“Right! You can count on me, Benimaru!”
Shion beamed as she thanked him. I have trouble understanding why she loves fighting so much, but—hey, if she’s happy, then great.
“Good. In that case, Rimuru, it is time to prepare!”
“I’ll join ya, Master! Time for us to show ’em just how terrifying the labyrinth can be!”
“Quite so. And with me as your final defense, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.”
“If you’ll excuse us, Sir Rimuru…”
Brimming with enthusiasm, Veldora and Ramiris left the Control Center, Beretta following behind. The room suddenly felt a lot quieter.
For Veldora, this would be his first real day of work as the master of the labyrinth. I wasn’t entirely sure if he’d have a role to play here, but either way, his zeal was certainly encouraging.
“Right. Let’s see what the enemy has in store for us.”
I tried to sound as demon lord-ly as possible as I watched the rows of people marching through the gate. Everyone else nodded. And with that, our battle against the seven-hundred-thousand-strong main army of the Empire began.
Caligulio, commander of the Armored Division, smiled at the sight of things going to plan. He looked over his army with supreme confidence. One after another, his rows of elites were streaming through the massive gate. It connected to the labyrinth, no doubt, and that labyrinth was bound to bring Caligulio immense wealth.
By now, the monsters must have been in a panic over the unexpected six-figure-strong force at their doorstep. But it was all thanks to long, careful planning—and soldiers strong enough to execute on it.
………
……
…
After a great deal of discussion with the main brass over their route of invasion, they decided to send the Magitank Division in first, standing out as much as they could. In addition to this, they also deployed a hundred airships from the Flying Combat Corps, their ace in the hole, so they could fight off the evil dragon Veldora if he happened to show up.
The Flying Combat Corps was also responsible for transporting the Magical Beast Division westward, with Gradim commanding them—but their journey would be chiefly over the sea, guaranteeing a safe trip. It was therefore decided that the airships wouldn’t need any armaments, so Caligulio’s only remaining responsibility was providing logistical support. This he planned to do by operating three hundred airships at full capacity, transporting the necessary military supplies at the same time as Gradim’s force.
They had concentrated their forces in a single area mainly for the projected battle against Veldora. The other hundred airships deployed to the Forest of Jura were each outfitted with a full set of the most elite magicians the Empire boasted. With this final piece of the puzzle, their support system was fully complete, and Caligulio believed it all enough to let them take over the entirety of the West—and if Gradim’s force attacked the capital of Englesia, the war would be over in no time at all.
It was a simultaneous dual-pronged operation, and Caligulio’s Armored Division would play a major role. If they succeeded, they’d be putting up dazzling military results. That would grant Caligulio more power in the Empire no matter what, and the thought made it impossible for him to wipe the smile from his face.
The basic outline of this operation worked like this: The Magitank Division would make a conspicuous entrance. The enemy would latch on to them, and once they did, Caligulio himself would lead the main force in a grand display of power, attacking the stronghold of the demon lord Rimuru.
According to intel, the demon lord could apparently transport his entire capital into the labyrinth for safekeeping. It sounded ridiculous on the face of it, but it was true. All that was left on the surface was a large gate opening up into the labyrinth. So they decided that the first thing was to surround the gate, blocking any escape routes. A handy magic canceler or two working on the surrounding space would make it impossible to magically teleport out of there. It seemed possible to completely seal off the area.
The problem here was the strength of the Armed Nation of Dwargon. One underestimated the Heroic King Gazel at their own peril, and the dwarves are known for their stoutness. They remained undefeated for a millennium for good reason, and anyone who downplayed their might was bound to be burned.
However:
There’s no way we can lose. Breaking out old-fashioned antiques against two thousand magitanks? It won’t even be a fight.
Dwargon’s purported neutrality didn’t even register in the Empire’s mind. They had let the Armed Nation go unchallenged so far because they’d be a thorn on their side—but if they could win now, there was no need to pull back. With a combination of magic and science, they had built an all-powerful force based on a completely new system of combat. That, in a nutshell, was the Armored Division Caligulio led.
Gazel was a champion among dwarves, yes, but what could he do by himself? It may have been quality, not quantity, that could potentially turn the tide of battle, but knowing what he did about how destructive his tank guns were, Caligulio saw fighting with swords and magic as nothing but an anachronism. The dwarves—only capable of producing outdated, obsolete armaments—could never imagine the true value of this next-generation army… And by the time they realized it, it’d be too late. All that awaited the dwarves was a lopsided rout.
These ideas were all fundamentally wrong at the core, but Caligulio had no way of knowing that at the time. He was so happy with himself, and so assured of his victory, that he never imagined for even a moment that he’d be defeated.
And just moments earlier, the long-awaited report came in. An envoy from the enemy had paid a visit, but negotiations had broken down, and hostilities were already underway. Receiving this news, Caligulio and his team stuck to the plan and marched forward—and now they had captured the lands believed to comprise the demon lord Rimuru’s stronghold.
………
……
…
Caligulio, perfectly at ease, contemplated his troops.
Rather a waste to give Gaster a free shot at Gazel’s head, but ah well. You can’t give ’em the stick all the time—the troops won’t follow you otherwise. They need a carrot now and then.
Lieutenant General Gaster and Major General Farraga were among the most capable of Caligulio’s subordinates. He had no doubts that they’d fail to live up to expectations. Both Gaster and Farraga were dead at this point in time, but it’d be asking too much of Caligulio to know that.
“So have we heard from Gaster yet?” Caligulio asked one of his men.
“Not yet, sir! Not since he reportedly entered battle!”
“Ah. I’d think the dust will have settled by this point. Bit lazy of him to delay his report. He can’t be having trouble over there.”
“I’m afraid I have nothing else to report, sir.”
“That’s fine. So what about Farraga?”
Gaster’s first on-the-field battle in ages must have been getting to his head. With total victory in sight, Caligulio reasoned, he must’ve been too focused on the fight at hand. But what about Farraga, then? He must’ve had a balcony view, dreamily floating up in the clouds, and he’d surely be able to give an accurate report. But the liaison officer assigned to Farraga was acting strangely, sweating profusely as he desperately tried to make contact.
“…What is he doing?”
This put the brakes on Caligulio’s good mood. He was irked, and that emotion no doubt came out in his tone of voice.
“Major General Farraga,” reported the harried liaison, “has reportedly encountered a monster believed to be Veldora! He said he would send a follow-up once he could confirm it…”
…But nothing had come since then. Just that first report—and then total silence.
According to the communications wizard on duty, the Forest of Jura was so thick with magicules that voice transmissions could easily be jammed. That made sense to Caligulio for a number of reasons. This entire forest was created by his archenemy Veldora, and it was home to a demon lord to boot. It stood to reason, in his mind.
Deciding there was no use worrying about it, Caligulio shuffled the concern out of his mind. If they were engaged in combat, they wouldn’t have time to send superfluous reports. And like the wizard said, there were more than enough magicules in the atmosphere to block incoming and outgoing magical calls. Plus, if Veldora himself was out on the field, no way any calls would make it out anyway.
So Caligulio mentally switched gears.
“Hmph! We’ll have to wait for the good news, then. If they truly did encounter Veldora, it’s perfectly natural to expect silence from Gaster and Farraga. But no point shuffling our feet over them. We’ve got a labyrinth to capture!”
Given the vast size of the force he provided Gaster, Caligulio didn’t give a moment’s thought to the idea that he might be defeated. In his mind, he had completely discounted the possibility long ago. In fact, this lack of contact could even be a good thing for him. If Farraga was engaged with Veldora in the skies above the forest, that meant only the demon lord was inside this labyrinth. He had heard stories about their Big Four and the threat they presented, but the Restructured Armor Corps would make quick work of them.
So without further hesitation, Caligulio’s eyes turned toward the labyrinth.
Before him lay a clearing—a vast one, big enough to house a large city. Near the middle of it loomed a huge gate serving as the labyrinth entrance. Magic-based probing revealed no traps or other threats. It was a simple gate, just waiting for Caligulio’s force to challenge it.
The words carved into it—THROUGH THESE GATES, THE WEAK ARE UNWORTHY TO PASS—told Caligulio that his strategy was right all along. Hiding everything from us because you’re too afraid we’ll plunder it all, eh? Pretty cheeky thing for a bunch of monsters to do.
Looting in the name of “supply procurement” was something any nation was afraid of. Securing enough provisions to keep an army fed was always a challenge, especially to one as large as the Empire’s. Taking the enemy’s supplies was always an effective tactic, too.
Well, tough luck!
Caligulio laughed at the monsters’ shallow intelligence.
His soldiers, having been enhanced via surgery powered by magic and otherworldly science, could work at full strength without food or water for a week. A single one of the nutritionally balanced energy bars they carried with them provided enough sustenance for a day’s worth of activity. Twenty were included in a soldier’s standard equipment, and their consumption rate was as previously calculated. Each soldier had been given a refreshed supply, and they’d have no problem keeping themselves sustained without plundering the enemy’s food. These portable, lightweight energy bars made logistics infinitely easier for the Empire—and potable water, the other piece of the puzzle, could be conjured up via magic.
So no problems whatsoever. By their calculations, their elite soldiers could stay active within the labyrinth for up to twenty-seven days if need be. The enemy might’ve pinned their hopes on their vast army running out of supplies—the biggest weakness with any force this size—but they were about to learn just how naive they were.
“Think you’ve won because you’ve cut off our supplies? Think again, fools.”
Caligulio gave the thought a mocking laugh. It caught the attention of one of his staff officers, a man of noble birth trying to latch on to Caligulio’s coattails.
“Ha-ha-ha! Ah, my good Caligulio, don’t be so mean to them! The demon lord Rimuru began this entire campaign by making a mistake. He misjudged our Restructured Armor Corps so badly that he sent out his greatest asset, the evil Veldora, to meet them. And now, the next thing he knew, he’s being surrounded by these teeming masses of champions!”
“Well, I can’t blame him for making that move. Bait or not, it is quite a large force over there.”
“Exactly. I can certainly see why he’d want to pit his maximum war power against them.”
Hearing the officer chatter egged Caligulio on further.
“Hmph! Call him a demon lord, call him what you will, but I think it’s clear just how out of his league he is! I’m sure he’s all curled up in a corner of the labyrinth somewhere right now, shivering from head to toe!”
Scoffing at the demon lord’s low intellect, Caligulio and his team couldn’t have been more confident of their success.
“Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! You’re absolutely right. Now all we have to do is drag this demon lord out and have Commander Caligulio chop off his head. Then he’ll become a demon lord–slaying hero!”
The noble officer never wasted a chance to flatter his superior. Caligulio didn’t mind it much.
The first step, as he saw it, was to seize this labyrinth and use it as a foothold. Establishing a military base here would help maintain their momentum, no doubt, as they pressed on and overran the West. If they didn’t hurry, in fact, Gradim and his Magical Beast Division would conquer and pillage the West from the north side, and he really wanted to be out of the Forest of Jura before then.
But no need to panic. If things turned out that way, his list of accomplishments in this campaign wouldn’t be quite as long, but there was no need to quibble. Defeating Veldora the Storm Dragon was the Empire’s long-held desire for ages, and if they could achieve it, any other badge of honor was insignificant by comparison. If they took the head of Rimuru on top of that, Caligulio would undoubtedly become the greatest achiever of this entire war.
And the rest of his staff were just as assured of their victory as he was. This was a force of seven hundred thousand, after all. With a force that size, none of them could even think of defeat.
“We can make this area our camp once we build a barrier around it. Once that’s done, they can start marching in. The labyrinth will never know what hit it!”
“We’re on it, sir.”
“Fine. Proceed as planned, then.”
There were no objections. Things weren’t urgent enough that anyone wanted to create trouble for themselves being contrarian. Gradim could have his glory over in the West if he wanted it—that’s what everyone here agreed on. For now, the major prize was all the money and goods they’d be able to score in the labyrinth. Greed had won the day in their minds.
It was a pretty simple plan, really—just overload the labyrinth with sheer numbers and strip the whole place bare. The fact that nobody objected to it was proof positive that greed, and the potential for instant profits, was already blinding them. Being so assured of victory, Caligulio and his team weren’t bothering to hide their desires any longer. Whatever share of the labyrinth’s booty they got, it was bound to make them fabulously rich.
And so their conquest of the labyrinth began…and with that, the poor oblivious soldiers joyfully descended a staircase they would never climb back up again.
The labyrinth never refuses anyone who comes for it.
That applied even if the invading party didn’t respect the rules. But the safety was already off on this loaded gun, and what awaited them beyond was the labyrinth as it truly was—a living hell beyond anything anyone had ever experienced.
In one of the deepest rooms of the labyrinth, there exists a secret conference room not even Rimuru knows about.
Gathered within its vast confines were the rulers of the maze, people who usually didn’t come together very much. The fact that they were all here right now indicated just how vital they considered the topic of discussion.
……
…
The meeting was chaired by Beretta, Ramiris’s aide/representative/gofer and general manager of labyrinth affairs. Seated in the four cardinal directions were the labyrinth’s four Arch Dragons—the Fire Dragon Lord, Frost Dragon Lord, Wind Dragon Lord, and Earth Dragon Lord. In the middle was a round ebony table, currently seating the following individuals:
• “Nine-Head” Kumara, guardian of Floor 90
• “Insect Kaiser” Zegion, guardian of Floor 80
• “Insect Queen” Apito, boss of Floor 79
• “Immortal King” Adalmann, guardian of Floor 70
• “Death Paladin” Alberto, Adalmann’s advance guard on Floor 70
These comprised the so-called Ten Dungeon Marvels, and they were joined by three others: Gadora, the old, sharp-eyed wizard, was seated next to Adalmann; meanwhile, Bovix and Equix, co-guardians of Floor 50, sat huddled at one lonely corner of the table, aware of just how much they stood out among all these titans. They both once thought they could beat any opponent who came their way… But now, seeing the very pinnacle of the labyrinth before them, they realized just how stark the difference was.
It made them squirm uncomfortably in their seats, but that wasn’t the only reason they were cowering a bit. The real reason: Everyone in this chamber had a bad habit of incessantly squabbling over who was the strongest among themselves. They were clashing over the issue now, in fact, weighing down the very atmosphere as if it were warped apart by some strange force. Gadora, despite being the new kid on the block, was an active participant in the debate, making Bovix and Equix realize all the more exactly how they stacked up by comparison. As they saw it, some foes were just too insurmountable to ever beat. And given that these were two former rivals who fought each other for a literal century, it showed just how much of a presence Gadora struck around here.
Beretta and the Dragon Lords didn’t join in this competition, but they had no motivation to stop it. If that was what they liked doing, then “Fine” was their attitude. And whether they intended to or not, that only spurred the debate over who was strongest among the Ten Marvels.
Adalmann’s promotion in floor rank, following direct praise from Rimuru, was still fresh in everyone’s minds. It instilled a new enthusiasm in everybody present, all of them believing they were the most useful among the guardians. This was especially true among the Marvels tending the deeper floors, since they frankly didn’t see much action during regular Dungeon operations. Any chance they had to strut their stuff, they seized.
Even Gadora, the new guy, was eager to be of service to his old friend Adalmann. If he could make an impression with his performance here, he believed, it’d work wonders to ensure a position for him. Adalmann, meanwhile, wanted to work even harder for his beloved Rimuru than he already had. He wanted to be awarded even higher levels, and on that score, the other guardians were nothing but obstacles—not enemies, no, but definitely in the way. Alberto followed Adalmann’s lead with this, but in his mind, he, too, had a desire to improve his fighting performance and make himself a household name. Despite appearances, he was surprisingly ambitious.
Apito and Kumara, the two female Dungeon Marvels, had (to say the least) a strained relationship. Kumara, in particular, guarded Floor 90 and thus almost never received a chance to perform in public. Apito got an opportunity to tangle with the paladins before, and Kumara was intensely jealous of that, leading her to treat this as much more of a battle than it really was. Apito, for that matter, was pretty competitive herself, refusing to back down a single step from her rival. This put them at odds over pretty much anything and everything.
Zegion, meanwhile, acted like he was above the fray, and realistically speaking, he did stand at the pinnacle of the labyrinth, the target of everybody’s envy. Whether he asked for it or not, he constantly got dragged into the debate.
Thus, to sum up, things were kind of acrimonious among the most powerful denizens of the labyrinth. But did they truly hate each other, deep down? The answer was no. Their goal, in the end, was to prove they alone were the best, not to try to kick everybody else down. There was a lot of jealousy but a lot of respect, too. They might have fought a ton, but there wasn’t any real hate involved. Every one of them saw each other as diligent rivals, nothing else.
………
……
…
Despite the crowd sharing this meeting hall, it was surprisingly quiet right then. All eyes were fixed on the main seats in the table, currently unoccupied. They belonged to Veldora, king of the labyrinth, and the great Ramiris, its creator. They had been called to the meeting two hours ago, and while there was much carrying on between the Marvels earlier, they all quieted down once Beretta showed up.
“Sir Veldora and Lady Ramiris will arrive in a few moments. Please remain quiet as we wait for them.”
Beretta sat down at his chair.
“Chairman, can I ask you a question?” said Kumara, and Beretta nodded back. “Why are we gathered here today?”
“For the reason you’re all imagining, I presume. We need to discuss how we will dispatch the foolish army attempting to invade the labyrinth.”
Everyone fell silent. They were all aware of the situation. Nobody told them exactly what this meeting was about, but they had accurately guessed its purpose already. Maybe they had been jockeying with each other for position before, but with the imperial army at the door to the labyrinth, hostility toward the enemy had replaced their competitive spirit. What did it mean to make an enemy out of the labyrinth? They were all of a single heart now—they needed to make their foe fully understand the answer.
A heavy tension filled the hall. And then:
“Heya! Sorry for the wait!”
“How nice of you all to gather here!”
Ramiris and Veldora appeared, upping the fervor in the hall that much more. It delighted Ramiris even further as she addressed the crowd in an unusually serious tone of voice.
“Today we’re facing an unprecedented crisis—a kind that hasn’t been seen since the labyrinth’s foundation! So I wanna hear some of your thoughts, people!”
That was the signal for things to begin.
Kumara reacted first.
“Hmm? Well, isn’t it obvious?”
She could barely wait to express her thoughts, but Apito beat her to the punch.
“We kill them all.”
The two glared at each other.
“So are you going to leave things for my level this time, Apito? You got to play with those paladins for so long, you have to be happy by now.”
“What are you talking about? Lady Hinata is one thing, but the Crusaders were all so weak that I had one of the most boring times of my life!”
A different kind of tension ran through the hall. Veldora, oddly, stepped up to defuse it.
“Kwah-ha-ha-ha! Stop fighting, you two. And worry not! This time, I will give you all a chance to wage battle. From what I’ve heard, they think that the deepest level of the Dungeon is merely Floor 60. Considering we’ve advertised a hundred floors from the beginning, I find it simply absurd, but here we are. Can you believe that?”
No! everyone thought.
Veldora gave them a nod. “I thought it would be fun to play along with those expectations… But really, it seems too much trouble to me.”
“Yes! Exactly!” Ramiris agreed. “Like my master said, it’s too much trouble to wait for them to get past Floor 50—not just for us, but for our foes, too.”
“Indeed. There are currently seven hundred thousand soldiers jamming the area around the gate. I’ve been instructed by Rimuru to lure as many of them as possible into the labyrinth…”
“But making such a huge crowd navigate that entryway is gonna take forever, won’t it? Honestly, you have to wonder why they brought so many folks along! So instead of that, we decided to divide up the enemy, one thousand soldiers per floor, and then repeat as necessary!”
Luckily for Ramiris, the Empire’s soldiers were matching in neat, well-disciplined rows. This allowed for smooth entry into the labyrinth so far, but this was clearly going to take a lot of time. If the first few rows got in a fight, it’d interrupt the entire flow, and then there’d be no telling how long it would take to cram everybody in.
“How does that sound to you? And if you get a lucky draw, you might even wind up facing a real strong opponent or two!”
“Kwah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Who knows, indeed? One of them might be the grave threat to Rimuru that Benimaru has been searching for! I think he’s far too worried about that for his own good, but if you can find the man, that’ll be a feather in your cap.”
Ramiris and Veldora made all eyes in the room sparkle. To the labyrinth guardians, the Big Four serving Rimuru were the targets of intense admiration. Benimaru, in particular, was Rimuru’s closest friend and most trusted confidant; everyone wanted a chance to fight him someday. Veldora might have said No, no, I am his stoutest of allies if anyone brought up Benimaru’s name, but they didn’t, so things continued smoothly.
“So…we all have a chance, then?”
“Well, if that’s the case, I have no complaints at all.”
Apito and Kumara immediately seemed to patch things up with each other. They weren’t alone—everyone else was driven by similar motivation and ambition.
“All right,” intoned Adalmann, “does that mean we can do whatever we please with whoever enters our territory?”
“Exactly!” replied Ramiris.
Now everyone was treating this more seriously.
“They’re still filing in right now,” she continued, “but I’m just gonna connect them straight to Floor 41 for starters. Once a thousand make it in, I’ll move on to the next floor down, so be patient! Bovix and Equix, I’ve got another job for you two, so I’ll brief you on that later.”
Jealous glances shot toward the pair at once, making them tremble with anxiety. Now they were huddled down closer than before, trying their best to get through this social awkwardness. It’d be far better, they both agreed, if they could just fight those foolish invaders instead of facing up to this.
But Ramiris paid them no mind.
“So the idea here is to spread all these troops out and take ’em in at each floor. We’re talking one hundred thousand people total from Floors 41 to 50; one hundred thousand from Floors 51 to 60; one hundred thousand from Floors 61 to 70; one hundred thousand from Floors 71 to 80; and one hundred thousand from Floors 81 to 90. Then maybe, like, we can have each Dragon Lord tackle ten thousand at once? And if we get any more comin’ in after that, I can stash ’em in the higher floors, too!”
Thus the labyrinth would house a maximum target of five hundred forty thousand invaders at once. Ramiris wanted this number to be at least three hundred fifty thousand, if possible.
Last, but not least:
“Now, the one thing I don’t want you guys to forget is that these are one-time rule changes to the labyrinth. Each Dragon Lord chamber has been expanded to ten times its initial size, and I’ve switched the floors around as well, so if they make it past Floor 90, they’ll be plunging right into those Dragon Rooms. But that’s not really important. What is important is that I’ve changed the conditions for ‘beating’ this labyrinth!”
Ramiris did a little dance in the air to accentuate her point.
What kind of conditions were these? Well, for starters, once you went through the main gate at the surface, you couldn’t go back out until you beat the labyrinth. Beating it, in this case, was defined as defeating Veldora, so the Empire would have to deploy pretty much everything they had to stand a chance.
In order to gain the opportunity to face Veldora, however, a would-be invader would need to collect ten keys, passed out to each of the Ten Dungeon Marvels. If you wound up starting on Floor 80, you’d have to backtrack to earlier floors to defeat the requisite Marvels.
The moment they heard this, the Marvels immediately perked up. Even the Dragon Lords situated behind the table rumbled their approval.
“In that case, we really do all have an equal chance.”
“You’re right. It’s a race to see how many we can hunt down!”
Many among them were already out for blood.
“Heh… Hopefully I can find someone worthy enough to lift my sword up against.”
“Don’t be cocky yet, Alberto. All we must think about is laying waste to our divine enemies.”
Master and servant were brimming with spirit. But others among them were meditating in silence over this. In their own way, everybody in the chamber was in high spirits for the upcoming battle. Gauging them, Beretta—the overseer of the Marvels, more or less—spoke up.
“So, Lady Ramiris, regarding the matter I asked for your assistance with…”
“Ah, right, right. Yeah, Rimuru gave it the go-ahead, so let’s see how things unfold with it, okay?”
“Thank you very much. In that case…”
After that quick exchange, Beretta stood up and surveyed the Ten Dungeon Marvels.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Lady Ramiris has assigned me the title of Dungeon Master. I would normally share this title alongside my duties as chairperson of the Ten Dungeon Marvels, but…”
Beretta saw that overseer job as a bunch of garbage dead-end work and little else. Ramiris thought having ten Marvels sounded better than nine, so he got tossed in to fill up the ranks. The job, as one would expect from Ramiris’s birdbrained ways, changed from day to day. Sometimes it was little more than being Ramiris’s gofer, which—to put it bluntly—was not his cup of tea.
Treyni, despite having roughly the same position, seemed far more valued by Ramiris than he ever was. A lot of that was because Treyni never lectured Ramiris about anything… And Beretta couldn’t see what was fair about that, either. Besides, Treyni pretty much did whatever she pleased, too, jetting off on these mystery trips out of nowhere (although gaining Ramiris’s advance permission for them).
It was a real problem for Beretta, who secretly grumbled over it quite a bit. Regardless, he was still named one of the Ten Dungeon Marvels, whether he liked it or not. He really wanted to give that position over to someone else… And now the perfect opportunity had arisen.
“…I think I would like give my position to whoever puts in the best performance in this battle.”
The Marvels had to resist the urge to whoop for joy. Even Bovix and Equix were filled with ambitions not quite in line with their talents, hoping against hope that they could join the Ten Marvels. Unfortunately, their ambitions were shattered by the next thing Beretta said.
“For this current battle, I will provisionally grant Sir Gadora my position in the Ten Dungeon Marvels. Given Adalmann’s attesting of his powers, as well as his own knowledge, both Lady Ramiris and I have no qualms about this appointment.”
Gadora, facing this sudden announcement, was surprised but calm. Given how long he had lived, he was used to situations like these.
Yessss! This is my time to shine! And if I put in an eye-catching effort, I won’t be “provisional” for very long at all!!
Gadora had always been an aggressive man. He had to be, or else he couldn’t hone the right-place-at-the-right-time knack he used to navigate the world for so many years. And Gadora knew his place, too. His steely eyes told him just how powerful the Ten Marvels were. Some were lower or equal to him, while others were so far above him that even making a comparison was ridiculous. He’d never be appointed overseer of the Marvels if he let those titans be—something he understood well enough—and so his goal was merely to gain membership to start.
“I will humbly accept your offer!”
“You will? Thank you, Sir Gadora. It helps me a great deal.”
Gadora and Beretta had a real you-scratch-my-back, I’ll-scratch-yours moment. And while still temporary for now, that was the last change made in the lineup before the Empire war. Beretta was out of the Ten Dungeon Marvels, and Gadora was in.
“Oh, yes! I’m just as glad you’re taking the offer, Gadora. I’ll be assigning you to Floor 60, with the Demon Colossus boss, and I hope you’ll make good use of that one!”
Everything wrapped up without a hitch. They had already discussed all this with Rimuru, and they had decided to put Gadora to the test on a trial basis. Gadora had already been helping with Ramiris’s research and so forth, so he didn’t need much convincing to accept the job. In fact, to him, being entrusted with the demon lord’s Demon Colossus was a real dream.
“Great! In that case, shouldn’t we give Gadora some kind of nickname, too?”
“Oooh yeah. Any ideas, Gadora?”
Being asked this out of the blue, Gadora had nothing to offer.
“Well, let’s see…”
Is this really important? he couldn’t help but think. The Empire was already invading labyrinth space. They really needed to take up defensive positions ASAP, something everyone must’ve been thinking (if not saying out loud). But the big bosses didn’t seem too concerned about time and were treating this like just another chat.
Heavens… My hat goes off to them. Emperor Ludora is a great man, too, but I fear he’s no match for this group. But given the labyrinth we’re in and the Storm Dragon we’re with, I suppose it’s only to be expected…
Gadora was truly impressed. He was never one for loyalty, but seeing Veldora and Ramiris—and most of all Rimuru, so adept at manipulating those two—he couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe.
“How about the Rune Master, then?”
“Ooh, how catchy!” Ramiris gushed.
“Yes, is it not? When push comes to shove, I always have the right answer! Kwaaah-ha-ha-ha!!”
There was no possible way Gadora could object.
It seemed like everyone had their orders, but Ramiris still had one thing to announce.
“Oh, oh, right! I had a real important role for Bovix and Equix!”
The two of them almost leaped out of their chairs, still nervous about what they’d be asked for.
“Wh-what role is that?”
“What would you like us to do?”
Their nervous questions were greeted with a matter-of-fact reply.
“So I’m gonna have you two stand by on Floor 30. You can use the bosses there however you like, so if you see any invaders trying to escape, wipe ’em out for me, all right? I set the resurrection point for your bracelets at Floor 30, too, so even if you get killed somehow, no worries! Do your best up there!”
By the sound of things, Ramiris assumed this would be easy work for them. All they could do was nod their agreement. They were motivated, yes, but more than that, they were anxious. If they didn’t deliver at a time like this, they feared being abandoned for good. If they put in a half-hearted effort, they could be fired from this most prestigious of positions. They exchanged firm nods, promising they wouldn’t let that happen.
The boss of Floor 30 was an ogre lord, ranked a B-plus, along with his five minions. Following orders from the A-ranked Bovix and Equix, they were all bound to become a great team. Gadora, despite being so new, had readily accepted his appointment into the Ten Dungeon Marvels. Given they had been part of the labyrinth far longer than him, they couldn’t afford to embarrass themselves here.
That, and the two of them realized something else. Even if part of the imperial force did make it past Floor 30, there was still no escape for them. That held even if they climbed all the way back to Floor 1. They’d just have to turn back, and along those lines, Bovix and Equix’s assignment was extremely low stakes, come to think of it. And they both also realized that losing to those soldiers meant getting killed however many times it happened—an unpleasant experience.
“Well, let’s do it. We’re guardians, too. And if we can earn some recognition for our exploits, we’re bound to get a promotion!”
“Yes, you’re right, my brother. No need to take turns or hold back this time. Let’s crush our enemies with everything we’ve got!”
“We’ll crush every single fleeing imperial soldier we find!”
“We will! And I promise we’ll live up to your expectations, Lady Ramiris!!”
If their backs were against the wall, the only place to go was forward. Their anxieties instantly vanished, the two of them burning with enthusiasm.
Now everybody had their assigned roles.
“Rimuru has asked us to lure as many imperials into this labyrinth as we possibly can! And if we wanna do that, you’re gonna have to show these guys a good time, to some extent! Got it?”
They all nodded, understanding. Everybody saw what their role was—for day one, at least, they’d keep quiet and watch how the enemy moved. Then Ramiris, giving them all a satisfied look, dropped one more bomb on them.
“Good, good. Well, good luck, guys! And by the way, Rimuru said he’ll be watching this battle. We’ll be deciding who’s the next overseer based on this, but it’s a good chance for all of you to show off, okay?”
Everyone’s faces turned dead serious.
“…Sir Rimuru will be watching?”
Even Zegion, silent until now, felt the need to gravely ask the question. It really surprised Apito. The Insect Kaiser was a taciturn individual, rarely speaking at all. Apart from his loyalty to the demon lord Rimuru, Zegion was interested in little besides strength.
“Um, y-yes. Rimuru said he’d be observing the whole thing, okay?”
The unanticipated pressure made Ramiris stammer a bit. Not even she had the opportunity to see Zegion talk much. Her surprise was only natural.
“Zegion, there are no lies in Ramiris’s words. Rimuru has a great curiosity about the strength of his labyrinthine ranks. That is why he trusted you all enough to give you such a major role in this war.”
Veldora, following up for the flummoxed Ramiris, saw Zegion as an excellent student, one he had been training in combat for some time. He was stronger than even Charys, who had been with Veldora for a very long time, and if the conditions were just right, he could fight evenly (or better) with Veldora himself. He was, in essence, too strong. Nobody in the labyrinth except Veldora could handle him—and that’s why he was so excited for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“…Ah. Sir Rimuru, watching us… This is so emotional for me. I’ll be sure to show him just how much I have grown.”
“Hee-hee-hee! Of course! He said he was expecting a lot out of you all, so let’s give him a big surprise!”
Ramiris might have been giving them an innocent smile right then, but deep down, she was merciless. Being a self-styled demon lord, she wasn’t afraid to abide by “survival of the fittest.”
Everyone who enters the labyrinth—including Empire soldiers—is presented with a set of rules. After each person is confirmed to be a willing participant, they are then asked—directly to the instincts in their mind—whether they’re okay with never leaving unless they beat the Dungeon. Would they see it as a threat or a warning?
But even if people heard that and thought Oh crap, I’m in trouble, nobody seemed to be turning back. They all filed into the labyrinth like ants to sugar, dreaming of the fortune and glory inside—and at that moment, Ramiris ran out of mercy. Without reservation, she welcomed all of them as her enemy…and soon, the soldiers of the Empire would discover the true nature of this labyrinth. The fear it caused.
“Let us dedicate this victory to Sir Rimuru,” muttered Zegion as he left his seat.
With that signal, everyone was on the move. Visitors would soon start arriving at the hellscape, and they had to wait for them.
Column by orderly column, the soldiers of the imperial army were marching down into the Dungeon, their movements methodical and without fancy frippery. Each had a safety belt around their waist, connected front and back so each column stayed around ten feet away from each other. In addition to these troops, there was a separate designated combat team, not connected by ropes and able to move freely around; when not engaged in a fight, they held on to the main force’s lifelines. With enough sheer quantity, no labyrinth was ever going to be a problem. They had prepared everything well in advance, and this entire force wouldn’t have any issues getting lost as they marched onward.