Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken (LN) - Volume 19 Chapter 4

Chapter 4
The Gathering of the Giants

As I faced Michael, I was in the biggest pinch of my life. I felt like I was always in these kinds of situation, but this time it was for real.

Michael’s unexplainable attack had defeated even Diablo, and there was nothing I could do about it to be honest.

The only reason I could afford to be like this was because Veldora was waiting for me in the labyrinth. As long as Veldora was safe, I could be resurrected.

More importantly—

Are things really okay?

«Not a problem, but if you’re worried, you just have to not lose.»

You’re right about that.

Ciel-san’s argument was so correct that it was difficult to respond to it.

If I could do that in the first place, I wouldn’t have any troubles at all, which is why I’m worried and anxious.

«It’s okay. I wondered if something like this might happen, so I have already taken steps to deal with this situation—Will you take immediate action?»

Hey, what?!

I haven’t heard anything, but you’ve already taken action?

I don’t know why you’re trying to deceive me…or rather, you can’t deceive me, so you’re doing it on purpose.

«Apologies. Well then, while we’re at it, you would like to activate ‘Emergency Response Mode?’»

When you say, “you would” instead of “would you,” I’m guessing that means you’re ready to activate it…

Well, that’s fine.

It’s Ciel-san, so things won’t go bad.

Apparently, there was a way out of this, and I liked to think that there was still some hope.

«I will do my best to meet your expectations.»

Perhaps realizing that I was convinced, Ciel-san’s motivation seemed to have been ignited. I had no idea how this would affect it. If so, I should just take action instead of worrying.

There’s no other answer anyway—in that case, let’s just attack.

It wasn’t that I was going to give up and try my best until the end, but rather that I was feeling quite at ease. I would do everything I could with the intention of gathering information for the next battle.

I didn’t want this experience to go to waste, even if I had to throw it away. I was risking my life, and I wanted to get as much useful information as I could out of it.

With that in mind, I readied my sword.

But it seems that I was too naive.

“I commend you for not despairing. However, you are no match for me.”

The moment I heard Michael’s supercilious remark, I stopped moving.

No, it wasn’t just me who stopped.

The whole world had stopped.

I remember this feeling—

«I knew it.»

Eh, what?

«As seen with the attacks that defeated Diablo, Souei, and Leon earlier, this “phenomenon” is the same as the one that Guy Crimson and Chloe Aubert once activated—»

Uh, could it be…that the déjà vu pattern I experienced was the correct answer?

«That’s correct. This is definitely a ‘Time Stop.’»

Hah?!

We can’t win like that!

That’s a foul!

It may be acceptable in manga or anime, but in real life, that’s just shocking.

‘Those who cannot reach the ‘suspended world’ are no match for those who can, no matter how strong they are.’—It seems that I was right in recognizing that.

In fact, there was nothing I could do.

Well, of course Diablo would lose. I thought I could never imagine him losing, but I guess it’s inevitable when the enemy can stop time.

Yup, time to disband!

Already, I have honestly accepted my defeat—uh, huh?

Time has already stopped now, right?

How are we even having this conversation?

«Thanks to the ‘Emergency Response Mode,’ we can now recognize a suspended world!»

Seriously?!

As expected of Ciel-sensei!

The report was a bit smug, but I can forgive it now, rather, I’m very grateful.

I was relieved to know that things were going to work out, but it seems that I was mistaken.

It was only when I saw that Michael’s sword was approaching that I realized it.

I rushed to deal with it, but my body would not react at all.

Being able to recognize the suspended world did not mean that I could move in it, which, when I thought about it, was only natural.

I thought I would be able to do something because Ciel-san was so smug…

Well, I didn’t manage to do anything about it in the first place, so it wasn’t my place to complain.

It was a bit of a blessing in disguise, but oh well. Even if I gave up and let Michael cut me down, I would at least like to remember his sword line and fighting habits for the next time.

«No, it’s too early to give up.»

I was about to give up, but Ciel-san calmed me down.

And in the next moment, I felt that a clear sound was echoing in my ears.

I remembered this sound, and I even felt a sense of familiarity. At that time, it was definitely—

“Rimuru-sensei, I’m here to help!”

That’s right, it was Chloe.

While I was helpless against Michael’s sword, her long black and silver hair swept in front of me as if it were scattering silver light around me.

In her hand was the “Moonlight Goddess Sword (Moon Mistress)”, and she was cloaked in Divine Spirit Armor—The ‘Moonlight Sabre’ and the ‘Holy Spirit Armor’ entrusted to her by Hinata had undergone a long journey to reach the mythical-grade level.

The wielder was, of course, the beautifully grown Hero Chloe.

Well, Chloe had come, but I still remained motionless.

In other words, it was impossible to reply to her—

«No problem. It turns out that information particles are unaffected by time or space and can transmit information to any point in time. This means that they can transmit thoughts even in a suspended world.»

Is that so?

The ‘conversation’ between me and Ciel-san was happening instantly. However, the voice I heard from Chloe had a slight time difference.

The reason for this remained unknown though, right?

If the “information particle” was unaffected by time and space, then wouldn’t it make sense that communication would be instantaneous as well?

«I am a part of Master, so I am not affected by time at all. However, if you want to know what’s going on outside in the suspended world, an “information particle” needs to be flown out to grasp the information of the surroundings—»

Hmm, that’s hard to explain.

In short, the “information particle” is not affected by space-time, so it can move in any situation. That’s why, by interfering with the information particle as a substitute for magicules, you can maintain your vision and transmit your thoughts.

In other words, interfering with the information particle was not enough to move in this situation. Chloe seemed to be talking normally, but I guess we shouldn’t confuse her with the real world.

I thought that she was using ‘Thought Acceleration,’ but it seems that this was not the case. Apparently, we were just exchanging “information particles” with no time lag, and it was possible because we shared the same ‘soul.’

In that case, if I wanted to communicate my intent to a third party in this “Suspended World—”

«You can put your intention on the “information particle” and hit the other person.»

This may sound rough, but I understood it well.

Ciel-san could now interfere with the information particle, so it’s possible to reply.

In the first place, the reason why I could see what was going on around me now was because I was reflecting the information particles.

I wondered whether or not the speed of the information particles was constant in this “Suspended World,” but I was glad to hear that the conversation was established.

‘Sorry, you saved me! But I don’t seem to be able to move yet, so—’

I immediately sent my intent to Chloe.

Then Chloe responded with ‘Telepathy Net’ to match me.

‘Yeah, I know. Rather, you can use ‘Telepathy Net’ now, can’t you?’

‘Well, sort of.’

‘That’s right, Rimuru-san has ‘Ciel’ with him. It’s no wonder he can do this.’

Oh, so Chloe knows Ciel-san too.

«Yes. Through Chronoa, my existence was revealed. That’s why she secretly took on the role of an escort this time.»

Ah, that made sense.

So that was the trump card that Ciel-san was hiding.

Or rather, if it had gone this far, it must’ve guessed that things were too dangerous.

«Yes. I hadn’t been able to fully determine the enemy’s objective, but I was certain that they were targeting Masayuki Honjou. Similarly, I guessed that Master was also a likely target.»

Hoho, so you’re saying that I was used as bait?

That was a rare decision for Ciel-san, who always played things too safe.

Huh?

Are you saying that the “double check” from that time…

«Yes. It was a metaphor for Michael, who thought he had the upper hand on Master.»

Damn it, I’ve been beaten!

I’m ashamed that I didn’t notice.

At that time, it felt like Ciel-san was stalling.

My answer was not wrong, but it was not right either. It was because I wasn’t sure whether to point it out or not!!

«—I thought that Michael would naturally assume that Master would go to Leon to bring him back to his senses. In that case, it was expected that he would use Leon as bait, so I wondered how much importance Michael would place on this, and how much force he would put into it.»

S-So that’s how it was.

No, it made sense when you thought about it. I had already brought Velgrynd back to her senses.

Michael and Feldway were not so stupid as to think that Velgrynd had come back on her own.

It turned out that my thinking had been too shallow…

Michael would have been wary of us getting Leon back and would have done something about it. Rather than worrying about Leon, he thought of a way to take advantage of the situation.

In other words, Michael’s plan was to use Leon as bait to lure me out. And Ciel-san had planned this plan in anticipation of that.

There was no room for me to intervene.

It may sound simple when explained, but both of them had been thinking two or three moves ahead, and even the slightest deviation in the course of events could have led to a catastrophic failure.

No, perhaps that was why.

If I hadn’t come here, Michael would have taken a different approach, so it was easier for Ciel-san to read the situation by pretending to be fooled.

My safety is guaranteed when Veldora is around, so it decided that it would be better for me to go along with Michael’s plan.

«Yes. Of course, Master’s safety was given the utmost consideration.»

I’m sure it was.

It’s scary that it was all going according to plan, but what even Ciel-san didn’t calculate was that Michael also had the ‘Time Stop’ ability.

«That was also considered as a possibility, so I negotiated with Chloe Aubert and asked her to be on standby just in case.»

I see, so you guessed that Chloe would not enter the battle. But because Michael was too strong, I ended up being saved by Chloe.

Even Ciel-san couldn’t foresee the situation, so there was nothing for me to do.

«Michael’s ability to handle ‘Time Stop’ was the biggest miscalculation. However, it turned out to be a good thing in the end.»

Hm?

Why is that?

«Because there are very few people who can handle this ability, it is a very valuable experience. It was fortuitous that we succeeded in developing the ‘Emergency Response Mode.’ If we observe the Suspended World in this way, it will only be a matter of time before we are able to move.»

That confidence is as strong as ever.

It was only a matter of time, so I guess it was a losing battle to argue while time was stopped. I feel like I’ll be judged otherwise, so I’ll just praise you for this.

The question was whether I could actually move when time was stopped. If I couldn’t do that, there would be no talking about it in the future, so it was our urgent task to solve this problem.

For now, I had to rely on Chloe…

At any rate, there was nothing I could do right now.

In all seriousness, I’ve decided to wait and see how the battle between Chloe and Michael goes.

Michael did not move, perhaps because he was wary of Chloe’s appearance.

But finally, he lifted the sword in his right hand with a swaying motion.

“—To be honest, it’s hard to believe that something so unexpected happened.”

“Is that so?”

“I didn’t realize that there were others besides Velzard and I who could move in this stopped time. Aside from a Manas, the ultimate being like me, I don’t know how you could have reached this realm.”

Whoa, Michael himself said the word ‘Manas’ just now, was this a trick?

If Chloe reacted, he seemed to be hoping to get closer to her true identity.

I was a little worried and thought about advising Chloe, but there was no need.

“Hmm, is that so? It was surprisingly easy.”

Chloe just brushed it off.

Seeing her response made me remember.

Although I couldn’t help but think of her as my own student, Chloe was a great warrior in her own right. After a long, long journey through time, she had reigned as the strongest Hero.

She also had a Manas named Chronoa, so I didn’t have to worry about her.

“Stop laughing. The ‘Hope King Sariel’ response has disappeared from you, are you willing to answer why?”

Ah, I knew it.

I had thought that Michael might be able to detect the angelic Ultimate Skills, but now it was confirmed. And the fact that the response was gone meant that Chloe had successfully sublimated the ‘Hope King Sariel’ and turned it into her power.

«I didn’t even need to help her. It’s very disappointing.»

I suppose it is.

To the skill-maniac Ciel-san, Chloe’s skill must have been drool-worthy. If it had been able to find out the secret, we would have been able to move in the Suspended World by now.

No, rather than Chloe being stingy, I think Ciel-san was too much of a foul…

“Is there any reason for me to tell you that?”

No, not really.

Michael didn’t seem to be expecting an answer either and silently repositioned his sword.

“In that case, I must eliminate the uncertainty.”

“I agree. I’ll make you regret making me your enemy.”

After that conversation, the battle between Chloe and Michael began.

The battle was, in a word, tremendous.

As it turned out while watching the battle, the speed of the ‘information particle’ was constant.

Conversation had been established and the reaction speed of vision was also constant. This was as clear a physical phenomenon as the fact that ‘all things cannot exceed the speed of light.’

In that case, why did the “information particles” exceed the speed of light?

This was not a matter of the speed being exceeded.

It was as if the information particles, which were supposed to be at different coordinates, were transferring information to each other with zero time difference. Regardless of how far they were from each other, as long as the information particles existed in the recognizable space, there was no time difference. In other words, an ‘information particle’ transcended time and space.

Our communication had also been established by using the information transfer between information particles.

In that case, how can one move?

Could it possibly be…

«If it is a spiritual life form, then they must have transformed all matter into ‘information particles,’ thereby resulting in a Digital Lifeform.»

I knew it.

Assuming that the mind and spirit are also information, it’s not impossible.

Whether it could be done or not was another matter, but it is significant that there was an answer there. I should have eliminated the thought I couldn’t do it and instead concentrated on how I could get there.

«You’re right. We’ll make the ‘Emergency Response Mode’ even more fully operational, and aim to evolve into a Digital Lifeform, is that okay?»

Of course, Ciel-kun.

I’ll leave it all to you, so please do as you like.

—That’s what I profusely ordered.

Because nothing could be done if we didn’t, and if there was a possible countermeasure, we should try everything.

Ciel-san understood my intentions correctly and energetically started its activities.

All that remained was to wait for the results.

I was still concerned about the fact that I was leaving everything to others, but it couldn’t be helped anymore.

I made up my mind and focused on the battle between Chloe and Michael.

Now then, Chloe and Michael were quite close in terms of their abilities.

I couldn’t tell exactly, so I was just making inferences, but I thought that they were evenly matched in terms of physical ability. Or perhaps I should say that they were evenly matched in their ability to interfere with the ‘information particles.’

Since the speed had a fixed maximum value, it was one’s power of interference that determined superiority or inferiority. The key point was how well one could control the ‘information particles’ and outperform the enemy. That would be the decisive factor in a “Suspended World,” I guessed.

There were a few more things that I noticed while observing.

First, there was no concept of defense in the “Suspended World.”

Those who could move, such as Chloe and Michael, could interfere with each other’s information particles to form a unified offensive and defensive battle.

On the other hand, those who could not move would be attacked without being able to take any defense. Moreover, the fact that time was stopped meant that all the ‘forces’ were not working.

Intermolecular forces such as star attraction and repulsion would not work, and there were no binding forces. There was no inertia and no external factors, so an object retained its original state. In that case, what would happen if something was attacked in this state?

The answer was simple—it would collapse in an instant.

Whether it was a reinforced concrete wall, a solid bedrock, or a lump of steel, there was no resistance because the atoms were not even bonded to each other.

There was nothing in this world that could endure. That was the conclusion.

A world in which all the laws of physics do not apply was a terrifying thing when I thought about it. I wouldn’t know what would happen, and if I entered the world carelessly, I was likely to get severely harmed.

Between those who could move in the ‘Suspended World’ and those who couldn’t, there was a dimensional barrier that could never be overcome.

With that in mind, I was surprised that Diablo and Souei had survived…

«Diablo seemed to have anticipated this and activated a magical ‘Defense Barrier.’»

Whoa, newsflash.

Diablo’s anticipation of this situation was amazing, but the fact that his magic was also effective in the ‘Suspended World’ was an unexpected bonus.

«However, you cannot activate magic while in the Suspended World. You must prepare for it beforehand, and once its effect is broken, it’s over.»

I see, so that’s why he was safe.

I wonder if that’s what Michael meant when he said he ‘should have finished them off.’ It was meant as a follow-up.

Whoa, then what about Souei?

«Souei survived because he was a ‘Parallel Existence.’ I believe he is still pretending to be beaten up, hiding in Master’s shadow and looking for an opportunity to abruptly attack Michael.»

It didn’t make much sense because time had stopped—that’s what Ciel-san explained to me.

I had completely forgotten that he could now use ‘Parallel Existence.’

In any case, Souei was very impressive. This was the only time I didn’t think I’d be able to use him, but I thought to myself that he was really reliable under normal circumstances.

—And so, the first thing I noticed was that the ‘Suspended World’ had no concept of defense, but the other thing I noticed was that the person who activated the ‘Suspended World’ seemed to be at a disadvantage.

I wasn’t completely sure, but I didn’t think I was wrong.

It appeared that stopping time consumed a lot of energy. In that case, there was no point in suspending all the people who were able to move in the ‘Suspended World.’

This time, Michael chose not to release the ‘Suspended World’ because he didn’t want me to join in.

«Not only that, but it seems that repeatedly stopping and deactivating it consumes more energy.»

Ah, I see.

It’s almost like an electrical appliance.

In that case, perhaps Michael was not yet accustomed to ‘Time Stop,’ and unknowingly deactivated it several times earlier?

«I’m sure of it. Anyone who can observe the ‘Suspended World’ would have noticed it as soon as someone activated the ‘Time Stop’ somewhere.»

Mm, I understand what Ciel-san is trying to say.

Time was not something that flowed only in a limited space. It was the “Suspended World” that affected time and space in all worlds.

Ever since Guy and Chloe had fought briefly, I hadn’t experienced the strange sensation I had felt at that time—the feeling that time had stopped. It was proof that, as Ciel-san had said, no one had triggered the ‘Time Stop.’

Well, it was a world that only a limited number of people could understand, but even so, this ability was surprisingly difficult to handle. It was useless if the other party could also use it—wait, what?

What happens if you aim for the moment your sword hits the opponent?

«That’s what Guy and Chloe were doing when they were fighting.»

Ah, I see…

I didn’t realize it at the time, but those two had been fighting with unimaginable and transcendental skill. But that had just been a light test of skill, and the more I learned about them, the scarier they got.

That means I have to be ready to respond at a moment’s notice. Otherwise, I won’t be able to compete with this level of combat.

«I’ll make sure not to neglect my research as well.»

Ah, please do.

I had been feeling overwhelmed, but those words made me feel relieved.

It felt truly reliable to have a partner, Ciel-san, whom I could count on.

While I was thinking about this, the battle was reaching its climax.

Chloe and Michael were still competing against each other, but my fingertips twitched. And little by little, I felt my senses returning from all corners of my body.

«Your evolution into a Digital Lifeform will soon be complete.»

Ciel-san’s words were truly a gospel of victory.

If it was a one-on-one battle, then I’d have the upper hand once I entered the fray.

And that time would come.

“It’s time for you to be destroyed, you clever little Hero.”

“That’s my line. You bragged about being a Manas, but that’s nothing unusual.”

The psychological warfare had reached its climax.

At this point, Chloe also revealed that she had “Chronoa” within her.

Michael was upset by this, and it created a small opening.

Chloe wouldn’t let that go—

“Goodbye, your fate ends here.”

A cold gaze pierced Michael.

“Reveal all things as they should be—‘Reverse Fate’!!”

Referring to the long and short hands of a clock, it accelerated the rotation in the opposite direction of the clock.

Even in this “Suspended World,” Chloe’s skills were still intact. She didn’t let us know it until the very end and played it as a decisive move.

The effect was dramatic.

Chloe had said to reveal all things as they should be, but that was not exactly what she meant. For Chloe, it was to change things into what you think you should be.

Therefore, it was not a ‘return.’

And as for Michael, who was hit by the ‘Reverse Fate’…

“I, I…what am I doing…? Who am I, what am I?”

A hollow being inhabiting Rudra’s body. A skill that had lost its master, lost its reason for being, and had gone mad to fill its emptiness. Its true identity was—

“Ultimate Skill ‘Justice King Michael,’ huh.”

Rudra’s body, which had been preserved by the effects of the skill, began to crumble because it couldn’t withstand the excessive force it contained. Now that it had been turned back into a mere skill by Chloe’s hands, it had no reason to maintain its host.

In the face of this emptiness, Chloe spoke softly.

“If you’ve lost sight of the where you should go, will you come with me?”

Hm? I thought, but I decided to keep quiet and watch.

‘—?!’

Just like me, Michael—No, rather, ‘Justice King Michael,’ whose ego as a Manas had faded and returned to mere skill, seemed to be puzzled by the proposal.

Chloe’s proposal was to let it choose between disappearing or staying in this world with Chloe as its master. There was no easy answer, and it seemed like ‘Justice King Michael’ would disappear and time would start to move on—but at that moment, the “Voice of the World” echoed in the “Suspended World.”

«It is confirmed that the three elements of ‘Courage, Hope, and Justice’ have been gathered in Individual: Chloe Aubert. This fills in the missing elements of the Ultimate Skill ‘Hope King Sariel,’ and begins the complete integration into the Ultimate Skill ‘Spacetime King Yog-Sothoth’…Successful. Ultimate Skill ‘Spacetime King Yog-Sothoth’ has fully evolved into Ultimate Skill ‘Spacetime God (Yog-Sothoth).’»

It was already obvious that it had been super-enhanced without being explained. Inside Chloe, the ultimate evolution had taken place without her even being aware of it.

“Chloe, are you…okay?”

“Yes. Rimuru-san, I feel like I’ve truly become one with Chronoa.”

Having seen the change in Chloe firsthand, I thought that it might be true.

It was because I felt that her faint childishness had disappeared, and that she had now acquired a seductiveness that reminded me of an adult woman. Since this was a characteristic of “Chronoa,” I thought that perhaps—

Chu~

«—?!»

Yes?

“Ch-Chloe, you, what are—”

Chloe kissed me out of the blue.

I didn’t know what I was saying, but Chloe’s beauty had suddenly approached me, and then I suddenly felt a soft touch on my lips.

It was completely unavoidable.

There was no need to verify whether it could have been avoided it or not.

“Ufufu. I’m an adult now.”

That’s true, I admit it.

But even so, I don’t think you should take people by surprise like that.

Well, it’s a good thing that it was me, but wouldn’t it be a problem if it was Leon?

I’m fine with it, I am.

And just like that, I made excuses to no one.

However, why would Chloe suddenly kiss me…

“Wasn’t that something Rimuru-san needed? I just felt like it, you know?”

Even if you say it in such a cute way…wait, what do you mean I needed it?

«—Tsk, what a clever form of bribery…I received the remnants of ‘Hope King Sariel’ from Chloe. I’m sure that there were other ways to do this, so I’ll be more vigilant against surprise attacks in the future.»

Uh, did you just click your tongue?

Or rather, you don’t really have to be so vigilant…

«I will keep a close watch.»

Uh, yes.

I wasn’t sure why, but it felt like I shouldn’t disobey anymore.

I think it’s better to let Ciel-san do what it wants, so I decided to change the subject and cover it up.

“So then, now that you’re talking about becoming one with Chronoa, does that mean Chloe can’t return to her child form?”

“Oh, that’s still okay.”

She could change her appearance at will, from a baby to an old woman. Whether that made any sense or not, I was relieved that I wouldn’t have to startle Kenya and the others.

“Okay, I’m going to release the ‘Time Stop.’”

Taking over from Michael, it seemed that Chloe was now in control of stopping time. She did it as naturally as if she was breathing.

It was hard to imagine how much stronger she had become.

Even without the assistance of a Manas, she seemed to be able to control her powers to the fullest. At the very least, I didn’t need to be told to know that she was better than me who just relied on Ciel-san.

Okay, this is not the time to be so impressed.

“Before that, just one thing. I think, probably after this—”

“Yeah, I understand. I’m pretty sure the amount of power I absorbed was less than expected.”

“Got it. Then leave it to me this time. And you, take it easy and get some rest.”

And so, I strongly cautioned Chloe.

Even though Chloe appeared to be fine, there was no way she could be safe after evolving so rapidly. I had to make sure she got a good rest, whether she wanted it or not.

“Ufu, I’m glad you’re worried about me.”

“I won’t be fooled.”

Even if she smiles at me in such a cute way, I’m not like Leon. It was time for me to show my dignity as an adult.

“All right. I’ll be quiet for a little while then. So, you won’t lose, right?”

“Of course. Thanks to Chloe, I understand the concept of time.”

“Fufu, that’s right.”

I promised Chloe I would win.

Well, I wasn’t going to admit it even if I lost, so it wouldn’t be a lie.

And so, Chloe released the ‘Time Stop,’ and the world began to move once more.

I was stopped in time while confronting Michael, but for those who couldn’t recognize it, it must have seemed as if Michael suddenly disappeared, and Chloe had appeared.

Specifically, Souei hurriedly spoke to me through ‘Telepathy Net.’

‘Rimuru-sama, I apologize. I lost sight of the enemy—’

‘It’s okay, but don’t come out yet.’

‘—?! Understood!!’

That was all Souei needed to know.

He was the best of the best, so it helped to talk fast.

And then I began to play innocent.

“Oh hey, Chloe. Thanks for coming to save me. He almost got me.”

“Fufu, Rimuru-san’s not a very good actor, huh?”

Shut up!

I’m honest at heart so I’m just not good at deceiving anyone.

“That’s enough. No more cheating. Chloe, you should go back and relax.”

“Okay. I’ll trust you, then.”

After that, Chloe kept her promise to me and returned to Tempest. From here on, she would be in her room in the labyrinth, recovering from the aftereffects of her rapid evolution.

Then, I grinned towards the empty space.

“Come on out, you’re hiding, aren’t you?”

“…I thought my presence was perfectly ‘concealed,’ so how did you notice?”

If he was asking me why, I’d have to say it was pretty obvious.

In my case, it was a hunch.

It was common knowledge that the moment you thought you won the battle was the moment when the opening was the largest. Therefore, I assumed that a ‘Parallel Existence’ would be hidden during the battle.

Or rather, it was something I definitely would have done.

In my case, unlike Velgrynd and Souei, I was unable to split my consciousness, so I couldn’t take such a measure, but if it were possible, I would have adopted such a strategy.

I was sure that Michael would have prepared such a strategy.

When I tried to advise Chloe with that in mind, she told me that Michael was using ‘Parallel Existence.’

It was a part of Michael that Chloe had taken in. However, she received all the information on ‘Justice King Michael,’ and by taking it in, she was able to find out Michael’s plan.

I was planning to wait for Michael to take me by surprise, but I decided not to bother. I figured I should just beat him head on and end his stupid ambitions.

“I see. Just because you’ve read my thoughts, doesn’t mean you saw through my skills. But even so—”

Michael spoke to me, looking slightly surprised.

“I didn’t think you’d be able to defeat my ‘Parallel Existence.’”

“Well, yeah. Though it wasn’t me, but that girl.”

“Hero Chronoa. I underestimated how far she had come.”

“It’s not Chronoa, but Chloe. Well, you’re done here anyway, so there’s no need to correct you.”

I said as such, lightly loosening my body.

It had been a while since I had fought with all my might. Just to make sure, I would do some preparatory exercises.

“What nonsense. How dare you bark at me when you’ve only been hiding behind the Hero?”

“That’s one way to look at it. But you know, Chloe was my student. If I don’t show her some dignity as a teacher, I’ll lose my standing, won’t I?”

I replied, but Michael just gave me a cold stare with no expression.

The look on his face told me that he didn’t understand me.

Well, from the perspective of someone who could stop time, I probably wasn’t important.

But that was before.

“Demon Lord Rimuru, you have a bad memory. I taught you that you were an obstacle but not an enemy. You should learn your lesson and leave this world quickly.”

Are you saying I should die?

Obviously, I don’t want that.

“Don’t tell me what to do, just come and get me.”

As soon as I finished saying that, time stopped.

Michael’s sword closed in on me with a look of victory on his face.

But alas!

I, too, had made this ‘Suspended World’ my own.

Even in this soundless world, I could hear the echoing clashes of swords and blades.

“It can’t be, you?!”

“I’ve learned how to move in a suspended world!”

I shouted and faced Michael with a different expression.

I saw Michael as an enemy.

It was the same for Michael.

He recognized me as an enemy to be defeated, and his condescending attitude disappeared.

And then we—

This time, in the truest sense of the word, we faced each other with the fate of the world at stake.

Velgrynd was in dire straits.

She had said she would protect Masayuki no matter what, but Feldway was not so naive as to allow her to do so.

“I’ve been made a fool, haven’t I? Velgrynd, are you going to take me with one hand?”

“Yes. Unlike you—what is that presence?!”

Feldway, who had been on the defensive until now, unleashed the power he had been hiding before Velgrynd. It was just as powerful as Velgrynd’s—no, it was even greater.

“You probably thought that you had ‘Parallel Existence’ anyway, but I can use it too. If you’re planning to go help Masayuki, I’ll do my best to stop you.”

“Tsk, you still have that disgusting personality. I hate you.”

“Is that so? That’s a shame.”

Velgrynd frowned when she heard Feldway’s curt reply.

In the ancient past, Feldway had been a lieutenant for her brother Veldanava, who had also complained to Velgrynd. Remembering that time, Velgrynd became even more irritated.

Besides, the reality of the situation was harsh.

Velgrynd had her hands full just dealing with Feldway, and Testarossa, who was the most reliable, was facing Vega herself. In that case, there were not enough allies to go against the four Evil Dragon Spawns.

I guess I underestimated Feldway too much. Was it a mistake to leave those three out? No, it would have been impossible to maintain the ‘Material Area’ otherwise…

Without Minits, Bernie, and Jiwu, the strength of the ‘Material Area’ would have been weakened. In that case, there would be no way to stop Vega from forcefully rooting into the ground and feeding on the evacuated people of the Royal Capital for energy.

Therefore, Velgrynd’s orders were not wrong, but she was worried that she might have made the wrong choice because she cared about Masayuki the most.

The only people who could protect Masayuki were Moss, Testarossa’s confidant, and the ‘Saint’ Hinata. She didn’t think they’d be able to stop the four Evil Dragon Spawns, so Velgrynd’s mind grew impatient.

“By the way, to take on three at the same time…you can’t do it.”

“I appreciate your understanding, but can you please stop looking at me like you’re disappointed? I’m trying my best too!”

She could hear the conversation between Hinata and Moss, which made her worry even more.

Hinata and Moss were each restraining two of them. But that was the best they could do, and it didn’t look like they could defeat them.

In fact, this was a pretty good fight. They were only just able to deal with Evil Dragon Spawn because they had little experience in fighting them, and the two of of them were outmatched in terms of combat ability. It would be absurd to expect more than this.

And Testarossa as well.

“The ‘Material Area’ is finally complete.”

“So what?”

“It means that I can now destroy you without restraint.”

It was all well and good until she told him so and launched her onslaught. But after that, Vega’s indestructability made it difficult to fight him.

Testarossa’s skill-level was by far the highest. Despite the fact that Vega’s existence value was several times greater, he was not an unbeatable opponent.

And yet, Vega had evolved in the middle of the battle.

He had eaten Arios and gained his power.

And now, something happened that made things worse.

Unbeknownst to Testarossa and the others, Michael’s ‘Time Stop’ had been activated.

Velgrynd and Testarossa were the only ones who felt confused by the discomfort. Both of them immediately realized what had just occurred.

Even if they panicked after time began to move again, everything would already be over. Because they understood that, the two of them did not panic.

However, there was just a small opening.

And to that extent, Masayuki’s ‘Lucky Field’ should have been able to overcome it.

However, when she felt the strange sensation for the fourth time, something happened to Masayuki.

“Huh?”

Masayuki fell to his knees on the spot. He was exposed to sudden dizziness, but at that point, the effects of his power had disappeared.

“Masayuki?!”

Velgrynd’s worried voice rang out.

“Hyahaha! You shouldn’t look away from me!”

And then Vega attacked, taking advantage of Testarossa’s opening.

Hinata and Moss were in a difficult situation as well, because the good luck had worn off when they had already been struggling.

Masayuki’s collapse was enough to put them all in a desperate situation.

Then came the worst moment of all.

Velgrynd’s attention turned to Masayuki, and she exposed an opening that she shouldn’t have.

Feldway was not so naive as to let this go unnoticed.

“It’s my victory!”

Feldway shouted, his sword piercing Velgrynd’s chest.

Masayuki could not comprehend the reality of what was happening before his eyes.

The woman who smiled fearlessly, confidently, and always took care of herself no matter what the situation was, was kneeling on the ground, holding her chest.

This was something that should not have happened.

Feldway was an outrageous monster, and he was no match for him, and if Gryn-san had been defeated, there was nothing he could do but run away—but he didn’t care about that. Masayuki reconsidered what his heart was feeling and looked once more.

Intense rage.

From the top of his head to the tips of his toes, he found himself feeling a rage running through his entire body, threatening to burst out.

“Bastard, what the hell are you doing?”

A quieter voice than expected spilled out of Masayuki’s mouth.

Feldway reacted to it.

“Hm? You’re the real deal, but just wait a minute. In any case, I’ll destroy Velgrynd once and for all here—”

He couldn’t finish his sentence.

“I asked you what the hell you were doing to my woman!”

This was because Masayuki had stepped in at an unnoticeable speed and struck Feldway in the side with his rapier.

This gem had been forged by Kurobee’s hands, mainly to reduce weight and increase strength, and was a unique grade product. However, there was no way he could just carelessly hit an enemy protected by mythical-grade armor and be safe.

The weapon was shattered into pieces by the blow.

But Masayuki didn’t care.

Ignoring Feldway, who took a step back in surprise, he picked up Velgrynd.

“—Masayuki?”

“You’re safe now, so don’t worry.”

“No, it can’t be…”

“I’ll take care of the rest. Rest well, ‘Gryun.’”

“Ahh!!”

Tears spilled from Velgrynd’s eyes.

That name was a nickname from her beloved, and there was only one person in the world who knew it—

“Welcome home, Rudra!”

“Yeah. It’s only for a little while, but I’m back.”

And then, Rudra, who was inhabiting Masayuki, smiled.

From here on, it was time for a counterattack.

Feldway furrowed his brow in displeasure.

“Rudra? What kind of nonsense is that—”

“Hah! Feldway, I’ll be the one to deal with you, but it looks like the others are having a hard time too. I’ll give them a hand. Come now, Gran, you too, Damrada!”

Space-time flickered, as if in response to Rudra’s call.

Completely ignoring the ‘Material Area,’ two figures were summoned there.

“Well, well. I’ve spent beautiful days with Maria, but you’re a harsh master even after your death.”

—Complained the first person summoned, a man with blond rather than white hair.

Then, with a sharp, eagle-like gaze, he smiled.

“Hinata, my unworthy apprentice. It’s a pity that you, the most talented of all the people I’ve worked with, have yet to become a Hero.”

When Hinata was told this, she was astonished to think of that person’s ‘name.’

“It can’t be, you’re…”

“I couldn’t show you then, so I’ll show you now. Let me see what you can do!”

“—Master Granbell?!”

He was too young to be her master, but it was definitely Granbell Rosso. Granbell had returned to this land in his best, most powerful form.

“Come, ‘Truth.’”

Granbell called out to his beloved sword.

The longsword ‘Truth,’ which had been stored in subspace, appeared in Granbell’s hand without losing its mythical-grade glow.

And the next moment.

An ‘Overblade—True Slash’ casually sliced one of the Evil Dragon Spawns into dust.

“No way…”

As if to ridicule Hinata’s struggles, Granbell’s victory was too easy.

The man who had been called after Granbell knelt down before Rudra.

“Your Majesty, you have awakened from your long sleep, I am so very pleased!”

Rudra looked at Damrada in exasperation.

“You’re stubborn, Damrada…you, did you always have that kind of personality?”

“Ah, I missed you, my friend. I went through lot of trouble because of you!”

“Sorry. I don’t remember, so I don’t know.”

“Yes, that’s right. That’s the kind of guy you are! I knew it!!”

Damrada was indignant, but hot tears were flowing from in his eyes.

“Don’t cry, it was my bad.”

“Not exactly, but that’s good enough. You’ve kept your promise, so I’m satisfied.”

Even reincarnated, Rudra was still Rudra.

Rudra, to whom Damrada had sworn his loyalty, had rejected the control of the “demon lord” and aimed to establish a unified nation, a world where everyone could live happily and harmoniously by their own hands—‘The establishment of a unified nation’ was his goal. However, due to a series of tragedies, Rudra lost sight of this dream, and his heart had become worn out.

He regretted the days when he was powerless to do anything for his master—But now…

In this boy named Masayuki, the former Rudra had been brilliantly manifested.

The sight of his old master was enough to make Damrada happy.

“Is that so? I still feel like I’m in the middle of a dream—”

“Well, dreams do come true if you don’t give up, don’t they?”

“If it’s me, yeah.”

“Fufufu, if it’s Rudra-sama, apparently. Well, I don’t want to talk too long, and I don’t want to lose to Gran either, so I’d better get going.”

Damrada, with a refreshing smile on his face, ended the conversation with Rudra.

He then stood next to Moss with an unhurried gait.

“The great demon that has tormented my empire for so long, how unsightly.”

“Tsk, I’ve got my own problems at the moment…”

“Is that an excuse? Well, I’m not interested in hearing it.”

“You’re back to your old self, I see.”

“Of course. I have always been Rudra’s friend and His Majesty’s loyal servant. I can’t help but cut corners a bit while His Majesty is away.”

“We’re not enemies now, but well, I guess that’s fine.”

Moss said, shrugging lightly.

Smiling back at Moss, Damrada took a step forward.

“Now then, let’s get this over with.”

As soon as Damrada said this, he crouched down into a cat-legged stance. Putting his weight on his right foot, he became one with the earth and performed a ‘warp movement’ as if he were gliding across the ground. By a principle different from the ancient martial arts gait, Damrada’s body moved forward like a cannonball.

And then, just like that, he crossed paths with the Evil Dragon Spawn—

“’Holy Supreme Crumbling Fist!’”

From the part of the body that was struck, Damrada’s fighting spirit was transmitted to the entire body. There was no way to block it, and it disintegrated the entire spirit of Evil Dragon Spawn.

“I’m relieved to see you’re still as good as ever.”

Moss complimented him, sounding really unhappy.

“Then I guess it’s your turn next.”

“Of course it is.”

Moss agreed, thoroughly unsatisfied to his core.

Moss was reminded of his old troubles and bitter memories at the sight of his adversary still alive and well, but for now, he could only do what he had to do.

Moss hated defeat.

It was fine if he only lost, but he absolutely hated to be blamed for it by his horrible boss (Testarossa).

That alone was unacceptable, so he focused on how to fight without losing.

This time, he had judged that he could not win immediately. That’s why he was trying to buy time, but if there was only one opponent, that was a very different story.

“If it’s only one, then I can win.”

While muttering to himself, he decided to show off his serious mode for the first time in a long time. He gathered the tiny ‘Clones’ that he had scattered in the air and returned to his true form.

What emerged was a beautiful man with silver hair and blue eyes.

He was the Grand Duke of Hell, second only to the primordials. That was Moss.

With the growth of his master Testarossa, Moss himself was growing more powerful every day. The value of his existence has surpassed the “1,079,397 EP” reported to Testarossa, and he had now reached 1.5 million.

Moreover, in his hands were a countless number of chakrams—the ‘Infinite Loop.’

At the same time as Moss was evolving, the ‘Infinite Loop’ had also reached the mythical-grade level. The current Moss, who had completely taken in the power of the ‘Infinite Loop,’ had reached an existence value of 2.5 million, surpassing that of the Evil Dragon Spawns.

If such a Moss were to get serious—

“Now you die—‘Infinite Eater!’”

As soon as Moss activated the technique, his body shuddered.

He became transparent and fragmented, enveloping the Evil Dragon Spawn.

“—Gugyah?!”

Looking at Moss with emotionless eyes, and then finding himself unable to move, the Evil Dragon Spawn was baffled by its inability to carry out its orders.

But that would only be for a short time.

Moss’s attack was a dark magic that used his own body as a medium, and it also had the characteristics of a technique with the effect of his Unique Skill ‘Collector.’ Its effect was to absorb the same amount of energy as himself.

In other words, the amount of magicule in Moss’s body was directly converted into attack power, and although it had the disadvantage of not being able to be used again until the absorbed energy was sublimated, the ‘Infinite Eater’ was his strongest attack at the moment.

If he used it, he knew it would be useless for a while, so it couldn’t be used in a crowded battle. Rather, it was a technique that was difficult to handle and had few uses, but in this case, it guaranteed Moss an overwhelming victory.

“That’s still a hell of a move. I wonder how many of the generals have been eaten.”

“I didn’t use it much on the weak ones. Maybe you were in a hurry and got unlucky. In the first place, I don’t want to hear that from someone who uses a poison that can corrupt the mind and slaughter demons.”

“Just let it out.”

Damrada and Moss praised each other’s performance in a way that looked as if they were trying to humiliate each other.

Thus, Moss also won.

And the last one left was Hinata, who was casually entrusted with the sword by Granbell.

“Master, this is…”

“You can have it. It is no longer of any use to me.”

With these words, Granbell gave the ‘Truth’ to Hinata.

………
……
…

The Granbell here was nothing more than a fictional entity with an actual body. In fact, the sword he had just given to Hinata had also been recreated held in his hand.

The ability to summon past champions in the form of entities of the same nature as ‘Digital Lifeforms.’ This was the essence of the Ultimate Skill ‘King of Heroes’ that Masayuki had awakened.

Minits and Calgurio had regained their power because of the influence of this skill.

And now, this time…

Masayuki’s anger had unknowingly triggered the ‘Hero’s Beacon’ to become more powerful. Rudra, the oldest and strongest of the champions, was called upon.

The timing was also good.

Perhaps it was a coincidence, or perhaps it was an inevitability due to Masayuki’s good fortune…When Michael’s ‘Parallel Existence’ was defeated by Chloe, the information of the physical body that had served as a substitute was on its way back to the heavens. As a result, all of them were called by Masayuki to be integrated.

Now, Masayuki’s ego as Rudra had become more apparent.

And Rudra was able to use Velgrynd’s powers as his own.

Using Velgrynd’s ‘Parallel Existence’ as a basis, Rudra did the insane thing of giving temporary bodies to the champions summoned by ‘Hero’s Beacon.’

Granbell’s new mythical-grade long sword was also created by borrowing Velgrynd’s power.

“You used my power again, didn’t you?”

“Is that bad?”

“No, not at all. Everything I have is yours, Rudra.”

It was a show of their lovey-dovey couple-ness, but what they were doing was completely absurd.

Masayuki’s ‘King of Heroes’ was an insane power that was the ultimate balance breaker. It was no wonder that Feldway’s face twitched as he confronted him.

………
……
…

“Be thankful. This is a divine sword given to me by my master over there, Rudra Nasca. It can’t be compared with other dull swords. And since you’re going to inherit it, you’ll have to prove your merit.”

Granbell commanded Hinata.

“My—merit, you say?”

“Mm. I will see if you’re worthy of holding the sword inherited by a Hero.”

Granbell nodded magnanimously to the confused Hinata.

Now that Granbell had said that much, there was no way for Hinata to back down. In the first place, she was a self-proclaimed defender of humanity, and she was not the kind of person who would hesitate at this point.

“Hah, then rest assured. The current me will not lose even to my master.”

“You sure are talking big when you’re not even at the level of these old bones. Listen, and do not forget. It is the strength of our emotions that makes us who we are. Victory is not what’s important. It is the better outcome that matters.”

The words of Granbell, who acted more for the future of humanity than for his own victory, were heavy.

Hinata chewed them over.

“Yes, I understand.”

Just as she had entrusted her “hope” to Chloe, Granbell had entrusted his beliefs to Hinata.

Hinata accepted it and looked forward.

In her line of sight, she saw the last of the Evil Dragon Spawns.

Hinata was surprised as she tried to focus her consciousness.

Her consciousness was changing more smoothly than usual, and the more she looked, the more the surrounding situation filled her brain. Despite this, the information was organized, and she was able to grasp the movements of Evil Dragon Spawn as if she were holding it in her hand.

The sword and the will that had been entrusted to her; those were what brought about the change in Hinata.

‘Truth’ had recognized Hinata as its master and had unleashed her full power. As a result, the value of Hinata’s existence was greatly increased.

Furthermore, Granbell’s words had washed away Hinata’s worries.

‘It’s a pity that you have yet to become a Hero’—that’s what Granbell had said.

Paradoxically, it was a declaration that Hinata could become a ‘Hero.’

In that is the case, I must live up to his expectations.

The master, who was stricter than anyone else, had acknowledged Hinata. Her mood was uplifted.

“I’ll finish you in an instant.”

She said as such, bidding a final farewell to the Evil Dragon Spawn.

“—‘True Slash!!’”

She didn’t even let her opponent realize that it had been slashed.

Countless slash marks appeared on the Evil Dragon Spawn’s body, and at that moment, its gaze crossed with Hinata’s.

“Hinaw…he…hewlp—”

The Evil Dragon Spawn was about to say something, but its words failed to come out.

Before it could even finish, its body disintegrated into tiny pieces.

Perhaps the remnants of Reiner’s consciousness had asked Hinata for help, but if he had lost his human essence at this stage, there was no way to save him.

This was Reiner’s own fault, but—

“Have a good night. Sweet dreams.”

—Hinata threw in a few words of comfort.

There were many reasons why she did not like Reiner, and she didn’t think she could forgive him for what he had done, but she hoped at the least that he would be at peace when he died.

In this way, Hinata’s victory was confirmed, and Evil Dragon Spawns were annihilated.

The victorious Hinata was greeted by Granbell with a round of applause.

“Well done.”

“No, it was because my master lent me his sword.”

Granbell stopped Hinata from giving ‘Truth’ back to him.

“It is yours now. I am already dead. The ‘me’ here is nothing more than a fake, a perfect reproduction created from memories.”

“That’s…”

It didn’t look like it, but Hinata knew it was true.

“The boy who inherited my master’s ‘soul’ has created an extraordinary power.”

With that said, Granbell smiled.

Hinata agreed.

This was not a resurrection from the dead, but it was, if anything, an even more terrifying power. The ability to recreate the champions of the past in their prime…

Even if the power was limited to those who had a relationship with Masayuki, it would still be an absurd story. Moreover, there was a strong possibility that he would be able to call upon even those who had no connection to him.

At the very least, Granbell and Masayuki were not acquainted with each other. Even so, he was able to summon them because Hero Rudra, who was said to be a past life of Masayuki, had been Granbell’s mentor.

Even Hinata had only just heard of this story, and Masayuki should have known nothing about it. To begin with, it was unclear as to how many people could be summoned at the same time, and she had to admit that it was an unfathomable ability.

It was only natural that Granbell, who stood here from Masayuki’s power, had no regrets about the sword he was leaving behind in this world. Even so, Hinata was not sure that she was worthy to hold it.

“I understand that Master is an illusion, but that’s not the point. In the end, I couldn’t become a ‘Hero.’ My qualifications were passed on to Chloe, and unfortunately, I was never meant to awaken—”

The Hero’s Egg that Hinata carried had been passed on to Chloe to give birth to the strongest Hero. Therefore, the current Hinata would never awaken, and could not live up to Granbell’s expectations.

Knowing this, Hinata showed off her current self to Granbell.

Through this, one could see Hinata’s strong will that she does not mind being disappointed. She was declaring to Granbell that she had nothing to be ashamed of.

Granbell laughed at such a Hinata.

“Do you really think so?”

“—Eh?”

“It was my master Rudra’s will that I be called, but I suppose it was inevitable. I remembered from the ‘Promised Land’ that I was unable to entrust you with my will either. Maria was very angry with me.”

This conversation itself was an illusion told by a fake.

And yet, it was still so concrete and vivid.

Then, Hinata realized the meaning of Granbell’s words.

“—Huh?! This power is—”

Granbell’s qualification as a Hero—the Holy Spirit of Light that guided those to victory, had been handed over to Hinata along with ‘Truth.’

“This is where my role ends. Hinata, I’ll leave rest is up to you.”

Granbell spoke, smiling with a freshness that had never been shown in his lifetime.

Hinata vowed by that smile.

“Rest assured, Master. I will do my best.”

“Then, good!”

Granbell said and gave a small smile. Then he turned his back on Hinata, as if his business was done.

Damrada stood alongside Granbell as he walked toward Masayuki.

“Gran, are you finished satisfying your regrets?”

“Yes. You also seem to have complained to Rudra.”

“Heh, he didn’t listen to me, as usual.”

“That’s just like him.”

“Yeah, definitely.”

The two of them appeared to be on good terms with each other.

It made one think that this was the way things were in the ancient past, the way things should have been.

No, it was the truth.

Granbell had studied under Rudra and parted company to unite the West.

After the West was united, he was scheduled to return to Rudra’s service.

Granbell’s struggle with the monsters of power who dominated many nations had exhausted him greatly. The empire that he had set up as a virtual enemy eventually became a real threat to Granbell.

And so, trapped in his own madness, he, and his friend Damrada became nothing more than superficial friends who played tricks on each other…until today.

Those petty ties were no longer relevant.

Just like in the old days, they were simply laughing and talking to each other.

Without a doubt, this was not something a mere illusion could do.

Rudra was waiting for them.

“Hey, hey, you guys aren’t going to speak trash right in front of me, are you? You’d better prepare yourselves.”

“Hm, we were complimenting you.”

“Yes, that’s right. We can’t do anything without you.”

“Tsk, you’re making me sick. Well, that’s fine then. It’s my turn now, so get some rest until I call you back.”

Rudra laughed.

Granbell and Damrada laugh back, and then disappear. They left, satisfied that their part in the story was over.

Rudra, who was entrusted with the rest, accepted their trust without hesitation.

“Rudra, are you okay?”

Rudra smiled at Velgrynd’s concern, hugged her around the waist and even kissed her lightly.

“I don’t think this is the time.”

“Fufu, I’ll be gone once this is over. I just got my reward first.”

Velgrynd stared at Rudra in ecstasy.

She adored the naive Masayuki for his innocence, but Rudra, the man she had once loved, was exceptional.

Someday, Masayuki would become Rudra. Velgrynd had always believed that, but she never thought that her dream would come true.

It may seem contradictory, but those were here true feelings.

Because she could love any Rudra, the original was the best—Masayuki, who recreated such a Rudra, had become a supreme being for Velgrynd.

The word “love” was no longer enough.

“I love Masayuki. All of you, Rudra.”

“I know. So those words shouldn’t be said to me, but to Masayuki himself.”

“But, that kid, he’s a bit shy.”

“I’m sure he’s happy on the inside. ‘I’m’ the one who said it, so I’m sure of it.”

Yes, those words were also true.

The current Rudra was not an illusion, but Masayuki himself with Rudra’s memories.

Rudra then turned to Feldway as if to hide his embarrassment.

“Now then, sorry to keep you waiting, Feldway.”

“…Apparently, you’re the real deal. Do you intend to defy the laws of this world and say that you’ve transcended ‘death’?”

“No. I’m still dead and there’s no coming back to life. However, I can hit a man from the other side if he makes the woman I love cry.”

“Don’t be silly.”

“I’m serious though? Well, I haven’t gone to the other side yet.”

Rudra’s statement, though said in a joking manner, was quite true.

Because he was dwelling within Masayuki like this, as long as Michael’s body was still incarnated, not all of his memories would be recreated.

As soon as the effects of Masayuki’s power expired, Rudra’s “personality” would disappear. However, his memories and experiences would remain in Masayuki’s heart.

This meant that Rudra could continue to manifest himself. Rudra was not so sincere as to tell him this, but he had no intention to hide it.

“Now then…”

Muttering to himself, Rudra glanced at Vega.

Then, turning to Testarossa and Hinata, he gave them an order with an expectant look.

“Hey, you guys. I’ll leave that small fry to you.”

Naturally, the two rebelled.

“So high and mighty…”

“Agreed.”

However, it was in their best interest to follow Rudra’s lead, and they were not so stupid as to not understand that.

That’s why it felt even worse, but in this case, they chose to follow him quietly.

“Let us go with a united front, Hinata-dono.”

“You’re right, Testarossa-san. With you as a partner, I can rest assured.”

“Fufufu, it is the same for me.”

And so, an impromptu duo was formed to take on Vega.

Vega vs. Testarossa & Hinata.

And—

Feldway vs. Rudra.

The final battle in the Royal Capital had begun.

Two beautiful women stood in front of Vega.

Testarossa was smiling bewitchingly, while Hinata was smiling coldly.

“I’m going to finish him off, so would you mind keeping him occupied for a while?”

“Yes, of course. He seems to be difficult to kill with a sword, and widespread annihilation magic cannot be used in Royal Capital, so let’s share the work.”

As smart people, it was easy for them to come to an agreement.

Testarossa stepped back and began to search for the range of influence of the power that Vega had activated. That tended to be neglected while fighting, but this time, she activated her detection spell carefully in order to kill him seriously.

Hinata stood in front of Vega.

“Oh hey, what happened to my buddy Damrada and the other bastard?”

“They have gone back.”

“Hmm, I see. They looked like they were going to do some damage, but they’re not my enemy. Neither are you guys. You got carried away just because you beat my Evil Dragon Spawns, but let me give you a reality check.”

Vega boasted to Hinata.

As a former colleague, Damrada had felt that Vega was quite capable. However, he had thought that the current Vega was no match for him and did not consider him a threat.

Even so, he felt that it would be annoying to be swarmed by such a strong class of people, so Hinata’s words that Damrada had gone back honestly made him happy.

Well, it was just that it was less troublesome.

“Well, what do you think? Don’t underestimate me, or you’ll regret it.”

Even Hinata could see that Vega was a very powerful opponent. Normally, Hinata would try to instigate things from the start, but she understood that it would be ridiculous for her to say such a thing now.

The right thing to do was to win and show her strength.

As soon as the exchange was over, Vega moved.

He chose to use his greatly increased strength and speed to confront Hinata head on.

Vega’s stiff arm destroyed an object with a shock wave even though it had not been touched. The same went for his kicks. His entire body had become an incarnation of destruction that surpassed that of strategic weapons, and he was causing extraordinary damage to those around him.

If it weren’t for the ‘Material Area,’ the capital would have been reduced to ashes in a matter of minutes. Exposed to such a tyranny, Hinata would normally have been in great trouble.

In fact, Hinata’s existence value had increased significantly, but Vega’s rate of increase was even greater. The difference was more than tenfold, and he even possessed the Ultimate Skill.

Even though Granbell had awakened her as a Hero, Vega was still too dangerous for Hinata.

And yet, Hinata was unfazed.

It’s strange. I’m not scared at all. And for some reason, I can read the flow of attacks—

It was more accurate than the ‘Predict Future Attack’ that Rimuru had mastered and could now be called ‘Future Prediction.’

It was no wonder, then, that Hinata’s current Skill was—

«Confirmed. Unique Skill ‘Mathematician’ has evolved into Ultimate Skill ‘Fate King Fortuna’…Successful.»

With the evolution of Hinata herself, she had reached the ultimate realm.

This ‘Fate King Fortuna’ included the abilities ‘Thought Acceleration,’ ‘Universal Perception,’ ‘Divine Haki,’ ‘Spacetime Manipulation,’ ‘Multidimensional Barrier,’ ‘All of Creation,’ ‘Computational Domain,’ and ‘Virtual World.’

By making full use of these powers, Hinata was able to embody an almost perfect ‘Future Prediction.’

It was only through this power that Hinata was able to master Granbell’s sword technique—‘True Slash.’

Hinata had lost her Unique Skill ‘Usurper,’ but because she had made ‘Fate King Fortuna’ her own with such talent, she did not need it.

Hinata was able to see through all of Vega’s tricky attacks, including altering himself and branching his arms. Even when Vega was several times faster than her, Hinata was able to toss him around with ease.

“Damn it, you’re just jumping around!”

No matter how terrible Vega’s shockwaves were, they wouldn’t do much damage to Hinata if it didn’t hit her directly, especially now that she was able to turn into a full spiritual life form as a Hero. Of course, if it was Vega, whose entire body was hardened with mythical-grade armor, he might be able to kill Hinata with just one blow. However, Hinata now had ‘Truth’ in her hands.

Until now, it would have been difficult for her to even take him on seriously, considering the difference in weapon performance, but with ‘Truth,’ there was no need to worry about that. Combined with Hinata’s ‘Future Prediction’ calculation, it was possible to parry Vega’s attacks head-on.

Although the difference in strength was too great and there was a need to adjust the angle, it was an easy task given Hinata’s skill level.

“You’re not going to hit me?”

“Damn it! However, even you don’t have the means to reach me!!”

Vega shouted, unwilling to admit defeat, but he still had a point.

But there was no need for Hinata to be ashamed of that.

After all, that’s what Testarossa was there for.

“It’s very helpful to have a good vanguard. I’m ready.”

“Well then, please go ahead.”

“Yes. There’s no need for repentance, you can go straight to purgatory.”

Vega’s survival instincts told him that he was in trouble.

“Don’t screw with me! W-Wait! Wait for—”

But Testarossa did not listen to Vega’s pleas for his life.

“—’White Flare’—”

Testarossa had created the ultimate magic interpersonal magic with her Ultimate Skill ‘Death King Belial’—that is, the ‘White Flare.’

It consumed life and reaped death. There was no escape for those who had been targeted by it, their bodies would be consumed by the white flames, and they would be cast into hell.

It was a terrible magic that caused no damage to the surrounding area, but its power and heat level surpassed that of nuclear magic.

Although this terrifying magic caused no damage to the surroundings, the power—that is, the amount of heat easily surpassed that of nuclear magic.

There was nothing he could do about it; Vega was burned to the ground in an instant.

—But Testarossa’s expression was dark.

“—the worst. Apparently, it seems that I’ve failed.”

She muttered gravely.

Overhearing this, Hinata asked.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I was unable to reap that fool’s soul. Perhaps if it were anyone else, but my eyes can’t be deceived.”

When Vega died, Testarossa took in a massive amount of ‘soul.’ However, there was no scent on it that could be attributed to Vega.

Hinata thought to herself.

That magic was of a terrible nature. Even I think it would be difficult to withstand. Would I be able to escape it?

If it were her, she would definitely be defeated the moment the spell was activated. Hinata admitted this but then retracted her argument when she remembered Vega’s attitude.

“—or rather, it’s likely, I’m almost certain that they’ve escaped.”

“You think so too?”

“Yes. Because that guy seemed like he was acting.”

“Yeah. The begging for his life wasn’t as desperate or sneaky as it should have been.”

Testarossa had heard a lot about Vega’s despicable behavior from Moss. He was a cowardly bastard who would immediately pull the trigger if he knew he was at a disadvantage.

The fact that such a man did not stop looking down on her until the end assured her that he did not think he would die.

“It’s the worst. I’m so embarrassed, I don’t think I can face Rimuru-sama…”

Testarossa was writhing in shame over her mistake.

And so was Hinata.

“Ah, I can just see Rimuru’s face, so happy to hear my story. Just great, that guy, he’s always so delighted when I fail…”

She couldn’t stop thinking about it.

‘I’m always right’—with an expression like that, Rimuru was very pleased when Hinata was in trouble.

She hated him for that, but at the same time, she was pleased that he was happy whenever she relied on him. Hinata had mixed feelings about that.

Moss, who was listening to the conversation of these women, thought in silence as if he were air.

‘If I do it, I’ll be tormented for three hundred years or so’—that’s what he was thinking.

To say that he had let the enemy escape—he was too scared to report it.

However, Moss was not foolish enough to point out his superior’s mistake here.

He knew from the bottom of his heart that if he did such a thing, he would be blamed for not keeping a watchful eye on things.

Ahhh, if other executives blame me, Testarossa-sama will be in trouble…

For the time being, Moss was depressed, expecting that his boss would be in a bad mood.

At the very least, he secretly hoped that he would not be the one to bear the brunt of it.

Rudra leisurely takes off his Emperor’s coat and left it in Velgrynd’s hands.

Now wearing a shirt, he looked at Feldway.

“Come, ‘Deva’—”

Rudra’s favorite sword from his Hero days answered his call.

It was a sacred sword, given to Rudra by his friend and mentor, Veldanava.

Its grade was the highest of all mythical-grade swords. The ‘Asura’ and the ‘Deva’ were a pair of swords that could be boasted as most powerful swords ever made.

While the ‘Asura,’ which was given to Guy and later to Milim, was a long, curved, single-edged sword, the ‘Deva’ was a normal-sized, double-edged sword. Because of its ease of use, it was a perfect match for Rudra.

Feldway narrowed his eyes.

“That sword is Veldanava-sama’s…”

“That’s right. I got it from him.”

“…That’s unforgivable. It’s too valuable to be wasted on a mere mortal.”

“What do I care?”

Rudra walked towards Feldway.

Velgrynd watched anxiously but did not wish to interfere. She believed in Rudra.

“So then, you’re still a coward, huh? You’re the type of person who would never use all your strength to decide between two people.”

“What does that matter? The leader must outlive everyone else. You’re well aware of that, aren’t you?”

“Well, I suppose. But if that’s the reason why you miss the chance to win a battle you could’ve won, it’s not worth it, is it?”

“Huh, what are you—”

“I’m grateful. If you hadn’t relied on the ‘Justice King Michael’ and fought Gryun on your own, she would’ve been injured much worse.”

“……”

“However, I won’t forgive you for hurting her. Prepare yourself!”

By the time he finished, Rudra was in close proximity to Feldway. He casually swung his sword.

Feldway caught it with his own.

The sword, just like with Rudra and Guy, was given to Feldway by Veldanava. It was a masterpiece named the “Ark.”

The grade of the swords was the same. The rest of the battle would be decided by skill level.

The ground was shattered by the footsteps and even the air was broken by the impact of running through the sky. The impact of the swords clashing was so great that the smell of burning air filled the surroundings.

“It’s tremendous…”

Hinata muttered, who was now one of the spectators.

Hinata’s mentor, Granbell, respected Rudra as a master, and his power was real. Despite the fact that he was inhabiting the fragile body of Masayuki, his power was equal to that of Feldway’s.

No, it was more than that.

After several clashes, Feldway was the one who was outmatched.

“You’re weak, bastard.”

“Don’t you dare make a fool of me, Rudra!!”

“Hmph, that’s what happens when you rely too much on your skills. I knew you were trying to copy me, but you can’t be that naive.”

Rudra’s sword flicked Feldway’s sword away.

There was an overwhelming difference in ability.

“The Ultimate Skill ‘Justice King Michael’ is a complete defense in the truest sense of the word. I had been using it for a long time, so I’m sure of it.”

“……”

“However, while it’s active, you can’t take any offensive measures, right? No magic, no other powers, no fighting spirit (aura). You can’t even use magic to deflect attacks. However—”

There was a loophole.

Although it was impossible to blow off attacks with things like fighting aura, the overwhelming power of Haki was effective. Besides, he could attack with hand-held weapons without a problem, though that was the main concern.

Rudra was proficient in this.

He was so skilled that he was able to release the Castle Guard only at the moment of attack and increase the power through his fighting aura.

“You knew that, so you misunderstood that you were in a one-sided position, but it was a strategy that was possible because you were me. If you’re not the best with a sword, you’ll easily lose your means of attack.”

His words hit the nail on the head.

Feldway knew this because he had been a member of Rudra’s inner circle.

Therefore, when he acquired the Ultimate Skill ‘Justice King Michael,’ he tried to recreate that power, but it was not so easy.

It was not a skill that Rudra had learned overnight, but rather a method of combat that he had learned over and over again while being beaten down by his master, Veldanava. That’s why it was a great achievement to even be able to imitate him.

Besides, losing a sword fight did not mean that the Castle Guard had been broken.

Feldway was still intact and he had not lost his overall advantage.

“—Yes, I’ll admit to your point. However, don’t think you’ve won.”

Feldway spoke arrogantly.

He was so confident in his own defense that he believed he would never be defeated. However, Rudra replied to Feldway as if to ridicule him.

“You really think you can beat me, don’t you? Do you have any idea how many years I spent with Veldanava after he entrusted me with ‘Justice King Michael?’”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m asking you if you really think that I didn’t come up with a way to attack it.”

“You fool. Do you think there’s any way to defeat the most powerful of all Angelic, no, Ultimate Skills? You can’t bluff your way through me.”

Even so, Rudra only snickered.

Then he narrowed his eyes and thrust his sword at Feldway.

“I’ll tell you something. What I received was the ‘Covenant King Uriel,’ what do you think its characteristics were?”

“It’s just a power for management purposes. Veldanava-sama used the ‘Covenant King Uriel’ to figure out how to create his many powers.”

Upon being asked by Rudra, Feldway answered.

It was the correct answer, but it did not express the whole truth.

“There’s more to it than that. As you may know, the ‘Covenant King Uriel’ also had the ability to listen to the voices of the people. Or rather, the voices of those connected to Veldanava. It could be a wish for hope, a prayer for salvation, or any number of other desires, but it didn’t lose its power when I had it.”

“…So what do you mean?”

“See the resemblance? With the ‘Justice King Michael’ you’re using now.”

As long as there was loyalty to its owner, the ‘Castle Guard’ was invincible. In other words, the ‘Covenant King Uriel’ and the ‘Justice King Michael’ were similar in the sense that they listened to the voices of those who were connected to them.

“By the way, ‘Covenant King Uriel’ also has an ‘Absolute Defense’ which is an application of the ‘Infinite Prison’ and can be broken at the critical moment. I’m proud to say that the means of attack I devised by using it was quite impressive.”

Rudra grinned after saying this.

He lightly swung the ‘Deva’ in his hand, making its blade glow with light.

“You can “see” it, can’t you?”

“Mmm…”

Upon seeing the light, Feldway’s face changed color.

He realized at a glance that it had the same properties as the ‘Castle Guard’ he wore.

“The more people who believe in me, the more power I have. How many of your followers do you have? I’ve got over a billion people counting on me!”

Rudra’s words were true.

The total number of Feldway’s followers was less than a million. The number of those who believed in Feldway had been greatly reduced and was now believed to be less than 300,000.

On the other hand, the number of those who believed in Rudra reached 800 million among the subjects of the Empire alone.

Here in the royal capital of Ingracia alone, millions of people had placed their hope in Rudra. Rather, it was for Masayuki, but since they were the same person, it was accepted without any issues.

There was a huge gap between Rudra and Feldway in regards to the absolute number of supporters they had. Feldway’s face twisted in frustration as he realized this.

“This is the deadly blow that will unleash the united will of those who believe in me— ‘Absolute Severance’!!”

Feldway could sense the danger.

“Quite screwing around!! How can you use the power of the ‘Covenant King Uriel’?! It’s still missing—”

When Veldanava died, the ‘Covenant King Uriel’ was supposed to be lost. And yet, Rudra was using it as if it were only natural.

It was an unacceptable situation.

“You’re not paying enough attention. For that matter, that Gran guy was using ‘Hope King Sariel’ too.”

Rudra told him in utter exasperation.

Masayuki’s ‘King of Heroes’ could even recreate skills that had disappeared. Rudra smiles broadly, as if it didn’t matter what he told them.

“You really don’t like these tactics, do you?”

Velgrynd was also exasperated, but more than that, she was in love with Rudra’s bravery, and in the end, no one other than Rudra’s sister Lucia had ever cautioned him. This was a scene that had been repeated in the past, and it was being recreated precisely now.

“If so, then you—”

“That’s right. I can use the ‘Justice King Michael’ right now, but the one who’s going to end you here is the ‘Covenant King Uriel’ who boasts the strongest attack power.”

“Che—?!”

Feldway was on full alert, mobilizing not only the Castle Guard but also all of his ‘Barriers’ in a defensive posture.

And immediately after that—

“I’ve been waiting. Let’s see how long you can hold out!!”

At Rudra’s voice, the ultimate blow was unleashed.

“It’s not going to work, Rudra—ah!!”

“—Star King Dragon Flash, ‘Nova Break’!”

The clash was instantaneous.

A terrifying rampage of destruction erupted on the spot.

The ‘Material Area’ meant nothing. Even though Velgrynd had contained the main shockwave and sent it skyward, it was still shattered in the aftermath.

This was not the kind of power that could be generated by mere swordplay, but this was what made Rudra, Rudra.

Irrational strength, that was the power of the “hero of the beginning” who could compete with Guy.

And of course, it was Feldway who fell.

“Well, that’s a fair result.”

Rudra smiled refreshingly and raised his right hand to the sky.

It was, without a doubt, a declaration of victory.

Feldway fell to his knees and coughed up blood.

His blood was crimson, staining his pure white robes.

“I-It can’t be, I’m the one…”

“You’re too conceited, Feldway. It’s always been that way, but you’ve always thought you had to be the best in everything you do. That’s why you lose sight of the essential.”

“Don’t make me puke…I don’t need to be told what to do by someone who’s a shell of his former self!”

“You’re right. That’s why I can understand some things.”

The victor and the vanquished fell silent and stared at each other for a moment.

Feldway was the next to move.

“—There will be no next time. Today’s defeat will be your last.”

And with that, he stood up as if the injury he had just sustained had never happened in the first place.

If it weren’t for the crimson flowers blooming on his clothing, one would have thought that the attack from Rudra’s sword had been an illusion.

“You’re still as stubborn as ever. Well, I’ll always win, no matter how many times you come, so be my guest.”

The two men looked at each other again, and then away.

Feldway turned his back on Rudra, and ordered Mai, who had been waiting at a distance, to disappear from the scene with ‘Instantaneous Movement.’

Not only the ‘Material Area,’ but also the ‘Barrier’ of the Royal Capital had been destroyed, so it was impossible to prevent his escape.

However, it was a good decision not to pursue him.

Even though he was wounded, Feldway still had a lot of power left.

Although he had been mentally cornered by the defeat from Rudra, his fighting ability was still sufficient. If it had not been for the defeat of the invincible ‘Castle Guard,’ he would not have chosen to flee so easily.

Feldway swore revenge on Rudra, never forgetting today’s humiliation.

Now then, as for the victorious Rudra—

“Great job, Rudra!”

Rudra’s face was pressed against Velgrynd’s chest, and he seemed to be in no mood to complain.

No, upon a closer look, it was something else.

He was blushing and his eyes were spinning.

It wasn’t Rudra anymore—he was back to Masayuki again.

He had used up all his soul power when he had unleashed the ‘Nova Break,’ and it had become difficult for him to maintain his Rudra persona. That was the reason why he had missed Feldway.

Rather, until Feldway’s departure, Rudra’s personality had only been maintained through sheer force of will.

Hinata walked up to Masayuki, who had been released from Velgrynd.

“It’s nice to meet you, First-sama. My name is Hinata Sakaguchi. Before you leave, I wanted to say a few words—”

In the middle of Hinata’s greeting, the noise of the people began to be heard.

Seeing how strong Rudra was, they were excited that Masayuki had taken things seriously.

It was a misunderstanding, but to those who did not know the situation, it was the truth. When they saw that the battle was over, they came rushing to the area.

Once they were within a certain distance, they formed a circle around Masayuki. This was the result of Minits and the others taking the lead and holding back the people.

“—Wow, Masayuki-san’s so cool!”

“I saw it for the first time! The true ‘beacon of light.’”

“Yeah. I had no idea what was going on, but I could tell it was awesome!”

And so, naturally, the credit went to Masayuki.

Because Reiner and the others had made the video available, there were many people in the capital who had witnessed the entire thing.

No, that wasn’t me!

‘No, it was me, but’—Masayuki’s inner thoughts were in turmoil. However, he activated on his ‘it-never-happened skill’ and succeeded in making a face that seemed to say, “It was only natural, and so?”

How on earth did this happen? That was Masayuki’s current state of mind.

From Masayuki’s point of view, Rudra had done everything on his own. Even though he was told that he was amazing, it didn’t really feel like it.

It was difficult for him to accept such praise without thinking of himself as another person, but the people didn’t understand his feelings.

“Thank you for your hard work. You looked great, Masayuki.”

Velgrynd handed him a jet-black, gold-embroidered Emperor’s robe, and he put it on while thinking.
Velgrynd handed him a jet-black, gold-embroidered Emperor’s robe, and as he put it on, he tried to think. It was embarrassing to be the center of public attention, but he also had a feeling that there was trouble to come.

To be more specific, the knights of the capital had arrived.

Wow, this is going to be troublesome…

As Masayuki’s escort, Minits was acting as a negotiator. He seemed to be refusing the request, saying that if they wanted an audience with His Majesty the Emperor, they should talk to them first.

He listened to the conversation, thinking that his escorts were very reliable, but the content of the conversation was very disturbing.

It sounded like the king had been assassinated, but Masayuki had nothing to do with it. Masayuki’s heart continued to pound as he heard something about an important witness.

He had been through a lot of hardships, and now he was able to accept any difficulties naturally—that’s what he had thought, but now he realized that that was an exaggeration.

Although he has gotten accustomed to the nervous tension of public appearances, Masayuki was still a bit of a coward.

Not to mention, he’d rather not be suspected of murder…

“I’m sorry. I seem to have gotten you involved in our situation.”

Hinata, noticing that Rudra had reverted back to Masayuki, softly apologized.

“Uh?”

“Reiner murdered King Aegil and blamed me for his sins.”

‘No way,’ Masayuki thought.

That’s such a big deal!

It was hard to be involved in such an incident and accept it. But it was also impossible to pretend that he had nothing to do with it now.

Even if he wanted to complain, there was no one to complain to.

After all, Masayuki was the most important person here right now.

Masayuki had no choice but to take charge of the situation.

As the crowd continued to cheer, Masayuki took a step forward.

Then, as he always did in practice, he tilted his head at an angle and looked down.

After a two-second pause, he turned his head to the front and looked at the audience.

Just by doing this, the excitement of the people was palpable. It was frighteningly effective.

As expected, it’s exactly as Rimuru-san told me.

That’s right.

Masayuki’s current gesture was the result of Rimuru’s guidance—or rather, it was the result of practice based on Ciel’s production.

By adding the gestures that were calculated to win the hearts of the people, the effect of his Skill was increased. And now that it had evolved into the ‘King of Heroes,’ the effect was enormous.

“Everyone, please calm down. I need you to stay composed and tell me what happened—”

When Masayuki quietly began to speak, the excited people fell silent at once.

Like a receding wave, the entire area was enveloped in silence.

Masayuki was inwardly horrified at the unimaginable impact of his influence.

This was the achieved effect after only a small amount of performance guidance.

With nothing to do but to laugh at the situation, Masayuki resolved to continue his performance.

Uh okay, don’t panic and take your time. Even if you stutter or choke a little, it’s fine because there’s a way to fix it!—was that it?

Ever since he decided to become Emperor, Rimuru had consulted him many times. There were many other people who supported Masayuki, and he was now able to play the role reasonably well. It never occurred to those who were watching him intently that Masayuki was actually really nervous.

“Everyone! What is right and what is wrong? I think it should be obvious from this scene. If you are wise, you will know the right answer without me saying anything. I ask that you believe in that answer, and I want to believe in you, too!”

Masayuki didn’t think he was explaining himself very well. Nevertheless, he was convinced that it would have a significant effect.

Because that was the effect of Masayuki’s ‘King of Heroes.’

He didn’t know what the right answer was, but at the least, he wanted to avoid the hostility of the people. It seems that he succeeded in doing so and decided to take this opportunity to lead the people in a cynical manner so as not to be taken advantage of.

It’s perfect. I didn’t say anything important, so I can’t be blamed if I’m wrong.

Masayuki praised himself inwardly.

As Masayuki began to speak, the crowd that had been in an uproar suddenly calmed down. Along with that, Minits came up to Masayuki with a knight in tow.

He was a large man with a stern face and metal armor all over his body.

Masayuki was scared.

However, the knight saluted Masayuki with the highest of respect.

“It is my great pleasure to have an audience with His Majesty Masayuki, Champion of my Kingdom of Ingracia and Emperor of the Great Eastern Empire!”

“Ah, yes.”

Masayuki was overwhelmed and just nodded his head.

However, he felt compelled to say what he needed to say and opened his mouth to the knight.

“Um, King Aegil—”

He had heard that the King of Aegil was killed, but it wasn’t Hinata-san who did it—He was about to continue, but the knight interrupted him and spoke up.

“Please rest assured! If His Majesty Masayuki is on her side, then the suspicions about Hinata-dono can be cleared! Rather, we, the knights of Ingracia, would never suspect Hinata-dono!!”

The knight laughed loudly.

“So then, have we identified the culprit?”

Hinata glanced at Prince Elric.

He had been trembling behind the fountain ever since the battle had started, but Moss had moved him out of the way.

It was not a kindness, but an instruction from Testarossa.

It was an act to secure the culprit, and not to allow him to escape.

Seeing such a situation, anyone with an intelligent mind would have been able to guess who was behind this.

It may be true that the king was murdered, but was Hinata really the culprit?

These were the questions that came to the peoples’ minds.

Prince Elric was certainly a popular man, but it was only by looking at the sequence of events that the full picture of what had happened became clear.

Masayuki knew nothing about the incident, but Hinata had been looking at Prince Elric. At that moment, he looked up and she met Elric’s eyes.

“Fu-Fuhahahahaha…It’s all over now, I’m ruined…”

Elric suddenly started laughing as Masayuki looked at him.

And then, for some reason, he took the liberty of confessing his misdeeds.

No, what? I don’t understand the situation, but what’s going on?!

It was just that Elric misunderstood that he had seen through everything and self-destructed on his own. Unbeknownst to Masayuki, he decided to hide his inner turmoil and continue acting as if he understood everything.

And so, the situation came to an end with a furious turn of events.

“It seems that Masayuki-sama has identified the culprit and solved the problem…”

“Prince Elric killed His Majesty the King, his father…”

“The mastermind behind it was Reiner, the former Commander of the Knight Order.”

“That’s why Hinata-sama…”

“Reiner was the bastard who blundered at the council meeting, wasn’t he?”

“Oh, how shameful of the former Commander of the Knights of Ingracia.”

“So, then he was trying to take revenge on Hinata-sama with the help of a monster?”

“But it was our Masayuki-sama who saw through that and resolved Hinata-sama’s dilemma!”

“As expected of hero-sama!”

“Even though he became the Emperor of the Eastern Empire, he still remembered us!!”

The prince’s confession was decisive.

The people were convinced without needing any explanation from Masayuki or Hinata.

“Hurray, Masayuki-sama!”

“Glory to our Masayuki-sama!!”

Such cheers naturally arose.

It quickly spread among the people, and the chorus began.

“““Ma-sa-yu-ki, Ma-sa-yu-ki, Ma-sa-yu-ki!!”””

And it wasn’t long before the Royal Capital was filled with the usual cheers.

With one hand raised awkwardly and his cheek twitching, Masayuki responded to the people.

The contrast between Hinata’s slightly dumbfounded expression and Velgrynd’s satisfied look was striking.

Masayuki’s inner self was filled with tears and screamed ‘Whatever, I don’t care anymore!’—but that’s just the way things always were.

Incidentally, the next day, Masayuki suffered terrible pains from the aftereffects of harboring Rudra, as well as from a variety of other reasons, regardless of the use of restoration magic—This included a very rare kind of growing pain called “soul pain,” but he had no way of knowing that now.

Michael was acutely aware of his own naivety.

To be honest, at first he had thought that the Demon Lord Rimuru was insignificant. That changed the moment Rimuru defeated Velgrynd.

From then on, he regarded him as an enemy and took extra precautions. Even so, he still thought that he would not be much of an enemy in a head-on battle.

But now, Michael had no choice but to admit that he had been naive.

After all, the Demon Lord Rimuru had entered the “Suspended World,” a place that only a limited number of people were allowed to enter, without permission.

What a troublesome guy. He’s always getting in my way.

At this point, there was no point in stopping time.

Michael lifted the ‘Time Stop’ and decided to crush Rimuru with an overwhelming difference in power. The ‘Time Stop’ had been obtained by analyzing Velzard’s ‘Patience King Gabriel,’ but it was useless to someone who could manipulate information particles at will. Since maintaining it would only consume unnecessary energy, he decided that it would be more advantageous to fight in a straightforward manner.

In fact, Michael has gained great power by taking in the factors of the two “True Dragons.” His body had been strengthened to the point of invincibility, and he was overflowing with energy.

And that wasn’t all.

Michael, as befitting of the head of the Angelic Ultimate Skills, was able to fully display all the powers he had analyzed and taken in.

From Velzard’s ‘Patience King Gabriel,’ the concept of ‘fixation’ had given him an unrivaled and powerful defensive ability. It was not as powerful as Castle Guard, but it was more useful in that it could be used to attack at the same time. Moreover, the concept of “fixation” had given him the ultimate “time stop” ability. As long as he had this, it was as if he could never be defeated by any entity.

Another example was Velgrynd’s ‘Charity King Raguel’ which boasted the ultimate offensive capabilities.

The information from the ‘Purity King Metatron’ that he had retrieved from Leon was also very useful in terms of energy efficiency.

Even the powers he had lent out to his subordinates were at Michael’s disposal. He could manipulate them at will, as he had done with the ‘Concealment’ power from Arios’ ‘Punishment King Sandalphon.’

For Michael, who had reached such a state of existence, there was no doubt that he could win any battle as long as he was present.

He had been defeated by the Hero Chloe, but that was only a ‘Parallel Existence’ at less than 20 percent of his power. The current Michael was perfect, and his lost energy had been replenished.

In fact, there was a disparity of more than ten times between Michael and the Demon Lord Rimuru in front of him. He was assured that there was nothing to lose.

In the first place, a serious Michael would have easily defeated Obera’s army. Considering that, defeating Rimuru personally should have been a piece of cake.

However, it was not that simple.

‘This guy is a monster’—Michael admitted from the bottom of his heart.

Every attack he launched at Rimuru was unsuccessful.

Even the Scorch Dragon Cardinal Acceleration, which he had unleashed with deadly intent, was instantly drowned out.

Michael could not believe his eyes.

The moment he lost the overwhelming advantage of stopping time, he no longer had an effective means of attack against Rimuru. By the time he realized this, the battle had already been decided.

“Hmm, all these attacks are so easy to understand. This is enough, I can handle—”

Just as he thought he was muttering something, Rimuru’s threat level rose several notches.

The color of his eyes glowed gold.

Rimuru was no longer a reachable opponent for Michael.

If he couldn’t attack, then could he defend?

Michael’s ‘Castle Guard’ was no longer effective, but he still had the ‘Patience King Gabriel’ from Velzard. Its essence was ‘fixation’ and boasted absolute protection.

With that in mind, he activated the ‘Snow Crystal’ to coagulate the moisture in the air. Pouring all his strength into it, he created an indestructible object that wrapped around Michael.

However…

“Eh, this can be eaten too? Seriously?”

For some reason, Rimuru himself was surprised as he made a hole in the ‘Snow Crystal.’

It was an unbelievable reality.

“You, what did you just do?! What did you say just now?!”

Michael couldn’t help shouting…

Rimuru replied matter-of-factly.

“I ate it.”

“You ate it?”

“Well, yeah. That’s my ability. Well, I didn’t think I could eat the ‘Barrier’ either, but I guess it’s possible if you try.”

It couldn’t be. Michael was astonished.

‘What the hell are you talking about?’ he felt like shouting.

Michael acted on the basis of rational judgment. That was why he could not simply nod his head to such an irrational story.

But the results were all that mattered.

Michael was not so incompetent as to ignore the reality shown before him.

So, what should he do?

All means of attack had been neutralized and his defenses were gone.

‘You should run away,’ a calm voice whispered.

At the same time, something else suggested that he should search for information here.

Either way, Michael had ‘Parallel Existence,’ so even if he was defeated here, he could be revived.

In fact, since he had transferred his power to Feldway, it was possible to attack him even if it was reckless.

However—

Demon Lord Rimuru was too incomprehensible.

And Michael’s escape had already been blocked.

«I have confined this area to the ‘Imaginary Space.’ With this, it is now impossible for Michael to escape from this place.»

He felt as if he heard an unidentified voice.

He thought it was absurd, but apparently it was true.

If so, there was only one answer, so there was no need to worry.

If he couldn’t defeat Demon Lord Rimuru here, then there would be no way out either way.

“Huh, in that case, I’ll respond. I’ll show you how serious I really am.”

Michael declared, attempting to summon not the sword in his hand, but the most powerful sword ever created.

“Come, ‘Deva.’”

But there was no response.

Rudra, the true owner of the sword, was already using it, so there was no way it would respond to Michael’s call, who was only a fake master.

If he had been able to use ‘Parallel Existence’ as Velgrynd did, he would have been able to understand the world as seen through Feldway’s eyes. However, Michael, although he transferred the function as an ability, was not able to synchronize completely.

The reason for this failure was that he thought it would be no problem to exchange information later.

As soon as that happened, Michael just put divine energy into his sword.

Rimuru’s reaction was ‘Huh?’ but he was ready to respond with his own sword.

“Um, what about ‘Deva’?”

“Never mind that.”

“That’s fine then, but…”

Rimuru looked a little unconvinced, but his expression tightened as Michael’s divine presence increased.

Then the two men went into the final battle.

“Melt Slash.”

Michael, having taken over Rudra’s body, had already mastered his swordplay. It was impossible for the current Michael to recreate Rudra’s most powerful technique, the ‘Nova Break,’ but he was fully capable of using the most powerful sword techniques that manipulated one’s spirit.

He was also adept at Disintegration and chosen to use the transcendental holy sword technique, ‘Overblade’ for this match.

Rimuru, on the other hand, showed his hidden move without any hesitation.

“Void Collapse, World of a Thousand Blooming Changes.”

As if in courtesy to those who would soon perish, he generously revealed it to the public for the first time.

It was a terrifying technique.

The trajectory of the sword changed in thousands upon thousands of directions, slicing through the enemy with elusive movements. Its power was impeccable, and it scattered the target like a flower.

It was out of the realm of human reach and seemed impossible for even a demon lord.

The toughness of a True Dragon, combined with the flexibility of slime, must have enabled him to achieve such an incomprehensible sword technique.

“—It’s over, I’ve lost…”

Michael realized that his body was disintegrating.

And before he had time to face that inescapable reality—

“So then, do you have any last words?”

Rimuru asked him.

Accepting defeat, Michael thought to himself.

How could he have lost when he had outperformed them in every way?

He could not find the answer.

That’s why he asked a different question rather than sighing in defeat.

“You, who are you…?”

To which Rimuru replied with a puzzled look.

“Eh, me? I’m just a slime…”

What was he talking about? Michael suddenly felt ridiculous.

He didn’t care about his crumbling body, but for some reason—

Perhaps, is this what it feels like to be ‘happy?’

He suddenly understood.

It was a feeling that he hadn’t felt since his Lord had abandoned him and his ego had grown. He had tried to imitate it, but later dismissed it as something that he could not understand…

And now, in this last moment, he suddenly understood.

It was something beyond his control, Michael thought in self-mockery.

“What slime? You’re an anomalous existence that is too incomprehensible to be understood, and yet it suits you. You have defeated me, a Manas—”

The decay rate increased.

As particles of light dispersed, more and more of his body was being chipped away.

“You know, I’m actually not alone.”

“—?”

“Take your time, you’ll have to ask my partner about that.”

With that said, Rimuru broke off the conversation.

His hand came to rest on Michael.

“Devour all things—‘Void God (Azathoth)!’”

For the first time in this world, the ultimate and most powerful skill bared its fangs.

The irresistible power of peace—the ‘Soul Devourer,’ swallowed up all of Michael.

………
……
…

In truth, he understood.

That He, his creator, had abandoned him.

He didn’t want to admit it, so he had struggled with it until now.

But that was over now.

It was warm with an all-encompassing completeness.

A familiar comfort.

‘Ah, I see’—Michael thought as he faded away.

Perhaps everything had just been a misunderstanding.

Everything was here, and he felt himself becoming a part of it.

Michael was no longer alone.

This was inevitable, it must have all been part of a harmonious plan.

—Ah…my wish has been granted. Feldway, my only regret is leaving you behind—

It suddenly occurred to him, and—

Michael’s consciousness vanished into thin air.

I confronted Michael and immediately realized…

Oh, this is no big deal.

Because Michael’s attacks were too textbook.

It was good to be faithful to the basics, but he didn’t seem to have any variety. In other words, he only threw strikes, so no matter how powerful they were, they were easy to predict and easy to deal with.

That’s why, Ciel-san and I switched players as soon as the battle started, and I had a good time watching the high-level exchanges.

During the battle, Michael had used a great defensive move, which made me nervous. No matter how much I could handle, the difference in strength was obvious. I thought that if he could create a ‘Defense Barrier’ that I couldn’t break, I would be helpless.

However, Ciel-san was even more amazing.

No, seriously.

It saw through the weaknesses of Michael’s moves with scary calmness. As a result, even the defensive move called ‘Snow Crystal’ was eliminated by ‘Void God (Azathoth)’ in a matter of seconds.

It was an overwhelmingly one-sided battle.

Michael was so pitiful that I decided to score a complete victory.

In the end, I showed him the “Void Collapse, World of a Thousand Blooming Changes,” which may have been a test in battle for Ciel-san, but for me it was a final gift to Michael.

I defeated Michael, but at the end, I was asked a strange question.

‘Who are you?’ Even if asked, I’m honestly not sure.

I am me.

It’s nothing more than that.

However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything that comes to mind.

Michael probably noticed Ciel-san’s existence.

That’s why I wanted to have them communicate from Manas to fellow Manas.

Michael seemed to be proud of being a Manas, so it would be surprising for him to learn of Ciel-san’s existence, but it was the last time, so there was no problem. With that in mind, I activated my first use of the ‘Soul Devourer’ ability on Michael.

I was surprised when I did it.

I had thought that it would be impossible to devour all of Michael, since his existence value was probably ten times greater than mine, but Michael disappeared in an instant.

And there was also the feeling of satiety.

A feeling that I had never felt before, no matter what I ate, filled my heart.

«With this, the data of the Seven Angelic System Ultimate Skills are complete. Velzard’s dragon factor has also been acquired, so I will start the ‘Analyze and Assess’~ ♪ »

Well, not only was I satisfied, but Ciel-san seemed to be happy as well.

After the battle with Michael, I checked on Diablo and the others.

I was glad everyone was okay.

“Kuh, I have no excuse for my mistake this time, and I can’t tell you—”

“No, no, that was unavoidable. What can you do if they can stop time?”

“No, I should have thought of more countermeasures. I regret that I naively thought that it would be of no use for those who could move within the Time Stop, and that it would only be less fuel efficient and less useful. I swear not to make such a mistake the next time!”

Diablo was unusually depressed, and I had a hard time calming him down.

I thought Time Stop was a foul, but since there were very few people who could handle it, I didn’t think we’d need to worry about it that much.

That’s what I thought, but Diablo and Souei thought differently.

“Diablo, tell me how to deal with it too.”

“I managed to get a sense for it, but it’s difficult to go beyond that. If you know how to do it, please tell me.”

“Of course, Souei-dono. And Ultima as well.”

They were enthusiastically discussing countermeasures.

Well, yeah.

If you’re not careful, you can make the same mistakes over and over and again. If there is answer for this, it is better to prepare in advance.

I think that Diablo and the others’ actions are not in vain, because they can think of a solution to any problem if given enough time.

With that in mind, I decided not to interfere.

It seemed that Leon had not regained consciousness yet, so I ordered Diablo to take him to Tempest.

I didn’t think he’d be a target anymore, but it was just in case.

I also ordered Ultima to go to Shion’s aid. Now that Dagruel was on the march, I decided that Lubelius would be the next battleground.

“Kufufufufu, I will be back soon, so it is goodbye for now.”

“Well then, Rimuru-sama, I’m off!”

And the two immediately sprang into action.

Veyron and Zonda followed Ultima, leaving Souei and I alone. However, there was still work to be done.

Here, we would investigate the “Holy Void” Damargania.

Dagruel didn’t seem like someone who would betray us, so something must have happened here. I wanted to know what that was, and I also thought I should find out what the current situation was in this city.

“I’m counting on you, Souei!”

“Understood!”

It was safe to leave it to Souei.

After giving the instructions, I returned to the capital, which had been my last concern.

But apparently, there was no need to panic.

“You’re too late. It’s over.”

Velgrynd proudly told me what had happened.

Surprisingly, Masayuki had defeated Feldway, the enemy’s leader.

“That’s amazing!”

“Wait a minute! Before you praise me, please listen to what I have to say first!”

Well, yeah.

I understood.

I’m sure Masayuki was not happy about this.

But he still won, so he should be proud of it.

I was relieved too.

Really, I was just glad everyone was okay.

I was relieved about it, but it seems that it was too early to relax.

Soon after that, reports of the war situation began to arrive from all over the world.

It was more horrible than I had imagined…my mind instantly switched to the upcoming battles.

—

Notes:

Would you: Basically, Ciel asked Rimuru a question and ended it with ‘–ne?’ instead of ‘–ka?’ When ending with ‘–ne?’ in Japanese, it’s more like saying a statement rather than asking the question normally using ‘–ka?’ That’s why I used the phrases ‘you would (–ne)’ vs. ‘would you (–ka).’ Saying ‘you would like to use it?’ as a question is more of a statement rather than just asking ‘would you like to use it?’

Moonlight Goddess Sword (Moon Mistress): “月光の神女剣 (ムーンミストレス)” 🡪 Gekkō no Kaminchu (mūnmisutoresu) 🡪 Moonlight Goddess Sword (Moon Mistress) or just ‘Moon Mistress.’

Intention: Another translation here is ‘will.’

Masayuki Honjou: Or Honjou Masayuki depending on whether you put the family name first.

Double check: See footnote #119 for more info.

Tremendous: Another translation for this word (susamajī) could be ‘extraordinary’

Reverse Fate: “運命流転 (リバースフェイト)” 🡪 Unmei ruten (ribāsuufeito) 🡪 Destiny/Fate Rebirth/Reversal (Reverse Fate)

Chu~: In case it wasn’t obvious, this is an onomatopoeia for a kiss.

Completely unavoidable: Another translation is that it was a ‘force majeure.’

I will keep a close watch: The translation is actually closer to saying ‘I’ll keep it dense/close/tight’ but ‘keeping a close watch’ made more sense in English.

Innocent: The word used here was ‘shirajishi (白々しい)’ which can mean innocent, pure white, or clear. It can also mean shameless and transparent when lying.

My woman: Even the way Masayuki/Rudra speaks is very different than the usual Masayuki. He refers to himself using ‘Ore’ instead of ‘boku’ and is more assertive in his communication.

Gryun: Masayuki’s nickname for Velgrynd has always been “Gryn-san/Grin-san’ up until now (seems to be taken directly from Velgrynd’s name). But this new nickname is different and kind of difficult to spell out properly in English, but it’s closest to ‘Gryun’ or even ‘Guryun’—kind of like taking the end of Velgrynd’s name (Gryn) and adding another ‘yu’ sound to it (Gryun). If it helps, “Gryn” kind of sounds like ‘grin’ or ‘green’ and “Gryun” kind of sounds like ‘gr-yoon.’

Warp movement: The word used here was “shukuchi (縮地)” which is a Japanese term for various mythical techniques of rapid movement. It’s kind of a similar concept to the ‘warp drive’ from star trek. Shukuchi literally means “shrinking the earth” referring to how using it reduces the distance between you and your opponent. This term is also used in modern Japanese martial arts when making sudden movements or quickly going to an opponent’s blind spot to attack.

Infinite Eater: The Japanese raw said “虚喰無限獄 (インフィニットイーター)” 🡪 “虚喰無限獄” means something like “void eating infinity prison” and in parenthesis, this attack goes by “Infinite Eater.”

Couple-ness: The word used was “バカップル (bakappuru)” which means ‘love birds’ or a ‘sickeningly sweet and soppy couple.’ It combines the word “baka (stupid)” and “kappuru (couple).” It’s also kind of like calling them a stupidly sappy couple.

Hewlp: The Japanese words are broken and purposely misspelled to imply a lack of fluency. I’m not 100% positive, but the words in Japanese looked like he was saying “Hina(ta), save/help me” but misspelled/mispoken on purpose. Hence, I purposefully misspelled the sentence “Hina(ta), help” to “Hinaw, hewlp.”

Until today: Another translation is “That’s how they got to where the were today.”

Ark: “虚空 (アーク)” 🡪 kokū (āku) 🡪 kokū means empty space/empty sky/void/etc. 🡪 “The void (Ark)”—it could also be ‘Arc’ as well just going by the katakana.

You can “see” it, can’t you?: It’s quite possible that this is just me making wild observations that mean absolutely nothing, so feel free to ignore this, and don’t take it too seriously. However, the way Rudra would say “You can see it” would normally sound like mi eru yo na in Japanese. However, because the world ‘see’ was isolated in parentheses, it ends up sounding like ‘shi’ eru yo na (at least it did through the machine translators). I wondered why the word “see” was being emphasized, but when Rudra says ‘shi eru yo na,’ it contains the same word shieru🡪Ciel. “Shieru yo na” also sounds like the sentence “It’s Ciel” This 100% could just be a random word pun I found, or just something completely not true, but I still thought it was interesting enough to become a little footnote, hehe.

First-sama: She calls him “Shodai-sama” which I’m guessing refers to the “first” or “first generation” of heroes.

It-never-happened skill: Ironically, if you go back to footnote #52, you can see that Rimuru used this same ‘skill’ to deflect Guy. The translation was “Through Skill (スルーSkill)” which I think was referring to something like a “Pass right through” or even a “see through” Skill, but I wasn’t completely sure. That’s why I went with the “It-never-happened (as in, it went right through him)” skill translation.

Fixation: The action of making something firm or stable, or the process of preserving or stabilizing. Immobilizing/anchoring.

World of a Thousand Blooming Changes: I’m not gonna lie, I had no clue how to translate the name of this move. There were so many different variations that came popping out, so I just settled with a mixture between the google and deepl MTLs (which also kept changing every time I put them in by the way). So, I appreciate everyone’s understanding! For anyone who might be fluent in Japanese, here is what the raw said!— “虚（こ）崩（ほう）朧（ろう） 千（せん）変（ぺん）万（ばん）華（か）”

The irresistible power of peace: There are many words for peace in Japanese. The one used here is “安寧(annei)” which is more like ‘peace of mind’ ‘stability,’ and ‘tranquility.’

Soul Devourer: I chose the translation “soul devourer” because although the hiragana came out as “soul-eater,” the characters used stood for something more like “soul,” “violent,” and “eat”—hence, “Soul devouer.”🡪 魂（こん）暴（ぼう）喰（しょく）

Textbook: The Japanese actually says that his attacks were too “honor-student,” but “by the text” or “textbook” makes more sense in English.

Thousand Blooming Changes: Again, as stated in a previous footnote, this translation may not be correct.

Complete: Ciel actually says the English word ‘complete (konpurīto)’ here. To me, it gives off the feeling that Ciel is very pleased/giddy.