A knife flashed, deflected by a straight-blade.
A fierce exchange had been unfolding for some time now.
Each combatant feinted and plotted to gain the upper hand.
A high-level battle of wits and psychology played out between them.
The confrontation between
The impact of Kazalim slamming into the grand hall sent the floor shattering, scattering debris in every direction.
As proof that its body had been scorched by extreme heat, the marble slabs laid across the floor had begun to melt.
Naturally, Kazalim was far from unscathed.
Half its body had been incinerated — a state so gruesome that under normal circumstances, no one would believe it could still be alive.
And yet, even in that condition, Kazalim persisted.
"Sis!"
Laplace, stricken with shock, rushed toward Kazalim.
It was a degree of panic utterly unimaginable from someone who usually wore such an unbothered, detached expression.
Leon and the others, who had been watching the battle between Souei and Laplace while tending to wounds, froze at the sight of Kazalim's devastation.
Everyone understood immediately, just from seeing that figure.
That
Spiritual lifeforms were the pinnacle of existence, possessing indomitable vitality.
However, the moment their will broke and they acknowledged defeat, their life force — that is, their energy — would begin to plummet, accelerating toward dissolution.
Kazalim's situation was, by any measure, the picture of defeat, and life force was visibly draining away by the second.
Souei kept his guard up but made no move to stop Laplace.
He didn't believe it was an act, and if it was a trap, he judged that rushing in blindly would be more dangerous.
In Souei's assessment, Laplace and himself were roughly evenly matched.
He had understood from their earlier exchange that whoever showed a fatal opening would lose.
Maintaining his vigilance, Souei watched Laplace's every move.
At his side, Benimaru descended from above without a sound.
"Is it over? Though, weren't you a bit excessive?"
"Hey, his Magicules were more than double mine.
There was no way I could hold back.
If I didn't put him down with one full-power shot, it would've turned into a war of attrition.
And if that happened, we might've been the ones to lose."
In response to Souei's question, Benimaru explained.
In truth, when comparing raw energy output, Kazalim's was more than twice Benimaru's.
Benimaru had borrowed Magicules from Rimuru through the soul corridor, only then matching Kazalimaru's power.
This was a combat technique learned from
Naturally, the conditions were strict. If Rimuru was already using their abilities at full capacity in battle, it was impossible to employ.
Additionally, borrowing more than one's own maximum Magicules was impossible.
It would result in a loss of control.
There were other minor restrictions as well, but it could be called a forbidden secret art that allowed one to wield power beyond their own.
Only three could perform this: Diablo,
A supreme technique kept secret even from the other executives.
(But Diablo's reason for teaching me this... I still can't figure it out...)
Harboring that question, Benimaru maintained his composure before Souei without breaking stride.
In reality, by accelerating and cloaking himself in the void energy borrowed from Rimuru, he had been able to fully defend against Kazalim's attack — now enhanced by holy-demonic unification.
If he had relied on his own power alone, the fight would have been far more dire. That much was certain.
Whether he could have won — he thought it would have been a razor-thin victory, but it wasn't something Benimaru wanted to test.
That was how formidable Kazalim, the Four Auspicious Heavenly General, truly was.
"Fair point. Once you reach that caliber of monster, who knows what hidden tricks they might have."
"Right?"
Souei pressed no further and gave a light nod.
Seeming satisfied, Benimaru began walking toward Kazalim to deliver the finishing blow.
Victory was assured, but if he didn't annihilate Kazalim here and now, there was a chance of resurrection.
Since there was no guarantee he could win the next time, he intended to wipe the creature out completely.
But just as Benimaru drew near, he heard Kazalim's voice, faint and rasping.
Those words caused Benimaru to halt.
"Hey, Laplace... Where did I go wrong, I wonder?"
Kazalim gazed into the void with eyes that should no longer have been able to see, murmuring those words.
Kazalim's reflection continued.
"All I wanted at first was just a place where we could all live happily together...
The shortcut to that was becoming a Demon Lord, so I became one — And then I got carried away, didn't I..."
"Oh, come on now, Sis! Everyone gets carried away sometimes!"
"That's right... I remember now. I got ticked off at Leon — a human, of all things, calling himself a Demon Lord.
I was hung up on pointless things and picked a fight with Leon...
Haha, I went and woke a sleeping child, so to speak...
And then I was killed, and I lived all that time hating Leon...
But it's strange, isn't it.
Why did I stay fixated on that for so long — We just wanted to live happily...
Laplace, don't make the same mistake... as me...
Don't fail... like I did...
Let's be happy... again......"
Kazalim's consciousness sank into the depths of a bottomless dark.
— Ah, that's right... I need to apologize to
"Sis? Lady Kazalim!? Hey, you can't be serious — being stubborn is your only talent!
If you give up, it's over for real. This can't be happening, this can't be real...
I won't be fooled, stop messing around! Let's be happy together again — Are you just gonna leave us behind and go on your own!? Ugh, uwaah, uwooooooh!!!"
Laplace broke into uncontrollable sobs.
They were so raw, so utterly unguarded, that they were enough to stop Benimaru in his tracks.
"What... No way... Lady Kazalim!?"
Tia collapsed limply to the ground, staring blankly as if unable to accept the reality.
A silence fell over the grand hall, as though time itself had stopped — "Ohhhhh-ho-ho-ho! Now is the time for this!"
Without warning,
The moment he raised the orb toward the sky, it happened.
"Hey there. My name is Velda.
It seems Kazalim has been defeated — or perhaps the mind control has broken?
Well, either way works for me.
Anyway, I'll cut to the chase. I'll be taking back what I came for."
The orb emitted a radiant light, projecting the image of a boy — Velda — into midair.
The image took shape, materializing into the clear form of a young boy.
And then it spoke.
The words froze everyone in place — not out of interest in what the boy was saying, but because they couldn't discern his purpose and didn't know how to react.
On top of that, the undeniable Intimidation radiating from the boy.
Whether this was his true body descending or merely a clone, the pressure was real.
Even higher beings like Miserie and Leon were overwhelmed by the aura this boy exuded, unable to act rashly.
All they could do was stay on guard.
"What did you say...? You were mind-controlling Lady Kazalim!?"
The first to react was Laplace.
"You...! What do you think you've done to my friends, my comrades!!"
Laplace displayed an anger rarely seen from him.
But his voice did not reach Velda. Without so much as a glimmer of interest in Laplace, Velda proceeded with his objective in a detached manner.
Indifferent to the reactions around him, Velda extended his right hand toward Kazalim.
In that instant, light separated from the remnants of Kazalim's burning body and was drawn into Velda's hand.
"Not happening!"
Souei launched a godspeed thrust at Velda, but the strike passed clean through the image, failing to deliver any meaningful effect.
"Not an illusion? A phantom with a physical presence...?"
"What is this!? A type of parallel existence?"
In response to Leon and Miserie's analyses, "Ah, don't worry about me. This is just a pre-recorded video.
Since I'm speaking based on predictions of your actions, things might feel a bit off.
Anyway, I've collected what I came for, so I'll be disappearing now.
Oh, and before I go — consider this a little parting gift —"
Velda declared that he was nothing more than a recorded projection.
Benimaru was the first to sense something wrong.
Having already deduced that Velda's presence was a pre-recorded image, Benimaru had been tracking the orb in Footman's possession without any confusion.
Once the orb finished emitting its light, it began to pulse rhythmically, starting to corrode Footman's body.
"Watch out! That fat one is doing something —"
At the same moment as Benimaru's warning — Kazalim's body ignited, unleashing a devastating burst of pure light and destructive force in all directions.
All remaining holy-demonic mixed energy had been sent into a catastrophic overload, triggering a compression explosion.
Within its own vessel, maximum magical power had been amplified to the limit and then released all at once.
A flash of light tore across the hall, flooding the grand hall with a light of annihilation — heatless, yet devastating.
It scattered overwhelming lethal force, rushing toward every living being present.
The moment Velda's will收回回收了 Kazalim's own abilities, it had also seized control of the energy dwelling within it and pulled the trigger on the detonation.
"Tch!"
Few managed to react in time.
Even so, Benimaru performed the extraordinary feat of evading every trace of the explosion's flash while still maintaining the composure to assess the situation around him.
Souei, who had been at a distance from Kazalim, instantly positioned Footman as a human shield and deployed multiple barriers for defense.
Miserie activated a barrier spell enveloping her entire body without so much as a change in expression, though only about half the energy was neutralized. She appeared to take damage from the remaining force, but with the pride befitting a spiritual lifeform, she regenerated her external wounds almost instantaneously.
Laplace, who had been at Kazalim's side and openly furious at Velda, was apparently saved by his precognitive ability.
An instant before the explosion, he moved to where Tia — who had failed to react — was situated, threw himself over her, and generated a barrier. Even so, he suffered severe injuries to his back, but narrowly survived.
As for Leon and his companions — Leon's defensive barrier, combined with his own body serving as a shield, kept everyone safe.
However, Leon — who had prioritized protecting his companions over his own defense — took the full force of the annihilation light he couldn't neutralize, sustaining damage so severe he could barely move.
Even so, the light of indomitable resolve still shone in Leon's eyes, and his gaze never wavered from Velda.
The attack had been devastating, but it seemed no one had died.
Benimaru let out a sigh of relief upon surveying the situation — but then a small sense of unease crept in.
It came from Footman.
(What is...?)
He felt a twinge of doubt, "So, how was it? Beautiful fireworks, wasn't it?
Now then, for the gift — it should be about mixed in by now.
I gave that Footman fellow an egg of
A clone transplanted with the Ultimate Ability 'Demon Dragon King' — its performance is equivalent, of course.
If it was able to absorb Kazalim's explosion energy and acquire holy-demonic attributes, then it's a success. I wonder how it turned out?
Well, success or failure, either way works for me.
Have fun, and bye-bye!"
It took Benimaru a moment — just a moment — to fully process the meaning of the words spoken by Velda's projection.
That was how shocking the revelation was.
(A teleportation formula? He only retrieved the core that was embedded in Kazalim...?)
Benimaru analyzed the situation but lacked confidence in his conclusion.
Right now, that wasn't the priority. The real problem was the evil creature that had been born.
He had received reports about a Four Auspicious Heavenly General called Vega going on a rampage, along with intelligence on its combat capabilities. It was a terrifyingly malevolent being possessing extraordinary regeneration.
The only effective counter against such a creature was to annihilate it with overwhelming energy.
But if that creature now possessed holy-demonic attributes, it meant that most viable attack methods were drastically reduced.
It could very well mean that a creature had been spawned which was, for all practical purposes, impossible to defeat.
(Not good. I already used Sunlight Black Flame Dominance Acceleration Excitation , and my magic energy hasn't fully recovered yet...)
If Benimaru could unleash his strongest attack, he could certainly destroy it. However, borrowing Rimuru's void energy again while his own Magicules were too depleted would be too dangerous — he judged that calmly.
In other words, he had no choice but to conclude that their current forces were insufficient to deal with a Vega-class creature — one that was also resistant to holy-demonic attributes.
Benimaru's decision to unleash his maximum, most devastating attack against Kazalim had backfired.
He could have taken more time to wear Kazalim down, but his judgment had been to end the fight quickly and deal with Laplace as well.
If it were only Laplace he had to face, the remaining magic energy would have been more than sufficient. Souei was there too, and with four Awakened Demon Lord-class fighters, there should have been no problem.
Benimaru's judgment to go for an early finish was not wrong.
However, in hindsight, it had been premature.
As things stood, Leon was covered in wounds, and Miserie could hardly be called unscathed.
Souei was uninjured, but his abilities were specialized for single-target combat. He lacked any wide-area attack capability, making him ill-suited for eliminating Vega.
Above all, given that Laplace's movements remained unpredictable, they needed to keep resources in reserve for that possibility.
Everyone below that tier was effectively out of the fight.
The only strategy available was for Benimaru to take the lead while relying on Miserie for support.
They had to hope that Miserie possessed some large-scale offensive capability on par with
If she didn't, then their only option was to stall for time until Benimaru's energy recovered.
Velda said what he wanted to say and then vanished abruptly, without leaving a trace.
Just as he had stated, it truly had been a pre-recorded image.
The only threat to worry about now was the Footman hosting Vega's egg.
The time it took Benimaru to organize his thoughts was less than one-thousandth of a second.
But that brief moment of contemplation became a fatal opening.
When Benimaru turned his gaze back to Footman, it had already happened.
"Ohhh-ho-ho-ho. Did you see that, Laplace?
That despicable Leon has just now been killed by me, the Footman of the Furious Clown.
Including all of Kazalim's regrets — now, let me put this righteous fury to rest!"
Footman spoke at the absolute peak of triumph.
As if to underscore his words, Footman's hand protruded from Leon's chest.
Blood gushed forth in torrents.
""L-Lord Leon!!""
Leon's subordinates scrambled in panic.
Amid the chaos, Leon slowly crumpled to the ground, coughing up copious amounts of blood.
His heart had been pierced — a fatal wound visible to all.
Having been momentarily distracted by Velda was one factor, but Leon — already battered and worn — simply could no longer react to Footman's movements.
One of the Eight Star Demon Lords had fallen.
Had it been Miserie, a spiritual lifeform, she could have regenerated as long as her core remained intact.
But Leon was a sacred being — an upper echelon of humanity, possessing a Sacred Physical Body.
He was an Awakened Hero, an existence with a lifespan approaching infinity — but he was undeniably dependent on his physical form.
If he had evolved into a spiritual lifeform, reaching the state of half-god half-human , the outcome might have been different.
Footman continued to laugh maniacally.
"Are you stupid...? Now is not the time for that...
Didn't you hear Sis's last words..."
Laplace delivered a cutting remark, still severely wounded.
But it didn't reach Footman.
Footman already lived within his own delusion — his reason, his heart, everything had been consumed by Vega's egg.
"What's wrong, Footman? Are you broken too, just like the rest of them —"
Laplace muttered bitterly.
Because in his eyes, he could clearly see the future of Footman's destruction.
Vega's power would continue its corrosion, devouring Footman's anger, his feelings, even his memories.
When that was complete, all that would remain was a pure incarnation of destruction.
"I won't forgive you, Velda!!!"
Laplace swore vengeance alongside his fury.
"Tia, get back a bit. I'm about to get serious — it's been a while since I was this angry."
"But... what about Footman...?"
"Footman's being controlled. By that scumbag Velda.
So we've gotta put him out of his misery quickly."
"...Understood. But don't do anything reckless!"
"By the way, you haven't borrowed anything from Velda, have you?"
"Nothing for me... Probably because I was always attached to Lady Kazalim.
Laplace, don't leave me behind, okay...?"
"Hahahaha, leave it to me. The truth is, I'm actually stronger than Lady Kazalim."
"Yeah. I knew that."
Knowing full well Laplace was full of it, he turned his gaze toward Footman.
His eyes had swallowed every last emotion, and not a trace of inner turmoil remained.
The Arch-Demon Laplace rose to his feet with casual indifference.
Then, sauntering over to Benimaru's side, "Hey, how about a temporary truce?"
He made the suggestion with an easy grin.
Benimaru accepted the proposal.
It could have been a lie or a trap, but he intended to use even that to his advantage.
With Leon — who had been expected to deliver the most powerful blow — now out of commission, every option was on the table.
More importantly, by lowering Laplace's guard, Souei could be added to the fighting force as well.
Souei, without a word of objection, sent his clones to track Laplace's movements. The silent coordination between them was seamless.
While keeping the rampaging Footman in check, they held a hasty strategy meeting.
Leon's condition was concerning, but dealing with Footman took priority.
"I recall that guy Vega was absorbing Magicules from the earth, right?"
"So long as he maintained contact with the ground, infinite self-replication should have been possible."
In response to Benimaru and Souei's remarks, "Then please rest assured.
This castle has been isolated from the surrounding world by a spherical barrier that severs its connection to the earth.
The hole created earlier by Lord Benimaru and Lady Kazalim has already been repaired."
Miserie answered.
She had been working efficiently, it seemed.
However, she did not possess the wide-range offensive capability Benimaru had hoped for.
Naturally, Miserie could use core-destruction magic, but she judged that simple magic would be ineffective.
"Then, clown — don't you have some big move up your sleeve? Your regeneration is so absurd that even if you take some damage, you'll bounce right back."
"Call me Laplace.
And as for the answer to your question... sorry about that.
Like that big guy over there, I'm also specialized for single-target combat."
"Are you serious? You're useless! Weren't you just bragging about being stronger than Kazalim!?"
"Don't be stupid! That was only if they didn't use dirty tricks like Awakened Demon Lord transformation or
Against that kind of cheat, even I couldn't win no matter what.
But here's the thing — I've still got ten Holy Spirit Bombs left. If I set off a chain explosion — ?"
The resourceful Laplace flashed a glimpse of a bomb from inside his coat.
Benimaru gave a nod of acknowledgment.
The four of them held their meeting while dodging the agile attacks emanating from Footman.
The power was devastating, but they survived thanks to the attack speed being relatively slow.
It appeared that Footman's physical capabilities were on par with his body's specs, though the speed was increasing over time.
It was manageable now, but before long it might reach a level they couldn't keep up with. Taking too long would be suicide.
"Alright, right now his existence value isn't that high — he's only absorbed the remnants of Kazalim.
If we're going to take him down, it has to be now!
Plus, given enough time, his body will fully synchronize with Vega's capabilities."
"Agreed. His attack speed keeps climbing.
And since those attacks carry holy-demonic attributes, a direct hit means complete defense is impossible."
In truth, unless one could deploy barriers of both holy and demonic elements simultaneously, one of the attributes would pass straight through.
If Footman could wield them with Kazalim's level of mastery, even dual-attribute barriers would be neutralized.
"Miserie, pour everything into maintaining the barrier. Under no circumstances are you to let him absorb any more energy!
Souei and Laplace — set the bombs together. Signal me when you're ready, Souei.
The moment I get the signal, I'll detonate everything. Don't be slow!"
Under Benimaru's command, the four moved as one.
Though improvised, they coordinated brilliantly. Using Souei and Laplace's threads, Footman was pinned in place.
Ten Holy Spirit Bombs orbiting around him, and Souei gave the signal.
"Now!"
Simultaneously, Benimaru carefully layered additional barriers over the existing ones.
He conducted a thorough scan of the surroundings, making sure no traces of Footman had escaped.
On top of that, he sealed off any possibility for further self-replication.
"Take this — Black Flame Hell Dragon Dominance!!!"
Hellish flames howled within the barrier.
The simultaneously detonated Holy Spirit Bombs triggered a chain mega-explosion , raging within the confined space.
By all rights, this should have been an undefendable attack carrying both holy and demonic attributes.
By all rights... that is.
"No way!? That Footman bastard is absorbing the explosion energy!!!"
The holy-demonic unified energy was simply too compatible with Footman, who had inherited Kazalim's attributes.
While his body was being burned, his hyper-regeneration restored him simultaneously, replenishing the lost energy. He had grown beyond recognition — bloated into a nearly three-meter incarnation of violence.
"Why would you use holy-demonic attribute bombs!?"
"Harsh much! You agreed to it too, didn't you!?"
Benimaru and Laplace bickered, but it was a deliberate act to lighten the mood — even just a little.
The situation could only be described as dire.
Since the last attack had failed, their remaining option was the passive approach of waiting for Benimaru's Magicules to recover.
There was no guarantee that would work either, and it would give Footman ample time to fully master Vega's power.
Right now, Footman was consumed by rage, running on pure instinct without any self-awareness.
His sole intent was to slaughter every living being in the room.
The only saving grace was that without self-awareness, his attacks lacked finesse.
"Guess we've got no choice... It's going to be a war of attrition, but we've got to see it through."
"Right. There's no other option."
"I will assist."
"It can't be helped. Above all, staying alive comes first."
The four steeled their resolve.
But that somber determination crumbled in the very next instant.
"Kufufufu. This is exactly what I mean by a lack of follow-through, Lord Benimaru."
Without anyone noticing his arrival, an evil demon suddenly appeared behind Footman and seized his head.
And slammed him into the ground.
The demon turned around and shrugged with an exasperated expression.
"What are you all doing, fooling around with this kind of small fry?"
With a infuriatingly refreshing smile, those were his words.
"Swooping in to steal the glory... Truly despicable!
That is not the intended meaning, so please take note."