The battle between Veldora and
Someone watched the carnage with bitter frustration.
Yes — Luminous.
(That damn lizard! Seriously, I've had it!! What am I going to do about this—)
Her body trembled with barely contained fury.
Forcing herself to stillness, Luminous surveyed the scene below.
Across the earth, countless pillars of lightning stood in wild profusion, reducing anyone who touched them to charred husks.
It was obvious to anyone watching that it was only a matter of time before the devastation reached the capital.
The Triple Barrier protecting the Holy Capital had already failed.
The Large-Scale Anti-Magic Barrier that shielded the national border had been blown away the moment Dagruel and Veldora first clashed — destroyed by the interference waves from their initial collision.
It hadn't lasted even an instant. The clean way it vanished was almost impressive.
The Anti-Magic Intrusion Prevention Barrier that guarded the residential areas around the Holy Capital had fared no better.
After all, these barriers had been designed to keep out monsters below a certain level. Expecting them to withstand the attacks of beings that could only be described as "transcendent life-forms" — Dragon
This barrier, too, had been destroyed with almost comical ease.
That left only the Holy Purification Barrier.
Those maintaining it wept blood and screamed in anguish.
If even one person's concentration wavered, the barrier would collapse instantly — there was no doubt about that.
This applied even to the Seven Star Sages who commanded the barrier's maintenance.
They were, to a person, risking their lives to maintain the barrier in full compliance with Luminous's orders.
Fortunately, they had switched the barrier's alignment to counter the Holy attribute using the Secret Art of Holy-Demonic Reversal — a measure originally meant to repel angel incursion.
Veldora aside, Dagruel's attribute was Holy.
And so, by the narrowest of margins, they had managed to keep the barrier functioning.
Mind you, the barrier had originally been designed with Veldora in mind — and that contingency had turned out to be wasted effort…
Luminous fixed her sharp gaze on the battle raging overhead and let out a sigh.
The combat unfolding above exceeded even her imagination in its sheer scale and ferocity.
Obviously, even someone of Luminous's caliber would be committing suicide by joining that fight.
Even if she wanted to complain, she had no way of conveying her grievance to the combatants.
All she could do was grit her teeth and watch.
And the battle only grew more violent…
At Luminous's side,
Luminous couldn't blame her. A battle at the mythological level was something that occurred perhaps once in a thousand years, if at all.
Watching the clash of the mighty was an experience in itself.
A battle between transcendent beings like these was something one might never see again in a lifetime.
Another plasma bolt — launched by Dagruel's Thunderstorm Roar — came hurtling down, striking the heart of the capital and tearing a hole in the ground.
(That goddamn lizard! Are you trying to destroy my country again!? At least think about what's around you!)
The thought was absurd, and Luminous knew it was asking the impossible, but she couldn't help herself.
And then, the battle between Veldora and Dagruel shifted to close-quarters combat in human form.
Neither could look away.
Even this titanic confrontation would eventually reach its end.
The moment Veldora murmured something under his breath, a rainbow-colored darkness was born.
(What the—!?)
It spread outward at terrifying speed, engulfing everything—
By the time Luminous sensed the danger, it was already too late.
Her hastily strengthened defensive barrier proved useless.
Helplessly, Luminous's consciousness was swallowed by the rainbow darkness.
Gunter Strauss, the first and foremost of the Seven Great Nobles who served under Luminous, had been confronting an overwhelming threat.
He was facing one of the Seven Heavenly Punishment.
Kojo Mai, who wielded the
She looked no older than a sixteen-year-old high school student, but her combat power was beyond description.
Gunter, for his part, was a True Ancestor vampire — a Grand Duke who had lived since ancient times.
He was a being whose power surpassed even that of a Demon Lord.
His strength was comparable to that of
And yet, all he could do against Mai was defend himself.
The role of the Seven Great Nobles and their direct subordinates had been to serve as a mobile strike force, ambushing Dagruel's army from the flanks.
But that strategy had been thwarted by Mai alone.
Every one of the others besides Gunter had been virtually annihilated by her Stardust Meteor
The terrifying meteor arrows moved at speeds that even the extraordinary regeneration of inhuman vampires couldn't match.
The only ones still alive were the other Great Nobles — who, even under normal circumstances, sometimes clashed with one another.
They managed to coordinate their efforts and fend off Mai's attacks for a time…
But that was a thing of the past.
Those struck directly by her arrows were left in a state beyond regeneration, their combat capability utterly destroyed.
Now, Gunter was the only one left on the field who could still move.
"Oh my, you're quite the stubborn one. Wouldn't it be easier to just go down already?"
"Don't you dare, you human wretch! I'll sink my fangs into your neck and drain every last drop of your blood!"
Gunter's survival instincts had been stimulated by his declining vital functions.
Normally, he had no need to drink blood.
In the ancient past, he had indeed extracted Life Force from blood, but having evolved to his current state, he could now directly absorb vitality without the intermediary of blood.
But right now, his eyes had turned a deep crimson, and he was regarding Mai as prey.
Like a cornered beast, Gunter had released the limiter on his physical body.
On his pride as Grand Duke.
The determination not to lose to some mere girl unlocked the ancient taboo.
Following the call of his old blood, Gunter returned to his true form.
The magic power surging through his body reshaped his flesh, restoring the silhouette of the Emperor of the Night.
He was reverting to the form he had borne in the days before he had pledged loyalty to Demon Lord Luminous — when he himself had been a Demon Lord.
But even that—
"I told you, didn't I? It would be so much easier to just go down."
Mai was beyond his reach.
Having received the power of a Seraphim and awakened her Ultimate Skill, King of Weapons, Mai possessed combat ability on par with an Awakened Demon Lord.
Among the Seven Heavenly Punishment, three in particular — the sword, the shield, and the bow — stood at the top even among Yuki's subordinates.
Arionus, who wielded the One-Handed Sword.
And Mai, who wielded the Crescent Bow.
These three were in a class of their own.
Arionus had once been defeated by
That bitter experience had accelerated his growth.
He had shed his arrogance and now fought with cold precision, never looking down on his enemies.
The current Arionus was like a different person entirely.
Zero was, in a word, a man of few words.
But he never failed to fulfill his assigned role.
His defensive power through the Unique Skill, Immovable One, had already been remarkable, but since awakening the Star King Shield, Zero's defense had become truly ironclad and perfect.
And Mai—
With fluid grace, she drew her bow and released.
From a single motion, the arrow split into a cascade of meteors.
Individual versus army.
That phrase described her to a tee.
Both hands and both legs pierced, Gunter tumbled grotesquely to the ground.
"You lowly human—!!"
An arrow embedded in Gunter's throat, silencing even his scream.
There was nothing he could do.
Mai's strength was simply too overwhelming.
"Well then. I suppose it's about time I put you out of your misery. I can't very well leave anyone who would interfere with Yuki alive."
Mai calmly nocked another arrow.
Just as she was about to deliver the killing blow—
"Retreat. It's dangerous here."
A massive figure appeared and stopped Mai in her tracks.
Mai was startled, but then recognized the newcomer and relaxed.
"Zero, what's going on?"
"There's no time to explain in detail. I sense danger. That should be enough, shouldn't it?"
Without waiting for Mai's reply, Zero activated a teleportation formula.
"W-Wait!? You're the field commander, aren't you? Why would you— Are you going to leave the angels behind!?"
Mai's shocked voice went unanswered by Zero.
And then—
"Return!"
Without a word of further explanation, he took Mai and vanished.
Gunter, by sheer luck, had narrowly escaped death.
He had lost consciousness just moments before, which was why he hadn't noticed—
The rainbow darkness flooding the area an instant later.
Arnaud stood dazed, staring at the enemy commander who had departed right before his eyes.
Initially, the Holy Knights under Arnaud's command had been engaged in intercepting the angel forces.
Similarly, the Blood Crimson Knights, led by the noble contingent, had been routing the angel army's main body.
Though outnumbered, the Holy Purification Barrier — whose attribute had been reversed to counter the Holy alignment — prevented the angels from breaking through.
By intercepting them at the barrier's weak points, they had negated their numerical disadvantage.
But when the angel commander took to the front lines, the angels' behavior changed dramatically.
The angels followed their commander's orders with absolute obedience.
Their willingness to sacrifice themselves only accelerated the breach of the barrier.
Some angels even resorted to self-destructive attacks, and the battle deteriorated in an instant.
Then there was only one option — take out the commander!
That was the reasoning behind the Holy Knight captain's charge, but the plan had failed.
The man who called himself Zero possessed overwhelming strength.
He hadn't launched a single attack, but every strike Arnaud delivered was deflected by his enormous shield.
Arnaud, too, had reaped the benefits of his training in the labyrinth, and now possessed strength that placed him on the verge of the saint-class.
Yet every one of Arnaud's attacks was deflected as though Zero had read them perfectly in advance.
No — every blow, every feint, was parried without hesitation, as if Zero could see moves ahead.
The gap in their classes was laid bare for all to see.
While commanding the angels, Zero simultaneously engaged Arnaud.
Arnaud nearly flew into a rage at being so casually handled, but ultimately had to acknowledge the man's true power.
All of his magic was resisted. Every sword strike was deflected by the shield.
It was like fighting an immovable mountain.
Even the Flash Sword passed down directly from
Moreover, the shield seemed to possess both a "Weapon Destruction" and an "Attack Reflection" effect — meaning Arnaud, who should have been on the offensive, was the one taking damage.
The damage was even greater because he had reinforced his sword with Fighting Spirit.
The fact that the sword itself had survived at all was a mercy.
Realizing he would lose without accomplishing anything if this continued, Arnaud decided to retreat temporarily.
But just as he was about to give the order, Zero ceased commanding the angels.
As Arnaud looked on in confusion, Zero simply left the angels behind and departed.
The commander gone, the angels halted their coordinated movements.
They still performed automated attacks, but without leadership, the angels were nothing but a disorganized mob.
Arnaud was still trying to process Zero's intentions when he, too, was caught in the rainbow darkness.
Without understanding what had happened, Arnaud lost consciousness.
Veldora stood at the center of the rainbow darkness.
Before him was Dagruel.
"—So you used me as a seedling to reshape the world?"
"Hmm. I wouldn't call it a reshaping — 'restoration' would be more accurate. The Pulse of Abundant Mystery is, strictly speaking, not an attack. I bestowed my blessing upon this land, using the lifeless as nourishment to promote natural growth. In order to restore this land — which had been damaged by a magical disaster — back to its fertile state. Incidentally, your body is being used as the core. This effect cannot be undone — after all, it's a recovery ability."
"I'm aware. It's irritatingly clever of you—"
"Kuha ha ha ha! I'll take that as a compliment. Don't worry. In a few hundred years at the earliest, and a thousand at the latest, your Holy Aura should return to normal. You'll be fully regenerated to your current state, and the energy will regenerate naturally. By then, the restoration of this land should be complete as well."
"Kukuku. So you were aware of my nation's current situation?"
"Hmm. You mean that in a few hundred more years, the water would dry up, and even with a giant's life force, survival would become impossible?"
"So you knew. That was the real reason I moved the Chain Titan Corps to invade Luminous's territory—"
"No… I didn't know anything about that. It was none of my concern. That's also why I didn't care that your forces consisted entirely of expendable soldiers — with no young recruits or women and children."
"Fuh, fuhahaha! Stop pretending. Lord
"Hmm. After all, this world is one of survival of the fittest. No one would blame you."
"—Then why? Why did you restore this land? To help us?"
"Kuha ha ha ha ha! Don't get the wrong idea! I only did it to prove that I'm stronger than you. And while I was at it, I figured I'd improve Luminous's mood by making this land fertile again. I never imagined the effect would extend all the way to the Dead Wasteland — that was a miscalculation!"
"Heh, fuhahaha! So you're going to play it off to the end. Fine. But don't expect me to feel grateful, Veldora!"
"Of course not. Between friends, there's no need to keep score! Now, let's fight again. Of course, I'll win next time too!"
"You wish! I'm not so weak as to lose to a lizard multiple times!"
Veldora and Dagruel looked at each other and burst into hearty laughter.
There was no trace of resentment between them — only fresh, open expressions.
"Well then, it's about time the Pulse of Abundant Mystery spreads across the rest of the land."
"So? How did you make up the energy deficit? My remaining energy alone wouldn't have been enough."
"Ah, there were plenty of angels milling about in the sky, so I repurposed them. Originally, the technique targets everyone, but through probability manipulation, I restricted its effect to hostiles only. Kukuku, convenient, isn't it? No need to sort through them one by one."
"…………You're utterly unreasonable. Don't tell me you even left my surviving soldiers—?"
"Hmm? Oh, those ones I left alone. I figured I'd check their attitude — if they still bore hostility, I'd deal with them. Angels lack free will, so this time I set the targeting parameters to 'those with hostile intent' and 'those without will.' Well, I winged it for the rest."
Dagruel nodded in understanding.
With Veldora, anything was possible.
(Though "those without will"… wouldn't that destroy every structure in the area?)
The thought briefly crossed his mind.
The Sky Gate itself actually possessed a will of its own, so he wasn't worried about the gate specifically — but when he considered how wide the rainbow darkness's area of effect had appeared from that brief glimpse, it was clear his entire territory had been included.
No — precisely because it had been included, he had realized the goal was this land's restoration.
(Well, whatever. Buildings can be rebuilt. That's not something I need to worry about—)
Dagruel shifted his mindset.
But at the last moment—
"Veldora, I have one request, if you don't mind."
"Oh? What is it?"
"I'd like you to pass a message to my subordinates and my sons."
Veldora replied:
"Kuha ha ha ha! Tell them yourself. I said there'd be no keeping score, didn't I? A little time should be manageable. The darkness will be clearing soon anyway."
He grinned.
The rainbow darkness lifted.
Before them stretched a barren wasteland — and beyond it, the Dead Wasteland that had once existed.
Now, the entire expanse had been transformed into a land blanketed in green.
Grass and trees sprouted with astonishing vigor, creating rich, fertile soil.
In the blink of an eye, a vast forest had formed — one rivaling even the Great Forest of Jura.
"Did I… maybe go a little overboard?" Veldora murmured.
Apparently, the transformation had exceeded even his own expectations.
As Veldora looked on with a worried expression, Dagruel delivered his final address.
"Listen well! I am passing the succession to Daggra. Ryura, Debra — help Daggra and dedicate yourselves to the prosperity of the giant race! And you, warriors of the giant race — accept Daggra as your king and obey his commands. I swore my loyalty to Lord Veldanava, but I will not force the same upon Daggra. The new king must judge for himself what is right. The fate of the giant race rests in your judgment. You are not permitted to flee. If I return and find the giants have perished — you understand, don't you?"
"Y-Yes, Father! Of course! I will risk my life and soul to fulfill my duty as king!"
"We too vow to support our brother and live up to Father's expectations!"
"Of course we do!"
The three brothers, who had witnessed the battle between Veldora and Dagruel to its very end, had awoken the instant the darkness vanished.
And before they had even a moment to consider what had just been declared, they offered their pledges.
Dagruel's presence alone radiated an atmosphere that permitted no hesitation.
And then—
'We, one and all, pledge to follow the new king and dedicate ourselves to the nation!!'
The elite forces of the Chain Titan Corps, who understood Dagruel's defeat and Veldora's salvation, followed without objection.
Dagruel watched them and nodded with satisfaction.
"It's a pity I won't be able to witness this great war, but I'm running out of time. I believe that you, unlike me, will choose the right path. I'm leaving things in your hands! Now, farewell—"
With those parting words, Dagruel was drawn into the earth and vanished.
He was entering a long slumber to restore both this land and his own body.
And so, Dagruel's invasion ended in failure.
Not a single angel had been spared — every one had become a sacrifice.
The allied forces of Rimuru and Luminous had successfully defended the land.
However—
Though they had succeeded in defending the land itself, the city had been utterly obliterated.
Just as Dagruel had predicted, the inorganic city structures had been completely destroyed.
Moreover, with the birth of the great forest, rebuilding the city would be no simple task.
Naturally, there was at least one person who was absolutely furious about this…
"So, Veldora. I trust you'll explain to me what exactly happened?"
Luminous confronted Veldora with prominent blue veins visible on her forehead, partially hidden by her beautiful silver hair.
Her face wore a lovely smile, but her eyes held none of it.
Veldora was suddenly struck by the illusion that he had been backed into a corner of mortal danger.
(W-What!? A flawless plan designed to clear my name — and it ended up like this!?)
Saving Luminous from peril, then transforming her territory into fertile land — it was supposed to be a perfect plan.
And yet, it seemed to have spiraled into something deeply suspicious.
"W-Well, you see… there's an ocean of explanation behind this… I'd love to tell you, but I'm very busy. Let's talk later!"
With that, Veldora took to the sky.
And at a speed that exceeded even his flight during the battle with Dagruel, he fled the scene.
"Damn it! He ran away again! You won't get away with this, you idiotic lizard!!"
Luminous's rage-fueled words were lost to the wind, never reaching Veldora.