I issued my orders without hesitation.
Gobta and his unit were to remain on site and secure everything—tank wreckage, airship remains, and any technology worth salvaging. Nothing of the Empire's war machine would be allowed to vanish without being claimed.
As for Gabil and the Hiryuu—
They were completely immobile.
I ordered the Wyvern Riders to transport them to the Dwarven Kingdom immediately. Recovery came first. Pride meant nothing if it cost lives later.
Instead, I reassigned the Blue Numbers to reinforce Gobta's position.
Benimaru advised against rushing them back to the front lines. Even at full speed, they would not arrive in time to influence the battle. His judgment was sound.
Around the same time, King Gazel requested reinforcements.
I approved it without delay.
The central front had already collapsed in our favor, but the eastern region—bordering the Empire—was still active. Roughly sixty thousand Imperial troops remained deployed there.
A detached force.
A probing force.
Not to be underestimated.
I trusted Gazel to handle it. He did not need my instruction to fight thoroughly. My concern lay elsewhere.
The main body of the Imperial Army was still moving.
Seven hundred thousand strong.
That force was our responsibility.
Despite our overwhelming victory, no one underestimated what was coming next.
We were outnumbered.
We were facing the Empire's core.
And yet—morale was high.
Too high, in some cases.
Shion, brimming with frustration, slammed her fist into her palm.
"Those demonesses stole the spotlight! I'll go out there and show them what real strength looks like!"
I fixed her with a sharp gaze.
"…You're my bodyguard."
She froze—then immediately straightened up.
"R-right. Of course."
Good.
Eagerness was useful. Recklessness was not.
Then the doors to the command room burst open.
"Milord! Ultima was boasting again! I heard the first battle was a total rout—ah, I can't stand this anymore. Is it my turn yet?"
Carrera stood there, cheeks flushed, eyes shining with dangerous enthusiasm.
She had been ordered to remain on standby with the Second Corps. Clearly, she had been communicating with the others through Telepathy Net.
"I was thinking of greeting the enemy properly," she continued sweetly.
"With a little nuclear magic."
The smile on her face made the words even worse.
Benimaru didn't hesitate.
"Denied."
Carrera blinked.
"Carrera-dono," Benimaru continued calmly, "your strength has meaning only when used at the correct time. Until then, you will wait."
She bristled—but when Geld gave her a single, firm look, she exhaled and nodded.
"…All right. I'll wait."
Thank the stars.
She listened to Geld. That pairing was more effective than I had expected.
Shion crossed her arms and nodded sagely.
"Indeed. One only truly shines when acting as the blade of their king."
…Coming from you, that's rich, I thought—but I kept it to myself.
With Carrera gone, the room settled.
Our available forces included:
The Labyrinth Forces
The Second Corps in reserve
Veterans hardened by the last engagement
From generals to foot soldiers, everyone was ready.
They had taken my words to heart.
Against us stood seven hundred thousand Imperial troops.
We could not match them in numbers.
But numbers do not decide wars.
Quality does.
And more importantly—
Terrain does.
"The key to victory lies in the labyrinth," I said.
"Veldora. Ramiris."
They grinned immediately.
"Leave it to us!"
"With me here, no one's getting past!"
Their confidence was reassuring—and justified.
The goal was simple:
Lure the enemy into the labyrinth.
Inside it, casualties on our side would be reduced to zero. We could reinforce endlessly, drawing even low-ranking monsters into the fight. Hundreds of thousands, if needed.
The labyrinth was not just a battlefield.
It was a weapon.
"The question," Benimaru said, "is whether the Empire will take the bait."
"They will," I replied. "Doubt and overconfidence will do the work for us."
Benimaru nodded in agreement.
"A suspicious informant, partial intelligence, and fragmented reports—nothing makes an army hesitate more."
Shion smirked.
"An untrustworthy factor among enemies is better than one at your side."
She was right.
An unreliable element inside the enemy ranks bred hesitation. Hesitation bred mistakes.
I had already informed King Gazel of the situation. He would handle the eastern front accordingly.
My concern was the main army.
They were surrounding us from multiple directions. The ground gates remained the primary access points—for now.
Still, one possibility troubled me.
What if they bypassed Eterna entirely?
What if they attacked Farmenas, the newly established kingdom under Youm?
They had capable defenders, but not enough for a full-scale war. If that front ignited, we would be forced to intervene—splitting our focus.
For now, it hadn't happened.
But war punished complacency.
If the Empire turned toward Blumund, Geld would strike from behind.
If they committed fully to the ground, we would lose the labyrinth's advantage.
That scenario meant real casualties.
Unacceptable.
Ideally, the Empire would choose the labyrinth.
Benimaru's Labyrinth Siege Strategy offered the highest success rate with the lowest risk.
If battle spilled onto open ground, the conditions would equalize—and that was precisely what I intended to avoid.
War was not about fairness.
Victory was justice.
Even so, contingency plans were ready.
Strong enemy combatants would be identified and eliminated first.
Decoys would draw them out.
Just as before.
All of it—
To protect me as king.
I felt it clearly.
Benimaru and the others placed my safety above their own—perhaps even more than I did myself.
That loyalty was not something I would ever take lightly.
I straightened.
"As long as Benimaru commands the board," I said, "I will stand unshaken."
And beyond the battlefield—
I would continue to strengthen Eterna quietly, steadily.
So that when people placed their faith in Atem,
They would never regret it.
I had deliberately prepared a massive ground gate—wide, obvious, impossible to miss.
Too obvious, perhaps.
For a brief moment, I wondered if the Imperial Army would sense the trap. Any competent commander should have hesitated. Any cautious strategist should have questioned why the enemy would invite an invasion.
That concern proved meaningless.
Reality unfolded exactly as I intended.
"Enemy forces confirmed at the ground gate!" the operator reported.
The large screen lit up with the image of the Imperial Guard, deployed in perfect order. Rank after rank. Banner after banner.
All seven hundred thousand of them.
No concealment.
No caution.
No retreat formation.
They were trying to intimidate us.
It failed.
Between Argus, Souei's network, and direct observation, there was no room for illusion or deception. This was the real thing.
They had taken the bait.
I folded my arms, calm and unmoved.
"We've already won," I said quietly.
Benimaru didn't even bother to sound serious.
"Yeah. We've won."
And he was right.
From a tactical standpoint, the outcome was already decided. Inside the labyrinth, we would suffer no casualties. Time was on our side. As long as no being beyond a Demon Lord-tier appeared, this advantage could not be overturned.
"A greedy fool walked straight into the board," Benimaru added.
"Your bait was blatant—but effective."
I nodded once.
"Gadra's intelligence did its job."
The Empire had revealed its full hand. That alone was priceless. If they had scattered their forces, identifying their elites would have been troublesome. But now, everything was in plain sight.
Dividing forces would have been foolish—
But concentrating them here ensured their destruction.
The only remaining variable was how many they would leave behind.
"If they block the gate and move west, that's troublesome," Benimaru noted.
"But even leaving a hundred thousand behind would be enough to encircle us."
"And if the rest move toward the Western Nations," I added, "they'll believe they've secured their future."
That scenario would have forced us into a ground war—something I wanted to avoid until their numbers were reduced further.
I glanced at the gate feed.
"Veldora. Ramiris."
They both spoke at once.
"Should we warn them?"
"If they get angry, won't they just rush in harder?"
I shook my head.
"No warnings."
Ramiris blinked.
"Why not?"
I gestured toward the screen.
"Read the inscription."
There it was, carved deep into the gate in letters no one could ignore:
THE WEAK ARE UNWORTHY TO ENTER
Ramiris froze—then laughed.
"Ohhh, right. That."
"I want to see how they react," I said flatly.
Benimaru smirked.
"If it were me, I'd charge in just to prove a point. Maybe send some men first."
"That sounds like you," I replied dryly.
Veldora puffed out his chest.
"I wouldn't care. I'm strong!"
Yes, yes. I wasn't asking you.
Diablo, watching with clear amusement, spoke calmly.
"It is His Majesty's mercy. Those who ignore the warning have no right to complain about what follows."
Shion nodded fiercely.
"Cowards who hesitate don't belong on the battlefield anyway! We should crush them without mercy!"
…That's exactly how wars spiral out of control, I thought, but said nothing.
The truth was—every executive here felt the same way. The victory earlier had ignited their fighting spirit. Testarossa and the others had offered me souls, and now the rest were unconsciously competing.
I didn't like that.
Seven hundred thousand souls…
The thought crossed my mind before I could stop it—and I immediately suppressed it.
No.
I would not become a monster in spirit, even if I already was one in name.
I turned back to the screen.
"They're moving."
The Imperial formations advanced in perfect order. No fear. No hesitation. They marched straight toward the gate.
"As planned," I murmured. "Once more than half enter, the rest won't matter."
Benimaru smiled, sharp and confident.
"I won't let any of them escape. If necessary, I'll move personally."
Geld nodded.
"My Second Corps will reshape the terrain. Numbers won't save them."
"If I burn their core," Benimaru continued, "the rest will break."
"Carrera-dono will enjoy that," Geld added calmly.
Shion stepped forward immediately.
"Then it's my turn too. An extermination war should include me."
I raised a hand.
"Calm yourself, Shion. We observe first. Depending on their response, you'll move."
She clicked her tongue—but nodded.
Diablo's voice followed smoothly.
"If Your Majesty remains here, I alone am sufficient protection."
And if necessary, I could summon Testarossa, Ultima, or Carrera instantly.
This was not a reckless gamble.
This was a controlled execution.
Veldora stretched his arms.
"Well then! Time to make the labyrinth famous!"
Ramiris beamed.
"This is my domain. I won't disappoint!"
They left the Control Room, Beretta following close behind. The room fell silent again.
I stood, gaze fixed on the gate.
"Let us see," I said calmly, authority filling every word,
"what value the Empire truly holds."
Thus began the decisive battle.
Seven hundred thousand Imperial soldiers marched into the labyrinth—
And onto the board of Atem, King of Games,
where defeat had already been decided.