At that moment, Ramiris muttered silently,
âAh, the isolation has been completed.â
Suddenly, as if it was a trifling matter.
Hearing that, the surrounding people started moving hurriedly.
At the same time, Benimaru tooâ
[Did you hear, you fools? From this point on, the labyrinthâs support effects are absent there. You wonât be resurrected if you die so brace yourselves! Rimuru-sama wonât permit any of you dying so act accordingly!]
He sent a thought transmission to all the allies intercepting Dino and the others on the 75th floor.
Everything was going according to plan.
Everyone who received the transmission showed no signs of unrest, they accepted it as completely natural.
And thenâ
Hearing that transmission, there was one who began their action.
Quietly and precisely.
The plan had entered the final phase.
ââââââââââââââ
Zero was gradually progressing the labyrinthâs encroachment.
Absorption rate had crossed 90%.
There was no feeling of joy in him, what pushed him forward was just the fact that accomplishing the task given to him was of utmost importance.
If the enemy gains immortality inside the labyrinth, they should just get rid of it.
That was Veldaâs plan and that is precisely why the Ultimate Skill: Evil Dragon Lord Azi Dahaka existed.
It was an ability originally created to counter the labyrinth, an ability which can exhibit supreme dominance in an area.
On top of that, it wasnât something incomplete like the ones given to Vega or Footman, with all the battle data uptil now, it was the complete version.
In front Aji Dahaka, which had turned into an ability close to the âOne Who Eats Planetsâ, even Ramirisâ labyrinth couldnât resist and ended up being trampled over by Zero.
(Hmm, less resistance than I had expected, eh? I guess that is also natural. Nobody would even be able to imagine an attack to the labyrinth directly. By snatching away the enemyâs base itself, I will purge these fools who sit cross-legged in their territory of absolute dominance. That will lure out Demon King Rimuru and we can take down all their forces at once. As expected of Velda-sama. It is a perfect planâ)
Abiding by Veldaâs plan, he steadily went on encroaching in the enemyâs base, the labyrinth.
If he just takes away the labyrinth from them, he will also be able to grasp all authority inside the labyrinth.
âFoolish.â
He ended up saying out unintentionally.
He wasnât expecting a reply or anything butâ
âDonât be so full of yourself. Know that the likes of you will not be able to drop this labyrinth.â
In the empty space, a cold voice resounded.
No, there was something.
Zeroâs consciousness caught onto something that would normally be impossible to detect.
It was one butterfly.
A butterfly with a beautiful light was fluttering in the sky.
And then, the butterflyâs silhouette became hazy and slowly took the form of a person.
Into a warriorâs shape protected by jet-black adamantite.
ââWho is it? Floors above 60 are under my rule. I did not feel anyone invading.â
âSimple. I have been here from the start, thatâs all there is to it.â
â...I see. That was a blind spot. You might have lived if you kept yourself hidden till the end. But, in the end, itâs only a matter of sooner or later. Become my food and die.â
Zero thought that the small boy had come revealing himself because he was scared of being trapped inside.
Zero didnât realize that the boyâs words sounded like he had realized Zeroâs plans...
The encroachment of the labyrinth was going steadily with the rate over 90%. Turning the energy of the labyrinth into his inexhaustible supply, he would be able to create as many evil dragon beasts as he liked.
The few dragons he created all went towards their prey at once and disappeared with a flash of light.
âHow? To be able to bury my dragons so easily... So youâre not just a scaredy-cat who was hiding. I am Zero, the one commanding the heavenâs army to destroy this country. I will acknowledge you as an opponent to be defeated. State your name!â
Judging from the fact that he didnât come attacking Zero during the time Zero was taking the 60th floor, Zero was still underestimating his opponent.
Thinking that if this guy was to obstruct him, he couldâve done it way before.
However, the being standing in front of Zero possessed combat ability far higher than what Zero assumed.
After all, that being isâ
âMy name is, Zegion. Humble servant of the Great Demon Lord, Rimuru-sama. I have been crowned with the name Mist Lord.â
The strongest man, who defends Ramirisâ labyrinth.
Following orders, Zegion faced Zero.
The labyrinth, which they should protect. Zegion will not forgive anyone who stains the labyrinth.
And as such, it was inevitable.
And that is how Zegion and Zeroâs fight had begun.
âââ
The reason why Zegion didnât attack in the first place was evident.
Because he had heard that it was Rimuruâs orders.
If it was not so, he wouldnât have stayed silent and let this invasion go on.
Yes, although rare, Zegion was angry.
âZegion? Thatâs a name I havenât heard. I guess you are one of the upper echelons of Demon Lord Rimuru? Diablo, Benimaru, Shion, Gobuta and Ranga. And Beretta, was it? Thereâs also Souei, Gabil and Gerudo who are famous. If you were one of them, I might have enjoyed this fight a bit...â
Zero boasted, confident of his overwhelming superiority.
However, it didnât take long for him to realize that that was just his misconception.
âIdiotic. If your enemy is in front of you, you should look at them and judge their strength. However â I guess youâre correct about just one point, that you wonât be able to enjoy this fight.â
Comprehending the meaning of Zegionâs reply, Zero made an uninterested face.
Itâs not that Zegionâs had much feelings, he wanted his enemies to think that he did.
He slowly stood up and took his stance.
âAre you sure you should have waited for my preparations to be complete? Your confidence probably lies on the labyrinthâs absolute immortality. But can you really say that that is guaranteed to work? Because you have the guarantee of reviving even if you lose is the reason you can challenge others to a fight without even caring about the difference in strength. I shall teach you, that that way of thinking is wrong! Becauseââ
That was all he could say.
Zeroâs aim was to unsettle Zegion by letting him know that he had taken away the labyrinthâs immortality but Zero couldnât achieve that goal.
Because Zegion had already reached the limit of his patience.
Death to the beings who pollute the labyrinth!
That was the imperial command given to Zegion by Rimuru, it was his meaning to life.
Although he had heard and understood the explanation from Benimaru, about how their plan was to let the enemy take a part of the labyrinth, he couldnât stay calm tolerating it.
The act of polluting the labyrinth was the same as infuriating him.
As Ramirisâ preparations were complete and a part of the labyrinthâs isolation was done, there was no need for him to endure it anymore whatsoever.
Zegion released his feelings of anger and sealed Zeroâs words.
Receiving an intense impact, Zero stumbled.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
He didnât quite receive any damage as he immediately thrust his shield forward but he still couldnât cancel out the intense momentum.
The impact was due to Zegionâs kick.
He had closed the gap between them in a moment and the origin of the attack could be seen from his raised leg.
He then slowly lowered his leg while keeping Zero in his sightâ
âYouâre tough. Shall I make it a bit stronger next time?â
As he said that, Zegion disappeared.
Zegionâs super fast movements slipped through Zeroâs perception.
Thanks to the combat training inside the labyrinth, his fighting techniques were evolving day by day.
By combining many different abilities, especially âspace-time controlâ, he had devised his own hand-to-hand fighting technique.
Being able to grasp that Zegionâs movement the first time is close to an impossible task.
By activating his Ultimate Skill: Master Shield, Zero was able to escape danger narrowly.
Even if itâs an attack which canât be seen, it doesnât hold any meaning in front of Zeroâs ultimate defense.
His shield abided by his will and blocked off all the attacks.
While being protected by that absolute defense, Zero reflected upon his underestimation of that being called Zegion.
(To think someone as strong as this still existed... Demon Lord Rimuru, canât underestimate him...)
But Zero was confident that his master, Veldaâs prediction is correct without a doubt.
Thereâs no way a Demon Lord, who has this strong of an underling, would die right off the bat.
While thinking that, he also analysed Zegionâs abilities.
He could predict that Zegion was probably a spiritual life-form from his overwhelming mobility.
Because someone who is a slave to the flesh canât move like that.
However, even if that were so, it wasnât like Zero had no ways to attack.
(His hand-to-hand combat is wonderful. But, thatâs all!)
Just someone who attacks recklessly. There is no way he could break through Zeroâs defense.
Thatâs how Zero evaluated Zegion and lost interest.
âIt was so-so interesting. I shall show you my power, as respect for letting me have a little fun! Eat this, âZero Field Waveâ!â
Zero released with absolute confidence, the wave of annihilation.
It was a wave which turns all waves, meaning the frequency of all kinds of energy, to zero.
That also applied to living beings, and angels or demons werenât any exception either.
In fact, the higher the level of energy the being possesses, the stronger the waveâs effect will be.
Although, it was necessary for the user to have equal or more energy than the one they use it on.
Zero possessed even more energy than an awakened demon lord.
Even when compared to the Four Heavenly Kings, he possessed more energy than everyone of them, except Dagrule.
Zero Field Wave was the strongest attack Zero could use, with all his energy.
Even if itâs Zegion, in front of that sure-kill attackâ
âFutile. That is an attack which converts oneâs own energy to waves, am I correct? It was splendid how it adjusts to match the targets, cancelling out frequency immediately, but at the end, itâs just an auto adjustment. I see that it is of the same fundamentals as your auto defense. An attack of that level wonât work on me.â
He was about to confirm the effects of his sure kill attack of annihilation butâ
Seeing Zegion stand there, unwounded, Zero felt anxiety for the first time.
âImpossible, you understood itâs theory with a glance?! Not only that, to negate Zero Field Wave, which turns all living beingâs pulse to zeroââ
âRidiculous. Itâs also a wave, that negates another wave. If so, all I need to do is wrap it up. Not opposing the flow and identifying with it is, in fact, the truth of the universe. Itâs dreamy and simply elegant. To me, seeing through your wave was nothing but a trivial task.
âYou would be nothing more than trash to Rimuru-sama or Veldora-sama.â
The moment Zero used his ability to convert his energy into waves, Zegion had used âIllusion King Mephistoâ to create an illusionary world.
The world, in which even the flow of time can be distorted by Zegionâs will, by his imagination.
With this ability, it was no trouble for Zegion to ascertain Zeroâs annihilation wave and deal with it.
âKugh! But, just because you blocked my attack, it doesnât mean a thing since your attacks donât have any effect on me!â
Zero decided on prioritizing the labyrinthâs encroachment instead of attacking Zegion.
He thought that it would be possible to trap Zegion in the labyrinthâs âInfinite Hallwayâ after taking the labyrinthâs power.
Howeverâ
âThe charade downstairs should also be over by now. I shall also end this.â
Not paying any heed to Zeroâs calculations, Zegion simply followed his own feelings.
In other words, he striked Zero with his fist in anger.
âAn attack like that wonât work, I saââ
Zero was just about to say it wonât work but he was cut off in the middle.
Following Zegionâs imagination, the core of Zeroâs absolute defense, his shield (Zero), was broken.
âWha-!? Impossible, this canât be!!â
An impossible scene had developed before Zeroâs eyes, which broke all sort of common sense.
Each and every shield (Zero) he kept making to block Zegionâs fierce attacks kept getting destroyed.
Only the afterglow of Zegionâs armour could be seen as he attacked Zero from all directions.
Getting a premonition of danger, Zero deployed âMaster Shieldâ with full energy.
âItâs futile. Your abilities probably boast absolute strength in the material world. However, in the spiritual world, it is meager. And because of that, it turns out like this.â
Zegionâs right hand shone.
All the shields (Zero) protecting Zeroâs body got destroyed clean off by Zegionâs âDimension Rayâ.
(But, I somehow endured his attack.)
Breathing heavily, the moment he thought thatâ
Zegion disappeared like the mist and kicked him from behind, piercing through him.
âGohaaa!!â
Zegion had charged the kick with waves.
The annihilation wave Zero used on Zegion just a while ago was thrown back at him.
But Zero dealt with it immediately and stopped it to the point a part of his energies got annihilated. The way he dealt with it was wonderful.
However, Zero had also perceived that he had reached a situation where it didnât even matter.
The despairingly huge difference in strength between Zero and Zegion.
That wasnât due to a difference in energy, it was due to the difference in their levels.
Zegionâs left fist started releasing a dull-colored glow.
âââ
Zero realized his defeat in a moment and took the best possible action he could there.
In other words, escape.
(I donât have enough power to fight with that monster! I will take this labyrinth, and by eating the prey on the lower levels, I willâ)
Zero promptly assimilated his body with the labyrinth and headed towards the lower floors.
Right after, he lost connection with the part of his body which he abandoned.
It was exterminated by Zegion.
Not having felt anything like this before, which he was experiencing the first time after being born, Zero accelerated the encroachment of the labyrinth.
He was trapped by the compulsive idea that he was being chased by something.
And then, his absorption of the labyrinth was over and he got hold of the labyrinthâs power.
He could then feel a large energy inside his body, in the inner portions of the labyrinth.
Zero was delighted and moved forward towards the prey to strengthen himself.
âââ
Zegion pulled back his left hand and glanced towards the lower floors.
Confirming Zeroâs escape just as planned, he muttered âmission accomplishedâ.
Just like Benimaru and Ramiris had requested, he cornered and let Zero escape.
(Everything is as Rimuru-sama pleasesâ)
Rimuruâs profound strategy was something Zegion couldnât think of.
Zegion, who had thought of it like that, felt no need to think any further.
All thatâs left is to prepare for the single possibility in a thousand of the plan failing.
Zegion quietly started walking towards the hole to the lower floors his attack had created.
âââââââââââââââââââ
At the control room, everyone was lost for words.
It hadnât even been 3 minutes since Zegion started moving.
But still, the report came in easily that the mission was completed.
Maybe because they had isolated the labyrinth that the fight scenes couldnât be displayed on the big screen.
And as such, they couldnât do anything other than imagine what kind of a battle had taken place but one thing they were sure of was that it was surely overpowering.
âAs I thought, he probably didnât like the plan of letting them encroach the labyrinth...â
âRight... Looks like Zegion was seriously pissed. We should be glad he let him live according to the plan.â
âWell, thatâs of course because Zegion is calm unlike you. Well, if I hadnât spoken of Rimuruâs name, he probably wouldnât even listen...â
âYeah... He probably wouldnât have listened to my orders either so I think it was right to speak of Rimuru.â
âRight? But I still didnât think he would be this pissed...â
âThatâs true...â
Saying that, the two of them nodded.
As if to agree with the both of them, everyone in the control room were also nodding.
âBut, why did Rimuru-sama give such an order?â
Shuna asked, which was rare of her.
The one who answered that wasâ
âYou will probably understand if you keep watching!â
Ramiris.
In that moment, at that place, Ramiris was the only one who realized the reason behind such an intricate order.
Even Benimaru didnât completely realize the essence of the order.
Or rather, maybe only Zegion had realized.
Everyone in the control room could only nod to Ramirisâ words.
In a short while, the plan inside the labyrinth would welcome its end.
Even without hurrying, the result will be clear in a while.
Preparing for that moment, all of them started their work once again.