HOT NOVEL UPDATES

Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken (LN) - Volume 15 - Chapter 5.3




Hint: To Play after pausing the player, use this button

The way you use your power is far too careless. I will help you, so you must make sure to use me better than that.

It sounded like Kondo’s voice to her—and the next moment, she understood everything. In an instant, she had made Kondo’s ability her own.

“How is that any of your business? Stop treating me like a child.”

Arrogant to the end, Carrera thought. But at least she didn’t feel lonely any longer. She stood up.

“Congratulations on your splendid victory. I, Agera, am thoroughly impressed.”

“You too. Good job surviving that and all.”

“Heh-heh… It’s very embarrassing to receive praise from you, you know.”

Agera, despite being wounded up and down his body, was still smiling. He had taken the brunt of Kondo’s sword skills, all while taking in the full fury of Carrera’s magic. It had brought him almost to the breaking point, but now that he was no longer in sword form, that all fed back to him in the form of serious injury. It was a wonder that he was still manifesting himself here—but still, he looked tremendously satisfied with himself.

“This man Kondo… He was a descendant of one of your trainees, wasn’t he?”

“It would appear so.”

“Guess I shouldn’t treat all humans like idiots, given the way they can inherit and accumulate skills and everything.”

Agera happily nodded.

“But seeing how much stronger he was than you was a surprise.”

The smile disappeared.

“He was…but only because he was a truly exceptional man. If we had fought with swords alone, I am positive I would have won.”

“Yeah, right.”

They shared a loud laugh. If they were alike in any way, it was that they were both sore losers.

But beyond the eyes of the laughing Carrera was a rift in this dimension, which was already collapsing. Through it, she could see Emperor Ludora sitting on his throne.

“Let’s go. This fight’s just getting started.”

Carrera strode on, her usual bold smile now front and center on her face once more.

“Of course. I will be glad to join you…and we shall strike terror in the hearts of those who dare to stand in our way!”

Agera followed, wounded almost to the point of death but totally unconcerned about it. The enemy was still out there—and the most important thing now was the promise they must fulfill.

Granit, the third-ranked member of the Single Digits, was a Hero who supported the Empire from time immemorial. He helped lay the foundation of the Empire, playing an instrumental role in the thousand years of peace it enjoyed. Glorified as a god of war by its subjects, he was a great man, one chronicled in history books. Although he had disappeared from the public eye in the years since, he was still alive and well, serving as the emperor’s close confidant and captain of the four knights who guarded him.

A skilled warrior versed in all manner of weapons and fighting techniques, his physique was magnificent. Despite being over two thousand years old, his black hair, slicked back and kept short, gave him an eternally youthful impression.

He was now facing off against Benimaru, the Flare Lord.

Both men squared off against each other in the center of the arena.

“I am Granit, guardian of the Empire.”

“Benimaru. Consider me the second-in-command of the demon lord Rimuru.”

And after those introductions, all that remained was to fight. That was Benimaru’s thought, but Granit just smiled at him.

“Now wait one moment. Are you willing to hear me out?”

“That depends on what it is.”

“It’s simple. We’ve been doing some research on you, you see. I’ve been told that you’re a very, very strong man.”

“I’m flattered.”

“Hee-hee-hee… I wasn’t trying to flatter you. I’ve slaughtered many powerful people, so I have a good eye for these things. In my opinion, you have fully passed the test. Not even your garden-variety demon lord could give you much trouble.”

“What are you getting at?”

At this point, Benimaru was starting to get irritated. He didn’t mind negotiation, but now that the battle had grown this heated, there was no time for casual conversation. If he was going to surrender, that was a different story—but the way Granit looked, that wasn’t the case. If anything, he seemed to be steering this talk toward demanding Benimaru’s surrender.

That prediction was right on the money.

“I didn’t expect you to be this strong, you see. It’s quite a surprise—and I have to say, Kondo disappointed me. Thanks to the negligence of his Imperial Intelligence Bureau, the entire Empire is exposed to danger. If the damage is worse than expected, it will be too late to stage a final battle. Personally, I think it’s time to call it a day. Will you swear to join my side and serve under me? If you do, I promise I will take full responsibility for both you and all who serve you.”

It was a very convenient offer for Granit. Here he was, facing sure defeat, and instead he was offering a cease-fire with zero consequences for himself. From a third-party view, that’s all it would have looked like.

But it wasn’t that—for Granit didn’t think he could lose. He was only trying to bring Benimaru and the others to shore up the significant loss of strength the Empire faced. And Benimaru, seeing through this, was now feeling extraordinarily annoyed.

This fool… Trying to use us as his pawns? But he does seem to have the power to back up that confidence…

Benimaru calmly assessed Granit. The fact that he was making this suggestion here, in the alternate dimension, indicated that he knew what was going on in the other Gates. He was more than a guard—likely more of an officer type with a tactical view over the entire battle.

“Putting my army aside for a moment, what would you do with Sir Rimuru?”

“I am sorry to say that the demon lord is dangerous. In order to confirm your allegiance to me, I’d need to ask your help defeating him.”

That was about what Benimaru figured. This was the offer he made, but what he really wanted was for the monsters to slaughter each other. And yes, maybe Granit would take Benimaru in if he survived, but he wasn’t stupid enough to trust such an uncertain story as that. Besides, betraying Rimuru was too outrageous an idea to even suggest.

“How ridiculous. We would never stab Sir Rimuru in the back.”

Benimaru was listening to all of this in order to stall for time. He had, in fact, heard a little voice in his mind a bit earlier—a vaguely familiar, comforting one—and it had a suggestion for him.

Benimaru, may I make a slight modification to the type of power you crave?

It was a pretty shady thing to ask, and normally Benimaru would have never given it the nod. But for some reason, he agreed to it.

He had evolved into a Flamesoul Ogre, a spiritual life-form, but he wasn’t satisfied with just that. He had been lent an ultimate skill from Rimuru, and based on that experience, he wanted to acquire one by his own hand.

And he was actually halfway there already. Watching the battle between Rimuru and Velgrynd, as well as the struggles of his other companions, Benimaru had become enlightened. His power of fire, his main specialty, was now integrated with his unique skill Born Leader. He couldn’t reproduce Rimuru’s Absolute Severance ability, but his beloved sword Guren had been reforged by Kurobe to attain God-class. When Dark Flame was added to it, the difference in performance was such that he’d never lose with it.

Between his unique talents as a Flamesoul Ogre and the skill Born Leader that united them all, he was on the verge of reaching his ultimate peak. That’s when the voice came in.

So he decided to wait and see what kind of changes his approval brought about. That was why he agreed to talk with Granit, but when he asked him to betray Rimuru, Benimaru began to regret it deeply. The mere suggestion was offensive to him.

Having had more than enough of this, he drew his sword and pointed it toward Granit.

“Whoa, whoa, it’s not good to have a short fuse like that. Monsters are all about survival of the fittest, aren’t they? Aren’t you supposed to serve and follow the strong? And don’t monsters switch masters all the time?”

Hearing this from Granit almost made Benimaru’s blood boil. He was the commander-in-chief of the monster forces, and he thought he had a good grip on his anger by now, but…

Heh-heh… Guess I can’t laugh at Shion any longer.

He mocked himself for it, but now he had no intention of holding back his anger.

“Draw your blade. There is no meaning to further conversation.”

“Oh brother,” Granit said, shaking his head. “I don’t understand. This is both an extension of mercy and the greatest concession you could ever receive from me. Out of great respect for your position, I was allowing you to serve under me without anyone having to be hurt…”

He sounded truly mystified over it. He certainly didn’t doubt his own strength; he was saying all this because he truly believed he could overwhelm his foe. And Benimaru, fully aware of this, grew more incensed by the moment. The only reason he hadn’t started slashing away yet was because he wanted to make Granit truly regret his words.

“So are you keeping this chat going because you want to make excuses about your defeat?”

“Ha-ha-ha! What a thing to say. I like your spirit, but you should really know your place here. Yes, my men were perhaps too proud for their own good—and all of them are now defeated. It would shame me to even show my face to His Majesty right now, but if you would only nod your head at me, we’d have more strength than ever before. I’d be happy, and even better, you wouldn’t have to die. We can build a good relationship that way, can’t you see? And now that I’ve given you my offer, do you understand what’s at stake here? I’m not at all the sort to use you and your people as discardable pawns, you see.”

Despite how obvious Benimaru’s annoyance was by now, Granit just kept pressing on. And even worse, he was unmistakably sincere in his words. He had the air of a hero, certainly, and his demeanor spoke volumes about his honest, guileless approach.

“If you, too, are a commander, think about it. Think of all the soldiers and officers you could save with a single decision. And let me also tell you the cold, hard truth: Damrada and Kondo truly are strong. I have been friends with Damrada for many years, and I know his character well. I’m stronger, of course, but not even a Primal could defeat the likes of him. And look at Kondo! A relative newcomer, but every bit as strong as we are. His Majesty placed him under his control because he’s too dangerous, really, but there’s no way a Primal could beat him either. What I’m saying here is that if you seek to confront His Majesty, you will have to face four invincible guardians first, including myself and Velgrynd. And you can understand how impossible that is, don’t you?”

This guy’s got a pretty loose tongue, Benimaru thought. That defused his anger a little, so he decided to see what else he could milk him for. There were a few words here and there that enraged him, but if Granit could reveal more of the Empire’s inner workings to him, he wouldn’t mind putting up with it. One interesting tidbit in particular was how the emperor had Kondo “under his control”—it seemed clear now that Ludora had some kind of domination skill.

“Of all the irresponsible things to say to me. It’s a little surprising to hear you decide for us that we can’t win. Besides, even if I said yes, I have no interest in having our hearts and minds all be controlled by you.”

“Ha-ha-ha! Have I piqued your interest? Well, I’m sure I have. I understand that you ogres have long served as talented mercenaries, so I assumed you might be interested in joining me under the right conditions. And fear not—as you said, His Majesty can indeed control people’s minds. But there’s hardly any point worrying about it, is there?”

“…”

“Hmm… Unconvinced? Well, you may be entitled to, but it’s something of a thorny issue, you know? If you are ruled over, after all, you should be proud of it. If you weren’t competent enough for that honor, after all, we’d just be ignoring you anyway. Kondo is ruled over in the same way, too, although he’s not aware of it. I’m the only one who knows about it all. Can’t help but feel a little sorry for him sometimes.”

“This is going nowhere.”

It really was out of the question. He could understand Granit’s logic, faulty as it was. If you were being mind-controlled but never realized it, there was nothing to be unhappy about, was the idea. It was valid, yes, but not exactly a convincing argument.

“You don’t think? But it’s really true—you have nothing to worry about. I was taking an alternate angle to this because I thought you wouldn’t believe me otherwise, but I can assure you that you and your companions will never be ruled over in that fashion.”

“Why not?”

“Because you are weak.”

“Uh-huh…”

This reignited Benimaru’s anger. Granit’s speech was perfectly natural; he didn’t suggest for a moment that he was bluffing—or, for that matter, meaning to insult him. He was just breezily declaring that Benimaru and his team were weak—a natural fact in his mind. Benimaru, fully aware that he had evolved into something stronger, never expected this sort of disrespect.

“Well, hear me out. What I mean is that as enemies of ours, you’re on the strong side, certainly—but if you join us, you wouldn’t be worth having your minds dominated. It looks like both Kondo and Yuuki are under His Majesty’s control now, but now he’s taken over the mind of Sir Veldora as well. I doubt he has enough remaining force to add all of you to the list, so if you swear loyalty to him, I’m sure he’ll allow you to move freely. After all, even if all of you challenged me at once, you still wouldn’t be able to beat me.”

“You certainly aren’t lacking in confidence. But I’m just as confident in my own strength, you know. And I’m getting kind of sick of hearing all your nonsense, so how about we see which side is correct via actions, not words?”

Benimaru readjusted the sword on his shoulder. He thought he could get some more useful information, but concluded that any more of this would just make him more agitated.

Granit gave this a displeasured sigh. “You monsters are so hard to deal with, you know? I’m extending a hand to you, and you’re just pushing it away. It’s sad that you can’t see the reality of this…but oh, well. I’ll give on trying to win you over, then. Perhaps I could negotiate with whoever just defeated Minaza.”

Benimaru snickered. “Better not. Shion’s more hardheaded than I am.”

This made Granit’s countenance grow stern for the first time in this whole encounter. “Oh…? I don’t believe I mentioned Minaza to you. Do you know who she is?”

“Well, intelligence gathering is a key part of any war zone, isn’t it? Sir Rimuru taught me to be thorough about that sort of thing.”

“Hmm… Interesting. But how did you get that information inside Lady Velgrynd’s dimension here? It really would be a shame to kill a man of your stature…”

Saying this, Granit finally drew his sword. He had a skilled hand for any weapon, but always felt better with a familiar sword in his hand. The moment he held it up to Benimaru, his mood changed completely. His previously calm demeanor vanished entirely, and he radiated an air of supremacy that’d give even a god-ogre a run for their money. His short hair stood up on end, as if personifying the expression “hair-raising havoc.”

“‘Ask not the sparrow how the eagle soars’—an expression from an old history book from another world, if I recall correctly. It means that the little people cannot understand the thoughts of the greats—and that describes you to a tee. You should have obeyed me while I was being gentler in my advice.”

“You’re still lecturing me? Because I’ve had quite enough of it.”

“Hmph! Then die! Army Destroyer: Quaking Blast!!”

From the very first move, Granit was unleashing his maximum power, fully convinced that would be the end of it.

He was gifted in enemy analysis, capable of discerning the combat ability of his opponents via Read Enemy Status—a skill granted to him by Ludora via Alternate. That gave him a correct grasp of the power of Benimaru and his team, and that was why he was convinced there was no way he could be defeated. Read Enemy Status wasn’t foolproof, of course; if the target had awakened to an ultimate skill, it’d be impossible to gauge their full power. Still, it was easy enough to guess the level of power involved simply by gauging magicule counts…and in that respect, Benimaru didn’t look like a threat. Neither, for that matter, did Soei, Shion, or the demons.

It was clear to Granit that not one of them could have acquired an ultimate skill. The Primals were a thorn in their side—negotiating with them was a fool’s errand. He planned to do away with the demons if they had come through this Gate, but instead he got Benimaru. In this, Granit saw great promise—an enterprising monster on the verge of discovering his ultimate skill. But as he stood, he was no match for himself. He had a huge amount of magicules, but still less than half of Granit’s. In that way, it was natural for him to decide Benimaru was no threat.

And Granit wasn’t being conceited or careless at all. If the enemy held an ultimate skill, that might give him a hard time, depending on the nature of it. An extended fight could lead to his enemy feeling like his life was in danger, which could trigger an awakening. But a mere conversation wasn’t going to do that.

So Granit was determined to finish Benimaru off with such overwhelming force that he wouldn’t be able to counter with anything. He knew Benimaru didn’t have any hidden transformation skill like the lycanthropes—and now that he did, there was absolutely no chance of losing. Granit’s victory was a certainty…

“What a travesty. After all that bravado, you’re not showing me much.”

“Wh-what?!”

Then something truly unexpected happened. Army Destroyer: Quaking Blast, a move that contained enough energy to vaporize Benimaru, was harmlessly parried off by his sword. It was a truly unbelievable sight to behold. All of Granit’s equipment was God-class, from head to toe. Benimaru clearly wielded a good sword, but it couldn’t have held up to God-class gear.

And more to the point:

“No! No, no, no! This is unreal! Why… Why have you obtained an ultimate skill?!”

Granit’s shouting was understandable. The idea of someone obtaining an ultimate skill without showing even the tiniest sign in advance was sheer lunacy. It threw him into a panic, even though Benimaru remained cool.

“Why are you so amazed? Aren’t all of us constantly growing in life?”

He tried to sound all cool about it, but on the inside, he was sweating it badly. He had, in fact, obtained this power at the exact moment he stepped up to stop Granit’s blade. And right when he did, he got a glimpse of his full power. If his timing was even a little off just now, Benimaru would have taken terrible damage. He could have died, even. It was certainly nothing to laugh about.

That was a close call. I didn’t think he was hiding his full abilities that much…but without this power, I would have lost, huh?

Good thing, he now thought, that he put up with that story for so long.

“Right. Now it’s my turn.”

Mentally shifting gears, Benimaru focused on his enemy. He was glad to survive that in the end, but he could reflect on that later.

The power he had just acquired was exactly the ideal he had envisioned, so he wasted no time breaking it out, as free and easy as if he was taking a breath. This was the ultimate skill Amaterasu, Lord of Shimmering Flame—a fearsome force based on the information Ciel obtained by analyzing Velgrynd.

His beloved sword Guren took on a black glow, the dark haze of heat that now symbolized his authority. This was both a literal haze and a representation of being fully impossible to hit—no substantial form; something that cannot be burned, frozen, or cut open. That, and it had one more meaning—the light of the sun, a superheated flame. To this magical flame was added Benimaru’s swordsmanship, and not even he could imagine how powerful that made him.

Granit, for his part, had fully lived up to his “god of war” nickname. Although shocked for a moment, he immediately calmed himself and began searching for his enemy’s weak points.

Benimaru now had far fewer magicules, a potential side effect of acquiring an ultimate skill. He remained a force that your typical demon lord would be helpless against, but his magic level was only about a third of Granit’s. This unknown new force was a threat, but by his reckoning, another full-throated strike could overcome it.

“Don’t mess with me, monster,” he shouted. “I’m not going to hold back next time. You’re about to face every ounce of my might!”

In the imperial army, Granit’s brute strength was second only to Velgrynd’s. He was stronger than Damrada, even, and likely an even match with Kondo. That remained just as true now. But there was a good reason why he was entrusted with guarding Ludora. He just never had a chance to get fully serious in battle.

Now he was summoning all his might to crush Benimaru.

“Die! Army Destroyer: Quaking Blast!!”

It was the same technique as before, but on a far greater level. Raging spirit gushed out of him, discharging in the form of lightning bolts in the air. But they harmlessly passed through Benimaru. Nothing could catch the heat haze.

There was a roaring sound. Something had happened—not in this space, but some other realm.

Damn it, Carrera… Of all the terrible things to do…

Benimaru’s mind was filled with vivid images of what Carrera had done. He didn’t need to go through Moss for it. After acquiring Amaterasu, Lord of Shimmering Flame, he was able to “see” whatever those serving him could, as long as they were connected to Rimuru via a soul corridor. It gave him a picture-perfect view of Carrera’s skills.

“Let me show you something real special. I’ve only just seen it myself, but…well, let’s give it a whirl.”

“Wha—?”

Granit couldn’t react. Benimaru’s attack had just cut him into tiny pieces that were charred by the time they reached the ground.

Perhaps Benimaru was the most “terrible” of all. He truly moved like a haze off a hot road. Amaterasu, derived from Velgrynd’s own abilities, included the skill Dominate Heat, which accelerated his body. Using that, he could release a sword slash at truly divine speed. Although it wasn’t quite up to Cardinal Acceleration levels, it was an invincible skill, powerful and fast…

“It is called Crestwater Darkflame Hundred Flower Bloom. Not that you’re around to hear that, but…”

With that side comment, Benimaru turned away, a refreshed expression on his face. Granit truly was strong—calculating, well prepared, and in tip-top fighting condition. His defeat was caused, in so many words, by bad luck. If there was any mistake he made, it was violating the tried-and-true credo of striking the enemy while you can still defeat them. Benimaru vowed not to repeat Granit’s error in his mind.

Velgrynd was growing concerned. She should have been watching out for the demon lord Rimuru all along; he had consumed her Separate Body, and now she couldn’t communicate with it. Any thoughts she projected were swallowed by the abyss, doomed to never receive a response. Even pouring energy into her other Body felt like nothing more than throwing it into a bottomless swamp. There was just no point to it.

The True Dragon bit her lip. Approximately half of her total energy was lost with no hope of recovery. Seeing her seemingly invincible Parallel Existence get defeated like this made it hard for her to retain her composure. Compared to her at full health, she had only around 20 percent of her magicules. It was now, in her estimation, impossible to defeat Rimuru, and she was forced to conclude that fleeing the scene as soon as possible was her best choice.

“Ludora… I can’t put him in danger…”

So she decided to abandon guard duty of the Gate she was behind. Fortunately for her (she guessed), nobody had come to attack her yet, so she didn’t have to hesitate as she went back outside the Gate. If someone got in her way, she could just take care of them then.

There, in the room with the Eight Gates, she did indeed see a few figures.

“Oh? Why are you leaving in such a hurry, Lady Velgrynd? Did you forget something?”

The question was asked by Testarossa, relaxing and sipping some tea like she owned the place.

“…Blanc…”

Testarossa’s smile grew as Velgrynd glared at her. Considering the hurry she was in, having to face this troublesome opponent was a great annoyance.

“I asked you,” Testarossa said with an elegant smile, “to stop calling me that, didn’t I? Or are you trying to…pick a fight with me?”

Her eyes were no longer smiling. Velgrynd was still superior by far to her, but she wasn’t ready to take a single step back.

“You want to go with me after I beat you that badly?”

“I would be happy to, yes. After all, I don’t really need to win. If I can buy some time against you, all is well.”

Testarossa stood up as she spoke. Velgrynd immediately greeted her with her fist. The shock wave shattered the table and chairs, Esprit and Zonda evacuating a prudent distance away.

Now she was dancing lightly on the ground. Velgrynd’s heat was so intense that just touching her would burn her into cinders, her speed such that you couldn’t see her with the naked eye. It was an intense onslaught, and there was certainly no need to try taking that on. And it wasn’t just a matter of level. Velgrynd had nearly ten times more magicules than Testarossa, even though her tank was down to about 20 percent. That’s how much of a gap there was.

And yet Testarossa looked as relaxed as ever. Winning would be difficult—there wasn’t really any way to defeat her. But if she wanted to stall for time without attempting a victory, that was no problem for her.

“This is why I hate you so much!”

“Oh? Too bad. I have nothing but the utmost respect for you, as Sir Veldora’s elder sister.”

“Quit being so shameless about this! Stop bothering me and get out of my way!”

“Sorry, but I will have to decline that request. I may not look it, but I’m a very sore loser…sooo, I’m gonna get even with you right now!”

Testarossa truly meant it. She couldn’t beat Velgrynd in a head-to-head match, but merely harassing her was much easier. And even if she couldn’t hold out until the other officers were on the scene, Rimuru himself was likely to show up soon. By that point, her victory was assured.

Ah, Sir Rimuru’s victory was truly a sight to behold. Overwhelming Lady Velgrynd was like taking candy from a baby for him. Now it’s my turn.

Rimuru had done much to reveal Velgrynd’s arsenal to Testarossa. She didn’t want this opportunity to slip away, no matter what.

Red and white streaks crossed paths in the air. One was harsh and intense; the other graceful and elegant. The dual-colored pattern weaved itself around the chamber at frightening speed—and then they faced off against each other, neither side having made any contact.

“That’s crazy… You’re a different person from before…”

“I suppose I am, yes. I was rather surprised at it myself, but I, too, have acquired an ultimate skill. That’s the reason, I presume.”

Testarossa broke the news casually, as if it were nothing serious. She had actually used her waiting time to wish for a new power—and as a result, she successfully materialized the very shape of her mind. She thought she heard a mysterious “voice” when she did, but she dismissed it as her imagination. This was all done by sheer instinct; it was just the way the demon Testarossa always worked.

But what struck her curiosity was the name of the ultimate skill—Belial, Lord of the Underworld. Much like Luminus’s skill Asmodeus, Ruler of Lust, it held governance over life and death…but Belial was tilted more toward death, befitting Testarossa’s nature.

To her, defeat was a humiliation she could never admit to, and that applied just as much to the “defeat” of death. If a demon wanted to evolve, that required them to accumulate power to their current limit, then age at least two thousand years. That meant even a single defeat was unforgivable—but when it came to death, “defeat” meant annihilation, losing one’s body and being returned to hell. A draw, strictly speaking, didn’t count as a defeat, but fleeing battle was a different story. A spiritual life-form is easily influenced by its own mind, and if one admits that they can’t beat their opponents and stop putting up resistance, that counts as a defeat.

There were a few truly demented demons out there, Diablo one of them, who had maintained perfect, undefeated records, but they were few and far between. Testarossa could count them on one hand. But the only thing that really mattered was that you never had your heart broken. That was why Testarossa never stopped challenging Zegion; as long as you didn’t stop until you won, it never counted as defeat.

And it was the same thing here. If she didn’t run away from Velgrynd, Testarossa thought, she was bound to win against her someday.

“You’ve obtained an ultimate skill?”

“Yes. Partly because I was getting sick of Diablo’s boasting, but mainly, I just realized how inadequate I was in our previous battle. If a skill represents what I am in my heart, I thought, then I didn’t think I really needed any. But that, it seems, was rather shallow thinking.”

“…”

“Perhaps it’s because I was able to face up to my own desires. I feel like I’ve better honed the way I use my powers now.”

Considering her possession of Raguel, Lord of Relief, Velgrynd could understand what Testarossa meant. That, she knew, was why getting out of this chamber was so difficult for her.

“This is so frustrating…”

Testarossa laughed at this muttered griping.

“I couldn’t ask for a better compliment.”

Just as that remark brought Velgrynd’s rage up to a maximum, there was a sudden explosion, one so massive that it distorted space itself. It brought Velgrynd back to her senses. She looked back, surprised. One of the Gates had been blown away in spectacular fashion—and from behind it, the blond-haired Carrera was visible. (She was responsible for a lot of the things that gave Leon a bad name, by the way, but that’s irrelevant right now.)

“Hello there! Looks like I’m right on schedule, huh? I’m not a big fan of losing all the time, too, so I’m hoping you’ll let me join in.”

“Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee… Don’t you start, Carrera. I’m not trying to be mean or anything, but you’re covered in wounds.”

“Well, that Kondo guy was pretty strong, all right? But I’m satisfied enough for now, so all right. I’ll let it slide today.”

Carrera laughed, even as she was visibly having trouble standing up. Esprit quickly ran up to lend her a shoulder, Zonda inviting her to sit in a chair he had all set for her.

Agera was there, too, but nobody gave him any attention.

“If you’re putting up with it, Carrera, I guess I’ll quit being so selfish, too. I’m a little tired anyway, so I’ll just sit back and watch this time.”

Ultima, out of nowhere, was now seated next to Carrera, Veyron nimbly setting up a chair for her. The demons were growing in number, and they weren’t alone—now Shion, Soei, and Benimaru were appearing from their Gates. The sight made Velgrynd wince. Now, she realized, every powerful force on her side was defeated.

So Testarossa had a tactical victory. And Ludora’s and Velgrynd’s hopes were all about to be crushed.

Shifting perspectives from the skies to the ground…

The battlefield was experiencing a very sudden, and very rapid, cooldown. In the midst of it, Laplace was running toward Kagali, Vega accompanying him. The forbidden curse Dead Birthday had long ceased functioning—or, to be exact, Kagali lost control of it when Velgrynd stopped helping her out.

Nobody knew how many walking dead the spell produced, but it’d be some time before they became active. If they had the right will inside their minds, these walking dead could work as powerful warriors from the moment of creation. It was vital that they took them into their command before anyone else could—and if Laplace thought so, he couldn’t have been the only one. Lieutenant Kondo had led this ritual, and it was impossible that he wasn’t aware of this.

“Tsk… I knew he was up to something.”

By the time Laplace reached the scene, a group of imperial officers was in the midst of carrying Kagali and her entourage into a military vehicle.

“Oh, were you Laplace? I heard you were pretty strong. Do you think a fight’s inevitable here?”

He was approached by a kind-looking man wearing a differently colored uniform. Lieutenant Kondo certainly struck a figure in his white outfit, but this man’s bright-red uniform looked out of this world. He didn’t look too strong, though. His face looked oddly fake, like a doll, and you could have pegged him as either male or female. If it weren’t for that flashy uniform, he was far too ordinary-looking to leave any strong impression…but then, maybe the uniform just made everything else about him look plain by comparison.

“Yeah,” Laplace replied as he thought about this, “I’m Laplace. If you guys would let that girl go back, I don’t think we need a fight any longer, do we?”

“Hee-hee-hee! I’m not so sure that’s possible. See? There’s a fight over there right now. I can’t just run away from here.”

The man was willing. Laplace, seeing no other option, took up a fighting stance.

“Well, if you want, then. But who’re you?”

If he’d tell him, that’d certainly be helpful.

“Me? Well, yes, it’s probably natural that you don’t know. I am ranked tenth within the Empire, the man supporting imperial history—and my name is Feldway!”

This man, Feldway, was permanently stationed within the Empire, expected to function as a space in the unlikely event that one of the Single Digits dropped out. Laplace had heard stories about him, but this was their first meeting.

“Oh, are ya? The man they call the ‘space,’ huh?”

“I am not a man. For that matter, I’m not a woman, either.”

“Uh… Sounds complicated.”

Laplace eyed Feldway as they conversed. He seemed in his element, not uncomfortable at all; he didn’t look ready for a fight, but he wasn’t ready to flee, either. He was hard to grasp.

“Leave this to me,” the impatient Vega said. “I’ll crush that bastard with my bare hands.”

He was about to step forward when Laplace hurriedly stopped him. “Whoa! Hang on. I told ya not to get ahead of me, didn’t I? We can’t take any risky chances while the director’s held hostage.”

Footman and Teare were alive and well, too, still fighting hard against the crowds around them. If they were called away, it’d be hard to tell how that would affect the battle. Laplace was cautiously trying to feel out the other side—but then he was interrupted by an unexpected visitor.

“Vega, lend me a hand here. Laplace is a traitor. We gotta take care of him right here.”

“…?!”

Laplace immediately fled the scene, sensing a murderous rage. The voice that reached his ears belonged to Yuuki Kagurazaka, his erstwhile boss, but what it said wasn’t exactly what Laplace wanted to hear.

“Boss, snap out of it! Bein’ controlled by someone else like this… It’s just not like you!”

Yuuki had defined Maribel’s mind domination and lived to tell the tale. With his mental strength, he should’ve been able to resist any kind of mind control. But Laplace’s plea went unheeded.

So Yuuki attacked Laplace, showing no hesitation in his movements. The bewildered Vega, seeing this, smiled his happy, distorted-looking smile.

“Really, boss? Once you get rid of him, is it okay if I eat him up?”

“Sure thing. I’m all for whatever makes you stronger.”

“Thanks, boss! I’m so glad you understand!”

That was Vega’s philosophy—always stick to the stronger one. Never any sense of ethics or morality in his mind. He preferred living more on instinct, like a wild animal.

Thus, without even feeling that this was an evil deed at all, he gleefully launched his attack against Laplace. If it had been either him or Yuuki alone, Laplace could have dealt with that. At the same time? Even for him, that was asking a lot.

Tch… I ain’t a fan of this at all. I was tryin’ to save the chairman, and now I’m about to get myself killed. Better leave now…

Strategically, Laplace was absolutely correct. But it wasn’t going to happen.

“Hee-hee-hee… Don’t bother trying to escape. Your name was Laplace, right? You’re as cunning as you are cautious. You’re too dangerous to let free, so I think we’ll have you die here instead.”

Just as Feldway warned, Laplace’s teleportation failed. He had been observing all of this so far, but now he had cast Dominate Space over this battle zone, preventing Laplace’s escape.

“Damn you!”

Vega launched a flurry of spirit blasts, timing it with an intense kick attack from Yuuki. He was more brawn than brains, but no one could deny his battlefield senses. Laplace’s escape route was blocked, his chances of victory very small—or nonexistent, really, as long as Yuuki was there.

No dice, huh? The end of the road?

But Laplace still had no intention of giving up that easily. Betting on the ever-so-slight possibility that he could break Yuuki’s mind control, he decided to reveal the true power he was hiding this whole time.

“Die!”

“Damn idiot! You’re the dead man!”

He kicked at Vega, who was lumbering up to him even as Yuuki kept up his attacks. That made it impossible for Vega to stand up for a little while.

“Huh. Not bad.”

“Yeah. Not as good as you, boss, but I’m pretty strong too, y’know?”

“I know. So I’ll at least kill you by my own hand, okay?”

“…?!”

An ever-so-tiny feeling of discomfort. The moment Laplace felt it, he stared intently at Yuuki’s face. It was the same one he always knew…

And that left him open. So caught up in his own thoughts, Laplace was too late to react to Yuuki’s fist. No, he screamed in his heart—but the pain never came. Right before his eyes, someone had put a hand in to stop the strike.

“Keh-heh-heh-heh-heh… Dear me, I’ve been terribly scolded by Sir Rimuru. This is the fault of all of you, do you realize?”

It was Diablo.

What do you mean? Laplace almost asked before realizing now wasn’t the time.

“D-Diablo… You came to save me?”

“What? Why would I—well, yes. Laplace, was it? Yes, I have come to save you. So please make it very clear to Sir Rimuru that you saved me when you see him, all right?”

Diablo’s face went from sheer disgust to a breezy smile.

I ain’t never seen a more suspicious smile than that.

Laplace knew a thing or two about leering smiles, so to him, Diablo was a real impressive piece of work. This, of course, wasn’t meant as a compliment.

“Ah… All right. I’ll be sure to tell Sir Rimuru that you helped me out a whole lot, okay?”

“Wonderful! Now to actually save you…”

The moment Rimuru spotted Diablo, he marched up and said, “What the hell are you doing here?” In the middle of this epic battle, he was just sitting back and watching Rimuru fight. He deserved to get yelled at—and while he had the excuse of being there to protect Rimuru, since he seemed to have completely forgotten about that order, Diablo didn’t dare bring it up. Really, Rimuru was the only person in the world who could handle someone as selfish as Diablo, and he had just proven it once again.

So Diablo was ordered to go to work—and after Moss gave him his report, he rushed right over here. Not to save Laplace per se, but to take out anyone down here who looked suspicious.

Keh-heh-heh-heh-heh… Lucky thing I could make this man owe me a favor. Now I’ll restore my good name in Sir Rimuru’s eyes.

Already Diablo was assuming he had won.

“All right. Yuuki is allied with us, so I’ll let him off the hook, but… Hmm? Oh, is this a mystic lord before me? I know you’ve been aiming for this world a very long time, but… Hmm. You’ve joined forces with Ludora?”

Diablo’s gaze stopped at Feldway, who was flashing a thin smile. It disappeared as he sized up Diablo and scowled.

“…And you are Noir, are you? Kondo’s investigation said a Primal was serving the demon lord Rimuru, but I see that’s true all along?”

“I now have the name Diablo. And I don’t care what you decide to do, but stand in Sir Rimuru’s way, and I won’t show you any mercy. If you want to antagonize me, I’d suggest you come well prepared.”

“Oh, look at you! This accursed devil who’s constantly getting in our way!”

Feldway glared at Diablo, his intense hatred palpable. The murderous intent alone would’ve killed a normal person instantly. But Diablo was wholly unconcerned, laughing his taunting laugh at Feldway.

“Ah, whatever. Even if I fought you here, there’s no chance that I’d win.”

“Don’t worry. It would be just as impossible for me.”

After a couple more pointed glares, Feldway was the first to speak.

“I’ll leave for today. But the next time you get in my way, Diablo, I hope you realize what comes next.”

“Mmm. Well, since you were kind enough to remember my name, I won’t pursue the matter any longer. But do keep in mind that I have the means to kill you, do you understand?”

With that, the two of them glared at each other again. Then, as if their business was now done, they moved on, ignoring each other’s presence.

Feldway acted first, giving out orders to Kagali and Yuuki.

“I am worried about His Majesty. We’re returning to the flagship, so get ready at once.”

Yuuki, watching all of this unfold, got out of his fighting stance. Vega unsteadily stood up, following Yuuki over to Kagali. Footman and Teare were also called back, and through Feldway’s Dominate Space, everybody—including the newborn walking dead—was teleported away.

Diablo remained on the scene, conferring with Moss. Now that he knew their enemy was a mystic lord, he decided that he was the only one who could fight back against him. So he resolved to clean up this mess, as reluctant as he was about it.

With Footman and Teare retreating, the battle on the ground came to an end. After confirming that everyone was safe, he attended to the injured as needed. Moss was both quite competent at this and connected to Benimaru, so Diablo decided his work was done after that. Once Feldway and the others left, he teleported himself up to the flagship.

Laplace, meanwhile, was left all alone.

“Great, left behind again,” he muttered, shrugging.





COMMENTS

No Comments Yet

Post a new comment

Register or Login