The War Intensifies: The Arrival of the Single Digits

The battlefield had changed.

The first wave of the Eastern Empire's forces had been obliterated—tank-like vehicles crushed under the raw might of Tempest's warriors, soldiers reduced to ashes by devastating magic. But Rudra was no fool.

The Emperor of the Eastern Empire sat on his golden throne, his golden eyes glowing with cold determination. The reports of his troops being wiped out didn't faze him—because now, he would unleash his true trump card.

Velgrynd stood beside him, arms crossed. "So, you're really sending them in?"

Rudra exhaled slowly. "The Single Digits. The Empire's ultimate warriors. Each one of them is a monster, capable of rivaling even a Demon Lord."

Kondou, his face unreadable, gave a sharp nod. "With their power, the tides will turn."

Then, the orders were given.

The Single Digits were deployed.

Deep inside the Labyrinth's lowest floor, Rimuru sat at the head of a massive war table, surrounded by his most powerful warriors.

The magical projections displayed the battlefield. The first wave of the Empire had been torn apart, but now… they were coming.

100 warriors. Each radiating an aura so powerful that it felt like a storm was descending on Tempest.

Benimaru's sharp red eyes glowed, his hand gripping the hilt of his katana. "So, these are the Single Digits?"

Zegion, standing at his side, merely tilted his head, exuding an aura of supreme calm. "They seem… adequate."

Shion cracked her knuckles, a savage grin on her face. "More meat for the grinder."

Hakuro, ever the composed warrior, studied the enemy's movement through the projection. "They are not to be underestimated. Each one moves with precision. They aren't mere soldiers—they're seasoned killers."

Veldora, leaning back, folded his arms. "Heh. It's been a while since I've had a good warm-up."

Rimuru sighed, rubbing his temples. "Alright, listen up. These guys are strong. We aren't going to brute-force this. We hit them smart, we hit them fast, and we don't let them control the battlefield."

He pointed at each of his warriors. "Benimaru, you lead the front. Zegion, take care of anyone who gets too close to the city. Hakuro, you'll be our counteroffensive. Shion, Geld, Ranga, Gobta—you're in charge of flanking and disrupting their formations."

He turned to Veldora.

"You? Just go wild."

The Storm Dragon grinned.

With that, the warriors of Tempest moved out.

The skies above Tempest darkened as the Single Digits arrived.

100 figures descended like meteors, landing with explosive force. The earth trembled beneath them. Each warrior radiated power comparable to a Demon Lord.

Their leader stepped forward. A man clad in obsidian armor, his silver hair flowing in the wind. His presence alone made the air heavy.

"So… this is Tempest," he said, voice like a whisper, yet carrying through the battlefield.

Behind him, his warriors spread out, each exuding overwhelming bloodlust.

Benimaru stepped forward, his crimson eyes locking onto the enemy leader. "Took you long enough."

The leader smirked. "It was only polite to give you a head start. Now, shall we begin?"

The battle erupted.

In a flash of crimson light, Benimaru vanished.

The leader barely had time to react—Benimaru's blade was already slashing toward his neck.

CLANG!

A shockwave exploded outward as the leader blocked with his own blade. The ground beneath them shattered from the force.

Benimaru grinned. "Not bad."

The leader smirked. "I was about to say the same thing."

Then, they vanished—only streaks of light clashing at supersonic speeds, blades colliding in a dance of fire and death.

Three of the Single Digits surrounded Zegion. They moved with perfect synchronization—like ghosts, their speed making them appear in multiple places at once.

But Zegion didn't move.

He didn't need to.

A single swipe of his claw—faster than light—ripped through the air.

The three warriors dodged—barely.

One of them was too slow.

In an instant, his body was severed—cut so cleanly that he didn't even realize he was dead until he collapsed.

Zegion's cold voice echoed. "You're too slow."

Shion faced off against a towering behemoth of a warrior, easily 10 feet tall, his muscles pulsing with raw power.

The giant laughed. "You think you can fight me, little girl?"

Shion grinned. "Oh, I don't think. I know."

The giant swung his massive warhammer, the shockwave alone cracking the air.

Shion didn't move.

Then—she caught the hammer.

The entire battlefield went silent.

The giant's eyes widened in horror. "What—?!"

Shion smirked. "Too slow."

With one hand, she lifted the warhammer, ripped it from his grasp, and swung it back—hitting him with his own weapon.

BOOOOM!

The giant's body was sent flying, crashing through mountains, leaving a trail of destruction.

Shion sighed. "That was disappointing."

On another front, Veldora was having fun.

The Single Digits had made a grave mistake.

They thought they could fight a Storm Dragon.

Lightning ripped through the battlefield, turning entire squads to ash.

Veldora laughed wildly, his draconic aura shaking the heavens. "Come on! Is this all you've got?!"

A Single Digit warrior charged at him, blade glowing with divine energy.

Veldora caught it with his fingers.

The warrior's eyes widened. "Impossible—"

CRACK.

Veldora snapped the sword in half and breathed a column of pure destruction, vaporizing the warrior instantly.

"Pathetic."

The war was now in full swing.

Explosions of magic lit up the battlefield. Swords clashed, spells erupted, the earth quaked under the sheer force of the battles.

Tempest's warriors, despite being outnumbered, held their ground—no, they were winning.

The Single Digits, warriors once thought to be unstoppable, were being cut down one by one.

From the distance, Rimuru watched through his projection, nodding to himself.

"So far, so good."

But then—a chilling energy filled the air.

The Seal for Veldora had been activated.

Rimuru's eyes sharpened.

"Tch. So that's their play."

The real battle was just beginning.

Far above the battlefield, a massive floating warship hovered in the sky—an awe-inspiring construct built purely for war, its presence alone casting a shadow over the land below. From within its heavily fortified command center, Emperor Rudra, flanked by Velgrynd, Kondou, and Damrada, stared at the live projections of the war.

Rudra's golden eyes gleamed with cold calculation as he watched Veldora rampage across the battlefield. Even his strongest warriors—the Single Digits—were being annihilated by Tempest's forces.

It was time to activate their trump card.

Velgrynd folded her arms, her fiery red hair cascading behind her. "Are you sure about this, Rudra?"

Rudra's gaze remained fixed on the projection of the storm dragon. "If we don't act now, this war is already lost."

Damrada bowed slightly. "With all due respect, your Majesty, this plan is foolproof. Once the seal is activated, Veldora will be under our complete control."

Kondou, ever the stoic warrior, gave a sharp nod. "Then let's proceed."

Far away, seated on a grand throne of obsidian and crimson velvet, I watched the war unfold with a smirk on my lips. My lovers—Velzard, Testarossa, Ultima, and Carrera—stood by my side, their expressions ranging from mild amusement to outright mockery.

"These fools…" I chuckled, shaking my head. "They think they can control Veldora with that?"

Velzard leaned against the armrest of my throne, a sly smile on her lips. "They have no idea."

Testarossa, elegant as ever, sighed with a look of disinterest. "It's almost disappointing. I expected more from Rudra."

Ultima giggled, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "I almost want to let them hit him just to see their faces when it doesn't work."

Carrera stretched her arms and yawned. "Meh. It's a waste of a good spell."

I smirked, eyes fixed on the scene. "Let's see how this plays out."

In another part of the world, inside the Dragon Kingdom, Milim Nava was pacing restlessly inside her castle. The pink-haired Demon Lord, known as the Destroyer, was growing impatient.

Her best friend, Rimuru, was in battle. Tempest was under siege. And she wasn't there.

"Gahh! I can't take it anymore!" Milim shouted, stomping her foot so hard that the ground cracked. "I should be out there fighting! Rimuru's in trouble, and I'm just sitting here?!"

Standing before her was Midray, her most loyal retainer and fellow Dragonoid, who wore a deeply concerned expression.

"Milim-sama, please reconsider!" Midray pleaded. "If you leave now, the entire continent will go into chaos. Your absence would put your kingdom at risk."

Milim gritted her teeth. "Tch! But Rimuru—"

Midray lowered his head. "You must trust him. Rimuru is strong, and so are his allies."

Milim clenched her fists. "…Fine. But if things get worse, I'm going."

Midray sighed in relief.

Back on the battlefield, the Empire's warship shifted into position.

Inside the command center, a group of elite spellcasters, garbed in ceremonial robes, stood in a massive ritual circle inscribed with divine runes.

The Seal of Domination was no ordinary spell. It was a forbidden technique, crafted with the combined knowledge of the Empire's greatest sorcerers and divine researchers. A spell designed for one purpose—to enslave even the mightiest of creatures.

The lead magician raised his staff. "Initiating the seal… target acquired."

A massive silver magic circle expanded in the sky, crackling with pure divine energy. A long, sleek cannon-like structure emerged from the ship's underbelly, charged with concentrated seal energy.

Kondou's voice was cold. "Fire."

BOOM.

A lance of silver light erupted from the warship, tearing through the sky at blinding speed.

The battlefield fell silent as the spell tore through the air, racing toward Veldora.

The bullet of divine energy closed the distance in the blink of an eye.

All eyes were locked onto it.

Would it hit? Would Veldora fall?

But then…

He caught it.

With two fingers.

The spell, capable of enslaving even a True Dragon, was halted mid-air.

Time seemed to stop.

A silence so absolute that even the wind refused to blow.

Veldora stared at the tiny glowing projectile, pinched between his fingers, as if it were nothing more than a candle flame.

He blinked. "Huh."

And then… he snuffed it out.

FSSHH. The spell simply vanished.

Rudra's Shock

In the command center of the Empire's warship, Emperor Rudra stood frozen.

His eyes widened in disbelief. "…Impossible."

Velgrynd, usually composed, narrowed her eyes. "That's… not normal."

Kondou, despite his usually unreadable demeanor, had his fists clenched.

Damrada exhaled sharply. "What… just happened?"

Far away, in the Ice Continent, the crimson-haired Demon Lord, Guy Crimson, had been watching the battle unfold.

He leaned forward in his throne, eyes narrowing. "That can't be Veldora…"

Beside him, his two maids, Rain and Misery, had identical expressions of shock.

Rain whispered. "He wasn't… this strong before."

Misery nodded. "Or this smart."

Guy remained silent for a long moment. Then, a slow grin spread across his lips.

"Heh… This just got interesting."

Back in Tempest's war room, Rimuru was watching through the magical projection.

The moment Veldora caught the spell, Rimuru's face twisted in utter disbelief.

"WHAT?!"

Benimaru, standing beside him, was equally stunned. "He… just caught it?"

Shion, mouth agape, stammered. "B-But that thing was supposed to enslave him… right?"

Zegion remained silent, but his eyes shone with intrigue.

Back in the City of Eternal Nights, I chuckled, shaking my head.

"And they thought they could control Veldora."

Velzard smirked. "They're fools."

Testarossa sighed, sipping a glass of wine. "Rimuru doesn't even know how strong Veldora really is."

Ultima giggled. "Only we do."

Carrera cracked her knuckles. "And I say we keep them guessing."

I smirked, watching the battlefield. "Let them wonder. Let them fear. Because only I know the truth…

Only I can defeat Veldora."