IN THE LAND OF DESTINY


    So everything was set. After giving my final instructions to Veldora, I waited for an envoy to direct me to the Council site. I didnt know where it was, so Id be going along with Ramiriswho, by the way, also didnt know.


    I asked why, and she had replied, Because someone alwayses to take me there! Which made sense, I suppose, in its own way. The way she always got lost, wherever she went, I guess its just a given that she had a guide. If someone doesnt really feel like memorizing a route, they never will, no matter how many times they repeat it.


    Either way, I figured someone would be teleporting in to guide us, so I decided to wait for that.


    It was almost an hour before midnight when I was contactednot by an envoy, but by Benimaru.


    Whats up? Some kind of problem?


    I was expecting the worst, but Benimaru instead had a request for me. Battle had just begun with the enemy, and we already had a full gauge of their capacity.


    The gifts Benimaru earned from my awakening had upgraded his ss to Oni. This was a type of spiritual life-form, along the lines of the dryadsBenimaru, in other words, had reached the same lofty heights as Treyni. Shuna, Soei, and Hakuro were all Onis as well, which put them about as high up on thatdder as you can go.


    This was wonderful, but the issue was the skill Benimaru obtained. The unique skill Born Leader was geared toward granting enhanced control over his powers, as befitting the naturally aggressive Benimaru. No matter how much of it he unleashed, he could keep himself from rampaging out of control. Its secrety in Compute Prediction, which could fully read the flow of power in his body and prevent bursts of waste.


    It was also useful in battles betweenrge armies, not just in duels. He could sense the flow of power among his forces, reading his chances for victory like a prophet. If things were looking bad for his side, he could instantly send orders to his forces and change his strategy. It was almost like cheating. In a battlefield, the correct conveyance of information meant everything, and this allowed him tomand his full army without a single mimunication.


    Right now, thebined forces of thirty thousand were under Benimarusmand, and he could move them as smoothly and easily as his own limbs. These thirty thousand elites were no also-ran army, thats for sure.


    Whats more, the Born Leader skill also came with the Inspire Forces effect, adding bonuses to the forces he led that boosted their power by some 30 percent or more. That meant the entire army was nearly a third stronger. We werent losing out in troop numbers; we had better-quality fighters We werent disadvantaged in any way. If we could get that bonus, too, then hell, all the better.


    And with all of that, Benimaru could see from the start that victory was ours. Once he did, he had a bright idea for a new strategy.


    (So thats why I wish to attack the main enemy force. Soeis ready to go as well, and so I thought that, if ymans castle is indeed beyond that cloud, we might as welly waste to it, too.)


    That Benimaru. Brimming with confidence.


    (Isnt that dangerous? Youve only barely begun fighting. We dont know how thisll turn out yet)


    (Were fine. I am stationed over here. It would be Soei and Hakuro striking the castle)


    (Wait, my brother!!)


    Shuna had interrupted our Thought Communication as she was preparing some tea. Um, this was supposed to be a secure line? She broke in there a little too easily for my tastes.


    (Er, hello, Shuna. What did you want?)


    I could hear Benimarus voice jump several octaves.


    (Dont ask me what I want, my brother! The demon lord yman is dangerous! He has the power to bend peoples minds! If Soei or Hakuro fell victim to that)


    (No, theyd be perfectly fine against)


    (You cant!! If you insist on sending them in, then Ill join them!)


    Whoa, whoa. Shunas usually a lot more chill than this. Whats gotten into her?


    Benimaru and Shuna continued to argue as I sat there in shock. As my friend in my previous life put it, theres no way a man can ever win against his younger sister. Benimaru was no longer brimming with confidence at all. The all-out assault from Shuna sent him reeling.


    The next thing I knew, Shuna was beaming at me. All right, Sir Rimuru! Give me your orders to move out!


    Um, how do I respond to that?


    I didnt want to send Shuna anywhere lethal, but she did have a point. No matter how unlikely, Id never want Soei to be thought controlled. I wanted to keep them from doing anything dangerous, but taking a castle to rob the enemy of an escape point was a ssic strategy. With yman gone for the Walpurgis Council, now would be the perfect opportunity.


    Still I mean, as long as I made sure yman didnt get away, were good, right? And its not like I wanted to kill every single one of the magic-born working for him.


    (You have nothing to worry about, Sir Rimuru,) Soei chimed in. (I promise I will keep Lady Shuna safe.)


    (And with me around,) Hakuro added, (it will be no problem to at least peek into the enemys stronghold. They might be holding Lord Carillon there. I feel we need to investigate.)


    My Thought Communication was getting worryingly busy. Shuna mustve recruited them both to convince me. It was rare for her to act so selfishly, so I could understand why they wanted her to have her way this time. The fact Carillon wasst seen being taken in the direction of ymans castle also intrigued me.


    I am terribly angered by all this, Sir Rimuru. It is hard for me to contain my feelings. What yman has done is unforgivable!


    Dahh Yeah, I get that. I know Im not the only one who felt a little helpless against him, back there. And I can see how Shuna would resent being left waiting around on the home front.


    (All right. Ill let Shuna join in. But Soei and Hakuro, I want her safety to be job one for you. And if their HQ has more defenders than you predicted, put safety first and just bring back intelligence for me. Even if you discover Carillon, dont reach out to him unless youre sure its safe. Got it?)


    (Thank you for epting her request.)


    (I will be fine,) Shuna replied. (I can simply teleport out if something happens.)


    (Indeed.) Hakuroughed. (If anyone might be taking their sweet time in there, I imagine it would be me.)


    (All of us have resistances to spirit-based attacks,) pointed out Soei, (so I imagine we will not waste much time. And with Lady Shuna there, there is nothing to be concerned about. If we do discover Lord Carillon, we will think over matters then.)


    That put my mind at ease a little. Certainly, with Shunas unique skill Parser, shed be able to identify any attacks aimed for her mindand with Spatial Motion also in her arsenal, I didnt see that much to worry about. She didnt have that much magical energy to tap, but the skills in her quiver were excellent.


    Soei was right about Carillon as well. He might not be there at all, so there was no point harping on the issue.


    (All right. You have my permission, then, but always make sure youre on top of the situation over there. Just in case, Ill have you begin operations at midnight, just after the Walpurgis Council begins.)


    (((Yes sir!)))


    So now I had a three-member team attempting to infiltrate ymans base of operations.


    It was just before midnight now, so I decided to take a moment to ask Veldora about the demon lords. I have no interest in such little gnats, he began (of course), but he still had a fair amount to say about them allexcept for Leon, who ascended to the role after he was sealed away.


    Given his penchant for violent rages across the countryside, Veldora had fought against a demon lord or two in his time. Around two thousand years ago, he attacked and destroyed a city of vampires, which naturally earned him the anger of legions of those creaturesa chase he apparently loved. One of them, a female vampire, was particrly beautiful (and beautifully dressed) and boasted strength beyond all her peers. When the dust finally settled, her cadre of vampires disappeared from the scene, and Veldora didnt know what had happened to them.


    What was her name? I believe it was Lu, erm, Lurus? Or Milus? Regardless, I never treated her that seriously, but she was a rather challenging ything for me, so I would be wary around her. She cant take a joke, do you see?


    I think that was more Veldoras fault than hers. Anyone would be a little pissed off after their homnd was burned to embers. Of course, that was millennia ago; maybe shes mellowed.


    Ooh, interjected Ramiris from adjacent to me, didja know that guy Valentines a demon lord now, too?


    This Valentine had apparently taken over the original ones role about 1,500 years ago. I can only hope times healed wounds between these vampires and Veldora.


    Daggrull, the demon lord giant, was another keen rival of the dragons. They had tussled several times, with no clear victor ever being crowned, and if Veldora bothered to remember his name, he mustve been a pretty mean match. This guy had the poweror the guts, at leastto take on a dragon type. Probably a standout among the demon lords. Better watch for him.


    Our conversation moved on to the topic of demons. Veldora had apparently dispatched several groups of demons in his timea practice he found fun, since even if you incinerated them, they always resurrected to an even stronger form over time. A bunch of great ymates for him, really.


    Not even he had fought the lord of these demons, however. This king held his domain in a castle on the frozen tundra of the northern continent, a ce so frigid that he never bothered to make the trip.


    It is far too cold up there! Whats the need for me to pay a visit? Kwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!


    That sounded pretty evasive to me, but he refused to give up any more details. No need to think about that now, though. It would be going pretty far out of his way to storm the ce.


    Yes, well, Guy isnt any pushover, Ramiris observed. Me, him, and Milim are the oldest demon lords youll ever find!


    Thats doesnt mean muching from Ramiris. Suddenly Guy sounds like nothing special at all. But ah well. Ill back-burner this guy.


    So how many demon lords does that leave remaining? I had already met Milim, Ramiris, and Carillon; we had just discussed Valentine, Daggrull, and Guy. There was Frey, the one who Phobio said had dealt the decisive blow to Carillon. There was Leon to think about, along with my current target, yman. So one more


    Mm? I couldnt say. The allegedly sage Veldora was useless.


    Oh, you must mean Deeno! Ramiris cried. Hes even more of a goof-off demon lord than I am!


    I suppose he and Ramiris were two peas in a pod, then.


    We are not!


    Ill just ignore that.


    So thats ten, some of whom had a bone to pick with Veldora. Id need to keep that in mind as we discussed matters. Many seemed far more capable of defending themselves than I thought. Using this wimp Ramiris as a baseline couldnd me in deep troublemaybe it was better to assume Milim was par for the course with them. Even after my evolution, I was leery about my chances of beating her in battle. We had sparred a few times, but she wasnt being at all serious about it. I needed more data. In sparring mode, I could totally take her on now, but I couldnt be cocky until I knew what she was more fully capable of.


    I still couldnt believe that Milim de facto approved of rubbing me out. Theres got to be something behind that. Shes not the type to backstab her friends or be mind controlled like that, and there was never gonna be any negotiating with her. There had to be some reasona reason of her devising, too.


    Well, no point dwelling on it. Ill figure it out when I see her.


    As we talked, I felt a wrinkle in space erupt out of nowhere. Herees our ride, I thought as this huge, bombastic, ominous-looking gate appeared. Pretty fancy. Me, I usually just kind of ripped a hole in time and space, so maybe I could learn from this. Once I had a concrete image in mind, itd be easier for me to whip up a gate like this next time and teleport through it.


    Regardless, the door opened, revealing a green-haired woman in a dark-red maids outfit. She bowed her head toward Ramiris. I havee to take you, Lady Ramiris. And is this your guest? Ill be happy to guide you together.


    Then she stood by the gate and lowered her eyes, eliminating her presence as much as possible. A well-trained pro at the servant biz, it felt like.


    But something concerned me. She was exuding just as much overpowering force as Diablo at his best. She was a demon, a high-level one. Regr demons could only climb so high up thetter. No matter how long-lived they were, an Arch Demon was about the most they could hope for. Anything beyond that required a certain triggerwhich, in the case of Diablo, was me naming him. This let him break out of the base demon framework entirely, evolving him from an Arch Demon to a so-called Demon Peer.


    Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh. I have no interest in strength, he had said at the time, but now I see there is always something higher to strive for. Perhaps I should try to make more of an effort at this?


    He had no interest in strength, but he had a hell of a lot of interest in fighting. As he put it, he had been too content with himself before, since bing too strong would squeeze all the fun out of battle. Was he kidding with me? Because if he wasnt, thats just scary.


    And now I had this other Demon Peer here, this maid. Or more like a maiden messenger from the underworld, I suppose. With the kind of anime and manga I consumed way back when, a maid was more a type of battle unit than anythingand with her being a Demon Peer and all, she was clearly one deadly woman.


    Oh, hey! Havent seen you in an age, Mizeri! Hows Guy doing?


    Ramiris clearly wasnt afraid of her. In some ways, it made her even scarier.


    It is not upon me to worry about the condition of my master


    Ah. Havent changed a bit, have you? Well, thats fine.


    She fluttered her way into the gate, the rest of us following behind. We had to hurry, or else wed get shut out. If I wasted any more time here steeling my resolve and wound up missing my ride there, I dont know how Id ever exin that to Benimaru and the rest.


    So this maid Mizeri works for the demon lord Guy? The lord of the demons, and one of the oldest demon lords to boot. If he recruited Demon Peers as doormen, that said a lot about his power. Probably shouldnt try riling him, thenunless the times called for it.


    But having someone as strong as Mizeri do this kind of low-end work? Talk about arrogance. Here I thought the demon lords were all I had to worry about. So much for that. Maybe I shouldve taken Diablo along after all, even if he and Shion wouldve gone out of control with each other


    Well, its toote for second-guessing. Time to put up or shut up. The worlds rulers are waiting for me beyondbut I didnt feel scared. Thats because I was one of them. One of the strongest in the world. If anything, I felt cool as a cucumber as I crossed the door.


    Benimaru grinned broadly as he surveyed the battle unfolding below him.


    It was all going ording to n. The enemy had been lured, like clockwork, right into the traps Geld setwhich could have been predicted, given how lightly they had treated the Tempest side.


    Sir Rimuru was right, he said to himself, pitying his foes. If theyve set the table this kindly for us, it would almost be more difficult to lose.


    They could pull this off thanks to the perfect control he had over his armies, but Benimaru didnt think it that impressive of a feat. As he said, they had caught ymans forcesically off guardthey expected their numbers to overwhelm Tempest, after all. They had pursued the fleet-footed beastman fighters that had posed as refugees, and now they werepletely cornered.


    Alvis flew up to the point in the air Benimaru chose to watch events from. It appears to be decided, she observed, quietly pping her wings so as not to break Benimarus train of thought. By this point, I see no way for the enemy to recover itself.


    Ah, Lady Alvis. He turned his crimson eyes to her. Enough of that ther. We havent won anything yet.


    Please, Sir Benimaru, Alvis is fine


    You are not subordinate to me, he coldly refused.


    No, perhaps I am not, but we beastmen have given up ourmand to you for the moment.


    Benimaru nodded his understanding. Very well. For this battle, at least, I will appoint you as my aide.


    I appreciate it, Sir Benimaru.


    Nowin name, at leastBenimaru hadmand of thisbined force. With the supervisor of all Eurazanias armies officially dering herself below him, Benimaru was now officially supreme leader of the entire show. There was no defying the supreme leader; in the world of monsters, the strongest called the shots.


    But despite appointing you my aide, Im not sure there is much left to do, is there? I am keeping a steady watch on matters, but victory is imminent.


    I agree with you. However, I do sense the presence of several strong members on their side.


    True, the unwavering Benimaru replied. Once the oue is set in stone, I will send Gelds troops their way.


    Hold on, Sufia interjected. I want to join in on that!


    Yeah, Phobio added. I dont want you hoarding all the action, Commander. This is thend of beastmenournd. If we leave it all to you, Lord Carillonll chew us out for it.


    Hes right! If youve left us to ensure everyone is safe, you could at least let us handle this battle.


    Sir Benimaru, said Alvis, I leavemand of the armies to you. Please allow us to target and defeat the ringleader of the enemy force!


    All three bowed their heads to him. Benimaru greeted this with a clicking of the tongue.


    So thats why you made memander?


    Oh, how do you mean? Alvis replied, ying dumb.


    Very well. I was nning to have you join the fight anyway. However, if you feel you are about to lose, retreat at once. With some of their fighters, arrogance could be your downfall.


    He had a point. Several members of ymans force remained question marks. Depending on who was paired with whom, things could be dicey in the battle ahead.


    But, Benimaru thought as he boldly smiled to himself, Im always here. As long as I can detect when were in danger, we will not lose.


    Each of the Lycanthropeers already had their targeted prey in mind, sharpening their ws and letting their proud animal instincts run wild in pursuit of these loathsome interlopers.


    The trap would go off in another few minutes.


    I wanted to ask you something else, Alvis said as she waited. What will we do with those caught in our trap?


    Kill them all, is what I would like to say Benimaru thought for a moment. But I would like to leave judgment on that to you beastmen.


    Meaning?


    Take anyone willing to cooperate with us prisoner. Sir Rimuru is a generous leader, despite appearances. He is not a great proponent of genocide, although hell dly carry it out if they take any of our lives.


    I see. In that case, let us decide how to deal with the prisonerster.


    Certainly. That is fine. I imagine Sir Rimuru probably pictures them as a potential source ofbor.


    Oh?


    You are going to rebuild your capital, arent you? Benimaru casually asked. The more able workers, the better.


    Youll do that much for us?!


    Alvis, along with her two cohorts, was shocked. Rimuru not only took victory almost as a given; he already had the script written for what came next.


    Where does that confidencee from?! Were fighting the closestpanions to the cunning, deceitful yman, and yet


    The biggest surprise of all, though, was fighting this on the assumption that theyd take prisoners. In this world, it was far easier for most people to kill in battle rather than capture. You would never find amander whod care whether a force was partially surrendering before doing them all in with ranged magic. The idea of using prisoners as abor force had never urred to anyone before.


    This shook the Three Lycanthropeers to the core. It meant that the magic-born working under Rimuru never even considered the possibility of defeat. They went into this fight backed by an absolute confidence in their victory.


    Well, Benimaru added with augh, assuming our strategy goes to n. It only terrified the beastmen more.


    And then the battle began.


    (Everything to n, Soka.)


    (Understood, Sir Benimaru.)


    With that short exchange, the yman force experienced its first casualties. They were about a hundred magic-born, led by a named one of some renown, but they all died at once, their magical cores plucked out by Soka when she appeared out of nowhere. The four team members working under him were already busy taking down the other squad captains of ymans army, only striking those targets they were absolutely sure they could defeat. That was Benimarus order, and they followed it to the letter.


    The result: The enemys chain ofmand was pulverized. Orders from above were no longer making it to the foot soldiers.


    This is a trap! The beastmen have surrounded us!


    Thats crazy! How could they?


    Retreat! We have to regroup our forces!


    By the time they noticed, it was toote. Unlike a human army, monsters tended to over-rely on their own strength and bravery; a leader to guide their instincts was indispensable. Without them, ymans army was doomed to fall to pieces.


    (Geld, you may begin.)


    (Yes sir!)


    His orders given, Geld called out the signal.


    Start it now!


    Rahhh!!


    The next moment, the ground caved in, swallowing up the enemy forces. Tempestians gifted in controlling the earth had unleashed their magic. This natural-looking stretch ofnd was actually pockmarked with pit traps, an illusion created by their skills.


    Only monsters with the power of flight could escape, and even those were quickly picked off by avian beastmen and Gabils Team Hiryu. The ones who were caught found themselves in a cavernous underground hollow, the soil liquefied beneath. They were unhurt but buried up to their waists, unable to move.


    These were monsters, of course; some used magic or skills to wriggle out of this mousetrap, falling over their weakerpanions to reach solid ground again. But the n ounted for this, too. It helped thin out the crowd. The stronger ones among the force were killed without any chance to resist; the weaker, seeing this, had their hearts crushed. The survivors would know all too well where they stood strength-wise, likely losing their will to fight. The pit trap was set up entirely to procure pliable prisoners, willing to follow orders.


    Ten or so minutes after the n wasunched, the battle was already far too one-sided to offer any hope for a turnaround.


    This This many?


    Benimaru had a birds-eye view of over ten thousand yman soldiers, cut off and plunged into the pitfalls. Gelds Yellow Numbers were patrolling the edges, surrounding all the holes at regr intervals and taking out the magic-born who managed to w their way up. The enemy forces were outnumbered, and any unexpected shows of strength were handled with Tempests superior numbers and equipment. Even the most powerful magic-born could be taken out by a handful of beastmen or Team Kurenai. Most of ymans force had marched into what appeared be a t field; the remaining several thousand were holed up in the rear, but they werent enough to change anything.


    We won, Benimaru matter-of-factly whispered.


    Truly, an amazing show, marveled Alvis.


    Heh. We were bound to win. That was why we couldnt afford to let our guard down. I have my own work to do now. Alvis, Lycanthropeers, you are free to do as you like. Take the heads of the enemy leaders!


    Thats what Ive been waiting for, man! Ill be back!


    Now we can finally have some fun! I can smell the bastard who defied me before. Think Ill go after him first!


    I suppose I will join them, too. The rest is up to you, Sir Benimaru.


    Themander nodded, face pointed straight ahead.


    Go!


    Yes sir!!


    With that, the three warriors sprang into action.


    Sufia tore across the sky, faster than wings could take her. This was Skywalk at work, an Art only a small handful of magical creatures could wield, but Sufia used it like second nature.


    She was headed for a small group at the very far end of the battlefield, unarmed and looking out of ce. They were priests, led by Middray of the Dragon Faithful. She didnt know them, but Sufias animal instincts told her that these were the strongest forces the enemy boasted.


    As she sped forth, she heard the voice of Gabil,mander of the skies. He, and the hundred members of Team Hiryu, were following her.


    Gah-ha-ha-ha! Let me give you a hand, Lady Sufia!


    Ah, Gabil. She smiled a beautiful, heroic smile. Sorry, but you might be left with the short end of the stick here.


    Wah-ha-ha! Not a problem for me. Weve taken care of most of the aerial forces, and I wouldnt want to take any more work from the flying beastmen. Where are the enemies that lie between us and victory?


    Ha! Victory is ours, yes, but I think we have to put down the people in the back, just in case things go haywire on us.


    Right. I hear you loud and clear! You get that, men?!


    Understood, General!


    As long as you dont screw up, either, General!


    Gabil snarled at his dragonewts. Their exchanges usually went something like this. Sufia chuckled at it a bit before focusing her lethal energies on the target ahead.


    Middray had set up camp in a safe spot toward the rearalthough it wasnt a camp so much as apletely different location, a medic facility built by the supply team. He hadnt asked for this battle, but being so belittled by the force all this time made him feel too embarrassed to face Milim again.


    Lady Milim will surely deride me for this, too


    The thought concerned him enough that he demanded to be stationed on the front lines. That request was turned down by Yamza, who certainly didnt do it out of concern for Middrays safetyhe just didnt want anyone else horning in on his uing glory.


    Still, victory was all but guaranteed today. Their force was three times the size of the enemys, which was not at all a coherent fighting unit. They were being forced to retreat while guarding arge crowd of refugees, rendering them incapable of any counterattack.


    Its more dishonorable, if anything, to attack an opposing force like this


    Such was the thought in Middrays mind in the days leading up to this sh. Things, however, did not quite work out that way.


    We might be in trouble, Father. The battles all but lost, isnt it?


    Mm They are weak, Hermes, too weak. I had no idea the demon lord ymans soldiers were this incapable


    They arent, Father! The enemy just had the superior strategy!


    What? Dont be stupid. We should have the power to force our way right through any of their silly tricks! If thats the weak excuse you have for this, Im disappointed in you, Hermes!


    Look, if this was just a one-on-one duel, thats one matter, but in massbat like this, the quality of your armysmand is what decides the day! That, and how well you can catch the enemy unawares. Today, that was the opposing side. They hid their war power until thest moment and even sprang a trap on us.


    Pfft. I can see that much!


    Middray was never one to use his head very much. Hermes had a habit of bringing up all these meddlesome, annoying topics with him, just because he happened to be a little smarter, and he never liked that much. Now, however, even Middray could see that there was nothing he could retort with. The scene presented to him was all the evidence Hermes needed.


    But, Father Middray


    I know. The fighters headed our way Theyre powerful. As much as I hate to say it, we are standing in the midst of a battlefield. If theyreing for us, I say wee for them!


    So it goes, does it? Very well, then


    Hermes reluctantly agreed as Middray next to him began to burn with a desire to fight.


    Here, in the rear of ymans forces, was fought the most intense and ferocious of the days conflicts.


    Landing on solid ground, Phobio silently ran forward. Discovering a group hiding in the shadows behind the battlefield, he stopped right in front of them.


    There stood a man wearing a mask of anger and a girl wearing a mask of tears. This strange duo was Footman, the Angry Jester, and Teare, the Teardrop Jester; both members of the Moderate Jesters and both here observing the battle by ymans request.


    Hey, Phobio quietly said, holding back his rage. I owe you one fromst time.


    Footmans eyes twinkled ominously beneath his mask. Oh-ho? Well, well, if it isnt Sir Phobio!


    Sir Phobio, Teare said in a chiding, singsong voice as she traipsed around him. The beastman who could never quite be a demon lord! Sir Phobio, the one who lost to Milim! Thank you so much for helping us out then!


    Heh. d you still remember me. Itd be a shame if I killed you when you had no idea why you deserved it!


    Ooooh? Whatre you angry about?


    How odd. What could this fool be so livid for? Those raging emotions are so delectable, but theres no reason for us to die here.


    Oh, not at all, not at all!


    Shut up! Maybe I was a fool for letting you trick me, but a fool like me doesnt need a reason to ask for a little payback from you guys!


    Phobio broke out his sharp ws. Teare and Footman were unmoved.


    Hmm? You want to go with us? You shouldnt push yourself like that. Youre too weak for that!


    Hohhh-hoh-hoh-hoh! None of that, Teare. Sir Phobio here is trying to make usugh with this little joke of his.


    Neither could sessfully rile up Phobio. More than anything, he regretted letting his short temper steer him straight to failure in the past. So, once the greetings were over, he quickly stepped forward and instantly closed the gap between them.


    Ngh!!


    Tch!


    Realizing their mind games had no effect against him, Footman and Teare changed their approach. Things began to move quickly. The air twisted around them, opening a portal through which a man with the head of a wild boar appeared.


    Long time no see, Footman. Remember me?


    Hoh? Hmmmmm? Ah, the orc general? My, look at how impressive youve be!


    Footman attempted to sound yful with the sarcastic taunt, but the expression on his face indicated he was in trouble.


    Despite appearances, Footman was a coolheaded, calcting typea trait Geld was fully aware of. The jester was with the forces thatid waste to the ogre vige that Benimaru and the others called home, and Geld knew his powers were difficult to ignore. Footman was on a different level from other magic-born, as far as Geld was concerned.


    Plus, there was Teare. Footmans peer in many ways. The extent of her powers was an unknown, but she wasnt one to be underestimated. Phobio might have been the ck Leopard Fang of the Beast Masters Warrior Alliance, but even with his strength, taking on Footman and Teare by himself would spell trouble.


    The beastman let the rage bubble within. Heh-heh Well done, Sir Benimaru. Not a disagreeable piece of prey at all!


    Themander, overseeing the battle from the skies, had ordered Geld to assist Phobio. He wondered why at first, seeing as it meant Geld would abandon hismand post, but now he saw that Benimaru was right. The rest of the battle had already been decided, to the point that even Gelds aides could handle it well enough. Only the top leaders among the magic-born under Rimurusmand could handle two Moderate Jesters like this.


    Allow us to assist, Sir Phobio.


    Ah, Geld. Thank you!


    Phobio wasnt turning him down. Even here, he could sense the difference inbat ability between him and this pair. To him, the best path to victory was worth choosing more than his own pride.


    So began a smaller battle between two duos, in the shadow of a small hill away from the battlefield.


    The reports Yamza received from this battlefield bewildered him. The overwhelming advantage he thought he had was just an enemy trap all along.


    He didnt want to consider the thought of defeat. It would obviously enrage yman. He had to find a way to turn this around, to snatch victory from the jaws of defeatbut he doubted he had the man power left to achieve it. He still had enough of his wits to realize that, and now he had to think of other forces he might be able to stir into action.


    The five fingers, ymans inner circle of associates, was led by the middle finger, Yamza, the strongest magic-born out of them all. Only Adalmann, the pointer finger, and Nine-Head, the thumb, couldpare with him.


    Adalmann, head of the defense forces in ymans castle, began life as a wight, a deathly spirit who resided in the Great Forest of Jura. He was a well-known bishop during his living years, but that meant nothing now. ymans ursed magic had greatly boosted his power as a monster, transforming him into a wight king that ruled over the undead. The holy force he wielded when he was alive had transformed into impure demonic power that he used to curse the living.


    But despite his vast strength, Adalmann had one weaknesshisck of intellect. The only thing he could do was follow his orders to destroy any intruders; thats why he wasnt involved in this war.


    Nine-Head, meanwhile, was a fox spirit, an extreme rarity in her field. She was still young, just three hundred years old, and only three of her tails had grown out. Her magicule energy, however, was already well past Yamzas, up to the level of yman himself. She was with him now at the Walpurgis Council, serving as his bodyguard, so Yamza couldnt tap her for backup, either.


    Itll have to be Adalmann, then


    The problem was how to call him over. Actually, no, it wasnt a problem. It would be simple to have him show up right this instant. Yamza would have to then gather up his surviving troops, flee back into Milims domain, meet with him there, and go back on the offensive. Thats the best approach, he thought. Walpurgis Councils hadsted upward of a month in the pastif all went well, he could wrap this whole thing up before yman came back. It wouldnt exactly be simple to make Adalmann move, but it wasnt impossible.


    Either way, if he stood down and epted defeat right now, it was clear Yamza would be purged. Lord yman is a vicious man. He would do away with me in no timeI am sure of it And even if I were lucky enough to survive, I dont want to turn into a soulless puppet. As much as it vexes me, I must admit defeat herebut I will reign victorious in the end!


    Yamza turned his gaze toward the battlefieldand there, he witnessed a sight that made him doubt his eyes.


    In the front was a bewitchingly beautiful woman, her hair a mix of blond and ck. She held a golden staff and was boldly racing across thend, as if no one was around her at all.


    Protecting her was a group of Carillons finest, the Beast Masters Warrior Alliance. They numbered only a few dozen, but almost no one could defy them inbat, each one bearing the strength of a thousand. There was Zol, an elephant beastman; Talos, a bear beastman They couldnt beat the Three Lycanthropeers, but they were all stout fighters, worthy of serving under the great Beast Master.


    They were also apanied by a group in crimson garb, using searing me spells to burn away the supplemental forces kept in the rear. They meant little to Yamza, but there was no doubting they were ranked above the magic-born around them.


    Things had suddenly be very bad for him.


    The unbelievable visitors deepened Yamzas gloom.


    It cant be Why are the Three Lycanthropeers here?! Have they abandoned their troops ande to provide reinforcements themselves? But how could that?


    He could hear the trusted magic-born around him shouting. Agitation was in the air.


    Theyre pointing their greatest force toward our main army?! What are the lookouts doing?!


    Allow me to interrupt, sir! We cant make contact with our lookouts. Someone has killed them all!


    What?!


    The enemy was moving so fast, they werepletely behind on dealing with them. By the time Yamza noticed that, they were already lethallyte. The realization made the blood drain from his head. There would be no regrouping noweven escape would be fiendishly difficult.


    No. No, no, no, no, no!! I may not even be able to escape here with my life!


    Yamza began to panic. If this was one-on-one, he might be able to deal with that, but he wasnt self-absorbed enough to think he stood a chance against a squadron like this.


    Buy me some time! I will return to our homnd and bring Adalmann back here. He can summon the dead to restore our forces!


    It was just a pretext. He already knew all was lost, and he had decided to run away, as fast as possible. Luckily, he had only volunteered his fealty to yman, so his behavior was not restricted the way it was with the other four fingers. Following him any farther would be suicide, and that made it easy for Yamza to sever all ties.


    Yes sir!


    We can give you three hours, sir!


    His men each gave him stern, resolved looks that did nothing to move his heart. All he could think about was how stupid they were. The next moment, he chanted a teleportation spell. But something was off.


    Itsnot working? Is this aSpatial Blockade?!


    Yes. He was already toote. The moment Yamza and his men saw Alvis, Alviss gazended on them as well, thanks to the power of her skill Snake Eyes. It was an extra skill, one that applied arge variety of ailmentsparalysis, poison, insanity, and so forthand worked on anyone caught in her line of vision. A tremendously useful skill, the only way to escape it was by either sessfully resisting it or simply weathering it out.


    And Alvis had another card up her sleevethe unique skill Oppressor. This spatial skill gave her the effects of Mind elerate, Spatial Control, and Spatial Motion, letting her impede enemy movement and give her allies superior positioning.


    A single motion from her was enough to neutralize all the masses surrounding Yamza. The more weakhearted of them were instantly driven mad; the stronger ones were still paralyzed long enough for the poison to kill them off. Some had even been turned to stone. Less than a hundred managed to emerge unscathed. Before they could put up any resistance, the unworthy had been denied even the right to stand before Alvis.


    Her Spatial Control had snuffed out Yamzas magic, having the power to both obstruct spells and fix their spatial coordinates in ce to prevent them from affecting the air around the caster at all. No magical escape from this area was possible nowthis area being the range of Alviss vision. The entire battlefield was now in her total control. Such was the power of the Golden Snakehorn.


    Realizing escape was impossible, Yamza gritted his teeth.


    He still had ast resort. But it was a forbidden one, one that hed prefer not to use. Beyond that, the only path to survival involved winning this.


    So be it. Lets show them what weve got.


    Ah, Sir Yamza!


    Sir Yamza at his finest could overwhelm even the Three Lycanthropeers!


    Let me join you, sir! Our fighting will surely please Sir yman!


    His men were ted for the fight. Yamza found it boundlessly foolish. The demon lord yman sought only two things: victory and profit. He would never ept this performancewasteful attrition, followed up by total defeat.


    The only thing he believes in is pure, unadulterated power


    No matter how faithful Yamza was to him, yman never saw him as one of his own. He was just a useful pawn, a talented minion; that was as far as the lords affection went. The Ice de had been a gift, yes, but it was simply provided in an effort to strengthen him. It was all for ymans sake.


    Still, Yamza provided him with respect and reverence, and the gifts he received in return helped. They both had amon interest. But Yamza had no intention of offering his life to yman.


    About time to head out. I have to survive this and bounce back!


    This failure would force him to go into hiding for a while. But a Special-A talent like him, a giant among high-level magic-born, would no doubt be picked up by another demon lord before long, he thought.


    (I like this,) he Thought Communicated to Alvis. (One of the greatest magic-born under the Beast Mastersmand, part of the valorous Three Lycanthropeers. Are you willing to duel with me?)


    It was a risky bet. He wanted to defeat Alvis, the strongest figure in the group, and crush the enemys will to fight. Perhaps that would be enough to change the scriptand even if it didnt end well, he thought it could give him a chance to escape.


    (Very well, Sir Yamzahead of the five fingers beneath the demon lord yman. I will show you how far out of your element you are!)


    This, Alvis thought, would prove once and for all where yman and Lord Carillon stood with each other. She promptly transported herself before him with Spatial Motion, and in an instant, ymans surviving servants swarmed over her.


    It was not what one would normally call a strategy. Beastmen are mostly simple folk, easily provoked, and this cowardly approach took full advantage of that. If they can exhaust Alvis, even a little bit, thatll make it easier for Yamza to winsuch was the reasoning behind this kamikaze strike.


    You think those tricks will work?! Alvis shouted as she turned up the intensity on her Snake Eyes. To Yamza, though, they had already done more than enough. That single instant, when Alvis used her power, was the exact thing Yamza needed for his assured victory.


    Got you!!


    In a sh, he was upon her, shing his sword at her exposed back. And just before the tip of his de reached her body


    Nuh-uh! Backstabbing someone like thats not manly at all!


    Someone had leaped straight out from Alviss shadow, babbling to himself as he deflected Yamzas sword.


    Dehh! Whore you?!


    Im Gobta! We were hiding out just in case this happened!


    As he exined that, more and more figures popped out from the shadow. They were, of course, the Unified, four-legged goblin riders, tapping their physical agility to attack the magic-born that were still moving.


    And you didnt tell me? Alvis said. I was wondering why something didnt feel quite right.


    She had actually noticed them all along. That was why she was unafraid to go plunging in like this.


    Heh-heh! Benimaru ordered us to, Gobta casually replied as he fired off a Case Cannon bolt at Yamza. He could tell the moment he crossed des with him that this wasnt a battle for him to win. So while themander was distracted by his short sword, he thought now would be his best chance. Gobtas definition of fair and square differed a bit from the normit was something he asked of his foes but never followed himself.


    Still, Yamza managed to deflect the st with his sword.


    Out of my way, weakling!


    He pointed the tip of his de at Gobta and cast a spell, sending an Icicle Lance hurtling his way. Gobta simply used his dagger to fire an Icicle Lance of his ownnot to fire back, but because he had nned for this follow-up strike from the start. It wound up saving Gobtas life, as the two magic bolts met in the air and dissipated.


    That That had as much force as this magic sword?! And without casting? Cheeky little weakling, are we?


    Now Yamza recognized Gobta as his foebut Gobta had already pretty well exhausted his arsenal. Uh-oh. I couldnt follow that counter of his at all. That ice just happened to save me, but if he stabs me with that thing, Im a goner. Probably oughtta start runnin, huh?


    Fortunately, the goblin riders had already made their contribution to this fight. No one wouldin if they retreated now. Gobta made up his mind.


    All right, lets pull


    But just as he began to make the order, Yamzas sword sailed right past his nose.


    Pyah?!


    In another stroke of luck, he had taken a timid step back just in the nick of time. It made Yamza almost lose his nerve. This little sneak made it past my attack three times? Three in a row couldnt be any coincidence, as he saw itthat supersonic swipe he just made proved that the hobgoblin before him was no also-ran.


    Heh-heh-heh Oh, how the Lycanthropeers have fallen! Sneaking their minions into a one-on-one duel!


    The boast, made with wide-open, bloodshot eyes, was part of Yamzas strategy. By his estimation, dealing with both a Lycanthropeer and this mystery intruder at once was dangerous.


    Gobta seized the opportunity. Woo-hoo! That means I dont have to fight this crazy-dangerous magic-born, right?


    He suppressed his joy just long enough to dere All right, Ill serve as an observer for this duel, then! Yep. Definitely an observer. With all his tactics exhausted, that beat just standing there and getting in the way. Rimuru could ept defeat, but he could never ept his people getting killed in action. Gobta wasnt stupid enough to volunteer to be war casualty number one for Tempest.


    Oh, you can have him if you want, Alvis yfully said.


    If I take your prey, Gobta wittily replied, wouldnt that hurt your honor as a beastman, maam? I dont need it that bad, so go ahead and fight all you want! Sorry I got in the way!


    Alvis epted the inane excuse without a word. If anything, it was the luckiest thing to happen to Gobta all day. He had dodged a bullet with this total unknown before him. Alvis had no intention of letting anyone else score this kill anyway, and he had wriggled out of a battle against a foe thatpletely outssed him.


    Whew. Thats the end of my work!


    At the very far end of the rear guard, the group of priests led by Middray was shing with Gabils Team Hiryu.


    Of course, only a few were standing by now. Nearly two hundred fighters on both sides were lying on the ground. But Middray was unhurt, his white robes free of dirt and grime, and it was clear he was still going strong.


    Waaah-ha-ha-ha! Not too shabby, you guys. I see you are the descendants of dragons!


    Middray shed a contented smile, surveying the fallen and pretending the panting and exhausted Sufia in front of him didnt exist.


    Dont you ignore me!


    Sufia, half Transformed into her beast form, had used her vastly strengthened physical skills to attack Middray. But the head priest, perhaps sensing this, had simply leaned over to one side, preventing her fromnding a lethal blow. The effort had left her wide open.


    Hyah!


    Taking the wed arm extended out to him, he tripped up Sufias legs, picked up her body, and sharply mmed her against the ground. The judo-like throw was unique to the Dragon Faithful.


    I wasnt ignoring you at all, Middray happily exined. I dont have much opportunity to use this against monsters, so this is rather fun for me. Its been ages since I had a foe so worthy of that throw.


    This was more than Sufia was willing to bear.


    D-dammit! You, you made me


    She was being treated like a ything, her face red with humiliation. But she had to admit it. Middray, this man standing before her, was more powerful than she ever imagined. Now he was surveying thendscape once again, waiting for her to stand up and ignoring her until that happened.


    Curse him, hes treating me like a second-ss fighter! And how could my Self-Regeneration fail me like this?


    It was true. Sufias skill was not healing any damage, because her physical body hadnt sustained any wounds. She was exhausted simply because her stamina was tapping out on her, and the force of each m added to the burden. He was wounding her internally, where the damage wouldnt be visible.


    But Sufia stood up anyway. As the Snowy Tigerw, she could not let this affront continue to stand.


    Imagine, a bastard like you serving yman. I thought Yamza was the best around here, but I suppose my instincts were correct all along.


    Yamza? Ah yes, sir. Yamza. He is rather capable, Ill admit, but not enough to serve as a ymate for me. I may not look it, but Ive sparred with Lady Milim on regr asions, you see.


    Milim The demon lord Milim?! So youre the Dragon Faithful?!


    No wonder, Sufia thought. They seemed so different in disposition from the rest of ymans troops. They seemed to enjoy fighting for the sake of fighting, not at all concerned with actually killing their enemies. Andpared to the other magic-born, they were all overwhelmingly strongand enjoying every minute of it.


    Ooh? Say, that dragonewt just felled Hermes! Wah-ha-ha-ha-ha, that was quite a performance!


    Hermes was tangling with Gabil, and Gabil had just knocked him down with his spear.


    F-Father, stopughing and help me, please!


    You lost, fool! Just sit there and think about what you couldve done better!


    Heughed at his associate, lying there on his back and pleading for assistance. He could tell that Hermes wasnt as bad off as he imed and that Gabil had no intention of taking his life.


    All right. Counting me, that leaves three remaining. Youmand a truly wonderful set of fighters, given how evenly we are matched. It proves youve honed your bodies and your minds, instead of relying on skills.


    I suppose I should appreciate thepliment. My name is Gabil. And you are with Lady Milim?


    Indeed! I am Middray of the Dragon Faithful.


    And I am Sufia. Sufia of the Three Lycanthropeers! I have no ear to lend to the servants of yman, but if you worship Lady Milim, that is another story.


    Mm. Lady Sufia, is it? I will make sure to remember that. So whatll it be now? I could take on the both of you at once, if you like?


    Middray calmly folded his arms, implying that he liked his chances.


    Can I ask you a question before that?


    Mm? What is it?


    I I just mean, how can a mere human be so strong? Or are the Dragon Faithful human at all? Something seems strange about you.


    Middray nodded at this, his curiosity piqued. What do you mean by human? he asked. Thats the crux of it. If you are inquiring about our species, however, the answer is simple. We are dragonewts, like Sir Gabil over there.


    What?! The same as us?


    Yes, precisely. The difference is that instead of evolving from lizardmen, we are the descendants of dragons that humanized themselves and mated with the human race. But in essence, he closed with a smile, we are the same.


    Ah Ande to think of it, my sister Soka turned wholly human in appearance.


    Yes. But almost none of us can bring ourselves back to our original shape. The priests you see strewn around us dont have any skills like Dragon Change or Dragon Body. There is hardly any difference between them and human beings.


    Middray turned his eyes toward Sufia.


    But that power is still handed down. Our worship of the dragon does not allow us to forget the blood within us. Any more questions, Lady Sufia?


    No. Human, monster, it doesnt matter. I just wanted to know if your skills were the result of a weak human building himself up to perfection. You say you are little different from humans, and if so, I must pay respect to your efforts.


    Wah-ha-ha-ha-ha! You think the same way I do. One may be born with strength, or one may acquire it. Magic-born are so weak because they rely too much on the strength theyve always had. Thats why theypare their strengths based on magicule capacity and so on. True strength cant be seen with the eye. The level of your skills is the only solid, trustworthy index there is.


    Sufia was born strong. She had more fighting skill than most monsters, through no special effort of her own. Her massive well of energy, and the surging aura it created, made even magic-born go out of their way to avoid her. Her battle senses made full use of this, and her instincts alone had brought her to where she was. Now, Middrays words made her realize how little time she had spent polishing her Arts, her learned skills.


    So you mean I can be stronger?


    Wah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Precisely. There is no such thing as an experience that can win over being in actual battle. Here,e at me! Id be happy to spar with you.


    He remained where he stood, arms crossed and standing high.


    Lady Sufia and me at the same time? a dubious Gabil asked. Are you sure you arent being a little too conceited?


    Middray just grinned at him. Hmph! I could take you on without even using my arms, little man!


    Gabil wasnt about to take that sitting down.


    Lady Sufia


    Well tackle him together. We have to admit it. Hes a strong one!


    The battle between Alvis and Yamza was about to reach its raging climax.


    The two were evenly matched, but Yamza had finally used his ace in the hole.


    Ha-ha-ha! Well performed, Lycanthropeer! Your ability to keep up with me is astounding. But now, my victory is assured!!


    What?


    Pfft! Did you think this magic sword was my only secret weapon? Yes, you may be strongstrong enough to hold me back. I will freely admit that. However! What if there were two of me?


    With that shouted question, he unleashed the magic inside the bracelet on his left wrist. This was a Doppelganger Bracelet, an incredibly valuable Artifact capable of producing a perfect copy of the wearer, right down to their clothing and equipment. Now Alvis had to fend off two Yamzas at the same timeand if one was an even fight for her, she would have to be at a severe disadvantage.


    Well? If you capitte to me now, I could be convinced to spare you


    So what?


    What did you say?


    You think that parlor trick will outss me? You really are nothing more than ackey of ymans. Quite the would-be finisher, there.


    Alvis didnt give an inch, openly ridiculing her foe.


    Then die!


    And even before Yamza could scream that at her, Alvis yed her own final card.


    Now the top half of her body was a beautiful woman, the bottom half that of arge, ck snake. This was Alviss true, Animalized form, and now she was ready to use its full force.


    Unlike Phobio and Sufia with their focus on close-quarters fighting, Alvis was usually thought to be a long-range specialist, lobbing her magic attacks from afar. In truth, however, she was a dyed-in-the-wool fighter, masterful at short range in the way anyone serving the Beast Master needed to be.


    Her fighting style, however, ventured from the beaten path. Alvis brought her staff up to her foreheadand in the next instant, it disappeared, as she grew a golden horn from above her eyes. Finally free, her aura surged outward from her, greatly amplifying her power. This was her second Transformation and her most secret of abilities.


    She stood there, her entire body protected by dragon scales. The whole space around them belonged to her, her aura producing streaks of lightning in the air.


    Wha?! Gobta spat out, sensing danger. There was no way Alvis could remain coolheaded enough to tell friend from foe like that.


    You said your name was Gobta? You have my permission to move out immediately.


    Ohhh, you dont need to tell me twice, maam! Riders, retreat!


    One shout from him was all it took to make the goblin riders flee the scene. The surviving magic-born took the opportunity to quickly surround Alvis.


    You fool! You intend to take us on alone?


    It was nothing for her to worry about.


    Is that how little you think of me? Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Die, you mob of idiots!!


    By the time Yamza saw it unfolding, it was already toote. One magic-born before him fell to the ground, spewing blood. One turned to stone and shattered against the earth. One had his body literally rot away on the spot, until nothing but a pile of dust remained. His army was being killed, struck by ailments by one degree or another, and Yamza had no way to stop it.


    Yoouuuuuu!!


    Alvis was, in the end, best suited for close-quartersbat. The Golden Snakehorns lone horn on her forehead became a symbol of the death that permeated the atmosphereand then Yamza realized that his defeat was total.


    Surrender, and I will take you prisoner and guarantee you your life.


    Her offer was the only method of survival he had. A quick stare with her Snake Eyes hadpletely shattered his Doppelgangers body. It even had the power to destroy equipment, apparently, leaving Yamzas partner to fade away before battle even began.


    My limbs are starting to go numb. I wont be able to defend myself before long What kind of sheer strength do these Lycanthropeers enjoy?!


    It was bad luck that Yamza had to be paired with the strongest of that trio. He chose the wrong woman to pick a fight with, and he had no idea. Alvis rarely had the chance to fully exercise her power, since she was often picked to serve amanding role. As a result, she was seen as the de facto manager of the Lycanthropeers, not as a formidable warrior in her own right.


    That was Yamzas appraisal as well, and he had totally underrated her.


    The war was won. But it was not over. yman was a sly demon lord, one who would never forgive betrayal among his own armies. And just when Yamza prepared to nod his agreement to Alviss offer:


    (You know I would never permit that, yes?)


    It was ymans voice, booming within Yamzas mind. Uh? he instinctively grunted. Then his body began moving, beyond his own control.


    S-stop! Stop that! Please, Sir yman, stop this at once!


    A hand took a bluish-purple orb out from his pocket, then brought it to his mouth.


    Mmghh!!


    He locked his jaw as tightly as he could, trying to scramble away from it. It was a pointless act of resistance, and it didntst long. Struck by ymans Marite takeover, Yamzas body was no longer his own to control.


    What are you doing? a suspicious Alvis asked. But by the time she did, Yamza was busy swallowing the orb in his handa section from Charybdiss body.


    Hah? Harbhh, nnhhh Graghaghaaaahhh!!


    What on?!


    Alvis tensed up, confusedas long, thin tendrils shot out from his body toward the dead lying around him, taking in the corpses. He ballooned in size, turning into a vast, grotesque ball of flesh. Uncontroble magical energy flowed within the Alvis-dominated air, forming a hurricane-ss blizzard.


    The creature before her consumed, expanded, and burst. Having no monster core of its own, it was a self-destructing being, rampaging across thend before meeting its demise. But its temporary power was every bit as strong as Yamzasand the nature of it was deadly. Its insatiable desire to eat everything in its path was just the same as well.


    This was the forbidden tactic Yamza was reluctant to use, the intricate trap yman hadid. Charybdis had now appeared once more.


    Alviss face tightened as she threw her full force into an attack. It didnt work. No regr strike would ever pierce this constantly expanding Charybdis. Its Ultraspeed Regeneration took in the corpses around it, rapidly reforming it into a temporary body for itself.


    Ngh! This monster!


    All Alvis could do was gnash her teeth, her Snake Eyes and lightning having no effect. This monster was disaster-ss, on a level far, far above her. Even the strongest of the Three Lycanthropeers could do little about it by herself. The only saving grace was that this was a distance away from the main battlefield; there was time before this could start to affect her allies but only until Charybdis could finish creating its body.


    Desperation flew in like a violent storm. The worst part was how this monster wasnt satisfied enough using Yamza as its substitute coreit had taken in his Ice de as well, sucking up all the heat around it and making the local temperature plummet. The monster was destroying all in its path, turning its aura into an Ice Blizzard, pummeling the area with icy snow and intense wind. That was scary enough, but what Alvis feared even more was the moment when it released all the heat energy it had taken in.


    Those who can teleport out might be fine, but everyone else


    would die.


    I hate this! May all the gods curse that bastard yman!!


    Letting her true nature take hold, Alvis screamed as she continually attackedagain and again, no time in between to breathe. It was all in vain. Even if she scarred Charybdiss exterior, any damage to the monster itself was light. It just healed itself too quickly.


    Dammit! Ive just got to get everyone out that I can


    Even through the desperation, Alvis tried to take the best measures she could. To her, this meant trying to ry a plea to Benimaru to retreat everyone from the battlefield.


    In the end, however, this never happened. It didnt need to.


    Youre ignoring orders, Alvis. I told you to get out if you faced a battle you cannot win.


    There, with no previous warning, Benimaru himself appeared.


    Sir Benimaru?!


    Oh, Charybdis, eh? My offense did little against itst time, but how about now?


    He gave her a defiant smile.


    Sir Benimaru, this monster is just too


    I know. Its perfect for testing my current powers.


    Benimaru raised his right hand and grasped itboth Charybdis and his own strength. The fight was over in an instant. His feet nted on the ground, his sword, covered in jet-ck mes, shed the monsters flesh, although it did not fully slice through its freshly constructed body. But something was different from before. Unlike with Alviss efforts, the Self-Regeneration never started. Dark mes were dancing across the gash, rapidly engulfing its entire body.


    Tch. Not quite there yet. We have no time to y with here, so Ill sadly have to end this.


    He turned back toward Alvis, leaning his sword against his shoulder, seemingly unconcerned with Charybdis.


    My apologies. I was hoping we could spar once it had achieved itsplete form, but


    The gigantic beast had not taken to the air yet, but its body was already nearly the length of half a football field. Now, however, it had been fully encased in a ck dome.


    Away with you, he whispered, and then a percussive boom! shook thend.


    It was Hellre, his wide-range razing attack, this time far more powerful than ever before.


    Benimarus Dominate me gave him a full grasp of the flow of magical energy, stabbing right through Charybdiss Magic Interference and rendering its body into ash. It proved to the world that Benimarus control over magiculespletely overpowered this monsters.


    Youre kidding me!


    Alviss surprise was understandable. If his attacks worked on Charybdis, it meant Benimarus magic force surpassed the monsters. This meant that Benimaru himself was disaster ss, on the same level as Alviss master, the demon lord Carillon.


    I have some business to take care of, Alvis. Effective immediately, I hereby appoint you as my aide tomand our entire force.


    Yes, Sir Benimaru.


    She undid her Transformation to kneel down and take the post. She had more than a few questions for Benimaru, but now was not the time for them. Calming her frenzied mind, she meekly epted her orders.


    Charybdis was an unprecedented, unexpected threat, but when faced with that irresistible force, it fell without a moments dy.


    Hoh, hoh-hoh-hoh This is quite a surprise. I was expecting Yamza to turn tail and flee. But imagine, dispatching Charybdis that easily


    Mm-hmm! I kind of have an affinity for it, but not even we could pull off a kill like that.


    ymans forces are destroyed. The missions a failurethe losses immense. He should have just sat there and yed nice, the way our fellow jester told him to.


    Yes, yes. Well, Lace warned him. yman cant me anyone for it but himself.


    Footman and Teare exchanged looks as they spoke. Before them was a heavily wounded Phobio, kept on his feet by the attending Geld.


    Well need to brief him about this, so Im afraid ytime is over.


    Footman himself was unhurt. Teare wasnt, but she was still healthy enough to fight. Judging by their injuries, Geld and Phobio appeared to have lost the day.


    You think you can leave? Phobio groaned, staggering as he tried to keep himself up. I knew you guys were bad news. If we can keep you here, Alvis and Sufia will show up before long. Plus, weve got Sir Benimaru. Itll be the end for you.


    He was scarred from head to toe, but his wounds had already closed up. The speed at which they healed was mind-boggling, going well beyond the Self-Regeneration most beastmen had and almost reaching the realm of Ultraspeed Regeneration. Phobio had inherited that skill to some extent after the previous Charybdis swallowed him up.


    Just give it up already, kitty! Teare shouted as she gave Phobio a punch that sent him reeling. It didnt leave Phobio down for long. In a few moments, he was back on his feet.


    Teare was the quicker of the two, but she could never quitend a lethal blow. Phobio, on the other hand, was slowly but surely damaging Teares body. He might have appeared defeated at first nce, but the longer the fightsted, the more likely it was that itd end otherwise.


    Footman, meanwhile, was rolled up like a meatball, bounding around at hyper-speed and trying to run Geld down. Geld used his great shield to deflect his trajectory, swinging his Meat Cleaver to try to smash him up. His attempts were blocked by Footmans thickened skin, preventing him from dealing decisive damage.


    On offense and defense, it was safe to call them perfectly evenbut only because Footman hadnt begun seriously fighting yet. And now, with Charybdis defeated, Footmans recess time was over.


    Mgh?!


    Geld, realizing this, positioned himself in front of Phobio.


    What is it, Geld?


    Before he could answer, Footman began raining attacks on the both of them. These were balls of magic, each one enormous and stuffed with energya simple attack but one with enough force to alter thendscape around them. One of the magic orbs was enough to shatter Gelds shield and even smash up the armor covering his body. It damaged Phobio in the process, and he no doubt had Ultraspeed Regeneration to thank for still being alive.


    (Hooooooh-hoh-hoh-hoh! We werent tasked with taking care of you two, so well extend you the honor of letting you go.)


    (I hope youre grateful! If we were serious about this, neither of you would be in this world any longer!)


    Neither Geld nor Phobio could stand up any longer to contest them. When the dust from the explosions finally settled, Footman and Teare were gone.


    This was a total defeat, Geld groused. I thought I had some strength, but I suppose theres always someone better than you.


    No, Geld. If you hadnt been here, Id probably be dead right now. Sorry to drag you down


    Not at all. We may have lost the battle, but were still alive. As long as we win next time, were good.


    Yeah. Yeah, youre right!


    Phobio was not a weak beastman. Footman and Teare were just too strong. Strong enough that you could even call them demon lords. Perhaps Geld had more magical energy at his fingertips, but without the ability to use it shrewdly, that power meant nothing. Geld focused entirely on defense against Footman, but even he knew that hed never win in a serious fight opposite him. For now, though, that was fine.


    (Sir Benimaru, the jesters have fled.)


    (I saw,) came the Thought Communication reply. (They might think theyre letting us live. How nave of them.)


    Benimarus orders for Geld were to discover what the enemy was capable of and keep Phobio safe. I couldnt just sit there and watch things unfold, he thought, but not killing me was a bad mistake. Sir Benimaru has recorded how that battle worked outand then Rimuru will analyze it and break open the secret to their strength.


    Thus, this was a defeat with some benefits to them. Mission aplished. And if he cant win now, he can close the gap with his future training. He had hoped to settle the score with these guys for using and abusing him, but Geld simply didnt have what it took.


    But next time, Im winning, he silently resolved.


    (Ill go back to mymand, then.)


    (Please do. Theres one more dangerous element on the field right now, so Id better tackle that.)


    Sir Benimaru sure has it tough, Geld thought as he closed the link. This battlefield was full of dangerous elements, and since they had to deal with them all at once, he was forced to divvy up his armys assets and scatter them around. Benimaru intended to sort these conflicts by priority and step in himself to handle any rescues needed, but one misstep along the line could lead to serious danger. He seemed to be handling his post well, however. One would think hed focus on finding and killing Footman first, but he sessfully managed to put overall victory above his own vendettas.


    This isnt some general with a thirst for blood, I suppose. Compared to when we fought him, the growth hes shown has been amazing


    It made Geld trust in Benimaru all the more.


    It was several minutes into the battleminutes that, to Gabil and Sufia, felt like hours. But it ended unceremoniously.


    Mgh?!


    What on?!


    Huffhuff Whatwhat is the matter?


    After the second or third repetition, Sufia had learned how to roll with Middrays throws, helping recover her energy. Gabil, meanwhile, had flung his spear wildly around at this attack he wasnt used to,pletely exhausting him. Middray, dealing with them both, appearedpletely unhindered by fatigupared to sparring with Milim, this wouldnt even make him break a sweat.


    And Middray was the first to notice it.


    All forces, use your healing magics! he shouted, the casual ease disappearing from his face. Stand up! Stand up and rouse everyone around here!


    This is bad, Father Middray, Hermes said, apparently feeling much better now. This guy The reading Im getting is huge.


    I know that! This is Charybdis, the beast Lady Milim dispatched just the other day. Or is it its remains?


    Yeah It looks unstable to me. I imagine itll disintegrate before the day is through


    But this is a battlefield. If things go wrong, it could rapidly evolve. Better not to give a monster like that the food it craves.


    The fallen priests around him cast healing spells to revive both themselves and Team Hiryu under Gabilsmand.


    Charybdis? Sufia asked. The monster that used Phobio as a core to revive itself with?! I thought Lady Milim had already destroyed it!


    Yes, Gabil added, realizing this current match was over. If it was Charybdis, Lady Milim definitely killed it


    Calm down. Its not the real thing; just a fragment of its force. I think it used Yamza as its recement core


    Middray was using Dragons nce to analyze the innards of the creature. It was not as strong as Milims own Dragons Eye, but it still provided him with ample enough vision and analysis skills.


    Hermes, meanwhile, was surveying the area for any other potential threats. Looks like youre right, sir. That ass Yamza was trying to kill us, but his souls already been consumed. With how he is now, well just have to keep damage to a minimum and wait for him to fall apart, he coldly concluded.


    Did you hear that? Keep your weapons at the ready, people. And dont get greedy! If buying time is all we need, that wont be a tall order.


    Let us help you out, Gabil added, in sync with Middray as if they were old friends. We are more used to high-altitude flight sincest time. If we can catch those scale attacks before they strike, they cannot hurt us.


    Even a crazed, twisting beast like Charybdis had a tendency to chase after anything moving. A flying target, Gabil reasoned, would make the perfect lure. Sufia was also thinking unusually lucidly, trying to execute on what she could do here.


    Right, Middray began, Ill aid in the retreat so it cant feed off any of our ground forces and


    But before he could finish, things took an abrupt turn as Benimaru all but vaporized Charybdis.


    Whaton?! He just pulled off the most unbelievable thing!


    Who is that guy? A demon lord? Unless youre Lady Milim, how could some regr magic-born do that? He has to be some kind of monster


    Only Middray and Hermes had an urate bead on the situation. Sufia and Gabil saw it at the same time but couldnt parse what just happened. All they could see was that the evil aura of Charybdis had been snuffed in an instant.


    Hey, whats going on? Tell me!


    Yes. We seek an exnation as well.


    Yeah, um, Id want to exin, Hermes said, but


    I dont think we need to, Middray finished.


    Before either of them could, the air in front of them twisted and warped, revealing a magic-born with hair as red as roaring mes. It was Benimaru, sword rested on his shoulder, and he was here to take on Middray, thest threat on the battlefield.


    Well, he said with a sneer, I see youve been entertaining my friends? Then he realized something wasnt quite right about this picture. There was evidence ofbat around him, but there were no injuriesand by the looks of things, no hard feelings on either side.


    Sir Benimaru, wait! These are Lady Milims fighters, the priests of the Dragon Faithful!


    What? Lady Milims?! In that case


    Yes! They healed our wounds with magic!


    I see. It seems Ive jumped to conclusions. You seemed like such a threat in this theater, I couldnt help but be rmed.


    Wah-ha-ha-ha-ha! You didnt jump to conclusions at all. We were actually fighting, yes. And we did perform some healing, but that was to prepare for what we thought was an oing disaster. Now I suppose all that wasnt necessary.


    Ah. So what now? Are you taking us on?


    Well, what should we do?


    Because personally speaking, I would prefer not to engage inbat with Lady Milims forces.


    No, I suppose not. I can understand wanting to try it, but there is no quarrel between us. I would simply want topare our powers.


    Yes I can see that.


    The two gave each other knowing grins.


    Whoooa! Hermes interjected. Not good, Father!


    Yes, Sir Benimaru! If you hurt one of the Dragon Faithful, theres no telling what kind of cmity that would bring upon us!


    You heard her, Father Middray! Sir Rimuru is Lady Milims friend. It would all end in tragedy, I am sure of it!


    Sufia silently resented Hermes and Gabil for stepping in.


    Fair enough, Benimaru said. Besides, if I donte at him trying to kill him, I expect itll result in nothing but defeat for meand I dont like engaging in losing battles.


    Wah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Quite so. And Im not sure even I could withstand a blow like the one that buried Charybdis!


    Middray might haveughed the concept off, but he had a suspicion that he could win the battle before Benimaru had a chance to bust that out. That would result in a life-and-death duel, however, going well beyond the boundaries of a friendly sparring session. A battlefield was the wrong ce for this, and it no longer meant anything anyway.


    Thus ended the battle in the former kingdom of Orbic, while the unified forces enjoyed a near-total victory. But this wasnt the only battlefield.


    At the stroke of midnight, Shuna, Soei, and Hakuro sprang into action. They quickly discovered ymans headquarters within the wends covered by the mysterious mist and began to stealthily make their way there.


    Beyond these wends were several murky swamps, gas bubbling out from the surface. This was what created the cloud of mist, making things seem eerier than they already were. The moment they waded in, visibility plummeted to nearly nothing.


    Uh-oh. This mist is blocking our Magic Sense.


    It is, confirmed Soei. That was why we called off our investigation. With this poor visibility, anyone inside would have to rely on their own five senses to see around them. Thats what the enemy must use to keep track of what goes on in here.


    Mm, I see. So we face a brutal disadvantage.


    Indeed, Sir Hakuro. You and I can use Covert Agent to hide our presences, but Lady Shuna


    I should be fine.


    It was true. Hakuro could use his Haze concealing skill to all but disappear to the external observer, as could Soei. You could be standing right next to them and never realize it. Shuna, despite not having this exact Art, could still perfectly heal herself.


    Hmm Abination of illusory and mystical magic? It doesnt work like Haze, but it has the same effect. Well done, Lady Shuna.


    Hakuro was rightthis approach was Shunas original creation. While she wasnt quite as gifted at it as Rimuru, her Creator unique skill allowed her to conjure up her own magic spells without a recipe.


    Then we should be fine, Soei said. But I want you all to remember that Thought Communication wont work in this fog. Visibility is low, it is hard to stay in contact, and we all need to proceed carefully and cautiously. Also


    Even with Soeis Replications, Thought Communicationbased conversation would be impossible. Instead, he provided a length of Sticky Steel Thread around each of their wrists for emergency contacts. Focusing on this thread would allow them to maintain at least a modicum ofmunication, but if the string broke, that would be the end of the contact. Using it required a great deal of caution.


    Shuna and Hakuro nodded and wrapped it around their wrists. They were ready now. Lets get going, Shuna said, and the three ran off.


    Then, after several minutes of walking, Shuna stopped.


    Oh no, she whispered. We seem to have fallen into a trap.


    A trap?


    I can feel my senses going haywire on me, yes, but I dont feel any enemies around the What?!


    Before he could finish speaking, Soei felt multiple presences nearby appear from out of nowhere, virtually surrounding them.


    How on? Where were so many of these enemies hiding, such that we couldnt notice them?


    No, Hakuro! They werent hiding. We were lured right to them!


    Ah This fog. The clouds doing more than confusing our sense of direction. Its concealing the enemy and inviting us right to the middle of their circle


    I see. That exins the odd feeling I had just now.


    Youre right. The mist is triggering Spatial Interference to lure intruders from any direction to a specific ce


    Before Shuna finished exining this, one of the presences appeared. Soei and Hakuro steeled themselves toward it, keeping a watchful eye out for the still-unseen monsters in the mist, as Shuna closed her mouth and focused on ita skeleton dressed in a vestment of pure white.


    Such massive magical force, she whispered, beads of sweat on her forehead. For a moment, she thought it might have been yman himself, although she banished the thought quickly. It was past midnight; the demon lord should be over at the Walpurgis Council. Perhaps it was one of ymans five fingers, thenbut the figure before them exuded pure presence, beyond that of the Lycanthropeers and approaching demon lord level. The power of this magic-born was overwhelming; it was a wonder that it was subservient to anyone else.


    She recalled what Mjurran told her about ymans most senior leadersand that one of them was geared strictly toward defending their base.


    You must be Adalmann, then. The ruler of thisndthe wight king with power over countless undead


    Hakuro had just used Heavengaze to reach the same conclusion. But this figure was more ominous than how Mjurran described it, its force far more massive. The guardian of this wend was a wight king on the level of a demon lord.


    Soei epted Shuna and Hakuros appraisal, finding no reason to doubt it. Then, quietly, he sharpened his delike mind. No matter who the enemy is, he will kill himthat was his credo.


    But just as Soei was about to move, the wight king spoke.


    Indeed, I am Adalmann. I have been ordered to protect thisnd by the great demon lord yman. Lowly intruders like you may do nothing but humbly submit your lives to me. Do it, and I will kill you without pain.


    This was themand of a kingly figure, not the words of a foe who saw Shuna and herpanions as equals. Considering the massive, overwhelming amount of Adalmanns magic energy, anything else would almost seem improper.


    Now, all around the area, a legion of over ten thousand undead were writhing, as if attracted to the seemingly inexhaustible supply of magicules. Cracking, wrenching sounds filled the air as they moved to encircle the trio.


    We are fully surrounded, Shuna breathlessly reported. This mist is working alongside a directional barrier to prevent teleportation outside. All our means ofmunication are blocked. The only way to get out of here is to defeat this Adalmann foe.


    Then we must strike their leader at once.


    No disagreement here. A blow from me can even kill the dead.


    Hakuro and Soei had no interest in following Adalmanns advice. As Shuna exined the situation, they both went on the attack. But Adalmann simplyughed in their faces.


    Heh-heh-heh You appear not to know your ce. I generously provided you mercy, and yet, you remain foolish to the end. You will regret refusing that offer shortly.


    He breezily swung an arm. The next moment, the most surprising thing happenedthe white de of Hakuro, instantly zooming within range of Adalmann, was blocked by the knight who had appeared in front of him.


    Hakuro stepped back in shock, failing to believe that this killer blow could be parried. This was a death knight, ranked A-minus in the Guild system, but from that sh, Hakuro could sense something was off. It was a powerful monster, yes, but no garden-variety death knight could ever block a sh from him.


    You are no normal adversary. Very well. Let me give you my full attention.


    He had an urate bead on this death knight and the threat it carried for him. Its strength relied not on physical toughness but on the built-up level of its skillswhich meant Heavengaze would tell him nothing about it. So he used his own physical might to confront it.


    The death knight was silent; the corpse serving as the shell of its body was incapable of speech. But there was a blistering blue me in its sunken eyes. The light of consciousness was in there, the pride of a former human being, and it told Hakuro that his challenge was epted.


    Even after abandoning life, this death knight was a proud, noble warrior. The difference in magical energy between the two was negligible, as was their physical muscle. It marked the beginning of a sh between built-up skills, one that quickly made sparks fly.


    Before Soei, meanwhile, was Adalmann himself, an enormous shadow from out of nowhere blocking all attempts to attack him.


    Deh! Soei red at the towering shade. No A dragon zombie?


    No, Soei! Shuna could see it more fully, through the muck. Nothing that weak! Its magicules outnumber yours; it stands at the peak of the undeadits a death dragon!


    Soeis face tensed upon hearing this. He could manage this solo, but fighting this foe while guarding Shuna was a different story. The usually reliable Hakuro was too busy with the death knight. He had to dispatch this death dragon as soon as possible, or else Shuna would be overrun by the thousands of undead lumbering their way in from all sides. Now, Soei realized, was no time to hold back.


    Then, die! Mystic Thread Strike!


    Without dy, Soei dealt out the most powerful attack he could, a killer move that fricasseed the enemy with thousands of branching strings of Sticky Steel Thread, each granted the Insta-Kill effect from his Shadow Striker unique skill. They created a virtual garden of beautiful, bloody blooms, like a kaleidoscope. Even a half-spiritual life-form like an undead would be snuffed out by this spiritual body-slicing moveor so it should have.


    No! Its regenerating?!


    Soei could feel himself begin to sweat. The sixty-foot-long beasts body was ripped apart, seemingly ending the battle. But then, as if nothing was amiss, the death dragons body reassembled itself. It went so fast, even faster than Ultraspeed Regeneration, that it seemed like nothing less than immortality.


    Then let me destroy you, soul and all


    Soei, Shuna shouted out as he steeled himself, calm down! You know how to analyze your foes strengths. You should know that you cant beat a death dragon!


    But


    That dragons soul is within the magic-born Adalmann, she quietly dered. Dont worry about me; just work on keeping that dragon where it is. Ill defeat Adalmann!


    Thats too dangerous!


    No, Soei. Listen to me. Im angry.


    A cold smile stretched across Shunas face to dispel Soeis worries. They shined a piercing light, exhibiting her raging emotions. The sight made Soei m up, unable to speak.


    As the former princess of the ogre tribe, Shunas words had the power to make others do her biddingand now, that power was stronger than even the otherworlder Kirara Mizutanis Bewilder unique skill. Besides, Shuna wasnt some precious cargo that required constant protection. Soei knew that. So there was only one answer.


    Yes, Lady Shuna. Best of luck.


    She contentedly smiled. You too, Soei. That dragons all yours.


    Soei nodded back, giving Shuna his full trust, then threw himself back into his own fight.


    Shuna, left alone, didnt waver at all as she confronted Adalmann. The wight king rewarded this by ring at her.


    Hoh? And what do you intend to do, little girl? What could you do without anyone to defend you? How are you going to engage ten thousand foes at once?


    There was an odd sort of joy in Adalmanns voice. He was enjoying this, in fact. The demon lord ymans orders were absolute, but Adalmann was still afforded his own sense of free will, although his activities were limited in every other way. The only thing he was allowed full rein to do was wipe out intruders.


    ymans other minions derided him for having so much power but so little brains to back that upand it was only because he was not allowed to leave thisnd or do anything on his own volition. And it was perhaps the way that he wasnt even allowed to provide excuses to them that made people fail to realize it.


    Adalmann was less a magic-born and more a weapon, a base-defense mechanism bound to thisnd. His soul remained unbound, but his behavior was now automatic, following the orders input into him. He spoke of his loyalty to yman, but that was just an act. He had been preset to pay his formal respects to the owner of this device.


    In his heart of hearts, Adalmann wanted to be released from these bonds. That was why he enjoyed talking with Shuna. The defense mechanisms worked automatically; he had no authority to alter them in any way. The chats he had with intruders were his only hobby to speak of, the only thing no one else could interfere with. The demon lord Kazalim, creator of this structure, offered him that much mercy. Or maybe not. But Adalmann wanted to think so. That gesture, after all, was what had allowed him to live all this time, a thousand years or so, without sumbing to insanity.


    Even if it was just a measure to keep this system running longer, I have to thank him for that, at least.


    And he meant it. That was why he never spared any effort to hammer down intruders, regardless of what he thought about it. But at least he prayed, as he imagined an army of ten thousand undead preying upon Shuna, that it could be done painlessly.


    But then her voice rang out sharply once more.


    No need to worry about me. Alignment Field!!


    At that instant, the area within a three-hundred-foot radius of Shuna became holy ground, where nothing of evil alignment could tread. It was another original product of Shunas mind, using her experience to Analyze the Anti-Magic Area and Holy Field, then Fuse them together. This barrier obstructed all magicules, but it could also be set to block fire, wind, or any one of the other four major elements, making it a shockingly formidable defensive spell.


    Now we wont be distracted. If I defeat you, that will destroy the defense system with you at its core, right?


    Hmm. Impressive. And youve seen through my secret as well. What is your name, girl?


    Shuna was absolutely right. If Adalmann died, the whole base-defense system would crumble. It was structured to bind Adalmanns soul down, using it to circte therge amounts of magicules it required. That would no doubt free the death dragon serving himas well as the death knight, Alberto, who was once Adalmanns friend and confidant. Shuna had seen all that at a nce, and Adalmann offered her his honest respect for that. Respect and the ever-so-slight hope that she might be able to release him from this pain.


    My name is Shuna.


    Shuna Lady Shuna. Then let us settle this for good. If you can defeat me, I will follow your wishes.


    My, thank you for the polite request. However, all I seek is the destruction of the demon lord yman. If you stay out of my way, I could leave you alone to live on thisnd, perhaps?


    Heh-heh-heh. Im not sure thats possible, Im afraid.


    No? I thought you might be capable of conquering the ties that bind you, but perhaps I was wrong. Oh, well. In that case, she said without a moments hesitation, I will kill you as I intended to.


    If I could conquer them, thought Adalmann, I would have done it eons ago. Kazalim is a man to be feared, a foe no one can hold a candle to. The nickname Curse Lord is not just bravado. And she makes it all sound so easy


    Then the time for talk is over, he dered, still having no ill will toward her. Try to resist me with everything youve got!


    Adalmann was born a prince in one of the small nations under the jurisdiction of the Holy Empire of Lubelius. Thesends were all too weak to have their own standing militaries, instead relying on the Temple Knights sent from the Churchs central headquarters. In exchange, they were required to adopt Luminism as the state religion and provide money and qualified personnel for their knight corps.


    The Western Holy Church of the time didnt enjoy the influence they wielded now; this was before the advent of their Crusader groups. Practitioners who showed talent could be granted the name of acolyte, a nonhereditary title, but that was it. In the midst of that, Adalmann was an exceptional performerand with his elder brother taking over the country and quickly giving birth to an heir, he was free to devote himself deeply to spreading the faith, joining the Churchs missionary corps and quickly making a name for himself.


    He was devout to the faith, constantly fascinated by the divine works of Luminus. Never once did he doubt the existence of this lone, true, powerful goddess. That devotion eventually led him to learn the divine miracles of the Churchs archbishop ss, making him the greatest master of holy magic in his era.


    In time, he advanced to the rank of cardinal, the loftiest in the Western Holy Church. In the Lubelius noble hierarchy, he was no one particrly special. But he redoubled his efforts, extending his interests to magic beyond the holy spells he was familiar with. He would hold long discussions about magic with Gadora, one of his best friends at the time, as he incessantly polished his skills. The effort eventually paid offhe became an Enlightened, transcending the bounds of humanity itself.


    An Enlightened was a person who retained their human form but on the inside was a demi-spiritual being, simr to a higher-level elemental. Their powers were leaps and bounds above those of a regr human, and they were often seen as defenders of the human cause. This power quickly put Adalmann in a position of immense central authority.


    Time passed. Adalmanns intensive study continued. And eventually, he took the next step forward, to the highest peak of mankinda Sage. As he did, he was greeted with wondrous news: He would be called to the Inner Cloister, at the top of the Churchs holy mountain.


    The offer filled him with joy.


    Finally, an audience with Luminus herself!


    He always believed that Luminus was real, an unwavering belief that served as the source for all his faith. So he promptly set off for the holy mount, not believing for a moment that it would lead to tragedy. That belief, sadly, would ultimately betray him.


    The intense magical battle continued.


    Melt all and wear it awayAcid Shell!


    The aspectual spell Adalmann had just cast conjured balls of liquid in the air, each capable of melting flesh to the bone. They rained down upon Shuna.


    She didnt miss a beat.


    me Wall.


    The barrier of fire deflected and vaporized all the magic-infused droplets. Between elerating her mind to a thousand times normal, possessing superior Analyze and Assess skills, and changing the rules with Cast Cancel and Control Laws, Shunas unique skill Parser was made for a sh of magic like this. From the moment Adalmann began constructing a spell, she had a way to deal with it.


    Then how about this? Malicious dead, ept this sacrificeCurse Bind!!


    This was necromancy, an offshoot of elemental magic that took advantage of the negative energies from ghouls and the undead. Curse Bind was a particrly nasty one, summoning zombies thattched on to anything livinghuman or magic-bornand drained away their life energy.


    Even that wasnt enough.


    Holy Bell.


    Shunas refreshingly clear voice reached Adalmanns ears, and right after came the tolling of bells he was once well used to hearing. That was all it took to send the grudgeful zombies to the afterlife.


    It cant be! Why? Why is a monster wielding elemental magic?!


    Adalmanns eyes shot open at the divine miracle ying out before him. The magic was deployed all too beautifully, reminding him of his youthful days spent studying.


    This was holy magic in the air, something a monster girl should never be able to weave. The unbelievable sight made him scream without thinking.


    Shuna smiled as she decided to answer Adalmanns question, even though she had no obligation to. Do you find it strange? Perhaps you need a little more imagination. Holy magic is not the exclusive domain of humans; it will work with anyone who believes in the power of miracles, based on the strength of their belief.


    Conventional wisdom in this world stated that holy magic worked by forging a pact with an elemental spirit. This was both right and wrong. The fact that magic-born could cast healing spells indicated that holy magic was possible for them without any pact with a holy being. Most humans, and even monsters, didnt understand that.


    The sole condition for acquiring holy magic was having faithbelieving in miracles, to put it another way. Good, or evil, didnt factor into it; the strength of ones emotions was directly converted into power. That was how this family of magic worked. (This was also the reason why the Dragon Faithful that worshipped Milim could ess holy magic.)


    Hearing this terse exnation was staggering to Adalmann. II was wrong the whole time? I was betrayed. I lost my faith in the goddess Luminus. I thought I would never be able to wield holy magic again


    Luminus betrayed Adalmannor to be precise, he had been trapped by the supreme leaders of Luminism. He still didnt know why. Perhaps they feared his rise in power; perhaps it was another reason. All he knew was that Luminus, his goddess, offered him no helping hand.


    Its almostical, in a way. The Seven Days Clergy tricked me into setting off to quell arge army of undead attacking our people I never couldve guessed it was a trap. And thanks to that Gadora conducting magical experiments on me, Ive been revived as this twisted, reviled figure


    Unaware that he was being led to his grave, he waltzed right into the far edge of the Great Forest of Jura, where he still dwelled today. He was awaited by a legion of undead, led by a dragon zombie. He was apanied by Alberto, acolyte and his closest friend, along with four knights and an expeditionary force that loved him, and they fought with all their might. It wasnt enough.


    Adalmann fell to the groundand died once. But then Reincarnation, a Mysterious Art ced upon him by his other friend Gadora, activated and resurrected his so soul that had already been poisoned by the miasma across thend, the malice of the dead around him. He was reborn not as a man but as a wight, transformed into a skeleton. The metamorphosis had caught the attention of the demon lord Kazalim, and now here he was today.


    Thus, if you are incapable of handling holy magic, then I am positive you are incapable of beating me.


    Shunas words hit home like a knockout punch, reminding Adalmann that he was still in battle. Wh-why? he instinctively asked. Why did you think I was a master of holy magic?


    Because of how you look, came the cold reply. That white vestment, which only high-level bishops and above are permitted to wear. You were worthy of such fine robes, and yet, you whine and carry on about being unable to conquer such a basic bind like this. I hardly needed to examine you closely to see that you wore that robe simply out of blind attachment to your former holy magic.


    She had him pegged the entire time. He could hear it in her voice.


    Nnnhh I have let you spout far too much nonsense!!


    Adalmann flew into a ragenot at Shuna but at himself. Seeing his true heart now, something he couldnt notice until it was pointed out to him, made him both exasperated and enraged at his own spinelessness. But he could also feel an inexplicably refreshingfort in his heart, like the fog of a thousand years had finally lifted from him. He let his raging emotions drive him to cast another spell.


    I offer this prayer to my god. I seek your divine powers. May my request reach your ears safely


    Yes. I simplycked the resolve. Having my beloved friends turn into undead, I couldnt let myself die and leave them behind I wasnt good enough. Necromancy and aspectual magic cannot cleanse the undead. Who could say how many times I wished I could tap into holy magic


    Those friends were one reason why Adalmann was bound to this area. He couldnt abandon the fine men and women who died here but lived on as ursed zombies. And that intent was the bond that tied them to thisnd. Finally, just now, Adalmann realized the mistake he had made.


    So he connected together aplex seal with the bones that were his hands and boldly dered his prayer to thends above. It was an incantation, as shown by theplicated geometrical shapes that appeared in the air before him.


    This girl, Shuna I have no grudge against her. If anything, I owe her a great debt for opening my eyes. But suicide is forbidden to me. I apologize, but I will need to have you join me


    That apology came from the heart.


    The checks ced upon him by Kazalim ranged far and wide, holding Adalmann downbut if he was caught up in the fallout from an attack on the enemy, that was hardly his fault. He nned to destroy himself, taking Shuna along him, for only then could he free the people who unwittingly joined him.


    Ayered circle of magic spread out, covering Shuna and Adalmann.


    and render all to dust! Disintegration!!


    I was waiting for that! Overdrive!!


    Just before Adalmann couldplete his spell, Shuna used Parser for a Control Laws rewrite. The results wrested control of the local spiritual elements away from Adalmann, driving them haywire.


    Wh-what? You have less than a tenth of my magical energy! How could you possibly overwrite my magic?!


    Magicules and spiritual particles were controlled by magical force. Having his magic overwritten could only mean that Adalmanns force was overpowered by Shunas. To him, Shuna looked hopelessly outssed, but now, at longst, Adalmann realized he was wrong on that score as well.


    Impressive. Let me reward you by releasing you from thisnd!


    The wight was swallowed up by a flood of light, unable to hear Shunas words to the end. She had used magic on him, realizing that someone like Adalmannat least her equal in terms of holy magould collect the energy required to purify the local area. She wasnt expecting him to break out the most powerful of all holy spells, but luckily for her, she knew how that one worked. That was what made it so easy to overwrite.


    The light now permeated thend, enveloping not just Adalmann but all the other undeadcleansing them.


    Hakuro and Soei ran up to Shuna.


    I tell you, I wanted to end this sooner, but that death knight was far more capable than I estimated. You saved my life there, Lady Shuna.


    With thend fully cleansed, the death knight reverted all the way down to a lowly skeletal fighter and fell to the ground. Following Adalmanns will, it had lost any further desire to fight. The sight was enough to make Hakuro realize the battle was over. He regretted losing such a challenging opponent, but protecting Shuna took priority over everything else, and she required his attention right now.


    No, Hakuro, you were a great help to me. You too, Soei, distracting that death dragons attention and buying me so much time. If it had fallen out of our control, I doubt we could have won.


    It shames me that I could not defeat it.


    As Soei implied, the death dragon was a powerful foe, capable of healing light damage instantly and boasting an aura that infected the mind of anyone who touched it. It took someone like him, capable of controlling multiple Replications at once, to emerge from that unscathed. If anything, he deserved praise for holding out so long against a foe that shut down his decisive weapon.


    The death dragon, too, vanished upon Adalmanns defeat, unable to maintain its existence after the magicule supply that powered it was shut off. Soei didnt much like how it ended, but anything you can walk away from is a victory.


    A victory, yes, but one with regrets. The three looked at one another and sighed.


    Still, muttered Shuna, if Adalmann had engaged me seriously from the beginning, none of us would be alive, would we? I think I let my anger drive me to be a little too reckless.


    Adalmann never let up on her at all during the fight, but he also never attempted anything underhanded to snare her. If he really intended to kill them all, he couldve done so in many other ways. Shuna could see that, and it filled her with regret.


    Quite true, Hakuromented. Perhaps our new strengths have made us grow a tad conceited.


    Certainly. It is just as Sir Rimuru fretted about. There is no telling what may happen in battle. I should have gathered more intelligence.


    In the end, however, a win was a win. ymans domain had lost its main line of defense. But that didnt end things. The trio had a job to doseize ymans castle and fully neutralize the threat inside.


    Nobatantsprised the majority of the people remaining in the castle, none of whom signed any oath of loyalty to yman. The more quick-witted among them, or those who took the employment simply for moneys sake, surrendered without a hint of resistance. There were also many who were restrained in the castle by mental or spiritual bonds, but abination of persuasion and magical de-cursing on Shunas part allowed them to capture the entire castle in short order.


    With the upants neutralized, it was time to start searching. They had already confirmed that the demon lord Carillon wasnt being held here, but they wanted to seek out anything they might be able to use against yman.


    As they did, a figure approached them.


    Please, one moment.


    Mm? Youre still alive? Did you need me to finish you off?


    Wait, Hakuro. He has no will to fight left.


    It was Adalmann, and Shuna had to calmly keep Hakuro from drawing his sword. The wight fell to his knees, apanied by a single skeletal fighter.


    Please, allow me to call you Lady Shuna. Thanks to your magic, all of us have been released from the bonds that tied us here. Perhaps it was fate that kept us alive without being cleansed. I have a request that I hope you will let me propose.


    What is that? a quizzical Shuna asked, fearing this would be yet more trouble for them.


    Thank you for hearing me out. I was hoping I would be able to meet the figure that you have devoted your faith to, Lady Shuna. When I lost my faith, I also lost the chance to ever reach the heights of my power ever again. My faith in my goddess Luminus is deadand I need to find a new god for myself.


    The three each gave Adalmann incredulous looks.


    I Well, we have a great respect for Sir Rimuru, yes, but we dont worship him, Shuna stammered in reply.


    Sir Rimuru, you say? Adalmann was unfazed, still eager to sell himself. Truly a wonderful name, one fully worthy of describing the glories of my new god. We may merely be a pair of fragile undead, but I believe we may be able to offer you assistance. Lady Shuna, would it be possible to arrange an audience with this Sir Rimuru?


    Shuna wanted to remind Adalmann of the difference between blindly, unconditionally worshipping someone and treating them with respect while dealing with your problems by yourself. But she didnt. It seemed like too much to get into. Instead, she conjured up a mental image of Rimuru, the boingy slime she knew.


    Well, why not? Once he sees Sir Rimuru in the flesh, that might be enough to make him give up.


    Adalmann seemed to be the type who got the wrong impression of people easily. It would take time to persuade him to think otherwise, so Shuna figured itd be expeditious for everyone involved if she just nodded and said yes.


    Once the dust settled, Shuna was inmand of Adalmann and the several thousand undead that survived the battle (or whatever it was that undead did). ymans castle was now fully conquered.