Master Gadra sat alone in his study, gripping a bundle of classified reports with a grim expression carved onto his face. Imperial intelligence had finally confirmed the truth—the West now moved under a single banner:
Eterna, ruled by the Demon Lord Atem.
A name the Empire understood far too little about.
And a name that unsettled Gadra far more than he admitted.
"Hmph… why now? When we finally had the chance to destroy Luminas…"
The revival of the Storm Dragon, Veldora, had shattered years of preparation. Worse, the Empire's leadership fractured into three opposing factions:
One demanded waiting for the Storm Dragon to vanish again.
One insisted on defeating it using their new experimental weapons.
One wanted to avoid the Great Jura Forest entirely to prevent provoking the creature.
Their disagreements stalled all imperial action—allowing Veldora to revive fully, rendering the subjugation faction furious, yet helpless.
Gadra understood their reasoning, but he himself cared nothing for Veldora.
His purpose was singular:
Destroy Luminism.
Avenge the Seven Luminary Clerics who murdered his closest friend.
Even now, he clung to the belief that Sun Priest Gran still lived, hiding somewhere behind the scenes.
Rumors from the West spoke of chaos:
the Rosso family's fall, strange political shifts, and the silent consolidation of power under the Western Council.
But nowhere—absolutely nowhere—was there evidence that the Western Holy Church had weakened.
To Gadra, that meant only one thing:
Gran survived.
And that alone fueled his march toward vengeance.
Gadra clicked his tongue as he reread the field reports.
"The Storm Dragon and a Demon Lord aligned… How troublesome."
A Demon Lord was already a terror.
A Storm Dragon was a natural disaster given shape.
But together?
A nightmare.
And now the West had both:
Veldora,
and
Demon Lord Atem—King of Eterna.
Gadra clenched his fist.
"I know how strong he is… Atem is no ordinary Demon Lord. His rise was too fast—too controlled. Even the West bends knee to him willingly."
But the Empire refused to see the danger.
Idiots… they think new weapons can control a spiritual life form? They understand nothing.
Gadra knew better than anyone—he had, after all, developed the Mental Control theories they were basing their experiments on.
Controlling a demon was difficult.
Controlling a spiritual existence like Veldora was nearly impossible.
"I told the Emperor… but he ignored me. 'If they want to do it, let them try.' Hmph."
Not even the Emperor wished to stand in their way.
Gadra exhaled slowly.
The Empire's biggest obstacle was no longer Veldora.
It was Atem.
The Demon Lord who unified the Great Jura Forest.
The King whose authority reshaped the West in record time.
The ruler whose charisma turned nations into allies.
The man who stood beside the Storm Dragon as an equal.
And though they knew nothing about his inner power…
Gadra could feel it.
A pressure.
A presence.
The weight of an ancient monarch who tolerated no defiance.
"If he and Veldora stand together… attacking Eterna is suicide."
Even the full imperial army would struggle to force Atem into open conflict.
The West was too heavily fortified now.
Unless the Empire found a way to lure him elsewhere—
—into terrain they could control.
A thought came to him.
"The dungeon…"
He whispered it like a curse.
"They might be developing weapons from the otherworld inside that dungeon. Atem may even be building something far beyond our expectations…"
He felt his pulse quicken.
"No matter. I must investigate. If we cannot defeat Atem and Veldora without losing more than thirty percent of our forces, a war against the West becomes unwinnable."
He spoke the words aloud to steel his resolve.
He had survived the previous great expedition.
He had seen how terrifying the Storm Dragon truly was.
And yet…
He still failed to see the truth—
**Eterna was not the Empire's biggest threat.
Atem was.**
Not Veldora.
Not the Church.
Not the Council.
Not the dungeon.
Atem's existence alone would decide the fate of the East.
Master Gadra, blinded by revenge, mistook Luminism for his true enemy and dismissed Eterna entirely.
That mistake was fatal.
And the moment Gadra finally understood the magnitude of the king ruling Eterna…
…it would already be too late.
Master Gadra had summoned three elite members of the Mixed Corps to his chamber deep within the Eastern Empire. They were chosen not by political necessity, but by competence—and because they had once trained under him.
Shinji Tanimura, the ever-analytical science student.
Mark Lauren, musclebound, loud, impulsive.
Xin Liuxing, a silent executioner wrapped in flowing clothes concealing enough weapons for a small war.
The three lined up, stiff with nerves.
"Long time no see, Teacher!" Shinji said cheerfully.
Gadra chuckled. "Indeed, Shinji… Mark… Xin. You all look well."
Mark flexed. "I'm great!"
Xin added bluntly, "…I am not well."
Gadra laughed harder. "You three haven't changed. Good."
These three were otherworlders who had been taken in by the Empire, handed to Cerberus, and eventually taught by Gadra—who molded their raw talent into military-grade Unique Skills. They were exceptional. Valuable. The crown jewels of the Mixed Corps.
And today, they faced a mission that even Gadra treated with caution.
Shinji, Mark, and Xin sat down, uneasy under the weight of Gadra's expression.
"So, Master," Shinji began, "what is the mission?"
Gadra folded his arms. "I will explain. Listen carefully—your lives depend on it."
Even Mark swallowed nervously.
"We are investigating a labyrinth. Not just any labyrinth… a Dungeon rumored to belong to a Demon Lord."
Mark exploded:
"You dragged us out here for an obstacle course?! Master, seriously?! The great expedition is weeks away—!"
"Quiet." Shinji smacked the back of his head. "Master wouldn't call us for something trivial."
Xin nodded. "…Listen first."
Mark groaned. "Fine."
Gadra continued:
"This labyrinth—" he lifted a parchment filled with reconnaissance sketches—
"—defies all understanding. A city exists inside it. A functioning civilization. And the one ruling it is connected to the Demon Lord Atem of Eterna."
Those words hit the trio like a hammer.
Because the Empire did not consider Atem a simple Demon Lord.
He was dangerous. Charismatic. Unpredictable. Strategic.
But still—a Demon Lord.
They simply did not know the truth.
They did not know Atem erased Yuuki from existence.
They did not know he commanded Solarys, the Sovereign of Wisdom.
They did not know half of what Atem was capable of.
To the Empire, he was merely… a threat.
To be studied. Understood. Countered.
Nothing more.
"In the war preparations," Gadra explained, "everything has been accounted for except the Dungeon. Its existence is still a mystery. Before the expedition begins, we must learn what is inside."
Shinji nodded thoughtfully.
"I understand… The Empire wouldn't move without verifying something that strange."
Mark grumbled, "A whole city inside a Dungeon? I'll believe it when I see it."
Xin simply said, "…It makes sense."
Gadra continued:
"We need the Demon Lord Atem to be occupied. The Imperial Army must be fully committed to the Great Jura Forest invasion. Only then can our broader strategies succeed."
Shinji stiffened.
So this "investigation" wasn't just reconnaissance…
It was to lure Atem and his forces into committing militarily.
"And if the Dungeon contains no such threat…?"
Gadra smiled.
"Then create one."
A chill went down all three spines.
Gadra stood, arms behind his back.
"Do you know how many Demon Lords exist?"
Shinji answered immediately. "Eight—the Octagram."
Mark blinked. "Wait—didn't it used to be ten? Or was it eleven—?"
Gadra snapped:
"Shinji, correct that fool before he gets himself killed."
He sighed and continued:
"Atem of Eterna is the newest of the Octagram. His rise was meteoric. Too fast. Too clean. No one ascends to Demon Lord that efficiently."
Gadra narrowed his eyes.
"And that is precisely why he concerns us."
He opened a thick book, revealing sketches and historical texts of an ancient labyrinth.
"The Labyrinth once known as the Dwelling of Spirits, ruled by the ancient Demon Lord Ramiris, has vanished from Urgracia."
Mark frowned. "Vanished…? As in moved?"
"Yes," Gadra answered. "And it reappeared shortly after Atem emerged as a Demon Lord. Then, a massive Dungeon opened inside his nation of Eterna."
Shinji inhaled sharply.
"So Atem… and Ramiris… are working together?"
"That is the only logical conclusion."
Xin muttered, "This will be difficult…"
"That is why," Gadra said sternly,
"you three must not underestimate Atem. But remember—no one knows his full capabilities. Not even the Council."
And certainly not the truth:
Atem's power dwarfed Rimuru's.
Atem's mind was backed by Solarys' absolute precision.
Atem could have crushed the Empire alone—but no one knew that.
To the Empire, he was simply a dangerous chessmaster.
A king.
But not the King of Games.
Shinji, Mark, and Xin exchanged glances.
They weren't sacrificial pawns.
They weren't disposable agents.
They were being tested.
"Understood!" Shinji said firmly. "We'll investigate thoroughly."
Mark thumped his chest. "We're not gonna embarrass the old man!"
Xin bowed slightly. "…I will not fail."
The weight of their duty was clear:
If they succeed, they live.
If they fail, Atem will erase them without hesitation.
And they didn't even know it.
Gadra nodded approvingly.
"Good. Stay vigilant. A misstep in Eterna means death."
The trio saluted.
Then, with their mission sealed, they left—
completely unaware of the true nature of the labyrinth's master,
completely unaware of the fate of Yuuki,
completely unaware of the existence of Solarys,
and completely unprepared to stand before Atem, the one man the Empire should never have provoked.
The wheels of fate had begun to turn.