Rikudou sensed an unpleasant presence emanating from the royal castle, like the buzzing of winged insects.

“… Vandalieu and his minions. Have they noticed I’m hiding here? No, they haven’t found definitive proof yet.”

Rikudou believed that if they had definitive proof of his presence, they would act more directly, rather than just investigating.

He had ordered Tercatanis to deceive Vandalieu with false information, showing other nobles a shield and sword he’d crafted himself from Demon King fragments.

This situation was the result of that false information’s success.

Perhaps it was strange to consider it a success, given that the enemy had sent his minions to investigate. However, Rikudou had expected Vandalieu to be wary of him from the start.

Rikudou had been defeated in the battle in Origin, but his soul hadn’t been devoured, and he had managed to escape. There was no way Vandalieu wouldn’t have expected Rodcorte to adjust him and send him to Lambda.

Urgen Tercatanis had suddenly begun collecting Demon King fragments—gathering them for himself, not the Church. Rikudou had predicted that Vandalieu would link this to his presence in this world.

“For now, it seems Vandalieu is merely sniffing around Tercatanis. But knowing him, he won’t stop at striking down the pawn. He’ll try to strike down the mastermind behind him… me.”

Unlike in Origin, he had a limited number of people working for him in this world, so losing Tercatanis would be a painful blow. But even so, he had already acquired a new body and completed his reincarnation.

If Tercatanis were killed, his soul would spill all the information he knew. This would be a fatal blow to Rikudou, forcing him to flee before his preparations were complete.

However, Rikudou had investigated Vandalieu from Rodcorte’s Divine Realm. From this, he deduced that Vandalieu was unlikely to kill Tercatanis unless the situation became urgent.

Vandalieu would be wary and afraid of the possibility of Rikudou going berserk if cornered, which would draw the people of the Orbaume Kingdom into the battle.

“Vandalieu would never suspect that I have full control over fragments of Guduranis’s soul and have reincarnated in a body created from Demon King fragments. But I’m sure he suspects that I would only choose to be reincarnated in this world because I have a chance of victory, with additional power beyond ‘Arch-Avalon’.”

Indeed, Rikudou would never have wanted to be reincarnated in Lambda if he had no hope of victory. A lifetime of fleeing to the furthest corners of the world, living in constant fear of destruction by Vandalieu, would be nothing more than torture.

That was precisely why Rikudou had secured a chance for victory. He had gambled, exposing himself to danger by absorbing fragments of Guduranis’s soul, but he had won that gamble.

And he believed that Vandalieu would be wary and cautious, knowing he wouldn’t be able to defeat Rikudou so easily as last time.

These thoughts were the result of his own caution towards Vandalieu, who had destroyed his ambitions and ended his life in Origin. But even more than that, it was the result of Rikudou wanting to think highly of himself.

Vandalieu had defeated Rikudou once before, but now that Rikudou was making his move again, he wanted to believe that Vandalieu still considered him a great threat.

Rikudou believed he had evolved from a lowly human to a being who could rule the world, and his inflated pride would not shrink again despite his death.

“But there’s a limit to how long I can buy time. I must hurry and make this body completely mine…” Rikudou murmured, clenching his fist as if to test his body’s condition.

Suddenly, monsters resembling Orcs and Minotaurs appeared behind him, squealing and roaring.

These monsters were clearly powerful, each at least Rank 10, and they swung their weapons down towards Rikudou’s defenseless back.

But in the next moment, they made surprised noises as their weapons shattered. Parts of their bodies vanished; it was as if holes had been gouged out of their heads and chests.

They made gurgling sounds as their blood and brain matter scattered across the ground. As if drawn by the scent, even more monsters appeared. Their ranks were equal to or greater than the monsters Rikudou had just defeated.

Hundreds surrounded him. They weren’t fighting each other; they were all focused on Rikudou.

It was a situation where A-class adventurers would prepare for death, and even S-class adventurers would struggle to survive. But Rikudou showed no fear.

“It’s the perfect time for this,” Rikudou murmured.

He extended tentacle-like appendages from his back and shoulders, as naturally as stretching his arms.

The monsters roared as they attacked with claws, fangs, weapons, flames, ice, lightning, and shockwaves.

Numerous dying screams filled the air. But Rikudou remained standing.

“I have become able to use the Demon King fragments to a reasonable extent. At the very least, using them is no different from moving my arms and legs… though my arms and legs are also made of Demon King fragments.”

He was learning at a reasonable pace—learning to use the Demon King fragments and adapting to this body, different from both human and Arch-Avalon.

When people and monsters of this world used Demon King fragments, they acquired the ‘Demon King Encroachment’ Skill, their minds gradually taken over. But that wasn’t happening to Rikudou. Likely because he had absorbed fragments of the Demon King’s soul—the Demon King’s instincts and memories.

“And my own mind is unaffected… or not quite, I should say. In the past, I would never have imagined I would be eating a diet like this,” Rikudou muttered.

Since his reincarnation, he had eaten nothing but monsters—eating them alive, melting their flesh, organs, and even bones, then slurping them up, leaving nothing behind.

Rikudou had lived as a civilized person in Origin, but this way of eating was abnormal even for the people of this world, who often consumed monster meat.

But Rikudou felt no disgust… In fact, he hadn’t even been aware of it until now. Only now, contemplating the influence of the Demon King fragments on his mind, had he realized how strange it was.

He had been killing and devouring monsters as naturally as eating food from a plate.

“I suppose I have been influenced by my body after all. What do you lot think?”

He was surrounded only by the weapons the monsters had used; no living creatures remained. He seemed to be speaking in vain.

But a voice answered.

“I don’t think it’s a problem, Rikudou-san,” said the ‘Shaman’ Moriya Kousuke. “It is only natural for changes to the body to influence the mind. You wouldn’t be able to fully utilize a body made from Demon King fragments if your senses were still human.”

But Moriya’s figure was blurred, semi-transparent. He didn’t physically exist.

He hadn’t been reincarnated; he was a mere Ghost who followed Rikudou to this world.

The ‘Artemis’ Katherine Miller, the ‘Ares’ Sugiura Nanaya, the ‘Sleipnir’ Nishikaga Yoshihiko, the ‘Balor’ Johnny Yamaoka, and his other subordinates were with him… though the ‘Copy’ Iguchi Takeo was like a mist, his face unseen, his soul damaged by Vandalieu… or rather, by Banda, his split entity.

They were bound to Rikudou as Ghosts, not reincarnated, because they wished to aid him. Even if they were reincarnated, it would be difficult to become stronger than before in a short time, and their tracks might alert Vandalieu.

Thus, they became Ghosts for Rikudou to use with ‘Dead Spirit Magic.’

The ‘Sahadeva’ Da Long remained in Rodcorte’s Divine Realm to ensure smooth information relay to Rikudou.

“I see. You know me well, so I can trust you. I shall rely on you in the future, too,” Rikudou said to them. “After lunch, I’d like to do some magic training and development, but… it’s troublesome that even Dungeons need time for strong monsters to respawn.”

Rikudou was currently inside a Dungeon he’d created beneath the royal castle. Perhaps due to possessing fragments of Guduranis’s soul, he could create a regular Dungeon, unlike Vandalieu—though he couldn’t control the monsters within.

The Demon King fragments recognized Rikudou as the Demon King, but the monsters were fiercely hostile, sensing him as a foreign invader, attacking him.

Rikudou felt a slight unease. Monsters usually had their souls reincarnated by the Demon King’s transmigration system, which Guduranis had built.

But Rikudou wasn’t Guduranis, nor an evil god. Yet, the Dungeon monsters spawned without issue. He confirmed they had souls.

So, where did these souls come from, and where did they return after death? Rikudou had placed layers at the Dungeon entrance to prevent spirits from entering or leaving. Thus, spirits from outside couldn’t be reincarnated.

However, Rikudou quickly dismissed this as unimportant.

Perhaps the Demon King’s system was unintentionally acting because of his fragments, or perhaps it automatically supplied souls to Dungeon monsters.

Either way, Rikudou prioritized strengthening himself to defeat Vandalieu, and possibly Alda and his forces later.

He considered using these monsters as pawns, like the experimental subjects in Origin, but quickly discarded the idea. They would either join Vandalieu or be killed and join as Undead.

He wasn’t aware that Vandalieu’s Dungeon monsters were soulless puppets. Thus, he didn’t realize how strange his Dungeon monsters were.

“But I suppose I need numbers. If I could use the potential heroes Alda and his gods are nurturing, Mao and Gotouda, and the Orbaume soldiers as pawns, especially those who know nothing… Vandalieu would hesitate to kill them,” Rikudou murmured.

Even unknowing soldiers would be useful if equipped. But given the council’s recent turn of events, that would be difficult. With Tercatanis’s cooperation, he could perhaps prepare a group of soldiers. But the reward wouldn’t justify the effort.

“The Status System. When I first heard about it, I thought it was like something from a video game, but… now that I’m the only one without its blessings, I feel a little left out,” Rikudou muttered as he ventured deeper into the Dungeon.

The mice that had infiltrated the Orbaume royal palace scurried about, gathering information.

Gufadgarn’s magic had expanded the space above a certain room’s ceiling, Vandalieu and his companions using it as a forward base.

A Demon King Familiar made monotone squeaking noises.

Yomotsushikome, split entities of Legion’s Izanami, made hoarse screeches, mimicking mice.

There were Mouse Demons making ordinary mouse squeaks.

Bone Man, a former mouse turned Undead, made mouse-like noises sounding like ‘jyuooh.’

There were real mice squeaking normally.

All competed to be the most mouse-like.

“As expected of the great Vandalieu. No matter the situation, you are always composed,” Gufadgarn remarked.

“I mean, it’s just that I had a little free time, so I decided to pretend to be a mouse,” the Demon King Familiar said.

Was this a contest to determine the number one mouse?

The Demon King Familiars had large eyeballs and insect antennae, frog-like suction cups on their feet. Yomotsushikome had no skin, muscle fibers exposed. Bone Man made no effort to disguise himself, his mouse squeaks pointless.

Mouse Demons resembled mice but had horns and blood-red eyes.

“First place goes to my new friend, Tadano Nezumi-san,” said Vandalieu.

“Unfortunate. Yomotsushikome don’t have skin, after all,” Izanami lamented.

“As a former mouse, I am vexed by my defeat, but I shall give due praise to the victor,” said Bone Man.

Tadano squeaked happily, his head in a soup bowl of Vandalieu’s flesh and blood. Other mice, perhaps friends or family, joined in, along with Mouse Demons and smaller mice.

Everyone watched as if it were a heartwarming scene. No one cared about the details.

One might wonder if they had time for this when investigating Tercatanis’s plot and Rikudou, but they did.

Vandalieu was refraining from forceful methods like abducting and torturing.

Instead, he and his companions were disguising themselves as mice, listening in rooms, and Braga and others were stealing documents. Vandalieu was abducting targets, questioning them gently, using drugs without side effects.

Thus, he had a surplus of manpower.

The castle was large, but a finite number of rooms and targets. Dozens of mice per room was excessive.

Documents were copied by Demon King Familiars with the ‘Perfect Record Technique.’

Drugs were compounded by the Hospital of Psychotherapy director, whose patients were no longer patients.

Information gathering wasn’t smooth. Vandalieu had evidence of corruption, but no Rikudou.

“I wonder where Rikudou is?” Vandalieu wondered.

“We found evidence of Tercatanis gathering Demon King fragments and equipment easily. Well, this is a copy, though,” said Izanami.

She tore off her thumb, which transformed into a Yomotsushikome.

Izanami transformed into Isis, a beautiful dark-skinned girl, who trapped the Yomotsushikome.

“I’m up next. Now then, let’s get you some surgery,” she said, reaching for its head with a scalpel.

Isis chuckled. “Alright, all done.”

A miniature Demon King Familiar was implanted, and Valkyrie took over.

“Come, my new brave warrior! Receive your battle dress and go forth to the frontline!” she commanded.

The reconstructed Yomotsushikome, given a mouse-fur battle dress, lined up.

“King, would it be bad to ask Tercatanis directly?” asked Braga.

“That would be fastest, but Rikudou would notice. I want to avoid that,” said a Demon King Familiar.

All evidence pointed to Rikudou and Tercatanis. No records of Tercatanis’s research. Yet, he displayed Demon King equipment. No craftsmen or alchemists existed.

The only conclusion was that Tercatanis acted on someone’s orders—Alda or Rikudou backed by Rodcorte. Divine Messages were possible.

But Alda seemed unlikely. It was hard to believe Alda would order such a diversion. If Alda, he’d likely be bolder.

Thus, Vandalieu suspected Rikudou.

“My lord, perhaps Rikudou hasn’t reincarnated?” suggested Bone Man.

“What?! All this searching for naught?!” Valkyrie exclaimed.

“Valkyrie, your voice is too loud. You gave me a fright,” said Braga.

“My magic cuts off vibrations, so sound from within this room will not escape outside. However, it is inadvisable to become complacent,” Gufadgarn warned.

Valkyrie gasped. “I apologize for that!” she whispered.

“You’ve learned to shout quietly, haven’t you, Valkyrie?” a Demon King Familiar remarked. “In any case, I’m sure Rikudou has reincarnated. He likely gave Tercatanis the equipment.”

“I see. That is true. But if this assumption is correct, then Rikudou Hijiri has either been infested by fragments of the Demon King, or the equipment was made from materials created by Demon King equipment,” said Bone Man. “Perhaps it is the latter after all?”

“Even though Rikudou possesses death-attribute magic, like the great Vandalieu, I believe it unlikely he can do what the great Vandalieu does. I also believe the latter is the case,” Gufadgarn agreed.

If infested, fragments would take over his mind. They suspected Demon King equipment, safe as long as seals were intact.

“But if Rikudou hasn’t been infested, then the fragments should still have seals!” Valkyrie whispered.

The Demon King Familiars nodded. “Leaving aside infestation… He’s likely in a hidden chamber, a space created by space magic, a new death-attribute spell, or a cheat. A Dungeon, physically sealed, disguised as a wall.”

“I see. So that’s why you’re transforming the mice—numbers.”

“Well, that’s one reason. Wild animals’ intuition may be useful.”

The mice, full, raised their faces. Their appearances unchanged, but they were monsters.

“Normally, monsters grow bigger. Small but smart monsters are rare,” said Braga.

“For now, let’s call these little demon mice… Imp Mice,” the Demon King Familiar said. “Now then, let’s search the castle.”

The Imp Mice squeaked as they dispersed.