Volume 16 - CH 1

Chapter 1: The Untold Story of Betrayal 

The Emperor Rudra, or should I say, Michael, and the demon king Feldway have left. 

It wasn’t settled, but the feeling took its toll on them. 

There are still elements of unease left, but for now I want to celebrate that everyone is safe and sound. 

The post-improvement and future countermeasures will be pushed back first. 

Only, Carrion and Frey and the others fell into an evolutionary sleep, so I ordered Testarossa to discreetly send them back. 

"I'm sorry, when you're tired too…" 

"Please don't worry about us. Please rest and recuperate.” 

Although it's a bit embarrassing, I’ll accept the kindness for now. 

There are other things to think about when everything has calmed down, but right now I'm full of ideas for a party first. 

The opportunity was rare, and we tried to invite Laplace, but the other party seemed to be gone by the time Diablo went to pick him up. 

That guy was also pining for his companions in his own way, so on second thought, it was better not to call him here. 

The agreement to fight together still stands, and if anything happens over there, I intend to help out, so let's leave them alone for now. 

And so we returned to the capital “Rimuru,” but it was then that I received an unexpected report. 

A corner of the outer area of the town was burned down. 

The damage wasn't as great as it seemed due to the guard of Geld. The fire was prevented from spreading by destroying the surrounding buildings, and the injuries sustained by the personnel were minor. 

And the best news was that the number of dead was zero. 

But there is also bad news. 

That said, everything has happened and was now over, and there was no use panicking now. I pushed down my anxiety, intending to listen to Geld's report first. 

The people waiting in line to report back to me, however, was not just Geld. 

***

The location is the banquet hall.

The executives, who had been very active this time, had taken their seats, and Shuna, Haruna, and Gobchi’s henchmen were hurrying to go and prepare food for everyone. 

I, too, felt that it was a little bit of a bummer to listen to the report in such an environment, given the urgency of the situation. 

The seat to my right was occupied by Veldora, who still stubbornly refused to leave it, even knowing that he had no intention of listening. 

Veldora's capriciousness is nothing new, so I'm used to it. Rather than trying to convince him, it would be easier to give up and not worry about it. 

Thus, Benimaru sat to my left, while Shion and Diablo stood behind me as usual, their preparations for hearing the report were already perfect. 

Diablo didn't say anything, and Shion went to eat with everyone at first, but Shion insisted on waiting until afterwards, presumably this was against Shion's own rules, so I went with it. 

So, again, let's see who's here to report. 

Geld was sitting down facing me, and Adalman, with a quiet feeling of restlessness, was directly across from Benimaru. 

He also seems to have successfully completed his evolution, with a slight change in the atmosphere of his body. I intend to ask him to report separately in due course on the details of this. 

Across from Veldora sat Ramiris, while Treyni and Beretta stood behind the seats to serve her. By the way, it was Charys who poured the wine for Veldora. 

As for Ramiris herself, the report had been tossed aside to indulge in eating. 

"Well, I always believed that Master would be fine! Although when that exaggerated sister of Master's blew up the upper level of the maze, even I thought that this was really a bit bad. However, we believed that Master would be fine if he does it. That's why we didn’t worry about anything from the beginning!” 

After summing that up, Ramiris happily drank her juice, and no one pointed out that her words were actually mixed with both truths and lies. 

"Kuhahaha! It's only natural! Even if the opponent was my sister, I didn't have an ounce of trepidation. 

Still, although just a tiny bit careless, it’s all the fault of those dirty obstructionists who targeted me and ruined my victory.” 

This guy is talking nonsense. 

Even I was feeling scared, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. And frankly, an evolved Velgrynd is pretty dangerous. Even if Veldora wanted to beat her, he only has a 50% chance, so I think it's better not to talk big. 

However, those who heard those words just now all applauded in droves. 

"Not bad for Veldora-sama, I must study hard too…" 

Charys nodded in serious succession. 

"After all, it was such an amazing fight. I thought I had evolved and become stronger, but now I deeply feel that I have much further to go.” 

Benimaru followed suit, for the words came from the heart, and Veldora listened with a satisfied look of triumph. 

However, Ramiris' statement stopped Veldora from laughing. 

"Really, Master, you’re always careless. But there's probably nothing to worry about anymore." 

"Probably? What do you mean, Ramiris?” 

See, I knew the words couldn't be too full. 

Talking too much can sometimes drive you to extremes. 

"Because, now that man…….Ah! I'm just relieved to have my master!” 

That man? 

Ramiris' words were unsettling. 

"Eh! No, no, it's not. Is it okay? I, although I am invincible, have occasionally been in poor health…” 

Veldora seemed to remember something too, and sees that she has dug her own grave, and he suddenly began to make excuses too. 

But I think it's too late, so forget it, it's a common occurrence anyway, just don't worry about it. 

More than that, I’m more worried about Vesta sitting in the corner. 

I tossed Veldora and the others aside and asked the residual group what was going on. 

***

Immediately after Rimuru headed to the Empire, the people left behind encountered an emergency.

The celebratory atmosphere that had remained until just now was gone in an instant. 

The same was true for Ramiris, who was returning to the deepest part of the maze. 

The Dragon Kings under their own command had successfully completed their evolution, much to Ramiris' relief. It was only at this time that Rimuru and the others made an emergency move, which made her feel a little uneasy. 

Ramiris wanted to be happy every day, and here in the Jura Tempest Federation, was the wonderfully ideal home for her to feel she could make that wish come true. 

It was an important place for Ramiris, who had lived through a long time alone and could only rely on the spirits to vent her loneliness. It was something she never wanted to lose. 

It was for this reason that she had a fear of losing this place. 

Although, as usual, she felt that it didn't matter as long as Rimuru was there. But somehow, an unsettling feeling in Ramiris' mind just couldn't be erased. 

And the premonition came true. 

Veldora's sister, Velgrynd, attacks and the labyrinth that Ramiris is so proud of is destroyed. 

The labyrinth is impossible to destroy by physical means, but the “true dragon seed" is an unreasonable incarnation that can turn that into a possibility. 

At the sight of Velgrynd's figure, Ramiris was reminded of ancient memories that she had forgotten. 

In the distant past, not long before Ramiris was born, she had seen Veldora, who was very similar in appearance to the great Veldanava, but was rampaging. 

Veldora's attributes were mainly wind, like the literal meaning of "storm dragon,” but even "space" and 

"water" are under his control. Combined with the amazing amount of mana second only to Veldanava, he was simply the raging storm itself. 

It was as if Veldora was the very incarnate of the Heavenly Calamity, his berserk power was said to be the strongest on the ground. His two sisters, however, possessed a power even more transcendent, reaching another level. 

The attribute of Velgrynd, which is the "Flame" attribute, is the worst match-up with the "Wind" 

attribute of Veldora. She could make the difference in the amount of mana worthless, standing above Veldora with an overwhelming presence. 

However, that alone is not bad. 

After all, there's a power differential that's even bigger that makes the win or loss of the game untenable. 

The real threat is the eldest sister, Velzado. 

The attribute of Velzado is ice, but her essence is not “water,” but rather something more. Velzado has the power to deceive using authority, misleading others about her own attributes, so that no one knows the truth of them. 

Ramiris had heard Veldanava speak once, so she knew the truth about Velzado’s multiple attributes. 

……no, it was known before. 

Sadly, however, the repeated reincarnations made her forget these things. 

No, actually, it wasn't completely forgotten, but it always took a lot for Ramiris to remember ancient memories. 

That's why Ramiris felt that, fortunately, this time the opponent was Velgrynd, and if the enemy had been switched to Velzado, it should have been impossible for Veldora to win. 

Ramiris remembered that Velzado had wiped out the raging Veldora with a single blow, and her "icy, frozen eyes" that took it all for granted. 

So now, it's not too much to say that Ramiris is worried about Veldora to the extreme. 

She couldn't calm herself down and flew around the room. 

“Are you okay, Master?" 

Such a question represents Ramiris's uneasiness, but it also includes the phrase "it's okay to run away", which is actually an attempt to care for Veldora. 

But Veldora replied in the same way. 

"Don't worry. You guys just stay here and enjoy my bravery!" 

Veldora revealed a look of seeming relief, not a hint of unease in her heart, and then left the maze alone, confident and full. 

At this point, Veldora looked very dazzling to Ramiris. 

Thinking back to the way Veldora used to be, this growth now, struck a chord with her. 

After Veldora had struck out to deal with Velgrynd, Ramiris took a look around at those left in the Control Room. 

Charys, who had been declared unable to be a warrior by Veldora, stayed behind, but it couldn't be helped. With the flame attribute Velgrynd as an opponent, Charys really isn't going to be of any use. 

Beretta remained calm and collected, and seeing his usual demeanor, Ramiris' mood calmed down. 

The people who had been transformed into Spirit Tree Doll Dryads by the hand of Rimuru had been incorporated into Beretta's command as reporters, and there were now twenty-four members in all. Since Rimuru was busy letting them all evolve, the whole crew grew into excellent maze managers. 

Treyni was there, as well as her sisters Trya and Doris, all with the same gentle expression as usual, guarding Ramiris. 

Then there are Vesta and Dino, and the people who have recently become researchers. 

That is, the trio of Shinji Tanimura, Mark Lauren, and Zhen Liu Xing, along with Lucius and Raymond as trainee assistants. 

The five are considered Gedora's men when the Maze enters wartime, but Gedora is now absent, and they have come to help the Control Room as Ramiris' assistants. 

Everyone looked back at Ramiris with concern. 

Thus, Ramiris deliberately changed to a lighter tone of voice. 

"Really! I'm not worried. Master will definitely win, and even if he loses, Rimuru will find a way to fix it, and I’m definitely not wrong. But in the end, Master is invincible as long as you don't overlook him!” 

Hearing her own words, Ramiris herself calmed down. If it's Veldora and Rimuru, they’ll be sure to recapture the calm everyday life. 

The uneasy atmosphere could have been banished, I suppose—and yet shortly thereafter, the incident happened just as she had that thought. 

***

"Warning! It's an intruder!”

Alpha, the chief operator, shouted loudly. 

Hearing this, everyone immediately switched their mindset to combat mode. 

“Display on screen." 

After Beretta gave the order, a portion of the main screen screen split and begin showing the scene of the invasion. 

Seeing the figure standing on the spot, Ramiris couldn't help but yelp. 

"Wait, isn't that an angel? It's not just the flesh that's been affected but also the deterioration that's happening, He’s giving off a pretty dangerous feeling!” 

In fact, the intruders are very foreign indeed. 

The pure white clothes were covered with mythical equipment that emitted a black and gold glow, and the long black hair also carried a glow like fragmented starlight, which further highlighted the beauty of this person. 

Three pairs to six pure white wings on the first man's back further increased his attention level. 

“Calculation of the energy value is out! This, this is…” 

Alpha covered her mouth. 

"What's wrong? Report now.” 

At Treyni's urging, Alpha regrouped. 

"Although it's only speculation, the existence value of the leading individual is worth over three million. The next five, each with a presumed existence value of 400,000 to 700,000." 

Alpha's statement succeeded in freezing the air in the "control room". 

It is the hidden duty of the labyrinth to numerate the ‘level’ of the lifeforms and construct the relevant database. The original purpose of this was to help with crisis management by accumulating information about the battles in the maze when they were displayed on the screen. 

The numerical representation that is common to the entire process is called “existence value". 

This is the numerical value formed after numerating the amount of mana and physical ability, plus the internal energy value of the weapons equipped, and is not the same thing as the actual combat ability. 

Since it is impossible to measure one's abilities and the skills one has acquired by studying them, this value is only for reference purposes, but even so, it is indicative of many things. 

If used correctly, you can expect help in strengthening your maze defense. For example, dispatching people of similar level to deal with an enemy based on their existence value, or roughly guessing what level of combat skill the enemy is based on their existence value. 

However, this system is still in the pilot phase, and the degree of data accumulation can hardly be called sufficient. 

In this world, there are also fierce people like Hakurou, whose existence value is only 60,000 or so, but can beat enemies whose value is several times their own. 

His existence value is less, but stronger than Gozu and Mezu, whose existence values are around 130,000. 

Because there are many more such examples, the existence value of such things can only be used as a general reference, which has become common knowledge. 

........... 

........ 

... 

By the way, the existence value hierarchy of the Jura Tempest Federation is also tied to the Freedom Association hierarchy. 

Existence value of less than 1,000 is E class. 

D class is from 1,000 to less than 3,000. 

C class is from 3,000 to less than 6,000. 

B class is from 6,000 to less than 8,000 

B+ class is from 8,000 to less than 9,000. 

A- class is from 9,000 to less than 10,000. 

A huge high wall will appear here, and those who overcome it will be able to enter the first-class ranks. 

An existence value of more than 10,000 is an A class, which is considered a Hazard class. 

More than 100,000 is a Special A class, which is considered to be a Calamity class. 

Those who had obtained the demon lord species had a minimum existence value of 200,000, and according to Rimuru's feeling, the existence value of those suspected to have been Clayman and Frey before the Awakening was around 400,000. 

In this way, the existence value of 400,000 or more is defined as a Disaster class equivalent to S class. 

In the Jura Tempest Federation, the S class does not refer only to the demon lord, after all, there is a large number of executives with strength equivalent to the old demon lords, so for the sake of convenience and understanding, all of the guys at this level are defined as S class. 

From here on out, it's a standard that's only used in the Jura Tempest Federation. 

The natural Catastrophe class is a designation limited to “true dragon species" and Guy. So the Jura Tempest Federation uses the Special S class to define the other awakened transcendents. 

It was suspected that the amount of awakened Clayman wasn't very stable, but since Rimuru had remarked that 'he's around 700,000-800,000 right?’ In this way, a character with an existence value above 800,000 is defined as a Special S class. On top of that, some of the guys whose existence had crossed the millions mark had decided to be called by the simple and understandable title of Super Awakened (million) class. 

As a special mention for reference, no matter who is summoned, the existence value of the upper demon is fixed at 140,000. It's like having a cap set by someone, a standard number that is common to all upper-level demons. 

Even for Testarossa and the others, the initial value of the existence on record was only a quarter of a million, although it is now impossible to verify whether this is true or not, but Ramiris and others think that there should be no mistake. 

........... 

........ 

... 

"I didn't expect to it to be a Super Awakened—it’s a Seraphim anyway…" 

Ramiris stopped halfway through her sentence. 

Beretta nodded in return, then went on to explain. 

"That's a lot of trouble, and the other side is also S-ranked. Now that the floor guardians have fallen asleep, it would be a bit difficult to meet such an enemy.” 

"But, but, but, it's not good to do nothing, is it?” 

As if to help calm down the panicked Ramiris who was answering, Treyni opened her mouth with a soft smile. 

“That is true, Lady Ramiris. So let me go out and meet the enemy.” 

As if to follow Treyni, Trya and Doris also stood up. 

"Of course, I'll go with you.” 

"Sister, I'm going with you too!" 

Hearing this, Ramiris, instead of calming down, panicked even more. 

"Wait, wait, wait! You guys did get stronger, but you completely lose to them numerically, don’t you!?” 

"Well, no problem. The existence value is only a reference, so let's take this opportunity to prove the power of Lady Ramiris' entourage to everyone.” 

Hearing this, Trya and Doris nodded their heads hard as well. 

Ramiris tried to stop them, but couldn't do anything good. But the practice of putting all the danger on the lovely Torrenies now was intolerable as hosts. 

"It's no use! We only have to fight with certainty, as both Rimuru and Master once said.” 

Anyway, operate the maze first to buy time, in the meantime things might get better…and Ramiris began to escape reality. 

The one who stepped forward to dissuade her was Charys. 

"Lady Ramiris, unfortunately, it should be very difficult to buy time. We cannot allow the enemy to approach when the floor guardians are sleeping, leaving the other side in danger of having important facilities destroyed. Right now there is only one option to take. I'm also prepared to strike, and I hope you'll give me your permission.” 

Veldora had now gone out, and the strongest man here was now Charys, and it was for this reason that he spoke these words with the realization that he must do something. 

"Lord Beretta, the task of guarding Lady Ramiris is yours.” 

"Understood. I'll take care of Lady Ramiris.” 

Beretta was not far behind, and since all three dryad sisters were going to strike, he was certainly the only one left who could guard Ramiris. 

Alpha and the other girls were of the same mind, and all the members present stood together and swore an oath to guard Ramiris. 

Shinji and the others didn't disapprove and opened their mouths 

"We'll do our best as well!” 

"Oh, yeah. We have received so much care here, so we must repay it.” 

"Agreed. And then there's the resurrection bracelet, so you can keep trying even after you're dead.” 

"Exactly. We Imperial soldiers should have been killed a long time ago, and now we have a chance to prove ourselves.” 

"Indeed. Otherwise, I'll be scolded by Mr. Gedora.” 

The atmosphere in the "control room" had eased, as the five men were still talking and laughing, even with their powerful enemies at hand. 

Ramiris first took a deep breath, then showed an extraordinarily bright smile. 

"In that case, do your best to kill the enemy! Even if you are dead, you can still be resurrected, so give it your all! Little dragon king will also be there to help, so definitely win!!!” 

Everyone nodded at the words. Then duties were assigned to each other, and the action was quickly set in motion. 

***

The intruder, whom Ramiris sensed, was really Zalario, the chief subordinate of the demon lord Feldway.

Zalario, the original Killing Angel, like the two remaining Killing Angels, ruled the entire race as the marshals knowns as the "Three Admirals" of the Phantom race (apparition tribe), and as a marshal of the powerful armies they led, he would not normally have been on the front lines. 

This time, however, Feldway gave an absolute order to take advantage of the good opportunity of the labyrinth's destruction by Velgrynd, and making sure to wipe out the target. 

What an end to those previous Imperial armies that had stormed the Labyrinth, Zalario had heard about it from Feldway, so he took it upon himself to assume that weak soldiers would only get in the way. 

The only men he brought in were five generals. 

These five people, who were originally superior angels like the Wise Angel or the Seated Angel, had all acquired an amount of mana comparable to that of the king after becoming a phantom race. 

The relative flesh is more fragile, but not a problem as long as the environment is within the maze. The spread of magic is suppressed here, so the generals are able to play to their full strengths. 

For these reasons, Zalario's group walked leisurely through the maze, and rightfully so, someone was sure to come out and get in their way. 

Finding the mouth of the stairs toward the bottom during the walk, a sense of spatial change came overhead. Yet the Zalario group did not panic but calmly observed the status quo, and what finally appeared before them was a confined space with nothing in it. 

About eight figures can be seen in the middle of this venue. 

"It seems that some have come out to greet us. We mustn't lose our manners. Give your greetings.” 

At Zalario's words, his subordinates nodded wordlessly. 

The two gradually drew closer, eventually stopping short of a face-to-face confrontation. 

The first to take a step forward was Treyni. 

"Greetings, everyone. In lieu of the lord of this labyrinth, Lady Ramiris, I, Treyni, Charys, and others have come to greet you. I don't remember inviting you all, but could you please tell me who you are and why your are here?” 

Treyni smiled as she uttered these words, but there wasn't a hint of a smile in her eyes. She was watching the opponents’ movements with the utmost vigilance, and was always maintaining a standby posture for any situation that may arise. 

Before coming here, Treyni had reinforced herself to the fullest. She clung to the Wind Spirit King she was now able to summon, turning the power of the Spirit King into something entirely her own. Even in a long battle with Laplace, Treyni had simply boarded the Wind Maiden (Sylphid) of the High Spirits inside herself. From this point on, Treyni is said to have showed her hand in the first step of the opening game. 

The amount of the Spirit King's mana converted to an existence value that was about a million. 

Normally, boarding such a huge amount of power in the body would impose a huge burden on Treyni, whose existence value was only 600,000. However, now that they were in a labyrinth where they could come back to life even if they died, Treyni didn't have to worry about the physical burden and could challenge her opponent with all her might. 

Standing one step behind Treyni, Charys' aura was not at all inferior to that of the former. Even if the opponent had more than double his own amount of mana, Charys took it completely lightly and was undaunted. 

After all, Charys is usually always training live for his opponents with the overwhelming presence of Veldora. 

There were instances in the world where people like Gobta could defeat opponents who had several times their own power. Not to mention the fact that he now had reliable company, so Charys had no doubt that he would win. 

It is the same with the Dragon Kings. 

As a reward, they had been given "names" by Rimuru, and had now completed their evolution as the faithful men of Ramiris. 

With further experience, the Dragon Kings will undoubtedly reach the Special S class. The power converted into an existence value of around 700,000. In fact, more than fear, they were now leaping at the chance to test their strength. 

Trya and Doris, too, had completed the 'identification' with the Maiden of the Wind (Sylphid). Trya would assist the Dragon Kings against the enemies behind Zalario, while Doris would be in charge of providing backup for Treyni and Charys. 

Although Beretta's existence value was only around 400,000, his fighting skills were excellent. Even with his fighting strength though, he needed to stay by Ramiris as a guard, so the members currently here were the strongest formation the Maze could send at this time. 

If this lineup loses now as well…then it would be a matter of calling in the residual groups of Rigurd and Gobta for a big total attack. They are now currently concentrating to the war effort on the next level, so someone has to buy time for that alone. 

Of course, none of the members here feel that they will lose. 

"That's amazing. Originally, I had heard that there was no battle power left in the maze, but I didn't expect that there were still such strong people of this level. Oops, haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Zalario, one of the Three Admirals entrusted to the army by the demon king, Lord Feldway.” 

Zalario took a graceful bow, his movements sophisticated as if he were a famous actor on stage. 

However, the words that came out of his mouth did not make people feel gratified. He was using such an attitude to look down on Treyni and others, not taking the Maze members into consideration at all, his true thoughts were simply too obvious. 

Treyni was furious about it, but she wasn't stupid enough to lose her mind over it. There had been a lapse when faced with Laplace, so she did her best to maintain a calm demeanor and try to keep the conversation going. 

"So it is. Lord Zalario of the Three Admirals, huh? Forgive me, I've never heard that name before.” 

Zalario just smiled back at Treyni's slightly provocative words. 

"Well. Although it's fairly well known in other worlds, I've been away from this world for a long time. 

We are all foreigners to this world.” 

"Foreigners, huh?" 

"Yes. So, we're not going to seek any satisfaction in that regard.” 

“……” 

"By the way, you asked us why, right? Of course I'll tell you, it would save us a lot of work if we could get your help.” 

"It depends on the content.” 

"All right. Our goal is to kill the boy named Masayuki Honjou. If you don't hide and just hand him over, I’ll retreat this time.” 

Zalario, who had a gentle air of beauty, announced in a feminine voice that he was here to kill Masayuki. 

No one here will simply agree to this. 

It was fortunate that he was Rimuru's friend, and an irreplaceable companion of Treyni and others. 

"You're so funny. I'm sorry to say that the negotiations are over.” 

"Well, that's a shame.” 

Completely not hiding the fact that he actually had no regrets at all, Zalario flashed a smile. Then in the next moment, the battle began. 

***

Treyni jumped into the air, then aimed at Zalario from above, releasing countless invisible blades, a move that Treyni couldn't even avoid, the unseen breaking blade.

"It contains spatial properties and the power to cut through even the second dimension.” 

Moreover, this move was not visualized and could be shot without any preparatory movements, so it was clear how dangerous Treyni had become. This time, however, her opponent was very strong. 

No—he was overpowering. 

Zalario didn't move a step, not because he didn't notice the blade or was too late to react, but because there was absolutely no need to evade it. 

The moment the invisible blade was about to cut Zalario, it suddenly disappeared, a layer of spatial distortion that seemed to cover Zalario's body was revealed simultaneously. 

This trick resembles a phenomenon that has been documented in the Maze's database as the Spatial Distortion Defense Field that Zegion excels in, a defense trick that nullifies various attribute attacks or spatial cuts, absolutely. 

“What?” 

"The same technique as Lord Zegion? That's a problem.” 

"Oh, by the sounds of it, it seems that there are people here who can use the space distortion defense field. Zegion is it? hey hey, I obviously heard that the executives of this country have all been sealed, it looks like the information was wrong…” 

With that said, Zalario's expression was still unperturbed. 

It couldn't have been more clear that Zalario hadn't used his true skills, rather he looked like he was still enjoying himself. 

It was because of sensing this that Treyni's expression turned grim. She immediately made eye contact with Charys and changed course, no longer obsessed with barely beating Zalario, and instead beginning to concentrate on stalling for time. 

In fact, the five generals that Zalario had brought with him had been embroiled in a bitter battle because of the labyrinth's battle strength, a result that the dragon kings who were always training for battle had achieved by perfecting their strength. 

To say that there is any other reason, it is that as long as one fights in this main field within the maze, the maze members are equivalent to being immortal. That's why they are able to fight beyond their limits, and even if they have the same strength as their opponents, they are able to turn the situation upside down. 

It's a win at this rate, Treyni thought. 

As dangerous as Zalario was, the other enemies should be eliminated soon. Next, even the space distortion defense field should be able to be broken if everyone joins forces to launch the challenge. 

Worst case scenario, just find a way to drain Zalario's strength. 

That's right. As long as we can get rid of the other side, the conditions for victory this time will be fulfilled, there is no need for us to reluctantly destroy the enemy. And yet…why is this man still so unhurried…? 

The side that undoubtedly has the upper hand is hers, but no matter what, Treyni can't get rid of the unease in her heart. 

The reason is Zalario who is still so unconcerned. 

Anyone with a bit of discernment can't possibly misjudge the current state of the battle. Not to mention the fact that Zalario had previously claimed to be a marshal of the First Army. 

Someone who could lead a demon-lord level strongman to make the mistake of arranging an outgoing formation, common sense would say that it was impossible. 

The purpose of this man is to kill Masayuki the “chosen hero"—right? 

Generally speaking, if the target is only Masayuki, it's easier to use assassination. It was because Zalario's existence value was so high that Treyni and others missed the possibility. 

"Lady Ramiris! Do you know where Mr. Masayuki is?” 

"Hey, why are you asking about this all of a sudden? Of course I do." 

Treyni sent a question to Ramiris through 'Thought Communication'. 

On the other hand, it wasn't like Ramiris was doing nothing but watching the battle. While the intruders were a big problem, there was something much more tricky to deal with, and that was directing the people of the metropolitan area to take refuge. 

The metropolitan area that had been forcibly isolated into the labyrinth could no longer be said to be safe now that Veldora had gone out. If Veldora does lose the battle, the metropolitan area will automatically and directly change back to where it was. 

Since the status quo could not be maintained by the power of Ramiris alone, there was nothing that could be done about it. That's why it's important to get the residents to take refuge before that happens. 

Fortunately, the 95th floor, which had now been turned into a hundred floors, had open space enough for the legions to line up, and although the research facilities were not accessible to ordinary people, it was still possible to receive the entire town. 

At Beretta's prompting, Ramiris was panicking and starting to cope. 

"Please make sure he's safe right now!” 

"There are only a few intruders, I think you're overthinking it…" 

He was also very busy…Despite thinking so, Ramiris still agreed to Treyni's request. 

It turned out just as Ramiris thought it would, just as well. 

"Well, he's all right. He's helping to guide the people of the town to shelter in the city.” 

As Ramiris said, Masayuki took over the job of pacifying the townspeople. Without Masayuki, there would have been a panic that would have delayed the evacuation for a long time, and now was the time for Masayuki's power to come into play. 

In short, there was no sign of a fight. 

After all, the inside of the labyrinth was all at Ramiris' mercy, and if something happened, she would know right away. Having communicated all this, a breath of relief finally came from Treyni's side. 

"So, I can rest assured…” 

Even so, she still couldn't seem to get it out of her head. 

"Do you care?” 

"Yes. If the enemy really wants to assassinate Masayuki, the people who are taking refuge may also be involved.” 

Treyni also thought she might be overthinking it. 

Even so, since the alarm in her mind was always ringing, Treyni felt that it was better to be careful in everything. 

"Got it! Since Treyni-chan is talking about this, let's go to the 70th floor!” 

Hearing this, Treyni eased herself. 

The remnants of the Imperial Army were on the 70th floor, so even if an assassin did attack, they should be able to stall for some time. 

"You can rest easy there." 

"Right, right, right!” 

Just like that, Masayuki headed towards the 70th floor of the maze. 

*** The people here are too good at ordering people, Masayuki sighed.

With Rimuru at the head, the big shots in this country, whoever they are, put whatever comes to mind into action immediately. Let's leave it at that for now. Masayuki really wishes that the guys in the upper echelons would think more about their position and act more cautiously. 

Of course, it's not as if all the people in the Jura Tempest Federation are like that. 

I was fortunate to have accidentally spoken the words I had been hiding in my heart. 

Masayuki wouldn't have complained much if it was a beautiful girl as innocent and gentle as Shuna who had asked. That's why now, he'd happily come to help guide people to shelter…and yet Ramiris came running in the way. 

"I want you to go to the 70th floor immediately!” 

Such an order was given with indefensible momentum. 

Unfortunately, he was very reluctant. 

However, Ramiris was still also one of the people in power here. 

Not only did Ramiris have Veldora backing her up, but she was also one of the characters who knew Masayuki's secret. So no matter what she asked, Masayuki was unable to refuse. 

"Just give it up. Lady Ramiris is also harmless, simply not having the strength to explain it slowly, right? Now that even Lord Veldora has struck, it's clear that there's been an emergency.” 

Walking next to Masayuki was a young man. 

He had snake-shaped earrings in his ears. 

A wild watch was worn on his hand and a skeleton ring was placed on his finger. 

What looked like a poisonous purple shirt had a spiked leather jacket on the outside, a spiked collar around his neck, trousers with a waistband underneath, and leather boots with black soles. 

In simple terms, it's the so-called punk style of dressing up, and no matter how you look at it, you look like a delinquent teenager. The kind of style that Masayuki was not good at dealing with. 

And yet, surprisingly, he was lucky to have an unexpected chemistry with this young man. 

Mostly because he was also a struggling laborer. 

The youth, whose name is Venom, often seems to be bossed around by his superiors into all sorts of unreasonable situations. Presumably seeing his own self in Venom, Masayuki held a sense of closeness to him. 

In Venom's words, 'I have no human rights.’ 

Now, he had received orders from his superiors to escort Masayuki and move in with him. 

He didn't go to see Jiu and Bonnie because of his previous concerns, and also broke apart from Jinrai (***Was also called Thunder but I’m sticking with Jinrai for now). 

As a mere impostor, he is unable to guard Jinrai at all, so Masayuki offered to disband him. 

"If you ever need me somewhere, feel free to come and greet me! Until then, I'll work in this country's guild to keep my work from getting sluggish.” 

After saying that, Jinrai accepted Masayuki's offer to disband and then became a guild employee of the Jura Tempest Federation, always secretly supporting Masayuki. 

It was a little lonely, but also a relief. After all, in this way, Masayuki would no longer have to lie to his companions, and the resulting guilt would disappear along with it. 

Venom then appeared in front of Masayuki, who had been alone. 

Venom knows that Masayuki is weak, so he's come to guard him. And unlike his appearance, Venom patiently listened to Masayuki's explanation about the past. 

As a result, Venom's offered cooperation so that Masayuki’s reputation would not decline. 

It was probably all Rimuru's intention, so Masayuki accepted the other's kindness unceremoniously. 

Just like that, the two have now become friends with nothing to say. 

"So, I know it's an emergency, too. If that's the case, why do I have to be separated from the town now, when I'm in charge of playing Hero?” 

"Geez, you're not so weak. You really can't do anything if the enemy comes, can you?” 

"It's true, though. It's true! But, that’s not true is it? The uneasy look in everyone's eyes just now stung my heart…” 

‘Please don't go’—even if you don't say it directly, Masayuki understands what the residents mean. 

That's why Masayuki was unhappy with Ramiris’ order. 

However, in Venom's view it's a different story. 

To say which side is safer, the 70th floor is definitely better than the 100th. Not only are there a significant number of Imperials there, but there are also the Overkillers in the 70th floor research facility. 

Although the "Overkillers" are now mainly responsible for the safety of the children, Masayuki can also be sheltered by them once they get there. 

What matters most to Venom is the mission given by Diablo, who must gamble his life to guard Masayuki as literally as he can. 

"Indeed, it is somehow reassuring to have you around. However, the refuge is over to a certain extent, and the guard on the hundredth floor is well guarded.” 

In fact, if an enemy wanted to invade here, it couldn't be done without the strength of floor guardian level. Due to the absence of Gedora, the class guardian of the sixtieth layer, Shinji and the others had also retreated and the place was in an unguarded state, so the 70th floor now became the first line of defense. 

"That means I'm going to be in danger, right!?” 

That's how it was, Venom nodded. 

"I suppose so, but don't worry, I'm here. I'll take responsibility and protect you.” 

"Well, then I’ll be counting on you.” 

Masayuki was fortunate that he was actually slightly aware of the situation he was in, and at such a time as this, if he moved to the front line, perhaps someone was aiming at him. 

If it wasn't for that, Ramiris wouldn't have exposed Masayuki, who was completely devoid of any fighting ability, to danger. 

As Masayuki also has the "Resurrection Bracelet,” he can be brought back to life even if he dies in the maze, so Ramiris doesn't hesitate to use him as bait. 

"That may be so. By the way, this is probably to avoid implicating other residents, and there's a risk of exposing your weakness, so I think it's the right thing to do.” 

"Yes. I can understand that as well, but I have another situation…” 

Jiu and Bonnie were both at the 70th floor, and it was also a problem for Masayuki because bumping into them would become awkward. 

“I don't know about those two, but it's a mission, so don't blame them too much, even if it looks like they want to kill you, it may not be entirely from their hearts. Unlike monsters, humans are very complex, and that's why humans are great toys for demons.” 

Masayuki glared at Venom who said this for a moment, then muttered, "How can it be so simple to sort it out?” But he also understood that people's true hearts are hard to understand as Venom said, and it was also true that he could not completely hate Jiu and Bonnie. 

So dwelling on it any longer is just asking for more trouble. 

After arriving at the 70th floor and coming to the building where the Imperial Army was stationed, Masayuki finally prepared his mind. 

"And don't you ever think of me as a toy again." 

Masayuki sighed and shook his head, then switched his moods for good and casually grumbled at his friend, Venom. 

Sensing the change in his mood, Venom revealed a smile, protecting Masayuki was a mission, but Venom himself was fond of Masayuki. 

He was similar in the point of a laborious life, and although he was weak and seemingly unable to turn the tide, he was still always able to keep his will. Venom respects that in his heart. 

Venom was often proud of his rebellious spirit, even if it was still less than fortunate, and somehow he felt that way. 

That's why Venom responded with good intentions… 

"Ha ha ha ha ha! That depends on how you do…huh?” 

Facing the sudden presence, Venom stood in front of Masayuki to protect him. 

"Who are you?” 

"Geez, are you getting in the way? I clearly had perfect timing, but this unaccustomed body is so slow to respond." 

The man ignored Venom and just stared at Masayuki with disgust. In front of this obviously entangled foreign existence, Masayuki couldn't hide his own shakiness either. 

It's clear that there's nothing to show for it so far, but there’s no denying its overwhelming dominance. 

The three pairs of six pure white feathers on the man's back further emphasized his refined fleshly beauty. From between the wide, white spaces of the dress, one can peer into the muscles that have been repeatedly exercised. 

What was most intense was the man's eyes, which were as if they were boarding a fierce beast, not allowing anyone to approach, full of calamity and fierce light. 

"Don't ignore me…!" 

Venom yells out to enable an uppercut spinning back kick. 

The action standard of this kick, as if drawn in, hits the enemy on the side of the head, and yet… 

Masayuki was stunned. 

It's no wonder he was surprised, after all ,the opponent took a kick from Venom defenselessly as if to say that he wasn't unresponsive, just found it unnecessary to defend. 

"Hmph, a worm that doesn't even have any survival value. You are a dependent of the evil demons that have hindered us since time immemorial. You've been very rude to me, Lord Cornu, one of the Three Admirals! Get your shit together and go to hell!” 

The man who had just identified himself, casually opened his palm towards Venom, and the next moment, a compressed magic bomb was let loose and hit Venom with an unavoidable speed. 

Calling yourself an adult—thought Masayuki. It’s fortunate that he tried not to think about these strange things while hastily bracing himself for Venom. 

“No! Are you okay?” 

Venom was still alive. 

He reacted barely, successfully deflecting the magic bullet with his left arm. 

However, the injury is still serious, as Venom's left arm has disappeared and a large hole has been cut in the left side of his abdomen. 

“…how can it be okay? It’s unbelievable and I don’t want to admit it, but that bastard seems to be much better than me. But don't worry, I'll definitely protect you.” 

After saying that, Venom stood up calmly. 

Not unscathed, but not incapable of fighting anymore either. 

"What a stubborn monster. I'll kill the teenager while Zalario's bait creates an opportunity. I hate idiots because of that.” 

Looking at the sighing Cornu, it was fortunate that he really wanted to complain about what a joke he was making. 

Masayuki had absolutely no clue why he was being hunted down, and felt responsible for the fact that Venom as injured as a result. 

“Venom…” 

"So, that invading bastard is aiming for Masayuki?” 

"Did you know from the beginning?” 

"When Lady Ramiris sent the message, I had a feeling that this would be the case. Don't worry, we can't beat this bastard, but we can at least stall for some time.” 

“But…" 

"The bastard won't kill you because of the bracelet. To kill you here will only bring you back to life somewhere else. With that in mind, he probably wants to get you out of the maze before he plans on doing so. So he's definitely not going to dare use the kind of attack that would involve you too!” 

Venom grunted uncontrollably as he spoke. 

His judgment was spot on. 

Fortunately, the resurrection save point was set in the "control room". At first it was only arranged so that no one would see the scenes of him coming back from the dead, but it was reassuring at the time. 

Cornu, on the other hand, was agitated by the idea of being seen through. 

Cornu has reasons why he can't fail again. 

This reasoning goes back decades. At the time, Cornu was executing an invasion campaign in a different alien world and failed at the stage where he was only one step away from success. What happened is still unclear, but it was the sudden appearance of searing fire that burned his whole army to the ground. 

As a result, Cornu, of the "Three Admirals,” was left without a single subordinate, and even after he had recovered from his injuries, he was still mentally depressed and could not be relieved. 

It is for this reason that despite being in an overwhelmingly dominant position, Cornu has always shown an attitude of defeat. Unfortunately, those who were hostile to him were not going to let that opportunity go. 

"I'll just admit it. If this wasn't the maze of the Starkeeper (Ramiris), there would be no need for me to step in at all. To bury you is easy, you’ll die anyway, so I’ll give you despair first. Open your eyes and watch, I’ll send you to that world with my true power!!!” 

Cornu is not stupid enough to be careless at this point. 

He saw that the usual means of treating Venom would not work and, in order to prevent accidents, decided to use all his strength to achieve his goal. 

Cornu wears a shimmering black and gold outfit, which, like Zalario's, is the highest mythical outfit given only to the "Three Admirals.” 

With a fully armed Cornu as his opponent, Venom was left with no other option, his various means of attack were no longer useful and he could only wait for a mocking defeat. 

"Che, damn it!" 

The desperate gap in battle power made Venom's five senses almost cringe together. 

There was no point in running away, and if he were to be wiped out, Masayuki would surely be taken away and killed. Even if Venom is resurrected again in the labyrinth afterwards, he will be purged by Diablo if he fails to protect him. 

‘I'm going to die, I'm going to die,’ thought Venom with tears in his eyes. 

The only way left was for Venom to kill Masayuki himself and send him to safety. 

"There's no other way…" 

Just moments after Venom made that decision… 

"You seem to be having a hard time, so why don't we help out?” 

As if to guard Masayuki, two men appeared. 

"Who are you…Sir Minute? Also, Sir. Calgurio is here!” 

The careful Masayuki remembered that they had met a few times before, and since both of them were big shots in the Empire, he himself was still nervous about whether or not he had lost his manners. 

"Your Excellency, please just call me Minute. It's hard for me to calm down when you call me "sir" 

with the same face as His Majesty.” 

"But, but…” 

"Hahaha, I feel the same way as Minute. Whenever I stand in front of His Excellency Masayuki, I feel excited no matter what. It was almost like being in front of His Majesty's imperial court, and an even greater strength than usual emerges from within me!” 

The stylish Minute and Calgurio, who looks serious with a blindfold over his left eye, are smiling as if to put Masayuki at ease. 

"Venom, right? We’ll take care of the backup.” 

With that said, Minute turned his gaze to Cornu. Then, Cornu's movements became sluggish as an unseen force field appeared. 

This was the effect of the unique skill 'Suppressor' that Minute should have lost. 

"Minute, haven't you lost your power?” 

“It is lost. But since it was once available, it's easy to get it again, right?” 

Faced with Minute's reply that Minute still wasn't satisfied, Calgurio could only laugh bitterly. 

"It's enviable. I've lost my sense of omnipotence. However, it's still easy for me to infuse magic essence into the body of a changed void.” 

As if to prove his point, Calgurio's strength began to swell, then quickly surpassed his limit into a rampage state, and the mucous membranes of his body began to bleed. If it continued like this, Calgurio would normally be dead, but there was no need to worry about that at all in the maze. Calgurio is now equipped with the "resurrection bracelet", which he got out of nowhere and has no limit on the number of times he can use it, without having to worry about the physical effects. 

"You're exaggerating too much." 

"If you can't do this much, you can't face the dead." 

Because of their participation, Venom saw hope. 

Moreover, several more men rushed over and offered to assist Venom. 

Venom, who witnessed the men at a glance, accepted their request without hesitation. 

“That would be a big help. Don't think about how to take this guy down, please trip him up!" 

"Got it!” 

"Things seem interesting.” 

"Now that the “I” am here, you can rest assured, leave it all to the ME!” 

These three men, all of them, are "Overkillers" who came out of personal interest. 

"I give the orders. So everyone, let's go!” 

Although somehow it became a case of Calgurio calling the shots, no one objected. 

After receiving five helpers, Venom, in a supported state, began an offensive against Cornu. 

"You stinkers! Don't get carried away!” 

Cornu did not lose his cool, though he was on fire about it. While controlling the strength of his strikes to prevent Masayuki from escaping, he began to move in order to eliminate the enemy one by one. 

Very surprisingly, the coordination of this makeshift team was excellent. This is due to the fact that Calgurio took advantage of Cornu's inability to use mass destruction attacks and the immortal nature of the Overkillers to develop a method of combat that minimizes damage. 

The desperate gap in strength was bridged by resourcefulness and courage, and with the mutual assistance of six members, including Venom, the crowd finally managed to buy time. 

Then, taking advantage of the opportunity, 

"Masayuki, this way.” 

"You've got to get out of here. As long as we can escape into the research facility, won't we be able to travel to other levels?” 

It was Bonnie and Jiu who suddenly said hello. 

"You, you!” 

"I'm sorry. I would love to formally apologize, but this is not the time to do something like that. 

Anyway, you'd better come with me.” 

"Huh? Wait, wait, wait. What about Jiu?” 

Bonnie looks like he intends to look for an escape as an escort and take Masayuki with him. However, Jiu didn't move and chanted some sort of magic. 

"Well, don't mind me. Next, I'll disguise myself as Masayuki and confuse him.” 

Jiu had transformed into Masayuki. 

“Come on. That guy seems to have restrained his attacks on you, so Jiu's plan should be effective. We’ll take this opportunity to escape.” 

It seems that the people who rushed to support seemed to have formulated the entirety of this battle before they arrived here. During t he moment Jiu changed into Masayuki, fortunately, everyone stood so that Cornu could not see this side. 

Although Masayuki felt hesitant, it only lasted for a moment. 

"Got it. Anyway, even if I stay, I'll only drag everyone down.” 

He could only reluctantly agree with the strategy. 

***

There was already chaos in the "control room".

The sudden appearance of an enemy that is far more difficult to deal with than expected. 

"Hey, Masayuki, the assassin, did you get the results of his existence value measurement? 

“It came out! It was roughly 1.8 million—but that ballooned to 2.8 after being equipped with mythical grade equipment!” 

“What—that’s a foul!” 

Alpha's report had made Ramiris very angry, but complaining alone would not help, and now she could only think desperately about countermeasures. 

"It is said that mythical equipment lends its power to its approved master, and that Lord Albert's existence has more than doubled in value since that time, but it still seems that the potential of mythical equipment has not yet been fully integrated.” 

Ramiris agrees with this analysis of Beretta's. 

After equipping the Mythical Grade Equipment, Albert turned into a flesh-bearing spirit lifeform's existence, and according to the data measured at that time, his existence value had increased from 180,000 to over 400,000, which was already powerful enough, but it seemed that the Mythical Grade Equipment still had a considerable amount of potential. Albert has since gone into an evolutionary sleep, and it's very much to be expected what he'll be like when he wakes up. 

In that case, how exaggerated Kurobee was, who had already been able to build mythical level equipment, had become a topic of conversation…But now was not the time to delve deeper. 

Mythical equipment, though rare and excellent in performance, is only a threat in the hands of the enemy. 

"What are we going to do? Little Treyni and Charys teamed up and still got pinned by that Zalario! And besides, against that Cornu, Venom and the others are no match at all…” 

Ramiris' concern was spot on. 

Venom evolved into a demon noble and his existence value soared to around 400,000. In addition, the presence of the three "Overkillers" who came to reinforce the leader was worth 300,000, and the remaining two had 200,000. 

As for Minute and Calgurio, who were from the Imperial Army, they couldn't be expected to be warriors because they had lost most of their power and were now in a miserable situation with an existence value of just over ten thousand. Let's just say that the two of them had the audacity to stand up and fight. 

However, these two are somehow very much alive and well. 

Miraculously, Minute was using his unique skill 'Suppressor', which he should have lost, and even as a captive, he was still wearing a dashing suit, giving Ramiris the illusion that he was even more capable than Venom. 

As for Calgurio, somehow his existence value had been expanding since just now, and now it had reached 400,000. Then, the rate of increase slowed down, but the overall rate of increase remained slow and somewhat unexplained. 

This is of deep interest. 

Sadly, however, there is no time to look into each of these matters closely. Ramiris forcefully pressed the unanalyzable displeasure, sending instructions to everyone. 

"Ahhh, even if you die, you can bring them back to life with the power of others! Then feel free to use them as outcasts. The problem is Masayuki.” 

"What do you mean?” 

"Even if he will can from the dead here, it's all over when the enemy takes him, right? So people think it's safer to let him take refuge.” 

"I see." 

"Yes, so Bonnie has taken him away.” 

Ramiris let out an "ooh-oh" exclamation. 

She was impressed by the fact that she had come to the same conclusion as herself, and that they had started to act before they had received instructions. 

After all, Masayuki was a coward, and he certainly couldn't commit suicide, and even when it came to the most critical moment, he probably wouldn't use death to escape. 

At this point, it would be reassuring to have Bonnie with Masayuki. 

"Contact Bonnie! Tell him to set his escape destination here. And I think he can understand without going into detail, so just remember to tell him that if anything happens, he must take care of what he has to do!” 

“Understood." 

After receiving Ramiris' instructions, Alpha immediately sent out the ''Thought Communication''. The instructions that had been perfectly coded were sent to Bonnie with zero time difference. 

After confirming this, Ramiris finally breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Okay. In that case, we'll just make all the arrangements we need.” 

The large screen for surveillance was now split into several screens showing the battle scenes from each area. No matter the area, the companions were struggling and the situation was not good. 

"We're really useless without Rimuru.” 

"After all, it was the worst timing. If the guardians were awake, they wouldn’t be at such a disadvantage.” 

"That's right…” 

Indeed, as Beretta said, it would have been much less passive if all the fighting power had been put together. 

Even so, Ramiris still felt responsible for the situation. 

Life in the Jura Tempest Federation is just so irreplaceable to Ramiris. 

At this moment, Beta, who was monitoring the remaining amount of magic, suddenly yelled out anxiously. 

"We have an emergency!" 

"What's wrong this time!?” 

"This is a state of affairs already foreseen, the supply of mana from Lord Veldora is cut off, and if this continues, the metropolitan area will be returned to the ground in less than ten minutes!” 

"Eh, eh, eh…! In other words, did Master lose!?” 

For Ramiris, it was a reality she really didn't want to believe, but if the opponent was Velgrynd, one had to still admit it might be possible. 

It was the anticipation of this situation that led residents to take refuge. 

Rimuru should find a way to solve Veldora’s problem, Ramiris was convinced. Even if you are depressed here, things won't get any better, so you can only think about what you can do with a positive mindset. 

"So, how's the evacuation going?” 

"No problem there. It is fortunate that Masayuki had succeeded in persuading the opposing forces of asylum in the population before he left.” 

Everywhere, there are forces that are only particularly good at complaining, even in the capital 

“Rimuru.” Including those who profit from the outside through some channels and businessmen from outside, about 10% of the total population stubbornly refuse to take refuge. 

These people, just by hearing Masayuki's voice, became cooperative. 

Since Lord Masayuki had said so, these people had taken refuge in what had been a very resistant place on such grounds. 

For this approximate brainwashing effect, even Ramiris was taken aback. 

Anyway, after careful confirmation, everyone came to the conclusion that the metropolitan area was empty of anyone. No problem then, and Ramiris, who made this judgment, decided to separate the metropolitan area from the maze. 

"The defense function can't be activated without anyone there. It's a shame, then, that massive damage in the metropolitan area will be inevitable." 

"Wait, hold on a sec, Beretta-chan! That's the kind of thing you say to shake a person's resolve!” 

However, there is nothing that can be done about it. 

Ramiris herself didn't have much mana left for extra structures, let alone the pile of additional buildings she had built earlier in order to maximize the expansion of the maze. 

It was a drawback that only came with handing over the entire supply of energy to Veldora, but Ramiris couldn't think of any other solution to the problem either. 

"Of course I understand very well. If it was Rimuru-sama, he’d probably say the buildings could just be destroyed and rebuilt.” 

"That's right, so now we have to be decisive and part with the other side…” 

Ramiris gritted her teeth for her own powerlessness while performing the operation to separate the metropolitan area. All that's left is to pray that the metropolitan area that returns to the ground isn't destroyed by a stray bullet attack. 

However… 

"Emergency report! New enemies have appeared on the ground, numbering in two. It is impossible to measure the exact existence values because they are outside the maze, but it is presumed that the existence of the other party exceeds at least one million!” 

This time, the report comes from Delta, who is in charge of monitoring the ground. 

Zooming in on the small surveillance screen, everyone could see it, and two angels appeared in the picture—no, fallen angels with black wings. 

The duo of a big muscular female warrior, and small, beautiful girl. 

They also had three pairs of wings. 

"Really? Since the number of wings is the same, then these guys are also equivalent to the killing angels (Seraphims).” 

Panicking, Ramiris flew around, feeling completely helpless at this point. However, with a faint hope of what she suddenly thought, she asked Delta a question. 

“Delta-chan! How can you be so sure that these guys are the enemy? Maybe they…" 

Though unlikely, the other side might actually be friendly—and to Ramiris, who had generated such naive thoughts, Delta could only tell her the cruel answer. 

"Because those two are preventing us from recovering the hole that Lord Velgrynd pierced. As soon as the maze is closed, our victory is confirmed…so it's a pity.” 

That is the clear answer that cannot be doubted. 

“That’s right. Thank you.” 

Ramiris stopped flying around and sat powerlessly on Beretta's shoulder. 

For the enemy's tactic of not shying away and putting four Super Awakened here, Ramiris felt overwhelmed with disgust and even developed the mood to curse the other side for the whole night. 

And just then, a reliable companion awakened. 

"Leave the ground to me. The city bearing the name of Lord Rimuru will not easily be destroyed.” 

At last the evolutionary “Barrier Lord" Geld is resurrected. 

“Geld…!" 

Ramiris cried. 

Cried with joy. 

"Lord Geld’s existence is worth over 2.37 million! It also contains the value of the equipment, so that you won't lose to the invaders!!!” 

The legendary-grade equipment held by Geld became mythic-grade as he completed his evolution. It was also because of the surrounding magical aura that Geld had evolved so well. 

In fact, Rimuru didn't expect this either, but all those present mistakenly thought that everything was a part of Rimuru's plans. 

"That's Rimuru for you. Even I wouldn't have expected such a development.” 

Ramiris, who basically has little scheming ability, speaks with confidence. 

But Beretta passed it off as if nothing had happened. 

"Exactly. His Excellency is very thoughtful.” 

Moreover, another Awakening has completed. 

“I am also here. The other enemy will be my prey.” 

"The Chimeric Lord" Kumara.” 

"The existence value of Kumara is estimated to be around 1.9 million. Without exclusive equipment, to have such a value, the enemy is no longer a threat at all! 

Hearing Alpha's report, the "control room" erupted into cheers. 

Then, as if to prove Alpha's words, a fierce battle began on the ground as well. What was even more amazing was that Geld's men were also scattered everywhere, spreading out their powerful and incomparable 'Barriers' to guard the town from the after-effects of the battle. 

"This is a win!” 

"Anyway, it looks like we'll make it through this.” 

Ramiris makes a declaration of victory, and Beretta is relieved. 

However. 

It is too early to be reassured. 

The ploy of the Demon King Feldway was not over. 

Let’s just say that all the fights that have happened so far have been feints, while the opponent's real target is actually someone else. 

***

The tension that permeated the "control room" became somewhat less intense.

After making the declaration of victory over Beretta's shoulder, Ramiris fell silent as if she had no strength left. 

But Beretta was familiar with such scenes, and from the very beginning he had always placated his quiet master with a calm attitude. 

Shinji, who was always watching from a distance, watched the commotion silently with a mind that had nothing to do with it. 

But it was also because of this that Shinji was now calm. 

He knew Ramiris was wavering, but couldn't she have been more calm? He even had that thought in his heart. 

If only she could emulate Mr. Beretta… 

However, these were truthful words that Shinji would never say, for if he did, besides pointlessly incurring the wrath of Ramiris, there was also the risk of a pay cut to worry about. 

Ramiris' maze was indeed powerful, but she herself was weaker than Shinji. It was a gap so large that it's not even necessary to compare. 

So no matter how panicked Ramiris was, there was actually nothing she could do. 

And—Shinji couldn't help but recall the scene at the celebration a few days ago. 

Monsters with powers beyond imagination. 

Even strong men like that swore allegiance to Demon Lord Rimuru. 

Shinji and his "otherworlders" are classified as "Special A" class masters according to the standard of the Freedom Association standards. He had also measured his existence value, which was now over 120,000. Moreover, Shinji also possessed the unique skill ‘Healer,' which was why the Imperial Army treated him as an elite. 

In fact, Shinji had been proud that his strength belonged to the upper class, yet here he was so unassuming. 

The beautiful sisters who worked as operators over here alone each had an existence value of over 150,000. 

Thus, it occurred to Shinji very naturally that it would be pointless to boast in being powerful here. 

By the way, the existence value of Mark is 130,000 and Zhen’s is 120,000. It's all fair enough, but if you take those monsters on the screen as opponents, they wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. 

However, after all the main forces of the maze were out in force, they were only barely able to hold a stalemate with the enemy, and Shinji felt that this alone was already very powerful. 

When you think about it now, the battle power of the Mecha Legion, which the Empire was proud of, was actually less than 30% of the total battle power of the Jura Tempest Federation. 

And that was only before the celebration. 

At the celebration, Demon Lord Rimuru gave the executives new powers as a reward, causing most of the upper demons to fall into an evolutionary sleep, and as a result, some of those powerful people had even begun to reach the Super Awakened (Millions) class. 

Honestly, Shinji's understanding can't keep up with the status quo anymore. 

The same was true of Geld a moment ago—the evolution of magical creatures was really inexplicable. 

It's great to be in exile from the Empire to the Jura Tempest Federation! 

Shinji thanked Gedora-sensei so much from the bottom of his heart. 

He looked on the screen again and found that Minute, who was once his own officer, was fighting against Cornu, one of the "Three Admirals.” 

This light scene is like a reversal scene in a movie. 

After all, what can one do with such a monster as an opponent? Let's just say it's unbelievable that there's a guy like that in this world. 

In Shinji's opinion, the fact that Minute and Calgurio have lost their power and still challenged their enemies is unusual. At the same time, "Do they even know what it means to be afraid?’ While feeling this way, the way the two men looked as if they were retrieving their power in front of a strong enemy like in a movie made him feel that the upper echelons of the Empire weren't all undesirable. 

In short, it was extremely unrealistic. 

Could it be that they thought of themselves as the main characters? Shinji even generated such doubts. 

Probably because of that. 

Shinji had little sense of crisis about the whole situation and switched his thinking to something he cared more about. 

To put it simply, it's an escape from reality. 

Shinji pulled his thoughts back to the snacks that had just been served as simple food for everyone. 

By the way, Miss Shuna is still so cute and pretty. 

It doesn't matter what you think about his employer—it doesn't matter. What was occupying Shinji's heart right now was not the boring strife, but the always-so-cute Shuna-chan. 

Just by remembering the way she left the room after the other party had made a salute, Shinji had feelings of happiness. 

Although Shuna has a dreamy appearance as a beautiful girl, she is said to be very scary, according to a very famous story. 

Not just Shinji, but Mark and Zhen and Lucius and Raymond, who have just become new assistants, are also all members of the “Shuna” fan club. 

In contrast, his employer, Ramiris, is… 

Shinji couldn't help but sigh. 

"Wait a minute, Shinji. If you have something to say, just say it.” 

It was only at times like these that Ramiris's instincts were keen. 

"No, nothing's wrong." 

Shinji scrambled to carry out the denial. 

Shinji's teacher, Gedora-sensei, also often scolded him for ‘not being able to remain calm and collected in the face of a monster teacher. So you guys aren't even close enough yet!.’ 

After experiencing the scene just now, Shinji also understood why he was scolded by Master. 

Indeed, Shinji is prone to show emotion, and is not good at the emotional manipulation which his essential for wizards. 

But Gedora also said that while Shinji could not appreciate the emotion of expressionlessness, he was not lacking in aptitude for magic; on the contrary, he was highly qualified. 

Anyway, that was it, Shinji had to admit that he had just been at fault. 

Now that you have the strength to be angry with me, Ramiris-sama will probably forgive me for my rudeness, too. 

Shinji is going in a good direction. 

In the end, comparing Shuna to Ramiris in itself is wrong. 

There are actually more fundamental reasons for the gap between the two, as there is between adults and children. 

Although the vibe of a teenage girl remains in Shuna’s body, she has the sophisticated air of an adult. 

Although Ramiris had obviously lived for at least a thousand years, her mental age has remained low, not to mention her physical growth. 

Ramiris, who was a child on the outside as well as on the inside, couldn't be compared to Shuna at all. 

But Ramiris always seems cute, so it's better to treat her more gently—that’s what Shinji thought. 

Anyway, Shinji’s thoughts were full of other extra things like this. 

It was because of this that he took notice. 

The man, who was usually always lazy, stood up at some point. 

Then, for some reason, Vesta, the normally always serious boss, now slumped over the table and fell asleep. 

"What? Mr. Dino, what are you…?” 

It was really only by chance that Shinji would ask that. However, this action of his was the most crucial reversal of the day. 

Shinji, who was the least conscientious, took the greatest credit today. 

***

Dino stood up and tried to do the duty given to him.

Dino, who hates his job, is reluctant, but can't refuse a commission from someone he's known for a long time. 

Above all, a compulsive notion that he had to do it himself drove him. 

However, this action has been hampered by unintended consequences. 

"What? Mr. Dino, what are you…?” 

Upon hearing this voice from Shinji, Dino realized that the battle had been lost. 

I had planned to quickly take care of everything without anyone noticing, but I was prevented from doing so by the perfect timing of God. 

It was unapologetically out of character for anyone to have predicted Dino's actions before. 

Dino reached out to try to capture Ramiris' hand, which was then caught by Beretta. 

It all happened in a flash. 

If Shinji hadn't made a sound, Dino wouldn't have been hindered. 

"What are you doing, Lord Dino?” 

"It's amazing, I didn't think you would get in the way. Alas, because of your presence, I have remained on guard and patiently waited until the present time to relax my tension…" 

“……” 

"I can't stand it. You seem to have what it takes to be a big shot, Shinji.” 

Half of Dino's complaints were sincere, for he was well aware that there were very few people in the world who could see through his actions. 

Dino was confident about his abilities, but this made him feel empty again. 

Dino let out a long, depressed sigh, then gave Shinji a glare. Then he turned his head and squinted his eyes at Beretta. 

It seemed that things were definitely not as simple as joking, and Shinji and the others finally understood the current situation. However, that doesn't mean they easily can do something about it. 

Alpha and the others had surrounded Dino while picking up Ramiris from Beretta's shoulder to protect her. 

“…Huh? Huh…?" 

Ramiris, who had been unable to keep up with the situation because the development had been so sudden, kept looking over and over at Beretta and Dino, seemingly trying desperately to comprehend what was happening in front of her. 

Shinji picks Vesta up and closes the distance between him and Dino. However, his companions, Mark and the others, stayed where they were and no one moved. 

It seemed that even as it became the present situation, the men were still sleeping soundly, and anyone could tell that the situation was unusual. 

"Hey, Mr. Dino! You did this to everyone, didn’t you?” 

Dino had the breath to answer the shouting Shinji. 

"Sort of. By the way, you can actually resist my power, so your skills are quite excellent. I'm impressed with you.” 

“I’m not too happy about that.” 

It was actually a little cheery, but Shinji replied anyway. 

To this Dino just shrugged. 

Even though he could quantify Shinji, it was as if Dino didn't look at him, his eyes never facing this way. 

He just looked over Beretta's shoulder to look at Ramiris and announced. 

"Ramiris, I'm sorry, but can you cooperate with us? I don't want to get rough with you either, and if you're willing to assist, I promise I'll treat you with care. You don't want pointless bloodshed either, do you? So, can you come with me now?” 

Dino said with a serious expression on his face. 

To this, of course, Ramiris, needless to say, refused. 

"Huh? You're the one who's talking out of your mind. If you do something like that, you'll be in a lot of trouble when Rimuru comes back, won't you?” 

Ramiris was completely foxing around, but her words were undoubtedly true. 

So Dino could only laugh bitterly. 

"I guess so, I figured you'd answer like that. But I can't justify that as enough for now. After all, I'm still the Watcher, even if I don't want to be.” 

"When you say 'Watcher', do you mean the Seven Original Angels, of Lord Veldanava's inner circle?” 

"Correct. Actually, I used to be the "Pioneer" one. The task of watching the ground fell to me after the Chief Feldway went to the Otherworld.” 

“You’re joking, aren’t you?” 

"No, this couldn't be more true.” 

Only now did Ramiris realize this startling fact. 

She was always thinking that Dino was as much of a liability to the Demon Lord as himself, not realizing that he was actually an important figure, and still named by the creation god Veldanava himself. 

Ramiris was completely taken aback. 

By the way, Ramiris' name was actually given by Veldanava as well, but she herself had completely forgotten about it due to repeated reincarnations. It would come back to her when she became fully fleshed out, but one never knew when that day would come. 

"People have always thought that all of the Originators had gone to the other side." 

“That’s not the case. When the earthly world became peaceful, Lord Veldanava began to seek the stability of the otherworld, and I suppose you know that.” 

"Huh? Yes, yes…” 

Ramiris's actions seemed somewhat suspicious, but Dino immediately decided to ignore it, and to prod her would be troublesome, carefully illustrating that Dino was even lazier. 

So he took it as if Ramiris was in the know and continued the conversation. 

"Then it was Feldway and the other three 'originators' who were responsible for that. The three remaining “originators," including me, were left to work as Lord Veldanava's hands and feet.” 

"You too?” 

"You'd think it was normal, but I was serious. However, because of a certain event, coupled with various internal circumstances, I went from a Killing Angel (Seraphim) to a Fallen Angel, even my peers. 

There's nothing left of the Originals that's still intact.” 

"Wait, you left out the most crucial part! That's what's most important and what people care most about, isn't it?” 

Ramiris couldn't resist opening her mouth to spit that out, but Dino just sighed in annoyance. 

"You're noisy. That's a lot of explaining to do. And it doesn’t matter to me at all, so get your head around it. Let's start negotiating first.” 

It's too much of a stretch to brainstorm about this kind of thing—rather, those present felt similarly when they heard Dino's words. Dino, however, was notorious for his penchant for slacking off, so it would be useless to seek more clarification from him, so they all chose to give up and then focused on hearing what Dino had to say. 

“So, what do you mean by negotiating?” 

Ramiris asked on behalf of everyone. 

“It's exactly what I just said. Ramiris, if you come to our aid, then I swear I won't go out on a limb against the people in the labyrinth. But if you refuse, then there's no other way. Even if I have to kill everyone who gets in the way, I will have to take you away.” 

“If you're going to say it like that, then it's even less likely that they'll help you.” 

"It normally would be, but that's not a problem. The best outcome is to have your compliance. The worst outcome is to seal the maze.” 

“This is not what you want, is it? Who is commanding you to do this?” 

“Well, it might be okay to tell you this……” 

“I mean, the only person who can order you around is Guy.” 

“It’s something like that, however, there's something very wrong with it too. After all, Guy and I are on equal footing, so why do I always have to do what that he tells me to?” 

“Whatever, it's fine.” 

“Uh, it's important…” 

Ignoring Dino's foolishness, Ramiris began to think. 

"If it wasn't for Guy……right! Then it’s Chief Feldway the Pioneer, isn't it? That guy came back from the otherworld and made contact with you who were hanging around. And you can't disobey him—is that what this is all about?” 

It was truly frightening, detective Ramiris' version of "mystery" guesswork. 

She is obviously always making the wrong inferences, but still somehow ended up with the right answer. This time, it was a brilliant hit. 

“That's amazing, it’s actually the right answer……” 

With most of the pawns in Feldway's hands being used, the expectation is to execute this battle perfectly, with two main purposes in mind. 

One is to assassinate Masayuki. 

The other is to destroy the maze. 

Capturing the labyrinth is hard work, and there's the danger of the plan going off track. Feldway, in an effort to guard against this, thought it important to get Ramiris in his hands as soon as possible. 

With the idea of eliminating all elements of uncertainty, Feldway formulated the battle plan, and Dino merely acted at his behest. 

“Hmph…you parted ways with Feldway because you were a delinquent, right? That guy's a first-rate honor student. You and him must have a soft spot for each other.” 

“Wait, I'm not a delinquent, okay? I just like being lazy a lot. However, even if it really is depressing to follow that guy's orders, and even if I'm much more comfortable with that guy staying in the other world…” 

Even without further contact, their past relationship still remains, said Dino. 

“So it is. So, all the attackers are Originals? Isn't that bad!? You should just ignore Feldway's orders and come to the other side!” 

It was a relief to Dino to hear that Ramiris was not bothered to make such a request, but he still could not nod his head in agreement. 

“Unfortunately, I have my own problems.” 

In fact, Dino found it incredibly strange that he couldn't disobey Feldway himself. But even so, he simply rejected Ramiris's proposal. 

“It seems…that you are serious. That's quite a lot of nerve. That guy (Rimuru) is your opponent, one of the "Eight Star Demon Lords!” Rimuru will be on dead set on guarding this place once he returns!” 

Ramiris made her determination clear. 

“So it seems. As a matter of fact, I really don't want to work, and this world of having food without doing anything is truly ideal. I just can't help it. I'm sorry to say that I can't be merciful. Don't worry, I won't kill you. Just try and get rid of me here.” 

Dino returned to his usual languid expression and replied with a wave of his hand. 

In this way, the negotiations are no longer concluded. 

The time for dialogue has come to an end and the battle has begun… 

***

"Kill him, Beretta-chan!”

Ramiris seemed to be getting some energy and shouted with excitement. 

She certainly wasn't going to go up and fight for herself. 

That was as Dino had expected, so he decided not to tease her and instead tried to see what Beretta had in mind first. 

The "control room" became a battlefield. 

Despite the large space, there were plenty of obstacles such as tables and chairs, and the environment was not suitable for fighting, so Ramiris wanted to relocate the environment. 

But Dino wasn't going to agree, as that would most likely allow Ramiris to escape. 

So there was no other way around it, and the Alpha girls were scrambling to retrieve important equipment, regardless of the two confronting each other. 

Dino and Beretta also ignored those next to them and engaged in battle. 

Dino, out of nowhere, pulled out a large sword of equal length and posed. 

This great sword is called the “Kuzurekiba (Crumbling Fang).” It is a single-bladed sword with a thick body, and appears to be so powerful that the weight alone is enough to break an opponent. 

Dino wore only his usual breastplate and cloak, which was heavily in contrast with the heavy weapon, but he still looked natural and well-formed. 

“How’s the performance of that sword?” 

“Converted to an existence value, it’s…one million.” 

Alpha couldn't hide her surprise at what the report said. 

“What the hell, a mythical!? Just one stinking Dino, that must be a foul!” 

Ramiris muttered incoherently and loudly in annoyance, while Dino just took it as a whisper. 

Dino held the “Crumbling Fang" poised above his head. 

On the other hand, Beretta is empty-handed. 

However, the source of Beretta's flesh were the magic steel figures made by Rimuru, which were now fused with Beretta's magic and had transformed into living magic steel. 

The shape remained the same as when Rimuru made it, but the strength was incomparable, In addition, it was wrapped up with Beretta's magical aura, and no normal weapons would work against it. 

Beretta is a legendary class weapon, the hardest in the maze. 

Nevertheless… 

Dino casually swung down his large sword. 

Beretta didn't hesitate to sidestep and duck. 

Not having a weapon in hand would not be a disadvantage, but this time the situation was bad. 

Beretta's existence value was over 400,000, which was supposed to be on par with Dino, but with the mythical equipment being used, he couldn’t fight him easily. 

A barehanded Beretta concentrates on ducking under and avoiding Dino’s swords from the front. If he gets hit by the blade, then Beretta will be instantly destroyed. 

And even worse… 

“The existence value of Lord Dino has ballooned from 400,000 to 2 million! The total is three million, how overwhelming…” Alpha reported desperately. 

However, Beretta was unfazed. 

Ramiris wasn't surprised either, as if taking it for granted. 

“Somehow, he seems to have fooled the existent value meter, which means that there is room for improvement. Also, Alpha, don’t refer to Dino so politely!” 

“Hey, hey, it's okay, I'm still a demon lord, right?” 

“Noisy! Beretta, you don't have to be polite to him either, and hurry up and show your real power! Let that fool taste heaven's judgement!” 

“I don't have the power to do so. But if it's an order, then I’ll give it my all.” 

Beretta is still struggling. 

Although the existence value is only a reference, a difference of more than seven times is still too large. 

Despite feeling inwardly that Ramiris can be really unreasonable, Beretta responded to his master's expectations by watching Dino closely. 

“It's not easy dealing with you, either.” 

“I don't want to be told that by an enemy, but I won’t deny it” 

Beretta responds while concentrating on dodging, circling Dino. Defense is not necessary as long as the attacks don’t hit. 

The key is to think differently. 

Beretta’s whole body is a weapon, and his bare hands were not disadvantageous. Rather, they can be used for a variety of attacks. On the other hand, Dino was dressed in light clothing and the only thing that needed to be guarded against was the Crumbled Fang. As long as an attack hits, there is a lot of damage. 

This is true of both sides. 

Because of this, there was a chance of winning, and Beretta continued looking for opportunities. 

For Beretta, who is a "Holy Demonic Doll,” the changing of his attributes is a masterpiece, and using the unique skill "Reverser" to constantly switch attributes and explore Dino's weaknesses, every move is calculated in order to make the situation work in his favor. 

Dino, on the other hand, was restless. 

“Geez, you're definitely a dependent of black, by the way. These tactics are so annoying, but they work just right.” 

“I'm honored by your kind words.” 

“Who's complimenting you!?” 

Even dialogue is used as a weapon as Beretta tries to turn the tables on himself. 

There is no room for error. 

Thanks to the fact that Beretta was not impatient, he barely manages to maintain the status quo. 

***

Dino, on the other hand, correctly recognizes the status quo and understands that this situation is not good for him.

A failed sneak attack was a big mistake. 

Needlessly leading to more battles, the plan is thwarted into chaos. 

Beretta and Dino are worlds apart in existence value, but their skill levels aren’t too far apart. Although, it’s also obvious that Beretta is nearing his limits. But this was Ramiris's labyrinth, and even if Beretta died, he could come back to life. He didn't have to worry about his remaining mana drying up, nor would he be hurt by using excessive power. 

Still, even with the protection of the labyrinth environment, there are limitations to overtaking the decisive power gap. Beretta has more heart than strength. 

Still, it's remarkable that he’s a dependent of black. I didn't think it would be so hard. 

Dino upped the ante on Beretta. 

If it had been Charys or Treyni left here instead, it would have been much easier. 

Those two were by no means weak either, except that angels had an overwhelming advantage over spirits. 

Also, there is too much of a difference in combat experience. Beretta lives up to the name of ‘Black's dependents’ and has a skill level that rivals Dino's. 

Even in the face of death, he had the courage to judge Dino's attack calmly, not only refusing to give up victory, but even enjoying the situation a bit. 

Even if Dino intentionally misses and creates an opening, Beretta doesn’t take the bait, and that alone is commendable. Dino was even more surprised that Beretta could still hurt him with the occasional counterattack. 

The Fallen Angels were not good at dealing with holy attributes, but it was not a fatal weakness either. 

However, Beretta's attacks can do damage to Dino. 

His attacks combine the attributes of Holy and Demonic, and has the properties that Dino's "Defense Barrier" cannot prevent. 

In fact, Dino judged that such an attack was impossible to defend against. The same is true for Spiritual attacks—as long as willpower cannot override the opponent, it is bound to hurt. 

Dino, as an original seraphim angel, was familiar with the laws of this world, but the fact that a single unique skill had caused damage to Dino was surprising enough in itself. 

What's even more commendable is Beretta's amazing combat acumen. 

However, Dino is also getting used to Beretta's movements. 

A gap is created when wielding Kuzurekiba, as Dino himself knows well. Beretta's use of this gap to accumulate attacks was unexpected for Dino, but it was within tolerance. 

Dino's attack couldn't even rub against him, and at first glance it looked like he was being suppressed by Beretta, but “Crumbling Fang" could easily cut through the body of living magic steel. 

It would only take one hit to turn the tide, which in Dino's opinion, is not a problem. 

Beretta was also well aware of the situation and was stalling for time, seeing that his cumulative attacks wouldn't break Dino, and went further to follow through on his defense. 

After all, it's the right thing to do. For Beretta, just guarding Ramiris is a victory. Dino wasn't stupid either, seeing right through Beretta's heart. 

As long as Ramiris remains, the people in the labyrinth will not die. Conversely, as soon as Ramiris is killed, it is immediately over. There was no guarantee that the maze would be safe if Ramiris was abducted, so it was only natural that Beretta prioritized buying time. 

If this goes on, the result will be exactly what Beretta wants. 

However, it won't be that easy. 

Kind of a shame for Beretta, Dino still has a final hand. 

Dino had accompanied Beretta until now because of the need to make Beretta immobile, and it was too much trouble to fight an opponent who would come back to life after death. 

Originally, Dino just had to capture Ramiris before Beretta came back to life, but the others were sure to get in the way. 

If he attacks with the intent to kill, it would affect Ramiris. 

Dino was sincere in not wanting to kill Ramiris, and this became the shackle that bound himself to the current situation. This is a hassle, really. It would take so much work to disable Beretta alone. It's just that it's easier to beat him. Forget it. It's ready anyway… 

“Beretta, you've done well enough. ‘Fallen Hypno (Slothful sleep)…’” 

Dino unleashed his power. 

This is a non-killing, wide range, powerless attack of the unique skill 'Sloth'. 

All living beings fall into a sleep where they are unable to wake up until the caster releases them, and it is pointless to try to resist by force of will. As a high level powerful power of the Great Sin system, as its name implies, the difficulty is that it takes a lot of time to activate this power. 

However, only the owner of an ultimate skill can resist, and it's no exaggeration to say that this terrible attack is the strongest unique skill. 

Dino took as steady a course as possible to neutralize Beretta and the others. 

He had no intention of harming Shinji and Alpha, who were protecting Ramiris in this "control room". 

And then there's Vesta, who was the first to sleep, and whom Dino respected as his boss. After spending a lot of time with Shinji and the others at work, he had unknowingly taken them for companions as well. 

I really don't want to betray them if I can. 

However, Feldway's order was absolute and could not be disobeyed in any case. 

“That's it, that's it. I don’t think it’s bad. I'll persuade Feldway to see if he can leave the place alone.” 

Confirming that Beretta was gradually slumping, Dino muttered. He glanced at the sleeping Ramiris, thinking that he'd finally done his job, and was about to extend his hand towards Ramiris… 

“I won’t let you do it.” 

At that cold voice, Dino stopped his hand. 

“I’m serious…” 

Dino looked back and there stood a woman. 

The slender hairs of her body glowed with gold and silver. 

Her exoskeleton, which protects the key parts, is a living magic steel with a black sheen. 

Two pairs of blue wings on her back, like morpho butterflies, share the same color as the compound eyes on her forehead, exuding a mysterious charm. 

The woman’s identity is Apito who has woken up from her evolutionary sleep. The color of her various parts has changed, yet her shape is still the same as it was before the evolution. 

Whether it is psychological or not, it feels like she has become more beautiful. As the Insect Queen, she exudes an aura of majesty and is more queenly than ever. 

“Apito…just in time to destroy my Holy Demonic Core.” 

Thanks to the demon race not needing sleep, Beretta barely resisted the “slothful sleep.” Despite being stuck in a state of low activity, he did his best to ask Apito. 

“Lord Beretta…" 

“You can't move, but you're still conscious?” 

Dino, out of surprise, reacted with a slower tap, and was unable to stop Apito. 

Without asking, Apito shot her own poisonous needle, destroying Beretta's "Holy Demonic Core.” 

Apito's Renewable Vibrating Poison Needle Sword easily cuts through the sturdy lifeform magic steel. 

She could generate vibrating poisonous needle swords within herself, constantly regrowing them. 

Even without evolution, it's estimated that it will not kill Beretta. 

Beretta laughed. 

“Heh, heh, heh, well done. In this way I will die and rise unharmed. I'll leave you here for now, Apito.” 

Although Beretta had retired from the Ten Lords of Labyrinth, he still held the position of Deputy Secretary of Ramiris, who had the authority to give orders to the Labyrinth Lords. 

“Understood. Unfortunately, I am unlikely to win, so I look forward to your return soon.” 

Contrary to what was said, there was confidence of victory in Apito's voice. Dino sensed her tone too, grumbling annoyingly. 

“No way…that's an accurate judgment…so there’s no way to take advantage of it.” 

Dino's sentiment is correct. 

After being entrusted to Apito, Beretta disintegrated into a particle of light and disappeared. 

After that, Apito soared beyond the speed of sound. 

The fighting in the "control room" intensified even further. 

*** This is annoying. That is Dino's unvarnished sentiment.

Apito was no match for Dino either, but he still couldn't kill her in the maze. 

Even if he wanted to finish her off quickly before grabbing Ramiris, Apito used her speed advantage to hinder Dino, not engaging him head-on, thoroughly implementing the tactic of moving in and out flexibly. 

The evolved Apito, whose fighting style can be described as a speed specialization type, understands her characteristics well and makes full use of them. Her existence value is around 700,000, but was still equal to Dino in terms of speed alone. 

Besides, even if it took some effort to kill him, Beretta had returned by that time. It didn’t even take a minute, to be over. 

Even if Dino is far above them, the time he has to buy now doesn't even last ten seconds, just Apito alone would have been enough. 

In this way, Dino had little means left. 

The safest way to do this is to let Beretta and Apito fall asleep at the same time. 

Dino calmed down and tried to unleash his unique skill 'Sloth' once more. 

There are two opponents and it takes time to launch the unique skill. 

So Dino stopped panicking, as if out of the fight, let his mind smooth out and began to ascertain the condition of his companions. 

The first thing that stands out is Velgrynd, who is victorious in the Battle of the Monsters, and Rimuru, who is fighting her. 

How did he get out!? And, he’s actually fighting Velgrynd equally! Honestly, he was stunned. 

According to Feldway, the Demon Lord Rimuru and his commanding officers were sealed off in Velgrynd's otherworldly realm. 

Rimuru is able to calculate his own coordinates through the “soul corridors" between him and his companions. But Dino, who is unaware of this, is puzzled and even more surprised by Rimuru's strength. 

Facing the invincible Velgrynd, Rimuru even managed to suppress the opponent. 

Dino couldn't help but feel anxious. 

If we don't move forward with the fight, it might be bad. 

Dino turned his gaze to the others. 

The key to Feldway's strategy, first and foremost, is to capture Ramiris. Dino had initially stayed in the labyrinth because of Guy's orders, purely by chance. It was just unfortunate that it was something that Feldway wanted. 

Dino was relutant, but only he had access to the most heavily guarded "control room,” which was a job assignment, so he had to give it up. 

Whereas, the invasion route of Feldway and the others was based on a bold campaign. To incite Velgrynd to destroy the labyrinth in order for her to call Veldora out. 

Dino was naturally startled, but the battle was easily won. Then, Feldway took the lead himself and launched the invasion strategy. 

Along with Feldway, two of the "three admirals" and five generals brought by Zalario, eight in all, invaded. 

Two top executives have been invested in this campaign, which is a lot of work. 

One of the remaining "three admirals,” Obera, guards the phantom palace in the depths of the Otherworld. When Dino heard about the battle, he could hardly hide his surprise at their drastic action. 

The two who had infiltrated the human country were also ordered to take part in the operation. 

Originally, they were Dino's minions, but this time Feldway had taken them into his own hands. 

The task of these two is to keep the maze in a state of destruction. 

This is insurance in case Dino fails. 

The labyrinth could be considered a prison under Ramiris's control, and it would take some work to get out of it. To avoid such a state of affairs, Feldway had saved his hands in advance. 

Dino cared the most about his two subordinates, first confirming where they were on the screen. 

Hey hey, no way. With Pico and Garcia as opponents, it's amazing that they can fight evenly… 

Pico was a petite maiden of beauty, and Garcia was a tall warrior woman. 

As Veldora lost to Velgrynd, the metropolis that had been isolated in the labyrinth returned to the ground, and at this point it was Geld who stepped forward to guard the metropolis. Dino didn't even think he could act as a rival to Pico and Garcia. 

Barrier Lord" Geld plus “Chimeric Lord" Kumara. By the way, Kumara had a group of illusionary beasts, right? No, it can’t be the bloodline of Ivaraj, the demon dragon… No, no, no, no… 

The thought flashed by, and even he dared not continue to imagine it, and nervously dismissed it. 

You're really of the Twelve Patrons of the Demon Lord, Dino thought as he shifted his gaze to the other battlefield. 

In sight was Zalario, of the "Three Admirals" who was fighting. 

Oooooh, Zalario's as strong as ever. He doesn't seem to have shown any real skills at all, and he doesn't even have to face Charys and Treyni. 

His nostalgic old co-workers were still as strong as ever. 

It was already felt at the time that he was terrifyingly strong, and even after thousands of years he was still creepy to look at on the screen. He looked fine so he checked out the next image. 

Cornu? I heard you were in a big hurry because you lost so badly in the invasion decades ago. 

As Dino had guessed, Cornu was sinking into anxiety. 

And no wonder. 

Having lost all the legions in the previous fiasco, and having been badly wounded himself, it would have taken decades to heal. If he fails this time, presumably he will be purged by Feldway. 

Moreover, Feldway should also be hiding next to Cornu by now, and it was estimated that Cornu felt doubly pressured and isn’t performing as he normally would. 

Unlucky guy. However, Masayuki is indeed weak, and the man in front of him doesn’t look like a big deal. Although I’m quite concerned about that dependent of Black, Venom, he seems to be just a newcomer who can't be compared to Beretta. It should be fine. 

Dino and Cornu didn't have that great a relationship, so he didn't worry about him much. 

Even if Cornu fails, Feldway will deal with it. In other words, it can be assumed that the battle is well underway. 

After settling down, Dino's lazy mind got mixed up in the distractions. 

Hmm, but it's incredibly strange. Why do I have to worry about whether the battle will be successful or not? I don't understand. 

This is quite an important point of doubt. 

Dino couldn't erase his sense of dissonance about the battle anyway, and couldn't figure out the reason for it, like a lump in his heart. It felt like he was still a little short of figuring it out… 

But unfortunately… 

“What are you playing at? Dino, it's almost time for me to move out, so you can fulfill your purpose.” 

And so ended the leisurely time. 

Che, I just don’t want to work, really. 

Dino has no grudges against Beretta and Apito, but in fact rather likes them. 

That's why he’s extra bored about this order. 

But…orders cannot be disobeyed. 

It couldn't be helped, so Dino decided to show his true talent. 

*** After ordering Dino again, Feldway continues to watch the Cornu’s battle in the shadows.

Cornu has some tendencies to be overconfident, but he is also a reliable minion. Cornu was a comrade who, like Feldway, was given a name by Veldanava, and therefore, Feldway valued him highly. 

But on the other hand, Cornu played a major blunder in his last invasion and lost a third of his entire army. At that time, the opponent was just an otherworldly world with an overwhelming advantage in battle power. 

But it was enough to disappoint Feldway against him. 

Cornu was also well aware of this, and this time instead of his usual style of playing with the enemy, he was desperately trying to finish the job. 

That being said, Feldway was not happy. The “Three Admirals” must be overwhelmingly strong and must not be fooled by the weak. 

Even now, Cornu had surprisingly missed an opponent who could be killed in a single blow. 

He was completely trapped by the enemy. 

So furious that he was speechless, Feldway looked back and released a killing intent from his anger. He kept telling himself to calm down with his self-control before he barely managed to suppress his killing intent. Then, leaving Cornu alone, moved to dispose of Masayuki. 

On the other hand, Masayuki, who was on the run, felt very upset. 

Every step felt heavy. 

He couldn't accept that he was the only one who had escaped. 

Of course, scary is scary, but abandoning a companion is even scarier. If anything, he feels like he’ll never forgive himself in this life. 

Masayuki stopped in his tracks and looked back. 

He saw his companions fighting in the distance. 

Minute seals the enemy's movements, using the vampire's immortality as bait, while Calgurio and Venom wait for the opportunity to attack. 

It's worth mentioning Jiu's help, as she deftly occupies the spell casting point and blocks Cornu's mass destruction attack. 

A team that is clearly a makeshift patchwork, but has excellent coordination. 

However, if one person is missing then the team will fall apart. 

“Hey, Masayuki…” 

“Bonnie, I'd better go back, after all. I’m always afraid to reveal my true self and never really get a chance to speak my mind…But I really want to become better friends with everyone. I may be a coward, but I don't want to be a scumbag.” 

I'm glad I spoke my mind. At that moment, the "Voice of the World" sounded in his head. 

—Acknowledgement to the Hero's "Courage Not to Run.” Satisfying the three conditions, the hidden power of the unique skill 'Chosen One' has been liberated. Activate? YES/NO— Huh? Masayuki was puzzled. 

He was worried about whether he had done something again, but was relieved to know that it wasn’t the case. Although there was little interest in hidden powers, he agreed to approve it for now. 

—Confirmed. New power has been added to the unique skill “Chosen One…” and has succeeded. The 

"Spirit Guide" has been launched.— 

The obscure instructions echoed in Masayuki's mind. 

While wallowing in this nostalgic feeling, Masayuki gradually understood his own power. 

The ‘Chosen One’ has the effect ‘Hero's Aura’ to intimidate opponents, the ‘Hero's Blessing' which gives courage to his companions, and the ‘Hero's Charisma’ and Hero’s Action, which makes things go in a good direction and receive praise. These are the powers that Masayuki has now. 

The addition of the 'Spirit Guide' seems to be a power that can make him a heroic banner. 

Um, it guides the soul of the dead? I become a vessel? What the hell is this? If it's premised on the death of a companion, then it's fine not to have this skill… 

Sure enough, another skill that doesn't work for crap. Originally, Masayuki wasn't expecting much though, so he wasn't too disappointed. 

As long as it doesn't get worse, it's enough. 

“Masayuki, you…” 

“So, Bonnie, why don't we go back?” 

Masayuki pulled back to the topic. 

The power to hide has been put behind us. 

“Got it. If you say so, then I'll go along with it.” 

Bonnie scratched his head and gave up. 

The two laughed bitterly and prepared to go back to the group, at which point things took a major turn for the worse. 

***

Feldway made his move.

He didn't put Bonnie in his eyes, only knew that Bonnie would get in the way if he wanted to take Masayuki away. 

Bonnie had completely let his guard down and would be killed with a single blow. No, it would be the same whether he was wary or not, because to Feldway, Bonnie was nothing but dust. 

Unfazed by the wind, completely shielding the dwelling breath, Feldway was about to draw his sword and slash Bonnie's head off. 

However, there was a crisp tapping sound. 

It was the sound of swords clashing with swords. 

“In the way? Who is it?” 

Wiping away a moment's surprise, Feldway questioned the other. 

The answer was given by a young girl wearing a "mask". 

"I'm Chronoa, doing the "Hero" business. 

There was silence for a moment, and Feldway smiled. 

"I didn't expect to meet a Hero here, so I'll introduce myself. I’m Feldway, Feldway the Demon King.” 

Hearing the name, Chronoa remained calm, she was in complete sync with Chloe's consciousness and now she was just a cold fighting machine. 

"Demon King? ''Hmph, you are the leader of the Demon Clan, right? I couldn't let go of the evil in front of me, so I showed up just in time for me to eradicate the threat to humanity.” 

"Heh heh heh, that's bold enough. I'll tell you what it means to be self-aware, you idiot.” 

As soon as the words fell, Feldway, in his red uniform, took the lead, and the figure of Chronoa, in her white uniform "Holy Spirit Armor", disappeared. 

The glow of red and white dazzled in front of Masayuki's eyes, and the two vanished from view at the same time, leaving only the sound of sword blades clashing in succession. 

Not to mention the shockwave, not even a whisper of wind. 

This battle is staged in realms beyond the imagination. 

The masked girl who had helped Masayuki before, now saved him from a crisis. Even if Masayuki understood that, he could not help the young girl who called herself Chronoa. 

"Well, what are we going to do about it…?” 

“If we care about it, we'll lose, and we'll just do what we can. So, hurry up and help everyone!” 

Just by hearing the sound of sword strikes ringing in his ears, Bonnie sensed that Feldway's target was himself, and was completely unresponsive to the sword strikes, also understanding that the enemy and himself were not in the same dimension. 

It wasn't that the current Bonnie was weakened, he couldn't possibly have a fight with Feldway anyway, it was a world of difference. 

Since there was no point in fleeing, the right thing to do was to act simply and decisively - the ideas that Bonnie had been taught when he was a soldier now came in handy. 

"Got it. Although I don't know who that Chronoa is, let’s leave her to it!” 

Masayuki was used to improvising in the face of unexpected situations. 

So it's off to a good start. 

Chronoa and Feldway couldn't focus on Masayuki and Bonnie, their swords and shadows kept intersecting, which actually only lasted a short time. 

In just a few seconds, countless attacks and defenses were being played, and it seemed that they would never be able to tell the difference between winning and losing, and that's when Feldway realized it. 

"Ha ha ha ha! What the hell, it's here. Sure enough, Lord Veldanava was expecting my victory too!” 

"Suddenly what?” 

“Hmm, it's okay if it’s you. No, you and I will be companions from now on, so it wouldn't hurt to talk to you.” 

“…?” 

“Now, obey my will, Sariel the King of Hope!" 

It's an absolute command. 

The ultimate skill of the angelic ultimate skill series cannot be defied by Michael's “angelic domination". 

"What have you…done…?” 

"Ho? Is there still a residual sense of self? The most powerful "hero" of them all, the famous Chronoa. 

But it's only a matter of time before you fall into my hands, so resistance is futile.” 

Feldway was ecstatic about his luck. 

In the long history, the fame of the “hero" Chronoa’s, bravery even reached the empire, and the "King of Hope" was born in her body, supposedly a blessing from God. 

As Feldway had expected, Chronoa fell to his knees. 

"I am, Sariel. Give me the order, Lord Michael…” 

Chronoa took off her mask to reveal her beauty. It was the cold words that came out of her pale cherry-colored lips. 

Feldway couldn't help but be sure of his victory. 

Thus, Feldway made an extremely bad judgment at this point. 

Although not the main body, the strongest hero who fought evenly with himself, plus one of his own beloved "three admirals" Cornu. As long as these two are present, his purpose can be easily achieved. 

So Feldway… 

"Good. You go and assist Cornu and kill the boy. I've got work to do on the ground, so I'll leave it to you after that.” 

…gave a command and left the maze. 

***

Seeing Masayuki and Bonnie who had rushed back, Venom really wanted to sigh up at the sky.

Not that there is a complaint. 

He felt the scent of terror swell in the direction of Masayuki's escape and thought the mission was about to descend into despair. 

"I'm so glad you're okay. I'm so relieved!” 

"Hahahaha, the enemy is still here. It's a little early to say that.” 

"That's right.” 

Venom admitted as much. 

Cornu is strong. Despite the clear advantage in the maze, he is overwhelming, not to mention winning, and now I don't even know if I can survive. 

Even so, seeing Masayuki's face, he was relieved for some unknown reason. 

An inexplicable surge of confidence emerged, a feeling that there was always a way. 

Minute and Calgurio were in the same mood, and their faces were a little better than just now. 

"Kekeke, although it’s a little out of place, I feel happy.” 

"I feel the same way. It's like riding the battlefield with His Majesty.” 

The imperial soldiers laughed. 

The vampires, who had nothing to do with them, also raised their wariness. 

And Cornu, on the opposite side, was in a state of confusion. 

He was originally planning to launch an attack, when another Masayuki appeared. 

I thought there was a mistake in the grasp of his position, but on a second look, there are indeed two Masayukis. That is, one of them is a fake. Needless to say, one was Jiu in disguise and the other was the real Masayuki. 

"How dare you underestimate me! Bunch of stinky bugs, still hanging around!” 

But even if Cornu got more ramped up, he couldn't see which one was real. By presence, the strong and the weak are about the same, both are not enough to distinguish the existence. 

That's why it's even more troublesome. If Cornu becomes serious, both could be involved and killed. 

In this way, there is no telling where the other party will flee to. So Cornu had to tighten his nerves even more to avoid a wrong-handed kill. 

And that's when the savior appeared. 

"You are Sir Cornu, are you not? My name is Sariel. I come at the command of Lord Michael.” 

An unfamiliar girl who flew by at such a high speed that his eyes couldn't keep up with, offered to assist him herself. 

Cornu didn't doubt what she said, as she called herself Sariel and could sense it was Michael's person by hearing the name. 

"That's a big help. I'll leave the right one to you. Don't kill him. Take him alive.” 

Cornu had picked one at random, not sure if it was luck or misfortune, he was really just lucky. 

“Understood." 

Sariel nodded, then turned her gaze to Masayuki. 

Masayuki sensed the sight and began to hurry… 

Their eyes met. 

And Sariel? The girl called herself Chronoa before, but she didn't know what was going on, so she turned against the enemy in such a short time. Furthermore… 

Masayuki was in confusion and despair, but Chronoa's beauty was too stunning to feel horror at all. 

Rather, there is no longer time for fear. 

What's going on!? This girl is…super cute!!! 

She is so cute that Masayuki forgets that he is in a fight. 

In a word, yes! It's the perfect way to describe a girl who's super beautiful. 

Masayuki and a certain blonde demon king came to the same conclusion. 

‘Don't wear a mask in the first place!’ Masayuki started complaining about such pointless little things. 

But! 

In front of such dull thoughts, there is implicit hope. 

Sariel reached out and drew her sword, and Masayuki was ready to die, and perhaps it was this that caused all sorts of thoughts to bubble up in his head like a walking horse. 

This pretty girl is really no joke. This girl is the cutest I've ever seen… 

Just as this thought bubbled up, he suddenly felt a vicious chill. 

It's not good to think about it any longer, the survival instinct was screaming with all its might. 

So Masayuki chose to trust his instincts. 

—Not true. Second place. That's right, second cutest. The first is, of course… 

What comes to mind at this time is the blue-haired beauty last seen in the original world. 

Yes, yes, that's her! Gentle cute type, and mature and sexy. A perfect score… 

On the verge of death, the Masayuki’s delusions cannot be stopped. 

However, this was the right thing to do. 

—Confirmed the “Hero’s True Love.” The fourth hidden condition has been fulfilled. The unique skill 

“Chosen One" has evolved into the ultimate power "King of Heroes.”— 

Huh? Masayuki was stunned. 

Instead of calling it love, it's more of an annoyance. Why is it glorified as love? It was too embarrassing to complain. 

Before that. 

Why did I get an ultimate skill without doing anything!? I have to earn up to it! 

Masayuki shouted in his mind. 

It's too forced—Masayuki even wanted to question the Voice of the World. 

However, even complaining about the results doesn't change it. Moreover, even if one obtained the ultimate skill, which one did not even know how to use, it was impossible to defeat the Sariel in front of one's eyes. 

I did my best, so I'll die a handsome death. 

Masayuki thought it over and smiled painfully. 

This laugh has an effect on the crowd. 

"Protect His Majesty!!!” 

The outer soldiers, who had previously felt themselves in the way, rushed forward to attack defiantly. 

Even the soldiers far away was greatly affected, and the change produced by the person next to him was dramatic. 

“Power gushing up. I feel like I can't lose. That's what I'm talking about!” 

Calgurio shouted loudly, slashing at Cornu. For a moment Cornu was scared in the face of a surrendering attack from Calgurio, who had been holding on to his guard. 

Minute doesn't lose to him either. 

"At your command, men of the Empire! Show us our beauty to the Emperor!” 

While inspiring the soldier on the one hand, he himself did not take his eyes off of Sariel, constantly applying pressure with the 'suppressor'. Originally, his unique skill didn't work against the ultimate skill, but this time, even though the effect was minimal, it managed to force Sariel to retreat a bit. 

The vampires also strutted their stuff. 

"This is incredible! I'm in a good mood, I can do anything!” 

Someone forced an attack and still laughed wildly after the lower half of their body was gone. 

"Watch this! Take my full power shot…" 

There are people who, against all odds, keep dying and resurrecting again and again. 

"Hyaaaahaha! So happy!!” 

Someone specializing in regeneration ability began to protect soldiers from stray bullets. 

The battle became more and more gruesome, and the crowds began their fiercest attack to date. 

Why do they do it? 

Of course, it's because of Masayuki's power. 

Unlike the previous unique skill, it has now become the ultimate skill 'King of Heroes', and can grant others the minimum amount of protection needed to fight against ultimate skills. 

Only those whose existence value exceeds 100,000 can withstand this ability, and those who fail to reach it will receive a lucky boost. Anyone who is a believer in Masayuki is able to be sheltered by him. 

As the saying goes, it is indeed a balance breaker. 

Just him standing on the battlefield alone can overturn the uncanny power of the battlefield. 

If Masayuki hadn't seen Chloe O’Bell’s face, he wouldn't have awakened to the ultimate skill. One only has to think about this to understand what a major faux pas Feldway has committed. 

All in all, the battlefield fell into a stalemate for a time, barely maintaining its equilibrium for more than ten minutes. 

Of course, it's also impossible to defeat the duo of Cornu and Sariel on this. 

However, everything has already been decided. 

When Masayuki received the ultimate skill 'King of Heroes,’ the path ahead was already open. 

And now, thanks to the warriors who bought time, that moment has come. 

Velgrynd disappeared from this "world". 

At the same time, the gears of fate began to turn… 

***

—Confirmed. A “Soul Corridor” has been established across time and space with the individual named

‘Velgrynd’— 

Huh? 

Just as Masayuki was puzzled, that person appeared. 

At first, he just thought it was a huge mass of magicules. 

But that wasn’t the case. 

It was a human figure. 

A nostalgic, very beautiful woman. 

A crimson aura that makes her distinctive blue hair dazzle, the "Scorch Dragon" Velgrynd manifests. 

Her eyes contained a domineering aura that could calm everything. 

Time felt like it froze and everyone paused without a second thought. 

Cornu, also puzzled by the sudden state of affairs, stared at Velgrynd. 

Sariel did the same, merely waiting for Cornu's instructions. This was the limit of those who had a newborn ego. 

The Imperial soldiers who were present, all understood instantly. 

This person was precisely the strongest presence that had long guarded the Empire. 

The intelligence they had up until now was that Velgrynd and Veldora were at war, which did not appear to be the case. 

This is because Velgrynd is hugging Masayuki close at the moment. 

In anyone's eyes, it is the attitude of one facing her loved one. 

"I've been looking for you a long time, Rudra. Always, always, always, longing to see you…" 

After saying that, Velgrynd's eyes welled up with tears as she looked at Masayuki. Then, with hands gently cupping his cheeks, she gave him a passionate kiss… 

Masayuki was amazed. 

Hey, so soft…No, it's sweet? No, no, wait…! 

Masayuki's head exploded and his cool judgment instantly disappeared. 

The intimidating beauty hugged him, which was okay, the problem was what happened afterwards. 

First—first kiss!!! 

The casual coordination of her shirt and jeans was slightly more mature, and with Velgrynd’s beauty, she exuded a cool aura. 

It would be a lie to say I’m not happy about kissing such a beautiful woman. 

But the key thing must not be left out. 

The beautiful woman, referred to Masayuki as Rudra. 

No good, she’s got the wrong person… 

It was an atmosphere where he felt like he couldn’t say that she got the wrong person. 

That said, this beauty is still kissing right now. 

He was going to run out of breath soon. 

Be cool, be calm, the more things that come, the more calm you have to be— Masayuki confirmed the situation once again. 

His location is a battlefield. 

Right in front of the enemy. 

Locked in a hot kiss with a beautiful woman. 

Moreover, because the beauty was pressed so tightly against him, Masayuki couldn't help but be aware of the touch of her ample breasts. 

It's almost too comfortable as if ascending to heaven…but I must not enjoy it now! What the hell am I doing!? The more I think about it, the more confused I get. The only thing I understand is that once I’m exposed as the wrong person, my life will be over in an instant. 

There is no excuse for doing such a thing in full view of the public. 

Even for the lucky ones, one cannot expect things to get better. 

Enjoying the luck of ascension while waiting for the misfortune to come. 

Masayuki stopped thinking. 

He was near death anyway, so thank goodness he got to experience kissing at the end. It is fortunate to have come to such a conclusion that it would be wrong. 

His consciousness was gradually getting hazy, and Masayuki seemed to be dreaming. 

Just don’t think about it and enjoy the situation. 

And that attitude deepened the misunderstanding of the onlookers. 

"His Majesty is so skilled.” 

"It's a little disrespectful, but I feel the same way. It's a privilege to witness the unwavering love of two adults that no one can interfere with, and the bond that no one can shake.” 

"Lord Velgrynd is like a maiden in love…the dragon of the Empire is in love with His Majesty." 

"Hmmm! Then the empire will be at peace.” 

None of them harbored ill will towards Masayuki, and there was not the slightest doubt that Masayuki was the real Rudra. 

Masayuki wanted to shout that this was a big misunderstanding, but his mouth was still gagged by Velgrynd. 

I’ve never even had a girlfriend, so don’t go talking about marriage!! 

Masayuki laments the absurdity of this world. 

In the end, it was the enemy Cornu who rescued him from this situation. 

"Don't be ridiculous, Velgrynd! You should be at the mercy of Lord Michael! Why did you come and get in my way?” 

To Cornu, Velgrynd was just one of the pawns that had been tamed. And now that she had shown up to get in his way, Cornu erupted into discontent and anger. 

"Hey, that's not funny. I'm sorry to bother you, but there's a limit to how stupid you can be.” 

Velgrynd finally moved away from Masayuki, glaring unhappily at Cornu. 

Even wincing at the sight of her, Cornu didn't stop. 

"Shut up! Stop it and hurry up and assist me. Just take that guy you're holding and kill him!” 

That was a forbidden sentence. 

Cornu hadn't expected his words to touch Velgrynd's rebellious scales. 

"Just now, you said you wanted me to kill this man?” 

The battlefield went silent. 

Only Cornu failed to comprehend the state of affairs, shouting in anger. 

"Don't make me repeat myself, Velgrynd. Even if you're stronger, now that my authority is higher than yours, all you have to do is obey my orders!” 

Cornu didn't understand the situation in the end. 

There had been no time to perceive that Velgrynd was a different being than before. 

"Then go to hell." 

It was a shot without mercy. 

Velgrynd's rebirth was as powerful as it had ever been before, and through refined magical manipulation, her precision burned only Cornu cleanly to the ground. 

There was no talking back, not even a chance to retort, as Cornu disappeared from this world. 

What was even more terrifying was that Velgrynd's attack even spanned space-time, which was the true power of the 'Space-time Continuous Attack' that she had launched using her new power 'Subdimensional Jump', and Cornu was wiped out without even sensing a sense of crisis in his being. 

"I've let you off the hook for a while now, you idiot. I was close to forgetting my grudge against Feldway, too, but it seems I can't let it go.” 

With that, Velgrynd finished and turned her gaze towards Sariel. 

“Oh, this person whose name is actually Chronoa, saved me…” 

"Don't worry, I won't do anything, because there's no need. That girl, by her own will, is resisting, and the proof is that she stands still and does not move. If it's still a concern, just let Rimuru look at it later and he should take care of it properly. Though I don't think it will be necessary." 

Velgrynd finished and took her eyes off of Sariel-Chronoa, and seeing Velgrynd's complete lack of guard, Masayuki finally relaxed. 

***

And so the battle ended.

There were quite a few people who were as relieved as Masayuki, and there were also others who were fidgeting from nervousness. 

It was the people who knew Velgrynd's identity who were disturbed. 

The one who is determined to act is Bonnie, who is standing next to Masayuki. 

After all, Bonnie stood the closest to Velgrynd. He went up and knelt down, though his attitude did not grovel, but rather spoke righteously. 

"Your Excellency, I am Bonnie of the seventh digit of the single digit sequence, and I give ask for Excellency's peace…" 

"No need to salute. So, what are you trying to say?” 

"Yes! I disobeyed the orders of the chief and gave up the task of killing the teenager named Masayuki. I know that I deserve to die, so before I am punished, I beg your Excellency to listen to me." 

The scene fell silent again. 

Listening to Bonnie, the soldiers present realized that Velgrynd was the "marshal", the supreme leader of the Imperial Army. 

Quite a few people were confused, but most accepted the truth. 

As the understanding gradually deepened, they also began to see reality. 

The losers will be punishable by Velgrynd. 

It is useless to resist. 

In front of the Marshal, who could destroy even this maze, the only thing left to do was to wait for punishment. 

They naturally lined up and waited for judgment to come… 

In this tense atmosphere, the conversation continued. 

"Say what?” 

"Our loyalty to the Empire remains the same. Regardless of His Majesty the Emperor's intentions, we will have to obey orders absolutely. So, please give the soldiers permission to return home! The executives, including me, do not have any grievances about taking the punishment. But…" 

"That's enough.” 

The appeal was interrupted, and Bonnie felt despair. 

As soon as his fate was decided, Bonnie couldn't help but want to cry in the face of his own powerlessness. 

Velgrynd looked at Bonnie and puffed out a laugh. 

"Ah-ha, did you misunderstand? Little fools, I thank you for your commendable efforts in guarding my beloved Rudra.” 

All the soldiers fell to their knees in unison. 

“So then…?” 

"I have no intention of doing anything to you. All that matters to me is Rudra, and since Rudra values you, then I will protect you as well. That is how it was before, how it is now, and how it will be in the future.” 

The words of Velgrynd are gospel. 

The soldiers rejoiced. 

Touched tears were shed. 

Calgurio and Minute were no exception, and were deeply moved by the fact that they had understood what Velgrynd had said in their hearts. 

At the end, the crowd even chanted 'Long live the Empire! Long live His Majesty!’ The cheers were endless, while Masayuki was wondering what the heck they were talking about. 

If I’m hearing what they just said correctly, then they really have mistaken me with Emperor Rudra. 

Besides, Bonnie already knows the truth. If it's exposed, I'll be the one who gets hurt. And the kiss…I’ll definitely be killed… 

Masayuki's name was not Rudra, yet no one raised that query. This situation now makes him feel, on the contrary, that something is wrong. 

To be honest, Masayuki was overjoyed about the kiss. But inwardly, he also believe that getting involved is not the right intention "Look at you. What's wrong? If there's something you’re worried about, tell me about it." 

Velgrynd returns back to a previously alone Masayuki, much to his dismay. 

"Huh? No, it's nothing, I don't have a care in the world…" 

He was a bit incoherent. 

Looking at the unnatural attitude, Velgrynd asked warily, with a worried face, 

“Do you not remember me?” 

What should be the right answer, Masayuki felt that he was being tested. 

The consequences of a wrong answer are unimaginable. 

Even though he wanted to say "Give me a break," Masayuki tried his best to use his brain. 

If you ask me if I remember, I do. That beauty seen in my original world was, without a doubt, her. But to say the name… 

That guy just now, called her Velgrynd. I remember that Velgrynd was Mr. Veldora's sister…and the rumors were that she was strong to the point of being outrageous. And she’s said to be a guardian of the empire or something… 

Masayuki's desperate thinking was meaningful, gradually recalling the information from all sides. 

Judging by the reaction of the Imperial soldiers, one's own speculation must have been correct, so Masayuki took a gamble. 

“Miss…Velgrynd, wasn’t it?” 

Velgrynd, who heard the reply, smiled brightly. 

"Yes, that's right! You remember me, Rudra!” 

At this point, Luck still hasn't abandoned Masayuki. 

Just him saying her name made Velgrynd very happy. 

And, not only that. 

"By the way, I can see why you were looking so blue. I was so happy to see you, I forgot. Your name is Masayuki now.” 

“—!” 

The situation had improved on its own, and the misunderstanding of his mistaken identity which Masayuki had been concerned about had been resolved. 

Eh, eh, eh, eh!? This person, she knows my name is Masayuki Honjo. 

What an absolute relief. 

Never since he was born had he felt such heartfelt relief. 

The tense nerves all over his body suddenly loosened up, and he felt like he was about to pee. 

"Yeah, right. Actually, my name isn't Rudra, but Masayuki, so I'm a little confused about that.” 

Masayuki grinned awkwardly while cautiously observing Velgrynd's reaction. 

And it wasn't just Velgrynd, the soldiers of the Empire were also a problem. 

According to the conversation just now, no matter what they think, they think I'm Emperor Rudra, and if I tell them I'm not the Emperor at this point, these people will be confused too. I'll be in trouble if I'm sued for perjury by the Emperor, and then I'll have to prove my innocence! 

Although he didn’t know if there was such a charge or not, Masayuki still wanted the truth to come out. 

So Masayuki decided to convey his thoughts. 

However, Velgrynd didn't mind. 

"No problem at all. The value of the Empire is also nothing more than what Rudra owns, it was just Rudra's hobby that led him to build it. He said the Empire was necessary for him and Guy to win, that's why I value the Empire. If you say you don't need it anymore, then why don't you just let the empire turn into clean scorched earth?” 

It was a statement of something transcendent like the divine. 

The Imperial soldiers were blue in the face. 

The eyes of the entire crew gathered on Masayuki. 

Stop it! Don't look at me like that!! Don’t take it as my fault!!! 

I know, don't look at me like that. Masayuki opened his mouth while feeling such an unnecessary responsibility. 

"No, the empire is important! Mr. Rimuru also said he intended to be friendly with the Empire in the future and to establish friendly relations after the war.” 

In short, it was absolutely impossible to turn the Empire into a scorched earth, Masayuki desperately stressed this. 

And the soldiers of the Empire looked at Masayuki with worshipful eyes as if they had seen a god. 

Velgrynd is a ‘just do it’ type of person, and it doesn't take much time for her to do things. 

If Masayuki didn't object, the empire would undoubtedly perish, and everyone was well aware of that, which is why they were so grateful to Masayuki. 

“Yeah? Since you say so, I’ll just assist you as usual.” 

Velgrynd flashed a smile. 

For their part, the Imperial soldiers breathed a sigh of relief. 

Among them, Calgurio, as a representative, raised questions. 

“Though all is settled, please let me overstep my bounds. There is one thing I would like to confirm at any rate.” 

You could also tell from the stony expression that he wasn't much for words himself. 

"What is it?” Velgrynd asked. 

"Yes! It's about the current Emperor, Lord Rudra. What's next for His Majesty Rudra?" 

Upon hearing this, Velgrynd also expressed understanding. 

"Oh, that's right. After all, you can't see through the soul. The Rudra now is an empty shell, but the one who has really gathered Rudra's soul is Masayuki, whom I love." 

"Huh, me?” 

"Exactly. Even without memory, there is no doubt that you are ‘Rudra.’ So I love you and will try to make you love me too.” 

“Uhhh.” 

Is there any man who wouldn’t perk up after being told that by a beautiful woman? 

No, it doesn't exist! 

The same goes for Masayuki. 

Although you’re in love with me now, there's no guarantee that this love will last forever, so in order to keep this luck, I swear to work harder. 

But, as for what exactly to do, let's just leave that for later. 

It was fortunate that the decision was made, but then something went wrong. 

"Then we must make Lord Masayuki the true Emperor!” 

“Huh?” 

"Exactly. But it might not be easy with him being a complete outsider in terms of pedigree. Even if it's the Emperor's illegitimate son, there's no way to fool it.” 

“Wait, what?” 

"It doesn't matter. The army will be suppressed by Sir Calgurio, and I will go to the nobility. It's okay, they can't argue. If it fails, the empire will be destroyed and there will be no time to talk to them at length anyway.” 

Calgurio sets the course and Bonnie asks the question. Minute, for his part, is proposing a solution to the problem, which the soldiers present intend to fully support. 

Just like that, before Masayuki had a chance to interject, the plan moves forward step by step… 

"Just do your best, Masayuki." 

That…I don't have the right to refuse? 

Probably not, so Masayuki had given up. 

His legendary life was only just beginning. 

***

Dino decided to show his true colors.

The opponent, who had been able to win easily, was in a bitter fight, and the situation hurt, but it was time to end it. 

"You're still looking around. It's so easy.” 

The words fell and Beretta's sharp fist sliced across his cheek. 

"What an underestimation, when our adversary is still distracted.” 

Apito also shot out the vibrating poison needle sword. 

The stab must hurt—Dino dodged it desperately. 

Compared to them, my strength should be overwhelming, am I being overconfident? Even with two opponents at the same time, I didn't expect to be in such a difficult fight. 

Being lazy for a long time probably had led to weakening, and Dino lost a little bit of his confidence. 

The fact that Dino had time to think about it was proof that he still had the strength, but not the self-awareness. 

Apito has honed her instincts in special training with Hinata, which is close to predicting the future, and although the difference in strength between herr and Dino is obvious, she is also an opponent that cannot be underestimated. 

Beretta plays as a wall, while Apito attacks at the back. Beretta, who was a shield, also got involved in the attack, and the combined attack of the two worked against Dino. 

And what’s even trickier is Beretta's magic. 

Normal spells are ineffective against Dino, and Beretta's spells are predominantly a support type. That is, not directly used to attack Dino, but to strengthen his own physical values. 

Weakening Dino's magic is ineffective, but Dino has no means to interfere with magic that strengthens Beretta and Apito's speed, strength and endurance. 

While it might help to hinder the unleashing of magic, Beretta was a demon who was good at magic and could unleashe it without even thinking about it. 

Moreover, the ‘slothful sleep' of the unique skill 'Sloth' doesn't work on Beretta. There's also this layer of reasoning that's gotten Dino into a bitter fight. 

But now, finally. 

The long-awaited feeling finally piled up and the time to fight back had arrived. 

"I'm sick of this! Two people teaming up to bully a weak man like me, and you also talk so much! It's a good thing I have had the patience to accompany you. Be grateful! Take this and rest!” 

After all was said and done, “Slothful Sleep" had been launched, very much in line with Dino's style of getting by, though there was no concept of openness in his dictionary. 

"Phew, is it finally over?” 

Seeing Apito gradually fall to her knees, Dino was sure of his victory. His eyes turned their attention to Beretta—only to be met with an oncoming punch that Dino scrambled to avoid. 

"Wow, did you resist my sleep?” 

"Of course. It was a mistake to get hit once, how can I get hit twice?” 

It was because the demon race itself was highly resistant to abnormal states that Beretta was able to derive countermeasures and use his own unique skill ‘'Reverser'' to reverse the sleepiness. 

“Really…" 

"Well, it’s bad for Apito, but I'll just let her die once and come back to life.” 

Beretta remained calm in front of Dino. 

Dino also foolishly follows his own must-win theories to action, and rather than joke about him, he actually admires his opponent more. 

With me as an opponent, I didn't expect him to be able to fight evenly until now. It's not my fault, it's all because Beretta and the others are so good. In that case, I'll have to use that… 

Dino has a secret move. 

Since it would bring back annoying memories, he didn’t want to use it if possible, but now there was no choice. 

“I commend you. You're good enough to make me get serious.” 

Dino unleashed his sealed powers. 

The ultimate skill, the “Sky King”—the ultimate skill given by Veldanava. 

—Confirmed. "The evolution of the unique skill ‘Sloth’ through the 'creation' of the ultimate power of the ‘Sky King’…has been successful.— Dino's 'Sloth' had a special nature, the more lazy he usually was, the more his strength would increase. 

Simply put, it is possible to accumulate energy. 

Dino used this to evolve the unique skill 'Sloth' into the ultimate skill ‘Slothful King Belphegor.’ 

This is Dino's secret move. 

The "Creation Evolution" of the ultimate skill “Sky King". 

If you use the power of the ultimate skill "Sky King" you can achieve the evolution you desire, even though it is limited to your own power. 

Of course, there is more than one effect, Dino's ultimate skill 'King of the Sky' is still retained. The labyrinth is littered with watching eyes, constantly recording what is happening. 

Dino, as a “watcher,” is resistant to revealing everything about himself. 

And… 

That Rimuru guy, is horribly intelligent with a deep sense of recklessness. Even when he got rid of Clayman, recorded images were brought out as evidence. If my power is exposed then they might easily find a countermeasure. 

Demon lord Rimuru was an opponent not to be underestimated, and one could not be more cautious against him, Dino knew that. 

So Dino created the ‘Slothful King Belphegor' where it doesn't matter if he is seen. 

This force, came at Beretta. 

“Now sleep! ‘Fallen Catastrophe’…!” 

The law is rewritten and the positive factor begins to retrograde to the negative factor. This temptation, whether they are living or dead, can forcefully lure them from a state of activity to a state of cessation. 

However, there is no coercive force in this, and the one who is hit will go to destruction autonomously. 

It can be considered a kind of hypnotism, except that the effect reaches different dimensions. 

One will not be able to awaken from the slumber of the evolved ‘Slothful King,’ and not only will the spirit be destroyed, but even the flesh. 

In this case, though, the guidance destination was “perish,” but it is also possible to lower the level further and keep it to abnormal conditions such as sleep. It was a versatile skill. 

This power does not use sound as a medium for transmitting interfering waves, so the power cannot be prevented by physical barriers or the like. It is worth mentioning that there are very few means of defense. 

Absolute dominion over those who possess wisdom and feelings—this is the power of ‘Slothful King Belphegor'. 

***

One of the Seven Deadly Sins, "Slothfulness," is a true version of the dreaded evolution—and Dino admires himself for it.

In order to keep Beretta from moving, he was trying to do some thorough damage. So "destruction" 

was chosen, but now it appears to be more powerful than expected. 

Beretta vanished into dust, so it would still take some time for him to be resurrected. The bracelet was wiped out along with it, but there was still always a way for Ramiris' powers to work out so Dino didn't care. 

Furthermore, if mercy was shown here, it would be more than just a mission failure. 

Don't blame me if you die, Dino thought irresponsibly. 

But ah, even Beretta, among Demon Lord Rimuru's men, is only in the middle ranks… 

It's only natural that Dino would be pissed off. 

Even an opponent as tricky as Beretta was only a lower-ranking existence that had yet to acquire ultimate skills. And, he wasn't the Demon Lord himself, just one of his minions. 

Dino thought while shuddering at the fact. 

If the upper ranking team of the maze were left… 

Would he even be able to win by himself? Dino thought annoyed, while looking towards Ramiris. 

Seeing the sleeping Ramiris, he reached out and touched her body. 

He should have been able to touch her. 

Ramiris transformed into a particle of light, then disguised herself as a butterfly and fluttered next to Dino. 

It seemed to be mocking Dino. 

Hey, hey, am I hallucinating…? 

He didn’t want to believe it, couldn’t believe it. 

But if it wasn't an illusion, the current situation wouldn’t make sense. 

Sure enough, this battle was being watched. 

It's okay to be cautious, but still… 

One of his trump cards was also exposed to the enemy. 

And… 

His next opponent, surely, would be even tougher… 

Thud, thud—the sound of someone's footsteps came forward. 

The man approached slowly and unhurriedly, the beautiful light butterfly fluttering like a dance, stopping at his arm. 

The butterfly changed back to a particle of light, and then changed again…into the innocent, sleeping Ramiris who had a blissful expression, seemingly not knowing anything. 

Ramiris slept on the man's forearm, and Beretta, who had been resurrected, respectfully received Ramiris. 

"Sir Beretta, please take care of Lady Ramiris.” 

The man said quietly. 

"Yes, leave it to me. Do you need support?” 

"No need. I alone am enough.” 

From the very beginning, Ramiris' escort was foolproof. 

Deep in the safest of labyrinth, heavy traps were laid. 

According to a certain someone's instructions, in order to expose the abilities of a quietly approaching enemy, the battle force was to be gradually dispatched. 

Moreover, this maze has the strongest guardians in it. 

Before leaving the maze, Veldora had handed Ramiris' escort over to his trusty disciple. 

The only one uninformed was Ramiris. 

And now… 

That man has begun to move. 

The man standing before Dino is Zegion, the “Mist Lord". 

He was the absolute powerhouse of this maze. 

***

Zegion had cocooned himself for the sake of evolution, but his consciousness was always kept awake.

In response to Veldora's request, he grasped the maze situation perfectly. 

With the overwhelming 'Absolute Defense' for protection, Ramiris was kept safe. 

Dino recognized this as well. 

You’ve got to be joking… 

This is Dino's unadorned state of mind. 

He had thought he had beaten the enemy, but then another one appeared. All the while with the purpose of exposing his own hands. 

I knew it! That Rimuru guy is so devious, of course he'd love this tactic! 

At this point, the battle is lost. 

Forget about catching Ramiris, Dino could barely get himself out of this. 

Besides, when exactly did he evacuate Ramiris in the first place? I stayed in the room this whole time and even saw the Ramiris talking. She turned into a butterfly, so she should be long gone, right? 

If not, then it was Zegion who had let Ramiris escape in a way that Dino couldn't see through. 

But, then…was I talking to an illusion the whole time? 

If so, that is also a big problem. 

This is an unusual state of affairs. 

Dino is the owner of an ultimate skill and is also well versed in the hypnosis department. Even so he had left Dino in a state of delusion, which is usually not possible. 

However, this possibility cannot be dismissed in its entirety. 

If Zegion also had an ultimate skill and was proficient in mental attacks…then it might be possible to use 'illusions' that were enough to fool even Dino. 

Dino also knew how powerful Zegion was. 

He’s a powerful worm-type beast, but is also a humanoid of the “Insect-Demon Race (Insectars).” 

Favored by the demon lord Rimuru, he has exceptionally strong fighting abilities. 

It was heard that Zegion had taken Veldora as his teacher, and that his fighting skills were even superior to those of the “primordials.” 

This is Zegion, considered as the absolute king of the labyrinth. 

When the Imperial Army invaded the Maze, he eliminated the invaders with an overwhelmingly power. 

Taking this opportunity, Dino also observed Zegion's fighting style, which can be said to be invincible in physical combat. 

But most importantly, Zegion had been fighting only with physical means since the beginning. He hadn't used a spiritual attack at all, let alone an ultimate skill—he hadn’t even seen him use a unique skill. 

No. Is the Space Distortion Defense Field alone strong enough to reach the ultimate skill…? 

Even then, it was only a physical level of power, still in the realm of being able to deal with, in Dino's opinion, who was good at mental attacks. 

In that case, the only thing that came to mind was the celebration the other day. 

That day, in the name of a reward, Demon Lord Rimuru granted Zegion some kind of power, and called it an evolutionary ritual that awakened the men who had made the battle a success. 

In fact, the power of Gabil and others had grown dramatically, along with others who had fallen into evolutionary sleep. 

Those phenomena were similar to the evolution of a demon lord, and it's not surprising that Zegion has acquired new abilities. 

But, isn't that still strange? How come even the subordinates can evolve to the same realm as Master Rimuru? I can understand that the awakened demon lord’s men are demon lord species, but even the men are of the awakened demon lord’s level—that’s too much of a foul!!! 

A phenomenon that even Dino, who had lived so many long years, could not have anticipated. Even Guy couldn't do such a thing. 

—Well, once it's all said and done, this is unending. Moreover, the mere fact that the "primordials" 

were taken as subordinates was already a problem. This kind of guy, no matter what he does, it shouldn’t be a surprise. 

Dino inwardly whispered bad things about Rimuru. 

They are the strongest demons, so they would be able to stop Dino. Moreover, the superiority and inferiority of existence values cannot be relied upon against a “primordial” as an opponent. 

To be able to take such an existence under one's wing was an anomaly in Dino's eyes. 

Dino would like to be as uninvolved as possible. 

However… 

Zegion in front of him is comparable to the primordials. 

He’s obviously foreign. 

More than just becoming a Super Awakened (millions) class, one could feel the endless power in his domineering aura. 

Power over numbers—an aura that only the most powerful can exude. 

It's also implied that Zegion, like Dino, has acquired an ultimate skill. 

This is why I hate working… 

Dino laments that he has drawn the short end of the stick. 

Then he sighed as if to give up, but still fumbled for the best way forward. But good ideas are not easy to come by. And time waits for no-one. 

*** 

Zegion calmly walked in front of Dino, who was caught up in his rambling thoughts. 

"Is there anything else you want to say?” He asked. 

"Have you been hiding it all this time to force out my cards? Don't be ridiculous, it's despicable!” 

Dino put his actions up until now on the shelf, and was the first to complain. 

It's just pure anger, but if it pissed off his opponent, that would help. 

"Ridiculous. This is a fight.” 

The rhetoric isn't rhetorical, and Zegion doesn't care about that. 

Dino also knew, and the conversation ended. 

Tension was drawn between the two men. 

Dino knew Zegion's strength, which was an advantage for Dino, however his trump card had also been exposed to Zegion. 

In this way, only a head-to-head encounter can take place. 

Zegion specializes in close combat, and, while not certain, probably has an ultimate skill. 

On the other hand, Dino specializes in mental attacks. No, using his hidden hand is an option, but Dino wants to try to avoid exposing his trump card in this maze. 

Even though a bunch of trump cards have been exposed a long time ago, it would still be a huge loss to expose them again… 

And Dino also naively thought that it should be okay to run away. 

“Why don’t you attack?” 

Zegion's words were doubly stressful. 

Dino used his qi to go back. 

"Ha! Don't underestimate me. No matter what, I am also an eight-star demon lord. After living for so long, who would lose to a weak chicken like you!?” 

Then he raised his sword high and swung it down towards Zegion. 

“Eat this and perish! ‘Fallen Sky Strike!’” 

There is no exchange of tricks, and one giant blow is made. Like a lazy Dino, this is a great technique that hates waste. 

The power of the "Fallen Sky Strike" was also real. 

Dino applied his unique skill of "Sloth" to his swordplay and created the "phantom flow", which can control the battle at will by hindering the opponent's perception. 

Now, the unique skill "Sloth" has evolved into the ultimate skill "Slothful King Belphegor", and its effect is incomparable, so the accuracy and power of "Phantom Flow" is even higher. 

Although Dino is a pain in the ass, his combat acumen is outstanding. 

But even so… 

Dino still didn't think it was a good idea to fight Zegion in close combat. If his powers didn't work, there was no way to use the Phantom Flow. 

So now there can be no more reservations. 

This is the "Fallen Sky Strike,” one of the few orthodox sword skills in the "Phantom Flow" that Dino has put his best foot forward. 

The will instilled therein is that of rendering the opponent powerless. 

Just rubbing against the opponent takes the life force out of them and also secretly harbors fluctuations that stimulate negative feelings. This attack is not negligible like illusions and hallucinations, and it is impossible for those with w weak minds to oppose it. 

Only those whose spiritual power was strong enough to acquire ultimate skills would be able to withstand the attack. 

Even so, it is impossible to go injury-free. Dino poured his Idle Will, which also had a physical destruction effect. 

Even if successfully dodged, negative fluctuations are released from all sides. Once in the midst of fluctuations, one's qi will be depleted and their fighting ability will inevitably decline. 

After that, it’s only a matter of aiming for that chance. 

This heavily enemy-tricking move was Dino's strongest hit with confidence. 

In order to overcome the difficulties at hand, it was best to deal with Zegion with a hard hand. 

Although Dino wanted to be reserved, he decided to uphold the no-discharge doctrine in order to make the task easier. 

Even if it was Guy, I don't think it’d be safe to take this blow head-on. So, can you take it? 

Dino, convinced of the strike, smiled softly. 

Zegion has always seen only Dino’s laziness, and probably did not expect him to use a big move all at once. Dino was convinced that everything was as planned. 

But Zegion didn't move. 

It was that he couldn’t react, but that he was just dealing with it. 

Zegion confirmed the trajectory of Dino's sword, catching it as he watched for a hit. 

The mythical great sword, “Crumbling Fang", which was cut from above, has the secret power to shatter all substances on the ground. For his part, Zegion calmly caught it with the exoskeleton of his left hand that had turned into an ultimate metal. 

"Dumbass! How can you take my sword head-on!? This time, it's me who wins!” Dino shouted. 

The laziness act that came with performing on weekdays finally pays off for this moment. 

Actually, he’s not really acting, he just likes to think so. 

It was the fastest attack Dino could release, but unfortunately, it was caught by Zegion. It was inevitable as larger swords tend to sacrifice speed, but in exchange, the power is extraordinary. 

The one-handed catch from Zegion deserves credit, as if to indicate weakness in the attack. 

But for now, Zegion's left hand must be taking a lot of impact. 

His left hand doesn't seem to be shattered, but I guess it won't work for a while. I’m still not moving, still hanging on. 

Dino thought as he looked at the hatefully calm Zegion. 

The winner, however, was Dino. 

Zegion's Space Distortion Defense field is excellent, but it also only defends against physical attacks. 

Dino's "Fallen Sky Strike,” elevated to the ultimate realm, penetrates all physical defenses and strikes, going straight at Zegion. 

Letting my opponent mistake a physical attack for a big sword and fall off guard, when in fact, a lethal Spirit type attack was used, was my combat victory Zegion is indeed strong. 

That's why he underestimated Dino, presumably to show off his superiority. Because it was the melee field that Zegion excelled in, Dino predicted that he would deliberately not dodge the attack. 

"Huh. Give me a break. I'll have to recycle Ramiris because of the effect of the bracelet anyway.” 

Saying that, Dino was about to walk towards Beretta. 

But at this point, there was a pause. 

Dino felt strange. 

First of all, Beretta didn’t raise his guard against Dino. 

After many battles, and using killer weapons, the amount of mana left in Dino was already small. Even so, he wouldn't lose to Beretta, but Beretta's eyes still revealed a victor's calmness. 

It was creepy not to see an expression under that mask. 

"Do you think you can beat me?” 

"Ho ho ho, that’s a joke. I'm not thinking about winning, it’s just that I'm not your opponent.” 

Just as the words fell, Dino felt a strong chill of malice. 

A few unnatural places came to mind as he looked towards Zegion in a panic, revisiting the stopped motion. 

His mythical level strike failed to shatter Zegion’s left hand, which meant that his hand also had an intensity equivalent to mythical level. If so, it is not surprising that the strength of Zegion's will can rival that of spiritual beings, and it seems that the correct answer is yes. 

“No way…” 

"And by the way, is the effect of your attack delayed? You really think you can beat me with a blow that doesn't hurt or tickle like a breeze?” 

Dino inwardly scolded the bastard. 

As it turns out, Zegion is the owner of an ultimate skill. 

Although it was unknown what power it was, it was at least powerful enough to nullify Dino's spiritual attack. 

"Are you doubting that I have an ultimate skill? Then you should have repeatedly attacked harder, instead of attacking so mildly. That laziness of character is the cause of your defeat this time." 

"Don't talk as if you've won!”—in the face of such a shouting Dino, Zegion held out his left hand. The clasped hands opened wide and shot out five flashes. 

This move is Zegion's dimensional cutting wave (dimension ray). 

"It hurts…” 

Dino scrambled to dodge, barely avoiding a fatal injury, but his right arm below the elbow was cut off anyway. 

It hurt so much that he wanted to cry, but now was not the time to shed tears and scream. 

His instincts warned that it would be really dangerous if this continued. 

"So you've got an ultimate skill, too, huh? I didn't realize that even my "hypnotic induction of death" 

could be invalidated. Is it true that all mental attacks don't work on you guys? 

The "Hypnotic Induction of Death" refers to the Spiritual Death Attack of Dino in the "Fallen Sky Strike", which is effective as long as the enemy has a mind. 

It's a sure-fire power that has nowhere to go. 

But Zegion looked as if nothing had happened after he was hit, and it was no wonder that Dino couldn't accept it. 

In order to win, no, to escape, Dino had to solve the puzzle, and even though he knew he would not get an answer, he still asked the question he had just asked. 

"I have no obligation to answer you.” 

Zegion was indeed relentless. 

However, the next thing he did was give the answer in a cold voice. 

"But I will answer the wretched one. The so-called dream, that is to say, is the mystery. From the very beginning, you have fallen completely into the palm of my hand. Remember, as the Mist Lord, I am the Dark Phantom King. Spiritual attacks are useless!” 

This is the attitude of the strong man who can give mercy to his enemies. 

Hearing these words and deducing the facts from them left Dino stunned. 

The invalidation of one's own abilities indicates that the opponent is more capable. That is, Zegion has now evolved to be equal to Dino—no, a being above him. 

He’s lying, right? His melee combat is so strong, and yet he’s so good at spirit fighting! And this guy, he just said he's the Dark Phantom King? In other words, has he reached the point where he can build a "world alone"? Are you kidding me!? How strong do you have to be to be willing to do this!? This is never an opponent that can be beaten unprepared!!! 

Dino's skills were the strongest in the Great Sin lineage and had just evolved into an ultimate skill. But even so, he was perfectly blocked by Zegion. 

It's no longer something that evolution can explain, and Zegion should have had no ultimate skills until recently. 

Dino is definitely not weak. 

But his opponents are very strong. 

No, they were too overpowering… 

This Ramiris kidnapping battle was fundamentally wrong from the start, but became doomed from the moment Zegion completed his evolution. 

Realizing this, Dino sighed heavily. 

And upon seeing the other figure that appeared on the screen at this moment, he was completely speechless. 

Ah, Velgrynd… 

The blue-haired beauty, no doubt Velgrynd. 

She should have already subdued Veldora and was fighting with Demon Lord Rimuru outside the labyrinth, but somehow she appeared next to Masayuki. 

What bothered Dino even more was not being able to see Cornu's figure. 

No way, no way, no way!! 

Nasty premonitions always come true. 

Dino has understood this from past experience. 

Give me a minute! There is so much information and intelligence that understanding can no longer keep up. That's what!? Feldway's inclusion of Velgrynd at his disposal is actually a lie? Or is she out of the guy's league? Either way, is it possible that Cornu has been done in by Velgrynd? No, no, no, this, it's no longer a matter of combat failure, is it? 

Dino let Thinking Accelerate run at full speed, trying to make sense of the situation. In the end, he understood that no matter how hard he tried, the battle could no longer go on. 

Dino had originally wanted to run away single-mindedly, but from this moment on, he didn't even have the energy to work towards it. 

For Dino, this feeling was familiar. 

"Pray. He who touches the abyss of sin, go to hell in his own penance for sin! ‘Dimension Storm!’” 

From the beginning, this venue was the dominant space of Zegion. 

This represents a fact. 

No matter what Dino does, there's no way he can disengage from this area. 

If even the power of concealment is used, there may be a possibility of seeing a glimmer of light. But even then, the winning percentage was an exaggeration of low, so Dino, who had given up completely, did not regret it. 

Of course, the only other possibility he has now is… 

A rainbow storm engulfs Dino, and his existence is obliterated as "nothingness". 

Extraordinary high energy storms. 

Dino, helpless to do anything about it, had not a sliver of meat left and was erased from the world—as it should have been. 

“Oh, is his prayer in effect? Only bad luck is to be commended.” 

Zegion muttered. 

The aura of Dino had regenerated, accompanied by the faint sound of something ruined coming from somewhere. 

Zegion has a proper grasp of the situation. 

Even hearing that voice remained calm, as everything unfolded as Zegion had expected. 

***

Dino woke up outside the maze.

"Huh, did you win the bet?” 

Dino sighed with relief. 

The gear is all still there and the physical damage is zero. 

“Geez, that's it. Ramiris was merciful enough to let me escape, right?” 

After a mutter, Dino looked at the broken bracelet. 

It's a cheap purchase from the shop in the labyrinth—yes, the "resurrection bracelet". 

Since there are no recorded locations, Dino's resurrection site is, as usual, the ground area of the maze, so the "resurrection bracelet" also becomes a means for him to get out of the battlefield. 

“Not giving me a real bracelet with an unlimited number of times means I've been warned. It's so naive yet still sweet.” 

Dino muttered quietly. 

He had used a prop made by the kidnapping target, Ramiris, as insurance. He didn’t care enough to do such uncivilized things, so Dino is Dino too. 

This one was a disposable shoddy item in the mass-produced goods made by Ramiris. Dino gambled his fate on something like this, and it seems the heavens are on Dino's side this time. 

Even if I fall, I’m still an angel. 

Dino concluded to himself and looked around. He was going to rendezvous with his comrades who were fighting with Geld's army and then withdraw as soon as possible. 

And he didn't forget to contact Zalario with “thought transmission" to tell him that the battle was lost. 

Dino's comrades had been obstructing the re-closing of the maze in order to secure an escape route, and as long as Zalario didn't leave, they couldn't escape. 

Since the battle has been lost, it is not appropriate to stay here for long. 

That guy's way over the top, by the way! 

I really can't take it anymore— Dino, who recalls Zegion, grumbles again. 

Feldway might have raged, but this time alone Dino felt lucky to have survived. 

That said, it's probably the first time that Feldway's campaign has failed. Also, it seems that Cornu was taken out… I don't know how, but I really shouldn't be hostile to Demon Lord Rimuru… 

In fact, Dino, who was reluctant from the beginning, wondered why he had agreed to this strategy to begin with. 

The thought of what came next made Dino feel depressed. 

All in all, since Zegion had become such a monster, the possibility of taking the maze by a frontal attack was hopeless. 

Not just Zegion, but all the upper executives of the Jura Tempest Federation were monsters. 

It was not yet known what state Rimuru and the rest were in, but it was enough to foresee that something absolutely terrible had changed. 

That's why I don't want to do this!!! 

Dino was supposed to be living peacefully in the maze. 

But still, this had happened. 

Even though he had to have a job, he still felt melancholy. 

Don't know what Feldway was thinking, all in all he probably wouldn't give up on this. But it really isn't possible… 

Perhaps, this was the biggest chance for his side to win. 

Lose this opportunity and there will be no next—Dino has understood the status quo. 

In addition, there was another problem. 

Aah, I won’t be able to go back anymore because of this hostile relationship. 

The time of living in the labyrinth was very comfortable for the lazy Dino. 

It was work, but it was fun to give Vesta help, and his relationship with Gabil was good, getting help from each other in various ways. Also, Dino felt happy whenever those researchers came up with something new. 

During the course of his boring days, Dino had developed a sense of companionship with Vesta and the others. 

And one more thing. 

Perhaps everyone had forgotten that Dino had come over here in the first place because of orders from Guy. In other words, he had spy missions to report the situation inside the labyrinth to Guy. 

Dino doesn't think Guy really expects anything from him, but he still feels it’s a little bit unbearable. 

He’s a pain in the ass when he’s angry… 

Let's be honest, it was super troublesome. 

It was just as much trouble to bother any longer, so Dino hurried towards the place where his companions were. 

***

When Dino arrived at his companions' location, he found the battle strained.

The “Barrier Lord" Geld and the big, muscular female warrior Garcia were fighting. 

It's shocking that the two are actually fairly equal in power, which really makes Dino suspect something is wrong with his eyes. 

Can a stalemate with Garcia mean that his power is already over mine? You've got to be kidding me… 

to evolve into this… 

Geld was covered in blood, though it wasn't known if it was his own or the enemy's blood, after all, he couldn't see the slightest sign of injury all over his body. 

Attacks with magic deal damage that can't be healed with a recovery potion, and Garcia's attacks will obviously come with will-destroying magic. 

However, Geld was clearly hit by such an attack and was still unharmed, which was either because he had terrifying defensive power or he had extraordinary recovery power. 

Right in front of Dino, who was pondering these things, Garcia let loose a flash with her one-handed sword, and Geld’s shield of scales was sliced open and his arm chopped off. 

However, Geld was completely indifferent and simply threw away the broken shield and took the new one out of his 'stomach pouch' and re-positioned it. 

Dino saw it. 

There were no wounds left on Geld’s arm. 

Aaaaah, it's "overdrive regeneration.” It’s skilled enough to heal even under Garcia's attacks… 

Having gotten the answer, Dino wasn't happy at all. 

"That's enough! You're so strong! It's strange that you've been attacked by myself without changing your stance, isn't it?” 

"Hmm? Is that right? I actually don't know much about it myself, should I compliment you on your excellent attack?" 

"Sarcasm! Geez, I can't kill you with one blow and it will heal right away. I'd like to compliment you on how strong you are.” 

After a sparring session, Geld and Garcia once again began a fierce offensive and defensive battle. 

Both sides are the type that ignore the damage the’ve received and aim their full force at their opponent's broken body in combat. 

Geld's knife (meat crusher) was bounced off of Garcia's round shield and burst into fierce sparks. 

Just by that alone, a shockwave swept through the ground. 

Dumbfounded, Dino completely missed the opportunity to greet Garcia. 

Geld was always behind the scenes, as if smeared with silver. 

Against the Empire, he hadn't set any notable records, and Dino had rarely watched him. 

However, that was a terrible mistake. 

I get it now! The people in this country are all, in a word, abnormal!!! 

Relying on the truth finally gained, Dino forced himself to accept the state of affairs at hand. 

And above Dino's head, a fierce aerial battle is underway. 

"Ahhhh, dodging left and right is so annoying!” 

"That's the line I wanted to say. It's arrogant to fly without wings!” 

"Hmph, it's a breeze to just manipulate things like gravity. Compared to that, I’ve had enough of this game of chase and it's almost time to end it.” 

"That's my line!” 

The two bewitching girls, who look good together, are fighting fiercely. 

Pico released the ''Black Thunder Sky Break'' that could almost cover the ground, and the ground turned charred black. Yet for some reason, it was unable to take effect on the space around Nine-tailed Kumara. 

In Kumara's opinion, this was all taken for granted, as one of her tail beasts, Thunder Tiger was best at manipulating lightning strikes, so it was only natural that her defense skills against thunder was also excellent. 

This time it's my turn— Kumara acted with such meaning. She drove her eight tails in a flowing motion, and she used a nine-tailed chop against Pico, but these attacks were all blocked by the opponent's lance. 

The piercing sound echoed through the battlefield. 

This disparate battle situation forced Dino to revise Kumara's combat power upwards in his mind. 

“Twelve Patrons"? What a horrible bunch. 

Dino admitted honestly. 

Not one of them, but all the members were a threat, and Dino felt absolutely right about that. 

The original Killing Angel's (Seraphims) Garcia and Pico, both of whom are comparable in strength to an awakened demon lord, cannot be compared to their opponents simply by strength, as they have been away from the battle for a long time, but they are definitely not weak. 

The executives of the Jura Tempest Federation are now out in force, and Dino originally thought that he and the two of them would be enough to dominate the maze. Feldway even put in two of the “Three Admirals" just to be on the safe side, and even attacked them himself. 

The result was as one could see, even though the lineup was a sure-fire way to win. 

This reality was making Dino go dizzy. 

Both Pico and Garcia seemed to have lost their composure possibly because they have been fighting for a long time. 

Dino thought it was reasonable. 

Even after the fall, the two were once blazing angels in the highest position. 

The seven original angels, who were once glorious and dazzling, are in a bitter battle, and their pride must be hurt. 

Dino wasn't in a position to say anything about anyone else in that regard, except that he'd tossed all that aside. 

"You two, fall back. It's time to fall back!" 

Dino yelled at the two girls. 

The two looked disgruntled. 

"The show's about to start, isn't it? Don't say that when I'm ready to give it my all.” 

"Shut up! From the moment you two came to fight, this battle fell apart!” 

Pico and Garcia's role was originally to provide support only from the rear, and since there was a gap in the battlefield, it was more prudent to take part in it. 

And now that they too were caught up in the fight, it meant that the enemy was fighting beyond what had been foreseen, and even a tactical victory here made no strategic sense at all. 

"Wait, the operation failed?" 

"Huh? Ahhhh, failed. It's a failure, so run away with me!” 

“Huh!? But it was Feldway who made the plan. How could that thoughtful perfectionist have misread the enemy's battle strength?” 

"That's the way it is.” 

"It can't be. Zalario and Cornu are here, so why did the battle still fail?" 

"Because I've already lost. I also informed Zalario to retreat quickly, and as for Cornu and the rest, most of them have been killed. In short, none of the goals were achieved this time, and there is no point in continuing to fight!" 

“Is it a lie…?” 

"I really don't think that's possible…” 

Pico and Garcia were speechless. 

In contrast, both Geld and Kumara wore proud expressions. 

"Hey, hey, does that mean you lost, too?” 

"Huh? Let's not get to the bottom of this! Remember, it's considerate to pretend you don't know at a time like this, right?” 

Facing Garcia's questioning, Dino replied perfunctorily with a completely unconcerned attitude, which caused Garcia more speechlessness than the defeat in battle had. 

Anyway, there's no reason to doubt Dino's words now. 

After calming their heads a bit, both Pico and Garcia accepted the offer to retreat. 

"Geez, you don't think that's a win, do you?” 

"That's not gonna happen. You've been splitting power to stop the maze from recovering while fighting me, haven't you? Next time, I hope I can fight you in a state of perfection.” 

"Oh, ha ha ha! I'll see you next time!” 

Garcia and Geld, who recognized each other, said their goodbyes in unison. 

As for Pico and Kumara… 

"Your name is Pico, right? I've picked up a life.” 

"Huh? I haven't really done anything yet? You're the one who picked up a life!” 

They glared at each other viciously, then grunted and turned their faces away at the same time. 

With a completely different feeling than the two before them, the two also ended the fight. 

With that, Dino and the three others successfully evacuated. 

***

Zalario always kept his cool.

In this fight, he performed his feint duty perfectly. 

The subordinates are playing battle with t he resistance the labyrinth. This is a literal meaning, not acting. 

Surprisingly, it was necessary to correct the intelligence of the enemy's strength upwards. After grasping the whole state of the battlefield, Zalario had come to this conclusion. 

Most notable were the two people in front of him. 

Charys and Treyni, two names that Zalario felt it necessary to remember. Still, he didn't think he needed to use his real skills. 

Originally I was told that there were only worthless little people left here, which doesn't seem to be the case. I thought that in order to meet me, the enemy would have to send out all the warriors in the maze, but did the strongman called Zegion come out? If only Cornu and Dino could finish the task before that man woke up. 

Although there were a few worries, the fight that Feldway laid out would not go wrong, and it was because of this conviction that Zalario was able to enjoy the fight with confidence. 

"Oops, you're being teased by your rivals, so you'll be laughed at by Lord Veldora afterwards.” 

"Such fears are superfluous. Veldora lost to Velgryind, so he’s in our hands." 

"That's not a funny joke." 

"It's no joke. You're aware of that, aren't you? That's why they look a little anxious.” 

“……” 

Charys was excellent. 

Even in the eyes of Zalario, who had destroyed so many sub-dimensions, Charys belonged to an extremely rare group of excellent talents. 

Treyni had boarded the Spirit King into her own and was doing quite well, but not as well as Charys. 

The high-powered magic she excelled at on her side was threatening, but didn't have much effect on Zalario, so it didn't cause much of a problem. 

Charys was similar, his deft manipulation of energy constantly emitting highly powerful heat rays that pooled together to form heat energy. However, these attacks were all nullified by Zalario's prided space distortion defense field. 

What really needs to be guarded against is Charys' accurate and calm judgment. 

Unlike Treyni, Charys always used all sorts of tactics to try Zalario's tactics, with every hand on the ground and with great care. 

From past experience, Zalario knows that such an opponent should never be underestimated. 

However, it also seems to be coming to an end. Charys had begun to go impatient, losing the prudence from a moment ago. 

Can't seem to enjoy the fight any more than that. 

‘It was almost time,’ Zalario thought. 

"It's hard to let go, but it's almost time to finish. You two are really brave and very strong fighters. 

Sadly, however, you are not yet my match.” 

The strength gap is more than understandable. 

The total amount of energy, too, is far to Zalario's advantage. 

Most crucially, there is the issue of compatibility. 

Angels have an innate advantage when fighting Spirits. Zalario was originally a killing angel, and even now that he's fallen, Charys and Treyni, who have their roots in spirit power, can't do him any decisive damage anyway. 

"Unfotunately, Doris seems to have reached her limit. The Spirit King who was boarding in my body will probably only last another ten seconds or so. Lord Charys, do you have any other strategy?” 

"I'm sorry, no. However, I've been thoroughly trained by Rimuru and Veldora, so don't worry.” 

Even in a desperate situation where there was nothing to be done, Charys still laughs that the battle had just officially begun, and hearing Charys say so, Treyni flashed a smile. 

"Then I'll go along with it, for in Lady Ramiris' labyrinth, there will be no room for these unknowns to do anything they want!” 

Zalario, who had suffered a lot of damage, still had a high will to fight, and showed no signs of giving in at all. 

"Truly, you do not appear to be fools who do not know the times, but are you going to struggle ugly to the end? If you think you can be resurrected and have nothing to worry about, you're very wrong.” 

If his own calculations hadn't been wrong, it was almost time for Dino to get Ramiris out of the maze. 

The labyrinth's unique "immortality" is made possible by the presence of Ramiris, who, strictly speaking, would have no problem simply running outside the labyrinth, but if she loses consciousness when she leaves the labyrinth, all the records would be reset. 

In other words, from the moment Dino completes his mission, Ramiris' entourage is no longer 

“immortal." Zalario was aware of the situation and was careful not to control the killer, slowly accumulating damage on Charys and Treyni. 

"Your battle is worthy of praise, so how about I give you a noble death without pain if you need it?" 

It's kind of Zalario's compassion for the strong. 

Of course, both Charys and Treyni answered with a rejection. 

"Oh, you think you've won? That's stupid.” 

"I feel the same way, the idea of fighting is that you don't know what's going to happen until the last moment. You don't even know that as long as you don't give up, you won't necessarily lose." 

Still so deadpan, it was enough to provoke Zalario's anger, and while he hadn't yet lost his cool over it, it still wasn't much fun to be stirred up like that. 

“That's unpleasant. It's rare that I would want to show you a little mercy.” 

"Mercy? There are a lot of people who think they're going to win in the end, don't you know that that’s called a ‘doom flag?’” 

Charys recalls having a discussion with Veldora about the "list of things you can't say" and, in particular, the "easy-going attitude when you think you’ll win,” which you must never do. 

When you decide to kill your opponent, don't talk too much and make your move quickly, or you will surely be caught by your opponent with a counterattack. 

"Foolish, as if a miracle in this state—” 

“—Will show up. Because, Lord Rimuru has allowed miracles to happen many times. Many of us have long been used to such situations, and there are even quite a few who have started to imitate them. Now as well, you see!” 

After all, this is a labyrinth, and with a little delay, most things will get better. 

This time is no exception… 

“…Exactly. And if you dare to strike at our friend and collaborator, Lady Ramiris, then I, Adalman, the 

“Gehenna Lord,” will be your opponent!" 

Another warrior has awakened. 

‘So what if one more person is added?’ Zalario originally thought so. 

What bothered him more now was the delay in Dino's contact. 

Too slow. Although I've known about Dino's slacking habits for a long time, if we don't get this done soon, I'm going to have more and more trouble on my side. 

Things didn't go as planned, leaving Zalario to gradually begin to resent it. 

At this point, another knightly man stepped up to Zalario. 

“I’m sorry to challenge only one person in large numbers, but I'm not a Paladin anymore, and my interests are more important than my reputation, so please forgive me.” 

The visitor is Albert. 

Wearing a full set of mythical equipment given to him by Rimuru, Albert was blessed to evolve into a 

“Gehenna Paladin" as he awakened. 

As the official owner of the dazzling outfit, Albert pointed his sword at Zalario. 

"Is there still a man like this…?” 

Even in Zalario's opinion, Albert's dominance was quite impressive, and his demeanor revealed an air of swordsmanship. If the man was holding a mythical-grade blade, then he had the possibility of injuring him—Zalario had sensed this at first glance. 

"I'm here, too.” 

The owner of this voice is Wenti, the former Death Dragon who awakened from the sleep of evolution and became the Gehenna Dragon King. 

Not knowing where he learned it from, Wenti gave a graceful curtsey to Zalario. 

Zalario's expression was that of a blank face, understanding his disadvantage. 

With the lineup in front of him, it should still be possible to win, but it makes no sense to do so. 

Zalario can't really win as long as Dino doesn't figure out how to deal with Ramiris first. 

Even if we show our true abilities now, we will at least suffer a loss of full exposure, and it will be difficult to deal with both of them. 

Zalario made this judgment. 

If it was just Charys and Treyni, at least they could still deal with it, but if you added the three Awakening demon lord level strongmen, even Zalario would have a hard time. 

But now, without continuing the duty of feinting, Feldway's campaign will end in failure, something Zalorio cannot tolerate, as he prides himself on his 100% success rate in combat. 

No way. I'm going to kill them in the end anyway. Let's show them what I can do. 

Just as Zalario was making his conclusions… 

"By the way, let me tell you something that will probably interest you. My guardian realm is the seventieth level of the labyrinth, so why do you think I ignored the intruders over there?” 

“What?” 

"I'm not going to pretend, so let's just say it, because there's no chance for me to be there anymore." 

“…what are you trying to say?” 

The skeleton in the saint's robe, and Adalman's mockery with an evil smile, was unpleasant to Zalario, but he asked back. 

Wait? Did he just say, he’s not going to pretend? That is, has something happened to Cornu over there? 

Though not answered, Zalario deduced the truth on his own. 

Adalman's purpose was actually to induce Zalario to waver, so it was better to tell him personally what had happened on the seventy levels. 

"That foolish intruder has been eliminated by Lord Velgrynd, so we can come here with confidence.” 

“……” 

Zalario wasn't stupid enough to doubt that statement. 

Cornu's defeat was certain, so Zalario tried again to see if the most important goal had been achieved. 

"Huh, so it seems. With Velgrynd as an opponent, she was indeed unstoppable. There are a lot of odd happenings, but they should still be remedied. So, you're sending all the rest of the battle power to my side?” 

The reason why Velgrynd is here is probably because of Masayuki, that is to say, Masayuki has inherited the "soul" of Rudra. 

It was in order to rule out that possibility that Feldway, who had carefully investigated the Reich Intelligence's transfer of information, had given the order to kill Masayuki. However, Velgrynd seems to have discovered this fact as well. 

Cornu is so unlucky, if he had exchanged duties with me as originally intended, it wouldn't have turned out the way it did. Never mind, it didn't matter if Velgrynd's business was ignored, as long as Lord Michael was around, he could simply dominate her. Now more than ever… 

What really matters is the movement of Dino. 

"Still not doing anything. I see, that is to say, are you strong enough to even be an opponent of Lord Velgrynd? I hate to admit it, but it seems we've been really underestimated.” 

"That's true. Even if we all take on the challenge together, the chances of losing are very high.” 

Charys had a good eye, and Adalman had a quick mind. 

Both men perceived from Zalario's attitude that he still hid a deep unseen strength, but it was Adalman and the others who now held the advantage. 

Next, Adalman has to open his mouth to explain what the basis is. 

"I already know why you're asking these questions. Your real target is actually Lady Ramiris, right? 

However, we have been ordered to put the safety of Lady Ramiris at the top of our priority list." 

Upon awakening from the sleep of evolution, the first thing Adalman did was to confirm that Ramiris was safe. 

As long as Ramiris is safe and sound, all other problems are not a problem. 

Most importantly, it was a supreme command from Rimuru. 

Adalman and the other guardians of the labyrinth exist to guard the labyrinth, that is, to keep Ramiris safe. 

"Is Lady Ramiris all right?” 

"It is natural, Miss Treyni. Lord Zegion has rushed over there, and now no matter how many enemies there are, there is no longer any way to take out Lady Ramiris.” 

"Well, that's good." 

Treyni smiled up, and the others each gave a relieved look. 

Being able to rest easy on the matter meant they could focus on Zalario. 

As for Zalario who became the target of all… 

The mere mention of the name of Zegion, who had reappeared, had already given him a hunch that Dino had failed. 

If memory serves me right, Zegion is the one who can manipulate the space distortion defense field. But if Dino fights as his true self…no, that man can't be expected of much. He was already very reluctant to take part in this mission, and now he's probably even more so… 

Zalario perceives the status quo quite correctly. 

As if aiming for this moment, Dino's ‘thought communication' arrived. 

"Hey, Zalario, can you hear me? The battle is lost. Velgrynd entered the war and Cornu was taken out by her. I've also encountered some pretty tough guys on my side, so it's time to retreat. And you should get out before the maze closes, that's all!” 

Those words made Zalario laugh bitterly and unilaterally at his own words. 

Zalario thought to himself that this was really in Dino's style, and decided to retreat as well. If winning at this point would be pointless, then pointlessness should be avoided. 

“It's the first time I've ever tasted such humiliation, and now I have to retreat when my opponent is just a bunch of stragglers who can be easily swept away. There will be no next time, so remember that.” 

Zalario blandly uttered the unconvincing words and took his men with him and 'transferred' them away from this place. 

The rest of the people had no sense sense of the afterglow of victory, and immersed themselves in the peace of mind that comes with successfully guarding the labyrinth. 

***

The threat has receded.

Zegion lifted his power ‘Fantasy World' and then turned his gaze to Beretta, only to find that the other had also just settled Ramiris on the bench to sleep. 

"Has Sir Dino escaped?” 

"It seems so." 

"Oh, you're too modest. It was only Lady Ramiris' mercy to let Lord Dino escape.” 

Beretta is right. 

Zegion had long since sensed that Dino was equipped with a "resurrection bracelet". 

Though sensing it, he let Dino off the hook. 

It was an experiment. 

"Can Ramiris' heater be effectively activated even if there is clear hostility towards Ramiris by the equipper?" 

The results are as seen now. 

Dino won the bet and survived. 

For Zegion, no matter what the outcome was actually the same, this experiment was only incidental, and as long as he succeeded in guarding Ramiris, the conditions for victory in battle were fulfilled. 

“If that's what Lady Ramiris wishes, then I won't deny it.” 

Beretta nodded back. 

Now that the enemy has been successfully repulsed, there is no need for a useless kill. 

Of course, if the enemy does not perceive his master's mercy, he will never show mercy the next time. 

As for Zegion, it had been his intention to decide whether or not to pursue Dino based on his resurrected attitude. He was going to crush him had there been no sign of escape, but it seemed that it was no longer necessary. 

Dino not only chose to run away but also ran to convince his companions, arguing that he should retreat immediately. And his companions accepted this claim and withdrew with him from the battlefield. 

"So, what about the enemy named Zalario?” 

"His Excellency Adalman has rushed over, and the other party's aura is gone. They must have fled too.” 

As Adalman and the others were resurrected to fight at this point in time, the remaining enemies also seem to have decided to retreat. 

"That's good.” 

"Uh-huh. If it wasn't for Lady Ramiris, I'd be the one who lost the battle, right?" 

"Indeed. Even if we had won in the end, there would certainly have been victims, and for us, that is tantamount to defeat.” 

“Exactly." 

Zegion and Beretta nodded at each other. 

The idea that it was necessary to revert to a more vigilant posture came to both men at the same time. 

But that can come later. 

In short, the labyrinth has been successfully secured. 

After confirming once again that Ramiris was safe and sound, Zegion returned to his domain.