Ignoring
Realizing this was going nowhere good, Dino blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"Wait—how about this? A one-on-one elimination bracket."
"We fight one at a time and decide each matchup individually. Sound good?"
It was a desperate measure for Dino.
Since
If a full-scale battle broke out here, nine times out of ten, Dino and his allies would be annihilated.
Or rather, speaking for himself, there was a high probability he wouldn't last even a few minutes.
(No joke—if I'm up against those two, I can't even achieve the basic goal of surviving….)
Dino was determined to push this proposal through no matter what.
Fighting one-on-one would buy time, and if things went well, Zero's preparations might be finished before his own turn came up.
(That said, nobody in their right mind would agree to something this one-sided in our favor—) Dino figured it was a long shot, but…
『Hmm, okay! This works for us too—』
『Hey!』
『Oops! Forget I said that! Anyway,
The exchange between
(Perfect—looks like luck's on my side!)
Without bothering to dig into what Ramiris and company were really after, Dino was simply pleased that his suggestion had been accepted.
And so, a battle in the form of a spectacle began.
The first matchup: Gabiru versus
The fight centered on aerial combat, with both combatants darting through three-dimensional space.
Both wielding spears as their weapons, they mirrored each other in style, making for a great contest.
(Actually, this guy… his strength has shot up unnaturally fast!?)
Pico marveled inwardly.
Compared to their last encounter, the pressure she felt over these past few days was like fighting a different person entirely.
His power was approaching Pico's own level—one could comfortably call it Awakened Demon Lord class.
Though suspicious, Pico correctly assessed the reality and continued the fierce aerial battle for a time.
She became convinced of Gabiru's growth, and not a shred of the contempt she once held remained.
The two tested each other's strength for a while, and it seemed both had decided to get serious.
However, Gabiru's 'Black Flame Breath' and 'Black Lightning Breath' had no effect on Pico, and Pico's 'Black Lightning Heaven Break' and 'Divine Victory Certain Punishment' likewise failed against Gabiru.
In truth, Pico's 'Divine Victory Certain Punishment' was an extremely unfair ability that reproduced on the target's body the damage that target had previously inflicted on any enemy it had defeated. But Gabiru had that ability sealed thanks to his Ultimate Gift, 'Mood Maker,' which granted fate alteration.
This left even Pico unable to hide her surprise.
"You! Don't screw with me! Why won't you die? Something's wrong here, right!?"
"How rude! Are you that dissatisfied that I won't die? But I have my reasons for not being able to lose. Forgive me, young lady!"
Gabiru replied just like that, though inwardly he was drenched in sweat.
After all, he'd been forced to use his trump card—fate alteration—right off the bat.
The fact that his ability to negate any damage once per day had activated automatically meant that, without it, Gabiru would have been killed by that very blow.
(This is bad. Extremely bad! I'm already giving it my all, but that girl still seems to have plenty left in the tank…)
If that same attack were fired again, Gabiru's life would be over.
But Pico was equally perplexed.
She had been cautious of Gabiru and held back from using her big moves.
(That guy… his unnerving calm is what's creepy. He's unfazed by our attacks too—as if he's taking no damage at all. This is a problem. If that doesn't work, I don't have any other finishing moves—) So she was troubled on the inside.
In truth, Pico had power to spare, but since none of her attacks were effective, she would have to settle it through close combat.
That would take too long and turn into a war of attrition.
If that happened, even though Dino was stalling through the exchange of blows, Pico judged that recovery wouldn't keep up.
This was enemy territory, and even in a one-on-one, the situation wasn't equal.
Since Pico and her group had no resupply forces, even if they won, being completely exhausted was dangerous.
There was no guarantee Ramiris and the others would keep their promises, and fresh replacements were waiting in the back.
If she were badly drained, she could be instantly taken out by a hidden enemy.
(Three of us attacking was a bad call from the start! And Dino's unreliable to boot—) She glanced toward her ally Dino, but perhaps because it wasn't his turn yet, Dino was leisurely watching from the sidelines.
(That idiot—he's really treating this like someone else's problem!)
Anger welled up inside Pico.
Ultimately, all she needed to do was buy time until Zero's preparations were complete. Deciding to stop thinking about what came after, Pico pushed ahead.
"I'll settle it on the next hit!"
"So be it!"
Both feeling they had no room to spare, they apparently decided to settle it with their ultimate techniques.
"Falling Heaven Final Strike, Magnificent Spear!!"
"True
The two clashed.
And simultaneously blew each other away.
To demonstrate the sheer force of their attacks, both bodies spun like corkscrew drills, unable to recover, and crashed into the ground.
『Okay, that's a wrap! The result is a draw!』
With Ramiris's declaration, the first matchup came to an end.
The result was a draw, but the breakdown was vastly different.
Gabiru was covered in wounds and completely unable to continue fighting.
Pico, on the other hand, was merely pretending to have sustained serious damage.
"…Hey. Why did you hold back at the end?"
"Oh, you noticed? Because, you know, I gotta keep some energy in reserve if I want to get out of here alive, right?"
"Huh, I see. Looks like you've figured out what I'm after, huh?"
"Obviously? How long do you think we've been dealing with each other? I can read you like a book."
"Okay, okay. As long as that's settled.
I'm not going along with Zero's suicide pact, so be warned—I'm going to slip out the first chance I get."
"Got it! Galasha seems to be on the same page, so I think he'll buy you time against that stubborn guy?"
"Seriously? That's a lifesaver. Honestly, my opponent is no joke, and that
"Well, do your best, I guess? It all depends on how much Galasha can hold out…"
That was the conversation Dino and Pico had while Galasha made his way to the battlefield.
Pico had conserved her energy and ended the fight.
That was fine with Dino.
Dino had been wondering whether he could trust Zero at all.
In this situation, Pico's choice was the right one.
"All right, I can't say take it easy, but rest up for now."
"I'll take you up on that."
Pico settled in to rest, and Dino shifted his gaze to Galasha.
With a sigh and a weary "here we go," Dino turned his attention to the next fight.
The second matchup: Geld versus Galasha.
This was a contest between two defense-oriented specialists—not flashy, but a showcase of solid skill that connoisseurs could appreciate.
Geld's weapons were a meat cleaver and a massive shield, while Galasha went with the orthodox loadout of a one-handed sword and a round shield.
Geld, having evolved, now had significantly greater combat strength as an individual.
People tended to focus on his defense, but his attack power was nothing to scoff at either.
However, there was a slight delay between charging up and launching, so it seemed he couldn't land a hit on Galasha.
Geld's Ultimate Gift, 'Gourmet King,' was fundamentally an army-scale ability.
Positioned at the opposite end from individual specialization, it excelled at bolstering allies.
As a result, it brought him to parity with Galasha's versatile defensive capabilities.
Compared to Pico, Galasha had better balance between offense and defense.
He possessed defense equal to Geld's, plus attack power that surpassed it. It should have been an overwhelming advantage—Galasha's stage entirely.
But…
"You deflect every one of my attacks, do you? Impressive—"
"I have been granted the title of 'Sovereign of Defense' by Lord Rimuru himself. Know that none shall breach my defenses."
With masterful skill, Geld repelled Galasha's attacks flawlessly.
And it didn't stop there.
While Galasha's superior offense couldn't reach Geld, Geld's strikes steadily accumulated damage on Galasha.
Galasha had lived long and was rich in experience, but in terms of density of combat experience, Geld was no less accomplished.
Within the Monster Nation, he may not have stood out, but Geld's relentless training had carried his skill into the realm of the truly elite.
When it came to defense specifically, he rivaled even
And even his wide, seemingly open power strikes served as traps to lure opponents in.
Galasha, of course, saw through this and didn't carelessly rush in.
(I was hoping to buy some time, but… it seems there's no room to hold back after all) Galasha silently commended Geld.
Just as he predicted, the battle naturally fell into a stalemate, evolving into a subtle affair of feints and counterfeints…
◇◇◇ As mentioned, the fight was magnificent to connoisseurs.
But to the uninitiated, it was excruciatingly boring.
"I'm already bored…"
A spoiled child whined in the control room.
The battle between Geld and Galasha had no special moves, no magic—it was a thoroughly unglamorous affair.
To a child who couldn't read the two experts' skill and masterful mind games, it apparently didn't seem very entertaining.
"Hey, why don't we call it a draw and start the next fight?
Shouldn't we start messing with Dino pretty soon?"
"Don't be ridiculous! We need the time stall just as much as Dino does, Lady Ramiris!"
Benimaru shot back at Ramiris's nonsensical suggestion.
Perhaps growing tired of being overly polite to Ramiris, Benimaru's tone had become quite casual.
It had been somewhat loose from the start, but now he clearly didn't care anymore.
"Hey, Deputy Commander!? Address me as Supreme Commander, please!
…But I suppose you have a point. In that case—Fine, let it continue!"
"So, how's the progress looking?"
"Let me see—the isolation rate has passed ninety percent. Just a little more and our side's preparations will be complete.
And it looks like his erosion rate is at around seventy percent.
Since we started prepping after Rimuru gave us the heads-up, we'll make it in plenty of time!"
"Nice, nice. Looking good. Then we just tough it out a little longer."
Ramiris and Benimaru nodded to each other.
Seeing that Ramiris was satisfied, Benimaru turned his attention to the screen.
Stopping this fight was out of the question, in his view.
Gabiru's performance earlier had been disappointing enough to warrant a repeat of training under Hakuro and
Unlike Ramiris, Benimaru was captivated by this battle that connoisseurs savored.
Galasha's abilities appeared superior, but Geld's valiant effort to close that gap was admirable.
And the tension of the fight had reached its peak— A decisive moment seemed imminent.
◇◇◇ Geld and Galasha clashed swords in a fierce exchange.
Their momentum accelerated, and the subdued mind games of before were now a distant memory.
Powered by superheated intensity, their devastating blows met in a storm of cracking earth, howling air, and swirling dust with every swing.
Like a captivating dance, the two continued fighting.
Then, a moment of silence.
Everyone felt that the next blow would decide their fates.
But— "So that retreat really was an act. I didn't think a mere attack like that could break through your defense—"
"Indeed. I wasn't exactly swimming in margin, but it wasn't enough to force a retreat either.
Besides—we never withdraw without orders.
Everything is as Lord Rimuru wills it."
"Hmph. So I thought I had you cornered, but I was the one being lured in. It seems I was beaten before the fight even began.
Very well—I concede this round. I'd like to formally forfeit here. Is that allowed?"
"!?"
Galasha made the offer while facing off against Geld.
Geld looked surprised and uncertain.
『Alrighty! Then the winner is Geld!
Now, Dino—get out here! I haven't forgotten what you did to me last time.
This time, I'm going to slice and dice YOU!』
With those words from Ramiris descending like a divine decree, the outcome was decided.
The declaration seemed to include some of Ramiris's personal desire as well, but a decision was a decision.
Ramiris had grown bored, so this was a welcome development. Benimaru looked disappointed, but she completely ignored him.
Since he'd been the one to suggest it, Benimaru apparently had no complaints on that front.
"Are you sure…? It didn't seem like either of you was fighting at full power."
"It's fine. You've just evolved and haven't fully mastered your abilities yet either.
I'd like for us to have a real showdown someday, in a place where we can both fight without holding back."
Geld and Galasha exchanged glances and shared a small smile.
And so, the second matchup also came to an end.
The moment Galasha returned to Dino's side, he murmured quietly.
"This is bad, Dino. That one is also abnormally strong.
Without question, it would be a hard fight even if both sides went all out.
If I had gone serious, I wouldn't have lost, but the exhaustion would have been too great to fight again…"
"Right. And with other powerful fighters around here, draining yourself is basically suicide."
"Pico made the right call. You'd better watch yourself too."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it…"
With that, Dino stepped forward.
But his steps were heavy.
(Wait a second—Ramiris's target is ME, isn't it? She told me not to exhaust myself, but it's not like I'm doing this on purpose. I'm only fighting because I'm being forced to…
Alright, while I'm fighting Geld, I'll drag things out nice and slow…)
『Oh, Geld. You must be tired, right? A forfeit is fine!』
Dino was plotting something underhanded, but Ramiris struck first.
Geld readily agreed to forfeit, and the tag team of
(Damn it! She saw through my plan!?)
He grumbled inwardly, but there was nothing he could do.
His opponents were Beretta and Zegion.
There was absolutely no way Dino could beat them.
Then a thought suddenly occurred to him.
"Oh, right! I forfeit—"
『Bzzzzt! Denied!!』
But the idea was swiftly shut down by Ramiris.
With dead eyes, Dino turned to face Beretta and Zegion.
And then he noticed something—a small question flickered in his mind.
(Huh? Zegion… was his magicule count always that low?)
It was an oddity that only Dino, who had fought him before, could have picked up on.
But Dino had no time to dwell on such questions.
The fated moment he'd been trying to put off was about to begin.
(That bastard Zero—hurry up! If you don't finish in time, don't blame me!!)
Though in truth, it would be Dino himself who'd be in trouble if Zero wasn't ready in time…
With a long, heavy sigh, Dino halfheartedly braced himself for the fight.