\u201cYou\u2019re kidding\u2026?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The astonishing scene made Kanzis yelp. The greatest tool in his arsenal was vanishing before his eyes. Unlike a traditional summon, Kanzis\u2019s Looter skill merely formed \u201cdarkness\u201d using a corpse as a base. As a result, once he lost a beast like this, he could never recall it again. He had looted her, and now Kumara had just taken her back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cY-you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf I was stronger, perhaps we could have tormented you more. But alas, it ends here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cW-wait\u2026!!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had no more patience to listen to Kanzis\u2019s nonsense. His pleas fell on deaf ears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFarewell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And with that final word, Kanzis\u2019s life span came to a close. Kumara\u2019s Nine-Tail Slash commenced, ripping through him from all directions, and he was cut to shreds and killed in a heartbeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This<\/em> was Kumara, a woman with ravishing beauty and a ruthless, tough-as-nails will. While she may have longed for what she lost, she had no lingering regrets. Death, she understood, was death, something that could never be taken back. And that was exactly why she had to be sure nothing more was taken from her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Mystic Village was gone forever, but now Kumara had a home to return to. And in this moment, the most important thing was that she stepped up to keep from losing that as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wanted to give you all a chance at revenge\u2026 But you will have to forgive me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, the revenge was done. Her mother would never be revived, but now her dignity was. Kumara smiled. She was satisfied with this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Someone was quietly meditating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A streak of gold ran across his jet-black exoskeleton. A swordlike <\/a>horn extending out of the center of his forehead shone a ruby red. The crimson compound eyes underneath it never shut; he continually took in information from his surroundings, processing it in his brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The exoskeleton was modified\u2014more like tinkered with, really\u2014by Rimuru, his master. That master\u2019s own cells, along with a healthy dose of magisteel, had helped to reinforce the parts he\u2019d lost; now they felt familiar to him, like they were always there. They had come to possess unparalleled performance, combining strength beyond diamonds with the flexibility of a living creature\u2014one could call it adamantite or organic magisteel. It had become a suit of natural armor for him, easily Legend class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But his strength didn\u2019t issue from that exoskeleton. The real essence of his power came from his instincts, insatiable in their pursuit of battle. And now a new prey appeared before him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everything was going his way. He was the absolute monarch of this labyrinth\u2014Zegion, the Insect Kaiser\u2014and among the Dungeon\u2019s most powerful guardians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And now a thought crossed Zegion\u2019s mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He believed that those who confirmed their desire to be here were qualified to fight him. That was why he sent the summons\u2014his invitation into this dark space. Anyone who reached his floor was lucky indeed, for they could die with the dignity of a human being and the pride of the world\u2019s strongest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the bottom of the stairs leading to Floor 80, there existed a room where people could rest. There was no door in the entryway; the room was wide open, in order to show there were no traps inside. And on the far end of it was a flashy, incredibly ornate door\u2026which led to the boss chamber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The dark vortex that Minitz walked into brought him to this very room. It was dimly lit, housing some comfortable chairs, a table with fruit and beverages, and a few other practical necessities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>Minitz wasn\u2019t the first visitor. A few others had arrived before him. He gave them quick glances, trying to remember if he recognized them at all. Before he could do anything beyond that, a few people who were conversing in their chairs stood up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMajor General Minitz! You\u2019re still alive! I am from the twenty-sixth division of the Restructured Armor Corps\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHalt. This labyrinth is no place a buck private or noncommissioned officer could survive for very long. That much I know well enough already.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minitz raised a hand to stop the man from identifying himself. He knew the names and ranks of all the high-end officers by heart, but the three people before him were completely unfamiliar. That could only mean one thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even over-A rankers would have their hands full surviving in here. No matter how many gathered together, they\u2019d likely be helpless against the magic-born insect Minitz just encountered. Only a handful of human beings in history had broken through that wall, attaining literally superhuman abilities. Thus, although Minitz didn\u2019t know this trio\u2019s faces, he could guess who they were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, sir! You\u2019re certainly right. My name is Krishna, ranked seventeenth among the Imperial Guardians.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBazan, ranked thirty-fifth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd Reiha, ranked ninety-fourth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh. So you\u2019re with the Imperial Guardians, then? Infiltrated our army to monitor the operation, I assume?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure how wise it is to give me such an honest answer, but very well. Right now, we need to talk about what\u2019s past that door.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe were just discussing our possibilities now, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGood, good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minitz pressed them more, as if it was only natural his prediction was correct. He wasn\u2019t exactly a fan of this unwelcome surveillance in his force, but survival was job one right now. Rank or position didn\u2019t matter here; strength did. Instead of questioning why Krishna and his band were here, Minitz decided to concentrate on more fruitful topics of discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cSo what happened to everybody else?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, sir, we were all sent to the floor where the wight king was reported to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Krishna answered for the trio. Minitz raised an eyebrow, asking him to go on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere were ninety-six of us in all\u2014our commanders were taken away from us\u2014and we were forced to do battle against the king of the undead. I\u2019m\u2026afraid we\u2019re the only survivors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnbelievable,\u201d Minitz spat. \u201cOur groups were all one-man armies, capable of making sound decisions in battle without direct orders. Even if they weren\u2019t quite as talented as you, they were the best the Empire had to offer!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This hundred-odd group had been tasked with rescuing the rest of the imperial forces. Even the rank and fileers among them were over-A menaces, so they could be prepared for anything that happened down there. The ferocity of Minitz\u2019s tone showed just how hard their deaths were to swallow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe was a fearsome monster king, sir. And the undead knight guarding him was an elite-class swordfighter,\u201d said Krishna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cApart from us three, they killed everyone on that floor. If you want to criticize us for not revealing our identities earlier, I don\u2019t have any defense for that. But we\u2019re talking about an undead dragon, an undead sword master, and the king of the dead himself. It\u2019s a miracle even we<\/em> survived, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bazan interrupted Krishna and Minitz\u2019s conversation. His speech was tinged with anger; this whole experience seemed to be a regretful disappointment to him, and it was clear he meant every word he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re being rude to the major general, Bazan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut, Reiha\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, no, I don\u2019t mind. This is a dangerous labyrinth. We need to work together to survive, regardless of rank.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So Minitz offered them his full cooperation. If this trio was all Imperial Guardians, he couldn\u2019t have asked for better assistance. Now was no time for bickering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019d be overjoyed to take the offer, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Krishna knew Major General Minitz of the Armored Division <\/a>well. That wasn\u2019t a surprise, given his position in the Imperial Guardians, and there was no reason for him to turn down the offer. All four of them silently nodded. Whatever happened after they left this labyrinth, they could think about when that time came. That was the common understanding they now had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo how did you get here, sir?\u201d Krishna asked Minitz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI had to face off against a swarm of army wasps.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cArmy<\/em> wasps\u2026!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The quintessential lethal monster. So dangerous that they weren\u2019t even well-known among the general public, since the army took action so quickly to quash any that were discovered. Any hapless citizen who did<\/em> come to see one usually lost their life as a result, so the army wasps remained largely off peoples\u2019 radars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou took on such a dangerous foe by yourself, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI haven\u2019t seen any other colleagues since I came in here. In my case, after I defeated the army wasps and the queen magic-born who led them, I heard this voice calling me over\u2026and the next thing I knew, I was here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh, I see\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Krishna was deeply impressed by Minitz\u2019s casual explanation. If a queen wasp had been transformed into a magic-born, its power was beyond all imagination\u2014equivalent to a low-end demon lord, in all likelihood. Taking out such an opponent, along with her entire army of monster insects\u2026 It was a clear show of strength, and it did a great deal to relieve the trio\u2019s anxieties. Krishna was too nervous to notice until now, but Minitz was wounded all up and down his body, the large hole in his chest providing ample evidence of how fierce the battle was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you all right?\u201d Reiha asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re asking that now<\/em>?\u201d Minitz laughed. \u201cI had potions with me. I\u2019ll get my stamina back once I rest a bit longer. But what route did you guys take to get here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minitz still had the initiative here. They were all treating each other as equals for the moment, but the sheer force of personality from him still made Krishna\u2019s team follow his lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under his guidance, they all shared whatever information they <\/a>knew with each other. Putting it together, they found that the labyrinth likely had an amorphous, transformable structure. This reality was so different from their prior intelligence that they had virtually no baseline to work with. They were essentially groping their way through the labyrinth\u2019s passages, and their future wasn\u2019t looking too bright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat the hell\u2019s going on in here anyway? Because we<\/em> faced off against the boss of Floor 60 from the briefing, didn\u2019t we? Why didn\u2019t the demon lord Rimuru have us enter this labyrinth from the first floor?\u201d Bazan demanded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It would have taken much more time to navigate this maze then. If he just wanted them to exhaust themselves, Bazan reasoned, that would\u2019ve been the best way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSimple,\u201d Minitz replied. \u201cYou heard the rumors about this place, I\u2019m sure. If you have the bracelet on in here, you can come back to life if you die. But what if that applied to the monsters as well?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bazan just groaned in reply, Krishna and Reiha bitterly mulling over Minitz\u2019s words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cInstead of making us eat up time working our way down, they\u2019d be able to eliminate more of our forces by letting great masses of us in at once\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd once you\u2019re in, you can\u2019t get out. It\u2019s virtually lining us up to be cut down, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minitz nodded. \u201cThat was the sort of confidence he had in this labyrinth\u2019s strengths in wartime, of course. I had suggested to Lord Caligulio that we should address this, but he replied that we could just occupy whatever space the dead monsters were sent to for revival and kill them again. It seemed reasonable enough at the time, so I had to back down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was a bitter pill to swallow, but looking back, that was a crucial error of judgment\u2014one that made the Empire deploy more than half a million soldiers. Sending troops right in, one squadron after another, was the most foolish approach they could have taken. And <\/a>it never would have happened if they hadn\u2019t misjudged the demon lord Rimuru and the abilities of those who served him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo were you able to find any other survivors?\u201d Minitz asked the trio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That alone told the whole story. As of right now, they could only assume that they were the sole ones left alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s not that I can\u2019t believe it\u2014I don\u2019t want<\/em> to believe it,\u201d said Bazan. \u201cIf we ever make it back to the surface alive, we\u2019ll have to retreat ASAP.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019ll enrage His Majesty, no doubt, but we\u2019re left with no other choice,\u201d agreed Krishna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nobody disagreed with that conclusion. With that decided, they had to start addressing the current situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy the way, what\u2019s going on with this room?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t detect any poison or whatnot in the food and drink here,\u201d Reiha told Minitz. \u201cI\u2019m not about to accept charity from the enemy, but it seems clear they meant to extend us a helping hand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd that door\u2026 Push or pull, it won\u2019t budge a bit, but do you see the numbers on top of it? Before you showed up, we were just talking about how it looked like a countdown to us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond the door on the other side of the room, there seemed to be a thick, unspeakably evil presence wafting through the cracks. And just as Bazan noted, there was indeed a number above it. It was clearly marking time, and currently it read 200. That likely meant the door would open in just under three and a half hours\u2014shockingly, the exact amount of time Minitz thought he needed to regain his full strength. Minitz let out a weary sigh. That couldn\u2019t have been by chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt looks like the enemy wants us to fight when we\u2019re in tip-top shape,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t know if they\u2019ll give us a fair<\/em> fight, exactly, but they want us to heal, at least.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre they going to make us take the challenge one by one, or a couple of us at once, or what?\u201d Reiha wondered aloud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cEither way, they sure must be confident of their own strength,\u201d said Krishna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPretty cocky move to make against a major general and the killers of a wight king,\u201d added Bazan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, let\u2019s take the offer. Kanzis will be here before long, I imagine, and the more time we can buy, the better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFair enough,\u201d said Krishna. \u201cAnd the more forces we have, the better, too. If Lord Kanzis is joining us, maybe we\u2019ll find a way out of this labyrinth after all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight. And we have seven keys in our possession so far. I\u2019m sure you have one of these, too, don\u2019t you, sir?\u201d Reiha mentioned as she took out a medallion with ten crystals embedded in it. Seven of them were currently glowing. The medallion must have been the key that allowed access to the king of the labyrinth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course. We need to beat the Ten Marvels to access their king. By the time we came in, four of their keys were already ours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. And it seems not just the wight king, but his bodyguard as well\u2014they both counted as Marvels,\u201d said Krishna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey did? Then if Kanzis wins his battle, we\u2019ll have eight by the time we challenge this floor and at least nine afterward. Kind of a pale shadow of a hope at the moment, but at least it\u2019s a way forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If they could get a ticket back to the surface right now, all of them swore they\u2019d never venture back in. That\u2019s how horrible this labyrinth was. But that wish wasn\u2019t about to come true. Unless they beat whatever was ahead, they were never getting out of this place alive. They had prepared for this the moment they went in, which now felt like a whole lifetime ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The only thing left for them to do was push on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So Minitz and his newfound comrades rested as they awaited Kanzis\u2019s arrival. If they wanted to improve their chances, they needed to ease their fatigue as much as possible. Nobody touched the refreshments on the table, whether it was safe or not. They all snacked on their energy bars instead, replenishing their stamina for what might be the last time. This was now a matter of survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>When three minutes remained on the countdown, Minitz stood up. He checked his medallion, only to find there were no newly glowing crystals on it. His shoulders drooped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026I fear Kanzis might have lost.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They couldn\u2019t wait any longer. Reinforcements were not coming. Minitz abandoned the naive expectation that any would. Calmly assessing the situation, he gave precise instructions to his teammates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight. It\u2019s time. Let\u2019s finish up prep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Imperial Guardians silently nodded back. Taking out their pendants, they each chanted a short password.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u201c\u201cRelease!\u201d\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without missing a beat, torrents of light surged out of each pendant, and the trio was armed and ready. They numbered three Imperial Guardians, alongside Major General Minitz of the Armored Division. There might have been only four of them, but right then, they were the absolute best the Empire had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With this lineup, reaching the end of the labyrinth wasn\u2019t a dream. That was what everyone there had to believe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So the fateful moment arrived. The countdown progressed all the way down to zero, and when it did, the door before them opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone was ready for this. Without further hesitation, they went through the doorway, throwing themselves into the all-or-nothing battle for survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond the door was profound darkness, a place of pure black where no light shone. Reiha hurriedly activated Floor-wide Light, an elemental magic useful for illuminating one\u2019s surroundings. What it revealed made the entire group gasp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They were in a vast wasteland piled high with the corpses of imperial soldiers. At the very top of the tallest pile, a single monster was sitting cross-legged in meditation. It was Zegion. He wasn\u2019t <\/a>seated directly on the dead but instead was floating ever so slightly in the air, proving that he was highly trained in the magic arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWelcome, brave fellows.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The voice was low but clear. Every word he uttered seemed to swell into an overpowering presence. Now Minitz was convinced. This monster was the one who coaxed him here. It had to be the demon lord Rimuru himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He couldn\u2019t help but ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you\u2026the demon lord Rimuru?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The briefing he read through said Rimuru was a slime by species. But so what? If he was a slime, he could change into any form he wanted. And more than that, this monster was emitting an absolutely overwhelming amount of energy\u2014Lord\u2019s Ambition, they called it. This, he thought, was all the proof he needed that this was a demon lord before him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the question was met with a scathing rejection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou dare mistake\u2026the likes of myself\u2026for Sir Rimuru, the greatest of demon lords\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furious rage filled the space. The seething reply made Minitz realize he just committed a terrible mistake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy name is Zegion. I am merely one of the Ten Dungeon Marvels, nothing more. And all of you ignorant, wriggling fools deserve nothing but death.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n His words were plain, but his burning rage was palpable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere is only one way for you to survive\u2014by beating me. Throw your very lives into this fight and resist me with every fiber of your being!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was a pretty arrogant thing to say in front of the Empire\u2019s greatest champions. But there was not a hint of condescension in his voice. As Minitz and his team realized, Zegion was simply stating the truth as he knew it\u2014and the only way to prove him wrong was to show him their might, just as he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTime to go all out,\u201d Minitz told the three Imperial Guardians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMm-hmm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cYou got it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so the mayhem began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Damn. Really?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n That was my true, unvarnished impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benimaru and I were staring at the big screen in utter amazement. The scenes shown on it a moment ago, from inside the labyrinth, were now black\u2026and that indicated that the last of the imperial troops inside were dead. The battle was over\u2026but the enormity of what we just witnessed had left us all momentarily speechless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDude\u2026 He\u2019s stronger than you, yeah?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was the only thing I could begin with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benimaru scowled, perhaps a bit unwilling to admit it. \u201cThere is a\u2026small chance\u2026that is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wow. He looked super<\/em> crestfallen. He followed that up with a barely whispered \u201cBut I strictly mean that there\u2019s a nonzero chance, you see,\u201d but\u2014c\u2019mon, man, just admit it. Be a little honest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeh-heh-heh-heh-heh\u2026 I attempted to fight Zegion myself. He has a fearsome sense for battle, a built-in advantage over demon opponents, and resistance to nearly all base-level magic. He truly is<\/em> Sir Veldora\u2019s disciple prodigy. I might have even lost myself if I wasn\u2019t paying attention. You are not truly<\/em> defeated until you admit<\/em> defeat, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Diablo was smiling, taking the \u201cI didn\u2019t lose, we were just practicing!\u201d approach with Zegion. But this really wasn\u2019t a laughing matter for me. That was the case for Razul, too, wasn\u2019t it? High-end insect types seemed to be kind of the natural enemies of demons, and I\u2019d say Zegion was among the most powerful who ever existed. (I should note that Testarossa and her fellow demonesses also challenged Zegion in the past, and they<\/em> hadn\u2019t won against him yet, either. Diablo just loved<\/em> seeing Testarossa frustrate herself against the dude, I\u2019m sure.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n But hey, if those three could fight evenly against Zegion, that still made them pretty damn extraordinary. After seeing the fight <\/a>I just did, that was the only conclusion I could make. But let\u2019s take a quick look back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n The battle in the labyrinth ended largely as expected. Earning those two otherworlder defectors was a nice bonus, and Kumara had notched a truly laudable victory over in her domain. Pity about what happened to Adalmann\u2019s crew and Apito, but\u2014well, given who they got paired with, that was the luck of the draw sometimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the way, it turned out someone was calling all these strong dudes to gather in his chamber, even giving them time to fully heal themselves before the battle. Yep, that was Zegion. Anyone in the labyrinth he saw as worthy enough, he used Control Space to all but drag them over to him. Pretty amazing senses on that guy. He must\u2019ve been observing every battle in the labyrinth as he was meditating down there, and he didn\u2019t make a move until each one was over, gathering only the strongest survivors over to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was just the craziest thing to do. If he lost after this, he\u2019d look like the biggest dumbass in the world, and I was sure<\/em> it\u2019d get brought up at the next Dungeon Marvels meeting. Nobody complained about it, though. Losers don\u2019t get the right to complain, maybe\u2026 But more than that, everyone recognized that Zegion had the strength to back up this act. We also had word that Veldora even gave it his personal stamp of approval\u2014 \u201cLet him do as he pleases<\/em>,\u201d he had said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Benimaru\u2019s and my point of view, the focus really should have been on setting the stage for a sure win. If he let the enemy heal itself, then lost because of some miscue\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026Well, that was my worry, but now there were only four foes left in the whole labyrinth. Now I wondered if I was ruining my demon lord rep by micromanaging and complaining about insignificant matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By this point, I had long decided to indulge Zegion\u2019s selfishness. Besides, he was helping us gather a ton of useful battle data. I also <\/a>wanted to see how he acted once he got real<\/em> serious in battle, so I just let him do as he pleased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The result was an absolute steamrollering. In a word, it was overwhelming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bazan, the brawler who fended off that death dragon single-handedly, was the first to act. From his initial blow, he struck Zegion with his full power, a sword strike that seemed to shatter the earth itself. But Zegion batted the blow away with his left hand, deliberately trying to avoid impeding his opponent\u2019s motion. The gentle push on his sword threw Bazan off-balance, keeping him from launching into a combination strike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Zegion wasn\u2019t about to miss that opportunity. At once, he advanced straight up to the guy, planted his right leg down, and drove his right fist into his opponent\u2019s armor. I didn\u2019t even want to know how much power was in that fist, really\u2026 And the results indicated that it was as hard as a Legend-class weapon. The shining armor was shattered, and with that, Bazan\u2019s life was forfeit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This all happened less than three seconds after battle began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing a teammate that suddenly must\u2019ve been too difficult to parse at once. Reiha, the wizard, just stood there blankly, and it was pretty clear what would happen if she acted like that<\/em> around Zegion. If anything, she had it good, getting to die without any pain or fear. A single chop of her adversary\u2019s bare hand was all it took to cleave her in two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seeing her collapse to the ground, Krishna\u2014the winner over Alberto\u2014screamed in horror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh, aaaahhhhhhhhhh!! You killed Reiha! Die, you monster! Dimension Cutter!!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n His anger pouring into his fighting will, Krishna unleashed the skill at near-divine speed. Dimension Cutter was a slashing move, one that could slice through any defense\u2014even across dimensions. Without a spatial-control skill like my Dominate Space, it\u2019d be impossible to counter. It was all but unstoppable, a true \u201csure kill\u201d if there ever was one in battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>But it didn\u2019t work on Zegion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHa. Pitiful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The air began to twist around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hang on. Wasn\u2019t this Distortion Field? Like, part of the Absolute Defense tools offered by Uriel, Lord of Vows?! Whenever I<\/em> used Absolute Defense, I always seemed to blow it for some reason, but Zegion apparently mastered it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSir Rimuru granted me this technique,\u201d he told the shocked Krishna, \u201cand it renders all attacks futile!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Um, I don\u2019t remember teaching him that\u2026?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n That was you<\/em>, Raphael?<\/p>\n\n\n\n And Zegion\u2019s Dominate Space ability had gone way beyond unique-skill territory. It\u2019s just as good as mine by now. No wonder he could fight toe to toe (maybe even better) with Veldora if it was strictly a martial arts contest. I could certainly see how he could block Krishna\u2019s strike with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So it felt like Krishna\u2019s team was pretty much doomed by now, but:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKrishna, listen!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fancily dressed dude with them\u2014Minitz, I think his name was\u2014called for Krishna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is a foe beyond anything we\u2019ve seen before. I\u2019ll slow him down, so do everything you can to finish him off!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apparently he hadn\u2019t given up on winning yet. I\u2019ll have to admit, as an enemy, he was a decent one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now Minitz was raining his power down upon Zegion. We already knew about the unique skill Minitz had\u2014Apito\u2019s defeat wasn\u2019t in vain at all. He had Oppressor, which let him mess around with localized gravitational force, and he wanted to use it to focus gravity on Zegion and restrain him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But alas, it didn\u2019t work on Zegion. All he had to do was warp the space around him to manipulate the flow of gravity the way he<\/em> wanted it. It kind of surprised me\u2014I never thought about using it that way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>Like, since when was Zegion so freakishly strong<\/em>? That question in my mind was growing bigger and bigger. Also, why the heck was Raphael even able to teach stuff to Zegion?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Understood. You may have perhaps forgotten, Master, but you have given him part of your own body. Subsequently, you are now connected by a soul corridor.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, right. He was about to die, and when I saved him, I did<\/em> give him part of my body, didn\u2019t I? But wouldn\u2019t that apply to Apito, too?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Understood. The difference lies in latent talent. The subject Zegion\u2019s physical specifications are beyond any measure, and thus I was able to give him a full super optimization to my satisfaction. As a result, he has acquired abilities similar to you, Master.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The job it did on Apito was amazing enough, but that still didn\u2019t satisfy Raphael, I guess. It was happy enough with the job it did on Zegion, and honestly, it was a little hard to fully grasp what that meant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And what the hell\u2019s a full super optimization? Did he turn him into a superhero or something? This was all so new to me. So Zegion was basically a little masterpiece put together by Raphael in its spare time? Looking at it that way, no wonder he had turned into such a freak of nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s Raphael for you\u2014always taking everything to extremes. It\u2019s done it again, this time behind my back. Now, in Zegion, we had a battle-focused magic-born with the ideal fighting form, further honed via Veldora\u2019s intense training. There was no way any ordinary person could ever take him on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And as expected:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDimension Ray!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Zegion opened up his right hand and carelessly swung his arm down. That\u2019s all it took to cut through the local dimension\u2014or <\/a>space itself, I suppose. This was another phenomenon you had no chance of resisting without the ability to manipulate the space around you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The two imperial fighters immediately reacted, but that alone wouldn\u2019t help them. Krishna tried to cancel it out with another Dimension Cutter, but it failed, and he was cut in half. The difference in sheer muscle was bleedingly (pardon the pun) obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As for Minitz, he set up a jamming force field around himself to try to block the dimensional slash\u2026 But that, too, was just pointless struggling. Against twisting, slicing dimensional space, virtually no physical ability or phenomenon could do much of anything. The look of surprise on his face was really hard to describe, but if I had to, I\u2019d say it was the face of someone who just tasted defeat for the first time in his whole life. So he set off for the afterlife, likely not even given the time to admit defeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n So less than a minute after battle began, all the challengers were dead. And well, that concluded my lecture on how incredibly goddamn strong Zegion was. The leaps and bounds Kumara made surprised me enough, but that was nothing compared to our insect friend here. For all I know, he might even outclass me by now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like\u2026oh, man. I think he\u2019s starting to overstep the bounds of life itself or something. He\u2019s become a truly transcendent being, hasn\u2019t he? Stronger than even Hinata when she\u2019s fighting for real. By my calculations, even Apito could rank up there with Carillon or Frey strengthwise, but I don\u2019t think Apito could last three minutes with Zegion. The moment he got serious, the fight would end instantly. It\u2019s hardly even a fight with him, even. It\u2019s just a one-sided massacre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why did I even put someone so powerful in the labyrinth? Because aren\u2019t his talents kinda going to waste down there? \u2026But then again, this is<\/em> a secret weapon, isn\u2019t it? Something I could never afford to unleash to the open world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, though\u2026 I knew there were lots of powerful people hiding <\/a>out around the world, and I didn\u2019t think I let my guard down at all\u2026but I had no idea there was so much off-the-charts strength right under my nose the whole time. Like, I always thought<\/em> they looked pretty strong, but this was far beyond my imagination. Truly, there\u2019s no fathoming the mysteries of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But enough about that. We\u2019ve got other things to reflect on right now, don\u2019t we?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks to this, I learned the hard way that leaving things up to Raphael can result in some pretty zany nonsense. Now wasn\u2019t the time to whine and moan about a little hard work. We were gonna need to have a long talk later to see if it had done anything else I ought to know about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, even with those thoughts in mind, I was relieved that the battle in the labyrinth ended without major incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n And so out of the more than seven hundred thousand troops who participated in the ground invasion, we had finished taking care of five hundred thirty thousand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was practically genocide, I know, but for me, all it meant was that I had gained over half a million souls. That meant seven hundred seventy thousand in total, and that<\/em> meant I could now evolve seven of my top officials. Once the remaining ground battles were wrapped up, I\u2019d need to consider who to give the nod to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And as for that ground battle, we weren\u2019t letting our guard down yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow the imperial force numbers less than two hundred thousand troops. That\u2019s a pretty big army, but it seems tiny compared to before, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIndeed. Two days have passed since their final deployment into the labyrinth, but no moves since then. We don\u2019t see any signs that they\u2019re ready to send any more down. Of course, if the enemy commander keeps prodding the labyrinth after all this<\/em>, he\u2019d have to be beyond incompetent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benimaru was right, I suppose. With all the strength they lost, I <\/a>doubted they\u2019d be kicking any more soldiers through the labyrinth gate. Now it was our turn to confront them instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without any over-A rankers on their side, the enemy force was nowhere near the juggernaut it used to be. It was a big army, yes, but we could probably take them on easily. I thought<\/em> we could anyway, but\u2014ah, there was always something to worry about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo now what? The other side\u2019s still got us beat in numbers and<\/em> quality, right? If we hit them with the Second Army Corps, that\u2019s going to cost us casualties no matter what, won\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We could just hole up in here and wait for them to run out of food. That could earn us victory unscathed. With the food stores we have in the labyrinth, we could duke it out for another year. Cultivation was possible to some extent down there as well, and if push came to shove, we could always ask Ramiris to give us more farmland. That would be the firm, cautious approach, I think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, we\u2019ve already cut off the enemy\u2019s supply lines,\u201d said Benimaru. \u201cStrategically speaking, we\u2019ve got the upper hand. Now that we\u2019ve come this far, it\u2019s really more cleanup duty than anything\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHmph!<\/em> As you said earlier, you\u2019re not going to let the invaders leave alive, then?\u201d Shion cut in. \u201cThat\u2019s just what I hoped to hear from you, Benimaru! What valor!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shion\u2019s interruption made Benimaru snicker. Apparently, she was right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, it is best not to let the Empire harbor any more useless ambitions. It\u2019s all the more reason why we need to kill all the intruders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benimaru was starting to sound like Raphael now. Annihilating the majority of the imperial army wasn\u2019t enough to satisfy him; he was committed to killing every single one of them without prejudice, just as originally planned. He\u2019s so<\/em> merciless, isn\u2019t he? And at this point, I saw no reason to oppose him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But\u2026 I mean, I was ready for that. I was sure the Empire\u2019s subjects would hate me for all this, even if just out of spite. I just hoped it didn\u2019t give us a bad rap with the Western Nations\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Report. I have a suggestion I would like to test.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>Oh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sounded like Raphael had a plan of its own. The fact that it didn\u2019t just tell me about it first thing let me know that maybe my friend wasn\u2019t too confident it would work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is this something we could do right now, then?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Negative. It will require time and preparation, so it is better to attempt after the war is over.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Certainly, I didn\u2019t want to start any more wacky experiments during wartime. I didn\u2019t know what Raphael wanted to do, but either way, I<\/em> was the one who\u2019d have to execute it. We could talk about it later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I turned my attention back to Benimaru. I had accepted his proposal to kill them all, but my only other important request was that there be no casualties on our side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut is that even possible without anyone dying?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf we in your officer corps come out to battle, Sir Rimuru, I\u2019m sure of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Confident as ever. And Diablo, Shion, and even the typically calm Geld were nodding eagerly at Benimaru\u2019s assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay, so what exactly will you guys do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benimaru began explaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFirst, Sir Rimuru, we cannot leave you unguarded.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone nodded their agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you have to be that<\/em> careful? I mean, we killed everyone in the labyrinth except for Lucius and Raymond.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We were still treating them as prisoners of war for now. They didn\u2019t seem likely to betray us, so we didn\u2019t throw them in jail or anything. They were on standby on Floor 60 just in case, kept under Gadora\u2019s supervision; he had been showing them the battles on each floor of the labyrinth to help stave off their boredom. That included recordings of the two of them as well, but what amazed them the most was how each of the labyrinth guardians fought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cYou see now? You were smart to join my side, weren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou were, right? You oughtta be grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026At least thank him for giving you three meals a day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, c\u2019mon, guys. We went down the same road they did, remember. We should know how they both feel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gadora and Shinji\u2019s gang were all helping prop up their spirits, even. I didn\u2019t think we needed to worry about anything with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now I wondered if any imperial forces snuck into our capital city before the war began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSoei, were there any intruders in town?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve already taken care of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, I\u2019m sure there were\u2014but if that was the answer Soei had, the problem was already in the distant past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Report. We have successfully eliminated every single person who entered the labyrinth. Only one individual, the subject Krishna, was confirmed to have used a Resurrection Bracelet, but since he is currently outside the labyrinth, he will no longer pose a problem.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, so Krishna survived? He was a pretty strong dude, sure, but if Raphael had already kept tabs on him, I had nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, well, I guess the labyrinth\u2019s safe now, so I suppose I can relax a little bit, huh? Besides, those Imperial Guardians like Kanzis and Minitz\u2014people in their<\/em> class would be stronger than me before I became demon lord, right? From what Chloe told me, I hadn\u2019t evolved into one in her time line, so it wouldn\u2019t be a shock at all if they killed me, would it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In that scenario, Diablo wouldn\u2019t be there for me, either\u2014I hadn\u2019t summoned him by then\u2014and Veldora wasn\u2019t fully revived, so even folks like Zegion would be their pre-evolved selves. In terms of war power, we\u2019d be way<\/em> weaker than we were now\u2014it wasn\u2019t even a comparison. If the Empire attacked us in that situation, it wouldn\u2019t be strange at all if we were too helpless to resist and I kicked it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n