With Laplace gone, only Diablo remained. His smile grew as he marveled at how everything was going as planned. He would be able to watch his beloved master wage battle up close, a valuable reference for his own future service. It was the perfect opportunity to gauge what his master lacked and how he could make up for it, and he was truly grateful.
Well… No, Sir Rimuru cannot be lacking in anything. The key thing here is to determine how I should best act moving forward.
No matter what happened, Diablo wanted to remain useful to Rimuru. And he had another reason for not participating in the battle.
If I were to join in, I would have no problem against anyone but Lady Velgrynd. It would be a waste, yes?
They all had a chance to fight the strongest of the strong, and they needed to make the most of it. In Diablo's view, Benimaru was showing signs of growth as well. Evolution had given him much more strength, and the best way to hone that strength was to fight worthy opponents. That was true not only for Benimaru but for all the other top cabinet members Rimuru gave his power to. And given the intense challenges potentially awaiting them, Diablo wanted to be sure he took full advantage.
Although I would assume Sir Benimaru saw through my idea…judging by how he didn't voice any complaint about it, that must have been his intention from the very beginning.
Despite his usual calm demeanor, Benimaru could be quite belligerent. He had a taste for taking on the strongest opponents possible, although not quite as much as Diablo did. The demon was looking forward to his future growth; if he survived this battle, it'd doubtlessly make him stronger.
Besides:
Sir Rimuru's orders are law. We are not allowed to die, and thus, there is no other way but to win.
He wanted to have everyone survive this and become reborn as even stronger versions of themselves. And he wasn't about to skimp on helping them toward that goal. There's no point to power that's granted to you as a gift. Only when you actively acquire it and use it to its fullest will it attain its full shine—and they had the perfect stage here to do just that. Give them an enemy, then take them down. The growth stemming from that, Diablo thought, was what Rimuru was hoping for.
Keh-heh-heh-heh-heh… Testarossa is one thing, but I can't help but notice how people like Carrera and Ultima are just blindly throwing their might around in battle. That's a particular issue for Carrera, in fact. Giving them a tougher fight would be a good experience for them. So they'd best survive, please—or else I really will kill them. Keh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh…
His grin extended even further. And as he saw Rimuru and Velgrynd fight before his eyes, his excitement rapidly reached its climax.
On the outer deck of the emperor's flagship, the Imperial Knights were gathered. Velgrynd was there, her presence as protector of the Empire fueling the knights' fighting spirit.
"With Lady Velgrynd on our side, victory is assured."
"That it is. Now we just need to do our part."
"Victory here would allow us to conquer the Western Nations at once."
"You're right. The day is near when our emperor will unite the world under a single banner."
"Long live the emperor!!"
"Glory to the emperor!!"
They weren't being shy with their feelings, out there on that cramped deck. They all looked at the enemy before them.
"Here they come… That demon lord's minions."
"The moment the evil Veldora was taken from them, their defeat was set in stone!"
Some of them were already scoffing at the enemy, but the majority remained silent, unsheathing their swords. The reason was clear as day—the forces headed their way were a clear threat to them. They were prepared for this to be the final battle, and so they moved to intercept them.
But they didn't know yet. They weren't aware of the despair that was so close at hand. And once they became aware of it, their lives would be over.
Testarossa flew gracefully through the sky, her expression somber, as if something was bothering her. She could see people atop the airship that was her target, foolishly brandishing their swords.
"Oh brother. They see us, and still they want to challenge us? Could they be any more clueless?"
Benimaru remained silent. He wanted to nod his head in agreement, but as he saw it, it was only natural for an opposing force to act that way. So he bit his tongue. In a way, the decision showed that Benimaru still operated on a framework based on common sense. The truly insane demonstrated their abnormality from the very beginning of their thought processes—and as if to prove it, Testarossa took action.
"How dare you be foolish enough to misjudge the strong! It's so pathetic! They deserve the blessings of mercy, not fear!"
To be honest, Testarossa did want to go on the rampage a little bit—showing off her skills and feeding off their mortal horror. But if you're fighting an opponent completely resolved for the battle, it takes time to strike fear in their hearts. That was both annoying and wandering a bit from the purpose of the mission. So she decided to get rid of these interlopers as quickly as possible.
Without further hesitation, Testarossa unleashed some magic targeted to take effect over the entire airship. This was the nuclear magic Death Streak, the ultimate in forbidden spells that could even destroy people's souls, and now it was exercising its full merciless fury. A jet-black sphere formed around the
airship, bringing nothing but death to those inside.
Nearly everybody on board died at once, bathed in an insidious ray that was fatal to all forms of life.
Major General Zamdo, who had just finished speaking with Gradim and was busy preparing for the upcoming battle, was one of them, ceasing to exist without even realizing what had happened. Luck simply was not on his side this time. If Rimuru wasn't so distracted at the moment, he would've remembered Caligulio's pleas to save his soldiers and instructed his troops to keep Zamdo and the others out of it. Reality, however, was far crueler, and so death did its work equally on them all.
"That soon? I know I ordered a preemptive strike, but now we have hardly anything to do here."
"Perhaps I overreacted a bit? I was just trying to save you all the trouble." "Ha! You mean you didn't want anyone else taking your prey from you."
Testarossa gave Benimaru's admonishment a gleeful smile. "Oh, you picked up on that? You always were an intelligent man, Sir Benimaru."
"I've never been sadder to receive a compliment in my life."
But despite this banter, Benimaru didn't see it as any problem. In fact, he really was glad to be saved the trouble. But the two later arrivals were far more reproachful.
"Ahhh! I wanted you to save some for us, too!"
"Talk about a mistake in judgment. We should've left Diablo to himself and given this more priority."
Ultima and Carrera shot Testarossa nasty stares. She brushed them off with a wry grin.
"You both have a lot to learn still. Take a closer look at the airship. There are all kinds of survivors for us."
"Very true! Anyone who'd let something like that kill them would never be a good opponent for us. In fact, I should thank you for weeding them out like that!
"I'm grateful for that, Lady Shion."
Testarossa smiled, knowing she was right all along. Her expression betrayed her delight over someone picking up on her intentions. The only people who could withstand Death Streak were spiritual life-forms or those who were otherwise compatible with the magic. With luck, even the Enlightened could survive it. But whatever the case, if there was anyone alive on board, it was safe to assume they were real tough cookies.
Ultima and Carrera were still frustrated, but they knew that complaining wouldn't help their cause. Realizing that, they decided to relent.
And then:
"Let's go."
At Benimaru's command, the raid began.
When the group landed on the outer deck of the airship, they first found the Imperial Knights, largely reduced to a pile of corpses. Their bodies were still there, at least, and they showed how desperately they tried resisting their fates.
"N-no… I don't want to die…"
Some were still clinging to life, even, fruitlessly reaching for the sky. But their lives were as good as over. No healing medicine or magic could help them; their fates were sealed the moment they crossed Testarossa.
"Ugh! This really was a waste, I think," Ultima grumbled. "If they were this high-quality, I'm sure I could've had them singing sweet hymns to me in no time."
"Quit being so selfish. Look. They've come out to greet us."
Testarossa pointed to the bow of the flagship. There they saw the highest echelons of the Empire—Emperor Ludora and the still-sleeping Velgrynd. Kondo and Damrada stood by their sides, with four men and a woman behind Ludora and another, more mature-looking man next to Kondo.
"A greeting from the emperor himself," Benimaru boldly said. "What an
honor."
The emperor didn't move. Kondo and Damrada were about to take a step forward when Ludora stopped them.
"Let them be. Why not face up to it? I've built up so many pawns for over two thousand years, and now this is all I have left. If you are here representing the demon lord Rimuru, I will allow you to directly address me."
"Thanks."
"So, what is the purpose of this visit?"
"Well, it's very simple. I haven't been entrusted with full authority, but I'm giving you our demands in place of Sir Rimuru. You must cease all hostilities at this moment and give us your unconditional surrender. If you agree to that, we will stop pursuing you."
"And if I refuse?"
"If you refuse, Sir Rimuru has given me the order to annihilate you. It will be a battle to the death until just one side is standing."
Not that we're allowed to die, Benimaru inwardly added. But it didn't show in the arrogant attitude he was copping. It was little wonder that this response infuriated the imperials.
"How dare you!"
It was Marco who spoke first.
"You can act that arrogant because you're a puny little worm who doesn't know his place. A fool without a clue what lies up in the loftiest heights."
One of the four knights looked down at Benimaru, a spear in his hands. He heard him, of course, but Benimaru's gaze remained on Ludora, uninterested even in engaging with the knight. The others remained silent; it was Ludora's choice to make, and since Ludora allowed the other side to address him directly, they felt it'd be impolite for them to talk.
"It's quite ridiculous, isn't it? I would hardly let my greatest of ambitions end here."
"Then die."
Benimaru had grown far more thoughtful and less short-tempered over time, but his true nature was still that of a raging god-ogre. He never saw the point of lengthy negotiations when a little force could immediately end the issue—and besides, Rimuru ordered him to kill all their enemies, so there was no reason to retreat.
The atmosphere was explosive—and in the midst of it, one side made a move. Velgrynd, asleep this whole time, suddenly opened her eyes and shot up.
"Ludora!"
"What? Why are you so distraught?"
Velgrynd surveyed her surroundings, realizing what was going on. Despite that, she ignored Benimaru and his group, deciding her business was of much greater importance.
"My Replication has been captured by the demon lord Rimuru. It was going to take a few minutes to break through the barrier, so I wanted to return my powers to this body…"
This was the exact moment when Rimuru—or Ciel, really—had sealed Velgrynd within Insulated Imprisonment. Velgrynd thought she still had time, but with Benimaru and the three demonesses right in front of her, she felt distinctly threatened.
"Sir Rimuru does it again! We'll need to follow his example, too." Shion was beyond delighted.
"It appears he is focusing on Sir Veldora at the moment, and I am sure he will bring him back shortly."
Soei nodded. He was always careful to assign a Replication to check on Rimuru's safety; that was how he operated.
"He fought Lady Velgrynd and Sir Veldora at the same time and more than held his own, it seems. Truly excellent."
"It sure is. I wasn't expecting it to turn out this well, to be honest."
"You said it. My lord's talents are truly ceaseless."
Testarossa, Ultima, and Carrera all meant what they said, having a full knowledge of how strong Velgrynd was. They were left in total disbelief.
"What a mistake. I knew I shouldn't have let Diablo trick me with his sweet talking."
"So true. He knew this was going to happen, and he wanted to be the only one who could watch it happen, the bastard."
To a demon, being called a "bastard" was high praise. Shion nonetheless vowed to rake Diablo over the coals about it later.
Soei, also observing that battle, remained calm. Benimaru quietly looked away; he, too, was watching Rimuru's fight via Moss.
Meanwhile, the imperial side was in an uproar.
"No! He has that much power?!"
Emperor Ludora—a calm, collected man who never showed his emotions— stood up and shouted. He held Rimuru in high esteem, based on what Kondo said about him, but there was no doubt that he had underestimated him. He couldn't see him as a threat on par with Veldora, and now—all too late—he realized how wrong he was. Kondo, too, recognized his blunder. Seeing his attacks fail on him was a warning sign he took full notice of, but even so, he hadn't done nearly as much as he should have.
No matter what happens, I will protect His Majesty's body.
He silently resolved himself to this as he stood there.
Damrada, on the other hand, believed the demon lord Rimuru was a threat from the beginning. It wasn't a matter of logic. A man as cunning as Yuuki found it impossible to take advantage of him, even after all his scheming. That alone proved he was a dangerous opponent, one who couldn't be left unchecked. There was just something about Rimuru that made him seem different from anyone else. He was like Yuuki in that way—people with this inscrutable charisma.
Damrada was attracted to people like that, and all the mysterious possibilities
they presented. He had made a distant promise to Emperor Ludora, and now he wasn't sure whether to keep it or not. That was why he now entrusted his fate to others, not himself. And the people with that special something—someone worthy of being entrusted with his fate—were undoubtedly people like Yuuki and Rimuru.
Now Rimuru had clearly done away with all reason in his rage. That fact made Damrada uneasy; he felt like something bad was about to happen. Like Ludora said on the bridge, the best forces of the Empire were all assembled here. There was no sign of Gradim or his forces, but realistically speaking, they couldn't expect any more reinforcements. They had failed to overwhelm Rimuru's forces. The demon lord was never an opponent to take lightly, something made clear by the current situation.
So Damrada remained on guard, his nerves on edge, ready to protect the emperor at a moment's notice. The other knights and Marco were also having trouble maintaining their composure, so thrown as they were by this situation. The absolute power of Velgrynd was hard to fathom, even for people as powerful as them, and now Velgrynd had all but admitted that Rimuru was equal to her. It'd be impossible not to let that disturb you.
Thus both sides were stunned and surprised, in opposite ways. It was Velgrynd who broke the silence first.
"So it's a showdown, then? Fine, then. We'll defeat them and use them as bargaining chips to make the demon lord Rimuru bend to us. Is that all right with you?"
"Very well. All of you, prove your powers to me!"
"""Yes, Your Majesty!"""
As soon as Ludora made the decision, the Imperial Knights' agitation vanished from their faces. There was power in his voice, the kind that put these stout warriors' hearts at ease.
"Yes… Victory is assured, I promise you."
Velgrynd flashed a fierce smile, her beautiful yet terrifying countenance foreshadowing the horrors of the battle to come.
"Are all of you fine with that, too?"
"Yeah. We must win this and cut these weeds down before they cause any more disasters."
"All right. Good luck, then."
With that, Velgrynd spread her arms out and held them up to the sky. Then she activated what were called the Eight Impervious Gates. Each of them appeared in midair, lined up in the center between both sides of the war, and shrank down to the point where just one person could go through them at a time.
"This flagship," Velgrynd explained, "has now been isolated inside an alternate dimension of my own creation. If you want to escape, you will have to destroy all eight of these Gates."
Not counting Ludora, there were eight imperials left on the airship. This meant that each one of them had a Gate to guard.
"What happens if we all go into one Gate?"
"What a funny thing to say! You're free to try it, but once you're all inside a Gate, only the person who kills its guardian is allowed to enter the next Gate."
If she was telling the truth, it meant that if everyone piled into one Gate, only one person would be left to challenge the next one. They had to break through all eight to escape, so that was too risky a choice to take.
"I see. So the smart thing would be all of us to charge into the last Gate remaining instead."
"Very good. You're a smart one, aren't you? Yes, if you're going to challenge the Gate I will guard, that would be the right thing to do."
Velgrynd smiled at Benimaru's suggestion. She must have assumed he would reach that conclusion. But as confident as she was about her chances, she didn't see any problems with explaining all of this at the beginning.
"Of course, since I've set up this dimension in advance with these set conditions, I can keep it maintained at very low magicule cost. You can neither escape nor touch Ludora without breaking through all the Gates. Or did you
want to go all out here instead? Either way is fine by me."
The Eight Impervious Gates put the defenders at a disadvantage. Since they knew exactly who would be guarding each Gate, there was a risk that the raiders would plan their approach in advance, working out countermeasures for each guardian. But if they resorted to all-out warfare instead, even Ludora could be at risk, and Velgrynd really wanted to avoid that. What's more, Velgrynd wanted to keep Rimuru's soldiers banished in an alternate dimension as they fought it out; she was willing to take a slight disadvantage for that.
"All right. We'll accept your challenge."
Benimaru didn't hesitate to respond. Hearing him, Velgrynd was now assured of her victory.
Unless I somehow lose, there is no breaking out of this dimension. There is simply no way for us to lose.
Velgrynd was sure she could beat the enemy, even if they all charged her at once. That's why she went with these Gates, what she thought was the safest strategy for them. Benimaru fully understood her intentions, but there was no way to avoid combat with Velgrynd here anyway, so he opted for the path they'd have the best chance of winning with.
So, with both parties in agreement, the site of this final battle was decided.
One by one, the imperials disappeared into the Gates before Benimaru and his team. Then Velgrynd, the last one remaining, exchanged a light embrace with Ludora before going through her Gate.
The Gates then slowly began moving, encircling themselves around Benimaru and the rest. But it wasn't like they didn't know who went into which Gate. Only a fool would fail to keep track of that—
"It's such a coward move, isn't it? Rearranging them like this so we don't know who's guarding what."
Shion was that exact sort of fool.
"…We're fine. I remember them."
Weren't you paying attention? Benimaru thought. Now he began to understand the pain she put Diablo through.
"Hee-hee! What a fun little diversion. If you emerge victorious, I will grant you the honor of fighting me then."
Ludora, protected by the laws of this other dimension, relaxed in his comfortable seat as he spoke. He never doubted Velgrynd's victory for a moment. Judging by his demeanor, he saw this battle as little more than light entertainment.
"We'll see, won't we? You never know what can happen in battle. But we're gonna show you that there's some things we'll never yield to."
Benimaru looked around at his companions, figuring out who should be put in charge of whom. But one person was too impatient to wait for his decision. It was Shion.
"Well, I think I've been putting up with things for far too long. I've had enough!"
"Whoa! Hey!"
"Sir Rimuru told us to kill our enemy down to the last individual. What's there to worry about? Let's just get these taken care of!"
Have you ever worried about anything your whole life? Benimaru almost said out loud. He couldn't have his troops acting out of line like this—but before he had time to stop her, Shion kicked open the door to a Gate and stepped inside.
"…Well, whatever. I don't know whether she meant to do that or not, but I'd say she picked the perfect opponent for herself anyway."
Shion, despite her less-than-commendable methods, had a knack for achieving optimal results. She wasn't exactly on her best behavior that day, but she still chose the door that matched Benimaru's intentions.
That left seven more doors. One contained Velgrynd, and they'd be tackling that one last. So who'd be the right person to deal with whom?
"If I could…," Veyron began.
"What?" Ultima replied with more than a hint of tension in her voice.
"To tell the truth, I have not yet settled my score with Marco. The way I am now, I believe I would absolutely win over him."
It was a standard strategy—start with an opponent you know you can beat. Benimaru saw the wisdom in that, and any victory would be one step closer to getting out of here, so he rapidly granted his permission.
"All right. You can take on Marco, then."
"Mmm, very good. If that's what you want, Benimaru, I have no complaints." Ultima seemed calmer now as well. Veyron's partner was now chosen. Agera, witnessing this exchange, was the next one to speak.
"May I ask a favor as well?"
"…Agera, right? What is it?"
"Well, I too have an opponent I have yet to settle the score with, although it is nothing on the level of a deep-seated grudge or the like. I would like to be paired with him, if at all possible."
"Who is that?"
"The man called Kondo. He is a fighter from the same school as myself…and as a pure swordsman, I cannot ignore him."
"Oh?"
It sounded like a pretty deep-seated grudge to Benimaru. He was curious about Agera's fighting style, and he knew that Hakuro had taken a liking to him. So he was inclined to give him the okay, but there was one little problem.
"Are you confident you can beat him, then?"
If Agera lost, after all, this whole thing was rather pointless—and in Benimaru's view, Lieutenant Kondo was a serious handful. Even Rimuru was wary of him. He was sure Agera would have a tough time.
"Well…"
Agera paused. As a swordsman, he believed he would have no regrets losing to someone like Kondo…but that would fly in the face of Rimuru's orders. Even he understood how selfish this request was—but suddenly, he found a
supporter.
"All right, Agera. It's rare for you to ever ask for anything. Why don't I help you out?"
It was Carrera, the demon Agera served, sounding as dignified as she could. Benimaru nodded. No need to ask if she could beat him.
"I'm not sure," he said, "if even I could defeat Kondo. So I'm going to ask you not to lose…but at least try not to die."
Carrera gave this a loud laugh. "Of course not. Besides…why don't we make this a test for Agera? We have to see if winning really will open up the next Gate. Best to conduct this experiment against our weakest opponent, I'd say."
"I agree! Shion's already gone, but there's no point in this strategy if you can't fight again after you win."
"Very true. It might be that only certain people will qualify to take on Lady Velgrynd…but she's a proud woman, so I don't think she would lie about that."
Benimaru had naturally considered this possibility. He had been thinking of having Shion try it out when she got back, but if Agera's group wanted to first, there was no reason to stop them.
"Okay. So how will you approach this?"
"I'll make Agera the main fighter and have Esprit join him as an assistant. That'll show us whether only the person who scored the kill can take on the next challenge."
"Take Zonda along with you, too. He's a healing specialist, so he won't be that much use against stronger opponents."
Zonda was no weakling by any means, but he'd face an uphill battle against a Saint-class foe. If he was barred from the next challenge, Ultima didn't see that as a big problem. No need to risk his neck in a dangerous fight if he could just stay here and heal allies coming back from their Gates. With that in mind, nobody voiced any opposition.
"All right. Agera, Esprit, and Zonda, you three will be tackling this Gate." Benimaru pointed out a Gate that one of the four Imperial Knights went into
—the large spear-toting man who called Benimaru a "puny little worm." Benimaru had entertained the thought of choking the life out of him with his own two hands, but decided to give this choice role over to Agera instead.
"Very well."
"We won't let you down!"
"Victory will be ours, I promise you."
So the three of them went through the Gate toward their battle.
Two Gates were now being attempted. The rest of the group stayed there, waiting for Benimaru to decide where to dispatch them.
"We'll decide who will stage the next attack once Agera's group returns."
The gate Velgrynd was guarding would come later. Kondo's opponent would be Carrera, and Marco would be taken by Veyron. That left Damrada and two out of the four knights.
"By my assessment, the head of the Imperial Knights looked like the toughest to me. I would like to take him, if I could."
"No disagreement there. I had the same impression myself." "Okay, can I take that Damrada guy, then?"
"Fine by me. I already have my opponent selected."
Damrada and the remaining knights looked about equally as powerful in Benimaru's mind. He had no complaints about this.
"Is that good with you, Soei?"
"It is. That leaves the dual blade-wielding knight. I think I match up well with him, so I have no problems with that."
"Good. It's settled, then."
Benimaru fell silent for a moment.
"…I have to say," he added awkwardly, "this is troublesome for me." "What's wrong?" Soei asked.
"They never gave their names," Benimaru replied, scratching his cheek. "So I
don't even know what to call our opponents. It's not a big problem, since I know who's behind each Gate anyway, but…"
"Ah, yes, that was a blind spot for us. Well, nothing to worry about. All you really need to know is the name of the person you kill anyway."
The people listening to their conversation agreed. Names took on particularly important meaning to monsters, but there wasn't much point worrying about their opponents' monikers. Besides, they're enemies.
Agera, Esprit, and Zonda passed through the Gate in high spirits. Behind it lay a circular structure, something like a battle arena, and a lone man was waiting for them inside.
"Ah, you little rats came to me in a pack, didn't you? Only natural, I suppose, if you're fightin' the likes of me."
The man let out a guttural laugh as he readied the spear in his right hand.
"Before you die, let me tell you my name. I am Garcia, fifth-ranked Imperial Guardian and one of the emperor's four personal bodyguards! And I hope you accursed demons appreciate the chance to fight me before you fade from this world!"
With that cry, Garcia hefted up his spear. It was Legend-class—about as close to God-class as you could get without reaching it, in fact—and a mere touch could even obliterate spiritual life-forms. But Agera's group kept their cool.
"We're not interested in your name."
"What an idiot, huh? Calling Sir Benimaru a worm."
"He can carry on like that only because he fails to realize the limits of his skills. If I were him, I'd be so embarrassed that I'd be in agony for three days."
Garcia wasn't exactly instilling fear in any of them. In fact, they didn't hesitate to say exactly what they felt about him. It infuriated the man.
"You little rats are starting to piss me off. I don't realize my limits? Well, how about I show you just how high they are, then?!"
Then he released the power he had been suppressing. When someone
reaches the Saint level, their magicule counts compare well against an awakened demon lord. Agera's group were all Demon Peers themselves, but the difference was still several orders of magnitude.
Garcia stepped forward, his body radiant with intense fighting spirit. That alone made the arena's marble floor crack.
"You better brace yourself, bastards. Brace yourself, and regret making me angry."
Whether he was angry or not, Garcia probably would've done the same thing either way. That's what everyone thought, although no one said it out loud.
Agera, hand on the sword hanging from his waist, opted to wait and see how his opponent would react. Even a single blow would inevitably cause major damage, so for now, he wanted to focus on defense. Esprit, meanwhile, was going to use Agera as a shield, pelting their foe with magic from afar. The more Garcia focused on Agera, the more time Esprit would have to let off bigger spells. She was as carefree as she could be, reassured that she could fight in perfect safety. Finally, Zonda was all about support, gifted in recovery magic and capable of assisting Agera at key points. As Agera saw it, he'd much rather team up with him than Esprit.
But Garcia scoffed at the demons' tactics. Here they were, going on the defensive and attacking only with magic cheap shots. It'd be impossible to damage him with that kind of style. So, feeling he had already won, he continued to disparage his enemies.
"Ha! Damned cowards. All going around, bragging about being demons… Well, you're no match for us. We are the strongest of knights, and we've exorcised your kind many times from the world! I've heard talk about how Demon Peers are these almighty creations, up there with demon lords…but those are just tall tales from small minds. To us, you're all nothing more than worms!"
The spear that he slammed into the marble as he showed off his bravado left a huge hole in the floor. Agera and Esprit easily avoided it. Even if they were made out to be fools, it was nothing that could rile up Agera. They hadn't forgotten that this was just the prelude; the real fight was still coming up.
Esprit, for her part, was being even more thorough. She kept her eyes open, calmly dealing with their opponent's attacks and hiding behind Agera to avoid taking damage. Her unique skill Observer was a perfect fit for this kind of strategy; it allowed her to maintain contact with anyone, even if they were separated by time and space. It only worked with people she was previously acquainted with, but since she just used this power to keep in touch with Carrera, it didn't matter to Esprit. In fact, she was glad not to give it much use— if someone like Soei found out about this power, she'd doubtlessly be forced into espionage work. Esprit, who hated work on principle, wanted to avoid that, so she continued to provide the appropriate support to Agera here, passing information on to Carrera the whole time.
Zonda, by the way, always retreated to a safe zone after he was done providing support. He fully understood he wasn't a fighter type, so he kept on his guard, watching to make sure he didn't hurt himself.
Based on what he was seeing here, Garcia concluded that he had Agera's group on the run. They were in such a state of shock, he figured, they were already completely helpless.
"Ha! That's all you have, then? Running around like scared little mice won't let you beat me!"
Garcia kept up his bravado as he wielded his spear. He might have been a crude man, but his ability was unmistakably genuine, the spiritual power pervading his large physique unparalleled even for Saints.
He had also been granted a skill as well, of course, by Emperor Ludora via the ultimate enchantment Alternative. This skill, known as Subjugation Conquest, let him transform his will to defeat his enemies into a palpable fighting force—a force he added to his beloved spear. This turned it into an evil-smiting holy weapon that purified any kind of spiritual life-form, from evil spirits to demons. Thus, constantly berating his enemies like this was strengthening his own body —a body protected by Legend-class armor, so he didn't have to worry about the repercussions of his vitriol.
Garcia knew very well how his skill worked. Even as he continued to goad his adversaries, he never let his guard down. And as he stated, Demon Peers were
legends, the pinnacles of demon-dom on par with a demon lord; a first-class threat and no one you wanted to trifle with. Besides, Agera's trash talk didn't seem to mean much to Agera. Demons usually tended to look down on humans, so provoking them usually resulted in fierce agitation—and, by Garcia's experience, that usually opened up enough of a hole to easily defeat them with. That didn't seem to be the case this time. These opponents were trickier, and that frustrated him.
"Calm down, human. You have far too vulgar a mouth. I do not see all humans as inferior, but it must be said that every soul has a certain dignity to it. And you should know that a person truly vulgar at heart cannot hide it, no matter what he does."
Garcia, who saw his attitude as an act he played up to improve his fighting power, was now being told that, no, his actual soul was just as crass. It sorely offended him, causing him to slow his pace and reveal more of his true self— never realizing that this was Agera's attempt to provoke him back. He continued to evade Garcia's attacks with minimal movement, still not drawing his sword, and that wounded Garcia's pride even more.
Esprit, watching this up close, was amazed at Agera's agility. If he's this good at close-range combat, why's he even a demon at all? He can't even cast a single magic spell. It seems so silly to me.
It was with this mixture of praise and put-downs in her mind that she kept watching the fight unfold. This, too, was transmitted to Carrera in real time.
"Silence!" shouted Garcia, now clearly agitated by Agera. "I will defeat you all and offer your heads to His Majesty the Emperor!"
"Mmm, rather soon for that talk, isn't it? I am generally a patient man, but I can see you are rather impatient. Still not as bad as Lady Carrera, though. She's so short-tempered and simple-minded, it can often be difficult for me."
This, of course, also got instantly relayed to Carrera via Esprit. Esprit never told Agera about her power; she kind of had a mean streak that way.
He's gonna be in so much trouble later. Ee-hee-hee-hee-hee… It was almost like she was an audience member instead of an active
participant in this battle. But what Garcia said next brought her mind back to reality.
"Impatient, you say? You bunch of fools. You haven't recognized the difference in our abilities yet? Are you saying that your master is that little brat with dark blue hair? Or that sassy blonde instead? That white-haired beauty needs no introduction, but she's as clueless as a toad at the bottom of a well."
Garcia spun his spear above his head, thrusting it straight at Agera. Then, proudly and triumphantly, he dropped another bombshell.
"I'll tell you this since you'd be ignorant of it otherwise, but there really is such a thing as true monsters in this world. If you knew the true powers of our Marshal, Lady Velgrynd, you'd know exactly what I mean. And Lieutenant Kondo is a terrifying man as well. Nobody can defeat either of them—not those ogres, and not you demons, either. They'll all be slaughtered pathetically, like stinking insects!"
Only when things progressed to this stage did Esprit finally stop sending information over to Carrera. She had gotten so worked up that it took her longer than expected to shut the skill down. By then, however, it was already too late.
"Ha-ha-ha… I just heard a very funny story from Esprit."
Carrera sounded cheerful about this, but there was already an edge to her tone.
"Oh? What kinda story?" Ultima asked, already guessing what it was. "Well, the enemy inside this Gate just called you a 'little brat.'" "Uh-huh…"
Blue veins streaked across Ultima's forehead. It made Veyron start to panic. If this was going to happen, he regretted not jumping into a Gate the first chance he had. Deep down, he reminded himself that sometimes, ignorance really is bliss.
"And he said you were 'a toad at the bottom of a well,' Testa."
"A toad…?"
Testarossa was stunned into silence. Many had praised her beauty; none had ever rebuked it before. Being called a toad was a first in her life, and it made her so angry that she couldn't even properly express it.
"That, and he called all of us 'stinking insects.'"
Benimaru raised an eyebrow. "First it's worms, and now it's insects?" he asked, not looking too pleased about it. He seemed calm at first glance, but now he was thinking he should've stepped in and taken care of this foe himself.
Only Soei retained his serenity.
"So you can maintain a channel with her in this dimension created by Lady Velgrynd? A very interesting skill there."
He crossed his arms and remained silent, keeping a perceptive eye on Esprit. The cat was out of the bag with Soei, and he'd doubtless be sending Esprit on all kinds of covert missions from now on—but that's a story for another time.
Carrera's report continued.
"This man claimed that we'd never be able to beat Lady Velgrynd or that Kondo guy. He's really dragging our names through the mud, I'd say. Apparently we have nothing but a pathetic slaughter ahead."
Her tone was matter-of-fact, but that's only because she was too busy trying to process her own emotions. Carrera could certainly dish it out, but taking it was another matter.
"Well," Testarossa flatly stated, "you never know how a competition will turn out until you try."
It was true that they couldn't beat Velgrynd the first time around. But Testarossa wasn't being a sore loser here. She meant every word of it. And her crimson eyes eloquently told everyone there that there'd be no defeat next time.
"By the way, Carrera, there's something I don't quite get. Why does he keep calling us insects and worms? Is he really that strong and stuff?"
"Ah-ha-ha! Of course not. And even if he was, I still wouldn't stand for this."
Carrera denied Ultima's suggestion with a laugh. But her eyes weren't smiling at all. They were filled with an air of danger, like they could explode at any minute.
"No need to show him mercy then, huh?"
"Absolutely not. That human's gone too far with us."
Ultima was enraged. Carrera agreed with her, holding back the urge to lash out right here.
"But it's a shame. And here I wanted to put him in his place with my own two hands. Tell Agera that he doesn't need to go easy on him. Once he's done, maybe I will forgive this, then."
"Of course. He insulted us, after all. He deserves to pay a penalty for it."
Nobody was there to put a stop to this conversation. Ultima was boundlessly cruel, almost to the point of innocence. Testarossa's cold smile was tinged with terror, the kind that struck fear in the hearts of anyone who saw it. And Carrera, meanwhile, was always cheerfully spreading destruction and emptiness across the world. Their merciful sides were long gone; they would never give comfort to the enemy.
To these girls, if giving them a painless death was mercy, then killing them as they suffered was forgiveness. It was death either way, but for them, it was a big difference.
Veyron, listening to his masters speak, spat out his own bile at Agera's current enemy. His bosses, the Devil Lords, were never to be offended—but here this man was, ranting and raving at them. It inwardly troubled Veyron.
Oh, you foolish human being! I can only hope it is you alone who will pay for this foolishness…
That was all Veyron could wish for now. He knew just how terrifying Ultima could be, but more than that, the fear his former enemies Carrera and Testarossa filled him with was beyond description. The very fate of the world could depend on where they decided to point their anger.
I only hope we can quickly eliminate that fool and appease their wrath. Please,
Agera! You're our only hope!
Veyron, great demon as he was, wailed over how powerless he was in this situation. It was up to Agera, who wasn't as powerful as he was, to handle this.
But regardless of the demons' internal conflicts, Benimaru had an order to give.
"Carrera, can you relay our words from here to inside the Gate?" "Um, I haven't tried it before, but I think so…"
"Then tell them not to allow their foe to make any more offensive remarks."
Carrera nodded, intervening in her channel with Esprit and wishing she had done so sooner.
(Esprit, can you hear me?)
(Gehh! Lady Carrera…?!)
(You owe me one for that "gehh." But never mind that.)
Carrera grinned. Then she gave the order, the malice palpable in her thoughts.
(Tell Agera to tear him to pieces and crush his very soul.)
Carrera's voice echoed in Esprit's brain.
(This is the will of Sir Benimaru as well. Failure is not an option for you!)
Oh, great, lamented Esprit, now all the officers will know about my power. Carrera had forced herself into her mind, but there was nothing to be done about that. It wouldn't be the first time her boss treated her unfairly like that. Consoling herself with that, Esprit called out to Agera.
"H-hey, Agera! Lady Carrera and the others are really mad right now, you know? We better get rid of this guy soon, or we might be in trouble, too."
"I can't help but wonder why Lady Carrera is aware of our situation in here— but let's drop that. For now, we must resolve ourselves. Our masters have been insulted. It is time to give this man exactly what he deserves!"
"Wow, you're really pissed off, too, aren't you?"
Esprit let out a sigh. Agera was usually so calm, but now he was beyond indignant. There'd be no stopping him now—and, really, this was a good thing. If Agera was about to get serious, the right thing to do was sit back and watch him.
Garcia, failing to pick up on any of this, began shouting again.
"You guys are all weak as crap, aren't you? Just give up and die already! And don't worry—I'm sure your masters have all been taken care of already. Now you'll get to serve them in the afterlife, just like you do now!"
This commentary was faithfully transmitted back to Carrera—and not just her, but everyone else, too, via Thought Communication.
(What a joke this man is.)
(What is Agera doing? Didn't I just tell him to whip his ass? Are you kidding me?)
(Ugh, don't embarrass us out there.)
(Good thing for him Shion wasn't here. If she was, our whole operation would've been ruined just now.)
(Good point. Hey, if you're having trouble in there, we can swap out—but either way, get moving!)
It was becoming a pretty lively scene. And indeed, if Shion were here to listen in on this, Agera's wishes would have been summarily ignored—not that it'd trouble Esprit at all, but every demon has a certain pride they'd prefer not to see hurt. Or, really, it felt to Esprit like their reputation was going down the tubes every second.
This sucks, she thought, and she meant it. Garcia's trashy talk and behavior made him sound like a wimp, but he really did have the strength to back it up. That's what made him such a surprising handful.
Still, they were here to put up results. If they didn't beat Garcia soon, they were bound to incur the wrath of their commanding officers. And still Agera was just continually evading Garcia, seemingly uninterested in any kind of
offense. Agera would never lose unless mortally wounded—but if he couldn't win, there wasn't much point to any of this. Esprit would then have to step in with her magic, but that didn't seem like a realistic strategy here; she had tried several approaches, but it looked like Garcia boasted high magic resistance.
"What's the matter, huh? Is running away all you can do?!"
Now Garcia was in his element. But Agera showed no signs of a counterattack.
"Hey! Agera! We're in real trouble here, okay? You have to hurry, or else Lady Carrera really will turn her fury upon us!"
The full fury of their boss would make even the powerful demons serving her quake in their boots. If it was directed at them, the sheer horror would be unbearable. Esprit, normally quite easygoing, was now in a real rush to get things moving. But Agera kept silent.
Zonda, meanwhile, was preparing tea a safe distance away, like he had nothing to do with this. Apparently he wanted to serve it to their commanders once they were out of here, but from Esprit's point of view, it was beyond ridiculous.
"Hey! Zonda! I let you out of my sight for a moment, and now what're you doing?!"
"Well, isn't it obvious? Sir Agera is not injured at the moment, so I have little to do."
"Don't give me that crap! Why am I the only one feeling any pressure from our leaders here?!"
Esprit was all but lunging at him.
"That's none of my business," Zonda replied with a breezy smile.
I swear I'll kill you, Esprit thought, gritting her teeth. Zonda was on the viscount level, Esprit a count, and yet he wasn't the slightest bit afraid of her.
But I suppose you need to be that thick-skinned to serve Lady Ultima, don't you?
So Esprit stopped thinking about it any further. If Zonda was useless, all she
could do was beg Agera to do his best. He was emotionally agitated, no doubt about that, but there must be some reason why he refused to attack. If he was aiming for some sort of hole to strike, Esprit would just have to count on that happening sometime soon.
But then Agera shocked her out of nowhere.
"Esprit, I will tell you what I understand so far."
"…What?"
"It seems, much to my chagrin, that it is impossible for me to defeat this man solely by myself."
"Huhhh?!"
You've got to be screwing with me, Esprit thought. There was no way she could contact her bosses and simply say "sorry, we can't." Carrera was usually a playful, chill kind of demon, but rile her up, and things go out of hand quickly. In fact, isn't she watching all this right now?
Before her bosses had a chance to rage over this, she had to confirm with Agera what he meant.
"What are you talking about?"
"It's quite simple. As this man revs himself up, both his offensive and defensive capabilities receive a boost. I've just realized that no matter how often I hit him with my sword, I would never be able to kill him."
The effects of Alternative, that ultimate enchantment—and in particular, its subskill Subjugation Conquest—were combining with the Legend-class Garcia had on to upgrade his defense to God-class level. Agera, realizing this, concluded that his blade could no longer slash through it.
"…Is that why my magic didn't work, either?"
"Indeed. He is not at all nimble in his movements, but if I cannot wound him, then we are getting nowhere."
What Agera said made sense. All Esprit could do was scowl and nod her agreement. And if they couldn't win, that was the news she'd have to report to Carrera—a terrible shame upon the two of them. She had eyes, too, and just
like Agera, she concluded they were inferior to their adversary in force.
Their skills couldn't compete against ultimate enchantments. If they were True Dragons, even a simple attack could break through ultimate skills—that's what having the most strength out of any spiritual life-form got you. Esprit and her cohorts were Demon Peers, a high-level type of spiritual life-form, but the power of their wills wasn't enough to overcome ultimate skills. That was the reality, and until they could do something about that, technique alone was never going to give them victory.
"Haaaaa-ha-ha-ha! Now do you see the difference? Have you given up yet?"
Garcia laughed loudly across the arena. Not being able to land a spear strike was aggravating, but he wasn't going to sweat it too much. His role here was mainly to stall the enemy, waiting until they exhausted themselves for a guaranteed victory. And maybe it wouldn't take that long—his allies in the other Gates were wiping out their opponents right now, and they'd no doubt come sprinting in here to help out shortly.
So, in Garcia's mind, he could enjoy this battle without feeling in a hurry. Esprit clicked her tongue at him, then lobbed a question at Agera, her voice serious.
"You knew this would have happened even if you were allowed to challenge that Kondo guy, didn't you? Did you have no plan to win at all today?"
Agera grinned at this. "Of course I do. I have a secret plan, and I need your cooperation for it to work."
Esprit had no right to refuse.
"…Very well. Tell it to me."
It was Agera's plan all along to rope Esprit in like this. She usually acted all aloof from the world, but she had her hedonistic side as well. If he simply asked her for a favor at the start of all this, she would never have said yes. That was Esprit for you—a demon who loved it when her friends came crying to her. Agera was well aware of this, so he decided to hold out until Esprit truly had no option left but to help him for a change.
Of course, if that attracted Lady Carrera's ire, I might have been purged as
well…
He was very pleased to win that bet. But before Esprit could change her mind, he needed to tell her about this secret plan.
"I am going to transform my will into a blade with which to strike him down. That is the only way."
Agera had a feeling that nothing he could do against Garcia would ever affect him. Even if he aimed for a gap in his armor, the martial power that enveloped his entire body would keep him safe. When your defense reached God-class, appearances ceased to matter much—bare skin or not, you were still completely protected. In terms of agility alone, Agera easily surpassed Garcia, but he still couldn't land a decisive blow on him—and that was the reason.
The only solution was for Agera to reach the same level. If he could master the art of listening to the voice of his sword, becoming one with it… Concentrating all his strength, Agera lent an ear to the blade he was born with. Then, he reached a conclusion.
"Hmm. So our will cannot pierce his armor?"
"Trust in me, Esprit. You may not be the equal of your master Lady Carrera, but you are still up to levels of talent that make you a true master. I know swords are not your cup of tea, but you still have a talent for them. Thus I believe you are worthy of my trust."
"Huh? What are you talking—?"
"Place your hand on my back. I will take care of the rest."
Esprit was puzzled. Little of what Agera said made sense. But in the end, she decided to believe in him.
The swordsman was standing up straight as Esprit touched his back as she was told. Garcia was on the scene, already ridiculing them.
"Oh, finally given up, have you? Well, I'll make it easy for you right now, okay? I'm sure your master, the demon lord Rimuru, has met his match by Lady Velgrynd's hand by now. A pitiful end for a pitiful little monster, but at least now you can guide him to the afterlife!"
"What?"
Here was one statement that was absolutely unforgivable.
"You even think Sir Rimuru, our god, is a lowly monster?"
"And as if that weren't enough, you believe he is dead by now?!"
The officers outside the Gate, hearing this through Esprit, looked visibly different now. But even before that, Agera—and Esprit, too—had run out of patience.
(All right. I appreciate you retaining your cool when I was insulted earlier, but if you're going to stay calm after that, you're no demons at all! I hereby give you permission to kill him now!!)
Carrera didn't need to give the order. The two of them intended to do just that.
"Use my powers well, Esprit!"
"I don't know what this is all about, but all right. I'm gonna kill that bastard!"
The pair let their fury move them. Throwing his full consciousness into his blade, Agera spoke to it directly—and that awakened a new power in him.
Let me answer your wish. Sharpen your mind, and make yourself into a blade.
He thought he could hear a beautiful voice saying that, but he wasn't completely sure about it. Regardless, the power was clearly in Agera's hands now.
"My body is a blade—an immortal blade, destroying my enemies!"
And as Agera lodged the shout, a golden sword was in Esprit's hand. This was the ultimate gift Blade Transform, the power Agera had just acquired. It turned him into a sword, its level adding itself to that of the wielder. If the holder of this blade was skilled enough, the resulting effects were almost immeasurable.
Esprit drew the sword in a natural, fluid motion. Pulled out of its golden scabbard, it shone with a radiant platinum sheen. A small bouquet of eight flower petals fluttered behind the blade as it flew in the air. This was the
innermost art of sword drawing, as taught by the Oboro Shinmei-ryu. Its name: Multilayered Blossom Flash.
"Are you dead, you piece of trash?"
"Huh? …Wha?"
Garcia didn't see anything. Nor could he comprehend anything. What just happened? His prey, focused entirely on defense up to now, seemed to disappear in a blinding flash of light. He understood that Agera had turned into a sword, but there was no longer any time to wonder why—he'd be killed if he pondered the question.
He was confident in his own defenses. In the face of their ultimate power, no attack could ever succeed. They would need another ultimate power like his to break it, and he couldn't sense anything like that from the demons right now. So, feeling a bit relieved, he took his time and worked them into a corner.
Then the situation changed in the blink of an eye. Garcia's armor was torn apart like thin paper, and his body was sliced up into tiny pieces. In a single instant, he had been slashed no less than eight times, and without any further time to think, his life was ended.
Or maybe he did have time to think. In Esprit's hand now was a small ball of crimson—the embodiment of his soul.
"Hmm. This one's red, huh? Certainly fits him," Esprit muttered.
"You think? Because I think he was merely an upstart who didn't know his place," Agera replied as he reverted to his regular form. He glared dolefully at the red ball. "No warrior will remain silent when his master is insulted, you fool! But… Ah, I should have been warning my lord about this, but instead I let myself be incensed at the words of a small man…"
Esprit offered him some rare words of consolation.
"Now, now, what could you do? He was insulting Sir Rimuru himself. Even Lady Carrera gave her permission. Why be so hard on yourself?"
"Yes… Well, let's leave it at that, shall we?"
Agera resolved within himself to take this as a lesson and grow from it. He
looked toward Esprit, a little envious of her.
Now, clearly, Agera had acquired a new ability. And he remembered who he was before he was born—living as one who trained to master the blade. Not all of his memories came back to him, but the mastery he had gained then was now back inside his body. Regained…or perhaps "recreated" was the more correct term.
It was the art of Oboro, the way of dispelling demons. When he was still human, Agera believed his soul resided in his sword. Was that why transforming into one brought back those memories? And only then did he realize why he now took the form of a samurai. He was one, long ago, before he was reincarnated as a demon in this world.
My name was Byakuya Araki, then? Hmm. I suppose that if I went around using the name of a dead man, it'd do nothing but confuse everyone…
The visage of Hakuro flashed through his mind. All his disciples grew into great swordsmen, taking on the newly invented style known as Oboro-ryu, or Crestwater. Agera himself had changed the name to that because he felt that "Shinmei-ryu," or "heart-life" style, struck too conciliatory a tone for an anti monster school. It was a funny memory to recall right now.
Heh-heh-heh… But I suppose I've come around on Shinmei since Sir Rimuru named me, haven't I? No need for me to step in, then.
He had united with an ogre in this world, and a child was born to them—a girl who, in turn, gave them a grandchild. That was Hakuro, and now this world was full of people Hakuro had raised and trained. Rimuru, the master of Agera, was the loftiest of them all, and Hakuro could take all the credit for training him.
All of Agera's honed, polished skills were being safely passed on, something he was truly elated to see, and it'd be boorish of Byakuya Araki to suddenly show up now. So he changed his focus. He no longer had any interest in the trash he just killed. So he turned on his heel and headed back to Carrera, his current master.