Bonus Chapter — Rimuru's Elegant Escape Drama 23

I'd gotten caught up in the moment, but did I really need to go out of my way to revert my hair and eye colors back to normal?

I'd done it on impulse, but wasn't that just speeding up the process of being found out?

《No problem. You looked cool.》

Eh, that's a valid reason?

...Well, fine.

I wasn't entirely convinced, but Ciel said it was fine, so I'd let it go.

Now then, before I quickly finished off Bernaclad, I should at least make sure I'd accounted for the students' safety.

"Laplace! Protect the students here!"

"You got it!"

Laplace faithfully followed my order, setting up a defensive barrier on top of the existing barrier around the students.

The truth was, even I couldn't easily contain the collateral damage from a full-power battle between Laplace and Bernaclad.

For the students, it would be absolutely out of the question.

So I couldn't just leave the fighting to Laplace.

Against Bernaclad, Tia wouldn't stand a chance, which meant the best option was for me to fight personally.

In any case, the students were now safe.

Even if Bernaclad was a powerful demon, there was no way he could break through a defensive barrier set up at full power by an Awakened Demon Lord-class being like Laplace.

All that remained was for me to defeat Bernaclad.

"Ha ha ha. Does a little insect like you think he can entertain me?"

Looking at me, Bernaclad spoke with an air of absolute composure.

"...That guy's dead."

"But hey, if it got out that he talked to Lord Rimuru like that and we just let it slide, wouldn't we get in mega trouble later?"

"Hey, Tia. Don't say such scary things. If Souei and Diablo found out... we'd be in for a fate worse than death, I'm telling ya. Even if Lord Rimuru forgave us, those two wouldn't stop."

"Right, right."

"Well, fortunately, it's only us here. Let's keep this a secret."

"Roger! I absolutely won't tell a soul!"

"Exactly. Otherwise, we'd be in mega danger."

I could hear whispered voices conspiring among themselves, but since I'd said I was fighting, they weren't responsible.

Besides, being looked down on in my current state was, in a sense, perfectly understandable.

After all, right now I was no different from an ordinary human.

Bernaclad's assessment was actually quite fair.

"Sorry, but this isn't going to be as fun as you think. I don't have a grudge against you, but I can't exactly go easy on you either. If you want to blame someone, don't blame me — blame yourself for becoming half-strong."

I replied to Bernaclad without any particular tension.

I genuinely meant what I said, with no deeper meaning.

If only this guy had been around Degenerate Demon Lord-class strength,

and the Mountain Rock Elephants

could have contained him... there would have been no need to destroy him at all.

Or if just one more Awakened Demon Lord-class ally had been present, I could have protected the students while neutralizing Bernaclad.

Well, if it had been Diablo, Souei, Shion, or Benimaru, they would have turned him to dust without a second thought, so perhaps he'd been doomed to destruction in the end anyway.

Come to think of it, my subordinates were actually more dangerous and extreme than I — the Great Demon Lord — ever was.

I think I do a pretty good job of keeping those subordinates in line.

I really am working hard at that, honestly.

"..."

Oh.

Ciel seemed to want to say something, but I had a feeling it was better not to listen.

Time to stop thinking stupid thoughts and focus on Bernaclad.

Bernaclad didn't seem to appreciate what I'd said.

Having his defeat announced from a position of superiority — it was only natural that he wouldn't find it amusing.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. What a delightful thing to say. But know this — your ignorance of your own station will bring about your own misfortune."

Still smiling, without any preliminary motion whatsoever,

from a grandiose pose of raising both hands, a great magic was launched at me.

Nuclear Strike Magic: Flame of Ruin

scorched my body and would have incinerated the students behind me — or so it would have appeared in Bernaclad's eyes.

"Oh my? Ending it with just one spell would hardly be entertaining. Besides, I was planning to savor those bait students slowly later — and you've gone and caught a few of them in the blast."

Without the slightest hint of regret in his voice, Bernaclad was utterly delighted before the blazing flames.

He was absolutely certain of victory, trusting in the absolute heat of his own spell.

But too bad!

"Is that so? You say it ends with one strike, but I should at least give you the first move, shouldn't I? Like I said, I don't hold a grudge against you. So the least I can do is let you go out with some dignity."

I used Teleportation to move to the rock behind Bernaclad, sat down, and spoke to him with a mix of pity.

And of course, the students were safe.

Having anticipated this, Laplace had used his Universal Barrier to completely seal off the students from the battlefield.

Only when he saw this fact did Bernaclad finally show a crack in his composure.

"What did you do? What did you just do!?"

As he demanded an answer, he lunged at me with speed that even my eyes couldn't follow.

The sword Magnus had been carrying was clearly a masterwork, as it cleaved the very rock I'd been sitting on clean in two.

But it didn't hit me.

My eyes couldn't keep up, but with Magic Sense and Godspeed Thought, I could see Bernaclad's movements as clearly as reading a book and predict them too.

Bernaclad's mistake was measuring my strength solely by the quantity of energy I possessed.

That said, using his most powerful attack magic as the opening move showed he hadn't let his guard down completely.

Not that it made any difference.

"What do you mean? Teleportation. I gave you the first attack, and I even waited for your sword strike just now, didn't I? Satisfied now?"

While explaining, I used Teleportation to slip into Bernaclad's guard and unleashed a Strike of Void suppressed to minimum power.

"Gubuh!"

Bernaclad groaned in agony.

Surviving at all was impressive. No wait — I'd actually intended to adjust the physical damage to zero, since I needed to rescue Magnus... but I'd forgotten to remove the damage from the punch.

Well, as punishment for what he did to Magnus, that level of damage was probably acceptable.

For the record, my right arm that had thrown the punch hurt quite a bit too.

A human body breaks easily, so I was using Godspeed Regeneration simultaneously.

Thanks to that, I wasn't blown away, but I shouldn't attack too many more times.

The familiar pain was making me feel like crying.

And so, I decided to stop roughing up Bernaclad.

Now then.

Bernaclad had lost a massive amount of energy from the Strike of Void and was left in a daze.

It wasn't the physical pain but the reduction of his very existence that deepened Bernaclad's turmoil.

"W-wait! What are you...?"

"There's no need for you to know that. But if there's one thing I can tell you — this world is kept in order by the Eight Star Demon Lords. Your power is a bit too big, and that makes you a nuisance. That alone is more than enough reason to eliminate you, wouldn't you say?"

"The Eight Star Demon Lords? No — you couldn't be — you couldn't possibly be — Your Excellency — — —"

I didn't answer his question. Instead, I let a smirk spread across my face.

Bernaclad's confusion was turning to terror.

It seemed he was already caught in my trap.

"Now then — shall we make a deal?"

I said, quietly rubbing my aching right arm.

"A... a deal?"

"That's right. A simple deal."

I whispered softly toward Bernaclad, delivering what was essentially a unilateral sentence of judgment.

"If you promise to return that body willingly, I'll pardon you with a millennium of destruction. But if you choose to resist pointlessly... then suit yourself."

"What!?"

"At that point, you will come to know the reality of this world and true terror."

"...!!"

I could see Bernaclad's soul tremble.

The moment I hinted even slightly at the power of the God of Void, he realized that my power was beyond anything he could have imagined.

He understood that I possessed power he could never comprehend.

Intense terror.

A fear that welled up from the very root of his soul — Bernaclad's reason fought desperately against it.

But it was useless.

The moment he felt fear toward me standing before him, Bernaclad had already lost.

Closing his eyes, after less than a second of hesitation —

"As you command. I shall spend the next millennium lamenting the foolishness of having defied Your Excellency —"

Lowering his head and begging for mercy, Bernaclad accepted the deal.

Good.

It looked like I wouldn't have to suffer any more pain.

The rest was simple.

"A wise decision. You have my permission to come under my command in a thousand years. Now — disappear."

I turned Bernaclad's Mental Body — which had emerged from Magnus's body — into dust, leaving his soul intact. Masking it with a mysterious light, I obliterated the demon's physical form.

This way, to the students watching, it would look like I'd won with some mysterious magic.

I hoped it would look that way...

No, it definitely would look that way, I told myself as I went to check on Magnus.

Magnus was safe.

He'd lost consciousness, but both his mind and body were unharmed.

The mental contamination had also been lifted the moment Bernaclad was destroyed.

It was a relief that Bernaclad had kept his promise.

《It seemed he was trying to possess and assimilate the soul, but it was possible to destroy only Bernaclad. However, that would have destroyed the temporary physical body as well, so this method was optimal —》

Even Ciel said so, which meant my bluff had been quite the performance.

Well, winning would have been easy enough — the hard part had been rescuing Magnus safely.

This body couldn't withstand Void Collapse. Using it would guarantee victory, but I'd be forcibly sent back to my Rimuru body where Shuna and Shion were supposed to be waiting.

I'd been prepared for the worst, but Bernaclad turned out to be more reasonable than expected, which had been a lifesaver.

But that was all in the past now.

Magnus had fainted, and Berna and Clad — the two of them — were dead.

Irina and Rosalie were safe, but it looked like they barely had any time left before the drug's effects wore off.

According to Ciel's Analytical Appraisal, there were quite dangerous substances mixed in, and the side effects would likely leave them immobilized for a while.

Which meant that, effectively, no one in the "Human Liberation Alliance" was capable of fighting anymore.

Irina and Rosalie slumped weakly in defeat.

The teachers restrained the two of them.

It was the students' victory.

Cheers erupted across the scene, and the gazes directed at me seemed to burn with heat.

"Did you see that? My special move?"

"YES!!"

Every student snapped to attention and nodded in unison.

The magical beasts on the island also seemed to be safe thanks to Moss's efforts, and with that, the matter was settled.

◇◇◇

I'd been planning to capture everyone and bring them back for interrogation — but it turned out I'd been too hasty.

There was one person I'd forgotten about, too insignificant to remember, who came striding over with booming laughter.

"Wah-ha-ha-ha! That Magnus fellow was all talk and no substance! Without me, Eujeolas, nothing gets done, eh? Losing to a child like that... Irina, Rosalie, what are you dawdling for? What happened to Berna and Clad? Hurry up and deal with them!"

What even is this guy...?

He'd emerged from the magic circle after I'd already defeated Bernaclad, so he had absolutely no understanding of the situation.

And yet, based solely on his own wishful thinking, he was arrogantly barking orders.

"Lord Eujeolas... it's already over..."

"Hah? What's over? What are you talking about?"

"Lord Eujeolas. We have been defeated. Further fighting is meaningless. With Lord Magnus captured, we have no choice but to surrender."

Irina and Rosalie had a clear grasp of the situation.

They knew, no matter how you looked at it, that they had lost.

But Eujeolas scoffed at them, declaring arrogantly:

"Hmph! I never thought you two would be so spineless. If Lord Goldma, the rector of the Empire, heard this, he'd be most disappointed! Have no fear! I've already arranged for a squad from the ground forces to be dispatched — thirty soldiers equipped with prototype reinforced suits, each one a formidable fighter equivalent to A-rank! There's nothing to worry about! Magical beasts are nothing to fear! And those kidnappers from that something-circus — tell them to stop their pointless resistance!"

Eujeolas launched into a passionate speech emphasizing their supposed superiority all at once.

But to Irina and Rosalie, who had witnessed my power firsthand, Eujeolas's words must have seemed laughable.

"Give it up. Didn't you hear me? The outcome has already been decided."

Irina, having accepted her defeat, tried to persuade Eujeolas earnestly.

But Eujeolas wouldn't listen.

"Don't be ridiculous! How can we give up now? Our status and honor as nobles — they'll be stolen by the Demon Lord! Lord Goldma has already promised to accept us — we can't just pretend this never happened! If you follow me, I'll make sure you're treated well. Now think carefully!"

The conversation was completely out of sync.

Eujeolas clearly couldn't grasp the situation.

Guys this small were so incredibly stupid that, in a way, they were practically invincible.

And then, something happened that only inflated Eujeolas's ego further.

An airship appeared in the sky.

Seeing it, Eujeolas beamed with joy.

But that didn't last long.

He had been at the peak of his triumph, but his smile froze solid.

"Oh, we've been expecting you all — sirs?"

The airship landed on the flat ground and the gate opened.

Emerging from the stairs with a composed gait were not the soldiers Eujeolas had been counting on —

"Wh-who are you!?"

It was Diablo.

And to Eujeolas, the answer came from an unexpected direction.

"KYAAAAAA! LORD DIAAAAAAABLO!!"

From a thunderous roar of cheers.

Even Nurse Puri was shouting along with the students.

Rather, she seemed to be leading the charge.

I wished she'd show a little restraint.

Diablo appeared to be making a half-hearted attempt at disguise, wearing casual clothing that looked modest at first glance.

But the aura that practically burst from him proved his authenticity with an overwhelming presence.

A disguise like that was completely pointless.

"Di — D-Diablo!? Then — then what's going to happen to me...?"

Eujeolas crumpled to the ground in a heap.

What was going to happen... well, there was one thing certain — continuing as a teacher was out of the question.

"Eh, no way!?"

"He can't be the real deal!"

"Why is he here of all places!?"

"But he's dressed so casually..."

"That casual look is to-die-for~"

Voices like these leaked out from all around.

Those who hadn't recognized him at first now realized Diablo was the real deal from the reactions of the frenzied women.

At this point, there was no covering it up anymore.

Some students were so overwhelmed by the succession of events that they couldn't process the information, and I'd been thinking of using dream magic to gloss things over —

But with Diablo's appearance, the situation had become so surreal that people had actually calmed down instead.

Some students even looked back and forth between me and Diablo, then gazed up at the heavens as if they'd realized something.

Souei appeared next, and cheers rang out for him as well.

"My, my — who is the gentleman alongside Lord Diablo?"

"He's quite handsome too, isn't he?"

Like that, even the relatively unknown Souei had everyone's eyes glued to him.

In a situation like this, I wanted to commend their pragmatism in praising the strong-looking ones.

"Kuhahaha, I've finally found you. Let me see —"

Diablo, being considerate of me, tried to hide his identity.

But come on — with Diablo being completely exposed, it was pointless for me to try hiding my own identity now.

"Forget it. My escape has probably been discovered too, and I was supposed to return after attending the Forum anyway. There's no point in hiding now."

I sighed and told Diablo as much.

"Then?"

"My participation in the Forum — keep that secret. And also —"

I glanced over at the students.

"Keeping their mouths shut is your responsibility too. Needless to say, violence and brainwashing are off-limits?"

I dumped the whole thing on Diablo.

Diablo nodded happily and knelt on the spot, bowing to me.

And then —

"Understood. Lord Rimuru."

He said it clearly, out loud.

In that instant.

Even greater cheers erupted than before.

Not just cheers — screams were mixed in too.

"G-great Demon Lord!!"

"He was the real thing!?"

"So beautiful —"

"Wait a minute... Did I just blab my whole plan in front of the Great Demon Lord!?"

"Uh, Miss Irina... If we're going there, I seem to recall saying something about hating the Great Demon Lord..."

In that moment, everyone present realized my true identity.

Yeah — some of the voices were so filled with despair that it was almost painful to hear.

Relax.

I'll pretend I didn't hear that — though maybe I'd save that little mercy for later.

A bit of payback would be nice.

"S-so that's how it is. My special move, right?"

I said with a wink.

Students collapsed with nosebleeds.

Students went blank and lost consciousness on the spot.

Teachers accepted their fate with tearful, wailing smiles.

And students screaming "WOOOOOAAAH!!" in wild excitement.

And so, for a while after that, the students were plunged into utter chaos.

Next time should be the epilogue.