Kagari laughed.
Laughed with malice.
Everything was going according to plan.
She had gained her chance for revenge against that detestable Leon.
And now, it would be easy.
The one who faced
Having obtained Demon Duke–class power,
he had gained strength rivaling Black Knight Lord
He had become a Half-Spiritual Lifeform, gaining extraordinary immortality, recovery ability, and a tough Physical Body.
His overwhelming magic power and Magicule count enabled the use of far higher-tier magic than ever before.
He could now cast advanced magic without lengthy incantations.
He felt the overflowing power, as though he had peered into the abyss of the world itself.
And yet, Footman was clearly unfazed against Allos.
Moving his rotund body with comical agility, Footman nimbly dodged Allos's sword strikes.
And with a mere flick of his finger, a wave of malicious power crashed into Allos.
Footman's ability was the Unique Skill "Amplifier."
The essence of this power was amplification.
Whether it was minute fluctuations or matter, he could amplify them at will.
That was why the knights who failed to resist had their Physical Bodies amplified until they burst apart and died.
He could snap his fingers and launch the sound as a shockwave, too.
Despite his appearance, he was a bearer of a truly sinister ability.
The two who faced Tia were the female Knight Commanders.
Yellow Knight
The two had excellent synergy.
Kizona boasted ironclad defense, while Metell was the very embodiment of healing ability.
Few existed who could defeat this duo with sheer offensive power.
Moreover, now that they had obtained Demon Duke–class power, they were convinced that defeat was unthinkable.
In contrast, Tia grinned eerily.
Laughing, she swung the great scythe in her hands.
Tia, the tearful clown. That was the name of the death god who reaped lives.
Her favorite delicacy was the tears of supplicants.
She loved nothing more than to see the tears of those begging for mercy.
What Tia possessed was the Unique Skill "Optimist" — a special ability.
For her, who considered it ideal to think of nothing and simply obey, this ability was limited to activating only when given a command, boosting all of her capabilities.
But for her, this posed no problem whatsoever.
Thanks to her originally tough Physical Body and untroubled, indomitable spirit, Tia was already a formidable fighter even without relying on her ability.
Above all, she always had reliable companions to give her orders.
She never had to worry about anything.
That was precisely why she could rain death upon her enemies all the more ruthlessly.
And the last target,
Red Knight Fran was strong.
Having experienced death once, her existence value had risen significantly.
And through her fusion with a devil, that power had bloomed.
The ability she had gained was the Unique Skill "Impermanence" — a cold, composed heart unaffected by emotional surges or anything else.
Rather, the more turmoil she felt within, the stronger it grew — a mysterious ability.
It could convert even emotions like rage and fear into power.
And now, feeling intense fury toward Laplace, who was carrying her brother—Blue Knight
Converting that fierce emotion into a surge of power, Fran glared at Laplace.
She understood that in this state, she couldn't even graze him with her blade. So she transformed her emotions into energy, keeping her mind calm and composed.
If Laplace claimed he could read every wave of emotion, then all she had to do was let him perceive everything.
While facing Laplace, Fran pushed her ability to even greater heights.
Black Knight Lord Claude was the strongest of Leon's subordinate knights.
But there was no pride in his heart.
He had experienced what it truly meant to be the strongest when he was with Yuuki.
"Hero" Chloe Obert — she was in a completely different league.
And so were the higher-ups of the Combined Army.
Many otherworlders were among their ranks, and their special abilities were troublesome indeed.
He had learned not to fight with swords alone like a fool, but to utilize every available ability in combat.
"A fair fight" was a concept that only held meaning when both parties stood on equal ground. In actual combat, the one who survived was the righteous one.
Understanding this, Claude had studied how those above him fought, and he had changed.
He had become more greedy, seeking strength more voraciously.
His fusion with a devil was merely a stepping stone — a means to obtain the power he envisioned.
And the ability he gained was the Unique Skill "Combatant" — a power specializing in battle, exactly what Claude had desired.
Claude never neglected his training, and his ability blossomed. Time was irrelevant; the power answered his desire.
And now, Claude had found the opponent he needed to fight — the enemy against whom he could test his ability.
Baring a fierce grin, Claude charged at Laplace.
And Laplace— He was the most powerful demon within the Moderate Clown Party.
A demon of unmatched, malevolent power — one who could be called an unrivaled Demon Lord.
Through his ability to see through things — the Unique Skill "Future Sight" — he could peer several seconds into the future.
And through the Unique Skill "Trickster," he unleashed attacks with utter freedom and versatility.
As if conjuring something from nothing, knives would fly out from empty space, or bombs disguised as knives would appear — he was impossible to pin down.
With high physical ability and combat sense, coupled with perfect precognition and highly versatile offensive capabilities, he was invincible.
Though he held the title of vice-leader of the Moderate Clown Party, in terms of combat strength, he surpassed even Chairman Kazalim.
More than that, he could be said to possess combat abilities exceeding even the former Demon Lords.
He simply disliked troublesome positions — that was the only reason he hadn't stood at the top.
As long as he could hang out with fellow demons he got along with, that was happiness enough.
Since Chairman Kazalim had risen as one of the Demon Lords, Laplace had severed ties with her.
The reason was simple: Laplace always went too far.
Since they had established a provisional agreement, disputes between Demon Lords were strictly forbidden.
And if Laplace were given a job, the situation would invariably turn catastrophic — anyone could see that.
Laplace himself was aware that he could only be useful in critical moments.
Because the more blood Laplace saw, the more unstoppable he became.
His lack of desire to stand at the apex also stemmed from that personality.
That was why Laplace had been kept in reserve as an emergency trump card.
But now, a purpose had formed within him. It had been born.
To bring chaos to this world!
To spread even more confusion and create a cacophony of screaming — that was his dream.
He was a genuine madman, and if given the opportunity to talk, he and Yuuki would have gotten along.
The fact that he had acquired this purpose was an unfortunate event.
It was triggered by the death of his close friend
Having had no purpose, Laplace gained one through the death of his dear friend.
He was acting now to spread terror and confusion, to drive the world mad.
Kagari felt no regret for having involved her Moderate Clown Party comrades.
This was the final battle — precisely the moment their strength was needed.
Had she, back when she was Demon Lord Kazalim, sent Laplace after Leon, the outcome might have been different.
Laplace's madness and ability were guaranteed. Had she asked for his help back then, she might have walked a different path by now.
Clayman would likely still be alive as her right hand — so Kagari thought.
But everything was merely speculation after the fact.
The Kagari of that time had been arrogant, underestimating Leon completely.
Regretting it now was pointless; she should reflect and apply the lesson going forward. But— The word "reflect" had no place in Kagari's vocabulary.
She didn't share Laplace's strong sense of camaraderie, so she felt nothing about the weak being eliminated.
She merely wondered, if only briefly, whether things could have gone differently.
Since she had drawn her former comrades into this battle, half measures were out of the question — and she had no intention of taking them.
Her own power had grown enormously, but having too few pawns was unsettling.
Therefore, she had summoned those she trusted most and granted them power.
She had introduced them to Veldora and had each of them given a massive amount of souls.
They obtained Demon Lord Seeds and reached awakening.
Whatever technique Veldora had used, she had given them exactly the power they desired, as if by magic.
Now, each of them had been enhanced to the level of an Awakened Demon Lord.
Leon's subordinate knights had also grown considerably in power, but they were no match for Kagari and her forces.
Thinking about it, she found it almost laughable — and pitiable, the knights putting up their desperate resistance.
At the same time, the pleasure welling up from the depths of her heart made her smile impossible to suppress.
(What fools. As if they could ever beat us.)
Thinking this, she reveled in her sense of superiority as she advanced toward Leon.
The fierce battle began, and the situation tilted instantly.
The Moderate Clown Party was too strong.
If Leon's knights hadn't undergone fusion with devils, they would all have been slaughtered by now.
The knights stood no chance against the overwhelming might of the Awakened Demon Lord–class Moderate Clown Party.
It was praiseworthy enough that they hadn't been completely wiped out yet.
The demons Kagari had brought along were that terrifying.
(This isn't good.)
Leon analyzed the dire situation and gritted his teeth.
And above all— "Hehehehehe. Leon, it looks like it's the end for you, too. Your subordinates don't seem up to the task.
Besides, you can't go all out in this situation, can you?
I know all about your weakness.
You're far too soft.
Watching you fight Yuuki made it clear to me.
'This guy is too soft to go all out — he'll always protect his subordinates.' It's laughable.
Unlike us, who wouldn't bat an eye at wasting 200,000 angels, you intend to protect a million citizens.
Did you really think two parties like that could fight with full power and you'd come out on top?
Don't tell me you're harboring some naive belief that the desire to protect will make you stronger?
I've done my research — you built this city from orphans and the oppressed you picked up along the way.
And I've analyzed all your past actions.
Your words and actions paint you as a villain, but in truth, you're a kind person, aren't you?
Yes, I know.
Even that desire of yours to deny it.
But no matter how much you deny it, the reality remains — you can't go all out.
After all, your ability is so powerful that if you used it seriously, you'd destroy the country!"
— Indeed, Kagari's words were the truth.
Leon's power, the Ultimate Skill "King of Purity," was a wide-range ability suited for large-scale annihilation.
If he went all out, he would collapse this magical city-state from within.
And Kagari, anticipating this, had sealed the exterior with angels before infiltrating with only her team.
She had prepared more than enough combat power against Leon, who couldn't go all out.
And now, the situation had developed beautifully — exactly as Kagari had wanted.
Kagari attacked Leon with cheerful laughter.
With devastating strikes, she playfully cut off his escape routes.
The long-awaited moment of vengeance for the grudge she had nursed for so long — Kagari was in the best mood imaginable.
Having fused the power of an Awakened Demon Lord with that of a
And yet, she was driven by a desire to toy with strategies and corner Leon.
And it was working.
"Tell me, how does it feel? Being cornered by the one you looked down on — how does that feel?"
Kagari's Mythical Grade longsword began to cut through Leon's Golden Round Shield.
Though he barely deflected every attack, the difference in raw power meant Leon was being gradually overwhelmed.
He thrust out his Holy Flame Sword, but Kagari perfectly parried every strike.
"Silence. I have no need to go all out against someone like you."
Leon answered without flinching.
His position was indeed unfavorable, but it wasn't time to panic yet.
Leon, too, had awakened as a Hero. Even without relying on his ability, he was confident he could defeat someone of Kagari's level based on sheer combat fundamentals alone.
But that had been true only until recently.
Kagari was now a Spiritual Lifeform — meaning that while she had the appearance of an elf, she was something else entirely inside.
Kagari — Demon Lord Kazalim — had originally been a long-range support-type demon who excelled at rear-line operations.
She was skilled at commanding pawns and achieving objectives.
She was well aware that she was not strong in direct combat.
While her original Demon Lord body had allowed her to fight at roughly the level of an average demon, her current elf form was completely incapable of combat — a lesson she had learned when defeated by
That was precisely why she had remade herself.
Through the Ultimate Skill "King of Dominion," she had completely dominated even her own body.
The current Kagari possessed physical capabilities that could fight Leon on equal or better terms, with the "King of Dominion" handling the high combat sense that supported it.
Therefore, Leon's attacks were ineffective against Kagari, and with each exchange, Kagari absorbed Leon's fighting style, growing stronger.
For Leon, the situation had become extremely unfavorable.
Though he showed outward composure, he quickly realized something was wrong.
But as Kagari had pointed out, he was in no position to go all out.
The realization that he had underestimated his opponent too severely gave Leon a sense of urgency.
At that moment, Kagari's blade finally grazed his side. The tip slipped through a gap in his armor, leaving a small cut.
Seeing this, Kagari smiled with sinister satisfaction.
"Hehehehehe. Oh my, oh my.
Leon, it seems you can no longer keep up with my sword, can you?
My movements will only grow sharper from here! Are you going to be alright?
If you kneel and cry and beg for forgiveness, swearing loyalty to me, I'll spare your life!"
"Hmph. Silence — I will never bow to the likes of you!"
"Oh my, I expected you to say that.
Then—"
She paused, deepening her malicious smile.
And then— "I'll tear up that pretty face of yours with tears until it's nothing but a mangled mess!
Strip you naked, cut off your limbs to make a daruma, and parade you on a leash through the streets in front of the citizens you protected!!
GYAAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Watching those miserable citizens despair at the sight of you will be quite the entertainment.
Even if you cry and beg for mercy, I won't forgive you anymore!
I'll butcher them one by one right in front of your pathetic face, and in the end, feed you to the dogs!"
She bellowed this with booming laughter.
"Hooooh! Magnificent!! As expected of the Chairman!"
"Yeah, sounds fun! I'm excited too!"
"That's brutal alright — I never would've thought of that! Some vicious cruelty!"
Hearing Kagari's words, the Moderate Clown Party members shouted in excited praise.
Even Leon grimaced at the thought.
That's sick, even by their standards.
Kagari grinned.
"Hehehehehe. It's fine, Leon.
If you don't want to be humiliated, you could just destroy this country.
If you go all out, I'll be happy to face you at full power too!"
She taunted Leon, mocking him as if daring him.
Even if Leon chose that option, it would be no problem for Kagari.
In that case, she would simply defeat Leon head-on and show him the full extent of her strength.
She had grown so powerful that she no longer felt any threat from Leon.
If it meant breaking Leon's fierce pride, any means was acceptable.
Leon read Kagari's expression and determined that this was no bluff.
If that was the case, Kagari had genuinely become his equal or beyond.
Either way, continuing like this would make it impossible to end things without harm to the citizens.
"Lord Leon, please don't worry about us!!"
"We cannot leave these heretics to run free!"
Allos and Claude stepped forward to plead in unison.
Each was in their own desperate situation, but they couldn't stay silent after Leon was being mocked like this.
Yes — either way, if he was defeated, the people of the country would not be safe.
(Forgive me. I swear I will kill these heretics!!)
Leon steeled his resolution.
In any case, as long as these heretics remained, the safety of his citizens could not be guaranteed.
Then he would simply do what he could.
Thinking this, he was about to unleash his tremendous ability— "Wait, Lord Leon. You need not worry — I have already isolated the castle from the city."
A clear, feminine voice brought him back to reason.
Through her ability, the castle had been completely cut off from the outside world.
Misery had prioritized assessing the situation and taking the optimal course of action.
Thanks to her, the situation was about to shift once more.
Kagari frowned at Misery's appearance with displeasure.
"Oh? Not Guy's little lapdog for once?
So you managed to act on your own, did you? I thought you could only move on Guy's orders."
"It's been a while, Kazalim.
I assumed you'd perished miserably, but it seems you're as stubborn as ever."
"Hmph. Hehehehehe. Talking big for nothing but a minnow hiding in Guy's shadow!"
"Would you like to test that? Although, the longer we drag this out, the more it favors us.
I've already requested reinforcements from Demon Lord Rimuru, and they should arrive shortly."
"Huh? Reinforcements from Demon Lord Rimuru? Ku-ku-ku-ku, heheheheheHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
At Misery's words, Kagari burst into laughter.
It became a roaring laugh, and the Moderate Clown clowns with her sneered in kind.
"What's so funny?" Misery asked, puzzled.
"Hehehehehe. You fool — Demon Lord Rimuru is dead!!
That detestable Demon Lord is no more! His subordinates are in complete disarray right about now!
They'll either fight among themselves ugly, or someone new will declare themselves Demon Lord and the faction will split.
Either way, they won't be getting organized anytime soon. Of course there will be no reinforcements — do you understand?"
At Kagari's triumphant declaration, even Leon and Misery's expressions changed.
It was too unexpected.
That chaotic, absurd Demon Lord Rimuru being the first to fall — it was hard to believe.
But Kagari's demeanor clearly indicated she wasn't lying.
"Impossible!? That tenacious Demon Lord Rimuru couldn't possibly fall so easily!"
"Lord Rimuru, whom even Guy acknowledged... surely not..."
Basking in the superiority their reactions gave her, Kagari answered.
"Hehehehehe.
Well, perhaps you should savor this despair.
Our victory in this great war is now beyond doubt.
You see — the one who destroyed Demon Lord Rimuru was Demon Lord Milim.
Do you understand what this means?
The strongest beings —
And that detestable Rimuru.
Of those three, Demon Lord Milim Nava has submitted to Lord Veldora.
And Demon Lord Rimuru has fallen.
The only remaining threat is Guy Crimson!
And the strongest Hero is heading for Guy himself. And what's more— Hehehehehe. You understand now, don't you?
Misery, you too will die here — without even seeing Guy's end."
Misery was shaken.
And so was Leon.
To the two of them, she declared— "Now then, let us begin.
If you've isolated us from the outside, Leon, then you can go all out.
Very well — I shall face you at full power.
And you shall know despair!
Behold my true might — I, the Great Demon Lord Kazalim!"
With those words, Kagari — no, Kazalim's body was remade.
From the beautiful elf's form, it transformed into the optimized original body of Demon Lord Kazalim.
Then, erupting with fierce power, she seized Misery by the head and slammed her into the ground.
For Kazalim, it was little more than a warm-up.
Caught off guard, Misery took the hit head-on.
The violent collision of energy left her with some damage, though minor.
Her close-combat ability had clearly improved as well — it was obvious that Leon would suffer the same fate if he let his guard down.
But Leon smiled.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Kagari — no, Kazalim!
I'll bury you once more, just like before!"
Leon responded.
In this isolated space, Leon could fight at full power.
Misery still had plenty of strength left; she calmly rose to her feet and assumed her stance.
And so, within the castle — cut off from the outside world — Kazalim, Leon, and Misery's battle began.
Leon's mind shifted to verifying the truth behind the claim that Demon Lord Rimuru had fallen — that could wait until after this battle.
Misery, meanwhile, told herself that worrying about her master, Guy Crimson, was unbecoming of someone like her, and focused her attention on the enemy before her.
Either way, whether that claim was true or false, Kazalim was an enemy that had to be destroyed.
………
……
…
And the two of them would have their pride shattered by a power gap so vast it bordered on despair.
The Awakened Kazalim had proclaimed herself the Great Demon Lord.
And she had proven that she possessed the power to match.
Even working together, they couldn't bring Kazalim down.
The Four Calamity Heavenly General Kazalim wielded her abilities masterfully, driving Leon and his allies further into a corner.
And so— The battle intensified further, and the second day of the great war drew to a close.