Ultima was now flying away from the flagship, her interest in Farraga now gone from her mind. She turned to look at the swelling fireball, giving it a satisfied nod. Recalling Rimuru's order to go at full power, she wondered if she should've turned it up a notch after all but thought better of it. That would have killed off Team Hiryu on the ground, so this much was just fine.
Despite the catastrophe occurring in the air, the damage to Team Hiryu was zero, as if it was calculated to end that way all along. Then again, if some of its members failed to meet their quota, they might have suffered some indirect casualties later…but that was none of Ultima's business.
What she was more concerned about was Gabil.
"What's Gabil been doing over there…?"
Gabil had been exposed to prolonged magic canceler fire. It sounded like the bridge had mistaken him for Veldora because of who knows why, but Ultima
didn't let it bother her much. As things stood, however, he was going to get caught in the Nuclear Flame, so she really wanted him to retreat already.
She flew over to his side, as much of a hassle as she knew this would be. "Hey, Gabil? What are you doing?"
"Ah, Lady Ultima! I've actually gained a new sense, you see!"
He sounded oddly boastful about it. It piqued Ultima's interest, but evacuation took priority right now. She wouldn't be killed by her own magic, but Gabil probably wouldn't survive. Okay, maybe he would, but she didn't want to take that bet, let alone be stigmatized as someone who killed her allies —and so Ultima forcibly removed Gabil from the scene.
Back on the ground, the two of them regrouped with Team Hiryu. It was finally time for Ultima's interrogation to begin.
"So what's this all about?" she asked, her tone firm with Gabil. Apart from her information-officer duties, Ultima was also an observer watching over him, providing both support and advice so he didn't pull anything foolish. If Gabil failed, that meant Ultima failed, too, so it was only natural that she was harsh with him.
But Gabil was totally oblivious to this.
"Gwah-ha-ha-ha! You see, when I was exposed to that special light beam the enemy shot at me, I had a brief stroke of genius. I immediately saw that this light affected magicules, and so I wanted to experiment to see how long I could withstand it!"
I should just turn this lizard over to Sir Rimuru and have him scream at him, Ultima thought, but she held her ground and soldiered on.
"And so what's this new sense of yours?"
"Yes, that's the thing! All of you, come up and listen close. Sir Middray told us that our intrinsic skill Dragon Body would become available to us for longer periods of time as we trained with it. I, too, kept myself transformed that entire time, didn't I?"
He looked around his squadmates, sneering at them. Upon hearing this, Team
Hiryu exchanged glances with each other, surprised. They were all able to transform for an average of about ten minutes, and they had long since returned to their original forms by now.
"I thought that'd be a given for you, Sir Gabil, but no?"
"If you teach us this secret, can we do it, too?"
His troops began growing more and more excited. It made Ultima glance at them with cold, dead eyes. If only these lizards could experience a little pain for a change, she thought. She showed no mercy to her foes and little care for those below her in rank, but technically speaking, Gabil's force wasn't in her hierarchy. If he disposed of them without permission, Rimuru would fume at her. And a bit of a lecture was one thing, but when she recalled how Rimuru reacted whenever one of his people got hurt, she'd likely receive a much harsher punishment—maybe even banishment. Ultima was determined not to let that happen, so after weighing that punishment against the chance to release some stress on these lizards, she reluctantly decided to remain patient.
"It is thanks to you," Gabil told her, "that I've discovered the secret of this power. You believed me when I said I had an idea, and you bought me enough time to think it through."
"What?"
"Heh-heh-heh! No need to play dumb, for I, Gabil, can see right through you. We all thank you for giving us the opportunity to grow from our inexperience!"
Ultima never turned down a compliment. Regaining her composure, she decided to revise her assessment of Gabil a bit.
"Okay, that's enough. So what did you discover, Gabil? Because everyone else seems to wanna know about it."
She decided not to bother correcting Gabil's misunderstanding. Right now, it was more important to get this situation under control.
By this point, fighting was taking place only in localized pockets. There was the rear, commanded by Hakuro; the center, where Gobta/Ranga were still rampaging away; and the three main enemy positions Testarossa was headed for. Now that Gabil's crew had finished destroying their air force, it was time to
head off and provide support for other parts of the battle. There was no time for idle chitchat.
"I'll report this to Sir Rimuru as well, but before that, I will be as brief as I can. And all of you listen up, too, because it'll help everyone be stronger."
Gabil sternly began his explanation. It was, in essence, a way to fully control the Dragon Body skill.
As an intrinsic dragonewt skill, Dragon Body strengthened the user's body via a surge of magicules. This surge took in matter around it for its strengthening effect. More mass meant enhanced defense, along with near-immediate recovery if the user was injured. Having magicules running out of control like this meant casting magic was off the table, but they'd have no problem using breath-and other ability-based skills. As long as they could keep ahold of their consciousness, it provided enhanced strength with almost no downside.
"Now, it seems that this enemy attack has a tendency to disrupt the movement of magicules around us…and I could feel it further enhancing my powers."
"What? You mean…even beyond your current form?"
Ultima was surprised. This was an unexpected side effect of the magic canceler. Right now, Gabil had magicule energy in him equivalent to back when Clayman "awoke" for the last time. If it could be further strengthened from here, he was definitely worth listening to. The idea of magicule disruption boosting one's power to the point that they'd statistically outdo an awakened true demon lord was enough to shock even Ultima.
But there was always a catch.
"No, no, not like that. There's more power, yes, but I couldn't handle it very well. So I consciously focused myself, so I could feel the magicules running rampant in my body, but…"
But the result was that pinned-down performance he showed off a bit ago. He wasn't taking damage, but he couldn't move at all. However, Gabil had a knack for turning anything to his advantage—and so through that experience, he learned how to more fully sense his magicules.
"That's what Sir Middray was referring to when he talked about a state of selflessness, I think. Looking into your inner space, turning an ear to it, and then —"
"You're taking too long! Keep it short and simple!"
Gabil's force nodded their agreement at Ultima's sharp feedback.
"Oh," Gabil said, overpowered. "Well, essentially, by sensing the magicules running around wild inside me, I could send my thoughts to it. And then, wonder of wonders, I gained control over their power!"
The first impression of his men upon hearing this was that he was nuts. On the other hand, it gave Ultima food for thought. Seeing them made her realize that while it was easier than breathing for her, it must've been really tough for Team Hiryu. This gave her a real shot of motivation.
Wait… If I train Gabil's force, maybe they can become even stronger?
Doing that would definitely make her useful to Rimuru. The potential for receiving praise from it was enormous.
"I know exactly what you mean, Gabil. But we can take the time to discuss this later, all right? Because right now, I really think we need to support the goblins."
It was her way of saying this break was over. Typically, she'd report to Rimuru about how lazy they were, but after receiving such useful information from Gabil, Ultima raised her opinion of him slightly. That was why she was being so gracious here, overlooking Gabil's erratic behavior this time.
"Ah yes, you're right! Well, time for us to step in and provide aid, then."
Gabil nodded happily. He still had the completely wrong idea, but Ultima didn't see that as a problem. It was better that way for her, even, so she let them be without further comment.
"Anyone who didn't meet their quota is going to face some thorough reeducation later, so be prepared!"
"You said it! I'll pitch in on that, too."
Ultima gave him an adorable smile. It seemed like a very good idea to her.
And so, blissfully unaware of her intentions, Team Hiryu went back out on the field.
"Nonsense! This is ridiculous!"
At the main camp, far from the battlefield, Lieutenant General Gaster ranted, his face pale. Before him was a scene of unbelievable devastation. The Magitank Force, his pride and joy, was being tossed around by a monster wolf that had taken human form. It was a nightmarish scene; safe to say there were more destroyed tanks than intact ones by now.
Defeat was unavoidable at this point, but the battle had progressed so much faster than expected that they had already missed their retreat window. They hadn't even been able to report the situation to Caligulio, general commander and leader of the Armored Division.
Gotta report back to that bastard Caligulio ASAP and ask for permission to withdraw…
Gaster's sense of reason was pleading with him.
…And yet…
Even if he submitted that report, he'd likely never receive permission. The main force led by Caligulio had already kicked off their operation; if Gaster and the rest of the forces here withdrew, they'd be left totally isolated.
The Restructured Armor Corps, their main force, was being deployed in front of the demon lord Rimuru's stronghold. They were all proud warriors of the Empire, each of whom underwent reconstructive surgery, and they numbered an overwhelming seven hundred thousand strong. They were a sure thing, absolutely certain to win, but if they knew the rest of the army had been defeated, it was bound to shake them.
Plus, the Dwarven Kingdom's army would go on the move soon. Once they did, the Restructured Army Corps could be caught between the dwarves and the demon lord Rimuru's forces, leaving the Corps surrounded and cut off from their supply lines. They could function for about a week without food, drink, or sleep, but no more. They were still human beings, and even they needed
supplies.
My mission is to subdue the Dwarven Kingdom… If I withdrew from the war zone here, I'd be abandoning Caligulio and all his forces. Even if we can't win, we must at least maintain the stalemate…
But that was a questionable option. The only thing Gaster saw ahead for his army was defeat. Confusion was reigning toward the rear, and the chain of command was starting to fall apart. They were even seeing friendly fire now. Even if they kept going, it was just a matter of time before they were annihilated.
"Lieutenant General! If we keep this up, one way or the other we'll be wiped out!"
"Retreat! Give us the retreat order!!"
He didn't need his advisers to spell it out for him. He firmly agreed with them. But if it was said out loud, all responsibility for the defeat would fall upon his shoulders.
Lieutenant General Gaster was a man of impeccable personal bravery, one with a fine reputation within the military. He had never known a setback like this in his whole career, which was what made this seem so peculiar to him.
We can't retreat. If we do, His Majesty is bound to punish me. I can't ever allow that to happen! I'm the man who'll become a hero…but now all the glory's disappearing. Unless I've got something firm to prove that it's not just my fault…
The very prestige of the Empire was riding on this operation. If it failed because of him… Such was the true nature of Gaster's thoughts, something only coming up to the surface now. In fact, he was always a small-minded person, caring only about saving his own hide and not blinking at the thought of sacrificing his troops.
"Lieutenant General, if we continue like this, it'll be difficult to even rebuild our forces. We're still in control of our main force—I think we should use them to strike the enemy in the rear!"
"There's no shame in a temporary retreat. If we keep fighting in close quarters like this, it's only going to cause us more casualties!"
Amid these suggestions, Gaster finally began using his head again. Lose the unit he'd been placed in charge of, and he'd never escape punishment either way. Demotion wouldn't be the end of it—they might not even give him a trial before they took his life.
"Dammit… I'm going to be a hero. And now…all these damn incompetents are dragging me down…!!"
Gaster's ugly nature was now bare for all to see. But his voice was then drowned out by the sound of a huge explosion. Turmoil spread across the main camp.
"What's going on?"
"It's—it's an enemy magic attack!"
"Magic? N-no… Is that nuclear magic?!"
"We haven't confirmed it yet, but judging by the scale, it has to be. But um…" "But what? Speak up!"
"Yes, sir! The enemy's offense seems to have easily penetrated our legion magic protecting our force from magic strikes…"
"What?! Damage report!"
"The explosion occurred in the sky, sir. We've lost contact with our allied airships!"
"That— That's ridiculous! Are you saying that the Flying Combat Corps, the jewel of our entire military, is gone…?"
Gradually, in fits and starts, the situation grew clear—and now everyone realized the damage was far more serious than they imagined.
They had lost contact with not one airship, but all of them. That magic just now must've taken them all down. They were equipped with magic cancelers, a new type of weapon, but it was magic that did them in? It was so hard to believe.
"Retreat. Wait, no. We have to… Yes, we have to change course and gather ourselves!"
Gaster sent out the order, aimed more at himself than his soldiers. He had finally made the decision to retreat from this ghastly situation…but that decision had already come decisively too late.
A cool voice echoed through the battlefield.
"Huh? You're not going to claim this is the end, are you? Because I've already told you—invade us any further, and we'll show no mercy."
Gaster turned his panicked head toward the voice and saw a beautiful snow white face with a beaming smile. It was Testarossa.
"I'm a woman of my word, you know. When I visited this world in the past, I made sure I fully granted the wishes of my summoner. Rest assured, I'm going to reward you handsomely as well."
Fear flooded Gaster's mind. Not a petty little fear involving saving his own ass, but an endlessly churning terror that threatened the very foundation of his life, eroding his instincts.
"Y-you!"
"Oh? I wonder if you forgot about that? If so, that's very rude of you."
Testarossa eyed him like an affectionate mother looking down at her naughty son.
Gaster would never have forgotten. Not that much time had passed since they parted, but no matter how many years went by, her lovely white hair and scarlet eyes were too beautiful to ever forget. More than that, it was all so terrifying. Her beauty gave him an unfathomable sense of foreboding.
Suppressing his fear, Gaster tried ordering his men to attack. But there was no one to answer the call.
"I'm not sure what you're trying to do, but your men are resting at the moment. They must've been pretty tired, huh? I can't seem to get them up."
She was whispering in his ear now. They were talking face-to-face a moment ago, but now he found her standing right behind him. He hadn't been careless —he never even took his eyes off her—but before he knew it, Testarossa had
moved on him.
It was just too fast, and even more frightening, there was no sound accompanying it at all. Gaster's unique skill Performer allowed him to detect the movements of his opponents through sound. He could capture even the faintest of noises, things not even a trained guru could control—not just the beating of one's heart, but even the blood flowing through their veins. And yet sound was completely absent from Testarossa.
Then Gaster discovered another terrifying fact. He couldn't hear any sound from his fallen men, either. They were dead.
"Y-you… You didn't kill them, did you?!"
Gaster staggered away from Testarossa.
"Hmm?" she replied, not betraying any remorse. "Well, you know, I was a bit hungry, so I took some."
"Took some? Took some what?"
"Oh, a few souls."
Her matter-of-fact tone of voice infuriated Gaster. The anger overcame his fear, replenishing the strength in his body.
"Die, you foul demon! Mind Requiem!!"
Letting his momentum take him up, Gaster unleashed the most powerful move he could muster, scattering inescapable, murderous sound waves into the surrounding space. The special effects these waves had on the minds of intelligent life-forms caused instant death. It was one of his all-powerful finishing moves, effective even against spiritual life-forms like demons.
But Testarossa just smiled elegantly at him.
"Ah, what a pleasant tone! It'd be such a waste that you had to be human. What a pity. You have such wonderful talent as a musician, but now I have to kill you."
Her enraptured expression clouded with sadness. Seeing it made Gaster realize that his attack didn't work. It plunged him into despair. He had been fooled by her beautiful appearance, but Testarossa was definitely not human. In
fact, he finally realized, she was a higher-ranked being than he had ever seen before in his life.
Maybe even more so than that rampaging wolf hybrid…
This was beyond dangerous.
Are you saying there's monsters like that all over this nation? If so, then we may have gravely misjudged our strategy from the start…
After all this time, Gaster finally began to feel some regret. Along with that, he foresaw the complete failure of the Empire's military operation. All of this… and above that, Tempest had the Catastrophe-class threat Veldora. The war was already dangerously close to being lost. There was no way they could stage a comeback.
So Gaster began to get desperate.
"Wait! I want to make a deal!"
"Oh? What kind?"
"I— I'm high-ranked in the Empire. I'm well versed in our military operation. I have classified information on me. I can be useful to you, I promise. So please, spare my life!"
Throwing all shame and outward appearances aside, Gaster begged for mercy. But there was still a glint of light in his eyes, and he was careful to keep an eye on Testarossa's response. He thought he was out of options, but right now, his ears caught the sound of several footsteps approaching.
He had an idea of who they were. They were running quietly enough that only he could notice them. Just from those footsteps, he could immediately surmise they were from the Imperial Intelligence Bureau.
If the IIB had agents monitoring the battlefield, it certainly wouldn't surprise Gaster. They were directed by Tatsuya Kondo, the one "stalking the halls of information," and he was sure Tatsuya would use every measure at his disposal here. So he decided to believe that they were here to save him. It didn't matter how pathetic it made him look—if they could buy enough time for him, he'd be saved.
His confidence in this mainly stemmed from a rumor about the IIB he had heard a while back. Among the IIB staff were people simply termed intelligence officers, operatives with first-class combat skills who were trained for operations in any environment. Their names were unknown to the public because they never joined in any ranking duels; they were affiliated with the IIB, and they never transferred out. They were, in a way, removed from the world at large, working strictly under the mysterious otherworlder Tatsuya Kondo.
That was all just a rumor, and not a very credible one at that, but Gaster had nothing else to grasp onto right now. If these were just regular soldiers coming along, it was all over. But if they were IIB intelligence officers… Well, with Gaster's help, they could probably beat Testarossa. That was why, right then, he had to do whatever he could—even beg for his life—to buy some more time.
And the bet paid off.
"Do you sense that? You're a demon… No, an Arch Demon!"
Several soldiers jumped out in front of Gaster, shouting. He thanked his own good fortune—and when he heard the term Arch Demon, it suddenly made sense. No way his physical attacks would ever work; he was dealing with a spiritual life-form. And an Arch Demon was top of the heap among them, dangerous enough to pose a Calamity-level threat. Only a true champion could fight one off solo, and maybe Gaster would have a chance, but it'd truly be a fight for his life.
"Wh-who are you?"
Three men were now on the scene. The sight of them reassured Gaster enough that he dared to ask.
"Sir! We're from the IIB. I—"
Just as Gaster expected, they were secret agents. One of them was about to state his name, but the man in the middle—the leader, apparently—stopped him.
"Whoa! Now's not a good time to give out names."
The first man turned toward Testarossa, a concerned look on his face.
"You're no regular Arch Demon, are you?"
"It looks like she's received a physical body. Tch… No wonder she had such a faint presence."
"Lieutenant General, we'll get to names later. For now, we have to team up to beat this evil demon!"
"Yes, of course!"
Gaster had no choice but to back the leader. It was annoying to not be in charge, but right then, survival was everything.
In a brilliant display of coordination, the IIB men instantly surrounded Testarossa, using a chain made of monster hair to block her movement on three sides.
Unbeknownst to Gaster, this move was the Imperial Suppression Stance. It was the most advanced killing formation taught in the Empire, allowing a team of three people to defeat higher-level monsters—even Arch Demons.
The secret was in this chain, woven with the hair of monsters and forged from holy silver, a Legend-class treasure. These definitely weren't rank-and-file soldiers carrying it, and in fact, the members of this trio were among the greatest fighters in the Empire—knights of the Imperial Guardians, in disguise.
Davis, ranked eleventh.
Balt, ranked thirty-eighth.
Gordon, ranked sixty-fourth.
When running an infiltration mission, Imperial Knights preferred to work in groups of three. The Imperial Guardians had their own numerical pecking order, and it was customary for the smallest number to be their leader. In terms of strength, the gap between the twenties and the thirties and below, numberwise, was enormous. Those assigned number thirty or below were Enlightened, reaching dimensions beyond humanity, and they all had powers almost as strong as Saints.
And one of them was here now—Davis, who played a key role in the Bloody Shore incident. Davis's team had sealed away Blanc, that nightmarish Primal
Demon, and now he was swooping in at Gaster's time of need. He and Blanc had a score to settle.
Watching the knights act as one to subdue Testarossa, Gaster cheered internally, assuming he was saved. If he kept throwing Mind Requiem her way, he reasoned, even a spiritual life-form couldn't last long. He had included physical creatures in his previous attack, but this time, he adjusted it so it only affected spirituals. That way, no matter how lofty an Arch Demon she was, it'd be impossible for her to maintain her existence.
That's what he thought. But again, he was too naive. This strategy didn't take into account the fact that Testarossa was physically incarnated—it was meaningless to act only upon her mind, and his Mind Requiem had no hope of working.
But even before that:
"Oh my goodness, what a fond trip down memory lane. These are the people who defeated me before, aren't they?"
"…What?"
"This is so nice! I was so rudely interrupted last time that I wasn't able to eat a full meal back then. I had this wonderful meal set up for me, and just when I was set to dig in, that happened. Don't think I've forgotten about that."
Testarossa's voice, filled with malice, echoed across the area. Despite being blocked by the chain, she didn't sound even remotely concerned.
"No! This evil presence…!"
"Look at her… Is that Blanc, the Original White?"
"It can't be! We made so much of an effort sealing her away, and she's back this quickly?!"
Testarossa laughed at how upset all three were. It was so wicked of her, yet so beautiful.
"Hee-hee… Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee! Ah, such lovely expressions on your faces. Fear, anxiety, and completely unfounded confidence. All you can do is pretend to yourselves, but you still haven't run away from me? You certainly do
enjoy engaging in wasted efforts, don't you?"
"Shut up, demon!"
"We didn't expect you to come back, but don't forget—we've sealed you once already, remember? Boast about your victory after you beat us!"
"Davis is right. We're going to destroy you down to the soul this time!" This declaration was ridiculous to Testarossa.
"You guys are so funny to me. Are you sure you should be that self-confident? You think the exact same technique is going to work on me a second time?"
She asked the question as elegantly as could be, even as the Imperial Suppression Stance caught her in its grasp.
"Quit being a sore loser. Nobody here's gonna listen to a demon's nonsense."
"Well said, Gordon. There's no place for you in this world, demon. And if you couldn't get it through your head once, we'll bury you as many times as it takes!"
"Lieutenant General Gaster! Leave this scene to us, please. You and your troops should retreat!"
Davis was calm from start to finish. The Original White's appearance was unexpected, but he still hadn't forgotten his original purpose. He was attempting to defeat the wolf demon, the combined Gobta/Ranga. In order to achieve that, Davis intended to convince Gaster to withdraw his troops so Davis didn't blow his cover finishing that monster off.
Not even Davis had the right to give orders to the higher-ranked Gaster. If worse came to worst, eliminating him from the picture entirely was a possibility. But with Blanc on the scene, now was no time for that. Davis had no hope of beating her while maintaining his cover—in fact, unless he got all the nearby troops out of here fast, they could all get caught up in this battle.
Gaster, unaware of any of this, was suddenly spurred back into action. He was having trouble keeping up with this situation.
Blanc? The Original White? What're they talking about? Do—do they mean that Arch Demon? Ah, I can't think about that now. Enough thinking about who
this trio is— I gotta survive this!
Desperately slamming his brain into motion, he tried to come up with a solution. Then, in a panic, he used his unique skill Performer to order his entire army to retreat. But it was too late. The moment he had encountered Testarossa, all hopes had already been dashed.
Davis, Balt, and Gordon were three nameless heroes who had once defeated a powerful demon lord. The incident was known as the Bloody Shore, when Blanc—the dreaded Original White who ruled over the demons of the east— came dangerously close to incarnating herself in this world. Ever since, the Empire's vigilance against demons had changed dramatically. Every city had its own demon control office now, and their summoning was banned by law.
If an Arch Demon was ever to physically incarnate itself, it'd require mobilizing the army to deal with it either way. If not handled properly, it'd be a potentially city-wrecking disaster. Plus, this was a Primal, a very special existence among Arch Demons; their strength couldn't even be measured in terms of mere magicules.
Ever since that incident, Davis believed it was sheer good fortune that let them defeat Blanc. But at the same time, he was confident that no matter how many times they staged that fight again, he'd never lose. Why? Because he was ranked eleventh. Even the strongest champions of the outside world were no match for the truly powerful, those who had lived for over a thousand years in the underworld. We're talking the magic-born Razen, guardian of Farmus, and the Heroic King Gazel of the Armed Nation of Dwargon.
Otherworlders like Yuuki Kagurazaka and Hinata Sakaguchi wouldn't cut it. Neither would Thalion's Magus corps or Lubelius's Crusaders. No matter their strength, they'd always be a mere blur before the Imperial Guardians. And even among this all-powerful group, the Single Digits held a special position. Davis, being ranked eleventh, served as their assistant.
His Majesty has given us this, the most powerful of gear. With our combined powers, there's no way a mere demon could defeat us!!
Davis was brimming with confidence. Once he urged Gaster to retreat, he
turned to his companions.
"Both of you, open it up! It looks like Blanc's incarnated herself, but she couldn't have stored up that many magicules yet. We'll hit her with all we got!"
"Right!"
"On it!"
Gordon nodded; Balt smiled defiantly. As they acknowledged him, the pendants hanging from all three of their necks began to glow. The light soon became a torrent, enveloping their bodies—and what emerged from them were three warriors wearing golden full-plate mail. This was Legend-class armor, only given to the chosen ones. Imperial Guardians generally preferred their choice of weapon, but their armor was generally all the same. This was impeccable quality, handed down from ancient times; no ordinary person could even catch a glimpse of them. And now that they had it on, Davis and his companions were able to fight with all their might.
"Bad luck for you, Original White! Maybe you've gained a physical body, but that's where it ends. Meeting us here was the end of your good fortune— Ngh?!"
To give him a better chance at finishing off Testarossa, Davis had put more strength into his grip on the chain. Then he noticed that there was no response from it. Testarossa, whom he had sealed up inside the chain, had slipped it off like a pair of pants.
"Look, do you think I'm going to let you do that?"
Davis turned toward the chilling voice. There he saw Testarossa, whose hand was on Gaster's neck. With a dull snap, the lieutenant general collapsed. He was dead, killed by the demon without putting up the slightest resistance.
"How…?!" Davis instinctively shouted. Gaster might've been more than a little self-centered, but he was no weakling. He was a lieutenant general, and he had the ability to match—in fact, he had every right to join the Imperial Guardians' ranks. Probably just a far-flung number, yes…but even so, he wasn't the kind of man who'd go down that easy.
That…and Davis shuddered as he looked at his hands. The chain of holy silver,
monster hair threaded through it; this Legend-class piece of gear had been battered to pieces. Confused frustration flashed across his face, as it did with Balt and Gordon. They had no idea when Testarossa had even moved, much less broken the chain.
And the hardship didn't end there.
"Oh, were you waiting for me? If so, I'm sorry. This man was trying to escape, so I had to give him a little punishment. If I didn't, you know, that'd be disobeying Sir Rimuru's orders. We can't have that, can we?"
Testarossa shot the men a lustrous smile as she sized them up. Then something else occurred to him.
"Ah, right. I've been wondering—would you three mind not calling me Blanc, or the Original White or whatnot?"
"What…?"
"I mean, you know, I've got a name now—it's Testarossa. I'd really hate it if you didn't use it, you see?"
The statement was a peal of despair for Davis and his team.
"Wait… A name? A name?"
"Testarossa… Some fool gave a Primal a name?!"
"First an incarnation, then a name…"
This was unprecedented. Suddenly, their position wasn't looking so good after all.
"We must retreat. This crisis must be brought to His Majesty's attention immediately."
"Yeah, I hear ya. I'll hold her off."
"And I'll set up a Warp Portal—"
The trio's teamwork was beyond reproach. Quickly dividing work among themselves, they sprang into action, Gordon already casting the warp spell. Once they did, Testarossa let out an evil laugh—lovingly, beautifully, but with a truly sinister touch.
"What's so funny?!" Balt shouted, taking up his spear and charging at her. But Testarossa had already disappeared. Balt had no chance of keeping up with her.
"Dammit, where the hell did you go?!"
"Over here."
A hot breath blew into Balt's ear, filling his nostrils with a sweet, fragrant scent. There was no need to turn around; it was Testarossa.
Then he felt a cold, delicate female hand on his neck, almost chilling his soul. Ah—aaahhhhh?!
The image of the now-limp Gaster flashed through his mind.
"I hate it when people don't realize the limits of their abilities." But it was questionable whether Testarossa's voice even reached Balt. Crack.
Balt collapsed, a sobering look of terror on his face, and that was the end of the thirty-eighth-ranked member of the Imperial Guardians.
Davis, watching all this, experienced a feeling of panicked self-doubt that disturbed his thoughts for the first time in several hundred years.
"Gordon, hurry up! She's killed Balt. She's too dangerous!"
His voice was colored with fear, regardless of his intentions. Gordon nodded silently, as if he understood. His teleportation magic now complete, the circle of magic floating above the ground began to glow.
"Okay, retreat!"
Davis sprinted toward the circle as he made the order…but the spell failed to activate.
"Wh-what? Why?!"
Testarossa kindly explained it to Gordon, as if ridiculing him for being so upset: "I'm not sure what's so strange about that. I'm not using the magic canceler wrong, am I?"
Davis and Gordon had no idea what she was talking about.
"What? The magic canceler…?"
"Wait, did you re-create it with magic…?"
She looked at them and let out an exasperated sigh.
Testarossa had been sharing information with Ultima and Carrera via Thought Communication. Among the information she obtained that way was data on the magic cancelers installed on the airships. For Testarossa, re-creating and using the technology from the data she obtained was child's play. But such an act was well beyond the scope of human common sense, and it'd be absurd to expect Davis and Gordon to understand it.
All they did know was:
"What…? What are you?! Whether you're a Primal or not, there's no way an Arch Demon can have that much power!!"
Davis was shouting now, trying to paint over his own fears.
"Y-yeah! You weren't this overwhelming the last time we fought! What the hell did you do to evolve this much…? Evolve?"
Davis and Gordon looked at each other. Hearing his own cries, Gordon now understood exactly what was going on with Testarossa—no matter how much he didn't want to. The same went for Davis. Incarnated, named—and thanks to that, what kind of being had Testarossa, the Original White, become?
Testarossa gave them a bemused look, leisurely eliminating all doubt.
"Oh, how clever of you! That's right. Now that I have a name, I'm higher level than even an Arch Demon. Have you ever heard the term Demon Peer before? It's something completely different from an Arch Demon. A pity I need to spell it out to people before they understand, isn't it?"
It only plunged the two of them deeper into despair.
"D-Demon Peer…"
"The second coming of Guy Crimson…"
Only then did Davis and Gordon realize the gravity of the situation. This Primal hadn't manifested herself just for a laugh—she had a firm will, and she used it to fully take root here.
"But didn't you lose interest in this world when you lost the princess's body…?"
"Not quite. By the time you came along back then, my contract with the girl had already been fulfilled. That's why I left, although certainly not without my regrets."
"No…"
"Oh, I'm sorry! Were you laboring under the assumption that you could beat me? Well, silly, I think you see that's not going to happen now."
It can't be…
Davis could feel his own confidence shatter.
"I still haven't forgiven you for interrupting my meal back then, you know." "…"
"H-hey… Davis…"
Neither Davis nor Gordon were able to move. Testarossa's crimson eyes bolted them to the ground, like a snake staring down a frog.
"…Your meal?" Davis repeated.
All he could do was keep talking to buy more time. With that precious time, he desperately tried to figure out what was happening to his body. Anything so he could have a shot at Testarossa, proud and confident in her victory.
"That's right. That beautiful lake was bathed in enough blood to turn crimson red, but that still didn't make me full, you know."
"…Nearly ten thousand innocent people died."
"Well, that's how our deal worked. Besides, you interrupted me before I could enjoy the main course, the most important part. Now that we're all together and everything, why don't we take this opportunity to have you atone for your sins?"
"Youuu…!"
Testarossa was the very one behind the Bloody Shore tragedy—but to her, that regretful disaster was just a simple meal.
And it's still not enough…?
Davis's heart seethed with rage. Flames of justice burned through the kindling of his fear. This evil, he thought, could never be left unchecked.
"An evil like you—"
Raising the gleaming sword in his hand, Davis struggled to escape Testarossa's binding spell. The initial results were promising; he could feel his body regaining its strength…but Davis's despair had only just begun.
"You're not gonna kill them yet, Testarossa? …I don't mean to interrupt, but I think it's time to end this."
A cute voice, not at all appropriate for a battlefield, was heard from above. It belonged to a girl with bluish-purple hair in a side ponytail—Ultima.
Even Davis, ranked eleventh in his nation's hierarchy, could sense there was something unusual about her.
"Oh, is that you, Ultima?" said Testarossa. "Did I make you wait long?"
"Mm, I've just been taking my time with Gabil's band, so I'm not one to talk… but Sir Rimuru asked us to give our all, so if we don't finish this fast, he's gonna be mad, y'know?"
"I sure don't want that."
"Right?"
"I just ran into some old acquaintances of mine, so we wound up chatting a bit… But you're right. Let's end this before Sir Rimuru gets angry."
Davis couldn't understand the conversation unfolding in front of him. Or really, it's not that he couldn't—he just didn't want to.
No, no, no, noooo!!
Testarossa and Ultima were both doubtlessly on the same level. Two Demon Peers…
Taking on just one of them was difficult enough. Having backup just sealed the deal. Davis's flames of righteousness, burning hot inside him, had been painted black before he even knew it. Black with fear. The glory of being the eleventh Imperial Guardian was meaningless in front of this duo.
If it was just one Arch Demon, Davis might've been able to take care of it himself—but the reality of two Demon Peers almost broke his heart. He couldn't be blamed for that; in fact, Gordon was already crouched down and sobbing. Once a quiet, reliable man, now he was behaving like a little child. Suddenly, Davis felt jealous of Balt, dying before him and all. He had passed on without even realizing the true identity of what he had been up against. How fortunate for him…
"Great idea!"
"Well, I'm sorry to say goodbye, but I have to go. I know—since we're old friends and all, why don't I show you the magic you wanted to see?"
Testarossa sounded as amused as ever, speaking to the stunned Davis. He didn't know what it meant, but he did know the end was near.
From the deepest darkness, a black flame was called forth.
The flame, condensed to the size of a fist, shone on the palm of Testarossa's hand. It was an abyss core, a notoriously hard-to-control type of hellfire, but Testarossa crushed it into her hand with ease.
Laughing to herself, Testarossa whispered in a singsong voice: "…Death Streak."
Davis's eyes widened. He didn't know what this magic was. He couldn't comprehend it. No idea. But one thing was for sure—it was incredibly evil.
"And you over there; you know Guy Crimson, huh? In that case, you know what this magic is, don't you? The same one Guy used when he became a demon lord…"
Sadly, Davis's consciousness cut out at this point—plunging into an even deeper abyss of desperation, wishing he had never known anything at all.
...…
...
…
The abyss core crushed into Testarossa's hand became a black light that shone across the surroundings. It had the property of penetrating through almost all types of matter—a dark light that never occurred naturally. When it passed through a living being, it directly affected their genetic sequences, forcibly rewriting their genes to kill almost anything it encountered.
It was deathly magic, the epitome of pure evil—but according to tradition, it existed for a different purpose. The only ones who could withstand this magic were spiritual life-forms or those whose souls had memory-retention skills.
Living things who could completely reconstruct their bodies after they were completely destroyed could escape this magic—and nobody else.
Spiritual particles, the tiny matter that made up magicules, emitted a special sort of wave. This was the light of darkness itself, difficult to counteract with magic and impossible to counteract via physical means. The only way to resist them was with other spiritual particles, and thus, the only way to resist dark light was with more dark light. No other type of protection was possible.
Exposure to this light produced a 99.999 percent fatality rate. But not even that was 100 percent—and so, extremely rarely, there were survivors. One in a million would react by turning their body into a monster and gaining new life. In other words, this magic also selected those most suitable for monster transformation, granting the victims their blessing.
It was the worst, most taboo kind of spell, this nuclear-level Death Streak. Instead of destroying physically like Disintegration, it accurately bore down only on the particles that created life memory. It was the ultimate forbidden magic, one that could destroy the very souls of people.
...…
...
…
And so Davis, ranked eleventh in the Empire—and Gordon, ranked sixty fourth and pretty much just along for the ride—became the first victims of Testarossa's Death Streak. It didn't end there.
Shortly thereafter, a ferocious rampage of death blew across the land, affecting everything within a five-hundred-yard radius. It didn't distinguish between friend or foe, killing every living thing within that range, and that's why Testarossa used Magic Sense to ensure there were no allies close by before launching it. And this was her going easy. If she had cast Death Streak with all dampers removed, everything within several miles would've breathed their last.
Death Streak was just as effective against spiritual life-forms as it was to anything else, but Testarossa had been careful to activate it in a way that wouldn't affect their souls, so it was harmless to her and Ultima.
The two of them casually surveyed the results.
"Doesn't look like there's anything alive in this whole area. By the way, you did a really good job with these, Testarossa."
"Oh? What do you mean?"
"These toys they call tanks, I mean. They all look in perfect shape, so we can bring them back intact and examine them more."
"Well, of course. That's why I cleaned out only the humans from here."
"Mmm. Y'know, maybe I should've cast Death Streak, too, instead of cutting corners up there. Then maybe I wouldn't have broken up all those toys in the sky."
"True, Ult, you could say you were a bit too flashy there. But if we can recover that first sample that crash-landed, that ought to be enough for reference."
"…Sure. Although I sure did cause a lot more damage to them than I thought. Those toys are so fragile! I only meant to destroy one, but I wound up breaking a whole bunch of 'em."
"Well, so be it. Now that Sir Rimuru named us, we're both stronger than ever. We're gonna have to be more careful from now on, Ultima."
"Yeah. I feel bad about it, too. But y'know, what I'm really worried about is Carrera. I'm not sure if she knows what the word restraint means, and you know how much she loves flashy magic…"
"That's why she's on standby over at our headquarters. Rimuru had the foresight to assign her to that, which I was certainly glad to see."
"Ohhh! Well, that's a relief!"
So they merrily chatted on. They may have been misreading Rimuru in a few ways, but nobody was around to point it out to them.
"And Benimaru's a real worrywart, huh? Talking about how he thinks there are people in the Empire who can harm Sir Rimuru and all. Even asking us to go easy so we can find out who it is!" said Ultima.
"That is a little troublesome, yes. If all we wanted was to win, they should've
just sent us out alone from the start. Then Sir Rimuru wouldn't need to bother with anything at all."
"Well, it was Sir Rimuru's idea, wasn't it? He even told us not to fight. I think he wanted to give Gobta and Gabil and their forces a chance to grow a bit. It'd be easy for him to just evolve them upward, but the only way to get experience is to actually do it, after all. Some dolt with a lot of power and nothing else is just a wimp to us."
"That's a great idea, I think. I get it and all, but…well, you know." "At least we got to perform in the end. That's nice."
Testarossa and Ultima were enjoying themselves well enough, but as they spoke, they were also carefully gathering up the souls of all the dead around them.
The forbidden spell Death Streak had a secret—there were no known successful cases of someone turned into a monster by it. The only way it ever would do the trick was if you had a soul left to be transformed. But if those souls were all being harvested, as they were right then, the chance of survival went from one in a million to exactly zero. They said the devil never gave you a straight deal, and this was maybe another example of that. A great way to hide the real probabilities, though. Testarossa and Ultima were aware of that, naturally, and that was why, once they were sure there were no survivors out on the field, they declared the battle over.
Witnessing the fate of those who messed with her never moved Testarossa's heart. There was no real emotion; she treated them the same as anyone else. They had never been in Testarossa's mind in the first place, so this was only natural.
And with that, the battle with her cohort was finished.
Two departments of the Armored Division that participated in this operation —the Magitank Force and the Flying Combat Corps—suffered total defeat. With the death of Lieutenant General Gaster, the Empire had lost its local base of operations, leaving the soldiers out on the farther reaches isolated and struggling to flee. Now the only question in this battle of annihilation was how long it would last.
Gaster's Magitank Force numbered two hundred thousand servicepeople, while Major General Farraga's Flying Combat Corps had forty thousand. Without a commander, there was no way for the imperial army to request a cease-fire… And so all the imperial forces on the ground and in the air lost their lives on the battlefield.
At that moment, the Tempest side was confirmed the victors. But this didn't mean the end of the war. That was because General Caligulio, commander of the Armored Division, still had no idea about this defeat. And at that very moment, the Restructured Armor Corps—the heart and soul of the whole Armored Division—was about to hit the road for Rimuru, capital of Tempest.