Now that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, my composure returned.
Raging blindly with fury would be dangerous against Veldora's true body, the "Storm Dragon."
My anger hadn't vanished, but I needed to handle this calmly. I'd save that rage for the Empire's Emperor.
First, I had to prioritize my objective.
To free Veldora, all I had to do was defeat the true body right in front of me.
But that alone wasn't enough—I also needed to absorb Veldora's Soul Core and recreate the "Soul Corridor."
Well, I'd manage somehow.
Wiseman was already buying me time.
I could focus on dealing with the "Storm Dragon."
That said, the "probability manipulation" from the King of Investigation was troublesome. Rather than worrying about which attacks were being manipulated, I could assume that every attack operated under uncertain principles.
After all, the "Storm Dragon's" magicule count was enormous.
I could feel that my own magicule count had increased as well, but it was still nothing compared to the power that had flowed from Veldora when the Soul Corridor was established.
But that didn't matter.
I had
I'd use Gluttony to devour only the "Catastrophic Roar" unleashed by the "Storm Dragon" and isolate it.
This had to be done carefully. If the devouring failed and the attack hit me directly, my body would be destroyed in an instant.
I'd probably be destroyed faster than I could escape using a clone.
Even deploying a clone from the start, like in my first duel with Hinata, would be pointless.
Since I couldn't bestow an Ultimate Skill upon a clone, it would be annihilated instantly.
In the end, clones—which seemed so versatile—could only be used against weaker opponents or as decoys.
Well, it depended on the opponent, and if retreating counted as victory rather than winning, there were plenty of ways to use them.
But they were meaningless in a situation where defeat wasn't an option.
So, I had to defeat the "Storm Dragon" head-on.
All attacks except the "Catastrophic Roar" would be dodged if possible, and the rest would be neutralized.
Thanks to Wiseman's predictive calculations supplementing my intuition, things had become easier than before.
And I was grateful that at least the abilities of the Ultimate Skill "King of Storms" remained.
If that hadn't been the case, I wouldn't have been able to neutralize anything and would have lost.
Veldora must have timed things so the abilities would remain intact.
He'd gone this far for me—I had to live up to his expectations.
So, I bided my time.
Since I didn't know where Veldora's Soul Core was, I held off on launching attacks from my end.
Actually, there were several attacks that might work, but inflicting a fatal wound would be difficult.
If I layered Ultimate Skills on top of various核strike magic, the damage would definitely get through.
Alternatively, using "Holy-Demonic Reversal" to fire off the holy-attributed Ultimate Magic "Spirit Particle Annihilation" was also an option.
But even one or two of those probably wouldn't be fatal.
That was precisely the greatest trait of a "
Even so, if all I needed was to defeat the "Storm Dragon" without its Soul Core, I could take my time setting up a layered magic circle and succeed with compressed synergistic magic.
Since the Soul Core was absent, the attacks followed patterns, and Wiseman's predictive calculations could detect the next attack.
It seemed to predict by analyzing the quirks in the myriad attack patterns and their combinations.
I didn't really understand it, but Wiseman said it was easy with algorithm analysis.
If you could manipulate the results of attacks through "probability manipulation," then making the attack pattern randomization more complex should suffice...
But in the end, this was a berserk state without a Soul Core.
It was the tragedy of a controlled being.
Frankly, the fact that I'd been able to dodge through sheer willpower was also thanks to that.
For Wiseman, this was probably like dealing with a child.
For some reason, Wiseman seemed to glow with overflowing confidence, and it appeared that if all I needed was to kill it, it could easily formulate a strategy.
So defeating it wasn't the problem.
There were two problems.
The time limit, and the location of the Soul Core.
If by some chance I destroyed the Soul Core, it would be over.
The mission would fail.
The "Storm Dragon" itself would remain intact under the Emperor's control, but I wouldn't be able to reconstruct the "Soul Corridor" needed to revive Veldora.
That would defeat the entire purpose.
That was why I had to be careful.
I'd been biding my time for a while now.
To latch onto the nearly-berserk "Storm Dragon" and engage in direct combat. That was the timing I was waiting for.
Time was passing, but I didn't worry about it.
With less than two minutes remaining, I calmly dodged attacks while slowly closing the distance.
The closer I got, the harder dodging became, but Wiseman's attack prediction accuracy was increasing.
Combined with my intuitive "Future Attack Prediction," I could somehow manage.
Calmly, methodically, I deflected the attacks— —Now!
I spotted the brief opening the "Storm Dragon" showed right after an attack, activated Gluttony at full power, and latched onto the Storm Dragon's true body.
My body shifted from humanoid to a fluid form, expressing its amorphous, viscous properties more strongly.
Following my aggressive intent to devour, it transformed into a shape more suited for clinging to the enemy.
I latched onto the "Storm Dragon," clinging to it.
But naturally, the opponent was far too massive. Even stretched to the limit, my body was merely a speck.
Nevertheless, I proceeded with Gluttony's erosion without hesitation.
Simultaneously, the "Storm Dragon's" annihilating demonic aura was destroying my body as if in resistance against a hostile entity.
Me, trying to devour it completely; the "Storm Dragon," trying to erase me completely.
A fierce battle of attrition had begun.
I shouldn't have been able to feel pain, yet searing agony shot through my entire body.
Heat shouldn't have mattered, yet I felt as though I were melting.
And for the first time in this world, I felt excruciating suffering.
Perhaps the instinctive fear of having my very existence erased was stimulating my primal instincts.
But I didn't relent in my erosion.
I would win.
I would devour the "Storm Dragon" completely and absorb it.
Then I'd separate Veldora's Soul Core, analyze and neutralize the so-called "Divine Curse" that destroyed magic circuits.
For that purpose, this level of suffering was nothing.
(Raphael, there's no problem, right?)
《Answer. There are no problems whatsoever.》 Good.
Having received a firm answer, I accelerated the erosion further.
As devoured energy was converted, an equivalent amount of my physical body was destroyed.
I restructured my body again and continued the erosion.
Over and over.
Time was running short, and with such a massive target, I worried I might not make it.
But I trusted Wiseman.
I would make it in time, no question.
《Report. I will now report the results of parallel analysis.
Analysis of "Scorching Dragon Supremacy Acceleration Excitation" is complete.
Reproduction of the ability has failed.
Analysis of "Catastrophic Roar" is complete.
Reproduction of the ability has succeeded... it can now be used.
Analysis of the "Storm Dragon" is complete.
It is now possible to construct a physical body of the same species as the "Storm Dragon."
Shall I execute? YES/NO》 What?
Did that just casually say something ominous?
Of course I couldn't use it even if I successfully analyzed "Scorching Dragon Supremacy Acceleration Excitation"—I hadn't stolen the Scorching Dragon
That the "Catastrophic Roar" could now be used after analysis made sense.
I still had the Ultimate Skill "King of Storms," and the power system had already been analyzed.
Gaining access to a powerful ability was impressive and welcome, but it was within my understanding.
With Wiseman, this level of thing was nothing remarkable—I was used to it.
But those last words.
Construct a physical body of the same species as the "Storm Dragon"?
I didn't quite understand.
If my understanding was correct, that would mean the same thing as my becoming a "True Dragon"—or so I interpreted...
《Answer. That understanding is correct.》 Whaaaat?!
Correct?! You— —Are you serious?!
《Query. Shall I begin reconstructing the physical body as a "True Dragon"? YES/NO》 Fufufu, fuhaha, fuhahahaha!
I executed the three-stage laugh perfectly and gave my command.
YES!
In an instant, all the pain I'd been feeling vanished.
The pain, the heat, the suffering.
The new body was no longer affected by the hostile erosion factors the "Storm Dragon" emitted.
In other words, the more I devoured, the more it was converted into my energy.
My magicule count recovered rapidly and began to rise.
This happened at an accelerating pace, and the Storm Dragon's delayed response became fatal.
If this had been Veldora, he would have reacted immediately.
But a "Storm Dragon" that could only rampage under someone's control didn't have that level of adaptive ability.
If Veldora himself had been the opponent, I wouldn't have been able to latch on in the first place.
An existence that merely followed its programming and did what it could.
Once you realized what it was, it was no longer a true enemy.
(Now, let's end this! I won't forgive you for calling yourself my beloved "Storm Dragon."
Devour it all, Gluttony!!)
Following my command, Gluttony resumed devouring the "Storm Dragon" with glee—at an incredible speed.
Unlike before, the relationship was now one-sided.
Devourer and devoured. It was as if embodying the law of the jungle.
And my body was reconstructed toward the "True Dragon" form, breaking past its limits as my magicule count surged.
A single evolution and birth occurred, flooding the surroundings with light so intense it was nearly impossible to see.
My old body couldn't withstand the reconstruction into a "True Dragon" and was converted to energy, releasing its light in an explosion.
—————— When the light subsided, the "Storm Dragon" had vanished.
In its place existed only a single uncertain life form.
Having devoured the being it could call parent—the "Storm Dragon"—and been reborn in its body as the fifth "True Dragon" in this world— Dragon-Magic Viscous Star Divine Body.
Its form gradually began to take on a humanoid shape.
Appearing to be around fifteen or sixteen years old, with shining silver hair tinged faintly with purple.
Golden eyes that saw through everything—sharp-edged and beautiful.
It had no gender, but its features were more delicate than beautiful.
However, the divine aura emanating from its body elevated that to true magnificence.
In one hand it held a blade, and it wore no clothing.
Blindingly white skin was wrapped in a mix of black and gold demonic aura.
When it muttered something dissatisfied about this, light enveloped its body and a divine, pitch-black full-body garment appeared.
Unlike material creation, this was armament through body transformation.
It had likely used the overflowing magicule demonic aura to create clothing.
Without releasing any of its surplus energy, it contained it all perfectly.
And then, with satisfaction, it flashed a grin.
Velgrynd watched this scene from within the prison.
One more strike and the prison would shatter.
But forgetting to deliver even that final blow, it gazed at the scene in a daze.
The battle between its younger sibling, the "Storm Dragon" Veldora, and the "Demon Lord" Rimuru should have overwhelmingly favored the "Storm Dragon" Veldora.
According to its research, Rimuru had been born from a pool of magicules created by demonic aura leaking from Veldora.
If so, it was essentially an inferior copy of a True Dragon, so being somewhat powerful as a monster was to be expected.
As a Unique Monster, that was natural.
But surpassing the parent True Dragon was absolutely impossible. If it were possible, that would mean the being had been on equal footing from the very start.
(A coincidence? No way... it was just born there by pure chance?!)
After thinking it through, Velgrynd arrived at a shocking conclusion but needed time to accept it.
That a monster born by chance next to a True Dragon happened to possess a soul compatible with dragon factors.
Moreover, being attributeless and unaffected by absorbed attributes—it wasn't something easily accepted.
If it was the fifth, it could perhaps be called a younger sibling, but strictly speaking, that thing wasn't a True Dragon.
It was, one could say, something that also possessed the power of a "Dragon."
It couldn't be acknowledged, and it didn't want to acknowledge it.
That thing should be eliminated right here and now.
That would be avenging its younger brother.
Despite their friction, Veldora had still been a dear sibling.
It had intended to use it as a pawn, but measured against a dragon's lifespan, those were trivial years.
It had never intended to have Veldora destroyed.
When it acknowledged that this had been devoured right before its eyes, Velgrynd felt its reason blow away in fury.
"You... devour my brother...!!"
With a roar of rage, the Scorching Dragon Velgrynd shattered its prison and lunged toward Rimuru.
—————— Simultaneously with devouring the "Storm Dragon," my evolution was complete, and I'd been reborn as a new species.
"Dragon-Magic Viscous Star Divine Body" seemed like an appropriate name, though I secretly thought it had nothing to do with being a slime anymore.
It was too late for that now, and dwelling on it was a losing game.
I tested my new body.
My true form, which could be materialized without consuming magicules, seemed to have its capacity greatly expanded.
Thanks to that, my appearance had grown from around twelve years old to about sixteen.
Growing up like this was interesting, but since age could be manipulated however I wanted, it wasn't particularly significant.
Well, as long as I could operate without using magicules in a relaxed state, there was no problem.
In slime form, my volume had probably increased as well—maybe seventy to eighty centimeters in diameter.
I'd check later.
So, I was currently wearing nothing. That is to say, naked.
This wouldn't do.
Strange demonic aura was leaking out, covering my body—not to mention that, as always, I had no reproductive organs—but from my perspective, this was ethically problematic.
So, I attempted to create clothing.
Using the material creation ability that
These also had a degree of defensive capability. If the creator's body was used as a base, the performance matched the grade.
In an instant, I felt clothing envelop my body. It was quite comfortable, and the pitch-black garments looked cool.
As for the performance...
Mythical Grade.
Mythical Grade?
Mythical Grade? ...Oh, I see... wait, WHAT?!
That was the very definition of being struck dumb with astonishment.
In other words, part of my body—the excess from constructing my physical form—had extraordinary defensive capabilities.
It felt like an evolution, and I understood why.
Though I wasn't certain, having several Awakened Demon Lords as subordinates and collecting their abilities through "Food Chain" was probably one of the contributing factors.
Everything had come to fruition at once.
Well, since my body had been reconstructed as a "True Dragon," this level of increased defensive power was to be expected.
It was the result of everything working together perfectly.
In short, it was all thanks to Wiseman. My teacher was truly magnificent.
《Report. That is not the case.》 I thought I heard that, but I ignored it.
Now then, with clothes on, I couldn't forget my objective.
(Veldora, are you all right?)
(Kuahahahaha! Don't make me repeat myself.
Of course I'm all right!
You—well done defeating my true body!)
(It was pretty rough, though.
But I'm glad. Truly.)
Veldora and I celebrated each other's safety.
And as if to confirm Veldora's liberation, I heard Wiseman's voice.
《Report. Re-establishment of the "Soul Corridor" with the named individual "Veldora" has been successfully completed.》 Wiseman was always working for me.
This time too, it had done a flawless job.
《Report.
The abilities of the Ultimate Skill "King of Storms" have been changed.
Storm Dragon Summon: Summons Veldora in his original dragon form.
※Summoning time varies depending on the quantity of magicules supplied.
Storm Dragon Liberation: Grants a "clone" to the named individual "Veldora," allowing independent action.
※Even in death, memory restoration is possible. Re-liberation is possible.
Storm-Type Magic: "Death-Calling Wind," "Black Lightning," "Catastrophic Storm," "Catastrophic Thunderstorm"
※Can be activated naturally without incantation.
Storm Sword Transformation: Crystallizes and transforms into the Sword Core.
That concludes the report.》 Good.
The first of my tactical victory conditions had been achieved.
Next were the second and third: eliminating the threat and annihilating the Imperial soldiers.
My anger was starting to subside, and I was beginning to think that maybe total annihilation wasn't necessary...
But the Black Corps was apparently going on a rampage, so it was already nearly too late.
Well, the threat needed to be eliminated regardless.
I'd finish the job without letting my guard down.
With that resolve, I turned my gaze to the Scorching Dragon Velgrynd, who was about to lunge at me.