After Rimuru departed,
There was no time for surprise at the sight of a rampaging Rimuru—a side of him they had never witnessed before.
They sent thought transmissions to all executives, swiftly transitioning to emergency status.
For those still in the midst of evolution, they limited themselves to urging haste wherever possible, but their wills had already become one.
For Master Rimuru's sake!
They rapidly completed their evolution—rebuilding their Physical Bodies at terrifying speed, acquiring new abilities…
All of those powers were funneled back to Rimuru through Food Chain.
The monsters evolved in response to Rimuru's fury.
This went beyond mere evolution or Demon Lord awakening—it gave rise to abilities specialized specifically for aggressive combat.
More practically. More effectively.
They began preparing to carry out the orders of Demon Lord Rimuru, ready to serve his every command.
————— Rimuru had teleported in rage, arriving at the location where Veldora had first engaged in battle.
His earlier orders to Wisdom King to calculate spatial coordinates had proven useful.
He teleported without hesitation—an act of recklessness unthinkable for his usual self.
Perhaps this was the first time his rationality had been blown away by rage.
When Shion and the others had been killed, his anger had been tempered by regret and a glimmer of hope, resulting in something resembling calm. That had allowed him the delicate feat of maintaining composure while furious.
But this time was different.
The soul-rending agony of potentially losing Veldora had completely obliterated his rationality.
Odds of winning? He couldn't care less.
Crush the enemy.
That was all there was to it.
When Wisdom King offered warnings—estimating enemy combat strength, alerting him to danger—Rimuru commanded it to shut up and deal with it.
《Analysis. Understood. Executing optimal action.》 He thought he heard that response, but he didn't care in the slightest.
Rescue Veldora quickly. Kill those bastards.
Rage driving him, Rimuru materialized directly in front of the Imperial Army and two Dragon
All that remained was to rampage.
Demon Lord Rimuru had appeared.
By discarding his rationality, only fierce, aggressive intent remained.
Upon seeing Rimuru, Emperor Rudra spoke with bored contempt: "What's this? Realized your keeper has been captured and came running in a panic? Fool. Once the source of your power—your Master—is taken from you, you're nothing but a common monster, Demon Lord or not. Coming out alone without even bringing your subordinates? Not a shred of intellect. Go ahead and dispose of that imbecile quickly!"
But those mocking words never reached Rimuru.
To Rimuru, even Emperor Rudra was nothing more than another nameless enemy to be destroyed.
The tactical victory conditions in this situation were: 1. Rescue Veldora. 2. Eliminate the threat. 3. Slaughter every Imperial soldier.
For one whose only remaining emotion was rage-fueled aggression, provocation held no meaning whatsoever.
Survival conditions? There were none.
In this scenario, he considered only total victory. Not mere survival—victory.
The rescue of Veldora was the absolute condition that superseded all else.
Few among the enemy sensed danger from Rimuru's appearance.
Only three:
Tactically, the Empire held a major advantage after capturing Veldora. For the Emperor, this was one step away from ending his long contest with Guy.
Therefore, even a single Demon Lord appearing was not considered a greater threat than the Dragon Species.
After all, Dragon Species were the world's most powerful beings—superior to Demon Lords.
A Demon Lord showing up after the strongest Dragon Species had been subjugated, when there were already two Dragon Species present? Naturally, they didn't consider it a threat.
Among them, Damurada's face twisted with tension.
He wore his personal legendary-grade armament, his face hidden behind a mask, so there was no risk of others reading his expression.
Yet he couldn't help glancing around, trying not to reveal his anxiety.
On the bridge stood Emperor Rudra and his ten Imperial Guards.
The Emperor's strongest combat force, all gathered here.
The most powerful defensive barriers in the area were active, making this arguably the safest zone. That was precisely why the Imperial Guards showed no signs of tension.
But Damurada sensed danger from Rimuru's appearance.
It wasn't logical.
That Demon Lord had always been an existence that radiated something fundamentally different from the very first moment you saw him.
Same with Yuuki, same with Demon Lord Rimuru.
Both possessed a kind of charismatic dominance—what might be called overwhelming aura—that captivated Damurada.
Even while swearing loyalty to the Emperor, these were the types who made him wonder whether there might have been another way to live.
And from Damurada's perspective, Rimuru was never an opponent to be taken lightly. Always calm, never allowing others to read his thoughts—an absolute existence.
Now that very Demon Lord had lost all rationality in fury. A chill ran through him, sensing something terrible was about to happen.
Damurada remained vigilant, straining every nerve to be ready to protect the Emperor in an instant if anything occurred.
Lieutenant Kondo witnessed Demon Lord Rimuru for the first time.
And he thought he might have made a mistake.
Capturing Veldora had been the priority, but that appeared to have been an error.
He had understood that Demon Lord Rimuru was not someone to be careless around. That was precisely why he had excluded him from the list of targets to subjugate, pushing him to the back burner.
The plan had been to gather intelligence and find an opening to defeat him.
Then came the report that Veldora had been encountered and Velgrynd had entered combat with him.
"This is our chance!" Emperor Rudra had ordered deployment, and a bad feeling had flickered through Kondo's mind. But logically, it was undeniably an opportunity, and he lacked a clear reason to defy the order.
If pressed, the most he could say was that with incomplete intelligence, wasn't this premature?
But the incomplete intelligence was the Information Bureau's negligence, and the argument wasn't convincing enough to pass up the opportunity.
Ultimately, he couldn't refuse the deployment based on a mere gut feeling.
And now— Veldora had been immobilized by Kondo's ability—not one granted by the Emperor, but one he had acquired himself: Ultimate Skill "Executor of Punishment."
He had fired Dimension Break Shell and Curse Break Shell at maximum output, but during the process, he had felt the Curse Break Shell's effect be interrupted midway.
And then, it seemed as though the Evil Dragon called Veldora had locked eyes with him.
—*You dare lay hands not only on me, but on my ally as well?! I won't forgive you, humans!!*— It was as if he had heard a voiceless roar.
Curse Break Shell was an ability that destroyed the magic circuits of its target—effective even against spiritual life-forms.
Even against the most powerful Dragon Species, its effect could not be avoided.
If they had resisted head-on, perhaps they could have blocked it—but it was a complete surprise attack, and Veldora had no means of defense.
It was only because Velgrynd and Veldora's powers had been at a stalemate that a tiny opening had appeared.
Veldora had begun to slightly surpass Velgrynd, the Empire's Guardian Deity, so the timing had been perfect for disrupting his movements.
And yet— At the very last moment, Veldora had resisted the Curse Break Shell.
Kondo simultaneously acknowledged Veldora's impressiveness and felt the deepest possible dread.
Killing a Dragon Species would be difficult even with multiple Curse Break Shells.
This time, they had been fired to halt his movements—to whittle away at his will. Even if his consciousness were severed, a Dragon Species wouldn't simply die.
But Veldora, who should have understood this, had ignored the seal binding his body and prevented the destruction of his magic circuits.
No—perhaps his forcible resistance to the Curse Break Shell hadn't been to protect his magic circuits at all, but something more important?
That thought was confirmed by Veldora's voiceless declaration.
Yes—Veldora had prioritized protecting his ally, Demon Lord Rimuru, above all else.
If that were the case, the Demon Lord who had now appeared before them should absolutely not be considered a pushover.
A Demon Lord rendered powerless after losing his source of power?
Ridiculous.
Rather, this was the wrathful, tyrannical will of someone whose ally had been threatened.
That was how they should have viewed it.
Should they have prioritized one or the other? Or was the correct answer to engage both simultaneously?
Kondo had arrived at this realization, but it no longer mattered—events were already in motion.
All he could do now was choose the best course of action given the circumstances.
Like Damurada, Kondo remained vigilant, bracing himself to respond to whatever came.
The "Scorching Dragon" Velgrynd had also grown wary of Rimuru's appearance.
No—more than that, she may have been the one who judged Rimuru to be the greatest threat.
The fluctuation of anger he radiated was identical to that of his brother, Veldora.
A Demon Lord—yet a mere Slime—wrapping itself in an aura rivaling that of Dragon Species. Normally, one would laugh it off as impossible.
However, the Demon Lord before them, in the form of a young girl, was releasing violent waves of fury without any attempt to suppress them.
Those fluctuations clearly conveyed the danger she posed.
If a human without resistance were directly hit by that aura, they would die in an instant.
No—not just humans. Aside from the upper echelon of the truly powerful, anyone would be killed without even being granted the chance to resist.
Velgrynd understood that the overwhelming aura was of that magnitude.
*(Well, well. This one is dangerous. Now I understand why my brother took a liking to her.)* Veldora had demonstrated growth exceeding her expectations. The cause was likely the Demon Lord before her.
If so, she needed to deal with her directly—crush her utterly and leave no room for recovery.
If she didn't put her down now, she would certainly become a threat. That was Velgrynd's judgment.
Velgrynd casually shifted back into a combat stance.
The three who hadn't underestimated the Demon Lord who appeared before them were truly worthy of recognition.
But that judgment was wrong.
If they were going to act, they should have coordinated simultaneously with the Demon Lord's appearance, combining maximum firepower to bury her.
In history, hypotheticals held no meaning.
They hadn't done it, and that was all that mattered.
The Demon Lord before them was no longer the mild opponent they could handle individually.
She was an overwhelming threat.
————— The battle began abruptly.
The moment Rimuru materialized, Wisdom King was already conducting combat analysis.
And as declared, optimal action commenced.
First, Rimuru launched Tornado Slash toward the airship fleet.
The same magic used by the Ghosts wielding the Phantom Body in the labyrinth.
It was meant as a feint, but the power was on an entirely different scale.
A magic that generated wind blades to simultaneously slash multiple enemies within a certain range. This time, it was unleashed with the additional effect of Ultimate Skill "King of Storms"'s "Wind of Death."
Huge, terrifying wind blades—so numerous and massive they seemed capable of slicing space itself—severed several airships clean through.
The power far exceeded his calculations, but in his rage, unable to make calm judgments, he could only find it convenient.
Tornado Slash, producing effects wildly disproportionate to the Magicules consumed.
With magic power both in quality and quantity utterly overwhelming, the base magical potency was already elevated. Layering the effects of an Ultimate Skill on top made the ridiculous power only natural.
Moreover, Rimuru's current state was critical.
His subordinate monsters were undergoing evolution in real time. All the power gained by monsters connected through the lineage of souls was returned to Rimuru through Food Chain.
The longer time went on, the more Rimuru's power continued to grow.
Wisdom King, which normally handled the restructuring, integration, and optimization of abilities, was now dedicating everything to combat support.
Therefore, all the abilities gained by subordinate monsters were converted into Magicules, filling Rimuru to the brim.
Multiple light projectiles and sword strikes were fired toward Rimuru.
At Emperor Rudra's command, the Imperial Guards launched a coordinated attack.
Those chosen recipients of Ultimate Gift "Agent."
Attacks of power comparable to an Ultimate Skill hurtled toward Rimuru simultaneously.
Rimuru regarded them with a blank expression.
Before thoughts accelerated a millionfold, those attacks were far too slow.
《Analysis. Analysis complete. Identical fluctuations detected across all attacks.
Inferred to be degraded grants of the same ability. However, power is comparable to an Ultimate Skill.》 *(Defend.)* 《Analysis. Understood.》 The attacks that reached Rimuru were easily nullified by Ultimate Skill "King of Vows"'s absolute defense.
《Report. Detected attack with barrier destruction effect… Successfully nullified.
Continuing—detected attack targeting the mind and magic circuits.
Inferred to be from Ultimate Skill "Executor of Punishment"… Successfully defended.》 Rimuru briefly glanced toward the Emperor who showed no movement and the military man standing beside him.
*(That's all you've got? Then there's no need to worry about you. You're on the back burner. Enjoy your fear while you can. Don't get killed before I get around to dealing with you.)* Then, to avoid interference with his liberation of Veldora, he proceeded to his next move.
*(Diablo,
Their voices brimmed with joy, making it clear how long they had been eagerly awaiting the summons.
"Come forth, demons!
Create Greater Demon Summoning Gate!!"
Answering Rimuru's call, four Demon Kings materialized.
Accompanied by their subordinates.
Seven Archdemons.
And one hundred Demon Knights, plus six hundred Greater Demons.
One after another, passing through the Demon Summoning Gates, Rimuru's vassals poured forth.
To wield that fearsome, apocalyptic power.
As if to prove the depth of Rimuru's fury.
Rimuru issued commands to the demons.
"Go wild all you want.
But don't you dare die.
And don't you dare let those bastards interfere with me.
While I free Veldora, deal with those dragonflies!"
"What shall we do about Veldora's elder sister?"
"Huh? I'll handle her. Once you understand that, go. Kill them all!"
Perfectly simple.
Receiving those orders, the demons were wrapped in joy.
By now, all analysis results had become shared knowledge among the demons through their thought links.
Lieutenant Kondo and the Imperial Guards' capabilities had all been exposed by Wisdom King. It went without saying.
*"Let our will be done as our Master commands!!"* The fearless demons threw themselves into battle, eager to serve their Master.
Rejoicing.
The black legion of destruction had just been unleashed upon this world.
The birth of the Black Corps—the Monster Nation's most powerful fighting force.
And Rimuru turned to face Veldora.
His ally, now reduced to the Emperor's puppet.
Along with the crimson Dragon behind him—the "Scorching Dragon" Velgrynd—he intended to deal with both.
*(Hold on, Veldora. I'll free you right now!)* And the true battle was about to begin.