Thus, of the seven hundred thousand Imperial troops that had invaded from the ground, over five hundred and thirty thousand were annihilated.
It was nothing less than a massacre.
For me—Atem, Demon Lord of Eterna, King of Games—it meant something else entirely.
I had claimed more than five hundred thousand souls.
Combined with what had already been gathered, the total now exceeded seven hundred and seventy thousand. Enough to evolve seven of my own commanders into higher existences.
When the remaining ground battles concluded, I would decide who would ascend.
For now, however, the war was not yet finished.
"The remaining Imperial forces are under two hundred thousand."
Benimaru's report was calm, precise.
"It's still a large army," he continued, "but compared to the beginning, it's insignificant."
"Yes," another report followed. "It's been two days since the last movement toward the labyrinth. No reinforcements. No signs of regrouping. Frankly speaking, their commanders are incompetent if they still believe the labyrinth is their path to victory."
Benimaru was correct.
The Empire had already lost every Over A–rank combatant worth mentioning. They no longer had the strength to challenge the labyrinth.
Which meant—
If the war was to end, we would have to move.
"Numbers aside," I said, fingers steepled, eyes fixed on the tactical map, "their remaining soldiers are still better trained than our average troops. If we deploy the Second Corps directly, casualties are inevitable."
That was unacceptable.
We could wait.
Their supply lines were already severed. We could starve them out, achieve victory without loss. With the food reserves inside the labyrinth, Eterna could hold out for over a year. If needed, Ramiris could even expand farmland.
From a purely strategic standpoint, patience guaranteed perfection.
Then—
"Hmph!"
Shion slammed her fist into her palm, grinning fiercely.
"As you said before, Benimaru—we're not letting invaders return alive, are we? Leave it to us!"
Benimaru laughed softly.
It seemed the conclusion had already been reached.
"The Empire must never be allowed to dream of invasion again," Benimaru said firmly. "To ensure that, every intruder must die."
It was ruthless.
And correct.
I did not object.
Hatred from the Empire's citizens was inevitable—but my concern was never their feelings. My only hesitation lay with the Western Nations and how far our reputation might spread.
At that moment—
«Report. I have a proposal.»
Solarys, Sovereign of Wisdom, spoke.
"Oh?" I replied. "That's rare. You don't usually phrase it like that."
«Answer. The proposal requires preparation and time. It is best attempted after the war concludes.»
I nodded.
"Very well. We'll discuss it later."
Whatever Solarys was planning, it would not be done mid-war.
I turned my attention back to Benimaru.
"Killing every enemy is acceptable," I said evenly. "But one condition stands above all others."
Silence fell.
"Can you do it," I asked, "without casualties on our side?"
Benimaru didn't hesitate.
"As long as the leaders take the field."
Diablo.
Shion.
Even the gentle Geld.
All of them nodded.
Their confidence was absolute.
"So," I asked, "what is the plan?"
Benimaru answered immediately.
"First priority: protect Atem-sama."
Everyone agreed without question.
I raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Didn't we already eliminate everyone who
entered the labyrinth? Except Lucius and Raymond."
Those two were still prisoners of war, held under Gadra's watch on the sixtieth floor. They showed no signs of rebellion—and Gadra, in his own way, had been educating them by showing them recorded battles of the labyrinth.
Their reactions had been… enlightening.
"Defecting was the right choice, wasn't it?"
"You owe us at least three meals."
"Yes, yes, we understand how you feel."
They were not a concern.
"Souei," I said calmly, "any infiltration into the city?"
"None," he replied instantly. "Everything has been handled."
That single sentence was enough.
«Confirmation. All individuals who entered the labyrinth have been eliminated. One exception: Krishna activated a Resurrection Bracelet and escaped the dungeon. He is no longer a threat.»
So Krishna lived.
Noted.
"The labyrinth is secure," I said. "But this war has taught us something important."
I looked around the room.
"The Empire possesses strong individuals. There may be others we haven't seen yet. We cannot afford complacency."
I paused, then added quietly,
"I appreciate your concern for my safety—but I will not accept victory if it costs your lives."
The room stiffened.
That single statement carried weight.
"Kufufufu… if Atem-sama commands it," Diablo said with delight, "then allow me to take the field. I'll end this war in an instant."
"No way!" Shion barked. "You're not stealing this! I've been waiting to show my forces to Atem-sama!"
The doors burst open.
"Milord! That's unfair!" Carrera stormed in. "Testa and Ult already had their fun. I demand my turn!"
Chaos erupted.
Benimaru stared, momentarily speechless.
Even Geld laughed.
I raised one hand.
"Enough."
Silence snapped back into place.
"I will remain here," I declared. "You will end this war."
Benimaru exhaled, then nodded.
"…Very well."
And so, the final phase was decided.
The King would stay upon the board.
And the pieces—
Would deliver checkmate.
With the overall situation clarified, the true question finally emerged:
What strategy would end this war—completely?
Benimaru stepped forward and began laying out the numbers with practiced calm.
"Let's confirm our strength. The core force will be my thirty thousand Red Numbers, supported by seventeen thousand elite troops from Geld's Yellow and Orange Numbers. In quality, they're comparable to what remains of the Imperial Guard. I'm connected to all commanders and captains through the Telepathy Net, so coordination will be precise. We can adapt tactics instantly. If the battlefield narrows, we can fight them evenly."
He paused and turned toward Shion.
"So—how many of your secret troops are ready?"
That brought our visible fighting strength to forty-seven thousand. On average, they were B-plus rank—more than respectable.
But the enemy still outnumbered us nearly four to one.
If we fought recklessly, even with superior command, losses were inevitable.
Shion answered proudly.
"Ten thousand. And I'll say this clearly—I kept only those who survived my training. Every single one of them is B-plus rank or higher."
Her personal unit.
The infamous Shion fan club.
A mysterious force separate from the formal army, originally led by Dagruel's sons, now swollen far beyond what I had imagined.
"…There are really that many?" I asked.
"Yes!" Shion puffed out her chest. "I personally trained them to be worthy of Atem-sama's escort!"
"…That's your escort," I replied flatly. "Not mine."
"Well—details!"
I let it go.
At moments like this, arguing was pointless. More reliable fighters were always welcome.
Even so, the numbers were still against us.
"So we'll rely on the leaders," I said, voice firm.
"We strike first with overwhelming force, throw their formation into chaos, and then crush them. Of course, the enemy won't just watch. Someone will interfere."
My gaze shifted.
"Who goes first?"
Originally, Benimaru himself would have handled this—Hell Flare was perfect for large-scale annihilation.
But Benimaru would remain at my side.
That left—
"Milord," a confident voice purred, "I'm still here, am I not?"
Carrera.
I glanced at Benimaru. He gave a small nod.
Decision made.
"I'll leave the opening strike to Carrera. Go wild. Overwhelm them with flashy magic and shatter the Imperial Guard's morale."
"Leave it to me, milord!"
Diablo looked like he was about to speak.
"Diablo?" I asked. "You wanted to say something?"
"No, no—nothing important," he said quickly, smiling. "This is perfect. Truly."
Carrera beamed.
But I caught it.
Diablo had wanted the role.
I stepped down from my seat and approached him, my form shifting smoothly from my throne presence into a humanoid one. I placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Diablo," I said calmly, "I have a different task for you."
"…!"
His expression lit up instantly.
"I want you to eliminate the enemy commander-in-chief."
Diablo's smile widened—genuine, almost reverent.
"There may be strong individuals hiding among them," I continued. "Krishna escaped the labyrinth. If he's active again, you should be able to track him easily."
This was Diablo's specialty.
"Of course, Atem-sama," he answered without hesitation.
Good.
"There may be monsters within the Empire we haven't yet uncovered," I said. "We'll draw them out by force. Carrera, Diablo—you are the spear."
"I swear I will not fail, milord!"
"To act on Atem-sama's command… my heart trembles!"
Their enthusiasm was infectious.
This would make things far easier for Geld and the others.
"Ensure Carrera's casting is uninterrupted," I ordered. "If anything interferes, Shion, your unit eradicates it."
Benimaru took over seamlessly, issuing orders with precision.
"Formation: Geld holds the front line. Shion conducts guerrilla strikes. The Red Numbers provide pursuit and suppression. As for battlefield command—"
He hesitated.
The substitute needed to be linked through the Telepathy Net, capable of making instant corrections under pressure.
Gobua was a possibility—but the temperament mismatch with Shion and Geld was a concern.
"Then Gobua—"
"Please wait."
The control room doors opened suddenly.
In stepped Momiji, acting leader of the Tengu clan—and Hakurou's daughter.
I raised an eyebrow. Security in this room was absolute.
"Well," Momiji said calmly, "Shuna-sama invited us."
Ah.
That explained everything.
Shuna had been managing supplies, tea, and logistics nonstop. It seemed Momiji had been helping her—and earning trust.
Momiji stepped forward.
"I believe the role of Benimaru-sama's substitute should be mine. As his future wife."
"What—?!" Benimaru blurted out.
Silence.
Then—
"…That's acceptable," I said.
Benimaru froze.
Momiji bowed deeply, eyes shining.
"With pleasure."
Shion nodded approvingly.
"No problem from me. Hakurou's daughter is more than qualified."
Geld agreed.
"The Red Numbers are meritocratic. Cooperation with the Tengu is preferable to relying solely on the Kurenai."
No objections followed.
I turned to Benimaru.
"Since there's no opposition, leave it to your wife."
"No—wait—"
"You're worried about her," I said calmly.
"That's not—!"
"Big brother!"
The door burst open.
Shuna stood there, hands on her hips.
"Momiji-sama has been cooking for you every day! She even asked me to teach her! You can't disrespect that!"
"…Is that true?" I asked.
Momiji nodded gently.
I had noticed the change myself.
Benimaru tried to protest again.
"Brother!"
He flinched.
Ah. He really was weak against his sister.
"In the first place," Shuna continued, "your
indecision is the problem! If you're a man, be clear about who you love!"
This… was not the time.
I sympathized deeply with Benimaru.
Before he could respond—
"I won't let you sneak away."
Another voice.
Alvis stepped forward from behind Shuna.
"I've arrived with reinforcements from Eurazania."
She handed over a letter.
From Milim.
It read only:
Do your best.
That was it.
…Of course it was.
"How did you even enter the labyrinth?" I asked.
"Milim-sama used magic," Alvis replied. "The one you developed, Atem-sama."
Right.
So Milim had coordinated with Ramiris via telepathy and sent forces directly inside.
Typical Milim.
Alvis had brought twenty thousand troops—beastmen, harpies, and members of the Beast Master's Warrior Alliance.
Benimaru looked torn.
He couldn't refuse Milim.
And Momiji would never back down now.
"…Fine," he said at last. "Momiji. I entrust my army to you."
"With pleasure."
And so—
The battlefield gained yet another layer of tension.
"I hope you don't slow me down," Alvis said coolly.
"Hm? That depends on you," Momiji replied.
I watched sparks practically fly between them.
This war would end decisively.
But first—
The board was set.
And every piece was moving exactly where I wanted it.