An Ultimate Skill.
It was called *King of Degeneracy*, one of the oldest Ultimate Skills in existence.
Its authority was something like combining Guy's *King of Pride* and Milim's *King of Wrath*.
However, compared to the abilities of Guy and Milim, its performance was inferior.
Dino understood this deeply—that against Guy or Milim, *King of Degeneracy* was essentially meaningless.
Dino had been a confidant of the "Star King Dragon"
Always at his side, he served as Veldanava's sword, charging across every battlefield.
His status as the greatest swordsman was established during that era.
And then the world was pacified, and conflict vanished from the surface.
After that, Dino was given the task of monitoring the surface world by Veldanava himself, and he began traveling the globe.
But—as if waiting for the moment Dino was absent—his lord Veldanava passed away from this world.
Alongside his beloved wife, Lucia.
Dino was consumed by rage and obliterated the foolish nation responsible.
The Ultimate Skill he obtained in that moment was *King of Degeneracy*.
It had been a transmutation of the Ultimate Skill *King of the Sky*, originally bestowed upon him by Veldanava.
Consumed by fierce fury and hatred, Dino wrought devastation without restraint.
The whole thing was carried out swiftly, without even being noticed by Demon Lord
But even that was not enough to ease Dino's heart.
He had even considered destroying the world itself, but he recalled that Milim—Veldanava and Lucia's living legacy—still existed, and he calmed his raging spirit.
Then, thousands of years passed.
Having lost all sense of purpose, Dino continued his duties as the monitor of the surface.
He lived in sloth, only listening to the reports of his two subordinates—but he had become a Demon Lord in order to gain information.
Protecting Milim's existence from the shadows—that was Dino's reason for living.
He never made direct contact with her, nor did he intend to acknowledge her as his master, however...
When that lowlife
The Unique Skill *Idleness*, which he had unknowingly acquired, had evolved into the Ultimate Skill *King of Idleness*.
The Unique Skill *Idleness* that Dino had obtained while continuing his lazy lifestyle was an ability that induced degeneration in its target.
Having gone to the trouble of acquiring it, Dino decided to give it a try.
He had been toying with
Another reason was that he felt pity for Dagruel, who—like Dino—had dedicated his loyalty to a deceased master, and he wanted to free Dagruel from that burden.
The fact that an ability he'd only used on a whim had undergone an ultimate evolution was, for Dino, a completely unintended development.
But.
This acquisition of power was what changed Dino's fate.
—Was it by chance, or was it destiny?—
Those who possessed angel-type abilities could not resist the *Dominion of Angels*, a hidden ability of the Ultimate Skill *King of Justice*.
The only possibility of resisting it was to nullify the angel-type ability using a demon-type ability.
Even though *King of Degeneracy* had been transmuted, it was still an angel-type ability, and it could not escape the absolute dominion of *King of Justice*.
However, at this moment.
Within this labyrinth that
The instant he activated the long-sealed Ultimate Skill *King of Degeneracy*—
Dino realized it.
(Ah, I see. So it was the angel-type ability that became the mark of thought manipulation—)
While demon-type abilities were free-form, angel-type abilities were systematic.
They were pre-programmed to obey the commands of a superior being.
Though Dino had already possessed increased resistance due to his fall from grace, being isolated in subspace had severed him from the curse of that dominion.
And once you broke free, you could never be trapped again.
Dino used *King of Idleness* to nullify *King of Degeneracy*, placing it entirely under his control.
◇◇◇
Dino burst through the hole that had been punched through the labyrinth wall and flew out into subspace.
By that point, he had already detected the traces of the telepathic interference waves that *King of Justice* had sent toward *King of Degeneracy*, and had completed countermeasures using *King of Idleness*.
Even in his sloth, Dino was still Dino. He worked fast.
It wasn't that he couldn't work—it was that he didn't want to.
That was the man Dino was, and when necessity demanded it, he preferred to finish things with blitz speed.
Needless to say, the optimal course of action was "not working."
But, unfortunately for Dino, it seemed that a fate of being forced into various jobs was already waiting for him.
"You did great! Now, there's still one more task left!"
Even though he'd separated from
In other words, they had successfully escaped from within
The other two were apparently already on standby, and Zegion was swiftly heading toward his designated position.
When Dino extended his senses, he detected two individuals with Magicule counts that far exceeded the Awakened Demon Lord class.
Including Zegion, three of them were positioned to form an equilateral triangle.
(I swear, these guys' Magicule counts have gone up again, haven't they?)
He thought this, but he didn't have the energy to comment on it.
Dino quickly grasped the intent of the operation and understood his role.
The objective was to annihilate Zero using the highest fighting forces available.
Killing a
Dino also moved through subspace so that each side of the formation would be equal in length, arriving at his designated position.
It was a ritual that required four or more participants.
Two people connected two points—one dimension.
Three people drew a plane—two dimensions.
Four people constructed a space—three dimensions.
In other words, a spatial magic circle far surpassing any layered magic circle would be formed...
And with that, a regular tetrahedron was completed, enclosing the "Crazed Evil Dragon" Zero within it.
Each person occupied a vertex, and the enemy was sealed inside with *Mekkah Barrier*.
"Heh heh heh. As expected of Demon Lord Dino. You caught on quickly—that's a great help."
"Ugh, gross. You don't need to be polite with me, Diablo."
"Oh? I haven't put even a shred of respect into my words, so there's no need to worry."
"Quit screwing around! That makes it even worse! You're just being snide..."
"Enough of that. Let's just finish this quickly, yeah?"
"Agreed. Save the jokes for later."
*Wait, am I the problem here?*—Dino swallowed the words.
It was pointless to argue, and if he pushed it, he'd probably just earn more of Zegion's wrath.
Dino had already developed a deep sense of unease around Zegion.
"Then, Lord Dino. You'll take the lead with the main attack. We'll match your timing."
Diablo spoke.
Benimaru and Zegion had no objections.
With only three of them, perfect timing would have been possible, but asking that of Dino was too much.
So the plan was for the three of them to follow Dino's lead the instant he launched his attack.
Dino had no complaints about that either.
If anything, he was relieved that they hadn't asked him to match *their* timing.
"Got it. I'm going all out!"
With that shout, he sharpened his focus to the utmost and concentrated his consciousness to deliver the ultimate blow.
Six pairs—twelve wings of white and black gleamed as they channeled the surrounding Magicules and spiritual particles into twin blades—
"Heavenly Demon Twin Strike Domination!!"
The White Light Blade and the Black Shadow Blade were launched.
They crossed perfectly at the center of the regular tetrahedron.
Colorless aurora light filled the interior of the *Mekkah Barrier*.
But the assault on the "Crazed Evil Dragon" Zero did not end there.
At the very instant the White Light Blade and Black Shadow Blade intersected—
"World Collapse!!"
"Illusory Dimensional Wave Storm!!"
"Solar Black Flame Domination Accelerated Excitation!!"
The transcendent techniques were unleashed.
Reaching the center of the tetrahedron in impeccable, exquisite timing, they overlapped precisely with Dino's attack.
This produced destructive power on a scale never before witnessed since the dawn of the universe.
The *Mekkah Barrier*, constructed so that none of the force would escape, was filled to bursting with catastrophic devastation.
————————————
Quadruple Composite Annihilation Art:
Annihilating Strike Reminiscence Light Collapse
————————————
Four powers merged as one, giving birth to the ultimate destruction.
The fact that this took place in subspace was a stroke of luck.
Even though they had been sealed inside the *Mekkah Barrier*, the residual shockwaves alone would have been enough to ravage the surface world.
The Quadruple Composite Annihilation Art carried out by four of this world's supreme beings produced results beyond imagination, amplified by a multiplicative effect.
◇◇◇
Every witness to that spectacle fell utterly silent.
With a single exception.
"Heh heh, ha, hahahaha! Magnificent, truly magnificent power!!
But what's most magnificent of all is the existence of the "True Dragons."
To bathe in destructive power of this magnitude and still not have your existence fully obliterated—"
Diablo let out a booming laugh while calmly analyzing the situation.
True to his words, at the center of the tetrahedron, only the "Dragon Core" remained, undestroyed.
A mysterious orb—colorless, yet emitting a dull gleam.
Everyone stared at it, transfixed.
But that momentary distraction proved fatal.
The "Crazed Evil Dragon" Zero, paying no heed to its own demise, made one last desperate attempt to drag at least one of them down with it.
It had calculated that if even one corner of the tetrahedron collapsed, the untamed fury sealed within the *Mekkah Barrier* would be unleashed, engulfing everyone present.
Zero's instincts couldn't recognize this, but had it succeeded, the damage to Ramiris's labyrinth itself would have been catastrophic.
Driven by its evil instincts, Zero wrung out its remaining strength and extended a tentacle.
At the end of that tentacle stood Dino and the others.
"Oh—"
She shielded Pico with her own body from the tentacle, but that was her limit.
The tentacle seized Garasha and dragged her into the *Mekkah Barrier*.
As Pico stumbled, losing balance, Gaia cried out—"Kyuuu!!"—and leaped from Pico's arms toward Garasha.
All of this happened in an instant.
"Garasha!"
Dino screamed, but he couldn't move.
He understood that if he moved now, the *Mekkah Barrier* would collapse.
"I'm going in!"
"Stop! If you enter that, you'll be annihilated—"
Dino held Pico back from diving in.
There was no need to even test it—the power was far beyond what any of them could withstand.
Doing so would only result in losing Pico as well.
(Damn it! If only I hadn't let my guard down...)
He cursed himself, but there was nothing he could do.
He had no choice but to give up.
"But if we do nothing, then Garasha will... and Milim's pet, too..."
Pico pleaded with Dino, thinking of her partner.
But Pico understood too.
That there was nothing they could do.
"I don't want this... I don't want this! Dino—!!"
If there was even one possibility—
"Listen. I'm going to give you my power. I'll transfer my entire ability to you, and you use it to maintain the *Mekkah Barrier*.
Once Garasha gets pulled to the center, it won't hold for long.
Hey, relax. I'll go in and pull them out in no time!"
"But that's—"
"Trust me. We're out of time—let's do this now."
Dino moved to act without allowing any argument.
The tentacle itself had already dissipated, but with Garasha's power, it would be impossible to return to where Dino and the others were.
After all, the destructive force generated by the Quadruple Composite Annihilation Art was being blocked by the *Mekkah Barrier* and converging toward the center.
This created an immense gravitational pull toward the center, dragging everything beyond the "event horizon."
To escape that, one would need to exceed the speed of light—which was, in practical terms, impossible.
With space this warped, the *Transfer* ability, which could only be activated in stable space, was entirely out of the question.
There was no time left.
The closer they got to the center, the greater the burden on Garasha became.
She was only barely maintaining the barrier because she was an Awakened Demon Lord-class being specialized in defense.
"All right, keep your composure. Initiating transfer—"
"That won't be necessary."
The instant Dino was about to pass his power to Pico, a voice came from within his coat.
And then, a small, round jewel radiating with light.
It was the jewel Rimuru had been using as a toy—the one Zegion had given Dino before the operation began.
The jewel drifted into subspace and blazed with an intense flash of light for just an instant.
And then a figure appeared—that of a young girl.
Silver hair tinged with blue drifted in the void as she suddenly manifested before Dino.
"Well then, I'm off for a bit," she said lightly, tapping Dino's shoulder before soaring into the raging fury of the *Mekkah Barrier*.
◇◇◇
Garasha's memories flashed before her eyes like a revolving lantern.
She had shielded Pico and been caught by the tentacle.
At that moment, she had already given up on surviving.
She couldn't believe that a fallen angel—however Awakened Demon Lord-class she might be—could endure a vortex of ultra-high-density destructive energy that could even annihilate a True Dragon.
The closer she got to the center, the greater the strain on her body became.
The only reason she was still holding together was thanks to the small dragon clinging to her—Gaia.
Gaia was shaving away at its own essence to support Garasha's defensive barrier, barely managing to neutralize the destructive energy.
But even that was only a matter of time.
The Quadruple Composite Annihilation Art, executed by the four supreme beings of this world.
It had produced destructive power beyond anything this world had ever experienced—beyond all imagination.
In Garasha's perception, it was a force so vast she couldn't even comprehend its scale.
"You're such an idiot. You didn't have to go through all this trouble for me...
I'm sorry, but I can't save you anymore—"
"Kyuu?"
Garasha murmured and gently stroked Gaia, who was nestled against her chest.
And then she waited calmly, with a sense of resignation, for what would surely be her final moments...
But that moment never came.
Because—
——————
It had been a razor's margin.
If
If that had happened, there was no telling how furious Milim would have been.
Just imagining it sent chills down his spine.
And Dino had been about to dive in to help—which was beyond reckless.
Even with two Awakened Demon Lord-class fighters, reaching the speed of light was impossible.
This was a *Dark Hell* from which not even light could escape—even reaching ninety-nine percent of the speed of light would be meaningless...
If they could reach the center before total annihilation, escape might theoretically be possible, but the odds were terrible.
This wasn't something brute force could solve.
But could *I* manage it?
Obviously, I couldn't move faster than light either.
But the reason I could say with certainty that I'd be fine was simple.
If I stopped time, speed became irrelevant.
At that point, even exceeding the speed of light was trivially easy.
But this time, even that shouldn't be necessary.
My *Void Collapse* and its *Void Barrier* could achieve a degree of neutralization.
The barrier converted anything that touched it into void energy and absorbed it.
That was the nature of the *Void Barrier*.
Not escape, but endure. That was the only path.
Well, even in the worst case, I myself would absolutely be fine.
After all, the new ability Ciel had created—*Multiple Existence*—had been integrated into the Ultimate Skill *Void God*.
It was an ability Ciel had completed by analyzing the Ultimate Skill *King of the Wicked Dragon*, and with it, I could now produce copies of myself that were all connected together.
Thanks to this ability, I no longer needed to be wary of Veldanava.
Even appearing here like this, Veldanava probably wouldn't be able to detect me in this subspace.
But considering the worst-case scenario, I couldn't afford to be careless.
Though now, it was no longer an issue.
Even if I were detected and Ramiris's labyrinth was isolated, my clone—which could be considered a true copy of my original body—still existed in imaginary number space.
If isolation occurred, there was a possibility the link to my original body would be severed, but if both sides searched for each other, discovery would be easy.
After all, we were the same person.
It was a strange sensation, but I could now conduct parallel thought processes without difficulty, so operating independently posed no problem.
Unlike the crude version
Through the "Corridor of Souls," all of my *Multiple Existence* copies were connected.
That said, I was still in the practice stage—at this point, I couldn't exist without using the jewel I'd been using as a toy as a core.
Well, with practice, it would become easy soon enough.
In any case, even in the worst case, I wouldn't die—the jewel would simply shatter.
Even then, the problem would be how to appease Milim's mood, but that was another matter entirely.
"Oh, you're...!?"
Garasha—Dino's companion whom I'd rescued along with Gaia—stared at me with eyes full of disbelief.
I thought her face looked familiar, but this might have been the first time we'd actually met.
"Yeah. Nice to meet you? I'm Demon Lord Rimuru."
I greeted her from within the barrier.
Garasha was struck speechless, unable to form coherent words.
Was she nervous? Well, whatever.
We had safely recovered Gaia and Garasha—all that remained was waiting for the storm to subside.
As I breathed a sigh of relief, my eyes happened to catch the "Dragon Core" at the center of the tetrahedron.
"If you had that, you might be able to become a real True Dragon too, Gaia."
I'd said it casually to Gaia, who was being held by Garasha, without thinking.
I had no intention of actually making it happen.
And yet—
"Kyuuu!!"
Filled with determination, Gaia leaped out from the *Void Barrier* I had erected.
"Hey, you—!"
I called out, but it was already too late.
By the time my voice could reach her, Gaia was already outside the barrier.
And exposed to the ultra-high-density energy beyond the barrier, she was disintegrated in an instant.
The jewel that had served as Gaia's vessel shattered and vanished.
It meant that Gaia had ceased to exist.
"As expected of Master. You were thinking the same thing I was."
I was frantically racking my brain for what to tell Milim, how to apologize—when I heard Ciel's calm voice.
Huh? What was Ciel talking about?
I was bewildered, but it couldn't be helped.
I had essentially guided Gaia to her death—even if it was never intentional, it was an unforgivable act.
There was no way she could actually become a True Dragon...
Wait—could she!?
At the exact same instant this possibility struck me, the "Dragon Core" blazing at the center of the tetrahedron pulsed with an especially brilliant flash.
"As you know, True Dragons do not vanish.
Even Zero, who had become a Crazed Evil Dragon—a being of mad destructive will—is the same.
It would simply be reborn somewhere on the surface and continue pursuing the mad mission bestowed upon it by Veldanava.
That is precisely why Veldanava created the pseudo-"Dragon Core" known as the *King of the Wicked Dragon*.
However, if a new Soul Core were to arise within that Dragon Core, the situation would change entirely.
Gaia, who possesses fragments of the dragon factor, would have more than enough qualification."
By the time Ciel's explanation concluded, as if to prove her words true, a miracle was unfolding outside the barrier.
In short, Gaia had become a True Dragon.
I had only been joking, but reality was a terrifying thing.
As the saying went, "a truth born from a lie"—my words had actually come true.
Gaia had been disintegrated in an instant, but her Soul Core, still carrying her will, had reached the Dragon Core.
And it had successfully merged with it.
All that remained was for Ciel to remove the corrupted factor.
The raging energy was brought entirely under control, and a single magnificent azure dragon materialized.
The fifth True Dragon, excluding me—though strictly speaking, I probably didn't count as a True Dragon.
An azure body that gleamed with brilliant light.
It radiated a luster more beautiful than any gemstone.
Unlike Veldora and the others, it had a slender, elongated form reminiscent of an Eastern dragon.
Would it be Veldora's brother or sister?
Either way, gaining a sibling would surely bring him joy.
"Kyuuu!!"
Gaia cried out happily, a jubilant shriek of pure delight.
It seemed she still couldn't speak.
Her wisdom and knowledge would accumulate in the blink of an eye, but for now, she was still a newborn.
"Haha, you actually did it! Well done, Gaia!"
"That's right—since we're at it, let me think up a proper 'epithet' for you too."
Veldora was the "Storm Dragon," and
As a sibling to one of them, Gaia should have a formal title as well.
Let's see—
"Got it. From today, you're the 'Earth Emperor Dragon'! Veldora's sibling... how about 'Earth Emperor Dragon'
On a whim, I named her casually.
And so, the fifth True Dragon to be born into this world—the "Earth Emperor Dragon" Velgaia—made her appearance.
The raging forces around us dissipated, and the *Mekkah Barrier* faded away.
A beautiful dragon had been born, and the threat was gone.
Diablo, Benimaru, Zegion, and Dino.
I could see all of them flying toward me.
But.
Having expended a massive amount of Magicules through the naming, I could no longer maintain my existence—
(Wait, so that counts as a naming too, huh...)
"That goes without saying..."
With Ciel's exasperated voice as my last sensation, I confirmed that the connection to the jewel had been severed.