Gotta be careful with him, too, I see. He meekly sat back down for me, but I couldn\u2019t let my guard down yet. Let\u2019s just get this intro over with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, so Mr. Laplace here is our point of contact for Yuuki at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust Laplace is fine, y\u2019know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, is it? Then, great. Anyway, we\u2019ve set up a meeting with Yuuki for tomorrow. It\u2019s a bit of a rush, I know, but Laplace is apparently gonna transport me over there, so we don\u2019t have to worry about travel time. The main question at hand is: Who\u2019s going with me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, I got down to business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMm-hmm. So I can only carry up to six people in all. Assumin\u2019 that you and I are must-haves, d\u2019you mind tellin\u2019 me the other four you\u2019ll bring, Lord Rimuru?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I wanted to deploy as much force as I possibly could, but even in the best case, I wouldn\u2019t have all my top people on hand. Ranga was still asleep in my shadow, and Geld had yet to wake up as well. The labyrinth gang\u2014Kumara, Zegion, and Adalmann\u2014had reportedly all holed up in their respective domains, showing no sign of stirring. The length of everyone\u2019s evolutionary slumber seemed to vary a lot; I guess that\u2019s just how the cookie crumbles. So I looked over who was available one more time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBenimaru, I\u2019d like you to come with me, but how\u2019re you feeling?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat, does he have a cold or somethin\u2019?\u201d Laplace asked, a wary look in his eyes. I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll find out soon enough anyway, but I wasn\u2019t feeling nice enough to explain it all for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m feeling fine. Best shape of my life, actually.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Benimaru flashed a heroic smile, retaining his coolness and completely ignoring Laplace. He\u2019s much more capable than I\u2019ll ever be, a fact that occasionally amazes me at times like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I gave him a closer look as I internally praised him\u2014only to find that he had changed species while I wasn\u2019t paying attention. He must\u2019ve worked things out with Momiji and Alvis, so to speak, and now the evolution was complete. In fact, according to what I heard later, Benimaru had spent two nights with each of his new wives <\/a>in turn. I don\u2019t know if I should congratulate him on weathering that\u2026or just sit here, seething in all my jealousy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now he had abandoned his physical body, only to reincarnate and become a fully spiritual life-form. The name of his species was Flamesoul Ogre, a type of elemental soul. Like True Dragons, he retained both the holy and evil attributes, making him something like a chaos elemental, a stripped-down version of a True Dragon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both True Dragons and chaos elementals could take the form of various attributes, with \u201cflame\u201d being an upgraded version of \u201cfire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The natural family of elements consists of earth, water, fire, wind, and space\u2014the five major attributes, as they\u2019re called. The rule of thumb is that fire beats earth, water beats fire, wind beats water, space beats wind, and earth beats space. Picture it as fire scorching earth, water extinguishing fire, wind scattering water, space blockading wind, and earth occupying space, and there you have the conflicts in a nutshell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to these five major attributes, you also have the two opposing attributes of light and darkness\u2014as well as \u201ctime,\u201d which exists over all the other ones and cannot be restrained by any of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Elemental spirits like Ifrit are bound by these physical laws\u2026 Or to put it another way, they\u2019re the embodiments of the laws governing the world, and apparently there are eight types of these embodiments. The light and dark attributes are somewhat special, with light being derived from angels\u2014and darkness from demons. The angels and demons I know of so far could be called elemental spirits, technically, if you trace their roots. Someone like Diablo could tell me more if I asked, but I\u2019m not that interested, and it\u2019s not like I could do much with the knowledge anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key takeaway here is that there are eight kinds of elemental souls, each higher up than elemental spirits. The highest ranked among them are the True Dragons, and currently, only four are known to exist. Veldanava, the Star-King Dragon, is probably associated with the space and earth elements, judging by the name, and maybe more as well. Velzard the Ice Dragon is likely water-based; <\/a>Velgrynd the Flame Dragon is almost certainly fire-based; and our own Veldora rules over not just water and wind, but space as well\u2014a pretty big deal, despite how he acts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So the True Dragons stand at the pinnacle of all elemental souls, and it\u2019s safe to say that Benimaru had evolved into a similar existence. Flamesoul Ogres are spiritual life-forms, but they also have physical bodies that let them properly interact with the material world. With their infinite life span, calling people like him god-ogres wouldn\u2019t be pushing it at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a very special evolution that Benimaru pulled off, and I was impressed. His magicule count received a major boost as well\u2014it was now several times what Carillon boasted, I think. It probably wouldn\u2019t max out quite at Luminus\u2019s level, but I still thought Benimaru was decent competition. At this rate, I was reasonably sure he could fight the Single Digits at an even keel\u2014or maybe better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll right! In that case, Benimaru, you\u2019re my first choice. As for person number two\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gadora was already on the list, so I had two picks left. I was planning to take Shion and Diablo as well, which brought me very neatly up to four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026I\u2019m going to have Gadora serve as our guide, and after that, I\u2019ll bring my secretaries Shion and Diablo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So Laplace would be taking me, Gadora, Benimaru, Shion, and Diablo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou can count on me, Sir Rimuru! You will be completely safe and sound around me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shion was beaming. I\u2019m not so sure about the \u201csafe and sound\u201d part. I had a lot of concerns, in fact, but Shion\u2019s a bodyguard I knew I could rely on. She defeated a superior opponent in Razul, and when it came to battle, I couldn\u2019t leave her off the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeh-heh-heh-heh-heh\u2026 I don\u2019t know what kind of scheme Guy may be hatching, but putting you through all this hardship is simply outrageous. With you by my side, I assure you that I will put an end to all your worries!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Confident as always. But I saw no reason not to hold him up to <\/a>that. Diablo\u2019s good at his job, and it\u2019s times like these that I want to rely on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We might be an elite team on this mission, but we couldn\u2019t rest on our laurels. The others here would be following soon; I\u2019d have them join us in the Empire later on. But before I could outline all that, one attendee was already expressing her dissatisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you could, Sir Rimuru, I humbly suggest that I would be better suited to serve as a guide. I hope you\u2019ll consider having me accompany you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was Testarossa. She was<\/em> born in the Empire, I suppose, and she probably knew a lot about its geography. She was proving to be a talented diplomatic officer, gifted in negotiation, and there was certainly no complaining about her fighting strength\u2014hell, she might even have been stronger than me. The only real advantage Gadora had over her is his acquaintance with Yuuki, so if you think about it, I could probably get along without him. Gadora\u2019s pretty strong (especially for his age), but he couldn\u2019t hold a candle to Testarossa\u2014and I still had a slight nagging fear that he wouldn\u2019t think twice about double-crossing us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With that in mind, I didn\u2019t want to have any regrets no matter what I decided on, but at the same time, I did feel a little bad for her. Maybe I should take the hint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll right. In that case, maybe I should replace Gadora with you, then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt would truly be an honor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Testarossa gave me a beautiful, almost blinding smile. Gadora didn\u2019t seem to mind either way, fortunately, so let\u2019s go with that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRighto,\u201d interjected Laplace. \u201cLooks like you\u2019ve made up your mind, so I\u2019m gonna go prep. Lemme know when you\u2019re all set.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSure, but what are you prepping for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laplace gave me an awkward look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, um, you know\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe\u2019s prepping for a trip to our hot spring. He\u2019s been going between there and our dining hall since yesterday, using our recreational facilities like they belong to him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>Soei sounded pretty pissed about it. Good thing I was having Laplace surveilled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHa-ha-ha! You got me, I guess. Don\u2019t be such a stick in the mud, Soei!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As if we\u2019d never notice. He really does have a lot of guts, doesn\u2019t he?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou were paying the bills for that, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, I\u2019m a guest here, ya know? I\u2019ll pay you back with the work I\u2019ll be doing for y\u2019all, so how \u2019bout we treat it as on the house for now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGuts\u201d ain\u2019t the half of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLaplace\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, hey, hey, it\u2019s not my fault this country\u2019s such a charmer from start to finish! It\u2019s the most advanced in the world, no two ways about it! Paradise, even. Who wouldn\u2019t<\/em> wanna kick back and relax while they\u2019re here?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now he was laying it on thick about how great Tempest was. Receiving such effusive praise wasn\u2019t exactly off-putting, no. I figured maybe Laplace wasn\u2019t so bad, after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe\u2019s distracting you, Sir Rimuru!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Benimaru. He might try to put one over on Sir Rimuru, but I\u2019m keeping a careful watch over him at all times.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benimaru and Shion snapped me out of it. I cleared my throat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, keep it in moderation, all right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, of course, of course! So yeah, I\u2019ll see you guys in a bit, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then Laplace gleefully skipped out of the meeting hall. What a free spirit<\/em>, I thought as we moved on to the next topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n \u201cIf it\u2019ll be only five of you in enemy territory, don\u2019t you think that\u2019s a little too dangerous?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI firmly agree. If anything happens to Sir Rimuru, we would never recover, no matter how many battles we win.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIndeed. I certainly understand that a vast army isn\u2019t what we <\/a>need in this final clash, but if things go awry, someone needs to serve as a shield for Sir Rimuru.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Soei, Gabil, and Hakuro, in that order, all expressed their opposition to my plans. They discreetly kept quiet about it while Laplace was around, but now they made their grievances clear with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaster Hakuro\u2019s right, y\u2019know. And if push comes to shove, I\u2019m prepared to take the heat for Sir Rimuru, too. I\u2019d kinda be a meat shield, y\u2019know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGobta.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A meat shield? I couldn\u2019t help but imagine that in action. I really wish I didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHakuro, stop teaching stuff like that to Gobta.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course. I just thought, though, it is quite important to teach him how to prepare for such eventualities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I understood what Hakuro was getting at. It was just that my heart didn\u2019t agree with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI mean, I\u2019m glad all of you are concerned for me, but you\u2019re<\/em> all really important to me, too. I don\u2019t want to kick this off with a strategy that assumes we\u2019ll have to take casualties. If we want to avoid that, I think we should pool all our resources together for this effort.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cQuite true. Perhaps we are a little ahead of ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m not sure I was convincing too many people. Even Benimaru and the rest seem to be on Hakuro\u2019s side. If I were them, maybe I\u2019d feel the same way. Still, though\u2026 I appreciate the thought, but I still don\u2019t want anyone to die here. Maybe it\u2019s selfish of me, but I want to put my own feelings first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnyway, I\u2019m not gonna run a strategy that demands any loss of life. Let\u2019s stick with that assumption as we discuss the final stages of our war against the Empire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone nodded at my words. They seemed ready to participate in this discussion, regardless of their personal feelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf I could begin, Sir Rimuru\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, Soei?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have a Replication of mine undercover within the Empire. <\/a>There\u2019s been a number of obstacles preventing me from reaching the capital just yet. But it does seem that their security network is looser than usual. I was thinking of using Shadow Motion to meet with you once Laplace organizes the transport. Would that be all right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I see. That\u2019s reassuring, actually. Soei always serves me well as my shadow, and that really hits home with situations like this. He\u2019s a great fighter, too, and taking a closer look at him, he<\/em> went and evolved on me as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No longer an oni, he was now a species known as Darksoul Ogre; apparently it was a blessing he received in conjunction with Benimaru\u2019s evolution. He was raised as Benimaru\u2019s shadow back in their ogre homelands, the yin to his yang, and while there was a definite hierarchy to their relationship, they were still fast friends. A natural counterpart to Benimaru, in other words, and that was why Benimaru\u2019s awakening affected him so much. The system behind this evolution must\u2019ve seen Soei as his subordinate, but that wasn\u2019t a problem\u2014they still treated each other the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Darksoul Ogres are chaos elementals bearing the darkness attribute. Just like Benimaru, Soei was now a spiritual life-form with a physical body. Kind of a servant deity for Benimaru, then? His magicule count was medium-size, not colossally high; it was nothing compared to Benimaru\u2019s but still higher than Clayman\u2019s in his half-awakened state. That\u2019s enough strength for me, and I was sure he could be a good match for ex\u2013demon lords like Carillon or Frey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe that boost in strength was what allowed him to skirt the Empire\u2019s security so far? Well, either way, fine by me. I was just glad to have Soei along\u2014but that also brought Masayuki\u2019s protection into question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s a very reassuring offer, Soei. But what about Masayuki?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will have a Replication of mine continue monitoring him. If something happens, I think I can handle it well enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He sounded confident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn that case,\u201d added Diablo, \u201cperhaps I could install Venom as a companion for Masayuki? If we keep it a secret from the boy, I think Venom could play the role of a monitor and bodyguard at the <\/a>same time. That would lighten Soei\u2019s load, and it\u2019d also provide some extra insurance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ooh, good idea. Venom had a very sensible, un-demonlike personality, and he\u2019d been getting along strength-wise, too. I felt like he and Masayuki would get along well\u2014maybe they could even become good friends. It sounded like a real neat idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat means your second-in-command would be unavailable, keep in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeh-heh-heh-heh-heh\u2026 That will not be a problem. With Testarossa and the others around, my own work will not be affected at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sounds great, then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you good with that, Soei?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt would be more certain, perhaps, to provide a visible bodyguard rather than monitor him from the shadows. I would be able to save the energy that Replication consumes as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Excellent. Let\u2019s do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll right, let\u2019s go in that direction, then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, my lord!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll get on it right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So Venom would be Masayuki\u2019s escort, and Soei would instead join us on-site. The only thing left to decide is whether to deploy our army\u2014and how.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow, as we fight alongside Dwargon, do you think we\u2019d need a show of force for the Empire?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our First and Third Army Corps returned home with us once they finished retrieving all the bodies. Their full manpower was stationed here in Rimuru, our capital city. The Second Army Corps, meanwhile, couldn\u2019t be deployed because Geld, their leader, was still taking his evolution nap. Which meant\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSir Rimuru, is this where we may come in?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhoa, wait a sec! We\u2019re shipping out first!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabil I expected, but it was rare to see Gobta so enthusiastic about stuff like this. But unlike last time, I felt like relying on strength in numbers was too risky. If we were fighting a massive army, I wouldn\u2019t attempt a large assault that\u2019d get too many of my <\/a>allies involved, but this time, we were a bit like a SWAT team. They might decide to carpet-bomb us with nuclear magic or expose us to even more drastic measures. Armies waging magic battle tend to rely on the power of their legion magic, with teams of elites slinging attacks before that magic\u2019s broken\u2014but if the opponent\u2019s above a certain level of strength, the soldiers at the end of the line are just dead weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat do you think, Hakuro?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHoh-hoh-hoh! I know exactly what you\u2019re thinking, Sir Rimuru, and I see it as the right thing to think.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay. No novices, then. And we shouldn\u2019t take any low-ranking soldiers in either?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI believe that\u2019s best for minimizing casualties, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd so\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo it\u2019ll just be the Goblin Riders from my corps?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd Team Hiryu from mine will be readied for combat!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sounds like it. The Goblin Riders ranked an A for their overall teamwork. They served as excellent decoys in the war so far, and I didn\u2019t think anyone could beat them that easily. When it came to fleeing, they were all but unbeatable, so I didn\u2019t see any issues there. Also, following Gabil\u2019s awakening, every member of Team Hiryu was now past A in rank. I\u2019m a little concerned about the control they had over their powers, but\u2014ah, they oughtta be okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll right. Gobta and Gabil, I want you to start prepping along those lines\u2026 Oh, wait a second.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was about to set it in stone when I remembered something else important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGobta, can you guys call upon your starwolf partners right now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLike, Ranga hasn\u2019t finished the awakening process yet, so all the other wolves under him are still sleeping, too, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOhhh!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Guess that\u2019s a no, then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight. You\u2019ll stay here on standby, then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cB-but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t tell me you aren\u2019t aware of your limitations, Gobta.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201c\u2026Sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gobta was visibly mopey about this, but I couldn\u2019t do much about it, sadly. The Goblin Riders\u2019 main advantages stemmed from the high mobility of their starwolf mounts. Each Rider may have ranked an A-plus no problem, but I still couldn\u2019t afford to take them along on this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, it\u2019s not your fault. Hook up with Rigur and focus on security within our own borders, all right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, sir!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So with some regrets, Gobta\u2019s army had to stay here. Which meant our only other deployable troops were\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow\u2019s Team Kurenai doing, Benimaru?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo problems there. Every one of them\u2019s achieved a rank of A.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perfect. They had an excellent commander in Gobwa, and some of them had even evolved into ogre mages during the blessing process. They ought to be reliable enough if we send them out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSoei, how about Team Kurayami?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey are deployed across the land, gathering intelligence and gauging the enemy. I can call them back if necessary\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, keep them working behind the scenes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVery well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n No need to demand them back here. The importance of their intelligence ops went without question, so let\u2019s have them keep that up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat just leaves Team Reborn\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019d love to deploy them, Sir Rimuru! They\u2019re ready and willing to play a more active role at any moment!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHmm, yeah\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shion\u2019s awakening brought about no special changes in her, but Team Reborn\u2019s fighting power had grown a lot, with some members achieving an A rank. They were hard to kill, which was a big advantage, so I figured they\u2019d be okay in this battle\u2014but Team Reborn was at its most effective only when Shion was with them. If nobody was around to command them, they\u2019d be rudderless. It\u2019d be less risky, I thought, to keep them back home like Gobta\u2019s force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Nah, I think we\u2019ll leave them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cOh no!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTeam Reborn\u2019s more of a bodyguard force than an army, you know? I\u2019d feel safer if you\u2019re with me instead, Shion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh, I see!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shion readily accepted that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So now we had our deployment fully worked out. Team Hiryu had a hundred members\u2014Team Kurenai, three hundred. That was four hundred people ranked A or higher in all, making for an excellent little fighting division. They may not have been the largest, but no one would ever doubt their battle skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, this wasn\u2019t quite enough to reassure me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow, Ultima and Carrera, I have a job for you two.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, absolutely! Anything you like!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat is it, my lord?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUltima, I want you to continue accompanying Gabil\u2019s force as an intelligence officer. Carrera, I\u2019ll be assigning you support duty for Gobwa this time, not Geld.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh\u2026 The lizards again?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnderstood. I\u2019ll try to be as discreet as possible in my post.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their replies weren\u2019t exactly filling me with confidence. Ultima seemed to have a beef or two with Gabil, and frankly, I didn\u2019t believe Carrera could keep a low profile doing much of anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHeavens, Ultima! Do you have some issues with my force, perhaps?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes! Lots of them! Like, the way you guys act creeps me out. It\u2019s kind of hard to figure out what makes you tick, from a commonsense perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHa-ha-ha! No need to worry about that! When it comes to battle, we always take things fully seriously!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd you call experimenting with the hostile fire of enemies in the middle of war being serious?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t be silly! It\u2019s wise to try every possible tactic in order to gain an advantage in battle. Experimentation is part of that, and it\u2019s something all of us should take seriously, I think!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s something you should finish up before<\/em> battle begins! Why do I even have to lecture you about this?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>I suppose having a beef or two with him is understandable. From what I was hearing, Ultima seemed to be in the right, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, but do you think you could put up with it this time, at least?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf those are your orders, Sir Rimuru, I\u2019ll do my best with them! I was thinking that I\u2019d need to teach them a lot of things anyway, so I\u2019ll try to see this as a good opportunity and stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even with that resentful glare, Ultima was as cute as always as she evaluated Gabil. They may not get along well, but I felt like I could leave Gabil in her care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd, Carrera, well, you don\u2019t have to worry about keeping a low profile too much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She was bound to start bashing heads in battle anyway, so trying to be \u201cdiscreet\u201d here seemed pretty absurd to me. Instead, I just wanted Carrera to think a little more about the right time and place for that kinda thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe number one rule I want you to remember is to keep your allies safe from damage. Beyond that, just keep quiet until the fighting starts, all right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSure! That sounds simple enough!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wouldn\u2019t make any more demands, I promised her, as long as she absolutely abided by that one. Hopefully this would help everything work out, but\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHakuro, could you accompany Gobwa as well?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCertainly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTry to rein in Carrera for me, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hakuro nodded, sniggering a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We had our deployment all sorted out\u2014or so I thought, before Gadora raised his hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSir Rimuru, if I may be so bold, I\u2019d like to discuss something else with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cI think it might be a good idea to include the Demon Colossus in this war.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting it out of the labyrinth is a bit of a problem, but even if it breaks, it won\u2019t lead to any human casualties. With Gadora taking control of it, I was sure he could get out safely if need be. He had both a Resurrection Bracelet and an emergency-return spell in his arsenal, after all. No matter what kind of raging battlefield we threw him into, we wouldn\u2019t need to worry about him, which was a big advantage. But did we really want to reveal the Colossus\u2019s combat capabilities to the world?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVester, what do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I asked Vester for his opinion. He replied with a defiant grin as he pushed his glasses up his nose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt might be the perfect occasion for the big unveiling, actually. I\u2019ve already given a detailed report on it to King Gazel, and he\u2019s been eager to see it in action for a while. I\u2019d like to collect data from it in all kinds of conditions, so it\u2019d be interesting for me to see how it performs on an actual battlefield.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vester really is a scientist, isn\u2019t he? The value of a weapon is determined by how powerful it is\u2014you gotta fire it off in public sometime<\/em>, even if it\u2019s just for a show of force. From that standpoint, maybe this battle would be a nice place for a demonstration. That\u2019s what Vester thinks, I presume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Certainly, the Demon Colossus was best suited for close-up warfare. It wasn\u2019t a weapon of mass destruction that way, but it\u2019d be killer for intimidating opponents, sapping their will to fight. If I was letting the three demonesses out on the battlefield, it\u2019d be morally wrong for me to turn this down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut if the enemy seized it from us, wouldn\u2019t that be a serious technology leak?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, I promise we won\u2019t make that<\/em> mistake!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, if that happens, we\u2019ll just develop an even better golem next time. There\u2019s no single endpoint to technology, after all. Still, just in case, it has been equipped with a self-destruct mechanism, so there\u2019s no need to worry about any leaks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>Hold on. He was making this out to be a nice, happy story, but there was one part of it I couldn\u2019t ignore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA self-destruct mechanism?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s right. Sir Veldora was quite insistent on having one in there. I thought he was joking at first, but I have to hand it to him\u2014he must have anticipated a situation like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n No. He definitely didn\u2019t. I had a feeling Veldora was behind it; it was the kind of harebrained thing either he or Ramiris would come up with, given all the manga I\u2019ve been feeding them. I really wish they\u2019d stop obsessing over useless crap like this. Still, better to have it than not, at least.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll right. In that case, I don\u2019t care too much if it breaks down or falls into enemy hands, but don\u2019t be reckless with it, all right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo we can bring it out?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYep, you\u2019re clear to go. And Gadora, we may or may not need you in battle, but I\u2019d still like you on hand in case of emergency.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy all means, Sir Rimuru. And personally, I don\u2019t want to be too cruel toward my former colleagues. The way I see it, the Demon Colossus will come into play only if they break out some new weapon we\u2019re not aware of!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sounds safe enough to leave to him, then. Gadora\u2019s quick on his feet, so he might decide to switch sides again if defeat starts looking inevitable for us. Maybe he was angling to position himself outside our labyrinth just in case it came to that\u2014that seemed plausible to me, but it wouldn\u2019t be right to voice that yet. We needed to be optimistic for now and keep Gadora away from any second thoughts. In other words, all we needed was an undeniable, overwhelming victory against the Empire, and we were good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So the final lineup, with Gadora included after all, was now set in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n It was evening by the time the meeting ended. Once it adjourned, each of us began to prepare for tomorrow\u2026 Although for me, that meant relaxing a bit in our dining hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>Tomorrow I\u2019d be giving a pep talk for my personal entourage in the morning, and then we\u2019d all head off via the transport spell. In the afternoon, I\u2019d confer with Yuuki; Laplace was going to take me to him, so we\u2019d have plenty of time to spare. This would just be a day trip for me, so I didn\u2019t have a whole lot to prep for. I certainly didn\u2019t need to bring a gift for Yuuki or whatnot; I figured we should keep things casual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you sure you should be so blithe about this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAhhh, I bet it\u2019s fine. And what about you? You sure you should be leaving Momiji and Alvis alone right now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benimaru was with me in the dining hall. Being a newlywed and all, I wanted him to have as much relaxing home time as possible. That was why I asked about his wives, but Benimaru just chuckled at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey told me they\u2019re taking a cooking lesson from Shuna today. I heard they have an informal agreement not to try to one-up each other, but thanks to that, they\u2019ve shooed me away from the house for now\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whoa. Not exactly the happiest, most carefree way to kick off a marriage, is it? I wondered if they could keep things up like that, but it\u2019s not on me to comment on other people\u2019s family lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2014I see,\u201d I said, sagely nodding in agreement as Diablo excitedly brought a meal over to us\u2014like a real butler, for a change. I mean, it still felt weird having a Primal demon serving as my butler, but he seemed to enjoy every minute of it, and I wasn\u2019t about to shoot him down. I was used to this treatment now, besides, and I wasn\u2019t about to change my mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you very much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, no, this is part of my job as well, so\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n You think so, huh? Well, if you\u2019re happy, I\u2019m happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have this as well for you, Sir Rimuru.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shion was there, pouring me a glass of wine. She didn\u2019t make it herself, of course, so it was perfectly safe and nonlethal to drink, but something about her presence made me really uncomfortable. This was a simple meal of fried pork cutlets and rice, after all, so I really didn\u2019t need this five-star service. Having Diablo and Shion standing behind me just added to my fatigue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHere, why don\u2019t you guys sit down and eat with us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cWhat a kind thing to say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, no, I\u2019m already full, so don\u2019t worry about me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, Shion\u2019s been sampling the wares in the kitchen, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDamn you, Diablo!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eesh. They were at each other\u2019s throats over every little thing. It seemed pointless to give them any more attention, so Benimaru and I let them be and enjoyed our meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo do you intend to fully trust Yuuki, then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot from the heart, no. That\u2019s kind of asking a lot. But right now, I kind of have<\/em> to, you know? And I want to, also.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen I will follow your lead, Sir Rimuru. Our entire strategy, after all, assumes that we can trust him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd what if he turns traitor?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat would be\u2026trouble. But we can manage, I imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMmm. Well, sorry for the trouble in advance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m always ready and willing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Something about Benimaru\u2019s smile really encourages me. In war, you always have to trust your allies\u2014your friends. Let any doubt seep into your mind, and that throws your chances of success at any operation into uncertainty. If Yuuki betrays us, we\u2019d pay an enormous toll for that, so it\u2019s certainly a difficult choice I\u2019m being forced to make. But I decided to trust Yuuki, and now that I made that decision, there was no point worrying over it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was wondering, by the way\u2026 Do you even need<\/em> to eat now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I posed the question to Benimaru, who was tucking into his meal right alongside me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn terms of \u2018need,\u2019 the answer is no.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh. I thought so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut the same applies to you, doesn\u2019t it, Rimuru? I\u2019m just glad I didn\u2019t lose my sense of taste.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, I hear you. When I lost the three main desires all human beings have, I thought the world was gonna end, honestly. I went through a lot of hard work to regain my appetite and need to sleep, so I\u2019m really enjoying every day now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sure. I was worried about the possibility as well, but I\u2019m the same as always on that front, so I can\u2019t complain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>We nodded at each other. Then something occurred to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, so all three of your major needs are still there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, fortunately. All of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEven sleep?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t need to sleep, but meditation puts me in a sleep state. It still helps me recover from fatigue as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wow. So I had to go through all that work in order to sleep, but he gets to keep that from the start? And it even gives him a lot of benefits I don\u2019t get to enjoy. But what I was even more interested in\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd your sex drive?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I lowered my voice as I asked it. Benimaru nodded back, looking a little embarrassed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAw, what the hell? I thought you couldn\u2019t evolve because you won\u2019t be able to have children then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s right. But both Momiji and Alvis are pregnant right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, congratulations\u2014but wait, did you keep your sex drive after<\/em> the evolution?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI assumed it would disappear as well, but whether I\u2019m fertile or not, it\u2019s still there, yes. Looks like I won\u2019t be leaving them lonely, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was just too jealous. Keeping functionality I never had in the first place\u2026 Talk about a perfect evolution. God dammit, why can\u2019t I<\/em> have that\u2026?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGee, that\u2019s greeeeeeat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes\u2026 Hey, why are you taking my food?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShut up, you traitor!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n My jealousy finally ignited as I took Benimaru\u2019s dish away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All I got left to enjoy is food, but look at<\/em> you, you bastard!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Could anyone have faulted me for thinking that way?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyway, we continued to enjoy ourselves well into the night\u2014the usual scene, kind of. But all that was about to end abruptly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n \u201cH-holy smokes! Guys! Somethin\u2019 really awful\u2019s happened, apparently, so I gotta get back, like, right now!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>Laplace was shouting as he stormed into the dining hall. He wasn\u2019t alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBad news, Sir Rimuru! We just received a call in the name of King Gazel. It informed us that Velgrynd has appeared before the Composite Force, and they\u2019re requesting immediate support!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vester\u2019s eyes were bloodshot. Surprised, I rose from my seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay, assemble the group I\u2019m leaving with ASAP!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benimaru promptly sprang into action. They\u2019d all be here in short order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLaplace, give me just a little bit. We\u2019ll join you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cW-well, if ya want, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wondered if Laplace\u2019s panic was just an act\u2014some scheme to lure us in and trap us. But upon hearing Vester\u2019s report, I saw that it wasn\u2019t the case. Something major was going down in the Empire, something not even Laplace was informed of. It was important to stay calm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know this is a big deal, but don\u2019t panic. We\u2019re in an alliance, remember. You\u2019d be a lot more useful bringing all of us than going back alone, won\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUseful?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the enemy\u2019s strongest fighter is right in front of the Composite Division, maybe we could consider this an opportunity. Reportedly someone attacked Yuuki as well, but if we can beat all of them now, it\u2019d give us a decisive advantage in our negotiations. With that in mind, I decided to ask Laplace for more details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo what happened, exactly?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a few moments of hesitation, Laplace answered me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, Teare reached out to me. She said our team\u2019s president, Lady Kagali, was callin\u2019 for me, \u2019cause Kondo and his team were attacking them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ah, Lieutenant Kondo. One of the guys on my \u201cwatch out for\u201d list. Probably good to team up with Laplace and beat him up now. But what I wondered about is whether Yuuki\u2019s force wasn\u2019t able to fend these guys off\u2014and why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s Yuuki doing, then? Did he lose, too?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cWell, it sounds like Damrada\u2019s takin\u2019 him on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDamrada? The Cerberus leader who\u2019s actually vice commander of the Imperial Guardians, right? So he turned traitor on Yuuki?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was under the impression he was on Yuuki\u2019s side. But he\u2019s not? I\u2019ve never met him, so I can\u2019t guess at his motivations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat I don\u2019t know. Teare and Footman keep on changin\u2019 their stories. But for now, it\u2019s clear he was fightin\u2019 the boss.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hmm. Hard to say much. But one thing\u2019s for sure\u2014a lot of enemies are on the field, and they\u2019re dispersed all over the place. Job one was to gain an accurate bead on the situation. Not wanting to waste any time, I deployed Argos, the Eye of God, on the spot. We already had the coordinates, giving me a pinpoint view of the Composite Division\u2019s encampment. I projected it on the dining hall wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWow,\u201d muttered someone in the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There we saw a beautiful woman, a lustrous smile. Her most notable trait was her blue hair, tied up in buns on top of her head. She had on a dress I\u2019d describe as similar to a qipao<\/em>, plus a military jacket draped over her shoulders. She was standing alone, as if strolling through an empty field, except there was a large army of sixty thousand troops behind her\u2014or at least, the vestiges of an army. Those were dead bodies in the air, huh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n We could see pillars of crimson connecting heaven and earth\u2014a high-gravity force field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGravity Collapse, huh? What a drag, stealing my greatest trick like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carrera was taking this pretty lightly, but her expression was dead serious. I could see why. The magic this woman, presumably Velgrynd, had broken out was even more precise than the spell Carrera cast. She perfectly specified the range of it, keeping it at bay and under control. There were no other traces of destruction in the area, showing that her spell affected the gravity and nothing else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo she used gravity to send the troops flying without damaging anything else?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s right, my lord. And even more vexing to me, there\u2019s not even a single grain of sand caught up in it. The only thing it\u2019s blowing into the sky are whoever she sees as an enemy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>Is that possible? I guess it must be. We were seeing it happen here, so there was no point doubting it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to fight her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeh-heh-heh-heh-heh\u2026 She is every bit the elder sister of Sir Veldora, is she not? How fascinating. I\u2019ve always wanted to have a serious fight with one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Diablo was bold as always, but honestly, I didn\u2019t see any way that he\u2019d win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Negative. If we challenge her with all our strength, we have a chance to win.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Great to hear, but the all-hands-on-deck approach was a nonstarter for me. There\u2019d definitely be casualties then, so I\u2019d prefer to avoid battle if I could. So would going after Emperor Ludora be a better bet than Velgrynd? If I could have Guy and Ludora settle their game, we could bring this battle to an end and avoid any unnecessary sacrifice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut I don\u2019t understand. Why isn\u2019t she completing the spell fully?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPerhaps she doesn\u2019t like destroying nature, unlike us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI doubt it. Look at that. There\u2019s a pile of corpses with the blood all drained from them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Testarossa pointed at one corner of the screen. She was right\u2014we could see multiple corpses in a pile. I used a split screen effect to focus on the spot, and there, near the pile, we saw a man in a military outfit and a woman I was familiar with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Is that Kagali? Yuuki\u2019s secretary?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe\u2019s the head of the Moderate Jesters. She created us. God dammit! I don\u2019t wanna believe it, but it\u2019s true. Footman \u2019n\u2019 Teare told me as much through Telepathy, but I guess Kondo really was controlling Lady Kagali.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cControlling? You mean mind control?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah. And worst of all, Teare and Footman can\u2019t defy Lady Kagali\u2019s orders at all. Our Telepathy got cut off a bit ago, and I bet it\u2019s \u2019cause she ordered them to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>That sucks. I think it\u2019s awful to take away a person\u2019s free will like that\u2026 But that\u2019s not the pressing issue. We\u2019re in serious trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo how far does Kagali\u2019s thrall or whatever extend if she\u2019s being mind-controlled? Are you<\/em> all right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I couldn\u2019t really tell since he was wearing a mask, but Laplace really did look frustrated. If he was as helpless as Teare and Footman against his leader\u2019s orders, that was a major problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNah, I\u2019m fine. Lady Kagali created me, it\u2019s true, but I\u2019m the only one who ain\u2019t obliged to follow her orders. The bigger deal right now is that most of the folks Yuuki\u2019s gathered have a locking curse on \u2019em. Their top leaders are gonna be the main problem in that case, but judgin\u2019 by how the army\u2019s lookin\u2019 right now, I don\u2019t see much point worrying about \u2019em.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, it looked like Yuuki\u2019s force was done for. Even if there were survivors, none of them could ever escape that magic. It seemed like a few people were still safely outside its influence, but after seeing this tragedy unfold, they\u2019d mostly lost their will to fight. Locking curse or not, I doubted we could count on them for much. Given all that, Laplace\u2019s safety was actually pretty darn good news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m glad you\u2019re okay, at least.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh, don\u2019t bother. This is it for all our friends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He sounded unaffected, his voice flat, but I doubted he was too serene. Watching his friends get manipulated like this had to be infuriating. That much, I\u2019m sure, was genuine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of saying anything, I patted Laplace on the shoulder. He gave me a surprised look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut isn\u2019t it too early to give up?\u201d I asked, trying to sound naturally cheerful. \u201cKagali\u2019s not dead or anything. If that guy Kondo is controlling her, we can just defeat the source to bring her back to normal. I\u2019m sure Yuuki\u2019s still fighting, too, so let\u2019s get over there and help them rise back up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of it might\u2019ve been empty consolation, but it beats being all pessimistic about this. We can always wallow in despair later. What can we do right now? That\u2019s what\u2019s important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re a funny guy, ya know that? Sayin\u2019 the same kinda things <\/a>my boss does. It\u2019s humans who persecuted and exiled us, and now it\u2019s humans who\u2019re gonna help us, huh? \u2026What a pain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I thought I could detect Laplace smiling beneath his mask. I am<\/em> a monster, you know\u2026 But yeah, slime or not, I used to be human. Maybe it\u2019s not worth bringing up, but\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, mind if I ask ya something?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat do you wanna do<\/em> as a demon lord?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, that? Well, my answer\u2019s been the same for a while. Ever since I was reincarnated into this world, I\u2019ve only had one ambition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m gonna make it so we can all live happily together. That\u2019s why I\u2019ve created this town, this nation, and built relationships with all these other nations. Beyond that, I\u2019d like to value diversity and get along with everyone who shares in my tastes and interests.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYer not thinkin\u2019 about takin\u2019 over the world or whatever?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuh? Nah. Too much work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat?! But if you conquer the world, you can do whatever ya want with it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, but I\u2019d get all bored, y\u2019know? The more ideas you come up with, the more possibilities that\u2019ll open up\u2014and the more fun you\u2019ll have creating fun stuff you never thought possible. Right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laplace puzzled over my impassioned plea. Then he started waving his hands, as if in panic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s crazy, man! What d\u2019you mean, \u2018fun stuff\u2019? I wasn\u2019t talkin\u2019 about that. I was talkin\u2019 about you takin\u2019 over the world!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He doesn\u2019t get it, does he?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, what, if I got to do whatever I wanted, does that mean it\u2019s okay for me to execute mind control on people? Or do you think it\u2019s better to be controlled like Kagali is right now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cN-no, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think it\u2019s important that we preserve the rights to free speech, thought, and expression. That connects to respect for basic human rights overall. It creates diversity, and it\u2019s the driving force for all kinds of cultural development.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuh?! That\u2019s just gonna create more selfish bastards, ain\u2019t it? <\/a>You can\u2019t get people on the same page that way. How\u2019re you s\u2019posed to steer a country like that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He had a point. The greatest weakness of democracy, I think, lies in how to separate national interests from the feelings of individuals. But that counts as diversity, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s fine. We can figure out how to do it together later. I\u2019m basically a selfish bastard, too, and I sure don\u2019t want this nation to go in a direction I\u2019m not on board for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m perfectly fine being a big talker and nothing else. \u201cReign, do not rule,\u201d as the saying goes. I\u2019ll do what I\u2019ve always done, and luckily for me, I have a lot of role models in this world. Luminus\u2019s way of using religion as a cover for her rule and Elmesia\u2019s positioning herself as absolute ruler up top were both helpful references\u2026 Still, I have a long way to go, so I didn\u2019t need to decide who I\u2019d be right this minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut that\u2019s why political issues and stuff can wait. Right now, what\u2019s more important is cultural development. Entertainment, you see? Without that, developing this country is pointless.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was a really key point, one I hoped would show up on the exams in our future history classes. If I wanted people to lead interesting lives, we needed to produce a ton of entertainment. That\u2019s why I didn\u2019t want any restrictions on people\u2019s ideas or speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laplace stared at me in puzzlement as I explained this. \u201cI don\u2019t get it. It\u2019s beyond my understanding. He\u2026 I mean, the boss\u2026 He promised me he\u2019d conquer the world and make it a good place to live. That\u2019s why I believed in \u2019im\u2026 In Yuuki. But what the hell\u2019s up with you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re just mockin\u2019 him, ain\u2019t ya? With that namby-pamby stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m not mocking him, dude. I\u2019m just saying that world domination doesn\u2019t sound as fun as you think\u2026 And it\u2019s a lot harder<\/em> than you think, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That finally silenced Laplace for a bit. Then:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Yeah. I know that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He sat limply on the floor, his head turned toward the magical screen. There we saw that pile of bodies, Kagali standing in front of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou asked what we were doin\u2019 over there earlier, huh? Well, I\u2019ll tell ya. The biggest secret out there, but I\u2019ll tell ya. I think you <\/a>know that we\u2019re all walking dead, but I\u2019m gonna tell you about how she\u2019s gonna increase our numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh? Wait, this does<\/em> sound important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhoa, calm down. This isn\u2019t something you should be talking about in our dining hall, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh, who cares? Now ain\u2019t the time for that. Y\u2019see, we were created by Lady Kagali\u2019s hand. That\u2019s what she was capable of as Curse Lord\u2014gatherin\u2019 up the corpses of the dead and their lingering grudges to create a powerful magic-born. It\u2019s called Dead Birthday, a kinda forbidden curse magic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We call it a dining hall, but technically it\u2019s reserved for cabinet-class officials. No civilians were in here, though I have to say, Laplace was really taking the plunge, huh? Revealing classified secrets in a place like this. The only people left were Benimaru (back from delivering orders), Soei, Diablo, Shion, Hakuro, the three demonesses, and Vester, who had been watching the video feed with us. Gabil had also returned from giving orders at some point. This was serious stuff, but fortunately nobody was here who I didn\u2019t want listening in on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh my, that spell name certainly brings back memories.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou know it, Diablo?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was useful having such a magic nerd like Diablo around. Good thing he was familiar with this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe body I received from you, Sir Rimuru, was forged through an application of Dead Birthday. In my case, the body didn\u2019t come with a soul, but it was perfect for incarnating myself within. The original intent of the spell is to take at least ten thousand corpses, join them together, and take their powers for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was an inhumane kind of dark magic, a forbidden curse if I ever saw one. Of course, I\u2019m kind of a serial soul stealer myself, but let\u2019s ignore that for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo if Kagali here is trying to make their power her own, does she want to imbue the resulting body with the will of someone in particular?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt depends, but I think it\u2019s safe to assume so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, Diablo\u2019s right. Footman, Teare, and Clayman are all <\/a>survivors from where Sir Kazalim came from. Once they lost their homeland, they resorted to these forbidden arts so they\u2019d never forget the humiliation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sounds like my hunch was correct, then. Which means that if they complete this spell, it\u2019d be a pretty bad scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere are, or were, around sixty thousand people in the Composite Force. If ya got that<\/em> much material to work with, y\u2019know, you could probably create at least ten walking dead at Clayman\u2019s level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhoa, whoa, whoa\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd what\u2019s more, those sixty thousand contain a lot of really strong folks. And unlike Footman \u2019n\u2019 Teare, they\u2019re gonna offer just a ton of easily controllable power, y\u2019know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I asked Laplace to expand on that, which he did with visible disgust. As he put it, Footman and Teare were still emotionally immature because they were swallowed up by the vast amounts of power running through them. When Kazalim created his first walking dead, he wasn\u2019t too adept at allocating the right amount of power and souls to the right target. As a result, he gave those two far more power than they could hope to withstand. Then, learning from his mistakes, Kazalim created Clayman, which became a resounding success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That being said, Teare and Footman weren\u2019t exactly failures. Their immature minds led to some delays in intellectual growth, but they still wielded a lot of power. In fact, the pre-evolved Geld would probably have his work cut out for him against Footman. In light of that, in terms of fighting ability alone, they were an even greater success than Clayman himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you were to create power-oriented walking dead from a group of sixty thousand corpses, Laplace estimated, the results would be condensed down to six or seven people. This is an Empire that didn\u2019t bat an eye at sacrificing a million troops to create even one awakened person; I\u2019m sure they lost no sleep at all over doing this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Man, we were all kids back then, y\u2019know? And Teare still is<\/em> a kid, pretty much, and that goes without sayin\u2019 for Footman, too. Only Clayman ever really grew up, but then he went \u2019n\u2019 got himself killed through his own stupid antics. Still, though, I don\u2019t think we did you guys wrong at all, huh? Survival of the fittest, \u2019n\u2019 all that. Only <\/a>natural to wanna test someone out if you don\u2019t trust \u2019em, and we sure don\u2019t give a crap about sacrificin\u2019 others if it\u2019ll expand our own powers. That\u2019s how I see it anyway. So ya still wanna join forces with me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He didn\u2019t have to tell me any of this, but he did. There was no point trying to deliberately agitate us with this\u2014in fact, it\u2019d be a really bad move. But if he was going through with this anyway\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t kid yourself. I will never forgive you for inciting the orcs and destroying our orcish homeland. But Sir Rimuru has decided to join forces with you, and I am in no position to refuse it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBenimaru is right. Just thinking about what happened to everyone in our homeland breaks my heart. But there is nothing I could do to you that would make me feel better. Only when we have a world where everyone can live in happiness\u2014the world Sir Rimuru desires\u2014will I lose my regrets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHeh. I\u2019m sure you\u2019re trying to monopolize all the blame so we can take out our frustrations on you alone, but don\u2019t kid yourself. We\u2019ll need more than that to erase our anger. It\u2019s nothing small enough to be alleviated through torturing the likes of you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, quite so. As you say, survival of the fittest is all that matters\u2014and our inexperience at the time, most of all, was the culprit. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve cried over your own inexperience at times, haven\u2019t you? And if you have, I\u2019m sure you understand how we feel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benimaru, Shion, Soei, and Hakuro\u2014the four of them loathed Laplace and his band, but they were still swallowing their pride so we could all fight together. It\u2019s just that they couldn\u2019t forgive Laplace\u2019s gang for what they did, but they\u2019re trying to work through it. These ogres sure can be generous sometimes\u2014I noticed that back when Geld first joined us, and I\u2019m seeing it now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll right? We haven\u2019t forgiven you, and I sure don\u2019t trust you completely, either, but for now we\u2019re allies. So let\u2019s forget our differences and just fight together, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Yeah. And you too, right? I wanna save the boss and my president. So lend me a hand, won\u2019t ya?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laplace bowed his head deeply. For once, he was being sincere, not at all his usual aloof self. If this was an act, I\u2019d lose faith in other people for good. For now, at least, I wanted to trust him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Laplace\u2019s request was met with nods of approval from Benimaru and the others. His gestures toward us all were so determined, I suppose it tugged at our heartstrings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight. Then we\u2019ll head over with the six of us as planned and rescue Yuuki.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSounds good. Let\u2019s save that bum so he can give us a proper apology.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benimaru was certainly motivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, this is<\/em> Yuuki we\u2019re talking about. Knowing him, I\u2019m pretty confident he\u2019d beat Damrada and emerge without even a scratch. The real problem is how to deal with Velgrynd, though. But just as I was about to offer some instructions about that, Shion surprised me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo this Kondo man is the mastermind behind all this? If he\u2019s capable of controlling the likes of Kagali, then perhaps Clayman was being controlled, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u201c\u201c\u2026\u201d\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We all fell silent. Benimaru was frozen in surprise, while Laplace just muttered, \u201cThe hell?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeh\u2026 Keh-heh-heh\u2026 The first secretary says some rather interesting things\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Diablo could try laughing it off as much as he wanted, but\u2014perhaps remembering how things were back then\u2014realized there was nothing inherently wrong with what she said. \u201cIt\u2019s possible,\u201d Hakuro even added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No, guys, it\u2019s definitely more natural to believe that. According to Laplace, Yuuki had given orders to Clayman to lie low and not cause trouble. The whole bit with the orcs was one thing, but Clayman\u2019s descent into insanity after that wasn\u2019t at all what Yuuki wanted from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Affirmative. Based on the newly obtained information, I have redefined the situation as this: The subject Clayman exhibited some unexplainable behavior, but if he was being influenced <\/a>by Kondo and other people, it begins to make more sense. The clear answer is that the Empire stood to gain the most from him.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, that\u2019s what I\u2019m thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026So you\u2019re saying that we had to go through that stuff with Clayman because of Kondo\u2019s intentions?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWatch your mouth, Benimaru, or else I\u2019ll tell Shuna.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will. So don\u2019t, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ignoring Benimaru and Shion\u2019s back-and-forth\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI hate to say it, but I have to agree with Shion. I tried to perform an analysis of his criminal psychology, but there was something unclear about Clayman\u2019s behavior. I saw signs that he was in a hurry to move his forces for some reason, even though he should have acted more cautiously. I, at first, thought it was merely his stupidity in action, but it would make sense if there was a third party intervening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whoa. Diablo\u2019s got the same opinion as Raphael. Guess there\u2019s no doubting it now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what the truth is, but let\u2019s assume Kondo controlled Clayman and act based on that. If you\u2019re paired up with Kondo, be aware of the possibility that he\u2019ll try to take over your mind!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u201c\u201cYes, Sir Rimuru!\u201d\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I might be wasting my time with that warning, but it\u2019s better than saying nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyway, we really do need to watch for this Kondo guy. If we\u2019re not careful, he might be an even greater threat than Velgrynd. So I had everyone keep Kondo in mind so we were all prepared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, let\u2019s summarize our plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGabil, I want you and your team to answer King Gazel\u2019s request for help. Don\u2019t try fighting Velgrynd, though. She\u2019s enough of a danger for you and the other leaders, but she\u2019ll massacre your soldiers, probably.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat is very clear to me, my lord. Not even I would ever dare to challenge a True Dragon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cHoh-hoh-hoh! No, we\u2019re no match for her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabil and Hakuro seemed to understand that well enough. The purpose of sending their reinforcements was mainly to buy time; once we rescued Yuuki, we\u2019d then be handling Velgrynd ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut should we leave them to that ceremony?\u201d Ultima asked. She was referring to the Dead Birthday thing Kagali was working on, I supposed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t worry about that,\u201d Diablo informed me. \u201cIt takes a great deal of time before that forbidden spell is triggered, at least two hours per walking dead created\u2014and more than that if you are stuffing more energy into it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It hadn\u2019t even been an hour since the ritual began. We\u2019d first have to meet with Yuuki, then beat Emperor Ludora, and then if we hurried back\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUh-uh. Diablo\u2019s right if we\u2019re talkin\u2019 about the usual procedure, but Lady Kagali\u2019s usin\u2019 a kind of workaround.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA workaround\u2026 Wait! Ah, right, Velgrynd is helping her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Diablo seemed to get what this meant. But no one else did, and we really didn\u2019t have time for long-winded explanations any longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay, so how much time do we have?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeh-heh-heh-heh-heh\u2026 At worst, they could create several walking dead in two hours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two hours, huh? Could we defeat Emperor Ludora in just that amount of time? \u2026Ah, no point worrying over it. We just have to do it, and that\u2019s that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked toward Laplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd you\u2019re the strongest of her creations so far, right? Better than Clayman anyway. And despite the others being geared for strength or whatever, you sure seem stronger than them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, I was specially made, y\u2019see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay. Well, my group\u2019s ignoring Kagali\u2019s spell, then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh\u2026 Are you sure about that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabil seemed surprised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah. Think about it, Gabil. Laplace is pretty strong, but he\u2019s not an insurmountable opponent. The other two, I\u2019m sure all of you could beat easily.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>That was how I saw it. Laplace may be hiding his strength, but he can\u2019t fool my eyes. Basically, it didn\u2019t feel to me that he had awakened to an ultimate skill. Gabil would have a tough time, but I think Soei\u2019s an even match for him. So if Kagali could create walking dead as good as Laplace, that\u2019d be a drag, but anything less than that seemed pretty manageable to me. We can\u2019t just leave them be\u2014they could become a threat if left to grow up\u2014but I don\u2019t see this as something I absolutely had to intervene in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf Velgrynd is contributing to this spell, then all the better for us. If possible, try to prod her so she can\u2019t concentrate on it. If you can\u2019t, then you can just leave her. I mean, no point stirring up that hornet\u2019s nest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabil and Hakuro exchanged a glance, then nodded, seemingly convinced. And also, just in case:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf she decides to turn on you guys or King Gazel, then I want Ultima and Carrera to take her on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I figured as the most powerful of all my staff, Ultima and Carrera could buy time even against someone like Velgrynd. I could ignore whatever happened with Kagali\u2019s ritual, but if Velgrynd makes a move, the whole army would be decimated. I had to avoid that, so that\u2019s why I gave the order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAw, thanks for counting on us! Sir Veldora\u2019s sister or not, I\u2019m not gonna give her any quarter!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah. We\u2019ll see if we can win once we feel her out. I got one heck of a winning streak going, you know, so I\u2019m gonna get as much enjoyment out of this as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It sounded like I could count on Ultima and Carrera for this. I\u2019ll just pretend that I didn\u2019t hear about the loss to Zegion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I thought we had a plan, but:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne moment, please. I think Ultima and Carrera alone will not be enough against Lady Velgrynd. I know this is rude of me after offering to guide you, but I was wondering if I could tackle her as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now Testarossa was throwing her hat into the ring. This was a bit troublesome to me. It was an appealing proposal, but if we were striking the core of the imperial capital, I wanted to attempt it with <\/a>as much firepower as I could gather. This was an emperor even Guy recognized as a worthy rival, and he had at least four Single Digits guarding him. If we were taking on someone that<\/em> high up, I really didn\u2019t want to lose Testarossa. At the same time, though, if she could buy some time with Velgrynd for us, that\u2019d be pretty helpful as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So maybe I should take Gadora, then\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAllow me to take her place, if you could. It will help us buy at least a little bit of time, and I think it would improve our chances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was Soei making the offer, and it sounded like a reasonable one. At the very least, it seemed better than taking Gadora. With Benimaru, Shion, Soei, and Diablo, I felt decently sure we could take on pretty much anybody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay, let\u2019s go with that. Don\u2019t disappoint me, Soei.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, my lord!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of Gabil\u2019s team was to buy time and, if possible, eliminate enemy forces, Kondo included. If things went really awry, that was where the demonesses came in. That, I thought, was about the best we could do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight. That settles it, then. And again, Gabil, don\u2019t have your team get killed before we get back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u201c\u201cYes, sir!\u201d\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so our policy was somewhat hurriedly decided upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was at this moment that Vester, who had been watching the screen the whole time, hoarsely shouted out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhoa! King Gazel has arrived, it looks like!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked myself, and there I saw the Pegasus Knights flying in from up high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet\u2019s hurry. Rendezvous with Gazel\u2019s team before they take damage and tell them about our strategy!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLeave it to me! I promise you that I, Gabil, will perform this lofty task with sheerly the utmost of brilliance!!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGreat. Now, everybody, let\u2019s get moving!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I gave out the order\u2014and then one long, long night began for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n After teleporting Gabil\u2019s group away, we joined Laplace on our way to the imperial capital. I would be taking human form from the start, so I could deal with whatever came our way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay, we\u2019re here. This is our secret base over in\u2014 Ah, where\u2019s this<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was magic that took us here, but Laplace immediately began acting strange. Even at this point, I was having a terribly bad premonition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking around, I found ourselves in a vast hall, like none in my own nation. It was lined with intricately carved columns and covered with expensive-looking carpet. I could almost mistake it for a royal audience chamber in an imperial castle, but there was something not quite right about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDude\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cW-wait! No! Usually, when I do this thing, it always takes me to the right place! This ain\u2019t never happened before!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laplace looked pretty panicky as I glared at him. He didn\u2019t seem to be lying, but if he wasn\u2019t, what the hell was going on here?<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a few more swivels of my head, I saw a raised platform about fifty yards away. Something resembling a king\u2019s throne was on it, so I guessed it really was some royal chamber. An important-looking person was seated on the chair, and next to him was a beautiful blue-haired woman. There was no mistaking the distinctive buns her hair was tied into. It had to be Velgrynd herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVelgrynd?! Wait, wasn\u2019t she on the battlefield just now? She can\u2019t be here, too, can she?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTeleportation could get her here in time, but that doesn\u2019t seem to be the case.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benimaru looked just as confused as I was, and Soei and Shion weren\u2019t much different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre we surrounded, then? It appears to be a trap.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Diablo broke the bad news to us. I noticed it about the same time he did\u2014dozens of other people were in this chamber, and they all seemed powerful to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cDamn you, Laplace, you were trying ensnare us the whole time\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Soei wasted no time confronting our would-be traitor, but he was the last thing on Laplace\u2019s mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s loony. You interfered with my spell?! That\u2019s\u2026 How\u2019s that even possible\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laplace was completely befuddled. Guess he wasn\u2019t expecting this either; this didn\u2019t strike me as a trap on his part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we warily eyed the circumstances we were in, a man approached us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, Laplace! Thanks so much for coming. I couldn\u2019t be happier to see you tricking the demon lord Rimuru and his friends like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was Yuuki, dressed in his imperial military uniform and smiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cB-Boss?! Wait, wait, wait. What\u2019s goin\u2019 on?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh-ha-ha! You can quit the act now. Once we get rid of the demon lord in here, we win, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yuuki\u2019s words instantly enraged Shion and Soei\u2014but Benimaru, and surprisingly Diablo as well, remained calm as they listened to him and Laplace speak. It was impressive to see, actually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (You guys believed Laplace, too?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Oh, er, no. I was thinking of running him through once those two let their guards down.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Hey!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Keh-heh-heh-heh-heh\u2026 Well said, Sir Benimaru. Kill before you show any external sign of it. The classic rule.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n What kind of mafia gang am I running here?! There\u2019s no \u201cclassic rule\u201d like that in my<\/em> country!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dumbfounded, I persuaded them to wait and see how things unfolded. At the same time, I tried to appease Soei and Shion, who were practically oozing with murderous rage. In the meantime, the argument between Yuuki and Laplace had grown rather heated. Laplace was all but begging for his life, swearing up and down that he meant none of this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPlease believe me, guys! This time, I promise, I didn\u2019t mean to do nothin\u2019 against any of you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>The more desperate he got, of course, the more suspicious it made him look. Yuuki really painted him into a corner here, I had to admit. Feeling sorry for Laplace, I decided to end this charade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, calm down,\u201d I said, patting him on the shoulder a couple times. \u201cThat guy\u2019s Yuuki, but he\u2019s also not<\/em> Yuuki, is he?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnfortunately, I have to assume that Kondo\u2019s controlling him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe Damrada beat him; maybe Kondo sneaked up on him during the fight. Either way, having a mind-control expert among the enemy was really starting to make things complicated. If I didn\u2019t believe that, we would\u2019ve been stabbing at each other\u2019s throats by now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOhhh! Right, yeah! Like, it\u2019s fun to fool other folks, but when I\u2019m<\/em> the fool, man, does it grind my gears!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gotta love that personality. Finding out I trusted him pepped him right up, it looked like. But it didn\u2019t improve our predicament at all. We were still surrounded, and we were still in crisis mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTsh\u2026<\/em> Didn\u2019t expect you to see through it that<\/em> easily. Here I was hoping you\u2019d be so lost and confused that you\u2019d turn your blades on each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brainwashed or not, Yuuki was just as mean-spirited as ever. I\u2019m sure that\u2019s how he is at the core, and I like to think I\u2019m mature enough to not let it bother me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour Majesty, I regret to inform you that my strategy has failed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAhhh, it was just a silly sideshow anyway. Very good. Now, before battle begins, I was hoping we could have a little chat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once Yuuki addressed the person sitting on the platform, the figure stood up and began to walk. Yuuki meekly moved to the side to clear the way for him\u2014clearly he was now a loyal vassal of Emperor Ludora. I couldn\u2019t completely dismiss the idea that it was all an act, but I\u2019d better not be too optimistic about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Velgrynd followed Ludora, as if accompanying him. She looked like a normal human being, apart from her sheer beauty, but clearly that was for camouflage purposes. Myself, I could see it. She had encased herself and the man in front of her in a thin barrier that shut off all possible interaction with the other side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cWhat intimidation. I highly doubt she\u2019s a fake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI agree. Up close, it\u2019s amazing just looking at her,\u201d Benimaru replied, nodding at my words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But not everyone reacted like us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou think so? I\u2019ve trained with Sir Veldora often, so the feeling\u2019s familiar to me. Not that I\u2019ve ever defeated him\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shion\u2026 You\u2019ve been training with him, too? And by \u201ctraining,\u201d she must mean actual battle in the labyrinth. If they were fighting to the death in there, I could only hope she got some good results from it. But if you can\u2019t win, it\u2019s kind of meaningless, isn\u2019t it? It wasn\u2019t really a boast, but it wasn\u2019t her being a sore loser, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, a very impressive barrier. But like Shion said, I don\u2019t see that much of a difference between her and Sir Veldora.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Diablo\u2019s opinion seemed closer to Shion\u2019s. Did this mean they thought Velgrynd wasn\u2019t anything special, or was Veldora actually a lot more impressive than I believed? I wasn\u2019t sure, but even the normally confident Diablo couldn\u2019t guarantee a victory for us. That was important. Diablo, despite it all, never lied to me, so he wouldn\u2019t claim he could do something that he can\u2019t\u2014and I knew what that meant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sure this wasn\u2019t quite in your plans, but I thought a meeting between two heads of state would prove rather interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ludora smiled as he addressed me. Wow, he really is<\/em> Masayuki\u2019s lost twin. His hair was an almost shining blond, though, and he styled it a bit differently. That\u2014and he had blue eyes versus Masayuki\u2019s brown. Actually, there were a lot of little differences, but somehow, the two of them projected the exact same vibe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And actually, I recalled something odd Masayuki said recently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve been worried about my hair lately.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat, are you balding?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, the stress and all\u2026 No, of course not! I\u2019ve been noticing that my hair\u2019s getting lighter in color lately. It\u2019s gone from black to more brownish.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHmm. Maybe you\u2019re losing melanin or something?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou think so? I hope I\u2019m not worrying about it too much\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n You know, the sort of self-image problem every young man goes <\/a>through. Or that was how I saw it, but for some reason, it popped back into my mind right then. It was a concern, but not one I should\u2019ve been thinking about immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ludora was now right in front of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re right. We weren\u2019t planning to come out here. But there is<\/em> something I wanted to talk to you about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWonderful. Why don\u2019t you have a seat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ludora waved his hand. Two chairs appeared before us. Some kind of magic trick? I don\u2019t know how it worked, but it didn\u2019t seem like a chintzy trap or whatever. Atmosphere was key here, so I sat down without hesitation, Benimaru standing by my right side and Diablo insisting on the left. Shion swiftly took her place right behind me, and Soei was next to her. Laplace, now seeming very<\/em> out of place, looked around a little before sliding into a spot to Shion\u2019s left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once everyone took their locations, we were greeted by Velgrynd\u2019s teasing voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, you\u2019re sitting down first? Rather questionable manners.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Manners? I don\u2019t know jack about those. He told me to sit down, so I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo need for that, Velgrynd. He didn\u2019t do anything wrong. If he\u2019s a demon lord, then he, too, has a land he rules over. He and I are equals, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s a real-life emperor for you. He sounded like he meant it, too. How generous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, if you\u2019re fine with it, I have no complaints.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Velgrynd also seemed rather easily convinced. I guess she didn\u2019t really<\/em> care much. I wish she\u2019d stop threatening me like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So Ludora sat on the opposite chair, Velgrynd casually standing to his right. Behind him were four guards lined in a row, armed with God-class gear\u2014the Four Knights Bernie told me about, I assumed. Finally, standing to Ludora\u2019s left was a man dressed in an all-black uniform. He didn\u2019t look Japanese to me, so I guessed he was Damrada. Yuuki had the nerve to stand next to him, making his position in this hierarchy clear. I had no hesitation considering him an enemy now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>Still, this meant that all the Empire\u2019s top people except Kondo were here. I brought all my high-ranking officials as well, but we were at a serious numerical disadvantage right now. The Empire had several dozen top-ranking members of the Imperial Guardians here, including five Single Digits, and even Velgrynd was on hand. To be honest, I had serious doubts about our chances in a fight. Plus, they even had Yuuki. It\u2019s no exaggeration to say this was a crisis like none before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I guessed from Ludora\u2019s words that this state of affairs wasn\u2019t Laplace\u2019s fault; it had all been a setup from the beginning. Funny to think how unnerving it is to have everything go your enemy\u2019s way like this\u2026 But I kept up my bold demeanor, not revealing what I felt inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, guess you got one up on me today, huh? I considered the possibility that people would be expecting us, but I didn\u2019t quite anticipate this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was a lie. We were aiming for a surprise attack on their elite forces, so I thought we were about to seize the initiative here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHa-ha-ha! No need to be so modest. It was just as unexpected for me. I thought the Armored Division I sent would be defeated, but the fact that there were no survivors and no awakened stemming from it was beyond any of my estimations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, there was one, but Diablo killed him. I wasn\u2019t about to tell him that, but really, whoever devised that plan was a real genius, in my opinion. Pretty inhumane, maybe, but still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo who came up with that strategy anyway?\u201d I lightly asked, not expecting an answer. But then, rather surprisingly, Ludora told me everything out of his own mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As he explained, the plan was drawn up by Lieutenant Kondo. That I expected. But it turned out the plan was a lot crazier than I thought:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 First, they\u2019d awaken a few people from the invasion forces; after that, they would pretend to back away in defeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 If we gave chase, the Composite Division would intercept us. However, since there was a possibility this division had already <\/a>turned traitor to the Empire, they would be treated as an enemy force as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Once they were certain about the betrayal, everyone would be eliminated all at once. The Marshal would take on that role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, that plan kind of fell apart on step one, so Kondo made some major alterations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Ensnare and capture Yuuki\u2019s group, after letting them run free for so long. Even based on what they knew from the demon lord Clayman, Yuuki\u2019s betrayal was pretty much confirmed by this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Kill off Yuuki\u2019s group, confirm what he was scheming to do, and make final adjustments based on that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 That left sixty thousand people in the gathered Composite Division, who would then be sacrificed to produce magic-born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 At this point, the Marshal would go into battle and make a flashy display to attract the attention of Guy and the rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Any would-be troublemakers would be rounded up and killed all at once. That\u2019s why they needed to concentrate their forces on that one point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 The advantage of such flashy moves was that it\u2019d make the imperial capital look thinly guarded. Someone was bound to try attacking it, and it\u2019d undoubtedly be an elite force as well. They needed to be hit with maximum strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 The most important part: Chances are the monster nation is running short on firepower by now, so the Marshal, the greatest force in the Empire, would take them on. While Guy\u2019s eyes were pointed elsewhere, they would take the Storm Dragon, the strongest pawn of all, for themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was the long and short of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If they were gaining intelligence from the demon lord Clayman, it was safe to assume that he was under Kondo\u2019s control as well. I only had my suspicions before, but now it was crystal clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That wasn\u2019t even the important thing, though. I was shocked he <\/a>revealed all that information, but let\u2019s not worry about that. There was a certain point he brought up, one that sent a shiver down my spine. Whoa<\/em>, I thought, wait a minute.<\/em> How many Marshals\u2014or Velgrynds\u2014would they need to carry out this plan?<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s right. I always did find it strange that Velgrynd was unleashed on the east city of the Dwarven Kingdom, where the current battle was raging. So who\u2019s this woman in front of me\u2026?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026! Detected. Her ultimate skill grants her the ability to create multiple identical existences of herself. It is called\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Parallel Existence\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I spoke the words Raphael gave me, although I wished they were wrong. But reality was merciless as always.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, you\u2019re aware of it? How clever of you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Velgrynd\u2019s smile was as beautiful as it was terrifying. The more you want to be wrong about something, the more correct you turn out to be, huh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n My unvarnished take on this was: How the hell am I gonna beat that?!<\/em> No wonder Testarossa was sure she couldn\u2019t pull it off. I was so comfortable with this before because I figured I could call on Veldora here to even the odds. Now, though, I understand that I can\u2019t even count on that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Raphael, Parallel Existence is an extremely dangerous power. To the uninformed, it may not seem much different from Soei\u2019s Replications. In his case, he can control several Replications at the same time. It\u2019s impossible to tell who\u2019s the \u201creal\u201d one, and no matter how many Replications you beat down, that\u2019ll never hurt Soei himself. He could also keep churning them out as long as he had enough magicules, which kind of seemed like cheating to me. That\u2019s because there\u2019s no difference in physical ability between Soei and his Replications, so it really is like having multiple Soeis on the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But let\u2019s take a peek behind the curtain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Controlling multiple Replications at once is actually pretty tricky. The skill doesn\u2019t split his consciousness at all; instead, he uses <\/a>Thought Communication to operate the copies of himself without a time lag. He also uses Mind Accelerate to adjust his reaction times, so it only looks like they\u2019re all moving independently without any issues. I don\u2019t use Replications too often myself, because this is really an incredibly difficult trick to pull off. Soei, meanwhile, is a true master of his game and one of the most thoughtful people I know; an amateur like me could never handle it as well as him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And one other thing; the Replications\u2019 physical abilities match the caster\u2019s body, but their magical abilities always lose out by comparison. The copied bodies don\u2019t have full access to the caster\u2019s skills. That\u2019s why Soei\u2019s Replications can only use skills that don\u2019t consume much magic power\u2014and that\u2019s why, if you knew that little secret, it wasn\u2019t too hard to tell which Replication is actually the real thing. If you\u2019re defeated, of course, your Replications instantly disappear as well, so it\u2019s definitely not an invincibility code or anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, with the Parallel Existence skill Velgrynd had, she could divide bits of her consciousness into every copy. \u201cCopy\u201d wasn\u2019t even the right term any longer\u2014it was simply like having multiple versions of your \u201creal\u201d self. It meant that even if you killed one of them, as long as there\u2019s at least one other \u201calternate\u201d of hers left, that could serve as her main one. Plus, she didn\u2019t have to split up her magic force at all. Every \u201calternate\u201d was connected with the main body, so she could replenish as much magic power as she wanted on any version of herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a limit, of course, to how much magic she has overall, so the more bodies she has out, the more that reduces the maximum magic each individual one can tap. Normally, you\u2019d see that as a weakness to leverage, but this was a True Dragon, notorious for having scads of magicules. She could replenish her alternates faster than they could use up magic, so even a modicum of usage wouldn\u2019t mean much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Frankly, I have no idea how to defeat her. I\u2019m not Testarossa, but I can\u2019t blame her for publicly avowing that she couldn\u2019t win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I returned Velgrynd\u2019s gaze, giving as arrogant a smile as I could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, thank you. I\u2019ve got a really talented partner, you know, <\/a>and when it comes to smarts, he\u2019s tough to beat. So I guess you think you\u2019ve trapped us, but can you tell us what you want?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In situations like these, bluffing is about all I got left. I had to make them think I knew exactly what they were up to; if it put them off guard enough to fear me, I had it made. But it was clearly not gonna work out that way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAren\u2019t you<\/em> rather confident? The way you refuse to admit defeat reminds me so much of my brother.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meaning Veldora, I imagine. Having a sister like this must\u2019ve been a real pain to him. Do you see now, Rimuru?!<\/em> I thought I heard him say, but Ludora was talking, so I had to pay attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat I want? Well, if you\u2019re that<\/em> convinced of your intelligence, I don\u2019t think I need to tell you, do I?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s not really helpful, you know. If they wanted to rub us out, they\u2019d be fighting by now. If they instead set up a roundtable of sorts, that meant there was room for negotiation. I think the answer here might just be that they\u2019re trying to win us over to their side?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Affirmative. This is believed to be correct. However, they may also be stalling for time. In that case, they may be attempting to defeat the subject Veldora Tempest and add him to their fold.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hey, I did pretty good there, didn\u2019t I? I\u2019m half right, at least.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Certainly, in Kondo\u2019s plans, \u201cMarshal\u201d Velgrynd would be taking control of Veldora. I didn\u2019t pay it much attention because I assumed it was impossible at this juncture\u2014but if she had a Parallel Existence running around, was Velgrynd on her way to storm the labyrinth right this minute?<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was now an urgent question, so I contacted Veldora through our soul corridor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Hey, how\u2019s it going?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n (You fool! Now is not the time for casual greetings! Things are, um, rather hectic in here! My sister\u2026 My sister is pursuing me! She is outside the labyrinth right now, but at this rate, she is going to storm inside!!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>Yep. Sounds pretty busy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (You gonna be okay?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n (I will have to come out for her. That would beat her laying waste to the labyrinth to reach me.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Parallel Existence or not, I really didn\u2019t think Veldora would lose. So I decided to give him permission to exercise his full force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (All right. I\u2019ll take full responsibility for the fallout, so just do something about Velgrynd for me. Can you do that?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Oh-ho? Well, in that case, allow me to handle everything for you! Kwah-ha-ha-ha!!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Great!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n I ended the call, now much relieved. Leave it to Veldora, and I\u2019ve got nothing to be concerned about. That\u2014and I now understood what Ludora\u2019s plan was. Time to return to the bargaining table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour mission right now is to try winning us over. And also, you\u2019re trying to buy time with this meeting so we won\u2019t interfere with your fight against Veldora, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I tried to look as smug as possible as I laid it on them. Ludora gave this an elated smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAhhh, you\u2019re such<\/em> an entertaining person. It\u2019d be fun to have you match wits with Tatsuya, but there\u2019s no time for more diversions right now. If you already know that much, then I don\u2019t need to explain matters further, do I? I want you to join us and serve under me. Do it, and I\u2019ll guarantee your sovereignty and grant you the title of archduke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLudora! If you appoint a non\u2013blood relative archduke, you know the nobles will wail over it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll live. That\u2019s how worth it he is to me, if he cooperates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So not just a duke, but an archduke? I think you\u2019re supposed to be in the emperor\u2019s bloodline, and the title dies with you, and stuff like that? And Ludora\u2019s promised to let me have that. From the Empire\u2019s perspective, this must be an unprecedented offer. After all this talk about how they never offered surrender to their foes, too! And how they always subjugated and colonized the nations they conquered! This Empire that\u2019s expanded through countless wars of aggression <\/a>was about to give me one of the best deals possible. Honestly, they were rating me a lot higher than I ever thought they would.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But sadly, I already had my answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, I know that\u2019s an excellent offer you\u2019re giving me, but the answer is no. But here\u2019s a proposal for you: How about we just call it quits here? I don\u2019t need reparations or anything, but I\u2019d like us to sign a nonaggression treaty with each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Judging how nobody here gave a second thought to the sacrifices they demanded from those who served them, it\u2019d be nothing short of suicidal for me to give in. If I kidded myself into thinking I\u2019d be the first exception in the Empire\u2019s long history, it\u2019d be my one-way ticket to ruin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I firmly refused Ludora\u2019s offer. What\u2019s more, since I had the chance and all, I expressed my own request to him. Personally, we hadn\u2019t suffered any damage, so I wasn\u2019t gonna ask for an apology or anything. As long as they swear not to mess with us any longer, I\u2019m willing to just sweep this invasion under the rug. I\u2019m sure some people would complain about that, but if we can settle this without any more bloodshed, I think that\u2019s the best approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I know I was going too easy on them, and I know I couldn\u2019t rely much on promises. If we don\u2019t trust each other, they\u2019re bound to break the treaty at some point. But the most important thing right now is to buy time. By making peace here, we\u2019d have more time to get to know each other. There was hope, I felt, that more time to deepen our mutual understanding could lead to a future where war could be avoided. If we kept fighting like this, we\u2019d have no choice but to take it all the way to the end\u2014and if that\u2019s how it was, I still wanted to take a chance on this possibility, however small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But Ludora answered with a cold smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh, I see you are not so fit to serve as a ruler, after all. You fail to see my mercy for what it is, and you spin a web of nonsense instead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo<\/em> cocky. Ludora\u2019s made every possible concession for you, and you\u2019ve thrown it all away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They reacted like they had the absolute advantage here, despite having just lost an army of one million. They don\u2019t really<\/em> feel, deep down, that they\u2019ve lost at all. All the soldiers and officers <\/a>who perished thanks to his orders were no great shakes. Something about that really frightened me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI believe that human beings are creatures who can learn to understand each other. That, over time, they will organize themselves into a single will and work together to create a better world. But to achieve that, it is first essential to unify the world through overwhelming military force.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ludora\u2019s words might seem like the kind of ideals I go on about. But there was a major gap between us, one that would prove hard to fill. It was so frustrating. We both started at the same point, but he reached the exact opposite conclusion\u2014I now had all the proof I needed of that. I wondered for a moment if he was even more of an idealist than I was. But he wasn\u2019t. He claims that only his own righteousness can bring about true justice; he\u2019s a dictatorial thinker who refuses to accept the ideas of anyone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just as I thought, it\u2019s unlikely that we\u2019d ever be compatible. And if we were this far apart in our arguments, it\u2019d likely be impossible to find a compromise through discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHumans are creatures with free will, you know. There\u2019s no such thing as unchanging justice in this world\u2014there are so many ways people can think about matters. And don\u2019t you think refusing to acknowledge this will only sow more seeds of conflict?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow foolish of you. My way of thinking is<\/em> supreme\u2014supremely just. If you keep catering to the selfish whims of the idiotic masses, you know you\u2019ll never reach that ideal world of yours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut people make mistakes, don\u2019t they?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat I cannot deny. I do listen to the voices of my most trusted advisers. But I can\u2019t listen to all the voices from the people below me. If I did that, we\u2019d be in constant turmoil.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mmph. He might be right about that, yeah\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n I feel like I\u2019m gonna be losing the verbal argument soon, too. I hated to admit it, but Ludora had been pursuing his career as a ruler for far longer than I.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, I don\u2019t see the point in further argument. What we want is your loyalty to us. Demon lord Rimuru, abandon your friendship with Guy and come to our side.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>There\u2019s that offer again. No doubt trying to place the pressure on Guy. If I decided to give in to Ludora, I was sure that was gonna tip the scales. That, I suppose, is why we\u2019ve been kept alive up to this point. Still, though, my answer was the same as before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that negotiations have broken down, it seemed like a fight was inevitable. Perhaps reading my thoughts, Velgrynd smiled coldly and gracefully waved her index finger at me\u2014two light wags. Then a video image appeared in empty space, the same kind of principle as my Eye of God. It showed the current state of battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What I saw there was shocking. Testarossa, Ultima, and Carrera had all fallen in front of Velgrynd. The three demonesses, the best fighting force our nation enjoyed, had just been defeated by one person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo way!\u201d I muttered to myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the video, I could see the three of them standing up again. They hadn\u2019t lost the will to fight yet, but they were struggling against an insurmountable difference in ability. They couldn\u2019t hold out much longer; that much was clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you see how your faithful Primals perform before me? I\u2019d suggest you think carefully. Someone as smart as you should understand that I\u2019m still going easy on them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She didn\u2019t need to go into detail. This was a threat. If Velgrynd wanted to, she could easily hurt more than just these three. I don\u2019t know what\u2019s motivating them, but Ludora\u2019s team has made every concession they could for my sake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now I could see that Gabil\u2019s forces didn\u2019t have any time to help the three demonesses. Airships littered the skies above the battlefield, imperial troops swarming down from them. Kondo\u2019s forces were on the ground as well. Yuuki\u2019s former comrades\u2014with the exception of Kagali, who was continuing on with the ritual\u2014were fighting with them against the Dwarven army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTeare?! And Footman, too!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laplace\u2019s shout made me notice those masked annoyances fighting for the enemy as well. It was a chaotic scene, and it didn\u2019t look very good for my side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We had hit rock bottom. I could feel Benimaru\u2019s concern for me. But I just couldn\u2019t give in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cI know what you\u2019re trying to do. If you could rope me in, that\u2019d be a much easier way to recruit Veldora, after all. He\u2019s a real free spirit, as you know, so no way he\u2019d take orders from higher-ups like you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He tends to (mostly) listen to me these days, but still, he loses his temper a lot. Maybe he has trouble dealing with me or something; I dunno.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyway, that\u2019s probably why Ludora wants me so bad. After some consideration, I decided to throw the invitation back in his face. Then I tried to find another way out, but:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am not interested in negotiation. Give me a yes or a no.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now I was confronted with a choice. If I refused, I\u2019d be plunged into a battle I had little chance of winning. But if I accepted, it\u2019d be throwing myself into a fight I didn\u2019t want. I\u2019d be following the will of someone else instead of my own, and it could lead to all kinds of losses later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou know, you say that we can all unite into one and create a better world that way, but is that a world where everyone can be happy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhether war and hunger are eradicated or not, if your free will\u2019s taken from you, then what\u2019s the point of living? What you\u2019re trying to do is take away the potential of all the world\u2019s people! Have you ever thought<\/em> about that?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTheir potential? There\u2019s no need for that. Give people freedom, and it could lead them down the path to ruin. It\u2019s not what I want, and it\u2019s far from what Guy wants as well. So it\u2019s only natural that someone must manage them so they don\u2019t stray from the correct path, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI understand that to a certain extent. I won\u2019t deny it at all. But are you going to find happiness<\/em> there?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I suppose that, in the big picture, what I\u2019m trying to do is essentially manage humanity. But I still think that, to some extent, you have to leave things to the will of the people. If you\u2019re too overprotective, you\u2019ll rob them of any opportunity to grow. People are stronger than we think, and I really don\u2019t feel we need to control them every step of the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHappiness? What kind of naive nonsense is that? No matter <\/a>how much sacrifice it takes, it must be made for the sake of everlasting peace. You don\u2019t need the permission of people who fail to understand even that. A little patience is necessary, after all, for the great joy coming for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I could see his point, but I still couldn\u2019t agree with it. Ludora was trying to turn his eyes away from the individuals who make up a society. That just didn\u2019t seem right to me at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, I can\u2019t abide by that. I feel like what you\u2019re aiming at will just create more misery for everyone, and I can\u2019t accept that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen you are a fool not to take my hand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFine with me. Look, what are you even sitting here being a king for? Is it because you want to act all fancy or have a bunch of toys to play with?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat are you talking about? It\u2019s for the people, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, right! I like to think I became a demon lord for the sake of all my people, too, but I still want more people than that to have a happy life. There\u2019s gonna be sacrifices, of course, but I\u2019m working myself hard to keep them to as few as possible. I can\u2019t just make myself as cutthroat as you<\/em> are about it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019d love to make the world a better place without sacrifice, but that\u2019s not possible. Look at all the people who died to make me a demon lord, for one. It\u2019s not that I regret what I did\u2014I still think they had it coming\u2014but I\u2019m not sure the victims\u2019 relatives would be too convinced by my argument. That\u2019s the cross I bear, and at the same time, Ludora has his own crimes he shouldn\u2019t take so lightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When he heard my words, he stared at me for a moment, eyes burning. But he immediately regained his composure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow young,\u201d he muttered, \u201cand how naive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLudora?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Velgrynd. It\u2019s just been so long since I\u2019ve been so passionate about anything. I\u2019ve failed to persuade you, perhaps, but you seem far too talented to be destroyed by us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s a bad habit you\u2019re developing, Ludora. It was the same with Yuuki over there, wasn\u2019t it? Your odd hoarding habit as of late confuses me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n