurou was extraordinary in that he could kill an opponent with a power disparity of more than
fifty times. Benimaru felt proud of his master. However, it was obvious that Hakurou could not defeat him.

Now, what about the four great dragon kings? Euros, the red-haired beauty, bound 'Evil Dragon Spawn' with
a flaming whip covered with searing heat. She wanted to continuously inflict heat damage and burn out its
cells. One could imagine the sacrifices that had to be made to get this chance. Her revealing dress did not
hide her auburn skin, which was covered with unhealed wounds.

A slender, handsome man sat leaning against the door. He was Zephyrus, the Dragon King of the Ice Hell.
He used to look graceful and gentle, but now he stared at the 'Evil Dragon Spawn' with a piercing gaze. He
looked severely damaged while trying to assist Euros in her attack.

Even worse off than Zephyrus was Notos, the "Heavenly Thunder Dragon King." Notos, a petite young girl,
tried to hold off the 'Evil Dragon Spawn' with her monstrous strength. However, her strength was too great.
If the opponent had an ego, Notos would have been no match for it. Just as Notos was doing her best,
Boreas, the "Evil Dragon Spawn," was doing his best to make it his turn. His dragon scales were shattered,
but he protected Zephyrus and Notos, who had fallen.
 V21of fire was broken by sheer force. They were too powerful. The continued damage of the whip
Euros' whip
of flame could not exceed the recovery of the 'Evil Dragon Spawn.' She succeeded in stopping them for a
moment, but that was all. A frustrated Euros clucked her tongue in frustration, an uncharacteristic gesture
for a beautiful woman, but quite appropriate.

Hakurou took over from Euros. As Euros was definitely not strong enough and had no way to beat 'Evil
Dragon Spawn,' she had no choice but to back down quietly. But even Hakurou... Although the efforts of all
the members were commendable, it was still all they could do to stop 'Evil Dragon Spawn.' If they had
followed the original plan, they would have had no problem, but it was impossible to destroy 'Evil Dragon
Spawn' with this group of people. It would take a force so strong that it could wipe out even a single cell
fragment to prevent it from reviving.

As Benimaru said, someone had to go to the rescue. If it was Benimaru, he would surely win...

"Excuse me, Mr. Deputy Commander? You have the most important mission of all, to bring back those guys
Zegion left behind in the Isolation level," Ramiris reminded.

He's right. Timing was of the essence, so they needed to act quickly in the Isolation level as soon as they
defeated the 'Evil Dragon Spawn' here. If Benimaru was defeated, there were few warriors left.

Souei was in the middle of gathering information by sending 'clones' to various locations. Gabil was
recovering. They might have won if they were at their best, but even so, they would have had a hard time
against 'Evil Dragon Spawn,' which had more than twice as much existence value. Even if they went out
now, their chances of winning were low.

The same went for Ranga. If he were at full strength, he could have won for sure, but now he was too
exhausted by taking on Geld's burden. It was a waste of time to go out, since it was out of the question for
Ranga to use his big moves.

In the meantime, Beretta came forward. "Well, then, I guess I'll have to go..."

Ramiris rejected his request. "Of course not! Without Beretta-chan's help, it's impossible for me to dispose
of the labyrinth by myself!"

It wasn't impossible, but it would take time. And that would give Vega a chance to recover, which would
mean the mission would fail. Beretta had no choice but to do his best to help Ramiris.

At that moment, a man stood up. "At last, it seems that it is my turn," said Charys, a brown-skinned warrior
with black and red speckled hair like a burning flame. He was now more stately than ever, having fully
merged with the dragotite Yorishiro. Of course, his inner life had been enriched as well.
 V21 Ramiris' face lit up as if she had just remembered.
"Charys-chan!"

"I see, as Veldora-sama's assistant, I think I can trust you with this big role," stated Benimaru, nodding his
head. He recognized Charys' power at a glance and judged that he could defeat the 'Evil Dragon Spawn.'

If Benimaru agreed, there was no opposition from anyone. Charys, who had been almost forgotten, was
now ready to go out with a bang. In the "Control Room'' that Charys departed, Treyni asked, "By the way,
what is the existence value of Charys-chan?"

"Well, it is 2.74 million at the moment," Ramiris replied. Although the number alone was inferior to that of
'Evil Dragon Spawn,' it was a measure of strength not inferior to the top-level players.

"Did you send him out without knowing, Ramiris-sama?" Beretta asked.

"You're a hard man, sub-commander. Don't worry, it'll be fine! Charys is the master's assistant. He's a real
fighter. There's no way he can be beat!"

Among the advisors of Ramiris, it was common knowledge that 'existence values’ have a significant effect
on combat ability depending on their composition. This was unquestionable, as seen in the example of this
battle. There were some strange characters such as Diablo, but they were too rare to be included in the
examples. They were only indicators, not all of them.

Charys' abilities were used for peaceful purposes, but all of his powers could be used in battle. In a crisis
such as this one, they could be used specifically for combat. In short, it depended on how you used them.

456-459

The versatility of Charys had its advantages. For this reason, it seemed that Charys would win. And the
prediction had not been wrong. Benimaru finally smiled with relief and prepared for the final touches.

Charys opened the door to the battlefield and saw Hakurou fighting hard.

"Ryusuizansan!" (Water Flowing Slash)

Hakurou caught the fist of 'Evil Dragon Spawn' with his sword and swept it away. Although the fist was of
mythical-grade power, Hakurou's sword was not shattered. It was the result of his high level of skill. And
one more thing: Kurobee had reforged his sword, and it had become a legendary-grade sword of the
highest level. A sword made for making – "Shark Cloud." This was the name of Hakurou's beloved sword.
Unbreakable, unbendable, supple, and immoveable. It was soft but strong at its core, just as Hakurou had
ordered.V21

Rather than power, Hakurou chose the "Shark Cloud" for its sturdiness, so that he could trust it with his own
life. In addition to this, Hakurou protected the blade with his aura and used his great skill to prevent it from
breaking, allowing the blade to cut through the mythical-grade outer skin without chipping.

"That's wonderful," Charys praised. Unfortunately, that was not enough to defeat the 'Evil Dragon Spawn.'

Zephyrus, Notos, and Boreas, who were near the door, gave way for Charys. Euros, who was on her way to
Charys, looked up at Charys with admiration, with cheeks flushed. Despite the situation, she looked happy.
Charys lightly acknowledged her look. Her thorough-skill was maxed out after being trained by Veldora.

Charys, who walked with dignity, stood in line with Hakurou and called out to him.

"Hakurou-dono, let's take turns."

"Hmm? Is it you, Charys? I see. I guess my turn is over."

"I think you've had enough, haven't you? I'm sure your unborn grandchildren will be able to see Hakurou-
dono's heroism."

"Hohoho. You are a very flattering person, aren't you?"

"I was trained by Veldora-sama."

The words "I was trained by Veldora-sama" were Charys' sincere feelings. If you have a boss who asks you
to do anything and everything recklessly, you may be able to sympathize with his feelings. Beretta, who was
not present at the meeting, nodded in agreement. Charys and I are drinking buddies and sometimes
exchange our opinions (or complaints).

Anyway, Hakurou withdrew quietly. He had been told that he was just trying to buy time, but he sensed that
the situation had changed.

"You don't need any help, do you?"

"Yes. I will be enough."

This was not meant to make fun of Hakurou, but purely to keep him out of it. After all, Charys's fighting
style involved using super-high heat to destroy the enemy. With Hakurou, Charys could not show his full
potential. Therefore, he wanted Hakurou to evacuate with the dragon lords to a remote place.
V21
"Ho-ho-ho! I understand. I wish you good luck."

"Leave it to me. I promise you victory."

After this conversation, Hakurou and Euros went down to the door where the dragon lords were. Then,
Charys confronted the 'Evil Dragon Spawn.'

‘The 'Evil Dragon Spawn' had the upper hand in terms of power alone, but in terms of fighting ability, would
they be able to...?

"Apparently, there isn't much time. I wanted to see how good you are, but I'll end this quickly."

Charys declared unilaterally. The 'Evil Dragon Spawn,' who would not understand his words, attacked
Charys as if he were an enemy. Charys kicked it lightly.

"Geehi!"

The 'Evil Dragon Spawn' screamed in anguish and surprise at the impact and unexpected result. Ignoring
this, Charys charged after it.

"Veldora Style Killing Arts™ – Burning Bullets!"

Charys's fists shot out at invisible speed. They heated the air and turned it into bullets, creating plasma as
they hit the 'Evil Dragon Spawn' in rapid succession.

"—?"

The 'Evil Dragon Spawn' let out a silent scream, but Charys did not care about that. While 'Evil Dragon
Spawn' was still floating in the air, he drew a magic circle on the ground. And then, he activated...

"Let's finish him off with an old-fashioned technique – 'Dragonic Flare'!"

 V21

461-463

The technique was completed just as the falling 'Evil Dragon Spawn' entered the dome. It was an evolution
of Ifrit's "Flare Circle," which had been previously used against Rimuru when he was defeated. Its power
was something else entirely. It had been improved upon and made more practical.
V21
The range of the inner space had been considerably narrowed down to a diameter of about three meters.
However, as a result, the heat energy trapped inside increased proportionally. This technique was even
more powerful than Benimaru's "Hell Flare," and was one of the most powerful fire-thermal techniques in
the field of fire-energy.

After all, the heat extended by this technique did not end when it was activated. Charys, transformed into a
flame, could adjust its internal temperature at will. The heat was concentrated on the enemy inside, based
on the lessons learned from the fight against Rimuru. There was no escape inside the ward, and Charys'
heat would not disappear until it had consumed everything in its path.

"GAHHHHH!" The 'Evil Dragon Spawn' was destroyed with a soul-wrenching scream. There was no
resurrection, and Charys had won.

"Excellent!" Hakurou praised Charys' unquestionable victory.

"No, no. This is exactly why I was left here, isn't it? It's only natural for me to win," Charys responded with a
smile, but in his mind, he was thinking about something else.

(Veldora-sama definitely forgot about me, didn't he? I understand that he was happy to hear Rimuru-sama's
request, but he wanted me to go with him...)

He was still bitter about being left behind by Veldora. If he had not been able to help this time, he would
have sulked. The dragon lords, who did not know that, were also impressed by Charys' bravery.

"Amazing! Charys-sama is the best! He is a handsome man!" Euros, who professed to be a fan of Charys,
praised him fiercely, her cheeks flushed. She looked like a dreamy maiden despite her severe and beautiful
appearance.

"Damn, we're not good enough yet, are we?" Boreas lamented.

"It can't be helped now; we have to gain more experience," Notos added.

"We can't lose either, can we? Even if we can't become a boss like Zegion-dono, as dragon lords who
protect the lowest level, we must become stronger," Zephyrus concluded.

The four dragon lords became more motivated by their frustration on this day. As a result, the difficulty
level of the labyrinth would be raised even higher... but that was still a long way off.
 V21

465-467

"You see! I was right!" Ramiris boasted as if it was her own achievement, and most of the participants
nodded their heads in agreement, indulging her.

Beretta was too busy working on calculations to intervene. Or rather, he was in her usual mode of
resignation. Benimaru, the second-in-command, was already on his way to the Isolation level and was not
here. This was Ramiris's exclusive domain, and there was no room for Gabil or Ranga to interfere.

However, this did not mean that the tension was gone. Some of the large screens were not working
properly, and there was some noise. Needless to say, the Isolation level was ahead. The battle was now at
its conclusion. All that was left was to defeat Vega and cut off the Isolation layer. And they just hope that
everyoneV21
comes back safely.

Ramiris seemed to be making a fool of herself, but that was the opposite of anxiety. Believing in the
success of the mission, Ramiris waited for the call from Benimaru.

Meanwhile, Benimaru went to the place where Diablo was. Diablo saw Benimaru's appearance and knew
that the time was near. So far, so good. But he couldn't be too careful. If Vega was going to make a move,
now was the time. Diablo glanced at Zegion, and Zegion nodded as if he knew what to do. It was true
communication.

Just when they thought they were relieved, Vega shouted, "Gahahaha! I knew that was the way to go!"

The tentacles crawled on the ground and wriggled, pretending to aim at Diablo. All at once, they expanded
and contracted, closing in on Mai at super-speed.

"What?"

Mai sensed the presence and turned her head, her face stained with astonishment at the sight of so many
tentacles filling her field of vision. Mai, who had been supporting Dino and the others, had not been paying
attention to Vega himself. She had never dreamed that she would be targeted. However, the tentacles never
reached Mai.

"It's useless," Zegion said.

Zegion's words reached Mai's ears as she saw the tentacle debris scattered in the void. Zegion's 'bugs'
were a clean blue. They were clear and transparent, looking beautiful and fragile, but in reality, they were
incomparably more powerful than Apito's. They were so powerful that they were beyond comparison. An
offensive and defensive unit, they even had an offensive capability through spatial rupture by Zegion's will.

Vega's tentacles were blocked by them. Unable to even touch Mai, they were caught in the space-time
fluctuation of the Distortion Field and scattered.

"Wow, am I being targeted?" Mai realized after everything was over.

Vega, who had been cornered, was deprived of his last hope. It had never been there to begin with, but it
was enough to make Vega despair.
"Are youV21
crazy?"

But it did not make things any better. Everything seemed to be as it would be all right.

470-473
 V21
That's impossible!

I'm going to die here?

That's unacceptable!

Vega was at the height of confusion and fear. He had planned to eat Mai and take her power to escape
from this place, but his plan was completely thwarted as if someone had read his mind. It was all so
unsatisfying.

(A warrior as good as me should not perish in such a place...) he thought, but now there was nothing to do.
The Diablo that Vega had underestimated was an even greater monster than he had imagined.

It was as if Diablo could see through everything Vega did, and no matter how he attacked, he could not get
through. The 'Evil Dragon Spawn', that had been so reliable, were also a disappointment. Seeing that a new
warrior, Benimaru, had arrived, he guessed that Benimaru had killed the one that had headed for the lower
levels.

At this point, Vega's comprehension had reached its limit. Cornered and realizing that there was no more
time left, his brain activated to survive. Even so, Vega had no possibilities left.

Diablo and his friends were definitely after something, and he didn't think he could withstand it. Maybe
Vega could survive with his newfound immortality... but he was not willing to gamble with life and death.

Vega was frustrated. No one respected him, even though he had become strong by all accounts. He had no
friends he could trust. He could not find a safe place to live. His heart was not satisfied. His desires were
insatiable.

It was natural. They were the result of Vega's own actions.

If you don't believe in others, how can they believe in you? Being strong and being arrogant will not help
you. Vega could not understand that people see the true nature of things. You can't get what you want just
by wanting it. You can give and get nothing back, but if you don't give, nothing will come of it.

Vega had lived his life without knowing this. Although we can have some sympathy for his background, he
had many chances to be rehabilitated. In the end, therefore, we can conclude that the only person
responsible for Vega's actions is himself.

However, Vega did not take this well. He expressed his dissatisfaction with all his might, shouting, "You've
got to be kidding me, you son of a bitch!"
 V21
His whole body radiated his rage. And at that moment, he thought of a forbidden move.

(That's right, that's right. It's absolutely impossible that I should be the only one to die. Then, let's take them all
with us. Then I won't be lonely in the afterlife!)

This was exactly the possibility that Diablo had been worried about. Vega was too foolish, living in a
haphazard way without any thought. He had the foolishness to change his principles on a spur of the
moment and to implement his ideas without examining them.

Such a Vega was the reason why Diablo was wary that he might awaken to 'destructionism' at that very
moment.

Diablo's premonition had come true. Vega smiled.

"Heh heh, I get it. I'll admit you're stronger than me, but I'm the one who's going to have the last laugh.
Hahaha! I should have done this from the beginning!"

The laughter became delirious, and Vega's evil presence became more and more intense.
 V21

476-480

Diablo clicked his tongue. He had anticipated the possibility of this happening and had taken precautionary
measures to contain the demonic bacteria that Vega was about to release. However, Vega's magical
bacteria had been strengthened by the fusion with Zelanus' dark cells.

To some extent, the air was already filled with cellular debris shed by Vega. The remnants of the tentacles
seemed to have been transformed into virulent bacteria.

(I didn't think it would be this much trouble. In its original state, it would have been much easier to stop it, you
damned bastard...)

Vega was getting stronger little by little during this battle. It seemed that he had even acquired some
unknown powers, which made Diablo uneasy. It was a good thing that he had prepared in advance to stop
Vega's actions.
"Zekkai,"V21
Diablo quickly implemented countermeasures.

Vega's body was captured by Diablo's 'Temptation King Azazel,' severing Vega's consciousness from
contact with the outside world. In an instant, Vega's goal was thwarted. Diablo prevented Vega from self-
destructing.

"I see. So, he was trying to collapse his own cells filled with this Isolation hierarchy all at once."

Although it was called "collapse," the amount of energy Vega had in store was considerable, and it meant a
huge explosion.

That's Diablo for you, Benimaru thought.

"That's right. Fools like him, who don't know what they're thinking, should be killed off quickly."

Diablo was confident that he alone would survive, but it was difficult to predict the scale of the damage that
would be inflicted on the others, who were now exhausted. Therefore, Diablo took measures to prevent it
from happening. If the situation had not been as it was, Diablo would have taken care of Vega long ago.
There was no telling what kind of disaster might happen if the uncertainties were kept alive. Since there
was no point in keeping it alive, there was no need to forgive it.

Anyway, after all the arrangements were completed, all he had to do was bury Vega and discard the
Isolation part. That was the plan, but...

Now, Vega - 'Evil Dragon Spawn' - had changed. Vega's misadventures had given him the opportunity to gain
more power.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha! I did it, that's me!"

That cry came from the 'Evil Dragon Spawn.' There were supposed to be three of them, but now only one
remains. However, the face of one of them was Vega's, and it had a different presence from the previous
ones. Vega's Ultimate Skill 'Evil Dragon King Azi Dahaka' had the power of 'Parallel Thinking.' Now, it was in
'Evil Dragon Spawn.'

"What?"

Diablo, Zegion, and Benimaru immediately recognized the danger. Dino and the others also realized the
situation later. However, none of them could move. Diablo was busy trying to contain the main body of
Vega. Benimaru activated 'Spacetime Manipulation' to connect this place with the evacuation site. Dino
was happy to finally be able to rest. Pico and Gracia were the same as Dino. Apito also looked relieved and
supported Zegion, who was tired from the battle. Zegion, too, hesitated to attack because Vega was
targetingV21
Mai.

Mai, who was protected by Zegion, jumped in front of Vega. This action was unexpected by Zegion, and he
was too late. Vega seemed to have only thoughts in his 'Evil Dragon Spawn' and did not seem able to use
all of its powers. Even so, the fact that Vega was able to jump 'parallel thoughts' from Diablo's
'Extermination' was a result of his persistence. If Vega had been able to escape from Diablo by eating Mai,
he would have won the game. Even if he could not do so, Vega's resentment would have been relieved if he
had blown himself up with everyone involved.

Vega was spreading his malice, controlled by ugly feelings that were not even resentment. At least, if they
could expel him with the Isolation part, everyone thought at the time.

"I knew this would happen. Because you are so persistent," Mai muttered nonchalantly, as if she had given
up. Her voice was small, but it echoed loudly in the quiet.

"What?"

Vega of 'Evil Dragon Spawn' let out a dumb voice, and Mai gave him a challenging look.

"So I'll take you there. Somewhere far away to the unknown, where you won't be a nuisance to anyone."

"What? What the hell are you talking about?"

Vega asked desperately, but Mai didn't answer.

"Hey- stop!!!!"

Before Vega could refuse, Mai's 'Terra Mater' activated like a shining star. Mai, too, had not always been
protected. She observed Vega and feared his stubbornness. She had a faint premonition that this would
happen. Therefore, she dared not run away even though she knew that Vega was targeting her. She tried to
protect everyone by sacrificing herself alone.

The fading glow of 'Terra Mater.' At the end, the residue of Mai's thoughts reached Dino and the others.

Good-bye, Dino. You were so handsome when you were serious. Thank you for giving me courage. Good-bye,
Gracia. You were like a big sister. Goodbye, Pico. I know it's been a short time, but I feel like you've been a
friend. Good-bye, everyone. Take care. I know that you who live forever will soon forget all about me.

Mai's voice ceased. She felt that if Dino had remembered her, she would be glad.
 V21

482-490
 V21

Mai is gone, and the threat is over. There is no point in keeping the remaining Vega alive. Diablo takes care
of it without hesitation.

"End of the World."

There is no way to resist the collapse of the world. At this moment, Vega's body was destroyed. However, it
is likely that the 'Evil Dragon Spawn,' which disappeared with Mai, has taken over the power of the main
body, becoming the real Vega and making a complete comeback.

Diablo clicked his tongue in disgust. After all, Testarossa was not to be trifled with.

Never mind, Diablo changed his mind. "Let's get this over with."

He didn't know how Vega had evolved since eating Zelanus. There were still cells of Vega in the Isolation
hierarchy. If left unchecked, they could have been resurrected by eating the monster. This was no time for
sentimentality.

"What are you talking about, Dino?" Diablo asked coolly.

"No, because..." Dino started.

"No, no, no. The problem is that you can't accomplish the mission because you're distracted by trivial
feelings."

Dino understood that Diablo was right.

"Well, let's at least send them a gift. At least, let's make it a big gesture," Benimaru said and made
arrangements. Everyone started to take action to put this idea into practice.

In the meantime, Dino was alone in his thoughts.

(If Mai is willing to do it, she will definitely get angry, won't she?)

Mai was a serious person who did not like to show off. And she didn't seem to like to be flashy. Dino
remembered that but swallowed it down.
 V21point that Benimaru connected with 'Spacetime Manipulation' was at the "outer edge" of the
The escape
labyrinth. There is a good reason why it is called the outer edge of the labyrinth even though it is inside the
labyrinth. It is a space-time gap.

The labyrinth is adjacent to the other world, that is, subspace, and is in contact with many other worlds
(other worlds). Therefore, if the outside of the labyrinth is the Cardinal World, the inside of the labyrinth is
called the "outer edge."

The four members standing at the extreme end of the labyrinth are Benimaru, Diablo, Zegion, and Dino. At
Benimaru's suggestion, they were about to set off a huge firework. The reason there were only four of them
was that the others did not have 'Spacetime Manipulation,' which allows them to act in the future.

Zegion, having been entrusted with the power by Zelanus, had evolved 'Spacetime Manipulation' to become
'Spacetime Domination.' Diablo told Michael that he was going to be the one in charge. Diablo had already
obtained the power of 'Spacetime Domination' because he was disappointed that he had fallen behind
Michael in 'Time Stop.'

Benimaru, too, had been training under Diablo's tutelage, and in a very short period of time, had developed
'Spatial Domination' from 'Spacetime Manipulation.' Benimaru was finally able to handle it. Since even
Benimaru had only just learned to handle it, it was no wonder that others could not handle it.

Even Pico and Gracia had only 'Spatial Manipulation,' making it difficult for them to maintain their existence
in the subspace. The space ahead was that dangerous.

Benimaru and his team tried to challenge the difficult task, but before that, they did not forget to restore the
functionality of the labyrinth.

"You did a good job, you guys! I believed in you!" Ramiris exclaimed.

This was proof that they were back in the labyrinth, and even if they died here, they were assured that the
"Resurrection Bracelet" would bring them back to life, so everyone's faces were filled with relief.

However, even Ramiris's labyrinth law does not apply to those who will be engaged in the mission that is
about to begin...

"So, are you really going to do it?" Ramiris seemed to be saying. "Why don't you just leave it as it is?"

After all, what Benimaru and his group were going to do now was to attack the discarded 30 levels with all
their might. Benimaru had explained the plan via 'Telepathy Net,' but he did not seem enthusiastic about it.
Benimaru, Dino, and others seemed determined not to allow Vega's revival. The 'Evil Dragon Spawn' that
Mai took with her is still there, but that's about it. What they were going to do now was just a distraction.
 V21 of this understanding that Ramiris was against it. Even so, she understood the feelings of
It was because
Dino and the others, so she did not stop them. From the evacuation site that is adjacent to the other world,
they could see the discarded 30-level part of the building.

If they just left them there, they would be swallowed up and blown away by the other world. In the
subspace, there is always a phase fluctuation. It is not predictable, and if you are caught in it, it is
impossible to predict what kind of other-dimensional space you will be transported to.

Even the flow of time is distorted in this other world, so that even if you had 'Spatial Domination,' it would
not be realistic to return to the same point from where you jumped. Velgrynd achieved it, but it was an
exception by a combination of coincidence and miracle.

It would have been better if he had been transported to another dimension (Another World) where humans
inhabit, but it would not be surprising if he had been transported to the end of the universe where there is
nothing, or to the middle of the great destruction before life was born.

No matter how spiritual life forms may be, survival in such a place is hopeless. Knowing this, Ramiris
seriously advised them.

"Good thing? You must protect yourself with the 'Barrier' and keep your lifeline. Otherwise, if you are
swallowed by subspace, you don't know where you will jump to, do you?"

Dino nodded strongly to Ramiris' warning. In fact, Benimaru, Diablo, and Zegion are connected to the "Soul
Corridor" via Rimuru. Of the four members who are going to make a mission, Dino is the only one who does
not have a firm connection with the others.

"Well, that's it. I and Pico will support you, don't worry."

"Well, I was shocked that we didn't have a bond..." Dino said.

"Don't worry about it. We're friends and we trust each other. It's weird that there are things like Soul Corridor
that don't make sense."

Dino thought that she was right, but he was feeling a little sad. Anyway, it was necessary to tighten up from
this point on. In the subspace, there was no foothold, so they had to rely on their lifelines. As Ramiris said,
it was a very dangerous act.

Nevertheless, Dino was unusually motivated. The best thing for Dino, needless to say, is to 'not work.' This
does not mean that he cannot work. It just means that he doesn't want to. Therefore, when Dino got
serious, he worked fast. If he had to, he would finish his work as soon as possible.
 V21
Dino was the first to jump out into the subspace. Zegion arrived at Dino's side. Benimaru was the most
inexperienced, so he stayed close to the safe zone. Diablo was at the far end, the most dangerous position,
before he knew it. From Dino's point of view, the arrangement looked like an equilateral triangle. From the
others' point of view, it was a tetrahedron with the four of them at the top.

Now, the preparations were complete. The next day, they were to perform a ritual that required more than
four people to perform. Ramiris suggested that they do it anyway, to which Diablo agreed, saying, "Kufufufu,
that's interesting."

Zegion silently agreed, and Benimaru, who had proposed the ritual, and Dino, who followed him, agreed
later. In fact, the ritual itself was as dangerous as the place itself.

(Diablo aside, Zegion and Benimaru? Great - the amount of magicule is growing again...) Dino thought.

Zegion... having witnessed the earlier battle, I don't want to understand, but I do. And before I knew it, even
Benimaru had become as strong as the real Dino. I wondered what was going on, but I didn't have the
energy to rush in. Dino decided to concentrate on the mission.

"Be careful!" came the anxious thought of Ramiris.

Once it was confirmed that everyone was in position, it was time to get to work.

Two people were to connect the dots in one dimension. Three people, two dimensions drawing a plane. If
there are four people, it is three dimensions forming a space. Each person stood at the top of the
tetrahedron with the target in the center. In other words, what they were about to do now was to strike each
person with his or her own secrets toward the center of the tetrahedron, which had been completed to
enclose the 30 levels of the discarded labyrinth.

It would be far more than a stacked magic circle, a spatial magic circle would be formed...

(It's going to be unimaginably powerful.) Dino gulped down his spit.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized how crazy it sounded. Dino was so enthusiastic that he
got involved in the story, but when he cooled down before the actual performance, he began to think, This is
a bad idea.

However, the other three members except Dino were surprisingly enthusiastic.

"Kufufufu, it's been a while since I've given it my all," Diablo said.
"Yes. I'll V21
take this opportunity to know my limits," Zegion added.

"Yes, you're right. My body is in shambles, but for some reason, I think I can do it," Benimaru concluded.

Hearing this conversation on 'Telepathy Net,' Dino thought:

First of all, Diablo. Don't you dare! Second, Zegion. You have no limits! Then, Benimaru. If your body is in such
bad shape, why did you make this proposal?

They must be crazy! Dino wanted to shout with all his might. But it was too late to say anything. He thought
it would be useless, and if he was not good at it, it would only make the atmosphere worse. Dino is a
surprisingly considerate man.

So, the countdown began, with Diablo and the other executives of Tempest making Dino feel like he wasn't
good enough for them.

"You know what to do, don't you, Dino? We'll adjust our timing accordingly," said Diablo.

Benimaru and Zegion had no objection. They were confident that the three of them could perfectly
synchronize their timing, but it would be too much to ask Dino to do so. Therefore, as soon as Dino
released his technique, the three of them followed him.

Dino did not complain about this. In fact, he was relieved that he was not asked to do something so
reckless as to match the timing on the spot with such a difficult ritual technique.

"I'll give it my all!" Dino responded, his spirit sharpening.

At that moment, Dino's six pairs of twelve black and white wings shined. Dino's twin swords - the Golden
Sword (Excalibur) and the Dark Silver Sword (Kali Vaughn) - converged with immense power.

"Fallen Crusade!"

The white light blade and the black shadow blade intersected beautifully at the center of the tetrahedron,
leaving an afterglow.

And - at that very moment, the flowers burst forth into bloom unilaterally.

"Prominence Acceleration!"
 V21World Requiem!"
"End of the

"Devastator Storm!"

(491-498)

Benimaru's "Prominence Acceleration" is the strongest and most powerful of all.

Diablo's "End of World Requiem" is the ultimate illusionary elemental catastrophe magic, which reproduces
the collapse of the world and causes localized destruction. It is a combination of Skill, Art, and Magic, and
needless to say, it was Diablo's original and the most powerful and worst secret.

And Zegion's "Devastator Storm," which was also Zegion's most powerful technique, has been transformed
into "Dimension Storm" by incorporating the power entrusted to it by Zelanus, and it had evolved to be even
more unbelievable. Zegion's most powerful technique, "Dimension Storm," had evolved into something even
more vicious.

Each of them demonstrated their maximum power. The numerous superb techniques that were unleashed
every inch of the way reached the center of the tetrahedron at exactly the right moment, just as if they were
covered by the techniques unleashed by Dino.

In the labyrinthine waste section sitting there, a colorless polar light bloomed, beautifully coloring the
subspace. It was beautiful and worthy of being presented.

However, the hidden power of the light was the greatest since the creation of the universe, and it produced
a destructive force of utter disaster. The inside of the tetrahedron, which was constructed so as not to miss
its power, is filled with the disasters of destruction.

Quartet Skill: Breakdown Nostalgia.

The power of the four artists combined into one, creating the ultimate destruction never seen before.
Needless to say, Dino was terrified when he experienced it up close.

"I thought it was too dangerous to try it on a spur-of-the-moment basis," Dino later said.

It was the moment when a saga was born.

 V21 Room" was aware of this situation. Everyone who witnessed this scene was silent. The raging
The "Control
destructive storm showed no sign of abating. It was fortunate that this was a subspace. If this had been in
the labyrinth, it was unimaginable how many layers of people would have been involved.

"Um... am I going to be in trouble?" Ramiris said, revealing her true feelings.

The 'discarded 30 layers' at the center of the destruction disappeared in an instant when it was touched by
the Energy of Destruction. If such a heinous technique were used on the ground... the planet would
disappear, and the solar system would be swallowed up. Indeed, it is a destructive power that completely
surpasses even the power of Velgrynd. The four top-ranked players in this world, the Quartet Skill, produced
unimaginable results through synergistic effects.

In such a silent "Control Room," there were some people who came back to the room, talking happily with
each other. They were Diablo and Benimaru.

"Well, it was a very enjoyable experience," they said.

"Yes, it was. My body was screaming, but when it came time to do it, I felt more full of energy than ever
before. I'd like to do it again, but I'm afraid I won't have the chance anytime soon."

"Kufufufu. Carrera said something like, 'It's so much fun to break through the hierarchy,' and I finally
understand now why she said that."

"That's true. Testing the limits of one's strength is an experience rarely experienced."

Finally, Zegion joined in, and the atmosphere seemed to be quite lively. Ramiris couldn't stop shaking, a far
cry from the temperature in the Control Room. Her anxiety had turned into anger. Ramiris was flapping
around the room, declaring 'absolute prohibition' to Benimaru and the others who had returned.

In the midst of all this, Dino, who was so tired that he didn't want to do anything anymore, was with Shuna.
Pico and Gracia were also sitting on the parlor sofa, looking as if it was a matter of course. Shuna gently
offered tea and sweets to them.

"Thank you for your hard work."

It is a man's nature to be charmed by a smiling face saying so. Dino, as usual, felt that his hard work had
been worthwhile and his efforts were rewarded. Unlike Benimaru and the others, Dino had fought only by
himself. Therefore, Dino was proudly lying on the couch as if this was his reward. He relaxed gracefully and
asked Shuna for another cup of tea. By doing so, Dino was relieving his fatigue.
 V21
Benimaru complained about Dino's naturalness to him.

"Hey! Why are you so relaxed?"

"Well, you know, my work is finished, right?" Dino answered in a very lighthearted manner.

"Then why don't you go back to your house?" Benimaru asked irritably.

Hearing this, Dino looked at Benimaru with a puzzled look on his face. Seeing Dino like that, Benimaru was
more puzzled than Dino.

"What? Well, after the battle, then there's no other place for us to live, right?" Dino said briskly.

It was so refreshing to see that they were thinking only of their own convenience. He even winked at him
lightly, which made Benimaru's irritation reach its peak. So, he responded in a harsh tone.

"That's not the point! You guys were enemies just a little while ago, weren't you?"

Dino is a demon lord, so it was rude to talk like that, but Pico and Gracia didn't complain. They didn't
respect Dino that much. Dino himself didn't seem to be bothered by it either, and he simply let it slide and
got Ramiris involved.

"What? We already made up. Right, Ramiris?"

"Huh? Well, yeah. If you want to work again, I'm willing to hire you!" Ramiris' mood had returned.
Remembering how she and Dino had made up, she was smiling.

They started to enjoy the sweets together, but it was too early to tell. Remember, this is a "Control Room."
Although the crisis in the labyrinth is over, there are still many hardships around the world. Even Souei is
still flying around to gather information, and all is not well. Yet, as if to say 'I have nothing to do with it
anymore,' Dino and his colleagues were taking it easy.

The same was true for Pico and Gracia. No, it was worse. They were devouring the cake together, ignoring
Dino's conversation.

"This, this! It's so good! There are three of them, and I can have the other one, right?"

"Pico, don't panic. This last one is the one I've been after."
 V21 are you talking about? I declared it first, so it's mine by right!"
"What? What

An ugly fight broke out as they fought over the cake prepared by Shuna. Dino joined in the fight. Or rather,
he was a party to it.

"Hey! That's not what's left, it's mine! You don't have any right to it!"

Dino shouted and rushed to get the cake for himself, but his insistence was not heeded. Friendship is
powerless in the face of cake...

The Tempest members were left with this thought. Benimaru looked at them and sighed. He loved cakes
himself, but this was terrible, he thought.

"I'm against spoiling a bad guy, Shuna, but please prepare another one for them."

Benimaru was the first to give in. He thought that the conversation was not going to move forward. It was a
terrible thing to say to Dino, but it could not be helped because he did not have the dignity of a demon lord.
Shuna smiled and nodded.

Unaware of this, Dino and the others continued to fight with each other, showing their true nature.
Friendship is such a fragile thing. Although it was a cute fight compared to the global battle, the three were
staring at each other, not willing to give an inch. The fight continued until Shuna came in with a new one.

In the end, after finishing the cake, Dino and his friends agreed to join Benimaru. They seemed to realize
that it would be foolish to disobey the brother of Shuna, who is the authority over food. In any world, he who
controls the kitchen is strong. And so, a temporary alliance was formed.

"I may look like this, but I'm a demon lord, and I was never bought off," Dino said.

"That's right. We'll have to get at least three in a day."

"But we won't be able to eat this cake if the world dies. We have to cooperate with them."

And so, a deal was made.

After that, Dino and the others were to be hired by Ramiris, but that would depend on the negotiations.
Whatever the case may be, they will be hired only after protecting this world. The reason why they joined
Benimaru's command was because they thought it would be the most efficient way.
 V21Benimaru did not doubt their victory. They are trying to protect this Cardinal World, believing
Like Diablo,
that Rimuru will return. They are trying to protect this Cardinal World on a global scale, beyond the
framework of nations. Even Dino had to admit that it was a great feat for such a young man.

Seeing Benimaru and the others, Dino also thought to himself.

(Mai might come back safely, too.)

Dino did not expect that the earnest girl colleague would show the spirit of self-sacrifice. It is true that she
helped me, but I could not repay her kindness. Dino was not satisfied with the situation and decided to at
least cooperate with Benimaru and his colleagues. Otherwise, he would never have made a move.

Dino thinks, (When Mai comes back, we should treat her to this cake.) To do so, as Gracia had said, he
needed to keep the peace in the world. Dino did not really want to work, but he thought, what the heck.
 V21

Mai Furuki was drifting in the unknown space beyond which she had jumped with all her might.

It was probably the space between dimensions called subspace. She had lost the coordinates of her
position due to her disorderly jump from Ramiris' labyrinth. The 'automatic adjustment of the viable space'
by Mai's authority had kept her alive, though she was unaware of this. Grateful for her good fortune, she
also found herself craving cake for some reason.

Someone may have heard rumors about Mai, but why she remembered the cake was questionable. Cake
was a rare luxury. Baked cheesecakes and pumpkin cakes were mainstream, and shortcakes with fluffy
sponges were never seen. There may have been some if you looked for them, but the sweets stores in the
imperial capital were too expensive for Mai's salary. Yuuki had brought her sweet potatoes as a souvenir,
and it was a secret that it was the best reward for her.

(Even Yuuki-kun was killed by Jahil...)

PerhapsV21
because she remembered Yuuki for the last time, Mai was soaked in such sentimentality. When
she was wandering in the empire without knowing anything, Yuuki had picked her up and taken care of her.
Since then, she had lived desperately, dreaming of the day when she could return to the world where she
used to be.

Now, she had stopped being human and gained enough power to live in such a mysterious space without
dying. Even so, Mai's wish had never been fulfilled. Mai had gained the Ultimate Skill 'Terra Martell' and now
knew more about reality. The probability of Mai being able to return to her original world was infinitesimally
small.

In theory, it was not impossible. However, it was impossible for Mai. Crossing the dimensional barrier
required an enormous amount of energy and complex operations involving a huge amount of 'positional
information on time and space.' This was precisely why Mai's safety was ensured, despite her current
situation.

Mai was still in Vega's grasp, but she was not frightened. She knew that under the circumstances, she
would not be killed immediately.

"What are you laughing at?" Vega, who still had Mai in his hand, asked in a grim voice.

"Nothing. I just wanted to eat some cake."

"You look like you can afford it. You can't just run away by yourself, can you?"

"Escape? That's impossible."

Vega looked at Mai with an expression of incomprehension. Then he smiled, his face distorted, and
threatened Mai.

"If my body is killed, my body will have the Ultimate Skill 'Evil Dragon King Azi Dahaka,' right? If that
happens, you'll be the first one I'll eat."

Thinking that he would be stronger and able to return home by taking Mai's 'Instantaneous Movement,'
Vega smiled smugly.

In fact, at this point, Vega's body had been destroyed. Vega had 'Evil Dragon King Azi Dahaka' in his body,
but he was unaware of it. This was a very funny story, as it proved that Vega did not understand his own
authority at all.

Mai was unmoved by Vega's threats.

 V21
"I can't do it!"

"Don't get smart with me! If you're talking about sealing my body without killing me..."

"Oh, that's not what I'm worried about."

Mai also considered this possibility. If the main body of Vega was killed, the 'Evil Dragon Spawn' in front of
Mai would become the main body. Since she knew that, she might try to seal it. Mai thought so, but she
denied her idea right after that.

The reason was that it was highly dangerous. The rate of Vega's evolution was extraordinary. Considering
this, Mai thought it would be better to destroy him where he could be destroyed. In fact, that was what
happened, and Mai's prediction was correct.

And Mai's confidence was the same reason why she understood that her wish would not be fulfilled.

"Is it a gamble whether you can take away my power or not?"

"You fool! I'm sure of it."

Mai also thought 'maybe so,' but she remained silent and continued.

"But, I can't read your location."

"What?"

"To move in space, it is necessary to calculate coordinates. The coordinates of the current position and the
location information of the teleport destination are required at the very least."

"Hmm..."

"If you kill me, you won't be able to get that information."

Mai's power - the evolved 'Terra Martell' - was also capable of 'Spacetime Leap.' However, as mentioned
above, it required a great deal of information. There was another method of leaping toward the wavelength
of the target person, but it could not be traced if the person was in a different dimension.

Even if the time axis, positional coordinates, and other information of the target point were known, if there
was a dimensional wall separating them, Mai could not overcome it with her power. This was why Mai gave
up the idea of returning to the original world.
V21
In some cases, the wall could be overcome if the dimensions were adjacent to each other. However, since
the height of the wall varied from dimension to dimension, there were cases where it was impossible no
matter how hard one tried. The only way out was to search for the "Underworld Gate" and repeat the
dimensional search.

Mai had an almost infinite lifespan, but even so, she concluded that it was impossible. The time axis of
each dimension was different. If the time axes were synchronized between worlds, there would be no time
difference even if the dimension leaps. In reality, however, such a phenomenon could not be expected.

Even in the same universe, space continued to expand at a speed exceeding the speed of light. The
correlation between time and space was beyond the scope of Mai's understanding. Moreover, the
probability of arriving at the time and place of her beloved brother's life was so small as to be almost zero.

If Mai had more powerful energy, it would have been possible to leap through time and space. If Mai were a
"True Dragon," such a leap would have been possible. However, it was impossible for Mai. That was all
there was to it.

In addition, Mai herself could not decipher the information of her current location, perhaps because she
had jumped as fast as she could. Even if she could have escaped from Vega, it was hopeless for her to
return home.

It was not a story to be hidden, so Mai explained it frankly. Of course, Vega could not understand it.

"What? I mean, what is it? I mean..."

"I'm saying that without my cooperation, you won't be able to use your powers anyway."

Mai's intention was to delay Vega's decision if he was strong-armed. In fact, she succeeded. However, Mai
herself understood that it was only a way to buy time.

Vega was troubled by Mai's assertion. He could not deny it. To begin with, Vega could not say that he had
mastered even the Ultimate Skill 'Evil Dragon King Azi Dahaka.' As Mai said, even if he took away Mai's
power, it would be a waste of his treasure.

At this time, Vega finally realized he had 'Evil Dragon King Azi Dahaka' in him. But Vega could not do
anything.

Damn! I don't think I can handle complicated powers. But... what are you going to do?
He didn'tV21
like the idea of Mai outwitting him like this, and killing Mai and taking away her power would be
meaningless if he was stuck in this situation.

Vega was not sure. At this point, he and Mai would be left alone in this unknown subspace. He would have
to rely on Mai to jump from this point. They would have to wait for Mai to recover her energy and then
'Spacetime Leap' at random.

In such a case, he would have to cooperate with Mai and check her mood every time. To tell the truth, Vega
thought it would be a hassle. If he had continued to think about it for a long time, he would have ended up
with the conclusion that he would eat Mai. It would be hard to keep catching Mai, because it would be the
end if she escaped. Then, it would be better to take away the power and manage on his own.

But, however, Vega lost his chance before he could find the answer.

"What?"

Oh, no, what?

Was it Mai who realized it first, or was it Vega?

A powerful and unparalleled space-time storm had suddenly appeared on the spot. The laws of subspace
are beyond human knowledge. It is unknown whether or not they will be able to get caught in the space-
time storm and survive.

"We'd better run away."

"I don't need to be told..."

Vega could not finish the sentence. Mai was no different, for a new space-time storm was brewing,
centered on Vega, who was now exuding more and more power.

"Kya!"

"Whoa----?"

It was the main current of energy, so powerful and unmatched that there was no way to resist it. Vega's
hand was off Mai. It was an opportunity, but Mai was not ready for it. Light danced. As soon as Mai was
caught in the vortex of space-time, even her consciousness, which is a spiritual life form, became dazed.
You toldV21
me not to give up. I'm sorry, Yuuki-kun.

Mai let go of her consciousness.

 V21

511-514

At that moment, the space-time storm had passed, and Vega was patiently surviving.

“Kukuku, it was nothing!”

They sayV21
you forget the heat of the moment, and Vega was just like that. That's why he repeated the same
mistakes over and over again without any remorse.

“Damn, I lost Mai. She might be dead now after being hit by such a powerful rush of energy.”

Vega thought that it was a pity that he could not take away Mai's power, though he did not care if she died.
But Vega was a ‘lucky’ man. He thought that the fact that he had survived this time was proof of that.

However, he was wrong. After all, Vega's luck had already run out. The fact that he let go of Mai was
unshakable proof of that.

There was a place where no one knew. There was nothing there. No sea, no sky. There was no heaven or
earth, no top or bottom.

“Ah?”

Vega finally realized his position. In that place, not even a star shone. There was no light, so there was no
color. Nothing existed. It was complete nothingness.

“Hey, hey, hey…”

Vega finally realized that this was not good. Because there was nothing, there was no indicator. Even if he
tried to move, he couldn't tell whether he was going forward or backward. There was no magicule. There
was no sign of hitting anything, even though the magicule from Vega was spreading.

Perhaps, not even time was flowing. Suddenly, fear welled up in Vega's heart. He realized that he was
completely alone. There was nothing to do. There was nothing he could do.

“Hey, hey, wait. What's going on? Is there anyone else here, you son of a bitch?”

Fear turned to anger.

“Damn it! What the hell did I do?”

Vega barked into the empty void. He shouted with all his might. But no one responded. There was no
response. Since there was no one, he could not bluster.
 V21
There was no point in blustering, but Vega tried.

“Don’t you dare screw with me! I am the immortal Vega! The strongest immortal in the whole world!”

After shouting that much, Vega suddenly felt empty. He was afraid. Yes, Vega was immortal, and he
remembered that.

“Hey, hey, hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute…”

He tried to make a big explosion around himself, as if to release all his energy. But nothing changed. Vega
was successfully resurrected. And in time, everything was back to normal.

Vega had his boastful, inexhaustible energy. So no matter how much energy he released, it would come
back inexhaustible. It was the result of eating Insect Lord Zelanus. Nowadays, Vega resented this. After all,
Vega's body was immortal and its energy was never exhausted. It meant that he couldn’t even kill himself.

“What? No way, wait… wait… wait…”

No one could hear his voice of resentment. And then it turned into a lament.

In that lonely, empty place, unable to even finish himself, Vega lamented his own stupidity. Alone and lonely,
forever and ever…
 V21

516-522

I opened my eyes to a dim light. I was, as I recall, in the middle of a fight with Milim, when Feldway
interrupted me, and then I--

<<You are awake?>>

 V21 talked to me. If Ciel-san is okay, that means I'm still alive. I felt relieved for a moment, and
Oops, Ciel-san
then questions started flooding my mind. I whispered the biggest question.

"Where am I?"

My vision suddenly blurred, and I had no idea what had happened. I was puzzled, but then Ciel-san
explained it to me in a nonchalant manner.

<<This is the world of the end. It is also known as 'the end of time and space.'>>

Huh?

<<We were sent here by Feldway via a space-time transfer.>>

Ciel-san continued. Feldway's "Chrono-Saltation" had been triggered while I was dealing with Milim. Adding
Time Stop to Time Stop doesn't change the effect. However, if you multiply them together, you get a drastic
change. It was "Chrono-Saltation"—a technique to block the flow of all time and shower it on the subject
alone. The stronger the flow of time, the stronger the repulsion of space to be fixed. The stronger the force
of the repulsion, the more the object is buried "beyond time and space." And this is where I ended up—here,
at the end of time and space. A place where the end of time and space meet in the distant future.

At that point in time, I had become an existence that could not be ignored, a being that could free Milim
from Feldway's control.

<<Feldway must have avoided a head-to-head fight with the Master, who had become a transcendent being
who could rival or possibly surpass him.>>

In other words, Feldway did not think he could have killed me either. Since I couldn't be easily defeated, he
sent me to another place so that I wouldn't be in the way. At first glance, it seemed like a postponement of
the problem, but it was a very rational strategy. Because the truth is, I didn't know where I was anymore...

This colorless, wide-open space didn't make sense to me, even if it was called "the end of time and space."

No time had passed in this place. And yet, unlike the "Suspended World," I couldn't even perceive the
expansion of space, even if I manipulated the "information particle."

<<Yes. In this place, the flow of time has stopped. The expanse of space has come to an end, and
according to the law of entropy, we have reached the point of emptiness.>>

Has it reached?
<<Yes, I V21
have seen it. In Feldway's "Chrono-Saltation," we were transported to the far reaches of space-time.
There, the life of the stars have long since expired, but the world had not yet collapsed. I assume that
Feldway's power was limited to destroying the Cardinal World universe.>>

We do not know exactly what happened in that timeline. Since when Ciel-san was jumped, the whole thing
was over. We don't even know what happened to Ivarage or how he moved, but what we do know for sure is
that the world was not destroyed. I don't know if that was what Feldway wanted, but it doesn't matter to me.

<<After that, I wandered around in a universe where not even a star twinkled, and watched the end of the
world.>>

I couldn't quite understand what Ciel-san was talking about. You mean to say that the destination of the
jump was "beyond time," and from there, time passed and you reached "the end of time and space?" I had
no idea what she was talking about, like she had witnessed the end of the world. I mean, there was no way
she could survive in such a state. I thought, "If you’re going to tell a lie, you’d better tell a better one," but
then I remembered that Ciel-san does not tell lies. Sometimes I was deceived, but it was not a lie, but rather
a story that I misunderstood or was made to misunderstand.

Does that mean that this place is really the end of the world?

<<Yes, that's right.>>

Ciel-san nodded his head in a very casual way, as if to say, "This is a problem, isn't it?" As for me, I'm not so
worried about it. As my understanding caught up with me, it became clear how bad the situation was. It
seemed that Ivarage had gone on a rampage to 'do Feldway's bidding and destroy the world' while I was
away, and I couldn't say I was happy to hear that he did.

Well... is that okay?

<<I've been beaten. I didn't think they would play such a trick on us....>>

Are you kidding me? Did you get screwed? I didn't think I would get hit by the same move that Feldway used
to jump Velgrynd. I guess I was a little overconfident that Ciel-san would not be able to do the same move. I
can't believe that Ciel-san admitted defeat.

<<No, I didn't admit it. I guess it's a draw this time, isn't it?>>

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, no, you lost when you said you were beaten.

<<No, it's just your imagination.>>

 V21imagination.
It's just my

<<And now, what do you want to do after that?>>

What do you mean?

<<Because it has been a long time, the energy of the 'Nihility Collapse' has accumulated enormously.
Veldanava seems to have lost 'Nihility Collapse' by creating the world, but it is not a problem because
Master has 'Imaginary Space.'>>

What is wrong with that? I think it's full of problems... My 'Imaginary Space' seems to be infinite, filled up
enough to rebuild the world tens of thousands of times, but not filled yet. I was wondering what that has to
do with it, when Ciel-san made an outrageous statement.

<<It is possible to recreate the memories of all the people involved in Master and the world environment to
intentionally create a world as close as possible to the one that existed back then. What do you think?>>

What do you mean? Ciel-san asked me, and I was absolutely dumbfounded. I understand. After all is said
and done, there is nothing more we can do. Yes, this is the end. This is the world after everything. All the
people I loved in my time, Benimaru, Shuna, Shion, Tempest, Diablo, the demons, Guy, the demon lords,
Milim, Ramiris, Hinata, and so many others, are nowhere to be found in this world. I finally understood. I
mean, it's like defeat.

<<No, that's not true. Master is alive and->>

I'm alive. I guess I can make it all happen again and live peacefully as if nothing happened. If Ciel-san says
she can do it, then there is no doubt about it. But that would have been meaningless. I'm not happy to be
the only survivor in a world where I couldn't protect the ones I loved. If I didn't have friends with whom I
could feel all the joys and sorrows, it was as if I had lost the meaning of life. Even if they have the same
memories, and even if the DNA is exactly the same, it is impossible to claim that they are the same person
if I have created them with my own hands. My nerves are not strong enough to keep on living with them in
the same way as before.

523-530

A world where I can easily start over if I don't like something from a godlike point of view—that's just a trick.
It must be a hellish world, far from what I wanted. Ciel-san seems to think that she can rationally build a
new world that I want, but such a world is not possible.
V21
It is true that it is the right answer from a superficial point of view. It may make sense in terms of numbers,
and there may be no problem at all. However, I was not satisfied with it. There is no convenient reset
button. Reality is not like a game.

If you laugh at me for being emotional, laugh. You're going to resurrect your dead friends as if by magic just
to relieve my loneliness? I would not do such a thing even if I were dead. I'm aware that I'm selfish. But
that's why I can't allow myself to create a world that only suits me. In such a world, my very existence will
rot and die. Rather than comfort myself by clinging to the past, it was better to choose loneliness proudly.

<<As I thought. I had expected that Master would answer in this way.>>

"Then don't make unnecessary suggestions, hmm?"

I almost shouted in anger, but Ciel-san, on the contrary, seemed very happy. I felt as if cold water had been
poured on my hot heart. This reaction, as if I had done the right thing, was something I remembered before.
It was something I remembered Ciel-san used to show when she was playing tricks...

I was right. Ciel-san made the most outrageous statement of the day.

<<As I was about to say, Master is not defeated. We can go back in time now and defeat Feldway.>>

"Go back to the past? You mean we can defeat Feldway now?"

There is no way to do that, I thought. Chloe seemed to be able to 'Time Leap' to read her future memories,
but that was just an ability to go back to her past self. Besides, it cannot be used while time is suspended.
In this "end of time and space," no time is flowing, so even Chloe probably can't go back to the past.

Ciel-san whispered to me.

<<I have developed a 'Spacetime Leap' for this kind of thing.>>

"...Time Warp? Like combining time distortion and space distortion to enable any kind of movement?"

<<Yes, that's pretty much correct.>>

"Isn't this a mess? I'm not talking about something that disturbs the laws of physics. It's a very versatile
right that is unparalleled in the Spatial Movement family. Mai's 'Instantaneous Movement' was great, but
this is even better than it."
 V21 Enchantment 'World Map,' owned by Mai Furuki, was recovered from Michael when he
<<The Ultimate
absorbed it.>>

"Huh? Why didn't you tell us such an important story until we were in this situation?"

I was so indignant, but Ciel-san's response was cold.

<<I explained. But the Master was distracted by the conversation with Raine and didn't listen to me.>>

Oops? Suddenly things were getting a little weird. When you say I had a conversation with Raine, was it
during the painting transaction? No, I'm sure...I had some negotiations with Raine after absorbing Michael,
but... Maybe this is my fault, but wait a minute. Why did you try to give such an important explanation at
such a critical time? It's definitely harassment, isn't it?

<<No, sir. I swear.>>

I was absolutely stunned. I'm even more suspicious when you use inversion to deny it. I can't help but think
that your attempt to test me this time was just a retaliation for that time... But I can't help but feel that
pursuing this matter is a suicidal act. More important now was how to get back from here. I decided to turn
my eyes to the future, as if I were turning away from an inconvenient truth.

Ciel-san is very confident that she has succeeded in developing a universal 'Spacetime Leap' as a result of
her research on Mai's power. It seems that this 'Spacetime Leap' is a very powerful tool indeed. The
'Instantaneous Movement' included in Mai's 'World Map,' which is said to be the prototype of the 'Spacetime
Leap,' had a lot of potential, even though it was still incomplete. Its essence was not 'the ability to move to
a place you have been to once, at will' but 'the ability to transcend all time and space and arrive at a desired
place.' Mai had not been able to show its full potential because of her lack of power.

In my case, however, I have an extraordinary 'Spacetime Domination,' and as Ciel-san said, I have
accumulated a huge amount of energy that cannot be measured... Indeed, this 'Spacetime Leap' is a very
important factor for me to be able to reach the place where I want to go. Certainly, the conditions for
mastering this 'Spacetime Leap' were all in place.

<<A Master who controls time and space can easily transcend it>>, Ciel-san boasted.

She must have known what I wanted from the very beginning. So, it seems that we are really going back.
 V21 There are many people connected by 'Soul Corridor,' so we already know the space-time
<<No problem.
coordinates of this point.>>

"Oh, really? You mean, it's easy to get back?"

<<It's not easy, but we can get back.>>

That's a relief. It seems less difficult than creating a new world, if you think about it. Ciel-san was there to
make me feel safe. Well then, let's get back to it, I thought...

<<Wait a moment, please. Since we're here, I think we should assess the situation until the last minute and
then round up the enemy.>>

"Is that really not a foolish idea? It's not good enough if the casualties were caused by a mistake, right?"

<<I'm very much aware of that.>>

As usual, Ciel-san is full of confidence. It is a great thing that she is not shaken by Feldway's plan, even
though she has just been beaten by Feldway's plan. I mean, did she really have to undergo the "space-time
transfer"? I heard that Ciel-san has also accomplished a complete analysis of "Chrono-Saltation" through
her own—that is to say, my—direct experience.

"You didn't do it on purpose, did you?"

I was naturally inclined to think so, and the more I listened to Ciel-san's story, the more I had to suspect so.

<<As you can come back anytime you want, why don't you take this opportunity to grasp the authority of
the master? For example, this->>

Well, she started to brag about her authority as much as she could. I understand that she didn't do it on
purpose, but it turned out to be convenient for Ciel-san. I secretly thought that I should learn from her super
luck. Then, I ended up accompanying Ciel-san's story for a while.

Even though it was just the two of us, Ciel-san was very lively. Her voice in response to me was filled with a
joy that she could not hide. She explained to me about all kinds of rights and privileges, as if she had all the
time in the world. In fact, Ciel-san was so excited that I thought this situation was a blessing for her. It was
a very rare sight...

But, it's not so surprising when you think about it. I just woke up, but Ciel-san has been waiting for me to
wake up for countless hours, for what seems like an eternity. Alone, alone...
It was noV21
longer a story of strong mentality. I am sure that I would not have been able to endure it, so I think
Ciel-san is really great. I don't think it's enough to call her "great," but I hope you'll forgive me because my
vocabulary is limited. Anyway, I went along with Ciel-san's story. And I came to know exactly what I can do
now and prepare for the future.

I had plenty of time, even though I was on a tight deadline. Well, to be precise, there was not exactly time,
so it was not "plenty" but zero. I felt like I had become a very strange person because I was still fine with it.

So, we are all set. There are many things that I can't handle without time passing, so I'm sure I'll have a lot
of chances to do it on the spot, but even so, my anxiety was gone. I had to pay back the debt. I hate to lose.
I didn't feel like losing anymore.

531-532

I had to free Milim, who was being manipulated, and I had a lot of work to do. Let's get going and defeat
Feldway quickly.

Then I experienced 'Spacetime Leap' for the first time, and—bam—I felt something bounce off me.

Hmmm?

Maybe I had an accident or something, as is often the case with novice drivers?

<<It 's just my imagination.>>

"Oh, really?"

Ciel-san assured me before I could say anything. If that's the case, then it must be so.

It seems that we jumped through the "space-time distortion path" we went through, but it's probably just
some garbage floating in subspace, and if Ciel-san doesn't care about it, it's okay. Maybe. It was the first
'Spacetime Leap' I've ever done, so I might have made a mistake. Well, I decided not to worry about it, as it
happens.

So, let's get back on track. Let's go!

<<Your will be done, milord!>>

Ciel-sanV21
responded to my command. As usual, it was a matter of course. I felt Ciel-san's absolute trust in
me. I will not betray her trust, and I will choose the world that I think is right. I may fail again, but I am no
longer defeated. It's time to end the cycle of misfortune and build a brighter future!

Thinking like this, I 'Spacetime Leap' to the past where everyone is waiting for me.
 V21

Thank you for your patience! We are pleased to present the 21st volume of the series. I hope you will be
pleased with my work again, but the most nerve-wracking moment for me is when I deliver it to you.

By the way, I-san, who is in charge of this project, said to me after reading the finished manuscript:

"This is definitely the next volume. You're not going to finish this in the next volume, are you?"

I replied, "It's not time to give up yet."

He responded, "The only one who hasn't given up is Fuse-san."

Recently, he has been given the nickname "Razor I0" for his very sharp and pointed commentary. Only Fuse-
san calls me that! I can hear the sound of "Fuse-san is the only one who calls me that!"

Sugi P, the producer of the anime, said, "You can't finish it in the next book, can you?" right after reading the
book. His tone wasn't questioning but smiling and assertive. I was filled with a feeling of incomprehension.

However...

I wrote down the remaining events... and that, and that, and that... hmmm... Hmm?

The wind has changed.

Well...

It's the last volume, so it could be very thick.

Or...

Volume 22, the top 00 Volume 22, the bottom 00

Then we could finish it in the next volume, right?

There are works in the world that continued from the first volume to the last volume after the first and the
second volume were finished, so there are many ways to do it!
 V21 joking.
Well, enough

Actually, I really want to finish it in the next volume. However, I can't deny the possibility that the amount of
text may increase a little bit when I count backward from the remaining events.

In the case of the final volume, I can't leave anything out, and I also want to finish it all at once.

So, I will think about it after I finish it!

I can't guarantee that the next volume will be a single book, but I will do my best to finish it in the next
issue. I will try to come up with a better plan for the completion of the next volume. I will do my best to
make the next volume enjoyable for everyone, so please support me until the end.

See you again in the next volume!

V21