Chapter 1
The Betrayal
Emperor Rudra was replaced by Michael, and Phantom King Feldway had left.
It wasn’t settled, but the feeling took its toll on everyone.
There were still some uncertainties, but for now I wanted to celebrate everyone’s safety.
We would deal with the cleanup and future plans later.
That said, Karion, Frey, and the rest of the group had gone into an evolutionary sleep, so I arranged for Testarossa to send them off discreetly.
“I’m sorry to bother you when you’re tired too—”
“Please do not worry about me. I hope you take your time to relax and regain your strength.”
Although it was a bit embarrassing, I’d accept the kindness for now.
There were other things to think about once everything was settled down, but for now, we’d have a party to lift our spirits.
I wanted to invite Laplace, but he was already gone when I sent Diablo to pick him up.
In his own way, he was worried about his friends. In that light, there was no need to find and invite him.
Since our agreement to fight together was still in effect, I would help him if he needed it, but for now, I decided to leave him alone.
With that, I returned to the capital city of Rimuru, where I heard an unexpected report.
A corner of the outskirts of the city had been burned down.
Geld and his men had protected it, so the damage was not as bad as it looked. The fire was prevented from spreading by destroying the surrounding buildings, so the human casualties were minor.
The fact that there were no fatalities was good news.
However, there was also bad news.
Nevertheless, everything that happened was after the fact. There was no point in panicking now, so I decided to hide my impatience and listen to the report from Geld.
But Geld was not the only one lined up for the report.
The current location was the banquet hall.
The executives who had played such an active role this time were seated, and Shuna, Haruna-san, and Gobichi’s subordinates were busy preparing meals for everyone.
I wondered if it would be a good idea to conduct the interview in such a situation, but it had to be done because of the urgency.
The seat to my right was occupied by Veldora, who still stubbornly refused to leave it, even knowing that he had no intention of listening.
Veldora’s selfishness was nothing new to me, so I was used to dealing with him. It was easier to leave him alone rather than to persuade him, so it was best just not to bother.
So, with Veldora is on my right, Benimaru was sitting on my left. Behind me, Shion and Diablo were standing by, ready to listen to what I had to say.
Aside from Diablo, Shion should have been eating with me, but she insisted that it could wait. It seemed to violate her self-imposed rule, so I let her do as she liked.
So with that, the important thing was those who were here to report.
Geld was sitting in front of me. And Adalmann sat facing Benimaru, looking uncomfortable.
It seemed that his evolution has succeeded, and the atmosphere around him had changed a little. I would ask him to report about it later.
In front of Veldora was Ramiris’s seat, and Treyni-san and Beretta were standing behind, looking after her. Incidentally, it was Charys who was pouring Veldora a drink.
Ramiris herself was engrossed in her meal, disregarding the report.
“Well, I had faith that Master would be fine! When the upper levels of the labyrinth were blown off by Master’s reckless sister, I thought it might be dangerous, but I had faith that Master would be fine. That’s why I wasn’t worried about anything from the beginning!”
Ramiris proudly said this and happily drank the juice. Her words are a mixture of lies and truth, but no one pointed it out.
“Kwaaah-hahaha! Of course. Even if the opponent was my sister, I didn’t have an ounce of trepidation. Still, although just a tiny bit careless, it’s all the fault of those cowardly interlopers who targeted me and ruined my victory.”
This guy is just talking nonsense.
Even I had been feeling scared, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. Frankly, an evolved Velgrynd was pretty dangerous. Even if Veldora wanted to beat her, he only had a 50% chance, so he should refrain from making big statements.
That’s what I thought, but those who were listening were all cheering.
“As expected of Veldora-sama. I have much to learn from you…”
Charys nodded gravely.
“It was a hell of a fight. I thought I had evolved and gotten stronger, but I realized that I am not quite there yet.”
Benimaru followed suit and said those words from his heart. Veldora seemed to listen with a satisfied look of triumph.
However, Ramiris’ comment stopped Veldora’s laughter.
“You’re always so careless, Master. But then again, but there’s probably nothing to worry about now!”
“Probably? What are you talking about, Ramiris?”
See? I knew his words couldn’t be true.
Talking too much can sometimes drive you to extremes.
“Because right now, that man—Ah! I’m just relieved that I have my master!”
That man?
Ramiris’ words were very disturbing.
“What? N-No, uh?! I’m invincible, but there may be times when I’m not feeling as well…”
Veldora, realizing what he had done and that he had dug a hole, suddenly began making excuses too.
But I think it’s too late now, so I would just forget about it. This was a common occurrence anyway, so I just wouldn’t worry about it.
I was more concerned about Vesta-san who was sitting at the edge of the room.
I decided to leave Veldora and the others alone and ask what happened to the rest of the group.
***
Immediately after Rimuru left for the Empire, those who were left behind immediately went into crisis mode.
The euphoric atmosphere after the celebration, which had remained until a moment ago, disappeared in an instant.
The same was true for Ramiris and the others who had returned to the innermost part of the labyrinth.
The evolution of the dragon lords under her command had been successfully completed, and Ramiris was in a good mood. However, when Rimuru and the others were dispatched on an emergency mission, she felt uneasy.
Ramiris wanted to spend every day happily and felt that the Jura Tempest Federation was a wonderful utopia that could fulfill her wish.
For Ramiris, who had spent so much time in solitude, and whose loneliness had only been dulled by the presence of spirits, this place had become an important thing that she never wanted to lose again.
That is why she was afraid of losing it.
As always, Ramiris felt that Rimuru would be fine, but for some reason, she could not shake off the bad feeling.
That premonition would come true.
Velgrynd, Veldora’s sister, had attacked and destroyed the labyrinth Ramiris was so proud of.
The labyrinth was physically indestructible, but it was the power of the True Dragons who could make this possible.
When Ramiris saw Velgrynd, she was reminded of ancient memories that she had forgotten.
A long time ago, not long after Ramiris was born, she remembered seeing a rampaging Veldora, much like the great Veldanava.
As the name “Storm Dragon” implied, Veldora’s main attribute was wind, but it also controlled ‘space’ and ‘water.’ Combined with tremendous amount of magicules second only to Veldanava, Veldora was a raging storm itself.
It was no exaggeration to say that Veldora, the very incarnate of a natural disaster, was the strongest on earth. However, his two sisters possessed a power even more transcendent, reaching another level.
Velgrynd, who had control over heat, was of the “Flame” attribute which was the worst match-up with Veldora’s “Wind” attribute. She could make the difference in the amount of mana worthless, standing above Veldora with her overwhelming presence.
However, that alone was not bad.
The real threat was Velzard, the eldest sister.
Velzard’s attribute was ice. But its essence was not water, but something else. Velzard used her powers to hide her attributes so that no one would know.
Ramiris had been told by Veldanava and knew the truth about Velzard.
…No, she once knew.
Unfortunately, she had forgotten it in the course of her many incarnations.
No. It’s not that she had forgotten completely, but it took Ramiris a long time to dig up old memories.
That’s why Ramiris was glad that Velgrynd was the opponent this time. If Velzard had been his enemy, then Veldora would not have stood a chance.
What Ramiris remembered was the raging Veldora being obliterated by Velzard with a single blow, and Velzard’s ‘icy cold eyes’ that took it all for granted.
That is why it was Ramiris who was most worried about Veldora at that time.
Ramiris jumped around the room in circles, seemingly unable to calm down.
“Are you alright, Master?”
Such a question was the sign of Ramiris’ anxiety. But at the same time, it was also an expression of care for Veldora, with the intention of saying that it was okay to run away.
And yet, Veldora responded.
“Don’t worry. You guys just sit there and give witness to my bravery!”
For some reason, revealed a look of seeming relief, as if there was not a hint of unease in his heart. He left the labyrinth alone, full of confidence.
At this point, Veldora looked very dazzling to Ramiris.
She remembered the way he used to be, and his growth until now struck a chord with her.
After Veldora’s sortie against Velgrynd, Ramiris looked around at the faces of those remaining in the ‘Control Room.’
Charys was left here after being told by Veldora that he was unable to help. But that waws just the way it was. Charys would be useless against Velgrynd, who had control over heat.
As always, Beretta was the one who remained calm and collected. His usual demeanor calmed Ramiris down.
Those who had been transformed into dryas doll dryads by Rimuru’s hands were also under Beretta’s command as operators. There were now twenty-four of them. Since Rimuru had evolved them in his spare time, they had all become excellent labyrinth keepers.
Treyni and her sisters Trya and Triss were also there. They were watching over Ramiris with their usual calm expressions.
The rest of the group, in addition to Vesta and Dino, were recent additions to the research staff.
They were Shinji Tanimura, Mark Lauren, and Xin Liuxing, along with their two apprentice assistants, Lucius, and Raymond.
These five were treated as Gadra’s subordinates when the labyrinth entered the war. However, now that Gadra was away, they were helping Ramiris as her assistants in the “Control Room.”
Everyone was looking back at Ramiris with concern.
So Ramiris shouted out cheerfully.
“Really! I’m not worried at all. Master is definitely going to win. If he loses, Rimuru will take care of everything, I’m sure of it. Besides, Master is invincible as long as you don’t overlook him!”
With those words, Ramiris calmed herself down. Veldora and Rimuru would surely bring back their peaceful life, she thought.
The anxiety was lifted from the scene, but the incident occurred shortly thereafter.
*
“Warning! There’s an intruder!”
Alpha, the chief operator, shouted loudly.
Hearing this, everyone switched their minds and went into their battle stances.
“Display it on the monitor!”
As soon as Beretta’s order was given, the screen split to show the scene of the invasion.
Seeing a figure standing there, Ramiris couldn’t help but yelp.
“Wait, isn’t that an angel?! It’s incarnated and transformed, but it’s also giving off a foreign dangerous feeling!”
In fact, the intruders were very foreign indeed.
The pure white clothes were covered with mythical equipment that emitted a black and gold glow, and the long black hair also carried a glow like fragmented starlight, which further highlighted the beauty of this person.
On her back, three pairs of six pure white wings fluttered, drawing attention to her even more.
“Estimated amount of energy, here it comes! This…This is…”
Alpha was stammering.
“What’s wrong? Report quickly.”
Alpha regained his composure when Treyni rushed him.
“The first one has an existence value of over three million. The next five have been measured at between 400,000 and 700,000 each.”
Alpha’s statement succeeded in freezing the Control Room.
It was the hidden purpose of the labyrinth to quantify the ‘level’ of lifeforms and construct relevant databases. The main idea was to help with crisis management by accumulating the necessary information about the battles within the maze as they were displayed on the screen.
The numerical representation that was common to the entire process was called the “existence value.”
It was a numerical value of magicule quantity and physical ability, plus the energy content contained in the equipped armor, however, it was different from actual combat ability.
Since it is impossible to completely measure a person’s ability or level of skill, it should be considered only as a reference, but it was still useful.
If used properly, the operation was expected to strengthen the defense of the labyrinth. For example, dispatching people of similar level to deal with an enemy based on their existence value, or roughly guessing what level of combat skill the enemy was based on their existence value.
However, this system was still in the trial stage, and it was difficult to say that we had accumulated enough data.
In this world, there were fierce players such as Hakurou, whose existence value was only about 60,000, but could overwhelm strong enemies with existence values several times higher than his own.
Gobta was a particular anomaly, who had an existence value of less than 20,000, the weakest class in the A rank, yet was still stronger than Gozer and Mezer with existence values around 130,000.
Since there were many such cases, it had become common sense that an existence value was only a general reference.
………
……
…
By the way, in Tempest, existence values are also associated with the Freedom Association hierarchy.
Less than 1,000 is E Class.
D Class is from 1,000 to less than 3,000.
C Class is from 3,000 to less than 6,000.
B Class is from 6,000 to less than 8,000.
B-plus Class is from 8,000 to less than 9,000.
A-minus Class is from 9,000 to less than 10,000.
From here, there is a huge high wall, and if one can surpass it, they would join the first-class ranks (Over A rank).
An existence value of over 10,000 is A Class, which is considered Hazard-class.
More than 100,000 is judged to be Special A Class, which is considered Calamity-class.
For those who have obtained the Demon Lord Seed, the minimum value is 200,000. Rimuru’s feeling is that Clayman and Frey, before their pseudo-awakening, would have had an existence value of around 400,000.
Judging from that, the Disaster-class, which is equivalent to S Class, was defined as having an existence value greater than 400,000. The S Class in Tempest does not refer to demon lords. After all, there is a large number of executives with strength equivalent to the old demon lords, so for the sake of convenience and understanding, all of the people at this level were defined as S Class.
From here on out, the standards are only used in the Jura Tempest Federation.
The Catastrophe class is a designation limited to “true dragon species” and Guy, so the Jura Tempest Federation uses the Special S Class to define the other awakened transcendents.
The pseudo-awakened Clayman was said to have had an unstable amount of magicules, but since Rimuru had once remarked that ‘he was about 700,000 to 800,000, right?’ having an existence value of 800,000 or more was defined as Special S Class, according to Rimuru’s statement. Furthermore, because some of them had existence values exceeding one million, it was decided that they would be called the ‘Million-class’ for ease of understanding.
As a special mention for reference, the existence value of an archdemon is only 140,000 no matter who summons it. It is a uniform number, as if there is a fixed upper limit.
Even Testarossa and the others were recorded to have had an initial existence value of 140,000. There was no way to confirm whether this was true or not, but Ramiris and the others had no doubt.
………
……
…
“No way, I didn’t expect it to be a Super Awakened (million-class)— it’s a seraph anyway…”
Ramiris was in a state of shock and had involuntarily stopped halfway through her sentence.
Beretta nodded in return, and then went on to explain.
“The highest angel is trouble, huh? That’s nasty. And even the followers are S-class. With the Floor Guardians still asleep, it may be a bit difficult to intercept them.”
“B-But, we have to do something.”
Ramiris replied hurriedly. As if to calm her down, Treyni softly smiled and responded.
“That is true, Ramiris-sama. So that is why, allow me to go out and meet the enemy.”
Trya and Triss stood up to follow her.
“Of course, I will go with you.”
“Sister, I’m coming with you too!”
Ramiris heard this, but instead of calming down, she started to panic even more.
“Hey, wait a minute! You’ve gotten stronger, but you still lose to them numerically!”
“Ufufu, no problem. Existence values are just a rough estimate, so let’s take this opportunity to prove the strength of Ramiris-sama’s followers to everyone.”
Trya and Triss nodded vigorously in agreement.
Ramiris wanted to stop her, but she had no other choice. However, she felt that the idea of putting only her beloved Treyni sisters in danger was unacceptable.
“It’s still wrong! Rimuru and Master said that we should only fight battles we can win.”
She could manipulate the labyrinth to buy more time. Hopefully, things would get better somehow…Ramiris was on the verge of escaping reality.
Charys admonished her in a dissuading manner.
“Ramiris-sama, I’m afraid you’ll have much difficulty stalling for time. We cannot let them get close to the level where the Guardians are sleeping, and if we leave them there, they might destroy the important facilities. Therefore, I think we should intercept them. I will also go out myself, and I’d like your permission to do so.”
Now that Veldora was gone, Charys was the strongest person in this place. That is why he decided that he must do something about it.
“Beretta-dono, I will leave you in charge of protecting Ramiris-sama.”
“Understood. Leave Ramiris-sama to me.”
Beretta did not need to be told that. If the Treyni sisters were to go out, he believed that he was the only one who could protect Ramiris.
Alpha and the others did the same. Everyone in the room stood up at once and swore to protect Ramiris.
Not to be outdone, Shinji and the others also shouted.
“We’ll do our best, too!”
“Oh, yes. Since we’ve been taken care of here, we need to return the favor.”
“Agreed. We even have the Resurrection Bracelet, so we’ll do our best even if we die.”
“That’s right. We Imperial soldiers should have been killed a long time ago, and now we have the chance to prove ourselves.”
“Indeed. Otherwise, Master Gadra will be angry with me.”
The air in the Control Room relaxed as the five men began chatting lightly in the face of such a formidable opponent.
Ramiris also took a deep breath and showed a big smile.
“If that’s the case, then do it with all your might! Even if you die, you can come back to life with me, so there’s no need to spare anything! I’ll send dragon lord-chan and the others to you, so make sure you win!”
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Then, they quickly moved into action, following their assigned roles.
*
The intruder Ramiris and the others had sensed was Zalario, the chief subordinate of Phantom King Feldway’s men.
Zalario was a former seraph, but like the other two, he reigned over the phantoms as one of the “Three Phantom Commanders.” Each of them was a Marshal who led a powerful army, and would not normally be in a position to stand on the front lines.
This time, however, Feldway had given him an absolute order. Take advantage of the good opportunity of the labyrinth’s destruction by Velgrynd, and make sure to wipe out the target.
Feldway had told him what would happen to the Imperial troops who attacked the labyrinth. Zalario had decided that weak soldiers would only be a hindrance, and had come himself.
Accompanying him were five generals.
Because they were originally high-ranking angels, such as cherubs and thrones, they had acquired a magicule amount comparable to that of demon lords by becoming phantoms.
In comparison, their bodies were more vulnerable, but this was not a problem in the labyrinth environment. Because the diffusion of mana was suppressed, they would be able to show their full potential.
So now, Zalario was walking in the labyrinth, but of course, he was interrupted.
As soon as he found the stairs and walked down to the basement, he could feel the space shifting. Zalario and his group looked at the situation without panicking. What appeared in front of their eyes was an empty, limited space.
In the center of the space, they saw eight figures.
“Fufufu, it seems that some have come to welcome us. We mustn’t lose our manners. Give your greetings.”
Zalario’s words were met with silent nods from the generals under his command.
The two groups gradually drew closer, eventually stopping short of a face-to-face confrontation.
Treyni was the first to step forward.
“Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of Ramiris-sama, the master of this labyrinth, I, Treyni, and Charys here, would like to welcome you. I know we did not invite you here, so may I ask who you are and what your purpose is?”
Treyni spoke with a smile, but her eyes were not smiling at all. She was on the alert, ready to respond to anything that might happen.
Treyni had already been strengthened to the utmost before coming here. She had the current summoning power of the Spirit King of the Wind within her, and had made it her own. Even when she fought Laplace in a long battle, she had only possessed a higher spirit, Sylphid, at the time. Considering that, Treyni had been showing her depth from the very beginning.
The amount of magicules in the Spirit King is about one million in terms of existence value. Boarding such a huge amount of power in her body would impose a huge burden on Treyni, whose existence value was only 600,000. However, this was the labyrinth, and even if you died, you could be resurrected. She could challenge her opponent with all her might without worrying about the burden on her body.
Charys, who was standing one step behind Treyni, had no qualms about this. Even if his opponent had more than twice the amount of magicules than he did, he would not be intimidated by it.
This was because Charys had always trained for battle against the overwhelming presence of Veldora.
There were some instances in this world where people like Gobta could defeat opponents who had several times their own power. Not to mention the fact that he now had reliable company, so Charys had no doubts of his victory.
The dragon lords were the same.
Rimuru had given them names as a reward, and they had evolved into Ramiris’ loyal servants.
Their power was equivalent to 700,000 in existence value. With further experience, they would undoubtedly be able to reach the Special S class, and in fact, rather than fear, they were itching to test their strength.
Trya and Triss had also completed the ‘identification’ with Sylphid, the Maiden of the Wind. Trya was to work with the dragon lords against the enemy behind Zalario, while Triss was to cover Treyni and Charys.
Although Beretta had an existence value of about 400,000, his combat skills were outstanding. He was a perfect fighting force, however, he had to stay as Ramiris’ guard. Therefore, this was the strongest lineup that the labyrinth could send out at the moment.
If this group was defeated…At that time, Rigurd, Gobta, and the rest of the residual groups would have to fight an all-out battle. They were still gathering forces for the next level, so someone needed to buy some time for that alone.
Of course, none of them had any intention of losing.
“This is a surprise. From what I’ve heard, there is not much battle power left in the labyrinth. I never thought that I’d see such a powerful people. Interesting. Very amusing—Oops, I didn’t introduce myself. My name is Zalario. I am one of the Three Phantom Commanders of Phantom King Feldway-sama. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Zalario folded gracefully at the waist and bowed. His movements were refined and sophisticated, as if he were a famous actor on stage.
However, the words that came out of his mouth were not heartfelt. His attitude was one of condescension and disregard for Treyni and the others. He was using such an attitude to look down on them, not taking the Maze members into consideration at all. His true thoughts were simply too obvious.
Treyni was annoyed by this, but she was not foolish enough to get upset here. Having made a mistake against Laplace, she tried to keep her cool and continue the conversation.
“I see, so you are Zalario-sama of the Three Phantom Commanders. With all due respect, I have never heard of you.”
Treyni spoke with a bit of provocation, and Zalario gave her a generous smile.
“That’s right. Although we are well known in other worlds, we have long since left this one. I suppose we are now foreigners to this world.”
“Foreigners, you say?”
“Yes. So we are not going to seek any satisfaction in that regard.”
“……”
“By the way, you asked us why we were here, correct? Of course, I’ll tell you as it would save us a lot of work if we could get your help.”
“That depends on the content.”
“All right. Our goal is to eliminate the boy, Masayuki Honjou. If you give him to me without hiding him, I will withdraw.”
Zalario’s gentle good looks gave way to a soft, feminine voice as he announced his intention to kill Masayuki.
There was no one who would nod their heads in agreement.
Because Masayuki was Rimuru’s friend and an irreplaceable companion of Treyni and the others.
“How funny. I am sorry to say that negotiations are over.”
“I see. I am very sorry to hear that.”
Zalario laughed, making no effort to hide the fact that he was not at all disappointed. And in the next moment, the battle suddenly began.
*
Treyni kicked off the ground and flew through the air, and from the sky, countless invisible blades flew at Zalario. This was Treyni’s unavoidable special move, the Invisible Blade.
This Invisible Blade was not just a rupture due to air compression. It was a spatial attribute and had the power to cut off even dimensions.
Since it could be performed invisibly and without any preliminary movements, one could understand how dangerous Treyni had become. However, this time, the opponent was very strong.
No—he was overpowering.
Zalario didn’t move an inch from his spot. It wasn’t that he was unaware of the blade and couldn’t react, it was that he simply did not need to evade.
The moment the invisible blade seemed to cut Zalario, the blade disappeared. There was a distortion in space that covered the surface of Zalario’s body.
A technique that was very similar to this phenomenon was registered in the Maze’s database. It was the Distortion Field, that Zegion specialized in. It was a technique of absolute defense that nullified all kinds of attribute attacks and even spatial disruptions.
“What?!”
“The same technique as Zegion-dono. That’s really troublesome.”
“Oh? Then you’re saying that there is someone here who can use space distortion defense (Distortion Field). Zegion, was it? Well then, I had heard that all the top brass in this country had been shut down, but I guess that was a terrible misinformation…”
Despite his tone, Zalario’s expression was unperturbed.
It couldn’t have been clearer that he hadn’t shown any of his true ability, and he seemed to be enjoying himself.
Treyni’s expression was also stern because of this. Immediately, she exchanged glances with Charys and changed her plan. Instead of forcing Zalario to defeat, she decided to focus on buying time.
In fact, the five generals that Zalario had brought with him were having a difficult time in the face of the labyrinthine forces. This was the result of the dragon lords, who had been constantly training for battle, demonstrating their abilities to the fullest.
In addition, since their home ground in the labyrinth was the battlefield, the labyrinthine forces were as good as immortal. Because of this, they were able to fight beyond their limits, and play a one-sided game against those of equal ability.
We can win at this rate, Treyni thought.
Zalario was a threat, but the others would soon be eliminated. If they all kept up this momentum, they would be able to defeat the Distortion Field defense if everyone joined forces.
Worst case scenario, they could wait for Zalario to wear out.
That’s right. As long as we can drive him back, we will have achieved our victory condition. There is no need to push things. And yet…why is he still acting so calm…?
Even though their side should definitely have the advantage, Treyni could not shake her uneasiness.
The reason for this was Zalario’s consistent attitude of unconcern.
A wise man would not misread the current war situation. Moreover, Zalario had announced himself as a general of the army.
Common sense dictated that a man who could lead demon lord-level subordinates would not make such a rudimentary error in judgment.
This man’s goal is to eliminate the Hero Masayuki, right?—No way?!
If he wanted to kill Masayuki alone, it would be easier to assassinate him. The existence value of Zalario’s presence was so high that the possibility had been overlooked.
“Ramiris-sama! Are you aware of Masayuki-dono’s location?”
“What, out of the blue? Of course I’m aware of it.”
Treyni inquired to Ramiris on the ‘Telepathy Net.’
Ramiris, on the other hand, was not sitting idly by watching the battle. The intruders were a big problem, but the more pressing issue was the evacuation of the city residents.
Now that Veldora was on the move, the urban areas that were being forcibly isolated were not safe. If Veldora was defeated, the urban areas would automatically return to their natural state.
This was unavoidable as Ramiris’ power alone could not maintain the current status. That was why it was necessary to evacuate the inhabitants before that could happen.
Fortunately, the 95th floor, which was now the 100th floor, had enough open space to deploy an army. It was not possible to admit civilians into the research facility, but it was possible to accept all of the residents of the town.
When Beretta pointed this out, Ramiris was in a panic to take action.
“Please check on his safety immediately!”
“They are the only intruders, so I think you’re worrying too much…”
Despite the fact that she was busy too, Ramiris complied with Treyni’s request.
As a result, Masayuki was safe, just as Ramiris had expected.
“Well, he’s fine after all. He’s in the city now, helping to evacuate the people in the city.”
As Ramiris said, Masayuki was helping to calm down the people in the city. If Masayuki hadn’t been there, there would have been a panic that could have delayed the evacuation. It was at times like this that Masayuki’s skill really came into its own.
There was no sign of fighting, and the situation was peaceful.
In the first place, the labyrinth was under Ramiris’ control, so anything that happened was immediately made obvious. When she told her that, Treyni finally showed a sign of relief.
“I see, then I can rest assured…”
But even so, she still felt unconvinced.
“Does it bother you?”
“Yes, if the enemy is trying to assassinate Masayuki-dono, there is a chance that the evacuees c could get caught up in it.”
Treyni thought to herself that perhaps she was overthinking things.
But even so, an alarm was going off somewhere in her mind saying that she should be careful.
“I understand! If Treyni-chan is so insistent, then Masayuki and the others will go to the 70th floor!”
Upon hearing this, Treyni was satisfied.
As of now, there were remnants of the Imperial Army in the 70th levels. Even if the assassins showed up, they would buy them some time.
“You can rest easy then, right?”
“That’s right!”
Thus, Masayuki went to the 70th floor.
***
The people here are too good at ordering others around… Masayuki let out a deep sigh.
Everyone in this country, including Rimuru, had the tendency to act on the spur of the moment to their own initiative. Leaving it at that, Masayuki really wished that the guys in the upper echelons would think more about others’ positions, and act more cautiously.
Of course, not all of them were like that.
“Why can’t you be more concerned about me like Shuna-san?”
What unintentionally leaked out of his mouth were his true feelings.
If a beautiful and innocent girl like Shuna had asked him to do so, Masayuki would have had no complaints. That was why he was willing to help with the evacuation…But Ramiris interrupted him.
“I want you to head for the 70th floor immediately!”
Ramiris ordered him to do so with indefensible momentum.
Masayuki was not pleased.
But then again, Ramiris was a powerful being.
Not only did she have Veldora’s backing, but she was one of the people who knew Masayuki’s secret. No matter what he said, there was no way he could defy her.
“Give it up. I don’t think Ramiris-sama has any bad intentions; she just can’t afford it. It’s clearly an emergency situation, after all. They’ve even sent out Veldora-sama.”
A young man walking next to Masayuki responded.
He had snake-shaped earrings on his ears.
A rugged wristwatch and a ring of skulls on his finger were worn.
He wore a leather jacket with thorns over a poisonous purple shirt, adorned with jangly accessories such as a spiked collar around his neck. His long pants with a flap skirt were made of shiny black leather along with his boots with black soles.
In simpler terms, this was what one called punk fashion. It was the kind of thing Masayuki was not fond of.
Yet, strangely enough, Masayuki and he had hit it off surprisingly well.
Perhaps the reason for this was that the young man was also a struggling laborer.
The young man’s name was Venom, and he always seemed to be bossed around by his superior into all sorts of unreasonable situations. The fact that Venom’s behavior was similar to his own made Masayuki feel closer to him.
According to Venom, ‘I have no human rights.’
Venom’s boss had ordered him to protect Masayuki, and now they were working together.
It felt too awkward to meet Jiwu and Bernie2, and he had also broken up with Jinrai.
As a mere imposter, he could not protect Jinrai with his bluffs, so Masayuki had said goodbye to him himself.
“If you need me, you can always call on me! In the meantime, I’ll be working at the guild in this country to keep my skills sharp.”
After saying that, Jinrai accepted Masayuki’s proposal, and became a guild employee of Tempest, helping Masayuki behind the scenes.
It was sad to see him go, but he was also relieved. Now he didn’t have to lie to his friends, and his guilt was gone.
Then, Venom appeared in front of Masayuki, who was now alone.
Venom knew that Masayuki was weak. That’s why he was there to protect him, and despite his appearance, he was willing to listen to what Masayuki had to say.
He also offered to help Masayuki so that his reputation would not be damaged.
This was also in line with Rimuru’s intentions, so Masayuki did not hesitate to take advantage of it.
The two of them had now become good friends.
“Look, I know it’s an emergency. If that’s the case, then why do they want to separate me, the Hero, from the rest of the town?”
“No, you’re weak. If the enemy really attacked, you wouldn’t be able to do anything, right?”
“I know, I know, but…But it’s not right! The anxious look in everyone’s eyes is cutting into my heart…”
‘Please don’t go’—even if they didn’t say it directly, Masayuki could understand what the residents wanted.
That was why Masayuki was getting frustrated with Ramiris’ order.
But from Venom’s point of view, it was a different story.
When asking which side was safer, the 70th floor was definitely better than the 100th. Not only were there a significant number of Imperial Army members there, but there were also the Surmounters on the 70th floor research facility.
Although the Surmounters were mainly in charge of protecting the children, he thought that they would be able to protect Masayuki as well once he got there.
What mattered most to Venom was the mission that Diablo had given him. He had to protect Masayuki with his life.
“Well, it is reassuring to have you around, but well, the evacuation has already been completed to some extent, and the defense of the 100th floor is perfect.”
In fact, against an enemy that could penetrate this far, one would need to be a Floor Guardian class. The 60th floor was currently unprotected due to the absence of Gadra and Shinji’s retreat, so the 70th floor was now the first line of defense.
“That means I’m in danger, right?!”
That’s how it seemed, Venom nodded.
“That’s right, but don’t worry. I’m here. I’ll take full responsibility for protecting you.”
“Well then, I’m counting on you.”
Masayuki was actually slightly aware of his current situation. The fact that he had been moved to the front line in this situation suggested that there were enemies who were targeting him.
If it wasn’t for that, Ramiris would not have risked exposing Masayuki, who was completely devoid of any combat ability, to danger.
Masayuki also possessed the Resurrection Bracelet, which allowed him to revive even if he died inside the labyrinth. Therefore, Ramiris could have no hesitation in using Masayuki as a decoy.
“I guess that’s it. Besides, this was probably because she didn’t want to involve the other residents. She also doesn’t want to risk them finding out you’re weak, so it’s better to just go along with it.”
“That’s right. I understand that, but I have my own problems as well…”
On the 70th floor, there was Jiwu and Bernie. For Masayuki, the awkwardness of the possibility of meeting them was more of a problem.
“I don’t know much about those two, but if they were on a mission, don’t blame them too much. I’m sure they didn’t mean everything they said when they tried to kill you. Unlike monsters, humans are complicated. That’s why humans are good toys for demons.”
As he stared at Venom, who was smiling at him, Masayuki thought, ‘It’s not that simple.’ However, as Venom said, it was difficult to know the true feelings of people, and it was true that he could not hold a grudge against Jiwu or Bernie.
If that was the case, it wasn’t worth worrying about.
Upon arriving at the 70th floor and seeing the construction site where the Imperial Army was stationed, Masayuki had finally made up his mind.
“Please don’t ever use me as a toy.”
Shaking his head in disbelief, Masayuki switched his mood and spoke casually to his friend, Venom.
Sensing the change in mood, Venom smirked at him. It was his mission to protect Masayuki, but Venom himself was also fond of Masayuki.
Deep down, Venom respected Masayuki because they were both overworked people and because he possessed a strong will that endured despite his weaknesses, and even when he was driven by unchangeable circumstances.
Venom was also proud of his rebellious spirit, but for some reason, he felt that he was not as good as Masayuki.
That’s why Venom tried to reply with good intentions…
“Hahaha! That depends on how you do—huh?!”
Facing the sudden presence, Venom stood in front of Masayuki to protect him.
“Who are you, bastard?”
“Damn, you got in my way. I clearly had perfect timing, but my unaccustomed body was slow to react.”
The man ignored Venom and glared at Masayuki with a look of annoyance. In the face of this clearly foreign presence, Masayuki could not hide his agitation.
Masayuki, who had been completely unaware of the presence before, now felt overwhelmed by his aura.
On his back, three pairs into six pure white wings were fluttering, emphasizing his fearless physical. His well-developed muscles peeked out from his wide, pure white garments.
What was most striking of all were his eyes which were like those of fierce predator, fierce and unapproachable, with a terrible, ghastly light in its eyes.
“Don’t ignore me!”
While shouting this, Venom unleashed an upper roundhouse kick.
It was a clean, conventional kick that struck the enemy in the side of the head as if it had been drawn in, and yet…
Masayuki was stunned.
To his surprise, the man took Venom’s kick completely unprotected. It wasn’t that he couldn’t react, it was just that he found it unnecessary.
“Hmph, just a worm that doesn’t even have any survival value. You’re a part of those evil demons that have been standing in our way since ancient times. You have been very disrespectful to me, Cornu-sama, one of the Three Phantom Commanders! Know your place, and die!!”
The one who called himself Cornu held out his hand casually towards Venom. In the next instant, a compressed mana bullet was unleashed, piercing Venom with an unavoidable speed.
Masayuki was distracted by strange things, such as the fact that this person referred to himself with ‘Sama,’ but he rushed over to Venom to take care of him.
“Hey! Are you okay?”
Venom was still alive.
He had reacted just in time and managed to deflect the mana bullet with his left arm.
But even so, the damage was extensive. Venom’s left arm was gone, and there was a huge hole in his left side.
“…How can it be okay? It’s hard to believe, and I hate to admit it, but that bastard looks a hell of a lot stronger than me. But don’t worry, I’ll definitely protect you.”
With that said, Venom stood up without a care in the world.
He wasn’t unharmed, but he was not out of the fight either.
“Well, that’s one stubborn worm. I should be the one to kill the boy while Zalario acts as a decoy. This is why I hate fools; they resist in vain.”
Seeing Cornu lamenting this, Masayuki felt like complaining to him.
He had no idea why he had to be killed. Besides, he felt responsible for the damage he had caused to Venom.
“Venom…”
“I knew it. That invading bastard is after Masayuki.”
“You knew all along?”
“When Ramiris-sama contacted me, I knew it was a possibility. Well, don’t worry. I may not be able to beat the bastard, but I can buy you some time.”
“But—”
“I guess the only reason he hasn’t killed you is because of that bracelet. If he kills you here, you’ll be resurrected somewhere else. He’ll be wary of that, and will want to get you out of the labyrinth. That’s why I don’t think he’s going to launch an attack that would involve you in any way!”
Venom spoke fearlessly.
And his prediction was right on the money.
Masayuki had set the save point for his resurrection in the Control Room. He did not want anyone to see it, but it was reassuring in this situation.
Cornu, on the other hand, was annoyed that his plan had been discovered.
Cornu had his reasons for not making any more mistakes.
The reason goes back several decades. In a mission to invade another world, Cornu had failed when he was one step away from success. It is unclear what had happened, but a scorching fire had consumed the army he had been leading.
As a result, Cornu was left without a single subordinate despite being one of the “Three Phantom Commanders.” Although the wounds of that time had healed, Cornu’s psyche was still burdened with an unshakeable sorrow.
Therefore, despite his overwhelmingly superior position, Cornu had always shown an attitude of defeat. And unfortunately, his adversary was not one to let that slide.
“I’ll admit it. If this were not the labyrinth of Ramiris, I would not have had to step in at all. Burying you would be no trouble at all as you’ll die anyway, but I shall give you despair first. Let me show you my true power as you depart for the afterlife!”
Cornu was not a fool who would let his guard down at this point.
He saw that Venom was not a simple opponent, and decided to do everything in his power to deal with whatever might happen.
Cornu was wearing a shimmering black and gold outfit, which, like Zalario’s, was the highest-grade mythical garments given only to the “Three Phantom Commanders.”
Against the fully armed Cornu, there was nothing that Venom could do. All means of attack were ineffective, and he could only wait for a mocking defeat.
“Che, damn it!”
Venom frowned at the hopeless difference in battle power.
It would be useless to try to escape, and if he was eliminated, Masayuki would be taken away and disposed of. Even if Venom could be resurrected again in the labyrinth, only Diablo’s purge would be awaiting him if he couldn’t protect Masayuki.
‘I’m screwed,’ Venom thought, very much wanting to cry.
There was only one move left. To kill Masayuki with his own hands and send him back to a safe place.
“There’s no other way…”
The very moment Venom was about to make that decision…
“You seem to be in trouble. Can we help?”
Two men appeared to protect Masayuki.
“You are…Minits-san?! And also Calgurio-san!”
The timid Masayuki remembered the two men he had met several times. He also remembered how nervous he had been at the mere mention of these big shot imperial dignitaries, fearing that he would be rude.
“Masayuki-dono, please just call me Minits. I feel uncomfortable being addressed as ‘-san’ by you, who has the same face as His Majesty.”
“B-But…”
“Hahaha, I agree with Minits. When I’m confronted with Masayuki-dono, I get all worked up. It’s as if His Majesty is looking at me, and it gives me more strength than usual!”
The dandyish Minits and the stern Calgurio, his left eye covered by an eye patch, smiled so as to reassure Masayuki.
“Venom-kun, right? Leave the support to us.”
With that said, Minits turned his gaze to Cornu. Then, an invisible force field was generated, slowing Cornu’s movement.
It was the effect of the Unique Skill ‘Oppressor’ that should have been lost from Minits.
“Minits, didn’t you lose your power?”
“Yes, I did. But since it was once available, it’s easy to obtain it again a second time, right?”
Calgurio couldn’t help but chuckle at Minits’ nonchalant reply.
“I envy you. I’ve lost my sense of omnipotence. However, it’s still pretty easy for me to store magicules in my emptied body.”
As if to prove his words, Calgurio strength began to swell. He quickly surpassed his limit into a rampant state, and his mucous membranes began to bleed. If left untreated, it would be fatal, but that didn’t matter in this labyrinth. He was equipped with an unlimited number of Resurrection Bracelets that he procured from somewhere, so he didn’t care about the effects on his body.
“You’re exaggerating too much.”
“If I can’t do this much, I won’t be able to show my face to the dead.”
Because of the two men’s participation, Venom saw hope in the situation.
In addition, several men came and offered to help Venom.
At first glance, Venom recognized the men and accepted without hesitation.
“That would be a big help. Don’t even think about how to take him down, just try holding him back!”
“Got it!”
“Things seem to be getting interesting.”
“Now that “I” am here, we’re safe. Just leave it all to ME!”
The three of them were Surmounters who had come out of personal curiosity.
“I’ll give the orders. So let’s move, people!”
For some reason, Calgurio began calling the shots, and no one objected.
After receiving the help of five people, Venom, in a supported state, began an offensive against Cornu.
“You little worms! Don’t get carried away!”
Cornu was furious, but he didn’t lose his cool. While controlling the strength of his strikes to prevent Masayuki from escaping, he began to move in order to eliminate the enemy one by one.
Surprisingly, however, the impromptu team worked well together. Taking advantage of Cornu’s inability to use large-scale destructive attacks and the Surmounter’s invulnerability, Calgurio devised a plan that would cause the least amount of damage.
The six of them, including Venom, made up for the hopeless disparity in their abilities with tact and courage, and succeeded in buying time by following one another.
Then, taking advantage of the opportunity,
“Masayuki, this way!”
“Hurry up and get out of here. As long as you get to the research facility, you can get to the other levels, right?”
It was Bernie and Jiwu who called out to Masayuki.
“Ah, y-you guys!”
“I’m sorry. I would love to apologize properly, but I guess now is not the time. In any case, you should follow me.”
“Huh? W-Wait, wait. What’s Jiwu going to do?”
Apparently, Bernie intended to be Masayuki’s bodyguard, but Jiwu hadn’t moved from her spot and was casting some kind of magic spell.
“Yeah. You don’t have to worry about me. I will disguise myself and pretend to be Masayuki to confuse him.”
The one who turned around was Jiwu, who had transformed and now looked exactly like Masayuki.
“Hurry up. It looks like he is refraining from attacking you, so Jiwu’s plan should be able to get around him. We’ll take that opportunity to escape.”
Apparently, that was part of the strategy they had come up with before getting here. Those who had rushed to support Masayuki were standing around so that Cornu could not see the moment Jiwu transformed into Masayuki.
Although Masayuki was hesitant, it only lasted for a moment.
“I understand. I’ll only drag everyone down if I stay anyway.”
He could only reluctantly agree to the plan.
***
The Control Room was in chaos.
The enemy that had suddenly appeared was far more troublesome than they had expected.
“Hey, have you been able to measure the existence value of the guy who is aiming for Masayuki?”
“Got it! It was roughly 1.8 million—but that ballooned up to 2.8 million after being equipped with mythical grade equipment!”
“What—that’s foul!”
Alpha’s report made Ramiris very upset, but complaining alone would not help, so all she could do now was think desperately about countermeasures.
“It is said that mythical-grade equipment lends its power to those it recognizes as its master. In Albert-dono’s case, his existence value was more than doubled, but even with that, it seems that he still hasn’t fully brought out its true potential.”
Ramiris agreed with Beretta’s analysis.
After equipping the mythical grade equipment, Albert had become the equivalent of an incarnated spiritual lifeform, and according to the data measured at that time, his existence value had increased from 180,000 to over 400,000. This alone was already quite powerful, but it seemed that the mythical grade equipment still had a considerable amount of potential left in them. Albert had since gone into an evolutionary sleep, and there was very much to be expected for when he woke up.
Once that happened, it would make one wonder just dangerous Kurobee was now that he would have grown enough to create mythical-grade equipment…But now was not the time to consider that.
Mythical-grade equipment, while rare and wonderful, was only a threat in the hands of the enemy.
“What are we going to do?! Even with Treyni-chan and Charys, we’re being pushed back by that Zalario guy! And besides, Venom and the others are no match for that Cornu guy…”
Ramiris’ concern was understandable.
Venom had evolved into a demon peer, and his existence value had risen to 400,000. However, for the others, the leader of the Surmounters was at 300,000 while the remaining two were at 200,000.
As for the remnants of the Imperial Army, Minits and Calgurio had lost most of their power, and now had existence values of less than 10,000. They were not expected to be a force to be reckoned with, and one could even praise them for their willingness to participate in this battle.
However, for some reason, those two were very lively.
Minits, strangely enough, was making full use of his lost Unique Skill ‘Oppressor.’ The fact that he was wearing a stylish suit despite being a prisoner of war was also inexplicable, giving Ramiris the illusion that he was even more capable than Venom.
And Calgurio, for some reason, had been increasing his existence value since a while ago, and had now reached 400,000. Although the rate of increase had decreased, it was still rising, which was incomprehensible.
It was a very interesting phenomenon.
But unfortunately, now was not the time to pursue these matters. Swallowing her frustration at having so many things on her mind, Ramiris forcefully pressed back the unanalyzable displeasure and gave the orders.
“Ahhh, even if you guys die, I’ll bring you back to life with my power! So feel free to use everything available. The main problem is Masayuki.”
“What do you mean?”
“Even if he dies, he’ll just be sent here, but if he’s taken away, then that’s it, right? So I think it’s safer to evacuate him.”
“I see.”
“About that, Bernie and the others are trying to get him out.”
Ramiris let out an ‘ooh-oh’ in exclamation.
She was impressed by the fact that Bernie and the others had come to the same conclusion as herself, and that they had started to act before they had even received instructions to do so.
In the first place, Masayuki was a chicken-hearted person who would never be able to commit suicide. Even in the event of an emergency, it was unlikely that he would be able to escape by killing himself.
On the other hand, if Bernie was going to accompany him, she could rest assured.
“Contact Bernie! Tell him to set their escape destination to here. And, as I’m sure you’re aware, if something goes wrong, just do what you must do!”
“Understood.”
Following Ramiris’ instructions, Alpha immediately sent out the ‘Telepathy Net.’ The encryption process was flawless, and the command was sent to Bernie without any time lag.
After confirming that, Ramiris finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Well, I think that’s about all we can do,” she said.
The large monitoring screen was divided into sections, showing the battle statuses of each location. No matter the location, their companions were struggling, and the situation was not good.
“We’re really useless without Rimuru.”
“The timing was terrible. If the guardians had been awake, we wouldn’t have been at such a disadvantage.”
“That’s true, but…”
Indeed, Beretta was correct. If only they had had their usual strength, then they would not have been so far behind.
But even so, Ramiris felt responsible.
For Ramiris, life in the Jura Tempest Federation was irreplaceable.
At that moment, Beta, who was monitoring the magicules’ remaining power, shouted out in an urgent voice.
“There’s an emergency!”
“What the hell is it this time?!”
“Although it was expected, the magicule supply from Veldora-sama has been cut off. At this rate, the city will be returned to the ground in less than ten minutes!”
“Eh—Wh-What the…! Does that mean that Master has been defeated?!”
That was a difficult reality for Ramiris to swallow. But with Velgrynd as his opponent, she had to admit that it was a possibility.
It was the anticipation of this situation that had led to the evacuation.
Ramiris decided to believe that Rimuru would find a way to take care of Veldora. Things were not going to get any better if she just stayed depressed, so she had to think positively and do whatever she could.
“So, what’s the status of the evacuation?”
“No problems there. It is fortunate that Masayuki-dono succeeded in persuading those who were opposing the evacuation before he left.”
No matter where, there were always those who complained too much, and the capital city Rimuru was no exception. About ten percent of the population, including those who were trying to profit from the situation and foreign merchants, had stubbornly refused to evacuate.
Even those people became cooperative just by hearing Masayuki’s voice.
Because Masayuki-sama had said so, they became more than willing to do so.
Ramiris was also surprised at what was essentially a brainwashing effect.
Gamma, who had been checking the situation over there, assured that there was no one left in the city. ‘No problem then,’ was what Ramiris thought as she decided to separate the metropolitan area.
“The defense function cannot be activated without anyone there. It’s a shame, then, that massive damage in the city will be inevitable.”
“Hold on, Beretta-chan! If you say that, it’s only going to shake my resolve!”
However, the situation really was unavoidable.
Ramiris herself didn’t have much mana left, and now that she had expanded the labyrinth to its maximum, she had no room for extra structures.
That was the downside to relying on Veldora for energy, but Ramiris could not think of any other solution to this problem.
“Of course, I understand that very well. Well, I’m sure if it were Rimuru-sama, he would say that we could just rebuild everything again.”
“That’s right, so I guess we’ll just have to be decisive and live with it…”
Gritting her teeth at her own helplessness, Ramiris continued carrying out the city evacuation. All that remained was to pray that the city would not be destroyed by stray bullets once it returned to the ground.
But then…
“Emergency report!! New enemies have appeared on the surface. Two of them. We cannot measure their existence values accurately because they are outside of the labyrinth, but we estimate their numbers to be over a million at the very least!”
This time the report came from Delta, who was monitoring the surface.
The size of the small monitor was switched and enlarged so that everyone could see it. What appeared on the screen were two angels—no, two fallen angels with black wings.
They were a duo of a large, muscular female warrior, and a small, beautiful girl.
They also had three pairs of wings.
“Are you kidding me?! They have the same number of wings, which means these guys are also seraphim…”
Panicking, Ramiris flew around, feeling completely helpless at this point. But then she remembered something, and asked Delta with a glimmer of hope.
“Delta-chan! How can you be so sure that they’re the enemy? Maybe they—”
Though unlikely, the other side might actually be friendly—and to Ramiris, who had generated such naive thoughts, Delta could only tell her the cruel answer.
“It’s because those two are preventing us from recovering the hole that Velgrynd-sama made. As soon as the maze is closed, our victory is confirmed…so it’s unlikely.”
Her answer was unquestionable and very clear.
“Oh, that’s right. Thank you.”
Ramiris stopped flying around and sat powerlessly on Beretta’s shoulder.
At this point, Ramiris felt overwhelmed with disgust by the enemy’s strategy of bringing in four Million-Class enemies, to the point that she felt like cursing all night long.
But just then, a reliable ally awoke.
“Leave the surface grounds to me. The city that bears the name of Rimuru-sama will not easily be destroyed.”
The newly evolved Barrier Lord Geld had returned.
“Geld!!!!”
Ramiris cried.
Cried with joy.
“Geld-sama’s existence value is over 2.37 million! I’ve added up all of his equipment, and I’m sure he’ll be a match for any intruder!!”
Geld’s own Legendary-grade equipment had reached the Mythical-grade at the same time Geld was evolving. It was also because of Geld’s surrounding youki that it had evolved so well.
In fact, Rimuru never expected this either, but all those present mistakenly believed that everything was a part of Rimuru’s plans.
“That’s Rimuru for you. Even with my eyes, I couldn’t have foreseen this kind of development.”
Ramiris, whose eyes were quite piercing, said this confidently.
But Beretta brushed it off as if nothing had happened.
“That’s right. What a terrifying deliberate plan.”
Moreover, another Awakening had been completed.
“I am here, too. The other enemy will be my prey.”
It was Kumara, the “Chimera Lord.”
“Kumara-sama’s existence value is measured to be around 1.9 million. Without any special equipment, to have such a value, the enemy is no longer a threat!!”
At Alpha’s report, the Control Room erupted in cheers.
And as if to prove Alpha’s words, a fierce battle began on the surface as well. What was even more surprising was that Geld’s men were also scattered at various locations, setting up a powerful ‘Barrier’ to protect the city from the aftermath of the battle.
“Now we can win this!!”
“It looks like we’re going to be okay for the time being.”
Ramiris made a declaration of victory, and Beretta was relieved.
However…
It was too early to relax.
Phantom King Feldway’s plan was not yet finished.
Rather, everything up until now had merely been a diversion, and his true goal was something else entirely.
***
The tension that had been building in the Control Room relaxed slightly.
After making a declaration of victory over Beretta’s shoulder, Ramiris fell silent as if she had no strength left.
But Beretta was familiar with such scenes, and from the very beginning, he had maintained a calm demeanor while continuing to take care of the restless Lord.
Shinji, who had been observing the situation from a distance, was silently taking in the current commotion as if it were someone else’s problem. The battle was unfolding in a way that was beyond his understanding, to the point that he could no longer believe that it was real.
That is why Shinji remained calm.
He could understand why Ramiris was upset, but couldn’t she have been calmer? He thought that to himself.
If only she could learn from Beretta-san a little…
Those were Shinji’s true feeling, but he would never say it out loud. If he were to say such a thing, he would not only incur unnecessary wrath, but would also risk having his salary cut.
Indeed, Ramiris’s labyrinth was amazing, but Ramiris herself was weaker than Shinji. Or rather, it was a gap so large that it wasn’t even necessary to compare.
So no matter how much Ramiris panicked, she couldn’t actually do anything about it.
Besides, Shinji remembered the victory party that had been held the other day.
The power of those majins was unimaginable.
And it was Demon Lord Rimuru, to whom all these powerful people swore their allegiance.
Shinji was an otherworlder, and by Freedom Association standards, he was a Special A rank. He had also measured his existence value, and it was now over 120,000. On top of that, he possessed the Unique Skill ‘Healer,’ which had once him an ace commander in the Imperial Army.
He had once conceitedly believed that his strength belonged to the upper class, yet here, he was nowhere near outstanding compared to the others.
After all, even the beautiful sisters who were working as operators here had individual existence values of over 150,000.
Thus, it was quite natural for Shinji to think that there was no point in boasting or worrying about his own strength.
Incidentally, Mark’s existence value was 130,000, and Xin’s was 120,000. They were about the same, and would not be able to do anything against the monster on the monitor.
And yet, even in the current situation where all the main forces were gone, they were still able to hold a stalemate with the enemy. That alone was a great achievement, Shinji thought.
Looking back on it now, even the battle power of the Empire’s prided Armored Corps was actually less than thirty percent of the total strength of Tempest.
And that was only before the victory celebration.
At the celebration, Demon Lord Rimuru had given the executives new powers as a reward, causing most of the higher majins to fall into an evolutionary sleep. As a result, some of them had even begun to reach the Million-class.
To be honest, Shinji’s understanding could not keep up with the status quo anymore.
As was the case with Geld earlier, the evolution of monsters was truly inexplicable.
I’m so glad that I defected from the Empire to Tempest!
Shinji thanked Master Gadra from the bottom of his heart.
He looked on the monitor again and saw that Minits, one of his former superiors, was struggling against Cornu, one of the “Three Phantom Commanders.”
The scene looked like something out of a movie.
After all, what can one do against such monsters? I mean, it’s hard to believe that there are even people like that in this world.
From Shinji’s point of view, Minits and Calgurio, who were willing to challenge the enemy even though they had lost their powers, were more abnormal. At the same time, seeing them regain their strength in the face of such a powerful enemy just like in a movie made him feel that the upper echelons of the empire were not so bad.
In short, it was extremely unrealistic.
‘Could it be that they think of themselves as the main characters?’—It even made Shinji generate such doubts.
Perhaps that was why.
Perhaps that was why Shinji did not feel a sense of crisis and switched his thoughts to something more interesting.
To put it simply, it was an escape from reality.
He was thinking about Shuna, who had just brought snacks from everyone.
Yeah, Shuna-san is still so cute and pretty~
It didn’t matter what he thought about his employer—or rather, he didn’t care. What currently occupied Shinji’s mind was not the tactless fighting, but the very cute Shuna.
The memory of her bowing and leaving the room was enough to make Shinji feel happy.
She was dignified, and had no flaws.
And although Shuna looked like a fragile and beautiful girl, it was well known that she became very scary when she was angry.
Shinji was not the only one who admired Shuna. Mark, Xin, and the new apprentice assistants, Lucius, and Raymond, were also members of the “Shuna fan club.”
In comparison, his employer, Ramiris was…
He couldn’t help but sigh.
“Hey, Shinji-chan. Is there something you have to say to me?”
It was only at times like these that Ramiris’ instincts were keen.
“No, it’s nothing.”
Shinji hurriedly scrambled to deny anything.
Master Gadra had also often scolded him, saying that ‘If you want to be a wizard, you have to be calm and collected. You’re not even close to ready yet!’
After experiencing such a situation just now, he couldn’t help but understand why Master had scolded him.
It was true that Shinji was emotional, and he was not good at manipulating emotions, which was essential for a wizard.
Xin, for example, was expressionless and unaware of his emotions, but he lacked the aptitude for magic. Gadra had always told him that it would have been better if it was the other way around.
But Gadra also said that while Shinji could not appreciate the emotion of expressionlessness, he was not lacking in aptitude for magic; on the contrary, he was highly qualified.
That’s why Shinji had no choice but to admit that he was in the wrong.
Well, now that I can afford to be angry, maybe I can get Ramiris-sama to forgive me.
Shinji thought to himself.
In the first place, it was a mistake to compare Shuna and Ramiris.
That was like comparing an adult to a child. Or rather, there were actually more fundamental reasons for the difference.
Shuna still had the air of a young girl, but her manner was that of a sophisticated adult.
Ramiris has been alive for thousands of years, but her mental age was still low, perhaps because her body was still growing.
Ramiris, who was a child in both appearance and mind, could not compete with Shuna at all.
‘But Ramiris always seems cute, so it’s better to treat her more gently’—that’s what Shinji thought.
And so, with that, Shinji’s thoughts were currently focused on unnecessary things.
It was because of this that he took notice.
It was because of this that he realized that the man who was always so lazy had stood up at some point.
And for some reason, Vesta, his always-serious boss, was lying asleep on his desk.
“Huh? Dino-san, what are you doing…?”
It was really just a coincidence that Shinji had asked that question. However, that one action was the most crucial play of the day.
Shinji, who had been the least conscientious of the group, took the greatest credit for the day.
***
So masayuki is underage Does that make velgrynd a pedo?