After everything that had happened, the strike team was finally decided.
For what it was worth, Alvis and the Eurazania reinforcements were more than welcome. Even now, we were still at a numerical disadvantage—but tactically, we finally had room to breathe.
The formation was clean and decisive.
Geld would anchor the front line.
Momiji would command from the rear.
Guerrilla units would strike from both flanks—Shion on the right, Alvis on the left.
It wasn't perfect.
But it was enough.
I gave the order for the corps to prepare for battle.
Shion and Geld moved instantly, as if they had been waiting for my command. Momiji followed without hesitation, issuing instructions with calm authority. The Control Room erupted into controlled chaos.
The ninety-fifth floor—now expanded and designated as the hundredth floor—held a wide open plaza. It wasn't designed for large-scale training, but it was more than sufficient for assembly.
Soon, the soldiers of Geld's Second Corps and Benimaru's Fourth Corps gathered nearby.
They would be ready within an hour.
I decided to go in person.
After all, the army would be transported to the surface by large-scale transfer magic—and I alone could perform it.
As I prepared to leave, Souei approached silently.
"Atem-sama, may I report something?"
"Speak."
"I just received word from Moss. He detected signs of battle in the Blumund region. Treyni-dono is engaged in combat—with another party."
My eyes narrowed.
Now that he mentioned it, Treyni had been absent for nearly ten days. She had left the labyrinth claiming she was meeting someone suspicious—and never returned.
Had she been fighting all this time?
"Souei," I said calmly, "go and assist her."
He hesitated.
I understood his concern—my personal guard would be reduced.
But that concern was unnecessary.
Benimaru was still here.
And if needed, I could summon the Elite Ten of the Labyrinth in an instant.
More importantly—
I already knew.
Chloe had once said I was killed.
But that was not this timeline.
I was no longer the being she had seen die.
And more than that—
Eternal Dominion was already active.
I knew someone was hiding.
I knew an attack was coming.
And I allowed it.
Not out of carelessness—but to see whether Benimaru would notice, whether the enemy would reveal their hand.
Inside my Eternal Dominion, everything within the labyrinth was under my control.
The fool simply didn't know it yet.
"There's no need to worry," I continued. "Go."
Souei exchanged a glance with Benimaru, then nodded.
"If Benimaru-sama is here, I will go."
I felt a mix of appreciation and irritation at how much they worried about me.
I was Atem, Demon Lord of Eterna.
"Go," I said.
Souei vanished instantly—perfect Instant Move, as always.
If Treyni had been fighting for that long, her opponent was formidable. With Souei joining her, she would prevail.
For now, the priority was the war.
An hour later, tens of thousands of majins filled the plaza on the hundredth floor.
When I appeared, they snapped to attention in perfect silence.
Disciplined. Focused. Burning with resolve.
I stepped forward.
"Everyone," I said, my voice steady and absolute.
"We end the Imperial invasion today. Our objective is total victory. No one is left behind. Everyone returns alive. That is my command."
No embellishment.
No flourish.
Just a king's decree.
It was enough.
Later, I would hear the reactions.
"His Majesty Atem's words… I can die happy!"
"You idiot! Dying is forbidden!"
—That sort of thing.
Unaware of the chaos I had inspired, I activated the transfer spell.
In an instant, the army vanished.
The plaza fell silent.
Shion and Diablo had already departed.
Only Benimaru and I remained.
"They'll win," I said.
"Yes," Benimaru replied calmly. "There's been no movement among the Imperial Guard commanders. But there was activity at the top level. Krishna and the others must have reported what happened in the labyrinth. Once they realize they're the only survivors, they'll attempt to withdraw."
He smiled faintly.
"Before that, we'll end it."
I nodded.
If I were in their position, losing contact with my forces would force immediate action.
Honestly, even I hadn't expected the Empire to fall for our trap so completely.
"Greed ruins everything," I said.
Benimaru nodded.
"In war, greed leads to collapse. Looting is forbidden in our army for that reason."
Good.
We had exploited the Empire's greed perfectly.
Now we would finish it.
As we turned back toward the Control Room, I spoke again.
"If something happened right now," I said, "it would just be you and me here."
"Yes."
"And if enemies were hiding in the labyrinth," I continued, "this would be the perfect moment to strike."
Benimaru scoffed.
"They wouldn't miss such an opportunity."
"That's right."
Because—
They were already dancing in the palm of my hand.
From Labyrinth City, familiar figures approached.
I saw them immediately.
Masayuki waved awkwardly from the front.
Behind him were his companions—a warrior and a magician.
Jinrai and Bernie.
Masayuki didn't know it yet.
But the enemy was standing right beside him.
I didn't blame him.
Even Benimaru dismissed the thought when I voiced it.
"Too paranoid," he said.
And yes—Solarys confirmed it.
«Analysis complete. Probability of Masayuki being Emperor Rudra: 0%.»
Masayuki was innocent.
Bernie was not.
Masayuki complained as usual—about being appointed a corps leader, about applicants flooding in, about chaos spreading through Labyrinth City.
He looked exhausted.
Not acting.
The real issue lay elsewhere.
The Surmounters—Calamity-class researchers sent by Luminous—were bored. To them, the war was entertainment.
Bacchus and Jiwu were supposedly calming them down.
Supposedly.
Just as I prepared to disengage—
Bernie stepped forward.
"If Masayuki won't do it," he said sharply, "I will."
He began chanting.
"Holy Purification Barrier!"
For a moment, even the air seemed to recoil.
That spell was no joke.
Only a handful of people in the world could cast it alone.
But before it could fully manifest—
I snapped my fingers.
The spell shattered into nothingness.
Silence fell.
Shock froze every face.
I looked directly at Bernie.
"You fool," I said coldly.
"Did you truly believe you could harm me?"
Then—
I reached into his soul.
Inside my Eternal Dominion, all things were mine to command.
I didn't crush him instantly.
I made it hurt.
Pain beyond nerves.
Pain beyond thought.
Pain so absolute that death would have felt like mercy.
Bernie screamed—though no sound truly escaped.
Even Benimaru stared in disbelief at how quickly everything had unfolded.
Jinrai shouted in horror.
"Bernie—what have you done?! You lied to all of us! To Masayuki-san!"
But it wasn't over.
My Eternal Dominion flared.
I sensed movement in the laboratory on the hundredth floor.
Another assassin.
I made my decision.
"Solarys," I said calmly.
«Acknowledged.»
Time stopped.
The entire labyrinth froze.
No sound.
No motion.
No thought.
Only I could move.
I alone stood unbound.
Another presence revealed itself.
Jiwu.
She had already begun her attack—another blade aimed at my existence.
I reached into her soul as well.
The same fate.
The same unbearable destruction.
Both assassins were erased—their souls annihilated beyond recovery.
No resurrection.
No return.
Then—
I sensed Chloe.
She was there, preparing to protect me—desperate not to relive the future she had seen.
I allowed her to move within the frozen world.
She appeared before me, eyes wide.
"This… this isn't how it happened before," she whispered.
I looked at her gently.
"Chloe," I said, "I told you.
The me you saw die… and the me who stands here… are not the same."
She stared for a moment—
Then smiled.
And hugged me tightly.
Time remained frozen.
The war outside continued unseen.
And the truth was clear:
Killing the King of Eterna was never an option.
The board had been frozen.
And checkmate—
Had already been declared.
And just like that, Bernie and Jiwu were erased from the game.
I withdrew Eternal Dominion.
The Time Freeze dissolved, and the flow of the world resumed as if nothing had happened.
Sound returned.
Motion returned.
Life continued.
Only the truth did not.
Masayuki and the others stood frozen for several seconds, their faces pale as the reality of betrayal finally caught up to them. Friends they had trusted—companions they had walked beside—had been enemies all along.
I watched them in silence as they slowly turned away and headed back toward their hotel.
They would recover.
Shock fades.
Betrayal scars—but it does not always break.
Still, I felt a trace of regret.
But this was war.
And I was a king.
I could not afford to linger.
I entrusted Chloe with Masayuki and his companions. She understood without words. With her there, no one would exploit their shaken state.
Then Benimaru and I returned to the Control Room.
At this point, every hostile presence inside the labyrinth should have been eliminated.
That was my conclusion.
So when I stepped forward and felt unfamiliar presences ahead—
I stopped.
There were already people inside.
"Ah—Atem!" a familiar voice called out. "You nearly gave us a heart attack when we suddenly lost contact with you!"
Another voice followed, far more casual.
"That's right. Well, I wasn't exactly worried… but I figured I'd say something anyway. Ramiris wouldn't stop nagging, after all. I'm not in a rush—
I just wanted to see how things were going."
Ramiris looked openly relieved.
Veldora, on the other hand, crossed his arms and puffed out his chest as usual, trying to look dignified.
"I apologize for the concern," I said calmly. "But Veldora can reach me no matter where I am. If something had gone wrong, you would have known immediately."
"Is that true, Master?" Ramiris asked sharply.
Veldora flinched.
"A-Ahem! O-Of course! I told you there was no need to worry!"
Ramiris stared at him with icy suspicion.
Sensing the danger, Veldora hurriedly redirected the conversation.
"More importantly," he said, clearing his throat, "since you're clearly unharmed, you should hear their report."
I followed his gaze.
And there—
I saw Treyni, Souei, and a man bound tightly in coils, suspended helplessly in the air.
I had already sensed Souei's return.
Treyni's presence, too.
But the third figure—
That one was new.
Treyni looked utterly exhausted. She was seated off to the side, calmly drinking fruit juice, her posture relaxed in a way that suggested the danger had already passed. She looked like someone who had just finished a long, unpleasant chore.
I decided to let her rest.
Instead, I turned my attention to Souei.
His expression was serious.
Controlled.
But sharp.
"So," I said quietly, authority naturally settling into my voice,
"Souei—explain."
The game had ended.
But it was clear now—
Another truth was about to surface.