reincarnated as dragon

by vamer

don't read

That time I got reincarnated as a slime,no, a DRAGON?

Published: 2023
Source: https/

CH-1 Death

2169 AD

Humanity has developed space travel. The population of humans have increased well beyond 50 billion. To sustain such a massive population humanity decided to take over other planets and their resources. Humanity in a span of one century has managed to capture more than 100 solar systems and 2000 planets.

Planet Xenos
Solar system CA-69374

3rd person

On the planet a sole person can be seen fighting against thousands of odd creatures. It might look as if the the person is at a disadvantage due to sheer number of opponents but that is not true. After all the person fighting is one of the seven strongest humans 'Azatoth'

(A/N:- Rimuru's real name is not given. Rather I am not that creative to think a new name. So my username aka Azatoth will be codename in this life.)

He has been sent to this planet to investigate the death of the last battalion. After seven days of investigation he is yet to find any useful information. Suddenly a machine comes and land in front of him.

Azatoth: Any new information, C.C. ?

C.C. : Nothing of note. Though it appears that this planet might have some intelligent creatures.

Azatoth: Really? That's surprising. The scans showed that there were no intelligent lifeforms at all.

C.C. : It is just an assumption. It could be wrong.

Just as they were talking a long fine pierced through Azatoth's chest. Though such a attack would not be enough, what happened next could surely kill him.

The ground itself split apart like it had a mind of it's own. It started dragging Azatoth down the abyss. Deep down Azatoth could see it. It was magma. His body would surely melt at this rate. So he decided to fly. He released his wings and tried to fly but more vibes came out to bind him. Unlike the green vine from before these were red hot and burning.

Azatoth: Tell the Command Center that planet Xenos has it's own will.

C.C. : Huh? What are you taking about?
Wait a sec. I will get you out.

Azatoth : No. Do not touch these vines. They are not normal. Just tell the command centre.This is an order.

C.C. being an automaton could not go against an order and was forced to report this to the Command Center.

Azatoth could have escaped if he hadn't been fighting for the past week. It wasn't as if he wasn't conserving his power. He was just not expecting himself to fight against a whole planet.

Azatoth's perspective

To think that even a planet can be a sentient being. There is a lot to see in this world. To think I would die like this. If only I could have another chance at life. Well I still have another trick up my sleeve.

3rd person

As Azatoth continues to be dragged into the hell, C.C. continues to follow. Even if humanity has progressed they are unable to create anything that can withstand more than tens of thousands of degree.

Azatoth: C.C. activate self destruct sequence.

C.C. : Are you sure?

Azatoth: Yeah. I hate to lose after all.

C.C. activates the self destruct sequence. Within a few seconds the entire planet explodes. Azatoth wasn't one of the strongest for no reason. Even after he had drained most of his energy, he was still able to blow up another planet.

--

A/N :- How was it ? This is sort of a prologue to tensura. So as you can see that Rimuru will be quite different in this story but I will try to keep him close to the original. The updates will be haphazard as I have a lot of work to do.
Any way thanks for reading.

CH-2 Reincarnation

{ NOTICE:- [VOTW] (Unique skill Information)}

Azatoth's perspective

It's so dark. I can't see anything. It's like I am in a void. It feels comforting. I wish I could stay like this forever.

[Unique skill 《Void》 has been acquired.]

Huh? Did someone just speak? Must have been my imagination. It's a bit hot. I guess I will feel hot after C.C. just exploded in front of me.

[Heat resistance has been acquired.]

No I am sure I heard it again. It's not just my imagination. Could it be that my wish has been heard? No. There is no way that I can reincarnate. That only happened in stories. It's not like I will reincarnate and become a demon lord or anything. Right?

Well, if my conciousness is going to end soon I can be childish one last time. Right? If I can really be reborn I would like to be a dragon he was the strongest foe I had ever faced. Apart from Xenos. Like I can't defeat a planet. I wonder if the self destruct was enough to kill it.

[Confirmed. Creating a new body. Successful. ]

It really replied. What are you?
(Silence)...

So you won't reply huh? Well whatever. If this is all just me hallucinating before death then so be it. But if I really can be reborn then I would have loved if C.C. could have accompanied me. She was my partner after all.

[Successful. Automaton C.C. has been fused with the new body to create a new race MECHANOID DRAGON. Remaining data from C.C. has been converted into unique skill 《Information》. Unique skill 《Information》 has been acquired.]

If I am a dragon I wonder if I will be resistant to all the elements and magic like him. I hope that is the case. But I hope I can turn into a human as well or else it would be difficult to socialize with others.

[All Element Nullification has been acquired. Heat Resistance has been fused with All Element Nullification to form Abnormal Status Nullification.
Unique skill 《Mimicry》has been acquired. Mimicry of species 'human' has been done.]

I am feeling dizzy and sleepy. I wish I could control how much I needed to eat ,sleep or feel pain.

I can't think anymore. I guess this is how I die. Well it was a fun life. I guess.

[Sleep resistance has been acquired.
Pain resistance has been acquired.]

I open my eyes and look around.
Azatoth: Where am I? I should be at ...uh...
Suddenly I remember how I had died. I quickly look around.

Azatoth: So I really did reincarnate huh.

Wait. I look around and see that even though it is dark I can still see fine. How?
(This is due to the extra skill night vision allowing you to see even in dark surroundings.)
Oh ! So that's how it is. Wait. Who are you? Where are you ? Why can't I see you?
(I am the unique skill 《Information 》and I reside inside Master's soul.)
Master ? Soul ? What's going on. Where are we anyway. On which world are we?

3rd Person Perspective

After this 《Information》tells Azatoth all about the basic information of the world, its basic geography and all the things necessary to know.

Azatoth continues to listen and understand what his unique skill tells him while wandering around the cave.

Azatoth's Perspective

As I was listening to 《Information》 I found a lake and decided to see how I look. I know I am a dragon but I hope I look cool.

{A/N Photo is not mine. Found it on google. Just think something like this but small. Like the size of a human adult.}

I look good I guess. But I am nowhere as big as that dragon was. But I guess I am supposed to be a newborn anyway. So I guess I will grow.

2 month later...

It's been 2 months. I have learnt a great deal about this world. I also got a fair few more skills.

Firstly I got extra skill 《Use》which evolved into unique skill 《Utility》 and then fused with unique skill 《Information》to make Unique skill 《Wisdom》.
Second I also got unique skill 《Predator》after I hunted quite a few monsters. My unique skill 《Void》fused with 《Predator》. This skill allowed me to gain a lot of skills from the monsters I hunted.

I believe it has been a long time when I got a skill so I am thinking about leaving this cave. Just as I was about to leave I heard a large roar.

--

So this is the second chapter. There are few changes already. Also instead of great sage rimuru will have wisdom until the demon lord evolution after which it will become Raphael. Any how if you guys have any suggestions please comment. Don't forget to like either.

CH-3 Storm Dragon Veldora

Veldora's POV

Kwahahaha. I am the Great Storm Dragon Veldora. I have been in this cave for the last 300 years. You must be wondering why someone great like me is in this cave.

The truth is that I was sealed here by a human hero. I was just rampaging a bit and she told me to stop. Of course I decided to fight her. How dare she tell me the Great Storm Dragon to do something.

The fight was fierce even though I was taking it easy on her. But she caught me off guard and sealed me in this unlimited prison. I had been bored for the past 300 years but recently something interesting happened. I could sense a new dragon had been born. A dragon that was born by my magicules. This dragon must be very strong then. Of course , for me he would be nothing much. So, I decided to call for him and roared loudly.

Azatoth's POV

I suddenly heard a loud roar. I instinctively started to move towards the sound. What is this?

(This is Dragon's voice. Two dragons may communicate to each other via it. As Master's body is still young it reacted instinctively to move towards it. Do you want to suppress the dragon instincts and have better control over your body?
Yes/No)

Azatoth: Yes. It would be better if the body is in my control.

(Understood.)

Even though my body is now in my control I continue to fly towards the source of sound. Yes. Fly. Even though I have just been born I can still pretty much do everything that my body is supposed to. I guess unlike a human baby I can already hunt and fly.

In these thoughts I arrived at my destination. There was a magnificent dragon standing there. He was behind something like glass but my instincts told me to stay away from it.

Veldora: Kwahahaha. Little one you did great to come till here on your own.

Little one? I am atleast 100 years old. Due to genetic modification we humans could live for atleast 200 years. But I guess I have just been born as a dragon so I cannot deny that.

Veldora: Why are you not replying? Could it be that you cannot speak yet?

Azatoth: No. I can speak. It's just that I was surprised.

Veldora: No need to be impressed. It is natural to be awe-struck after seeing me. After all I am the Great Storm Dragon Veldora. Kwahahaha.

I look at him wide eyed. Is he that sort of guy? Just feed him a few a compliments and he will do anything for you.

Veldora: So little one do you have a name?

Name? Of course I have one. Its...
Why can't I remember it? Wisdom, what was my name?

(Master did not have a name engraved in his soul. Master's name in past life was just like an alias to the soul. Just like how Azatoth was an alias to your real name.)

Is that so?

Azatoth:I do not have a name.

Veldora:Is that so? Then let me give you a name. Your name will be Rimuru.

Suddenly a lot of magicules started flowing into me and I felt a lot more powerful. So this is naming. Wisdom did tell me that it was a process to make a monster stronger. But I did not expect it to be this effective. I am already as strong as S-rank monster and a bit more I could be categorized as a low tier disaster class monster.

Rimuru: Hey. Why don't I give you a family name. After all you are the first friend I made in this world. I could also help you to escape this prison.

Veldora: Friend. Very well we are both dragons after all. Kwahahaha.

Rimuru: Then your family name will be Tempest. Just like a storm.

Veldora: Tempest. Very well. My name is Veldora Tempest and your name is Rimuru Tempest from now on. Kwahahaha.

After that for the next few days I learned a lot about how a dragon fights, eat and a lot of other stuff from Veldora. During this time we got closer and he started calling me his brother even though I am not a true dragon.

Veldora: So brother. How are you gonna free me?

Rimuru: Well I have a unique skill which will allow me too seperate you into a seperate sub- space where I can work on breaking your seal.

Veldora: Is that so. Then you should start right now. I have nothing else last to teach you. All you need now is experience.

Rimuru: Very well.

After that I devoured Veldora and went towards the exit of the cave. I mimicked into my human form and it was exactly the same as I was in my previous life. I did not want this look anymore. It reminds me of my past life. So I made a clone with the help of a skill I got after I killed a shadow spider and started fiddling with it until I made a look which was satisfying for me. It was more cuter than before and I could be mistaken for a girl from afar but close up it was clear that I was a boy.

After changing my appearance I went towards the exit of the cave. The door of the cave was broken. Had someone entered the cave. I might have to kill them if they saw me. I am still quite strong from humans point of view.

(3 people entered the cave while master was playing with his clone and not paying attention. As for Master's second question they had not noticed you as by mimicking into a human form the amount of magicules released also decreases.)

Is that so? Let's go before anyone notices me. I quickly got out of the cave and looked around. So this the Jura forest. Let's see how strong I am and how much I can still fight. I use my magic eyes and search for the monster with the highest magicule quantity. After finding it I move towards it.

--

I hope you guys liked it. This is the first chapter I have t written to cross 1000 words. Anyhow i hope you guys enjoyed it. Criticism is always welcome.

CH-4 Dryads

Rimuru's POV

I have been strolling through the forest aiming for the monster with high magicules. I am in my human form so I am not releasing any aura. This causes many monsters to attack me. It's not like I cannot release my aura in human form. It is just that I decided not to.

As I am not releasing my aura, the monster attack me frequently. I make quick work of monsters that have no new skills for me while predate and absorb any monster which has new skill. 《Wisdom》 really is great. It can help me identify their skills and also help me in managing my powers.

As the day ends and night comes, many nocturnal monsters came out. I made quick work of them and absorbed their skill. They had lots of skills regarding shadows and stuff. 《Wisdom》integrated all these skills into the extra skill《Shadow control》.

Next morning I had reached a big tree. Well I was still quite a fair distance away from it but could still see it regardless. The interesting part is that this tree can only be seen with my magic eyes. As soon as I stop using them, I am unable to see it. I wonder why...

(This is because an elaborate matrix has been laid and further enhanced with magic to divert any stray monsters away from it. But as Master is very strong, it is possible for you to see through it. In short, it is a sort of illusion spell to confuse the monsters.)

Is that so? Then they must be quite intelligent. I wonder if they can communicate. I will feel bad attacking someone who hasn't harmed me. Well let's see. While thinking so, I am step into the barrier. I feel slight discomfort which fades away quickly and I continue to move towards the tree.

As I was moving towards the monster, two more monster suddenly appeared. They are not as powerful as the one I had locked on. So they either teleported here or are some form of summoned monsters.

The weakest one of the trio started moving towards me while the other quickly surrounded me. I saw them but did not do anything. I guess anyone would do so if someone invaded their territory. But this did not mean I let my guard down. I kept close eye on the two surrender me as well. I stood their as the weakest one finally came into view. I could not see her before but she looks a human if you exclude the vines growing around her. I assume she is a dryad.

Treyni's POV

I was as usual looking over the forest that Veldora-sama left for us to overlook. Suddenly I felt that someone had managed to break through the illusion barrier. I quickly looked at this individual through the nearby trees.

I had never seen or heard about any human entering the forest. He has blue hair and a beautiful face. His blue eyes look as if they are looking at his prey. Even though he is not releasing much aura, my gut feeling is telling me that he is very strong.
{A/N:- when rimuru is using magic eyes his eye color will change to blue. Also rimuru doesn't know how to use magic sense yet so he cannot look at far away objects. Only identify the amount of magicules in them.}

I quickly contacted my sisters and told them the situation. We quickly decided to send Trya, my youngest sister, to make contact with him while me and Triss will surround him and attack him in case he does something suspicious. We quickly surround him. As Dryads we naturally have strong speed and attack as well as ability to hide when surrounded by trees and forests.

Trya: Who are you and what are you doing here?

???: Isn't it courtesy to introduce yourself before asking for someone else's name. Any how, my name is Rimuru.

Trya: My name is Trya. What are you doing here?

Rimuru: Before I answer that could you both please come out.
He said that with a menacing smile on his face as he faced us. How did he know? He is dangerous. If he can detect in our own sanctuary then it is possible that he is stronger than us. Just as I was about to tell Triss to come out, she summoned her Greater Wind Spirit.

This person, Rimuru, turned to her with a smile.
Rimuru: So you want to fight me huh? I don't mind. Come on. I also want to test how strong I am.

Just as he said that Triss ordered her spirit to attack with air cutter. As I saw that fighting was iinevitable,I summoned my own spirit and ordered her to do the same. Trya, on the other hand held Rimuru to the ground with the help of her vines. I knew this would not be enough to kill him but it should hurt him a little.

But I was surprised to see that he had no scratches on himself. He has a sword in his hand. What is it made of? I have never seen that metal before.

Rimuru: You are not the only one who can use wind magic you know. I can use it as well. 《Storm Wind Barrage》.

That attack... No way. That attack. Only Veldora-sama should be able to use that. I don't have time to think. I quickly jump in from of Triss to protect her and cast a defensive magic. Not that it was of much use but I am still alive.

Rimuru's POV

Tch... It ended too quickly. Or rather that attack was overkill. I got this skill as I analyzed Veldora. It was one of the few skills I had acquired from Veldora hadn't used yet.

I look towards where one of the Dryads use to be. Oh? Looks like the stronger one protected the weaker and both managed to survive. I look towards where Trya was and as expected. She is unconscious. Well I couldn't control the attack. It is only supposed to attack in one direction. Even though 30 percent of the attack were on target, the rest scattered in random directions. Guess I need to work on that more.

Rimuru: So do you wanna continue?

Even though I don't leave my enemies alone it was not like that they attacked me. I was the one who entered their domain without permission. Also killing such strong monsters could cause massive changes to the forest so I decided to ask that. But if the want ot continue I will kill them.

???: No. We accept our defeat. I am Treyni, elder sister of Trya and Triss.

I know who Trya is, so she must be Triss.

Treyni: Please leave my sisters and this forest alone. In return I will become your subordinate.

Rimuru: Don't worry. If you and your sisters promise to not antagonize me, I will not harm you or your sisters. I never intended to do so anyway. In return you guys will help me. Understood?

Treyni: Hai.

Rimuru: So, is there any civilization nearby?

Treyni: There is the Ogre village nearby. But the closest human settlement is outside the forest, so I dont know how far it is or how to get there.

Rimuru: All right. Then take me to the Ogre village.

--

This is ch 4. It deviates a bit from both ln and wn with rimuru meeting the Dryads first and then the Ogres. Dont worry, Rimuru will meet the ranga and goblins as well.

CH-5 Ogre village

Rimuru's POV

I am following Treyni towards the Ogre village. It has a population of about 300 and they are one of the strongest race in the forest. As we were about to reach the village, I stopped Treyni and decided to look from above at the village and its surrounding.

The village looked more like a old Japanese village. It had about 50 feet of clearing before the forest. The nearby forest appears to have a lot of traps and devices, most probably to detect intruders.

The ogres were bustling as it was the middle of the day. There were fences all around the village and there was a gate where two ogres stood guard. After a bit of spying on the village I decided to follow Treyni into the village. As i came, the guards bowed their head and one of them went to largest house in the village.

Guard 1: It is an honor to meet you Rimuru-sama, master of the Dryads.

Oh? They know about me? Is this why we did not teleport here? So Treyni already informed them of my arrival. That would make sense as to why they bowed to me and not Treyni.

Treyni: Rimuru-sama, I will take my leave now. I hope you enjoy your stay here. You may contact me at any time via thought communication.

Rimuru: Very well.

As Treyni left, a man came out of the the house followed by the guard who had left. He introduced himself as the chief of the village and invited me to talk with him further in his house. I took his suggestion and went to his house. After that we entered a room and were left alone.

Chief: So for what reason has the master of the Dryads visit us? If it is something within our power we surely help you.

Looks like Dryads are well respected here. Even though I am not releasing any aura, he is not underestimating me and giving me respect. He knows how to handle another party.

Rimuru: You can call me Rimuru. I came here to learn about your culture , fighting style and other things. In return I will name you along with 5 of the best fighters of the village.

The chief ponders for a while and then tells me that he will accept my offer and he will bring the others for naming tomorrow. I look at the door with my magic eyes and see a presence behind it but decided to stay quite. That presence had more magicules than anyone in the village. As I was about to get up I asked pointing towards the door,

Rimuru: Who is in that room?

Chief: She is my daughter. She is not that great as martial arts but is great at using magic.

Rimuru: Is that so? I suggest you should choose her as one of the five who is going to be named tomorrow. After all , having a strong magic caster is important as well.

Chief: Very well. May I be presumptuous enough to ask you to name a blacksmith as well. Our weapons are unable to match our strength.

Rimuru: Very well.

I was then taken to my lodgings. Next day, there were 7 people in fron of me.
I named the chief Akamaru.
His son was Benimaru.
His daughter was Shuna.
The person who had set those devices outside the villages was good at stealth and I name him Souie.
The old man who was known for his technique was Hakurou.
The purple haired beauty was Shion.
Lastly the blacksmith was name Kurobee.

Even though I was converting Veldora's magicules into mine, I still used up a lot. So after naming them I told them to leave as I was tired. Then I slept for the day. Next day I woke at sunrise. This is the first I slept in this body, not that I needed to, but it was comfortable. Then I went to the training grounds to learn swordsmanship from Hakurou. Even though I can use my sword effectively, the sword style used by Hakurou was completely different from mine, so I decided to learn it. I also learnt how to cook from Shuna in my free time. I could cook mediocre food, but it was nowhere near good. So I started learning for the next 2 weeks.

2 weeks later...

For 2 weeks I have not left the village so I decided to look around the forest. I told Akamaru that I will be going out of the village for a few days and left.

Shuna' PoV

My name is Shuna. I never thought that I will ever have a name, but now i have one. It is all thanks to Rimuru-sama.

Suddenly one day when I was at my house with my father, a dryad appeared. I don't even know when last time, a dryad had shown herself. She told us to prepare a lodging for her master. After that she dissapeared, but me and my father were bewildered. Dryads are so strong that even my father and onii-sama won't be able to stand up against them. Then how strong is a Dryad's master.

My father told everyone to act courteous to the person who will arrive and prepared a room for him. The next day a guard came to our house and told us about his arrival. I went into my room, which was just behind the main room of the house. After some time the Dryad's master and my father came into the room and started discussing.

I was surprised that he had managed to see me but he was Dryad's master. So he must be strong. I was more surprised that he accepted to name 7 of us ogres. It will take a lot of magicules to name just 1 of us, but naming 7 would require so many magicule that I can't even comprehend.

The next when I met him, I was surprised. He was handsome yet cute at the same time. And his golden eyes looked like jewels. He was not leaking out much aura, but my instincts were telling me that he was strong. He then named me Shuna and gave names to all of us. I was surprised at the amount of magicules he had.

After that day, he suddenly asked me teach him cook. At first I ha nightmare about Shions cooking but decided to teach him. Rimuru-sama's cooking was nothing special, but compared to Shion. Yeah. I don't think I need to explain. Anyhow Rimuru-sama was a quick learner. After nearly 2 weeks, Rimuru-sama had mastered cooking most of the easy recipes. But one day he suddenly left telling me that he will come back after a few days. I wonder why Rimuru-sama left. Anyhow, it feels lonely without Rimuru-sama here. Maybe I got a bit too attached to him.

--

How was it? Rimuru won't be going to Dwargon. But dont worry. Vestas and Kaijin will still come. Rimuru right now is as strong as Hinata but with anti monster field, he will lose. Meanwhile Benimaru and the others are as powerful as the original.

I hope u guys enjoy it. Dont forget to follow me and star the chapter. Bye

CH-6 Goblins and Direwolves

Rimuru's POV

I have just left the ogre village. I had already learnt a lot in the village and decided that it was time to leave and take a look around the other races living in the forest. But that was not the only reason. I had two other reasons.

Firstly, Kurobee told me how they were running low on magic steel so they had trouble making new weapons. So decided to go to Veldora's cave to harvest the magic steel ore. At the same time I decided to harvest the hipokute ore.

The second reason was in front of me kneeling.

Rimru: You don't need to kneel everytime we meet, you know.

Treyni: No. It is necessary to make a line between master and his subordinates.

Rimuru: Whatever. So what did you want to talk about? Is it something that we cant talk about in front of the ogres?

Treyni: Hai! Nearly two hundred thousand orcs have invaded the forest.

Rimuru: Is that so? This is serious. Even though Orcs are not strong, the sheer number will pose a problem. So...

Treyni: Hai! Nearly a small battalion of fifteen thousand orcs are planning to invade the ogre village.

Rimuru: What makes you think so?

Treyni: They have seperated from the main army and moving towards the village. But we dont have much information. I decided to report to you as soon as possible. So we did not investigate further.

Rimuru: Very well. Investigate further but make sure you do not get discovered. If you get discovered, they will become more aware.

Treyni: Understood.

After saying that she dissapeared. I entered the cave and harvested the hipokute herbs and magic steel. I nearly emptied the entire cave and entered the chamber where Veldora was sealed. The magic steel here had already grew into magic cluster and as we moved towards the centre there was demon steel and some quantities of orichinium. But in the centre there was one singular piece of metal ore which I could not recognize. I then predated on the ore and 《Wisdom》told me it Dragonite and had highly concentrated dragon magicules. I decided to keep it for myself and ask Kurobee for a personal weapon. After the sword I use is just made of my magic.

After I come outside of the cave, I activate my magic eye. I see a magic signature spying on me. It had atleast 3 to 5 times my magicule. So I decided to move on and used my magic sense to look at who ever it was. 《Magic Sense》is a great skill I learnt while fighting Hakurou. I could not sense any person with it but when I used magic to strengthen my eyes, I saw a women in a gothic dress. She was looking at me, or rather the cave. I wonder why? But I suddenly have an idea. I seperate a small part of my body. By small, I mean really small. It is invisible to not only to naked eyes but magic perception as well. It was like a nano-machine but enhanced for spying. So I sent this machine to the women and it latched on to her ear and proceeded to hide there. Looks like my plan is a success. Someone as strong as her will definitely have a passive multi-layered barrier but my clone managed to pass it. So it is good for spying. I am surprised 《Wisdom》managed to recreate nanotechnology only with my memories.《Wisdom》 really is something.

I proceeded to walk in a random direction and saw as she entered the cave. Veldora was the only one there. So she might know Veldora or something. Whatever. I don't care.

As I was walking through the night, I heard a loud roar. I quickly ran towards the roar. 《Wisdom》told me it was a Direwolf's roar. As I ran towards it I saw that the Direwolves were attacking a goblin village. Direwolves are the strongest race in the forest that lives in a pack. So if I defeat their alpha, they will start following me. Right?

Rimuru: Stop! Submit to me and I will let you live.

Alpha: Hah! A human dare to threaten me. We will kill you along with the goblins. Awooooooo...

Rimuru: Very well.

I say that and lift the alpha up by his neck and threw him at the nearby tree. I decided to kill him brutally and slowly to make an example. I first cut off his legs and then kicked him into the ground. I could hear the ground shake and his bones cracking. I then crush his head below my feet and then look towards the Direwolves.

Rimuru: What about now? If you don't submit now, I will have to kill all of you.

Suddenly all of the wolves kneeled and pledged their loyalty to me.

Alpha's son: We all pledge our loyalty to you, my lord.

Rimuru: Very well. As I sign of your loyalty, I will give you the name Ranga while your pack can have my family name Tempest.

Ranga: We will forever serve you, my lord.

As I was smiling a goblin came out. He appeared to be quite old and frail.

Old goblin: We goblins swear our loyalty to you , my lord.

Huh? When did I ask for their loyalty? Ahhhhhh.. I never said whom I was talking to when I told them to submit to me. I think they would not be much of help. Just as I was about to tell them that I don't need them, an idea came to me. I can't stay with the Ogres forever. It might be better to make a new house here rather than living at the ogre village.

So I decided to make pairs of goblin and Direwolves and told them to not attack anyone but if they attack them first, they are free to attack back. After that, I name all the goblins to investigate something. When I named Ranga, a soul corridor was made with him. And i could give him a bit of my magicules as well as take his. But this did not occur with the ogres. So when I named the goblins and they evolved, I took back the magicules from them. There was still a loss but I managed to regain quite a bit of the magicule.

I then stayed there for 3 to 4 days to make the base structure such as a proper house. Then one day suddenly Treyni contacted me via thought communication. Now that the thought communication was made, I saw that I had a soul corridor with Treyni as well.

Treyni: Rimuru-sama, the orcs are led by an Orc Lord. They all have full plate armor like humans. It appears that a high majin and another majin whose strength matches if not exceeds mine is supporting them from the shadows.

Rimuru: Orc Lord? Isn't he born once every century? And someone as strong you? Do not interfere them and definitely do not fight them. We do not have enough information.

Treyni: Understood. Also, Rimuru-sama, the orcs are currently attacking the ogre village.

Rimuru: So they did attack. Alright. Continue to keep an eye on them. I will go and help the ogres.

After that I teleported to the forest near the ogre village. I told the goblins to not interfere with any suspicious person.

--
I was not sure whether Shizu came first or the attack on the ogres. So in this story ogres will be attacked first.

Anyway thanks for reading. Like and follow me. Thanks for your support.

CH-7 Battle of the Ogre Village

Rimuru's POV

I teleported to the surrounding of the ogre village. What I saw surprised me.
15000 orcs were attacking th village. Not only did they have full plate armor they were also using weapons. They were attacking with fire tipped arrows and trying to burn down the village. Luckily Shuna had a cast a defensive barrier to prevent the arrows from reaching the village.

Benimaru, Akamaru, Shion and Hakurou along with nearly 100 ogres were fighting on the village boundaries and protecting the other non-combatants. Souie was killing orcs from the shadow and supporting the ogres who are unable to fight or injured. Shuna was in Akamaru's house maintaining the barrier.

I teleported behind Shuna and saw that she was draining her magicules very quickly. Seeing her trying to do the best for her family and friend reminded me of my sister. I hope she is okay.

Rimuru: You should rest now, Shuna. I will cast a defensive barrier so it's alright.

Shuna: Ri-Rimuru-sama! When did you arrive here?

Rimuru: Shush. Take a rest. I will take care of the rest.

Shuna: But. You are... Understood. Please help onii-sama and father. I beg you.

Rimuru: Very well. Don't worry. I will protect them.

Shuna's POV

It has been nearly 2 weeks since Rimuru-sama left. I have been feeling lonely I guess. Suddenly Souei appears in front of me and tells me that nearly 15000 orcs are invading. I was surprised but I am sure onii-sama and father will take care of it. After some time father came in and told me to cast a defensive barrier around the village and hide in the house.

I am not sure what happened but did what I was told.

A few hours have passed. I have used up a lot of my magicules. I dont know how long I will last but I must keep going. If I can save atleast one more life then it is worth it.

Suddenly Rimuru-sama appeared behind me. When did he come here? After that he told me to rest and cast a barrier on the whole village. He cast it so easily. Rimuru-sama really is strong.
After that Rimuru-sama moved towards the village gate and released a massive fireball killing atleast a hundred orcs at once. He continued to kill orcs at an alarming rate and saved many ogres. Many ogres died. I could see atleast 30 dead bodies of ogres with the help of magic perception. Onii-sama and father continued to support Rimuru-sama. After some time a large orc came out. He was much bigger than the others and I could feel an ominous aura around it. I am sure even father or onii-sama won't be able to win against it. Rimuru-sama suddenly took out his sword and charged at the orc. He cut cleanly through th giant sword the orc was carrying and continued to cut through his hand as if it was butter.

He then took his sword and stabbed it through the heart. The orc fell lifelessly on the ground. The entire battlefield fell silent. The orcs started attacking again but without their leader their attacks became easy to predict.

Rimuru-sama started to return as father, onii-sama, Hakurou and Shion started cleaning up the remaining orcs. The remaining fight continued throughout the night but it was more or less one-sided.

The next day Rimuru-sama was invited by father for some discussion. I wonder what they are going to talk about.

Rimuru's POV

The day after the battle, Akamaru invited me too his house for some discussion.

Akamaru: Welcome Rimuru-sama. Thank you for helping us yesterday. Truly. Without your help, we would not be able to live today.

Rimuru: No need. You all helped me a lot for the past weeks. So it is only normal that I help you.

Akamaru: Please don't be humble Rimuru-sama.

Rimuru: Very well. I will accept your gratitude then.

Akamaru: Thank you. Then, Rimuru-sama, I would like to talk about the future about the village.

Rimuru: Future?

Akamaru: Hai. We, Ogres, are a warring tribe. We value skill and fighting prowess above anything else. I have already been leading this tribe for a long time. So I think it is about time i retire.

Rimuru: So you are making Benimaru the new chief?

Akamaru: No. I would like Rimuru-sama to be the new chief.

Huh? Me? The new chief?

Rimuru: I am not even an ogre you know. I am a dragon, you know.

Akamaru: That is all right. As I said, power is everything for us

Rimuru: What about Benimaru? What about the other ogres?

Akamaru: Don't worry. I have already talked it with my son. Most ogres already saw you fight and would happily serve you.

Rimuru: Very well. But I will not be the chief. Akamaru, you will continue to be the chief and I will hold a position higher than you. It will be purely ceremonial. After all I have no experience leading a tribe.

Akamaru: Very well.

Rimuru: Then you all should rest. Day after tomorrow let's have a meeting to decide what to do. Also a few goblins and Direwolves will come here in a few hours. I told them to come here so don't hurt them.

Akamaru: Understood. I will tell the guards about them.

After that I went back to my house and fell on the bed and fell asleep.

--
So the ogre village will be the main base instead of the goblin village. I hope you guys enjoyed.

CH-8 Shizue Izawa

Rimuru's POV

It is the day after the battle with the ogres. The battle yesterday gave me a good estimate of my power. I am much weaker than what I was in my previous life but I seem to have a lot of potential.

When I came out of my house, the atmosphere was heavy. Well, I can understand. Many people lost their close ones. The casualties just entered the double digit. 15 ogres died. But in a tribe so closely knit, nearly everyone knew each other. I decided to leave the people alone and left the village. I am not yet the leader of the tribe. It will be properly revealed tomorrow after today's mourning. Even though they did not do much, they retrieved the bodies of those that could be retrieved. Few of them were eaten but most of them was still recognizable.

As I left a village, I felt a presence spying on me. Using magic eyes I confirmed it was the lady who was spying on me when I left the cave. Well, if she was looking for something in the cave, then, I, who had just left the cave before her would suspicious.

But this is also a opportunity. The clone that i placed on her had a flaw. I could only locate it. I could not share information with it. So I had made a new clone that could do so. I quickly exchanged my clones. I then absorbed all the memories of the clone.

This is interesting. So she is the Demon Lord Valentine and also acting as the God Ruminas. She came here to see if Veldora really was dead or not. I don't know why but she really hates him huh? Any way I ignore her and continue. I might have gotten stronger as I am continuously converting Veldora's magicules into my own but I still don't have half of her magicules. I'd rather not pick a fight I can't win.

After sometime she dissapeared. I confirmed with my clone that she is back at Ruberios. As I was strolling through the forest I saw a large flame in the distance. I quickly teleported near the site and was surprised at what I saw.

There were giant ants attacking 3 people. A spirit who had possessed the body of its master, I guess, was firing flame pillars everywhere. The 3 people in question are running. I tried analyzing them and was surprised to see that they were carrying 2 superior grade item each.

Wisdom can you analyze those items.
(Understood. Analyzing... Bracelet of sealing...ring of deceit... Analysis complete.

All 3 members are carrying 2 of the same superior grade items.
1. Ring of deceit:- it hides the race, power, characteristics and skills of an individual.
2. Bracelet of sealing:- It is an item used to seal an individual's power.)

Oh. Thanks for the info. So they should be quite strong. So why are they running? They continue to run until they are surrounded.

Man1: Kaval, this is bad. She is the human Champion Shizue Izawa. There is no way we can win.

Kaval: You are right Gido. My lady, you should run away as soon as possible.

My lady? Is she royalty ? She is an elf, according to 《Wisdom》, so she should be from the elf country Sarion.

Lady: There is no way I am going to forgive you if I die.

Kaval: Don't worry Ellen. We will die with you so you can't haunt us.

Gido: Kaval, I guess we should remove our bracelets. At least we will be able to escape.

I see. So they are planning to escape. But if I save them not only will I be able to get more information on Sarion but maybe forge connection with them as well. I come out of my hiding place.

Rimuru: What are you guys doing here in my forest?

Technically I own the forest right? If the Dryads are my subordinates then their territory is mine, isn't it?

Gido: Who are you?

Rimuru: I am Rimuru. You should just stay here. I will deal with that spirit.

As soon as I say that I cast double sided barrier on them. This is to prevent any attacks from hurting them and at the same time to prevent them from escaping.

Rimuru: You are causing disturbance in my territory, Spirit

Spirit: Who do you think you are to talk to me, Ifrit, like that?

Rimuru: Looks like you need to be educated.

As soon as I said that I attacked him with ice spear. The ice spear hit him and caused him to fall back but other than that there was no harm.

I then dodged his flame spears and made some distance between us. After that I cast 21 Icicles and attacked. I hit one them at him. As soon as he dodged to the right, I surrounded him with the remaining 20 icicles.

《Icicle Cage》as soon as I said that he was surrounded on all sides by ice. After that I devoured him and seperated him from his host. I sent Ifrit to my stomach. But for the host I sent her to the 'void'. Void was a sub-skill of my predator. In void, there was no time or space. It was the best place to preserve something.

{A/N:- Void is from the unique skill《Void》that Rimuru had acquired upon reincarnation. Here Shizue's body or soul will not deteriorate so she can be revived later on.}

The woman who was the host was oddly familiar to me. I tried to search my memories about who she could me and after some time I got the idea of who she could be related to be. But I am not sure. Slowly she woke up.

Woman: I can control my body? Where is Ifrit? Who are you?

Rimuru: I am Rimuru. Don't worry Ifrit is no longer in your body. I separated him from your body. What is your name?

Woman: I am free...sob...sob...Thank you...thank you.

She suddenly started crying and it took her some time to calm down. Looks like Ifrit caused her a lot of grievances.

Woman: I am Shizue, Shizue Izawa.

Rimuru: Izawa? I see. Are you Japanese?

Shizue: Yes. How did you know Rimuru-san? Could it be that you are an otherworlder as well?

Rimuru: I am Japanese as well.

Shizue: Is that so?

Shizue then told me how she would die now as she did not have a spirit with her anymore. She then told me about her story and requested me to save her students if possible. I accepted her request and left her in the void.

《Wisdom》started analyzing her to obtain any useful skills. After that I took the trio back with me to the ogre village. I told Shuna to take of them and went to my house. After reaching my house I lied down on my bed.

Izawa? So you are her ancestor huh? Well that would explain your exquisite control over fire. That family really was good at controlling fire. She taught me a lot. I will repay that loan by helping you, Shizue and reviving you later.

--

In Rimuru's past life another one of the seven strongest human who controlled fire was called Flame Empress. She had taught Rimuru a lot and helped him a lot to become stronger. She also had the family name 'Izawa' and her entire family was good at controlling fire. Hence he deduced that Shizue was from the same bloodline and decided to help her. Well that is the backstory.

Anyhow how was the chapter? I hope you guys enjoyed it. Follow me and star the chapter. Thanks for the support. I will try to become better.

CH-9 Preparation

Rimuru's POV

Throughout the night me and 《Wisdom》were busy the movement of soul and its activity by observing Shizue's soul. Shizue's soul and body is in a form of coma but are still alive. What we found was interesting.

Firstly, soul is completely independent of time and space. So it can travel and function even if time is stopped. So this could be a dangerous situation. If I can somehow become a complete spiritual being and leave my physical body, then theoretically, I can transcend space and time. But at the same time if someone is already a spiritual being then it should be impossible to beat them. But I believe there should be something else as well. After all demon and spirit are spiritual being and don't have a physical body yet can't move in stopped time. So there is some another piece of information is missing.

Secondly, I got a few skills. First was unique skill《Degenerate》. I also learnt spirit summoning. 《Wisdom》 tweaked the spirit summoning and I was able to obtain demon summoning as well.

Thirdly, her mask. The mask was nearly destroyed. So i recreated it. It had the same properties of aura suppression and functioning. But there was something odd. Even though both were made of same material, Shizue's mask was much stronger. It did not even have a crack after I used all my strength. After some researching, 《Wisdom》 told that me it was protected by time compression. It will break only when the time came. It was as if its life was already decided. It will break at one specific time. No matter the attack used. I took the mask and used its replica.

In the morning I saw Ellen and the others leaving. I called out to them.

Rimuru: Ellen. One moment.

Ellen: Rimuru-san. What is it.

I quickly made new armor for the trio with my magicules and gave it to them.

Rimuru: Take these. I don't want you guys to die in the forest.

Ellen: That is rude, Rimuru-San. But I will take the armor.

Rimuru: Alright. Have a safe trip.

The armor that I gave to them had more of my clones. This will help me to know about the human countries. Souie is good at spying but right now I am having him keep an eye on the orcs.

After that I went to Akamaru's house for the meeting. Everyone was already there. I was the last one there and only one seat at the head of the table. I took my seat and commenced the meeting.

Rimuru: There was no need to come and wait for me.

Akamaru: We can't have our master waiting for us.

Shuna: That is right, Rimuru-sama.

Rimuru: Fine but call me Rimuru, not master.

Akamaru: Very well, Rimuru-sama.

Rimuru: Souei. Your report.

Souei: Hai. It looks like the orcs are marching towards the Lake Siss where the lizardmen live.

Rimuru: Is that so? The orcs are led by the Orc Lord. So it would be better to have a fight away from here to minimize the damage. Also they have support from majins so this might be a plot of a demon lord.

Benimaru: I see. We had theory that there was an orc lord but if Rimuru-sama is saying so then it must be true.

Rimuru: Alright. We will have to make our army and train them.
Benimaru, you will lead our attacking forces. When we grow bigger, they will be used to invade our enemies if necessary so only choose those who can fight in unknown terrain.
Akamaru, you will take Rigurd's help and take care of political activities. While Akamaru you will also be the head of the defense forces. They will protect us from invaders such as Orcs so they must be well trained.
Hakurou, you will train the troops. Especially the goblins. They are weak but have a lot of potential.
Shuna, you will lead the clothing and cooking aspect of the country and will be my secretary.
Souei, you continue to spy at the orcs.
Shion, you will be my bodyguard and train the guards to protect me.
Is the rules of everyone clear?

Everyone:Hai!

Shion was about to say something but I quickly dismissed the meeting and left the meeting room. Not only me but everyone except Shion left saying that they had some job. It was for one reason. Because we knew that Shion was trying to become the chef and there is no way in hell we can let her be a chef. So we all quickly ran away. I quickly teleported outside the village while the rest went to do their job. Shion was rather reluctant but when Shion encouraged her, she went.

I looked at my surroundings and made sure that no one was near. After making sure that no one was near, I used my spirit summoning. A spirit came of darkness came out of the circle and bowed to me.

Spirit: I would like to form a contract with you Dragon-sama.

Rimuru: Very well. I shall name you Val.

After that I made contract with him and sent him back to the spirit world. Then I decided to do demon summoning. The demon I summoned was not an ordinary one at all. It was one of the primordial, Noir.

Noir: To be summoned by the great one is truly an honor. I hope to serve you. Please let me be your subordinate.

Rimuru: Very well Noir. But were you the one who's spying on me recently. And why do you want to serve me?

Noir: I am glad to know that you know of me great one.

Rimuru: Just call me Rimuru.

Noir: Understood. Yes. I was the one who was looking at you recently. The mask of that human interested me as I thought it was one of a kind but Rimuru-sama managed to replicate it. So I decided to serve you as you will definitely lead me to the truth of the world.

Rimuru: I see. Inhabit this body then.

I then made a body of orinichium I got from the sealed cave and let him inhabit him. I then named him Diablo.
He took nearly 90 percent of my magicules. But I got back a majority of them through soul corridor. I was surprised that the soul corridor was formed. Because soul corridor proved that he was loyal to me. I know《Wisdom》told me he was trustworthy but truth hits different I guess.

Rimuru: Very well. Diablo, follow me and don't create trouble for me.

I then introduced him to the others and briefed him on the situation. After that he summoned his two subordinates. I named them Aston and Chirron. Aston evolved into a demon peer like Diablo but Chirron remained at the level of Demon Duke. They both had 200 subordinates each and I named them all. I then took more magicules from Veldora to fulfill naming them all. After that I told Diablo to go and recruit more demons to help me. He quickly went to the demon world. I hope he brings the other 3 primordials as well. It will make me quite strong. After that I went to sleep to recover my magicules and have a rest.

--

Nothing much to say. So yeah. Enjoy. I guess. Like and follow me.

CH-10 Orc Lord

Rimuru's PoV

The next day Benimaru came to me and gave me a quick record on our military. Nearly 60 ogres were under the leadership of Akamaru for the defense force while 30 ogres and nearly 50 hobgoblins had decided to join the advance force under Benimaru. So I told Benimaru to go and recruit the nearby goblin villages for more members. The village had expanded quite a bit. It had become nearly twice its original size in a week. But now it was necessary to expand even further as our population was increasing since Benimaru was busy recruiting other goblin villages. I also started helping in the expansion of village.

After nearly 2 weeks, the village had stabilized. The goblins had become C-rank while the ogre were B-rank. Gobta and Rigur were two goblins who could fight ogres at equal footing. Even I was surprised when I saw Gobta fighting. He kept screaming and wailing but still fought. If only he prepared himself mentally, he would become much stronger.

One day suddenly Souei came in front of me when I was busy converting Veldora's magicules into mine.

Souie: Rimuru-sama, a group of lizardmen are approaching. What shall we do?

Rimuru: Any clue why they might be coming?

Souie: It doesn't appear that they have appeared to fight. They might be an envoy.

Rimuru: Is that so ? I will meet them, then.

Souie: Understood.

After that he suddenly dissapeared. I stood up and went to meet the envoy. Till the time I reached the lizardmen, Akamaru was already there.

Akamaru: Rimuru-sama, she is the leader of the chief's guard and also the daughter of the lizardmen chief.

Lizardmen: It is nice to meet you, master of the ogres, Rimuru-sama.

Rimuru: You too. So why don't you come in.

Lizardmen: I am sorry but I will have to decline that offer. We have a very tight schedule due to an emergency.

Rimuru: Let me guess. The orc lord.

Lizardmen: How did you know Rimuru-sama?

Rimuru: They attacked us so we know. If you want, we can form an alliance to help you defeat the orc lord.

Lizardmen: Really? That would be really helpful. Then I would like to take your offer.

Rimuru: Very well. I will come along with 4 kijins and a hundred Direwolves rider in a week.

Lizardmen: Kijin? I see. Your help will be really appreciated.

She said while bowing. After that she left quickly. I am surprised that she treated me with respect. I was not releasing any aura, so I should be no stronger than a human. Maybe the lizardmen might be a great ally in the future.

1 week later

3rd person POV

Nearly 100 Direwolves are sprinting across the forest. They are quickly heading towards Lake Siss. Suddenly a kijin comes out of the shadow and bows.

Souie:Rimuru-sama, the lizardmen who was the envoy is currently fighting an orc. It doesn't appear she will survive.

Rimuru: Alright. Go and help her. After that ask her to lead us to their base.

Souie: Understood.

After that Souei goes and kills all the orcs in a flash. Only thing that could be seen were strings with blood dripping from it and pieces of flesh everywhere. After some time Rimuru and his group reached the place and started moving towards the bbattlefield. The lizardmen tells Rimuru and others how his brother, Gabiru, had led a rebellion and imprisoned the chief. After hearing this Rimuru sent the lizardmen with Souie to free the chief. After that the remaining people went to the battlefield.

Rimuru's PoV

This 'Gabiru' is either a very big idiot or has something that can guarantee his victory against an orc lord. I don't want to brag but I can most probably kill it with my all out attack in one hit. But I doubt someone as strong as me is supporting him.

As soon as we reach the battlefield I said,"From now on none of you are allowed to die. That is an order. If you die, they will devour you and become stronger."

After responding in affirmative they all started fighting, or slaughtering, I guess.

Benimaru was attacking the orcs with hell flame and burning the orcs to death.
Hakurou was skillfully killing the orcs with one slash each.
Shion, on the other hand, was just swinging her broadsword around and releasing her aura everywhere. If that sight wasn't scary already, she suddenly lifted her sword and slammed it into the ground. The ground split into two and the crack was atleast 50 meters long. After doing so she looked towards me and smiled. I smiled back at her. Yep. Never ever gonna make her angry. Ever.

Gobta along with Ranga and other goblin riders went to support Gabiru and save the lizardmen.

(Master, a surveillance magic has been cast across the battlefield. Should I disrupt it? Yes/No)

No. Rather use the illusion magic I learnt from Treynibto make them see that it was actually a very close battle. At least with the orc lord.

(Understood)

After that I continued to observe the battle. Benimaru and the others had now made their way to the orc lord. Suddenly someone just crash landed in between the kijins and orc lord.

"Who are you to try to destroy my , Gelmud-sama's, plans?" He shouted.

"You. You. Weren't you the one tried to name us. So you really did send the Orcs to our village." Benimaru screamed in anger and released a fire bullet at him.

Gelmud dodges it and orders the Orc lord to attack. The Orc Lord lifts his butcher and cuts Gelmud and proceeds to devour him.

[Individual Geld has evolved into an Orc Disaster]

Alright. This is serious. I landed and was about to engage with Orc lord but Benimaru stopped me.

"Please let us fight the orc lord for the vengeance of those who fell. If we cannot defeat it then please help us."

"Very Well", I replied.

Shion jumped and attacked the Orc lord. The orc lord defended with his butcher. While Shion was attacking, Hakurou sneaks up from behind and chops off his head. But the orc lord does not die. Tenctacles grow from his neck and reconnect his dismembered head back to his body.

Seeing this, Souei who had just returned used his strings to hold the Orc lord in place and Benimaru used Hell Flare. Ranga also supported him by attacking with his Black Lightning. He then came beside me.

"Out of magicules?"
"Yes. Sorry "
"Don't worry. Take a rest in my shadow."
"Hai."

If the orc lord survives then I can just laugh.

Hahahaha. He survived. What the hell. If I did not have heat resistance, I would have definitely been fatally injured. Just how strong is his regeneration. I see. So he must have resistance against fire.

"Benimaru. Retreat. I will take care of it from here."
"...Understood.", he answered reluctantly.

After that I took at my sword and dashed at him. While we were talking, he ate another orc and had already regenerated. I slashed at him with my sword and he blocked with his butcher.

Crack* my sword cracked. It was still usable. But not for long. So I decided to create a new sword. I used the new sword and dodged his slash and cut off his arm and used Black Flame with the
help of 《Wisdom 》to prevent regeneration and at the same time made thousands of clone enter his body. After that they exploded completely destroying a part of his body. Taking advantage of his shock I forcefully transported him to my Void and started devouring him.

Rimuru: You have lost Geld.

Geld: No. I can't die here. If I die all my sins will fall on my brethren.

Rimuru: That it will.

Geld: I can't let that happen.

Rimuru: But I will devour you regardless. But don't worry. I will give them a chance to wash of their sins. If they work for me, and swear their loyalty to me, I will take over their sins as their leader. So rest easy.

I decided to help him. Maybe I felt pity for him after I saw his memories. Also orcs can help me develop the village faster. So I decided to help his brethren. After that I teleported outside of my void and declared loudly," Orc Lord is dead. We have won."

Loud cheers could be heard everywhere. The orc army stopped moving. After sometime Treyni appeared in front of me and kneeled.
Seeing this all the orcs and lizardmen fell quiet. They all knew that the Dryads were the ruler of the forests and seeing a Dryad kneeling to me meant that I was her master. She did this so that she could make me the leader and not have to take of the forest. I know you very well Treyni. Just like me you don't want to do anything troublesome. Don't worry. I will definitely have my revenge. Taking advantage of this silence I loudly proclaimed, "We will have a meeting tomorrow at the lizardmen base. All the races must send their representatives."

After that I suddenly felt sleepy but managed to stay awake due to sheer willpower. Suddenly I felt my power increasing. What happened?

(Master has evolved from a greater dragon to an arch dragon. Master had also obtained the demon lord seed.

Also unique skill《Starved》was obtained from Geld.《Starved》 merged with 《Predator》to form unique skill《Gluttony》.)

I evolved. So what was the important reason I evolved now?

(3569 souls were obtained from individual Geld. These were used to convert to extra energy which led to the evolution. )

I see. Well it's good that I evolved. I am now stronger after all. After that slowly the Sun started rising. It is dawn already.

--

This is the longest chapter yet. Hope you guys enjoy.

CH-11 Kingdom of Tempest

Rimuru's PoV

I am inside the hall of the chief of lizardmen. From the orc side nearly 10 orcs along with the son of the orc lord was attending the meeting.

Treyni: Then hereby, I mark the start of the meeting.

Chief: One moment, Rimuru-sama.

Rimuru: What is it?

Chief: Treyni-sama kneeled in front of you. Could it be...?

Treyni: Yes. That is right. Rimuru-sama is my master.

Chief: Is that so?

Both me and Treyni smile at each other but our smile were filled with hostility. I thought subordinates helped their master. Treyni is just dumping all her work on me.

Chief: Then, Rimuru-sama, may I propose something?

Rimuru: What is it?

I feel something troublesome is going to happen.

Chief: We, the lizardmen, will like to acknowledge you as our new master.

Yep. Guessed it. Great. More work for me. At least this makes my plan to take orcs as labor force easier.

Rimuru: Very well. As a sign that you are my subordinate. I will name you Abiru. And your daughter will be Souka.
Well then about the orcs.

Unnamed Geld: Please forgive our brethren. All of us will give our lives so please atleast live the children live.

Rimuru: Sins are not that easy to cleanse you know. But it is not impossible either.

Unnamed Geld: What do you mean Rimuru-sama?

Rimuru: Simple. Right now you are all technically slaves. For the next 1 month I will guarentee you safe food and houses. In return you must provide labor. If your work is suitable, I will make you citizens of my country. Also, I will now officially establish a country named Kingdom of Tempest. Everyone in the country will be equal regardless of race. Lizardmen will provide food, Ogre village will provide the finished products while orcs will provide labor. Is that understood?

Everyone: Hai

Rimuru: I dont tolerate slackers. So work hard.

2 months later

3rd Person POV

In Dwargon

In a secret room, a meeting is being held. Around a circular table, one seat was more intricate than the others. The person sitting on the seat was none other that the king of Dwargon, Gazel Dwargo.

Gazel: So you are saying a humanoid creature killed the orc lord? But you cannot identify race. Is that right Henrietta.

Henrietta: Hai. He had golden eyes and blue hair. The way how he glanced at me and smiled, there is a high chance he had noticed me, but decided not to take action.

Minister1: Your Majesty, I believe we should eliminate this monster before it becomes a menace.

Minster 2 and 3: we also agree, Your Majesty.

Gazel: Hmmmm... What do you think Dorf and Jaine?

Dorf: Your Majesty, I believe that we should avoid open hostility.

Jaine: I agree, Your majesty.

Gazel: Very well. I will go and meet this guy and decide whether or not he is a menace to this world. Prepare the Pegasus Knights, Dorf.

Meanwhile, In Jistav

Four people are sitting, looking at the crystal ball. The fight was very close. The kijins barely won by killing the orc lord. Or that is how it appeared to Clayman, Frey and Carrion. Meanwhile to Milim, she saw something completely else with her Milim Eyes. There was a dragon in a human form. He made a quick work of the Orc lord by exploding it from inside out and then devoured him.

Milim decided that she will go to meet him later on. If she goes right now, they might get suspicious and she might not be able to fight him so she decided to wait it out.

Rimuru's POV

These past 2 months went by in a quick rush. A few major things happened.

Firstly, after one month of orcs moving in, I declared them as my citizens and named them. I was more than satisfied with thei work. I mean they got the job that was for 1 month in the first week itself.

Secondly, I met two insectars. They were fighting against a thunder tiger.

Flashback

Unnamed Zegion's POV

Both me and my sister escaped from our world and came to Cardinal world to survive. I thought we would be safe here, but I couldn't have been wrong. The reason is the dead body in front of me. It is a thunder tiger. I barely managed to defeat it but at this rate both me and my sister will die.

Suddenly, a man came towards us. I tried to come in front of my sister to protect her.

Man: You shouldn't move much. You guys are hurt. Let me help you.

Before I could tell him to leave us my sister asked him for help. He agreed to help us and regenerated our bodies and gave us some blackish-grey material. It is most probably a metal, but it is quite strong. He then named me Zegion and my sister Apito. I can't thank him enough. I will definitely get stronger to be of use of him to repay this gratitude.

Rimuru's POV

I decided to help these two. I gave them a part of my metallic body and named them. I then took them to the Dryad's area and let them stay there to protect the treants and at the same time get stronger. I also got an unexpected benefit. Apito could make honey. And her honey was the tastiest I ever had. Even when compared to my previous life.

Flashback cover

Rimuru's POV

I was wandering around when Souie appeared in front of me and told me that nearly 500 pegasus were flying towards us and they were ridden by knights. They appeared to be from Dwargon. So I came to meet them along with Shion,Benimaru, Akamaru and Souie. The others would just be in the way.

Leader: So you are Rimuru Tempest. I have heard that you defeated the Orc lord. Oh, my name is Gazel Dwargo. I am the king of Dwargon.

Rimuru: I see. It is good to make your acquaintances. I am Rimuru Tempest, leader of this monster country and ruler of this forest.

Gazel: Ruler of the forest,huh? Let's see how much of it is true.

Suddenly Treyni appeared beside me and kneeled.

Treyni: Rimuru-sama, let me be the judge of this duel.

Rimuru: Very well. Come on Gazel. You want to see whether I am evil or not. The best way to do so would be to cross swords with me isn't it?

Gazel: Hoh! That is correct. Very well then, let's fight.

3rd Person POV

Both Rimuru and Gazel exchange swords for a few minutes before Gazel backs off.

Gazel: Rimuru, you really are strong. If you can stop my next attack then it's your win.

Rimuru: Very well. Let's go.

After that Gazel used his strongest skill and slashed at Rimuru twice. Once from below and then from above. Rimuru blocks both. Gazel backs off and sheaths his swords.

Gazel: Hahaha. Very good Rimuru. You were holding back into he fight weren't you?

Rimuru: No. I was just using my sword skills to fight and not any other skills.

Gazel: Skills are also a part of you. Not using them is equivalent to holding back. Anyway, how did you block my strike?

Rimuru: Ahhh! That is because my teacher also used that attack once.

Hakurou slowly enters the battlefield.

Hakurou: That was magnificent swordsmanship, Rimuru-sama. Hohoho

Gazel: Sword Saint.

Hakurou: You really have grown a lot, your majesty. It seems you have not stopped practicing.

Gazel: I am glad that I am able to impress you.

After that Gazel and Rimuru sign a technological support treaty after Rimuru showed Gazel his 99 percent pure potion or high potions.

After that Gazel left and the next day brought a few scientists led by Vesta and a few blacksmiths and architects led by Kaijin.

Gazel: These are one of the best personnel of Dwargon.

Rimuru: then why did you send them here? Aren't they like national treasures

Gazel: They are but they had entered into a fight with each other causing a lot of damage to civilians. If that wasn't enough, they even started bickering in front of me during their trial. So I decided to punish them with home arrest. But I think they would be of more use here. So I decided to exile them.

Rimuru's POV

More than 2 months have passed since Gazel visited us last. Due to Kaijin and others and the city has grown big enough to be called a capital of a country. I also cast a barrier around the city which will prevent any types of debuffs to monsters and also strengthen them. I hope these peaceful days continue.

--

That is it for this chapter. There will be a gap of 2 months between the visit of Gazel and Milim. Also in this fic Milim will actually be smart but hiding behind the facade of that playful child. More will be explained later. Anyhow enjoy. Dont forget to vote and follow me.

CH-12 Demon Lord Milim

2 months after Gazel's Visit

Rimuru's POV

I was casually talking about the military with Benimaru and Akamaru when I got a thought communication from Diablo. He said that he had 'brought along'. Emphasis on 'bringing' as we all know what he must have done to them. I quickly said goodbye to Benimaru, and went outside the city. After I was a considerable amount of distance away from the city, I used demon summoning.

"Rimuru-sama, I have returned with my friends. They are more than happy to serve you." Diablo said while bowing.

"I see."

The demoness trio were bruised here and there. They are spiritual beings so such bruises to heal quickly. The fact they haven't proves that they are injured, badly at that.

"So? Will you guys serve me or will we have to do this the hard way." I asked.

"Huuuh? There is no way we will serve someone as weak you, you bastard." Jaune screamed and tried to attack me but stopped in her tracks as I suddenly released my Dragon Haki forcing the trio on their news.

Blanc's face was as if she knew something like this would happen. She seems to be the smartest of the three. Violet and Jaune, on the other hand were trying to move even in my aura. The fact that they were injured help, or else they would most probably be able to move around even in my aura. Blanc seems to have understood that and was not moving.

"It seems like you both will not understand until I do it the hard way." I said as I forcibly teleported to my void. "Diablo, make sure Blanc doesn't do anything. "

Without waiting for an answer, I also went to void and decided to educate them. As soon as they saw me they attacked me. I took their attack head on and 《Wisdom》 started analyzing it. For the next 10 minutes I let them attack as much as they wanted. It seems Jaune is good at explosive magic and specializes in destruction, while Violet is good at poison. After 10 minutes, I asked them," Is that all? Well then, it is my turn."

As soon as I finished speaking, I attacked Jaune with Nuclear Magic. While she was busy defending, I teleported behind Violet and stabbed her through the stomach with my hand. My hand was coated with poison that amplified pain. It was especially made by 《Wisdom 》to hurt spiritual beings like demons. After that I did the same with Jaune, but instead of coating my hand with poison, I released my clones inside her spiritual body and made them explode inside her body.

After that, I teleported out of my void and saw that Blanc was still kneeling. I threw Jaune and Violet near her.

"Now, are you willing to serve me?"

Seeing Violet and Jaune, Blanc shivered. Violet had a hole gaping open where her stomach should be while Jaune had lost majority of the right part of her body. The more surprising part that they both were alive and in pain.

"Yes. We will serve. We are sorry for disrespecting you."

I let a smile slip through and created 3 new oricalchum body and allowed them to inhabit it. After that I obtained a lot of information regarding the demon world and their domains. Their domains were at interesting places.

Blanc's domain was near the Eastern Empire. As I had very little information regarding that, I told her that she should collect information on Eastern Empire.

Jaune's domain was near Demon Lord Leon's territory. She told me as how she annoys him. I told her to continue irritating him as a form of revenge for Shizue. I will still him punch him though.

Violet's territory was near the territories of Demon Lord Luminous and Demon lord Dagruel. Dagruel and Luminous are at odds and even though they are not fighting each other, they are at each other's throat. So I told Violet to create more friction between them.

After that I told them to go back to their territories while I told Diablo to investigate Shizue's students, Hinata, Yuuki and other 5 and give me information. He quickly bowed and teleported.

The next day...

I was about to go and meet Shuna when I sensed a magical aura flying towards me at a great speed. I quickly left the city and stood in place. Suddenly a girl landed in front of me. She wore a very revealing dress, but the problem was there was nothing to reveal. It was Demon lord Milim.

Milim's PoV

So he is the one who defeated the Orc Lord. Carrion and Frey are not weak but he was to fool him with his illusion. Now that I see him, he is quite strong. Maybe on the same level as Luminous.

"So you are the strongest one here. "
"I am surprised you could guess. After all I am not releasing any aura. "
"You cant hide anything from my Milim eyes. Any way. You are strong. Let's fight. If you lose you will become my subordinate. "

He will most probably decline, but if he does so I will just threaten him by saying that I will destroy his city.

"Very well."

Huh? He accepted. This is surprising I thought he will decline.

"You are much stronger than me, so there is only one attack that might do something to you."
"Ohhhh. Try it then."

He created a small golden orb in his hand and dashed at me forcing me to drink it. Poison? But I have poison immunity. It's useless. I thought it would be more inters...

"What is this!!? It's so tasty. What is this? "
"It's honey. Quite sweet isn't it. If you accept defeat then I can give you more. This is the last bottle."
He started eating it. Nooo! It is the most delicious thing I've ever had.
"Tie. It's a draw. Draw. So give that honey to me."
"Very well."
He took out another bottle and gave it to me. He had more? He tricked me. But I can't go back on my word now.
"You know you don't have to maintain that facade of the cheerful child in front of me. We might just have met but you can trust me."

How did he know?

"Surprised I knew? Well it's because I also made that facade to hide my grief. So I was easily able to tell the truth."
{A/N: Rimuru is talking about the time he lost his parents and was left alone with his sister.}

"Hahaha. You really are interesting. Do you want to listen to me? Maybe talking about can make me feel better."
"Sure. "
I then told him about how I lost my parents before even properly knowing them and then even lost my pet dragon Gaia and how I evolved into a true demon lord to revive Gaia but his soul had already disappeared and he got revived as a chaos dragon and how I had sealed it.

Somewhere while telling him I started crying. But he just stayed there continuing to lending his shoulder to me. After I stopped crying, he asked

"Feeling better now?"
I nodded and he smiled.
"Wanna be my friend?" He asked.

"You sure?"
"Yep"
"Then from now on you are my bestie."
"Huh? Bestie?"
"Yep you can call me Milim and I will call you Rimuru. Come on let's go. Introduce me to your country."

Rimuru, you guessed a lot. But not all of it was correct. My childish personality is not a facade. That's my true personality. Anyhow. I hope I get to enjoy my life with you, bestie.

--

That is it. Nothing much to say. I hope you guys enjoy. Like and follow me. Hope you guys enjoy.

CH- 13 Charybdis

Rimuru's PoV

It has been a few months since Milim moved in. She literally moved in. She has not been gone for one week straight. Isn't she a demon lord? Doesn't she have her domain to take care of? But the days have been more fun.

One day, I was with Shuna trying out the new outfit she made. Shuna sure is quite skilled at such handicrafts. The new outfit is a black one, contrary to my current blue one. According to Shuna it still needed more work, so I left her to it. As she was taking my measurements, I heard s large boom outside. Milim did something didn't she?

As I go outside to see what happened I saw a crowd. As soon as the people saw me they parted so that I could go through. There were a few human merchants as well. I had declared that monster and humans will be treated equally, so a few merchants started trading with us for high quality monster products and high potions.

In the middle of the crowd was beastmen, who was quite beaten up and Rigurd, who had half of his face disfigured. In between them was Milim, and as soon as she saw me, she ran towards me, all smiles. I quickly healed Rigurd, while Defence force of Tempest captured the beastmen. I asked what had happened and Milim told how the beastman had attacked Rigurd so she punched him in the face.
"Milim, you did a good job, but make sure that you don't damage the surroundings next time."
" Hai."

I then tell the guards to bring the beastmen to the audience chamber after treating him. The castle was still in the process of being made, so we were using a large house as the audience chamber.

After an hour, the beastman was brought in front of me.
" So why did you create a fuss in my country? "
"Huh? Why should I answer to a mere human?" As he said so, the other 2 beastmen behind him nodded.
I released some of my aura and suddenly all three of them went pale. I am an arch dragon. An extremely powerful one at that. I can easily defeat a self-proclaimed demon lord and even put up a good fight against an awakened one if it is young. There is no way a mere beastman like him will be able to move in my aura.

"I will ask one last time. Why did you come here?"
"My master asked me to recruit the majins in the forest to work for him."
"I decline. Go and tell your master that if he wants a treaty between our countries, then he must come here personally. Now go. I don't want to see you"
As he was being escorted (kicked) out, he sent an angered glare at me. Not that I care. What was his name again? I forgot to ask. Oh well.

Phobio's PoV

How dare he! How dare he humiliate me like that. I am one of Carrion-sama's three beastkateer.
"Hohohoho! Why are you so sad Phobio-sama?"
Suddenly a girl with a crying mask and a fat man with an angry mask came in front of me.
"Who are you?"
"We are no one noteworthy, Phobio-sama. We are just big supporters of you. I am Footman and she is Tear. We are very angry that you we look up to was dishonored in that monster nation, so we came here to help you."
"Help?"
"Yes. We can help you gain power quickly.", the girl replied.
"Really? "
" Yes just follow us."

They took me to a cave and soon as I entered I started feeling odd. I tried to look at the two but I fell unconscious.

Tempest
Rimuru's PoV

I was meeting with Fuze and Youm. They were sent to investigate us by Blumund and Falmuth. While I was talking with them Trya suddenly appeared in front of me.
"Rimuru-sama, please escape. A catastrophe is approaching. Charybdis is revived. Me and my sisters will hold him. Please escape."

As soon as she said that, she teleported back.
" Benimaru. Prepare for attack. We will attack and take down Charybdis. Only take those who will not hold us back."
"Understood."
"But, Rimuru-san. It is a calamity class." Fuze tried to stop me.
"So what? This forest is my domain. I can't leave my people alone and run away from danger."
Suddenly Milim barged into the room.
"Bestie. Something interesting is coming this way. Can I fight it?"
"No. It is Tempest's problem. Let us deal with it."

I started to prepare for battle. I quickly cast illusion around me to prevent anyone around me sense anything when I change into 'Battle Mode'. I teleport in front of Charybdis. Geld and his squad, Gobta and his squad, Shion, Souei and his followers, Benimaru and Shion were there. I was thinking of asking reinforcements from Dwargon but decided against it.
{A/N I forgot to write about Gabiru and Souka. That just happened like original. So nothing different. }

I then looked at the Charybdis in the sky. It was gigantic. It was also surrounded by 12 smaller megalodons.

What are my chances to win against that?

Nearly 30%. It is gonna be hard but not impossible. As I was trying to formulate plans, my subordinates already started attacking the megalodons.
Hakurou made quick work of a megalodon by slashing it.
Shion just jumped into the air and used her odachi to slash at the megalodon.
Souei used his strings to control a megalodon and made it crash into another megalodon killing both of them.
Benimaru burned 3 megalodons with a single hell Flare and cut a fourth one with his swords.
Geld took an attack from megalodon head on and stopped him. Then his squad killed it while the megalodon was immobilized.
The most surprising was Gobta. He sure has grown. He managed to lead a megalodon to the traps set by his squad and then Ranga finished it with Black lightning.

I then activated my 'Battle Mode'. There were big cannons coming out of my back and many smaller cannons and guns. They all used my magicules instead of ammunition like in my old world.
(A/N Like the Battle God of Maple in Bofuri. If you haven't seen that anime, go and watch it. It's a good one)

I fired 2 beams from my cannon, killing the two remaining megalodons. After that I flew towards Charybdis. I then attacked with all my cannons at full power. It took a toll on my magicules but I can still use the attack atleast 4 more times. The attack had little effect on Charybdis.
I see. Then maybe I should use physical attacks and then enchant them with magic. I started using some of my cannons to attack with physical attacks and then enchanting with magic. It was doing considerable damage. The problem was that it was healing too quickly. It has 《Ultraspeed Regeneration》 on the very least. I continued to attack but added few of my clones in the attack. As soon as he was injured, the clones would bypass his barrier and start eating him from the inside. As time passed the speed of eating increased. I was just busy dodging his scales. He had already attacked with his scales 3 time and he kept regenerating them.

A few hours has passed since I have been fighting Charybdis. I finally believe there are enough clone inside Charybdis to eat him inside out. So I went with my all-out attack once more. This time the cartilage was made with demon steel instead of magic steel. As soon as the attacks connected, I ordered all the clones to devour at full speed and closed the distance quickly and started consuming Charybdis with the main body.

It is extremely painful. Its magicules are so chaotic. I can hardly control it.
Yes/No
Yes. Absolutely Yes.

As soon as I said that the pain started to reduce slowly and faded. My devouring power increased and I started feeling more powerful.
[Individual Rimuru Tempest has obtained the extra skill《Connection》]
[Extra skill《Connection》has evolved into Unique skill《Bond》]

I started feeling drowsy and temporarily lost control of my body. It appears my body is still moving.
What is happening?
Is that so? Thanks for covering me partner. I will take over now. You should focus on controlling Charybdis's energy.

After I took control over my body, I had devoured most of Charybdis. The core of Charybdis was Phobio. I devoured him and seperated the core from his body. I then threw him at the ground from atleast a 1000 feet from the sky. Damn. He survived. Well. I guess his position as one the three lycanthrope is not just for show. I read his memories and something disturbed me. Footman and Tear. And then there was this Laplace that Treyni met. All three of them wore masks and most probably have the same aim. I will need to keep a lookout for them.

As soon as Phobio woke up, Treyni questioned him regarding how he found where Charybdis was sealed. He answered everything honestly. I wanted to kill him for all the trouble he caused but I sensed Carrion spying on us. I think it is better to use him as a bargaining chip. I pick Phobio up and throw him at where Carrion was hiding. He deftly dodged.
"You can have him back, Carrion."
"You knew, huh? Well I apologize for his misconduct. Can I do something to atone for what he did?"
Nice. Now I can make a treaty with them. I don't need to worry about agriculture much more.
"Why dont we make a treaty between our countries? We can send envoys to each other."
"Just a treaty. Very well. The beast Kingdom Eurazania will be an ally of Tempest from now on."
Saying so he picked up Phobio and took him with him. I deactivated my Battle Mode. Looks like he could not see through my illusion. So, my illusion works on Demon lord seed atleast.

After that I went back to Tempest. Everyone was cheering and we decided to hold a party. I went to my room and saw Milim sleeping on the couch. I woke her up and told her about our victory and the feast. She quickly ran away to eat.

After a few days, Youm and Fuze returned. We decided to make Youm a Champion who defeated the Orc Lord. It was then decided that he would be trained under Hakurou. He accepted without any doubt, not knowing that he dug his own grave. My condolences.

After a month, envoys from Eurazania came and created a bit of ruckus, but it was cleared quickly with a short fight between Youm and Gruicius as well as between Sophia and Shion. After the envoys returned, Diablo came back.

It seems that Hinata is called God's Right Hand and has a complete anti monster belief. But she serves Luminous. Isn't she a monster as well. A vampire at that. Meanwhile Yuuki is the Headmaster of free guild. The remaining 5 are at the school maintained by the guild.

I see. Let's go to Ingrassia. It's about time I fulfill my promise to Shizue.

--
How was it? This chapter is nearly 2000 words and the longest I have ever written. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Do not forget to like the chapter and follow me. Thanks for your support.

CH-14 Ingrassia

Rimuru's POV

I have nearly finished absorbing all the chaotic aura from Charybdis's core. I also evolved into a Dragon Lord and obtained a new unique skill 《Covenance》. After absorbing Charybdis's chaotic energy, I seperated it into a seperate void where it would be converted into my magicules. I have no clue how 《Wisdom》does this but my partner is amazing. Also, now that Charybdis's core has been seperated from, it gained sentience. I took out the core from the stomach and it quickly took the form of a young girl.
"Thank you Rimuru-sama, because of you I have gained conciousness. "
"Do you have memories of what happened?"
"Yes. I am deeply ashamed of my actions."
What is this? Are you sure she is Veldora's child? Where is all the haughtiness? What happened here? Well I am glad that she is not like Veldora. She is much mature than Veldora I guess.
"Is Charybdis your name?"
"No Rimuru-sama. It is the name that everyone called me with, but I don't have a name."
Is Charybdis a species, or is it a name given to her specifically like how Diablo was called Noir.
"So? I can name you if you want. Do you have any preferences? "
"No. I am glad that you will give a name to me. But if possible, I would like a name related to my father."
Related to Veldora? Hmm...
"How about Valora?"
"Thank you very much."
As soon as she accepted, a large amount of Veldora's magicule left from my void and entered Valora. I stopped too much magicules from going to prevent magicule poisoning for Valora.

For the next few weeks, she learnt a lot about this world as well as Tempest. She was pretty smart, unlike another dragon I know. So I decided to take her with me to Ingrassia.

1 month later...

I am on my way to Ingrassia. On the way I met the ruler of Blumund and made a security treaty. They sure are crafty. They believe that I can provide better protection than the church. The king of Blumund is not someone to look down on. I also had myself made a A-rank adventure card for me and Valora. Once I reached Ingrassia I lent my mask to Valora and entered the city. There were quite a few curious stares directed at us but we paid them no heed. I continued towards the guild headquarters. Once I entered, I asked for an appointment with the headmaster of the free guild, Yuuki Kagurazaka. I thought it would take a few days before I would get a meeting, but surprisingly it only took a few minutes. This is surprising, or rather suspicious. Valora believes so as well. So I told her not to do anything until I tell her to do so.

We were ushered into a room. Valora sat on the couch while I took a look around the room. There were many mangas there. I had read quite a few of them in my free time. As I was looking around, I heard footsteps so I looked towards the door.
"So you are Rimuru-san, nice to meet you."
A young man said as he entered the room. He looked towards Valora and his cheerful attitude went grim.
"That mask... it belongs to sensei."

As he was whispering, he suddenly kicked at Valora. Valora in response just left her seat and dodged the attack. I then quickly punched him in the stomach and he crashed in the nearby wall.
"Listen. I have no intention of harming you. This mask was given to me by Shizue..."
I then explained to him everything and how I had come here to fulfill my promise to her. In return, I also gave him new publishes of the manga I had seen on the shelf. Seeing this he took out more papers and asked me to make more manga. I did so and added clones in a few mangas to keep an eye on him. I felt something wrong about the atmosphere around him. It was as of his entire smile was fake. After that he took me to the room where classes would be held. As today was Sunday, there was no one there. After showing me around the school, he left. O decided to stay in the teacher's lounge, while I rented a house in Ingrassia for Valora to live in. I ordered her to look for Hinata or any of the ten great saints in the city.

The next day...

I entered the room and a fire enhanced sword came at slashing at me. I caught it with my index and thumb of my right hand. I learnt from Yuuki that these children had given up on being saved so I thought that they would be sad and depressed, but here they are attacking the new teacher.
"He caught it Ken-kun"
"I knew it. You are just too weak."
"I am sorry Sensei. They are just like that."
The boy who slashed at me was being looked down upon by another boy and girl but the eldest one apologised. But after that he left as if he didn't care. I guess he believes it is his duty to apologize for them but nothing else. While the last girl just sneaked a peek at me after that went back to reading the children's book she was reading. I walked to the teacher's seat and just sat down glaring at them. They kept bickering for a while but after noticing my glare, they quitened down and looked towards me.
"Done bickering?"
Before they could reply, I continued,"My name is Rimuru and I will be your new teacher. Shizue sent me here because she wanted me to save you five. As proof look at this."
I bring out the replica of Shizue's mask and show it to them. They look at it and become more depressed.
"Why didn't Sensei come here? Why did she leave us?"
"She didn't leave you. She searched a lot of places to find a way to save you. She even went to the Jura Forest to look for a method."
"But if she couldn't find a method then we will die anyway."
"Don't worry. I will make sure that none of you die."
Shizue had Ifrit inside her and managed to survive, so I just had to summon spirits for them. But if I summon it for them, it will just be a repeat of what happened with Shizue and Ifrit.
"Let's play a little come with me outside."
I never taught any students but I did have to teach quite a few nervous new recruits in my old life. How difficult can this be?
I allow them to all attack at me for five minutes, if they manage to defeat me, I will leave them alone, while if they fail to do so, they will have to call me Sensei and give me respect.
Kenya was good at fire magic. Though his magic control and swordsmanship could use a lot of work.
Gale was good at Earth Magic and more of a defensive type so he wasn't best suited for this game.
Ryota had a skill called 《Berserker》allowing him to increase his physical attributes. He just needs to learn how to control it.
Alice was a mannequin user and could make things follow her will. She was attacking me with her dolls.
The most surprising was Chloe. Not only could she use water magic, she had quite a good control over it. She made a water ball around me and made water blades appear inside so she could hurt me. Not bad. But I just teleport behind her.
"You shouldn't lessen your guard just because you believe you are at an advantage.",I whispered in her ear.
She turned around surprised and flushed.
"All right" I clap my hands."It's time. As none of you managed to hit me, you will have to call me Sensei."

After that for next 1 month I trained them how to fight and use their skills properly. In return i would give them manga whenever they did a good job. I didn't that the mangas I read for fun will have so much use.

I am currently taking a picnic with my students. As they were playing around, I felt a dragon flying towards Ingrassia. Looking at it all my students froze with fear. I get up,"I will go and help and defeat it. You guys, stay here. Ranga."
I summon Ranga and take out my wings. They looked just like a dragons.

(Image is not mine. None of the images or the cover is mine.)
"This is Ranga. He will keep you all safe. So be good with him."
Saying so I flew away. They were screaming something but i was not paying attention to them. By the time I had reached the gate, the Dragon had already caused a lot of damage. I applied illusion to myself to prevent anyone from seeing but one the merchant had managed to take a look. Oh well. What are the chances he will focus more on me than his own life. As the sky dragon was going to release his breath, I devoured him and his breath whole. After that I quickly left and flew away. The look on the guards face was priceless.

A few day later, a merchant had asked for me and even invited my students. Damn. It is him. I am damn sure. I accept. I then went to meet him. The appointment was with Gard Mjörmile.
It was a normal meeting where he thanked me for saving him. As I was leaving, something interesting happened. I met an elf. She blessed my students after learning about their situation. The major part was that she gave them the blessing of the Spirit Queen. Exactly the person I was looking for. I quickly asked her if she knew where the spirit Queen resided and she told me that it was Ulgrassia. Of course I had to pay quite a sum, but oh well. Now I can finally save them and fulfill my promise. I will also get to meet Ramiris. Treyni said that she was quite a beautiful person and was the personification of dignity. Let's see how she really is.

--

How was it? Next chapter will include Ramiris and Hinata. I hope. Until another idea comes into my mind. Anyhow. Enjoy.

CH-15 Surprise,Shock or Sorrow

Rimuru's POV

We have finally obtained the location of the labyrinth of the Spirit Queen. After discussing with Yuuki, I decided to take the 5 on a vacation to Ulgrassia.

A day before departure...

I am heading towards quite a famous restaurant in Ingrassia. The reason being that Valora had called me here. When I entered I asked where Valora was and then guided to her.
"It has been a while, Rimuru-sama. "
"Yes. Nearly 3 months. Right?"
"Hai."
"So why did you call me here?"
"Actually. It is regarding Hinata."
" I asked you to keep an eye on her. What happened? "
"Actually, recently she was just visited by a merchant from the east. After their meeting, Hinata actively started collecting information on anyone who looked like you."
" Like me? Hmm... Valora. Keep an eye out on this merchant and if possible, find out who he is working for."
"Understood. "
After that we had small talks over dinner and went on our way.

The next day...

I teleported all my students to Ulgrassia, right in front of the maze. I had already scouted the area once, so I decided to teleport right in front of it. The five were in awe and looked around. After they calmed down, we finally entered the labyrinth. It was one straight line. We all kept walking and walking and as we were walking I suddenly felt a deviation in space. I looked towards the deviation and analyzed it. I sensed a presence there. Just as I sensed it I heard a creepy sound.
"Kukukuku. Intruders. For what reason have you come here?"
"I want to meet the Spirit Queen. "
"Is that so? Then you must defeat my Elemental Collosus. Only then can you meet her."
Just as she said that, a mecha golem appeared in front of me. It looked like one of the old model of 'Battle Suits' used in my previous life.
"Ranga, protect them. I will deal with it."
"Understood."
I moved towards the collosus and started analyzing it. It has a centre core which powers the entire thing. It uses wind magic to move and earth magic to move its joints. It moved towards me and punches me. I quickly dodged, and asked," Is it okay if I destroy this?" I don't want to antagonize her as I need whoever's this person to meet Ramiris, the spirit Queen.
I moved towards the golem and quickly jab right at its centre and pierce through its core. As the core was destroyed, it stopped moving.
"So are you satisfied now?"
"What? How? How? My masterpiece."
" Hey will you help us now or not? First why don't you come out?"
I created a black flame in my hands and looked towards where a space distortion was.
"Hai. I am here. Ramiris at your sevice."
"Good."
But something caught my attention. Ramiris? Isn't she the spirit Queen? Maybe I am just hearing thing.
Many lesser spirits started coming and the children started playing with it.
"What was your name again?"
"Ramiris"
"Ramiris, the spirit Queen? "
"Yep that's me."
I look at her flabbergasted. I then catch her with my fingers.
"Take me to the spirit Queen. Treyni told me that Ramiris was a full grown adult and not a pixie. Also she said that she was full of DIGNITY. Where the hell is there any dignity in you? Don't mess with me."
After I vented at her for atleast 5 minutes straight she started crying as if she was deeply wounded. After that she explained how she had taken in Milim's rampaging energy 2000 years ago causing her to reincarnate every 1000 years. After that I told her about the children. She decided to help the children. In return, I would provide her a new golem. She then took us to the deepest part of the labyrinth. She told us to go and pray near the spirit stone. To set an example, I went first. As expected, it was Val who responded.
"I am glad to see you again, my lord."
"Me too."
"What are you doing at my house? Get out."
Val then proceeds to enter my body. Then he peaks out and says,"By the way my name is now Val."
"You named him?"
"Don't sweat the small stuff."
After that one by one, the five went on to pray. I also went along with them.
Gale summoned a lot of inferior eart spirits, which I fused with 《Degenerate》to make a greater Earth spirit. After that I mad it inhabit Gale.
Alice with next. She summoned inferior space spirits. I fused them to the same as Gale.
Next was Kenya. Surprisingly enough a light spirit reacted to him and inhabited him. I could hear Ramiris mumbling, "Whose house do they think they are invading. They never help when I ask."
Next up was Ryota. He summoned both, water and wind inferior spirits. I fused them together and made it fuse with her. Everything was going well.
Last one was Chloe. She was scared so I princess carried her. On the way she said," I love you, Sensei."
"Me too, Chloe." I said kissing her on the cheek. After that she started praying. Suddenly I felt as if the atmosphere had come crashing down. I looked at the spirit stone. There was a humanoid figure there. I quickly started analyzing it. It went towards Chloe and I came between them to stop her. Instead of reacting she kept moving towards me. I activated my barrier but my barrier reacted to nothing. She came towards me and kissed me on the lips, stopped for a moment and proceeded to move into Chloe. I couldn't understand what happened. My first kiss. Taken. By a spirit I dont even know. What is happening? I quickly analyze Chloe and see that her energy has stabilized. That's a good thing.
"Alright. Good job everyone. Now everyone of you is safe. It's alright to cry now."
As soon as I say that, they all came and hugged me and started crying. I started patting them. I could not analyze the spirit properly but I am pretty sure it had something to do with Shizue's mask. They both had the same feeling of time being warped around them. She looked a lot like Chloe, now that I think about it. Could she be Chloe from the future? Or maybe someone else. She could also be from the past. Suddenly Ramiris came up to me and whispered, "Are you sure it's safe? That spirit hadn't been born yet, you know."
So she can be considerate of others.
"Yes it's fine."
So I atleast know that the spirit is from the future. I might have to talk to her later. I complete my promise to her by summoning a demon and making it inhabit a demon steel doll. After that I name it Beretta and leave. But before leaving I ask Ramiris," Hey if I could absorb Milim's energy in you, would you mind?"
"You can do that?"
"Yes, sort of."
"Then please do." She said. She was surprisingly polite. She did say that she was slowly regaining her memories. I hope she will regain that 'Dignity ' Treyni was talking about. I give her one of my mini-clone which eats like I instructed. My clone continued to slowly devour Milim's energy. After doing so, I leave along with my students.
Once we reach our school back, I invite Chloe to my room after sending others to my room. I then sat on the chair in my room facing towtowards the bed.
"Chloe, can I talk to your spirit?"
"Talk?"
"Ya. Like this." As soon as I say that I released Val. After that i reabsorb him.
"I am not sure if i can do that."
"I see."
That spirit kissed me. Could it be that she had feelings towards me? Let's test this.
"Did you receive any memories or anything from the spirit?"
"No. Nothing of the sort."
"I see. Wanna stay the night here in my room with me?"
"Ehh? Ehhhhh!!!!!!", she screamed with a visible blush on her face. I see.
"Just kidding. You should go back to your room and sleep. It was a long day after all."
"Sensei, you meanie.",saying so she ran towards her room.
I have 3 cases of what could be happening.
Firstly the spirit is Chloe from the future and Chloe has received her memories making her have feelings towards me which she will develop in the future.
Secondly, it could be someone completely else who has taken over Chloe's body. But seeing that there was not much difference in her behavior, this is the least probable.
Thirdly and lastly, it could be that the spirit fused with Chloe. This is a bit complicated but possible.
I will have to look into this. For the next month, I teach them and then decide to leave back for Tempest.

I was riding Ranga, when I suddenly felt a clone of Souei appear in front of me.
"Rimuru-sama... Danger... be aware..."
It then scattered and disappeared. I suddenly felt that a barrier had been erected. It weakened me a bit but I am sure I still wouldn't lose to Hinata. The problem would be Luminous, who was spying from afar.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of meeting you, leader of the Ten Great Saint and God Luminous's Right Hand, Hinata?"
"How do you know so much? Anyway. It doesn't matter. I will kill you today to avenge Shizue-sensei."
Avenge?

As soon as she said so, she dashed at me and attacked at me her rapier. I parried it with my sword. It was made of my magicules but had gotten quite strong after my evolution. I will have to ask Kurobee to create a weapon for me with that piece of dragonite I have. As I parried her attacks, one of the attacks was aimed at my left arm. I did not bother to protect it and rather used the sword in my right arm to slash and cut off her left hand. She managed to Prevent her hand from being cut off but there was a large gash there and it was bleeding. Meanwhile I got to know that the attack from Hinata was aimed at my soul. 《Wisdom》estimated that I could only take 5 more hits. If continued to attack her. I let her get 3 more hits on me. In return I managed to cut off her left hand completely and managed to sneak in one of my mini-clone. 《Wisdom》then recalculated that I could still survive 3 more hits. I wanted to quickly defeat her and move towards Tempest, but if I kill her then Luminous might come to attack me. That would be troublesome. So I take 2 more attacks and then cast my illusion magic and then my illusion takes the last hit, but manages to jab at her stomach.
"I have avenged you, Shizue-sensei."
After saying so she cast healing magic on herself. After healing herself, she walked off. After some time the the barrier was removed. I looked towards Luminous and she was looking straight at me with a grin on her face. I undid my illusion magic, grinned at her to let her know that I had seen her and then teleport to Tempest.

When I reached, I saw that there was blood everywhere. I quickly broke through the barrier and saw Shion and Shuna carrying and healing the injured. I cast a large scale recovery spell. I then get a report from Akamaru as he was responsible for defense. It seems that Falmuth had attacked us. 500 of their elites had attacked and Akamaru had managed to repel them with only 26 casualties from his forces. I would call that quite a good victory. I have been to quite a battlefields and knew that a battle couldn't be won without sacrifices. But what he said next infuriated me. It appears that 3 otherworlders had invaded Tempest and killed nearly 100 civilians. The fact that civilians were killed infuriated me. It was standard in war to attack enemy forces but civilians were never aimed at. Looked like I completely forgot that this world does not have such unwritten rules. I will kill all of those bastards. I will wipe out their entire army and then kill atleast a hundred thousand civilians to set an example. Just you wait. I quickly check and it seems my barrier had stopped the souls of the deceased. I collected them to safeguard them. I quickly called for a meeting. Benimaru informed me that he had caught a majin who was Clayman's underling and had a hand in this war. It also appears that Youm and Grucius were protecting her. I ordered Benimaru to put her into house arrest and come to the meeting.

--
That's it. I can't wait to write the next one. There is going to be blood. Also the primordial white will play a role in the next chapter. At least what I have thought till now. If I change my mind then, what can I say. Any how enjoy. Like and follow me.

CH-16 Revenge

In the meeting room...
Rimuru's POV

Everyone had gathered in the meeting room as planned. There was silence throughout the room as they waited for me to speak.
'Souei, give me a report.' I said through thought communication. It appears that a holy field has been set around Tempest. Because of my barrier Tempest was not affected, but if we are to fight outside Tempest, it will take a toll on us.
"Firstly, Akamaru I am not going to blame you. It is true that we lost about a hundred civilians but you still managed to force their elite troops to retreat. Also you had no clue as to someone had managed to infiltrate into Tempest. But there is good news. It is possible to revive those who have died. To do so, I will have to evolve into a True Demon Lord like Milim. And to evolve I need 10000 human souls."
"The Farmuth army is 20000 strong, so there is more than enough. But we need to do something about he barrier." Benimaru replied. After that Benimaru and Akamaru got into a discussion about how to deal with this.
What are the chances that I will succeed in doing the ritual?
I see.
"Benimaru, I want you to lead the attack squad at the main army. Kill atleast 10000 soldiers and let them retreat back to Farmuth."
"Retreat, my lord? Shouldn't we kill them all?"
"We will. Not only the soldiers but also the civilians of Farmuth. Let them taste the despair as well. Once they go back to Farmuth, we will send an envoy to declare war on them."
"Shouldn't we just attack them without warning. They didn't send an envoy.", Shion retorted.
"Don't worry. The envoy will be sent to spread fear."
"Fear?"
"You will understand. Anyway, There are four Crystals that are sustaining the barrier. Souei and his squad will attack the one at the south. North will be attacked by Gabiru and his squad. East will be attacked by Akamaru. Hakurou and 10 goblin riders will attack the west. The otherworlders are with the main army. Make sure to capture them alive. Benimaru, you will lead Geld and Gobta to attack the main army. We will begin the attack tomorrow."
I give everyone their roles without asking for their confirmation. They are strong enough to deal with their respective enemies.
I go to meet with Myulan. As I entered the house where she was imprisoned, I saw Youm and Grucius there with who appeared to be Myulan. I analysed her and there was something wrong with her heart. It was not natural.
"So you are Myulan?"
"Hai."
"So whom do you serve?"
"Demon lord Clayman."
"You are surprisingly straightforward, or are you lying to make me fight Clayman."
"No it is the truth. Clayman doesn't treat his subordinates as humans but as dolls to use."
"So , why did you serve him?"
"I didn't have a choice. I am sure you are not interested in my background. "
"Correct. So I want you to die Myulan."
She didn't reply but just smiled as if she had accepted her fate.
I pierced her heart and replaced it with my own made heart.
Youm and Grucius tried to stop me but before they could move, I had already stabbed Myulan.
"Why? Why am I still alive?"
"You were being spied on by Clayman. So I decided to give him false information that I killed you. I replaced your heart with a new one. This one isn't wiretapped so it's fine. But you owe me one now, alright. You too Youm. Tou should start to learn to act with dignity. After all, you will soon become a king."
Now I can use Youm to make Farmuth a vassal state.
After that I left the room and I could hear screaming from the room.
I went to my room and decided to see if anything can go wrong.

The next day, the barrier has been destroyed with ease. Then Benimaru attacked the main force of Farmuth. They were surprised at first as the holy barrier was destroyed. But they soon regained their foothold. It seems that their commander Folgen had a unique skill to control soldier. After regaining control, they started retreating as Benimaru had the momentum. Benimaru could have encircled and trapped them but he didn't as I had ordered them. I started collecting all the souls from the battlefield. Nearly 15000 souls came to me in a span of two hours. I tell Benimaru to stop chasing them as I go back to the city. I am feeling drowsy.
[Harvest Festival of individual 'Rimuru Tempest' is beginning.
Evolution to an Awakened Demon Lord. Successful.
Individual 'Rimuru Tempest' has evolved from 'Dragon Lord' to Chaos Dragon.
Control over physical body has been greatly enhanced.
All physical and magical attributes have been enhanced.
《Physical Attack Immunity》,《 Abnormal Condition Immunity》, 《Holy element Resistance》 and 《Dark element Resistance》 have been acquired.《Holy element Resistance》and《Dark element Resistance》has fused with 《Element Resistance》to form 《All Element Nullification》]
[Petition accepted. Attempting Evolution...

Failed. Reattempting. Failed. Reattempting. Failed...

Sacrificing《Degenerate》to evolve 《Wisdom》. Successful. 《Wisdom》has evolved into ultimate skill《Wisdom Lord Raphael》]
[ Accepted. 《Gluttony》has evolved into 《Gluttonous Lord Beelzebuth》
All parameters have greatly been increased.

Evolution Complete]
[All monsters in the genealogy of 'Rimuru Tempest' will now receive their gifts.]

'I will continue help master. Just like in my previous life'

Upon hearing this, everyone fell asleep. When they woke up all those who had died had miraculously woken up. The only one asleep was their lord Rimuru Tempest. He himself woke up after 3 days when he had recovered his magicules.

Razen's PoV

What is going on? That witch should have killed the ruler of the monsters. They should have been easy enemies to kill now. But how are they so synchronized. Not only that but there is that Orc Disater as well as Kijin who is commanding them. I might be able to defeat one of them but both together is impossible. Looks like Folgen is thinking the same. He ordered a retreat. We kept retreating and managed to escape. Though only 5000 managed to survive, we can still defeat them. They were idiots. If they had surrounded us before attacking, we would have all died. Looks like the otherworlders also escaped. But they are traumatized after seeing that war huh? Well it is time for me to use possession anyway.

Rimuru's POV

I just woke up and Tempest was holding a festival. I decided to enjoy it along with everyone. At night, I summoned the demoness trio. I then explained everything to them. I then proceeded to name them and their subordinates. As soon as the soul corridor was made, I reabsorbed my magicules.
"Testarossa, you are the most well known amongst the humans. I want you to go to Farmuth in a few days and declare war on them. Of course, you will reveal your identity there. Also make sure to say that we will not accept surrender until all of the members of royalty are dead. Once we declare war, I want you three to attack Farmuth. Whoever brings back the king and the archbishop back alive will get a gift from me."
"Understood"
They then went to demon realm to gather their subordinates.
The next day, Fuze along with 50 armed men came to assist me. Though they might not be of much use in fighting, I will still use them to show that Blumund is with us. I then order Testarossa to go to Farmuth for war declaration. Fuze and his 50 soldiers were sent as guards. Not that she needed it. It was more of a display to show that Blumund was siding with us.

Testarossa's POV

Rimuru-sama has ordered me to go and declare a war on these humans. I am being accompanied by a human named Fuze. If only Rimuru-sama had ordered me too, I would have wiped these pests off the Earth. As I appeared near Farmuth, a guard went ahead to introduce us. It seems like they opened their door. That's surprising. I was then led to a room where a meeting was being held. I could feel the lustful gazes of these insects. I really wanted to torture them to death but I held back as I did not want to spoil my lord's plan. I walk up to the centre of the room without a care.
"Some of you gentlemen might know me-" just as I was speaking, someone interrupted me.
"I am the king of Farmuth. How dare you not kneel in front of me."
I could see the lust in his eyes. He didn't even try to hide it.
"There is no need to pay respect to a man who will be dead soon. I came here to declare the words of my lord. Many of you might know me as Blanc, but I have been given the name Testarossa by my lord. My lord has said that one week from now, Tempest will invade Farmuth. This is a declaration of war. We will not accept surrender. That is all."
As soon as I finish, i started moving towards the gate. It seems that quite a few nobles were dissatisfied with my lack of respect towards them and ordered the guards to block the door. I cut off their heads and continued to walk outside without a care. I could hear them screaming in the room. Oh well. The will be dead soon.

--
That is it. Next chap will be the attack on Falmuth and the Black Legion will be formed. Rimuru will also properly segregate the army. It will be fun to write I guess. I am not that good at writing, so not sure how this or the next one will turn out. But I will try my best. Please like and follow. And enjoy your day.

Ch-17 More Problems

Rimuru's POV

I have sent Testa over to Farmuth. She should be back by tomorrow. Let's see how I evolved.
Partner, give me my status.
One minute

Is it just me or are you more fluent?
Really? Are you sure you are not more fluent than before,Wisdom?
Is that so? Well then, I will still call you partner, okay? Still to think I will get an ultimate skill, which is at the pinnacle of skills upon becoming a true demon lord.
Ehhhhhhhh!!!!!! Two?
Give me my status quick.
Name: Rimuru Tempest
Race: Chaos Dragon
EP: 5,625,017
Ultimate skills:-
1) Wisdom Lord Raphael
2)Gluttonous Lord Beelzebuth
Unique skills:-
1)Covenence
2)Degenerate (Copied from Shizue)
All the unique skills of you subordinates are also available due to food chain of Beelzebuth.
(A/N:- I am not writing Resistance and such as they are mostly the same. Also for comparison, Rimuru after the true dragon evolution had an Ep of 7 million.)
Wait. I don't have mimic? How am I maintaining my human form?
Is that so. I see.
I see teleport to the the Sealed cave and transformed into my Dragon form.

(Kudos to TURN_NULL for sending this to me. Image is not mine.)
There was no hint of any metal left. I quickly turned back to my human form. Not many know that I am a Dragon. Surprisingly, Milim kept her word and did not reveal my secret.

I went back to my room and summoned Carrera and Ultima.
"How are the preparations for the attack?"
"They are going without a hitch, my lord." Catrera replied.
"Very well. I only want 5 archdemons and about 200 greater demons. You can divide it amongst your lineage. Also, you are free to rampage as much as you want, but don't forget your main tasks." "Understood"
After that they went back to the room where they were before most probably to decide who will attack.
I got a thought communication from Benimaru.
'My lord, it appears that refugees from Eurazania have arrived. What should we do?'
'Refugees? What happened? Bring their representatives to me. Meanwhile, tell Geld to prepare a place for them.'
'Understood.'

After waiting for sometime, Benimaru entered the room followed by Albis and Sophia.
"It is a pleasure to meet you again, Ruler of Tempest, Rimuru-sama. "
"Me too, Albis. So what happened?"
"Milim-sama declared war on us a week ago. We evacuated before the common folk could get injured. Carrion-sama should be fighting her right now."
What is Milim thinking? Declaring war on Carrion.
"I see." Suddenly a guard enters, followed with Phobio.
"What happened to Carrion-sama? Weren't you spying on their fight?" Sophia asked.
"Carrion-sama lost. Demon lord Frey joined with Demon lord Milim and then Demon Lord Frey killed..." He hesitated to finish his sentence. Anger could be felt in his tone yet at the same time it was helpless.
"Did you see Carrion die?"
"No. But there is a high chance."
"No. I believe he is still alive. Milim has nothing to gain from killing you."
"Demon lord Frey flew back to her territory afterwards along with Milim."
"Don't worry. I am pretty much sure Carrion is alive. Tempest, as an allied nation will help you."
"We are glad to recieve your help my lord."
After saying so, everyone left the room. I contacted the clone that I had slipped into Milim along with the honey when we first met.
I took in all of its memories. It appears Clayman is trying to control Milim, Milim is acting like she is controlled, Frey is being threatened to work for Clayman due to Milim. What the hell is happening? I leave Milim alone for a few months and she wiped out a entire country. What the hell?

1 week has passed. Today is the day that we will attack Farmuth. Nearly 200 greater demons and 4 archdemons, namely Veyron, Zonda, Agera and Espirit, had been put under Testa's command. Half of them from Ultima's lineage and other half from Carrera's. I told Testa to capture the king, archbishop and any members of the Ten Great Saints. Moss had already reported to me that Saare and Glenda from the Ten Great Saints had been deployed in Farmuth.

I was not present at the battlefield but the battle, or should I say massacre, only lasted for a few hours. Testa used all her resources perfectly and ended up sieging and taking over the capital within an hour. Most of the nobles had already escaped, but Moss had tracked them down and captured them. This is where Youm came in. He had the job to hand over the nobles to us in return for the safety of the common people. He would then continue to say how it was a rulers job to think about the people and so on, gaining support. In a country which had lost majority, if not all the top brass, he will quickly ascend to power. With his title of Champion, he would be crowned the king. Tempest would then make a peace treaty with the new born Kingdom of Farmenas, which will make Farmenas a vassal state to Tempest. I thought it would take quite a fair bit of time to complete this procedure, but Testa managed to the first half of the plan within two days. Meanwhile, the only thing that was left was the peace treaty.
While there was carnage in Falmuth, Gazel had come to visit. Ellen also came a few days back to check on our condition.
Gazel, as usual, came on his pegasus. As he dismounted he said," You look fine, Rimuru."
"Ya. Nothing much happened. Other than Farmuth attacking and me declaring war on them."
"Farmuth, huh? Their king was quite a greedy one. In the past few years, our relationship deteriorated quite a fair bit."
"I see. By the way who are you?", I said pointing towards the tree. Suddenly an elf came out.
"Oh, its the elf. It's been a long te Erald."
"If it isn't his majesty. You have surely been buttering up to the ruler of monsters. "
"Homonuculi?"
"Oh it seems you know what this is, Rimuru Tempest. By the way I cannot forgive you for laying your hand on my daughter."
Daughter? Seeing the confused look on my face Gazel told me," Ellen. He is talking about Ellen."
"Oh. I see."
Meanwhile Erald was casting a disaster grade magic. It was a magic that could have wiped out a city if launched. But it would be much more threatening if he had enough magicules to attack. Seeing that I did not respond he stopped.
"Looks like I can't fool you."
Suddenly Ellen came running from behind and hit him with her wand.
"Papa, you baka. Stop bothering Rimuru-san."
After that we decided to have a meeting regarding what to do. Though there was not much deviation, it appears both Dwargon and Sarion wanted to keep their distance from the Church. During the meeting, Ramiris barged in telling me about the Walpurgis. It really is one trouble after the other. That is it. Daily updates might not be possible in the future. Will try though.
Enjoy.

CH-18 Fall of Farmuth

Meanwhile, in Farmuth
Testarossa's POV

As Rimuru-sama had ordered, I had already invaded the borders of Farmuth. There were 4 minor cities in the way, before reaching the capital. I had given each of the archdemons about 50 greater demons and allowed them to rampage as much as they want. I continued to stroll towards the Capital, completely annihilating any villages I came across. The fear in the people eyes excited me to no end. Unfortunately, I couldn't torment them a lot. I had to fulfill the job given by my lord. I finally reached the walls of the capital. There were no guards there. Did they run away? Whatever, my main aim was the king anyway. I continued to move through the city after destroying the gate. The common folk were still there. They appeared to be trying to run away. I released my aura, killing those near me, while those who were farther away felt agony and pain beyond what words could describe. I continued to make my way through the castle. There were no noble in the castle, but it appears the King, Archbishop along with a young man and the general of the army remained.
I enter the throne room. Arrogance seeping out of my body. There is no way insects like these could hurt me. As I look around the room, i see two more figures. This was expected, they are none other than Saare and Glenda. I was told to capture all these people alive. Well, I can play with them atleast.
"I am surprised that you guys didn't run away. Just like the others, i thought you guys were cowards."
I glare at the king and archbishop and shrivel up in fear. So much for being a king. If you want to be a king, be someone like Rimuru-sama. What a pathetic excuse of a king.
"So you are the one who declared herself as the White Primordial, Blanc." Saare said.
"Call me Testarossa." How dare he? I was given a name by Rimuru-sama. How dare he ignore it.
"That itself is proof that you are lying. There is no way a random puny monster can name a primordial. "
Puny? How dare he ? Just as I was able to begin torturing...ehem... educate him, I felt space distorting. I looked and saw that there were three more figures who appeared out of the distortion.
"The seven Luminaries. Are you here to help?" Saare asked.
"Yes. Don't worry. We shall strike this demon down to justice."
"Then, does that mean she really is the White Primordial? "
"Yes. That is why we came here to support you."
I quickly reported this to my lord.
'Rimuru-sama, there are people calling themselves Seven Luminaries. Should I kill them?'
'Seven Luminaries? Alright you can kill them. Oh wait. I am sending Ultima and Carrera over. Let them enjoy themselves as well. They have been bothering me for some time to let them go as well.'
'Understood'
As soon as the thought communication ended, Ultima and Carrera arrived via teleportation.
"Yo Testa. Rimuru-sama finally allowed us to come here to play. "
"It seems you both were bothering Rimuru-sama."
"Ehhh. No way. There is no way we were bothering Rimuru-sama. Right, Carrera? "
While we kept talking, I noticed the faces of Razen and Seven Luminaries had gone beyond pale and become white with fear. Well they are beings who are chatting with me casually. So i assume that they deduced them to be the other primordials.
"Oh right. About who is fighting whom, Carrera can fight those three." I said pointing towards the seven Luminaries. "You are free to kill them. I have obtained permission from Rimuru-sama. Meanwhile Ultima, you can fight those two. But you can't kill them. You can torture them as much as you want though. And I will take care of them." I said pointing towards the king. They might have forgotten, but I remember that Rimuru-sama had promised to give a gift to whoever brought the king and archbishop back.

I walk towards Razen and Commander of the army. As I walked Razen just kept muttering. Has he gone crazy? I haven't even done anything yet? Meanwhile Folgen had drawn his sword and was pointing it at me. I continued to walk. He slashed at me. He was slow. Extremely slow. Maybe for humans he was fast. But bugs in the end are bugs. I quickly snapped his sword with my right hand and cut off his right arm with my left one. I did it cleanly to make sure that none of filthy blood would dirty me.
"Ahhh. AHHHH!!!!!My arm." He started screaming. His voice is so unpleasant. I quickly used my magic to crush his vocal cords and then kicked him into the wall. I turned around towards Razen and saw that he had summoned an Earth spirit.
"Not bad. Spirits do have advantages over Demons. But this one is young. Too young." I quickly jab at its core and it crumbles without resistance. I then move towards the king. Razen jumps in between me and the king and launches a nuclear cannon. I just redirect it outside the window. I had sensed that there was a pest spying on us, so I decide to eliminate it. After that I knocked Razen out and called for Moss.
"Moss,take them to Rimuru-sama" I said pointing towards the king and archbishop.
"Also what about the Church?" I ask.
"Souei-sama is currently investigating on it. It appears they are yet to take a response."
"I see. Then do your job properly. "

After that I look at what Carrera and Ultima were doing. As I walked towards them, I noticed that Folgen was dead. Did he really die from that kick? I didnt even enhance it with magic.
Ultima was enjoying tormenting the two, so I told her to stop. It seems like their spirit is completely broken. I healed them a little so they are atleast presentable in case Rimuru-sama wants to see them.
Carrera had completely destroyed the top of the castle.
"Carrera finish them quick. We have to report to Rimuru-sama."
Hearing this, she launched nuclear magic at the three, vaporizing them completely. After that I teleport back to Tempest along with the three and report it to Rimuru-sama. The first part of the plan is complete. Now only the second part is left.

Rimuru's POV

It is finally time that I release Veldora. I leave Ramiris in my room with the mangas and go to the sealed cave to free Veldora. Now that I have Raphael, my, or rather my partners processing speed has increased many fold.

I reach the sealed cave. It was kinda nostalgic.
Are you ready, Raphael?
Alright. Release the seal.

Just as Raphael said that, I could feel a large amount of magicules leave me. Then a figure appeared before me.
"Yo. It's been a long time."
"That's it? I have been finally freed and that is all you have to say? Well I did get free quicker than expected, so I will forgive you."
"Well, what else did you expect? Anyway, I evolved into a True demon lord. Did you get any new skill?"
"Hmm? Let me see. But, to think that you will awaken after only 2 years. I knew you were special. Oh. Kwahahaha. It looks like my unique skill 《Investigation》has evolved into ultimate skill《Investigation King Faust》."
"I see. Now that you are free, wanna come to my country? "
"Sure. Why not."
"But. You must promise that you will not destroy anything and control your aura. I can help you to control your aura."
I then made a clone of myself and let Veldora inhabit it. After that I started telling Veldora how to control his aura. In the middle of the teaching, I got a thought Communication from Valora. She had done what I had told her, so I told her to teleport to my location.
" Veldora, I want you to meet someone."
"Who?"
I didn't answer him and stared at the space distortion. After some time Valora walked out of it.
"Father?"
"Who is she Rimuru? Your daughter? She called you father, right? "
"She is your daughter, you idiot." I said smacking his head.
"I see. So she is my daughter. WAIT! WAIIIIIIT WHAT? WHEN DID I HAVE A DAUGHTER?"
"Calm down, will you."
I then explained him about Charybdis and everything that happened. After that Veldora continued to suppress his aura, while I asked Valora about what she learned from that merchant.

It appears that the merchants true identity is Damrada. He is in cahoots with Yuuki. He is also one of the heads of Cerebrus. After some time though, he made contact with the Rossos as well. If that wasn't enough, he also made contact with Emperor Rudra, through a voice communication device of sorts.
This is confusing. Who is Damrada really loyal to? Or is he completely independent from this entire thing. Well, atleast a few things are clarified.

Firstly, Yuuki was the one who sent Hinata to kill me. He should have known that I was strong and sending Hinata alone would not guarantee my death. So he most probably doesn't care which one of us dies.
Secondly, the Rossos had planned to kill Hinata as well. To do so they took help from Damrada.
Lastly, there is some sort of game between Rudra and Guy going on. This is pretty vague, but atleast tells me that Guy Crimson and Emperor Rudra are against each other.

While I was busy in such thoughts, Veldora had managed to control his aura so we went out. After that I introduced Veldora to everyone. Everyone was shocked but understood it over sometime. That night I had a meeting with Beastkateer and my subordinates.

"Rimuru-sama, it appears that Clayman's army is currently stationed in Lady Milim's territory." Moss informed me. He then continued to give a detailed report on their forces.
"These forces should be nowhere near enough to attack us." Benimaru commented.
"Yes. So it means their target is not Tempest. I had a hunch, but it appears that Clayman really is going to kill civilians of Eurazania to evolve."
It appears I wasn't the only who had noticed it. As I was speaking, Albis and Suphia had already clicked their tongues and had anger written on their faces.
"There is still time you know."
"But there is no way we will reach on time. Even if we depart now."
"What if I teleport you guys there? Of course it is safe, so you need not worry."
After hearing this, they started quickly discussing what to do.

"All right. Benimaru, take the goblin riders and yellow numbers under Geld with you to support Eurazania. Ultima, I want you to go with Benimaru and follow his orders. You are only allowed to fight against those clowns. Make sure to capture them. They will be useful as bargaining chips."
"Understood."
After that the meeting was adjourned. While I was going back to my room, I called the demoness trio to my room.
"You three. I will be giving you your roles in Tempest. If you are dissatisfied, you can tell me. Testa, you will be the military attache. Ultima, you will be the chief prosecutor of Tempest. Carrera, you will be the chief justice officer of Tempest. Also, while I am gone, Testarossa, keep an eye on The Church. They might make a move. Carrera, you will come with me to the Walpurgis. Any questions?"
"I have one Rimuru-sama." Testarossa said.
"What is it?"
" Rimuru-sama, you said that you will reward the one who caught the king and archbishop."
"I did say that. Tou were the one to bring them back weren't you? So what is it that you want?"
"I have nothing that I want right now, can I ask you to give me a favor in the future?"
"Very well. Then Testarossa, from now on you will be my second secretary and help me keep tabs on the international relations of our country. You three can ask Shuna to show you around."
After saying that I left them and went to the prison. They really made my castle quite big.

My castle has five stories. The ground floor is for visitors and dignitaries. Second floor has the kitchen, laundry room and such. Third floor is for all the maids and butler living here. They were personally trained by Vesta. Fourth floor is for the executives, while the fifth floor is for my personal use and in case if I ever marry, my future wives.

Just below the castle though is the prison. It also has 5 floors. The door closest to the ground was where the least serious criminals were kept and the deeper we go, the more serious their crime. The fifth floor was literally a torture chamber. Anyone who offended me directly was detained here, like the king of Farmus and quite a few of its nobles. Meanwhile on the fourth floor, there was Glenda and Saare. I used my skill《Dominate》which I obtained from Testarossa and 《Tempter》from Diablo to see through their memories. There was nothing interesting in Saare's memory, but it appears that Glenda was being controlled and forced to work for Rossos. So I broke their connections. I was worried that they might kill her to remove evidence.
'Testarossa, send that archbishop to the Church and send a message that will bring Hinata here. After all we have 2 of the 10 Great Saints.' I ordered Testarossa through thought communication.
'Understood'

I then went to Ramiris and saw that she was busy reading manga with Veldora. I gave a body to Treyni and that made her evolve into Dryas Doll. Now she could even move outside the forest. Then I allowed her and her sisters to serve Ramiris. A pretty long chap. I will clarify the timeline for those who might get confused.
Suppose on Day 1 Testarossa attacked Farmuth, then on the same day Veldora was released.
On Day 2 at midnight, Walpurgis will be held and at the same time the meeting in the Church as well.

That's it. I hope you guys enjoy. Like and follow me.

CH-19 Walpurgis

Rimuru's POV

Today, or rather, tonight is the Walpurgis. I was in the throne room with Ramiris. Ramiris was bringing Treyni and Beretta with her, while I was going to take Carrera and Ranga. He has been absorbing a lot of my magicules so he has grown strong. I had removed the barrier that prevented teleportation, so that we could be picked up. Rumors about how it actually Veldora who wiped out Farmuth was spreading around as many people felt his aura, but here is Veldora reading mangas like an otaku.

Ramiris was busy reading manga. Treyni was feeding her potato chips while Beretta looked like she had given up. I am feeling bad for Beretta now. I was trying to tabulate all the information I have on the Demon lords

First we have Guy Crimson. He is supposed to be the strongest and the red demon primordial. Taking Carrera with me is a gamble. I decided to fake my aura, by doing so he will at least not be able to guess I have 2 ultimate skills.
《Wisdom Lord Raphael》
《Gluttonous Lord Beelzebuth》
《Covenance King Uriel》
《Storm Dragon Veldora》
What? When did I get the last two? Also aren't Ultimate skills like extremely rare?
I see. Well. I will think about that later. Next is Ramiris. She is an ancient demon lord. She might not be powerful outside her labyrinth, but inside it she is nearly invincible. Her unique skill 《Labyrinth》can rival Ultimate skills.
Next is Milim. Well, she is Milim.
Moving on we have Leon. Carrera might be good to annoy him as she had been constantly bombarding him with nuclear magic.
Then we have Carrion and Clayman.
I have very little information on Dagruel, Dino or Frey. But it appears that Dagruel had fought Veldora to a draw in the past. So he must be quite strong.
Last is Ruminas. Oh boy. I have so many problems with her. She is playing God in the Western Nation, has her subordinate Roy play Demon lord, while Louis plays the Pope. If that isn't enough, she is a yuri on top of that.

As I was busy thinking, Shuna came in. She had brought my clothes with her (Demon lord outfit). It was majorly black and had a cool design. It also provide quite a fair bit of protection. I tried on the clothes and sat on my chair.
"Shuna, could you call Hakurou. I wanted him and Souei to infiltrate into Clayman's castle and take over it."
"Rimuru-sama, can I have the permission to go as well?"
"Huh? Are you sure? What about the others? And Benimaru? Akamaru?"

After calming down I asked Benimaru and Akamaru and allowed her, so I had no choice but to give in. I contacted Hakurou through thought communication and told him about his job. After that I sat down and waited for someone to come pick us up. I look at Ramiris. I was thinking of absorbing all the chaotic energy in her but decided not to. If I managed to do something like that, the demon lords would get suspicious. I guess I will wait till after the Walpurgis.

Suddenly, a huge gate appeared in front of me. It was intricately design and oozed off the evil vibe. A maid came out of it.
"It has been a long time, Ramiris-sama. Please follow me."
"Yo, Mizery-chan. How's Guy?"
"How can I worry about my master?" She then turns towards me, bows and says," You must be Rimuru Tempest-sama. My master, Demn Lord Guy-sama has asked me to bring you as well." She says, and then looks up. When she sees who I am bringing with myself she is shocked to say the least. I stand up.
"Is that so? Then please the way."
"Ah! Yes. Please follow me."
After that she passes through the door while me and Ramiris follow her. Once I crossed the door, i was in a seperate dimension. Something like my Boid perhaps? I sit down on the chair pointed at me and look around.

I could only see Ramiris with a red haired guy. Must be Guy. He looks interestedly at Carrera and then towards me. I could see a grin on his face. The next one to come was Dagruel. How did I know? Well he was a giant. Next one to come was Leon. Oh boy! His face expression changed ever so slightly upon seeing Carrera but it was priceless. Well, I still want to punch him, but I guess, I should let Shizue do that herself. I haven't revived Shizue yet as I forgot to take a fire spirit from Ramiris. Well I do have to talk to her after the Walpurgis. Next one to come was Dino. He was the only one I didn't know. He looked like he would fall asleep standing if there was nothing around him. How can anyone be this sleepy? Next was Luminous. She came dressed as a maid. She glanced at me as if telling me to stay quiet. I just quietly grin at her and say nothing. Then Frey arrived. One of her subordinates was most probably Carrion. Even Raphael said so, so I cant be wrong. She was followed by Clayman and Milim.

"Move faster, you slow poke." Clayman said, slapping Milim. Oh boy. Isn't Milim holding back quite well. I thought she would have killed him by now. Well she might be able to hold back but not me. He isn't going to get a painless death.

"Thank you everyone, for attending this Walpurgis. I would like to state that the Walpurgis is now convened." Clayman said.
"By the way, you are Rimuru right? Who is that behind you?" Guy quickly interjected before Clayman could continue.
"Oh her?" I said pointing towards Carrera, "she is Carrera. My subordinate." Hearing this Guy suddenly became serious and dashed at me. There was no killing intent, but I dodged regardless without moving from my seat and whispered in his ear, "Don't worry. I can help you in your game with Rudra." He looked surprised but quietly went back after saying one word."Interesting"

But what appeared to others was completely different. I had cast an illusion that Guy had managed to stab me but I barely survived. Only Clayman, Frey and Carrion were affected. No other Demon lord fell for it. Seeing this illusion, there was a smile on Claymans face. He is too easy too fool. I am thinking he might have a trick up his sleeve so I decided to play it safe and make him lower his guard.

Rain's PoV

I have been Guy-sama's maid for nearly 2000 years. I have a lot of experience so I don't have much problems. Well I am a good girl. Huh? I am a demon? So what? Can't a demon be a good girl? Anyhow today Clayman has started a Walpurgis. The surprise is that Milim-sama has given the approval as well. Well it appears to be related to the rise of a monster in the Jura Forest. I don't really care much. I am going to pick Dino. There is no reason to give him respect. He just lazes around the whole day. While I have to work all day. It's not like I am jealous. I would love to beat him to a pulp. But I won't. He is stronger than me so I am letting him go. Ain't I such a good girl. When I came back after bringing Dino, I went to bring Frey. While i was going Mizeri passed by and she was muttering something.
"Clayman's days are numbered."
I stopped her and asked," What happened?"
"Clayman is so dead. He picked the fight with the wrong person."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Listen. Rimuru-sama has Jaune serving her. You better start giving him respect like me or it will come back to bite you."
"I see" Mizeri is not the type to lie so it seems to be true. I really liked Clayman too. I could make him do a lot of my dirty work after threa... ehem... talking to him.

I then bring Frey with me and get my first look on Rimuru Tempest. He really has Jaune serving him. Also his power level that his aura is emitting should not be enough to subdue a primordial, so it appears Rimuru-sama is faking it like Guy-sama. Why did I give Rimuru-sama respect? Because he deserves it. Have you seen how hot he is?*Cough* I mean he is so dignified.
'How do you cough in your thoughts?'
'Shut up author. Don't question me.'
'Sorry. Sorry. I will need som flex tape.'
Anyhow where was I? Ah yes. Rimuru-sama. Oh! It appears Guy-sama took the initiative to ask who she was.

Carrera? Jaune has a name ? Not just a body but a name? This will be troublesome. She might be stronger than me and Mizeri. After that it appears that things calmed down. Clayman then started telling how Rimuru-sama had used Veldora to kill Farmuth's soldier and destroy it. It is obviously a lie. Rimuru-sama has more than enough power to destroy a human nation on his own. I wonder how Rimuru-sama will respond to this.

Rimuru's POV

Clayman has been speaking shit for quite a while. I look around and it appears that everyone is quite bored. Dino is fast asleep. Well I can understand. Even I am feeling sleepy.

"Do you have any evidence Clayman? This is getting painful to hear now. You might just kill me with the bullsh*t you are speaking, you know."
"You monster. How dare you talk to me like that? After killing my subordinate, Myulan, don't even think about talking your way out of this."
"Aren't you the one who was doing all the talking. Whatever. "
I kick a chair and it goes right by his head and slams into the wall behind him.
"This is between us, let's fight. I have no interest in becoming a demon lord."
" That's right. Rimuru, do you have any interest in becoming a demon lord? " Guy asked.
"Well, to humans I already am a demon lord, leading monsters and what not. So I might as well become one."
"Very well. If you beat Clayman here, then you will be a demon lord. We have a lot of witnesses here. Clayman, you are a demon lord, so show us your strength. "
"Hahaha. I didn't want to do this, but Milim, you are up. Kill Rimuru Tempest."
I quickly devour the table and Dino falls to the ground. He would have been caught up in the fight, but Guy manipulated space and made a barrier so that only me, my subordinates, Clayman, his subordinates and Milim was inside.

Milim then launched at me and I sidestepped. I can give quite fight to Milim until she starts using her Ultimate skill. If she does so then I am done. Well i haven't fought for quite a while. So this might be good.
"Ranga, Carrera, take care of Clayman and his lackeys. I don't care how much you hurt Clayman but don't kill him. Also, don't interfere my fight. Especially you Carrera. I dont want your magic interfering so hold back a little."
"Understood"

--
That's it. Hope you enjoy. Nothing much to say. Please like and follow me. Have a great day

CH-20 Crushing Clayman

3rd Person POV

In a large forest, an army had set up camp. The soldiers were deployed all around the camp but quite a few strong one were deployed to protect a single tent. Inside the tent was Yamza, the leader of the army. He was discussing his plan with his aides when a guard ran in.
"Yamza-sama, we have spotted some survivors."
"Finally. Let them flee and chase them. Let's see where they're hiding."
"Understood."

The majins of the Clayman army started chasing after the fleeing beastman. Meanwhile two individuals are watching this from the top of the nearby cliff. Two other beastkateer were behind them looking at the chase.
These four were none other than Benimaru and the three beastkateer, Albis, Suphia and Phobio.

'Geld, do it.'
'Understood'

As soon as Geld replied, thousands of orcs came out of hiding and used a synchronized attack to cause a earthquake. Those majins that could not fly fell into the hole, meanwhile those who could were shot down by Gabiru and his men.

"As expected of Benimaru-sama."
"You need not call me with '-sama'. You are not under me."
"Benimaru-sama is the leader of this army. So it is only natural that I pay respect. Anyway, it appears that even though the plan is working well, there are still quite a few strongmen in their camp. So please order us to fight them."
"Haaa! I see. So this is why you wanted me to be the leader."
"I have no clue what you are talking about Benimaru-sama."
"Very well. Go and defeat the enemy."

Just as Benimaru ordered, Albis, Suphia and Phobio went to the battlefield.
(A/N I am not writing the fights as they went more or less the same. I will also not write about Shuna and Adalmann.)

Phobio and Geld were at their worst end trying to defeat Footman and Tear. Meanwhile, the people in question appeared to be escaping.
"Dimension lock", a voice could be heard.
"Hu? I can't teleport. What about you Footman?"
"Hohoho. It looks like that Dimension Lock is an advance magic that prevented teleportation."
"You are quite sharp, aren't you? Well, I have been ordered to capture you. So please entertain me."
"Geld, who is she? Shouldn't we support her?" Phobio asked
"She is Ultima. No, she is strong. Maybe even stronger than me. There is no reason to help her. She can handle it herself."
"I-I see."

Footman quickly moved his body and started rolling towards Ultima but Ultima just dodges and jabs at Tear. Tear blocks her jab with her scythe. Meanwhile Footman turns around and comes at Ultima. Ultima smirks and grabs the scythe that had just blocked her and threw it at Footman. Tear, who was late to realize about what happened, was thrown along with the scythe and collided. Ultima then continues to play with them while tormenting them. After some time she got bored, as Footman and Tear had used up all cards, so Ultima decided to capture them and Zonda was ordered to take them back to Tempest prison.

This is how Clayman's army was annihilated. Majority were captured but quite a few were killed.

Rimuru's POV

Milim just launched another of her first at me. I have been evading her for nearly ten minutes and getting a few small attacks in here and there.

"I know that you are acting, Milim. Stop acting." I said. But it doesn't looks like she will. She swings a kick at me which I deftly dodge and use my right hand to make a jab at her left hand. The jab was not powerful enough to deal damage to Milim but it broke the stone that she had which she was using as her excuse.

"I have broken the stone now. What excuse do you have now?"
"Wahahaha. It looks like you saw through me. As expected of Bestie. But I won't stop, you know. I rarely get to enjoy a fight as much as this." She continues to attack me while I dodge and attack her back. I can hold on if she is not serious. But if i get serious in attacking, she will just enter her battle mode. Let's avoid that for now. So I focus on evading.

I make quick strikes on the points where her internal mana circulation was weak. The clone I have in her body helped me at that. Due to this, she was losing quite a lot of magicules. I was losing nearly the same amount to keep up with her. The problem was that she was not healing at all. She healed the injuries that I made to her physical body but didn't heal the internal ones. It was like she didn't even care about how much magicules she lost. It can't be that she has infinite magicules, right? Anyway, I look around to see what is going around me while Raphael helps me in avoiding Milim.

Carrera is bombarding Clayman with nuclear magic, just making sure that he doesn't die from it. Ranga was holding down a large fox meanwhile two other Direwolves were holding down a two of the summoned beasts. Ranga could have easily killed the fox. The fact he did not might mean that the fox is being controlled.

About the demon lords. Let's start with the oldest. Guy is looking at me with quite a keen interest. He is only looking at me. I wonder why. In a proper fight, you would look at both sides to see which one would do what.

I see. That is a probably. I have only used Raphael as the ultimate skill till now. Since it is not a fighting skill, I hope it cannot be replicated.

Ramiris is eating cakes as if she is enjoying our fight. Dino seems to be sleeping. Leon has a look that he feels relieved. I wonder why? I have quite a fair bit of revenge that Shizue wanted to do to enact, but I guess he doesn't know that. Ruminas is looking a bit surprised but manages to hide it quite well. Dagruel just looks at the battle interestedly. Frey is having trouble keeping up with us, meanwhile Carrion seems completely lost. Seems like Frey has better perception skills. Fighting at high speeds would require perception skills I guess.

I believe this fight has already been going for a long time to end this.
'It's time to end this, alright Milim.'
'Ehhh. But I wanna fight.'
'No. If you continue to fight then no more cakes or honey for you.'
'Fine. But you have to fight me later on when no one is around.'
How did she figure it out? Well I guess she is quite smart. But this also means there is a high chance that Guy has a skill which allows him to replicate others skills.
'Alright. Later on.'

Just as we finished talking through thought communication Clayman screamed," What are you doing Milim? Kill him quickly and come help me." He was then punched straight across the barrier. "Do not interrupt Rimuru-sama's battle." Carrera says as she punched Clayman. Both me and Milim stopped fighting. This surprised some, mainly Carrion and Ramiris, but then they realized that Milim most probably wasn't even controlled.

I quickly go to Ranga, and as expected, the fox was controlled, so I removed the control and gave her to Ranga to take care of. I then went to Clayman.

"Clayman, why don't you tell me who you are working for? I might make your death less painful, you know."

"Who? Who are you ? There is no way a monster like you can exist. How can someone as powerful as you not be known? Impossible."
"Wrong answer." I then punch him the face and activate thought acceleration on him making him feel the pain for thousands of years.
"One last try."
"I will never... betray my friends."
"Is that so? A pity." I already know who he is working with. But more proof would have definitely been helpful. I then devour him completely and make sure his soul tormented to its limit. I always regenerate him before he loses his mind. I might give him to Ultima later on. She is quite good at torture.

I then go back and break the barrier that Guy had made and sit on my seat. This surprises everyone. Even Dino wakes up. Then I look at Guy and say, "The fight is over. You can contract the space now."
"Very well." He then contracts the space and I bring out the table.
"You can also stop hiding Carrion." Guy says.
"I guess. Anyway, Milim, you were not controlled were you?"
"Nope."
"Then you destroyed my country on your accord?"
"Uhhh... that... about that...yes...it was just acting...I didn't mean it." She kept looking at me for help. I sigh.
"It's alright Carrion, I have already evacuated all your people, and we also have Clayman's army that I caught as labor force. You can make a new Eurazania."
" I guess."
"Then if everything is sorted, let's decide about the newcomer, Rimuru's, domain and title."
"Excuse me Guy. I would like to step down from my position as a demon lord and like to serve Milim."
"Ehhh? Why?"
"It's mainly because I dont think I am strong enough to be called a demon lord and it is about time you take care of the domain you rule."
"But..."
"If that is so, then I want to step down as well. I lost in a one on one fight with Milim after all."
"Are you sure Carrion? You should awaken in a century or two you know."
"Yes I have decided. So Milim, let me serve you."
"Ahhh. Whatever. Do whatever you want."
"Fine. Then from now on, Frey and Carrion are no longer Demon lords.
"Then we aren't the Ten Great Demon Lords anymore." I say

Suddenly the situation becomes tense. What the hell.
"What will we do now?"
"It took us ten Walpurgis just to name ourselves."
"And that name was also given by humans."
Huh? Is that why they were so tense. We are 8 so can't we call ourselves Octagram.
"Octagram" I say. Everyone looks towards me.
"We can be called the Octagram, the Eight star Demon Lords."
"Nice name."
"I agree."
"We are saved."
After that, my domain and title was decided. My domain was the entirety of the Jura forest. My title was Chaos Creator, thanks to my chaotic aura.

--

That's the 20th chapters in a span of one week. Thanks for 2k reads. I have a lot of work in irl. So uploads might be irregular for the next few months. I will try to sort it out in the next few months. I hope you guys enjoy. Dont forget to like and follow me

CH-21 The Church

Rimuru's POV

Now that the main problem is solved, most of the demon lords are busy talking with each other. I walk towards Leon and say, " You must be Leon."

"That is correct. What do you want from me?"
"Oh nothing, I thought i would love to chat with you at a later date."
"As troublesome as that would be, I also want to talk to you. You have been creating some problems with me. Very well. I will send you an invitation later."
"Okay."
Problems? What have I done that could antagonize him. Maybe something to do with Shizue. But he shouldn't even know that I met her.

I then walk towards Valentine, Roy to be specific.
"Roy Valentine, I assume."
"That is me. What do you want?"
"Oh nothing, just some private chat. Mind coming with me. Oh! You can bring your subordinates if you want." I say pointing towards Luminous. I then turn around indicating him to follow. I see that Carrera is talking with Guy. Well, they are both primordials and Carrera wanted to figure Guy for a long time. Not that she will win. Even I won't win on a head on fight.

I reach to one end of the room. When Roy arrives, I cast a barrier and say, "Nobody can hear us now. You can stop pretending now Ruminous."
Both Roy and Gunther seem surprised that I knew Luminous and also that she was hiding her true identity.
"What do you-"
"That's enough Roy. So it seems you know who I am."
"Yes. You have been spying on me for quite a while."
"It wasn't you who I was spying on. It was that lizard. That lizard, he destroyed my city in the past. I will definitely kill him."
"Lizard? You mean Veldora?"
"Yes. There are rumors going around that he revived and destroyed Falmuth. That's not true is it?"
"Nope. I made Diablo,my subordinate, spread such rumors so that humans don't attack me all at once."
"I don't think you need to be that cautious. You have a primordial under you and the monsters you have are more than enough to crush humanity. "
"I know that. But it will not sit well with Guy if I wipe out the Western Nations."
"I guess. Now that you know my real identity, there is no need to hide it. I was only hiding it from Clayman as he was quite a schemer. Well I also have another reason but that's alright. Then could you forgive Hinata. I could provide you information worth her life."
"I will decide after you give the information."
"Fine. But you better hold your side of the promise. "
"Don't worry. I will."

After that she changed back to her gothic black dress and moved out of the barrier as I destroyed it.

"Luminas, you are not hiding your identity anymore?" Milim asked.
"No. There is no need anymore. Guy, I will be taking my seat back then."
"Very well."
"Roy, you can go back now."
"Understood."

After that Roy went back through the portal while we decide to take some more time talking. After some time, we all went back to our domain. Before leaving, I offered Ramiris to stay in Tempest. Her labyrinth could be quite useful. She accepted and went back to her domain saying she had to seal the labyrinth or something.

3rd Person PoV
Ruberios

A girl with a shining armor could be seen walking towards the church. She is none other than the Humanity's strongest Guardian and leader of the Ten Great Saints, Hinata.
'Hinata, can you hear me?'
'Yes Louis. I can hear you. What is it? If it is about the meeting, then I am coming in a few minutes.'
'There is that, but it appears that my brother Roy is dead.'
'What? Stop joking.'
'I am not joking. Ruminas-sama should arrive in a few more hours. After discussing what to do with her, we should decide our future plans.'
'Very Well.'

Hinata then continues to walk towards the church. Upon entering, she went to the meeting room Out of the ten seats on the table, 7 were occupied. As soon as Hinata sat, she said,"Let's begin the meeting."
"Wait a minute, Hinata-sama. Saare and Glenda are yet to arrive." Arnaud said.
"They won't be coming. That is why we are holding this is meeting." Facing a guard, Hinata says, " Bring him in."
After that the guard goes out and brings Archbishop Rayheim in. Meanwhile all the other members of Ten Great Saints have a confused look on their face.

As Rayheim enters the room, he bows.
"Rayheim, why don't you tell us what truly happened at Farmuth. "
"Hinata-sama. Didn't Veldora, the storm dragon revive and rampage in Farmuth."
"Listen to him Fritz."
"Hai."
"It was hell. That is one way to say it. 4 archdemons and hundreds of greater demons invaded the nation."
"Archdemons? They might be difficult to defeat but not impossible. "
"That is not all Arnaud-sama. There was one demon there who declared herself as the White primordial. She had a body as well as a name. Later on two more demoness came and talked to her as if they are beings of equal position."
"A demon wouldn't dare to take a name of primordial, so it is possible that all three of them are primordials." Bacchus said.
"There is no way a new-born monster can have three demon primordials serving him and have strength to name them."
"Sorry to interrupt the meeting but we have important information from the Freedom Guild." A guard said as he came in.
"Go ahead." Hinata said.
"Hai. It seems that after the Walpurgis the Ten Great Demon Lords have become eight and now identify themselves as Octagram.
Chaos Cteator has killed the Marionette Master and has take his position. Meanwhile, Sky Queen and Beast King have renounced their position to serve the Destroyer."

"Chaos Creator? Who is he? Where is his domain?"
"It says he rules over the Jura Forest.
"Then it can only be him." Hinata says.
"You mean Rimuru Tempest?" Arnaud asked.

"Yes. He was the leader of monsters in Jura, wasn't he?" Hinata asked, facing Rayheim.
"Yes. He was the one. Also, before being teleported here I was given this ball to give you." He said taking out a magic ball.

Hinata's POV

I already knew that Rimuru had survived because Luminas-sama had informed me. But to think that he is strong enough that even after being weakened, his illusion works on me. It might be better to talk it out with him. That merchant really played me well. If Rimuru wants my head, then I will give it to him to apologize.

I took the crystal ball from Rayheim. As soon as I poured some magic into it, I could see an image. It was a woman. She was quite beautiful but my instincts told me that there was something dangerous behind that beauty.

"Good day to you Hinata Sakaguchi, leader of the Ten Great Saints. I am Testarossa, military attachè of Tempest. We currently have two members of the Ten Great Saints held captive. We would like to invite you, Hinata Sakaguchi to Tempest to negotiate regarding their position. You will be given one month to give a suitable reply. If a suitable reply is not given, they will be dealt with Tempest's laws."

The message ended and the room descended into silence.
"What shall we do now Hinata-sama?"
"What can we do now. I will go there and negotiate."
"It is too dangerous Hinata-sama. "
"I know that. But we will have to there regardless. Arnaud, Fritz, Litus and Bachus will follow me. The rest will stay here."
"Understood."

I don't think this will go peacefully. I can't believe that the Seven Luminaries have made no move. They might have made a move and failed. We can only hope that it does not go worse than imagined.

Rimuru's POV

I have finally come back after the Walpurgis. Testa informed me about how Hinata should be arriving in a month. I gave her free reign to do whatever she wanted to her till the time it didn't kill her. I am sure Luminous will appear before anything happens to her.

Tempest has decided to hold a large festival to introduce itself to the world. I decided to make an arena and have a tournament to showcase Tempests strength. Geld has been busy building it. Meanwhile I have a more important issue. Now that the entire Jura forest is my domain, I need to properly integrate into Tempest. Most of the smaller tribes will come to pay their respect on their own but I will have to send envoys to the larger one such as the Tengus. So I decided to send Benimaru and Albis there. I hope nothing goes wrong, so I decided to send my right hand there.

Abiru had come to meet me in my room so I decided to ask what other major races there were in Jura. His response surprised me.

"Rimuru-sama, does your domain include the oceanic territory south of the Jura?"
"I guess so? After all, I rule the entire land of the Jura."
"Then, there is the Merfolk kingdom of Hyme."
"There is a Merfolk kingdom? Why have I never heard of it?"
"It is mostly because they decided to seclude themselves and have never surfaced for the past 1000 years. My dad once told me about how a part of our lineage comes from the mermaid. That is why our scales have resembled fins."
"I see. Then maybe I should send an envoy."
"I know this might be rude of me Rimuru-sama, but I suggest that you go there personally. "
"Personally? Why?"
"I don't know how much of this is true but their leader at that time was an awakened demon lord individual. They had helped us a lot in the past, so I would like it if Rimuru-sama could have a favourable relationship with them. Also, there is a benefit. They can control the magical beasts in the ocean. This can help you gain better control over the ocean compared to nearby areas. This could help prevent another tragedy li-"
"That's it. Fine I will go there myself."
"Thank you very much."

Merfolk kingdom huh? I guess I should send Cien there to announce my visit. I call Testarossa to my room. She comes in and kneels. I don't even bother to tell them to stand anymore.

"Testarossa, I will be borrowing Cien for a while. Is that ok?"
"Of course, my lord. I hope he is able to fulfill his duty. I shall summon him right this instant."
She contacted him, I assume. He came here rushing.
"Cien, i have a job for you."
"Hai."
"I want you to go to the Merfolk kingdom as an envoy and inform them of my arrival in two weeks."
"Understood"
After that Cien teleported away. Most probably to ask Moss of the proper location.
"You can go now, Testarossa."
"Hai."

--
Alright. Finally something new. Yay. Anyhow. I hope you guys enjoy. Please like and follow me. Please enjoy.

CH-22 Merfolk Kingdom

Rimuru's POV

It is about time for me to depart to Hyme. I decided to go along with Testarossa, as she is the military attachè, Shion, as she is my bodyguard, and Moss and Cien. It was decided that the Merfolks would send an envoy to pick us up and guide us to their kingdom. It is underwater so it is going to be troublesome. Even though I don't need to breathe, moving underwater is troublesome. Luckily, Raphael came to the rescue. She really is the best partner anyone could ever wish for. She made my body adapt for water movement.

Once I reached the ocean, I saw an envoy of merfolk. They were just like humans but had some fins coming out the back of their hands. I decided to analyze them and it appears that they can shapeshift. Making friendly relationships with them will really be useful. Having some sort relationship with them will help me to have some control over the oceans.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am the leader of your guard, Amaya. He is Kaito. He will be your guide during your stay in Hyme. I hope you will enjoy your stay in Hyme."

I nod and then we are led to what appears to be a carriage drawn by amphibian monsters. Me and my subordinates along with Kaido and Amaya get in the carriage. Meanwhile the guards remained outside. As soon as they entered water, their feet changed into a tail. Their fins grew a bit but their upper bodies remained the same. We continued to move underwater. Not a single drop of water entered the carriage. I heard from Cien that they had a barrier of sort to prevent water from entering. They had dry land below the ocean. I couldn't believe it but then there are things like Veldora who can destroy countries on a whim, so this does not seem to farfetched.

After about an hour of travel we reach our destination. I am astonished. It really is completely dry. We are thousands of meters below water surface. It appears the dome is semi-circular in shape. In the center of the assumed semi-circle is a magnificent palace. It is made up of blue stone. Raphael told me that it was prismarine. A rare ore usually used for making jewelry. We then proceeded to meet the ruler and went towards the castle.

Just as we entered the castle something bumped into my legs. Both Testarossa and Cien were about to attack it while Moss was about to activate 'Scout Mode' but they stop when I lift my arm. As I look down I see that a small child, maybe 5 years old had bumped into me and fallen to the ground. A maid came running behind her.

"Hikari-ojousama, please stop running. You can hurt yourself."

Seeing me and Amaya by my side, I guess she realized who I was.

"I am extremely sorry." She said but before she could say anything i cut in.
"It's alright. She seems to be quite an energetic one. Must be quite hard for you to take of her."

"No,no. We enjoy taking care of her. She is the princess of Hyme, after all."

"I see. Then please excuse me. I have a meeting to attend."
"Ah yes. I am sorry to take your valuable time."
"It's alright." I pick up Hikari and give her to the maid," Listen to what she says and don't cause trouble for her, alright." I say and then tell Amaya to lead the way. We are led to a seperate room and told to wait there.

I sat and the chair while Testa, Moss and Cien stood behind me. After some time a woman came in.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Demon Lord Rimuru. I am Luna, queen of the Merfolk kingdom, Hyme."
"Likewise."
"I was informed that you came here to talk about some important matters."
"It is not that important. I just wanted to see your kingdom and send you an invitation. "
"Invitation? "
"Yes, an invitation. My country is holding a festival in about 2 months. So I came here to invite you, Queen Luna and royal family to Tempest. Of course the festival is open to common people as well."
"A festival. It sounds interesting. I will definitely love to come. But there was no need for you to come here personally was it?"
"No. But my subordinates tribe, the lizardmen had once been from your lineage. So I thought I should come here personally. Also I was interested to see how a kingdom this flourishing could survive without any contact to the surface."
"Well, we haven't made any contact to magic continent. The last time we made contact was with Demon Lord Guy Crimson so that we wouldn't interfere each other and we could live our lives in peace."
"I see. It seems you care a lot about your people."
"Yes. After all who wouldn't care about their own people."
"While I am here, I would also like to discuss about the prospects of a treaty amongst our nations."
"Treaty? I don't think there is anything of value that a demon lord like yourself would be interested in."
"That's not true at all. Prismarine in itself is quite valuable and moreover having an ally like you would be indispensable. "
"Like me?"
"Yes. I don't think I need to explain but I know that the princess didn't collide with me on her own. It took me some time but I am sure she collided with me so that you could gauge my reaction. Also, you are as strong as an awakened demon lord. "
"I didn't think you will see through me this quickly. By the way, how did you know how strong I was?"
"You are releasing quite an aura you know. I quickly analyze her. Though most of her skills were hidden, she was atleast as strong as Leon. But what caught my eye was her race. She was a high mermaid. All the mermaid till now only had mermaid as their race but she was a high mermaid. I wonder what that means.
"Is that so? I never knew." Well she had restrained her aura quite a bit but Raphael is Raphael. After that we continued to decide what the relationship between our country should be. It was decided that in exchange for underwater technology and control over water beasts we would provide them with more information, technology and mainly diversified food options. Protection of mermaids under slavery and giving them citizenship of Tempest also was a part. I left Testarossa for finer details. After all I have little to know idea on diplomacy. Raphael also helped me a lot.

After that I decided to stay there for three more days. During those days I visited the library there and got to know a few interesting things. It appears that this kingdom was made on the ruins of another country which was once was above water. I then decided to look at the ruins that were not yet rebuilt. It mostly consisted of houses and a few big buildings. But one thing caught my eye. Most of the buildings were made of concrete. Concrete isn't something that was widely used thanks to magic. It also used steel, which was not enhanced with magic. All the buildings were made as if magic was unusable. There were no traces of magic being used. I also found a building which caught my eye. It was a round circle as if a giant mirror. It was big enough for about 10 busses from my old world to fit side by side. I went to the base of the odd building and removed the dirt near it using magic. What I saw there surprised me. I had an inkling that this was a portal but the wires I found made me sure of it. The wires even had writings on English on it. This can't be created in this world. It is definitely from my old world. This is a prototype of teleport portal that we had built. Only 2 of these had been ever made and used. They had a big downside that they were unidirectional and could only be used once. It would be teleported as well making it dissapeared. As it was not cost effective, its usage was denied. Later on more effective teleporters were invented. But the fact that it was here meant that one of those two came here.

I looked around it and found out its name. It was 'Hope'. 'Hope' was the first one to be used after which 'Faith' was launched. So it teleported here huh? But that also means that our teleporters could break the dimension walls. If that is so, then I might be able to go back to that world. Not that I really care. But I do want to make sure my sister is alright.

After 3 days of stay, we came back. Testa got busy again to 'welcome' Hinata. Meanwhile I made sure that everything in Tempest was in order for the festival.

--
A completely original part of the story. Hope you guys like it. Like and follow.
Enjoy

Ch-23 Hinata and the Ten Great Saints

3rd person POV

Hinata, the leader of the Ten great Saints along with Bacchus, Fritz, Arnaud and Litus have departed from Ruberios towards Blumund.

Meanwhile, in the church

Leonard was told to come to church. There are only two people who could order Leonard. One was Hinata, but she was on her way to Tempest, and the other were the Seven Luminaries. As Leonard entered the room, he noticed that three of the seven Luminaries were present. He quickly kneeled and said," It is an honor to meet you, the seven Luminaries. "
"You are Leonard. We have heard quite a lot about you."
"It is my honor."
"We have invited you here because we believe that Hinata is betraying us."
"What? There is no way that's true! Hinata-sama will betray us."
"Calm down. We also want to believe so. But think about this. Hinata is strong enough to defeat the Demon Lord Valentine, but she never started an expedition to kill him."
"But. .."
"Of course. That isn't enough proof that she was collaborating with him. So I want you to go and kill demon lord Rimuru. If you kill him, then you will be able to free Garde and Glenda. If Hinata tries to stop you then it means..."
"She is siding with the Demon lord."
"Yes that is correct."
"I see. I will lead a squadron to kill Demon Lord Rimuru and prove Hinata-sama's innocence."
"Very good. We hope of your victory."

In Blumund

Hinata along with 4 o f the other saints are strolling through Blumund.
"It seems like Blumund has grown a lot."
"You are right Hinata-sama. It has become much bigger than what it was a few years ago."
"I guess this is the influence of the monster nation."
"It seems that the monster material here is of higher quality and the armors here are good and cheap."
"I can see that."
"Hinata-sama, I believe we should rest at this inn for today." Arnaud said while pointing towards a inn.
"I see. Let's stay there if you say so Arnaud. "
They enter the inn and spend the night there. Meanwhile, a blue haired figure is keeping a keen eye on the five.
(A/N:- the entire shenanigans of ramen did happen making Hinata believe that Rimuru is an otherworlder.)

Hinata and the other four were on their way to Tempest. They had expected a tedious journey while crossing the jungle byt what was in front of them surprised them. It was a paved way. The kind they would only see at the royal capital.

"This road is paved."
"Ya. Just like the ones in the capital."
"Maybe Demon Lord Rimuru really isn't such a bad being."
"Maybe, but he did destroy Falmuth. That to before we could even respond. "
"But wouldn't we do the same? If a monster attacks us, don't we don't destroy all the nests."
"But we do that to protect ourselves. "
"Demon Lord Rimuru did that to make an example to prevent such a thing from happening again. What's the difference? At the end it was done to prevent more of that tragedy from happening. "
Arnaud and Litus kept arguing. Meanwhile Hinata got a troublesome thought communication from Cardinal Nicholas.

'Hina...ma...tious...Sev...ries...Tempest...sabotage...pl...'
'Nicholas, what are you saying. I can't hear anything.'
Suddenly the thought communication breaks and a barrier is formed to prevent contracting the outside.

Hinata's PoV

It seems something troublesome is happening. The others have noticed as well. I could hear swords clashing of the distance. I quickly ran to a nearby hill to see what was happening. The other four followed me. What I saw there made me have a headache. Leonard, Garde and nearly 100 templar knights were fighting 50 ogres. They were led by an oni. She was wearing a purple suit and carried a heavy odachi. She was moving around like nothing.

I suddenly felt 5 presences behind me. I turned around to see Testarossa, 3 more oni and an insect like humanoid being. It wasn't a coincidence. Our numbers matched up perfectly. Ruminas-sama had already told me how dangerous a primordial is. To be given a body and name is something unheard of. But Rimuru did it to not one but three primordials.

"It seems like you have hostile intentions Hinata Sakaguchi." Testarossa said.
"You wouldn't believe me if I denied will you?"
"Definitely not." She said pointing towards where Leonard and the others are battling.
"Then there is nothing much to say, is there?"
As I say that, I prepare my sword. The sword given to me by Luminous-sama.
"We gave you a chance to negotiate peacefully. Humans really are an idiotic race."
Arnaud got angry at this but he knew he could not defeat her.
"We are equally numbered. Choose whoever you want as your opponent. "
Arnaud was the first to reply. He said, "Then I will like to fight you. You look like a swordsman. " he said pointing towards the red haired oni.
"Very well, I am Benimaru. Let's fight somewhere away from here. We would not like to interfere with the others. The others also chose. Bachus chose the insectoid Zegion, Fritz chose Akamaru while Litus faced against Souei. I, meanwhile was facing against Testarossa.

She is a demon while I am a human. I will naturally feel fatigue. The longer I fight, the more I will be in trouble. If I already wasn't in enough trouble. She made a sword from magic.

"Swords aren't my forte. I had rather use a whip. You wouldn't mind would you?"
"I really would mind you know. I am already at a pretty big disadvantage. "
"Well atleast you know your place. Very well. I will play with you. Rimuru-sama told me to not kill you. You still have some value I assume."
"I don't know whether I should be happy or not about that."
Some value? Maybe a deal with Ruminas-sama. I don't know. Right now I have to focus on trying to defeat her.

I quickly take my rapier and advance straight at her. I make a quick jab at her abdomen which she dodges and then counter attacks with her sword aimed at my left hand. If she was a human, then it was most probably a fluke, but she is a demon. She will take her time to enjoy tormenting me so I blocked it. It seems I was correct. It wasn't a fluke but a real hit to cut off my arm and demoralize me. So she has confidence that my sword will not be enough to hurt or wound her.

I continue to attack her. She either dodges or blocks with her sword. Whenever I use 《Usurper》it shows blocked. That is the first time this has happened. It would either show failed or success. Only against Ruminas-sama it showed blocked. So she has a skill that is able to block analysis. I don't even want to hope that she is as strong as Ruminas-sama. If she is then survival of the western nations really depends on the whims of Rimuru. It doesn't appear like I will last much longer so I decided to use my strongest move.

"I am going to end this now. I am going to use my strongest move." I say so. I am sure she will give me enough time to chant. I quickly cast Disintegration and then absorb it into my sword.
"Here I go. Meltslash."
As soon as our swords collide, her sword breaks and just as my sword was about to touch her she stopped my sword with the index finger of her left hand. So this is the difference between us. I trained for years and this all I could muster. My strongest attack stopped by a single finger. Laughable. I have used up all my energy. Just as my eyes were closing I could Testarossa clicking her tongue.
"Haa... I managed to catch you off guard atleast. Atleast... you can't... move." Suddenly everything went black.

Rimuru's POV

Me and Veldora are looking at the fight from a distance. Shion has gone and rampage and the 50 kijins under her are completely annihilating the Templar Knights. Benimaru is having a sword fight with Arnaud and Fritz is having a hard time with Akamaru, who is still holding back. They are the strongest humans? They would have already died if Guy was not protecting them behind the scenes.

The one Veldora was most interested in was Zegion. He was strong but lacked experience, so I let him have a fight here. I might let Zegion train with Veldora. He is the best to experiment on. He is resistant to magic and physical attacks. He could become as strong as me. I(and Raphael) can't wait to experiment on him and make him stronger.

"So Veldora, isn't Zegion interesting? "
"He is. His skills and races are hard to counter for any normal person."
"I know. But he lacks experience. So would you mind teaching him. You could make him your disciple."
"Disciple? Kwahahaha. Very well Rimuru. I will make him strong. I will be a great mentor. Just like Gojo did."

You will never be cool like him old man. Just give up.
"Ya good luck."
Meanwhile Souei had caught Litus and completely bound her with his strings. That wasn't as shocking as what was happening to Litus. Why the hell is she blushing? Is she an M? What the hell? Souei already has Souka. We have no need for a M like her. Remove her author.

[I can't do that you know. We need to keep the story the same]
Ya sure. You say that after making me a dragon. Though thank you for that.
[You are welcome.]
But you really are useless. Can't even remove a side character already.
[Where did I keep my flex tape. Ah! Found it. Don't break the 4th wall next time. It takes a lot of flex tape to fix.]
Haan? Like I give a damn about your problems.
[Please do give a damn.*Exhausted sigh]

I can see that Testarossa has defeated Hinata. Hinata fell unconscious but it seems like Testarossa couldn't move. Paralysis?
(Holy particles are spread around inside Testarossa's body due to the small contact with her hand. She will have to get rid of the holy particles or else it could cause damage.)

I see. Just as everything was wrapped up, only one last thing was left. The Seven Luminaries.

--
This is it. I hope you guys enjoy. Like and follow. Feel free to give your ideas or criticism. I am a new writer after all.
That's all. Enjoy

CH-24 Hero

Rimuru's POV

Just as I was waiting for the seven Luminaries to do something, it happened. Garde, who was fighting with Leonard to somehow survive against Shion's onslaught, quickly ran away and threw a sword at Hinata. Testarossa was unable to move so Moss caught it before it could touch Hinata. The fact that it managed to reach in time was surprising. He was even farther away than me. But the sword suddenly exploded, making a gaping hole in Hinata's stomach. She still somehow managed to survive due to sheer willpower.

"What are you doing Garde?"
"That is enough Arnaud." Suddenly 2 more figures appeared in the sky and along with Garde revealed themselves to be three of the Seven Luminaries

I quickly teleport there. Moss instantly kneels and shivers in fear. Why is he afraid? Testarossa, who just recovered kneeled as well.
"I am extremely sorry for failing your orders." Testarossa said. Oh! I did tell her not to kill Hinata. Is that why Moss is afraid. I am 99.999% sure he is more afraid of Testa than me.
"It's fine. Till the time it is not one of us who kills her, it's alright."

The seven Luminaries see and kneel.
"Demon lor Rimuru, it is a pleasure to meet you. We just came here to purge Hinata who betrayed Luminous-sama."
"I see. But this is my territory and my words are the law here. I don't think I invited you guys to my territory. Also, you have no need to keep up this false facade. After all I know everything from those three."
"How? They should be dead."
"It doesn't matter if we kill him now."
They all quickly fly in the air and start chanting after creating a barrier. I pick Hinata up in a princess carry and slowly took her to the nearby tree to lay her down. Raphael has been healing Hinata but as a revenge for all the troubles she has created for me I make sure not to reduce her pain at all.

I look around and it seems that Shion and Benimaru are trying to destroy the barrier. Shion did manage to crack it.
"Shion, Benimaru and everyone else. If you want to live then stay where you are." I say so in a firm tone.
"It is your end Demon lord rimuru."
"You will not survive."
"Be purified by the grace of God Luminous."
"Die, Trinity Break."
I large magicule attack occurs. Many different beams attack from different directions but I just use Beelzebub's void to eat them and analyze it. It seems like spiritons are difficult to predict, even for my partner.
"You will not survive this Trinity Disintegration."
I large Disintegration spell is cast but I use Uriel's absolute barrier to protect everyone. After seeing that everyone is safe, they stuttered.
"Imm...Impossible."
"How is this possible? "
" Dimension Lock."
I cast Dimension lock to prevent them from escaping just after I confirmed that someone had teleported. I look towards the direction of space crack and see Luminous there. Luminaries follow my eyesight and when they see Luminous there they bow at the ground.
"Luminous-sama, what brings you here?"
The Luminaries were all shivering with fear and covered in sweat.
"That should be my question. When did I ask you to come to Jura and create trouble for Rimuru."
"We believed that this will help you Luminous-sama."
"Well, your beliefs are wrong. For the past few decades you have been just creating troubles but I overlooked them to some extent, but this cannot be overlooked. At least I will kill you myself."
As soon as she said that, a large transparent hand came out of the ground and touches the seven Luminaries. As soon as the hand touches, they are robbed of their lives. Seems to be a insta-kill magic. I would have loved to learn it. But my chaotic aura is more or less the same.

Pope Louis suddenly comes and tells, "Bow down. She is the god Luminous."
Immediately all the holy knights bowed. They might no have known Luminous but they definitely knew Louis.

"So Luminous, I hope you hold your end of the deal and i will hold mine." I said pointing towards the now unconscious Hinata.
"I know. Don't worry. It will be worth your while."
"Oh? What makes you think that?"
"You know the mask you have? I can tell its secret to you. Everything behind it."
The mask? So she knows about time suppression? But how does she know of the mask? Wait, if the real owner took it back in time, then he must have taken it from me. So she met the one who went back in time and even knows she is a time traveler.
"Interesting. Let's continue in a private place." I send a thought communication to Valora.
'Valora, there are some guests. Could you show them around.'
'Understood'
She teleported right in front of me and bowed. I pointed towards the knights and she understood.
"She is Valora. Ask her about anything. Let's go Luminous. "
Me and Luminous are making our way through th city. Luminous is taking a look around so I slow down my pace to hers. After some time we finally reach my castle.
"It is quite beautiful. It might just rival my Night Garden."
"Thank you for that."
I then take out my wings and fly to the fifth floor and enter through the balcony. Luminous does the same. Even though there is a barrier to prevent this from happening, I disabled it temporarily.

"So, let's continue where we left of."
"Fine. This mask", she says pointing to the mask in my room,"belongs to the ancient hero Chronoa. She was a good friend of mine."
Ya sure. You must be behind her body, you yuri vampire. I heard that she was quite beautiful.
"So?"
"She told me to tell you the truth. The hero Chronoa is one of your students."
"Chloe, is it?"
"Yes. She went back in the past to save you. She also helped me a bit."
"I see. Very well. That was really helpful. As per the promise, you can take Hinata back."
"Really? I thought this much wouldn't be enough"
"You don't sound surprised."
"Ya. Chronoa told me that you would figure the rest out by yourself. Also her true body is with me. You can come and take it and give it to Chloe at a later date."
"Very well. She sure knows a lot about me."
"Yep. Well then, I will be on my way. I saw this open hot spring bath. It was saying that it could make skin more smooth."
I grab her by the arm and say," We still have more things to discuss. Such as a non aggression treaty."
"But I don't owe you anymore. "
"You still owe me. After all your subordinates created a lot of trouble for me."
"But..." she seems hesitant.
"I will also allow you take out your frustration on Veldora."
"Done deal. You want a more important treaty, I am willing to do it."
She sure changed quick, didn't she. Sorry Veldora. Your sacrifice will not be in vain.

Meanwhile Veldora who was reading a manga." Why do I have bad feeling?"

We then decided that Ruberios will have a non agression treaty with us, meanwhile the vampire and us will exchange technology. I then told Veldora to go to a nearby hill where Ruminas was and they started fighting. I sealed most of Veldora's power so he wasn't able to do much. I could hear Veldora screaming in the background.
Ya. Even Raphael said so. Over the next few days our treaty was finalized and the knights went back. None of them were killed to show our superiority in fighting prowess. That we could force them to surrender without killing them.

After a few days, I decided to go to Blumund. It was for inviting Myourmiles to take care of our economy. My subordinates were making a ruckus about how I couldn't go alone, so I took Valora with me. After reaching to Ingrassia, I booked a room in a hotel. I sent Valora to invite Myourmiles over. It wouldn't be much king-like if I go and ask him myself. Also, I wanted Valora to enjoy Blumund a bit more as last time she was in Ingrassia, she had to leave immediately. So I told her to go and enjoy for the rest of the day after inviting Myourmiles.

3rd person POV

Myourmiles is currently talking with Count Kazak. He is trying to deny the absurd elf slave trade request that the Count was forcing on him. Suddenly someone barged in.

"Myourmiles-dono, Rimuru-sama has told me to-"
"Oi. Who do you think you are? Now that I see it, you are quite pretty. Though your manners could do some work." He says as he walks towards Valora. "How about you com-" He suddenly stops moving. 4 swords suddenly appeared around his neck. If he moved even a bit, his neck would have been chopped off.

"Sorry for the intrusion." Valora said facing Myourmiles.
"Rimuru sama has asked me to invite you to the hotel you had met in the past."
"Understood."
Just before leaving Valora contacted Myourmiles via thought communication.
'You should deny that man. I will tell Rimuru-sama about his slave trade business. After all Rimuru-sama now rules over the entirety of Jura.'
'Entire of Jura? Ahh! Yes. I was going to deny him anyway. I might have done illicit businesses but even I know when to stop.'
'Very well.'
After that Valora left.
"Oi Myourmiles. Who is that women? How dare she?"
Myourmiles just went outside. There was no movement outside." So she teleported here." He muttered.
"Oi Myourmiles."
"Guards. Throw him outside."he said pointing towards the count." Count Kazak, our relationship from now on is severed. As a warning I will tell you, you should give up on this idea and free the elven slaves you have."

Rimuru's POV

I was in my room when Valora came back.
"I have informed Myourmiles-dono about visiting you."
"Thanks. You can go and have fun in the city. You have money, right?"
"Hai. Also, I heard Count Kazak saying something about using elven slaves that they had caught from the Jura for illicit purposes. "
"Count Kazak? Alright. Thanks. You can go now."
"Hai."
'Moss, can you hear me?'
'Hai. Rimuru-sama'
'I want you to assassinate Count Kazak of Blumund for me. Make sure that his death is painful. Don't leave any evidence behind. Also investigate his connection to elven slave trade. Kill him after a week or two. Or else Myourmiles might become a suspect.'
'Hai.'

After some time Myourmiles came and we discussed a few things. Mainly the arena and the labyrinth I was planning to build with the help of Ramiris. After that he decide to move in along with 5 of his subordinates. I then gave him the position of Chief Executive of Finance of Tempest. After his introduction, he made sure to pay proper salaries to my executives. Now that Tempest had grown, it was using a proper currency just like other countries.

--
I hope you guys like it. Next chap, Ramiris will get her true form and Rimuru will et to know the next stage of what he could evolve into.

Also, can anyone tell me what Elmesia's race was. Was she an elf or a high elf?

Like and follow. As always, enjoy.

CH-25 Spirit Queen Ramiris

Rimuru's POV

I am in my office as Shuna is helping me in my paperwork. I had to do a lot of paperwork in my past life, but this is still too much. There are stacks upon stacks of paperwork I need to do. I am currently using thought acceleration as much as my can to quicken my pace but I am barely half as fast as Raphael. I can't even use my own skills at their full potential. I still have a lot to learn.

I was busy doing paperwork when Akamaru came into the room. I usually do the paperwork in the fourth floor to seperate my private and public work.
"Rimuru-sama, it seems that a pixie has come here calling herself Demon lord Ramiris. Even Treyni-san is there. What should we do?"
"Oh. Ramiris is here. Bring her to me."
"Hai."
After that Akamaru went outside the room. I continued to do my paperwork. After about fifteen minutes Ramiris finally entered the room.

"Rimuruuuuu. Is it true that you will give me a job? Will I not be a shut-in anymore."
"No. You will still be a shut-in but you will be getting paid for being a shut-in."
"Huh?"
"You see, I want you to build a labyrinth in Tempest. I will show you the location later on. You can stay in the lowest floor and continue your research. I will even support you in your research."
After that we continued to discuss about how to create a dungeon and decided to use Veldora as a magicule battery. After designing the labyrinth for nearly a week, I let Ramiris create a 100 floor labyrinth for challenger's and adventurers. There were 10 extra floors for Ramiris, Veldora and researchers.

After Ramiris went to Veldora to build a labyrinth, I continued on the paper work.

That night...

After completing my paperwork, I was in my room. I had just come out of the bath and was about to go to sleep when I got a thought communication from Testarossa.
'Rimuru-sama, can I have a bit of your time?'
'Ya sure. What is it Testa?'
'It is regarding your vision of diplomacy with other countries.'
'Isn't that important? Come to my room, let's discuss there.'
'Hai.'
I stood up and made tea for us while waiting for Testa. As teleportation wasn't allowed, she had to come on foot. After some time I heard a knock on the door.
"Come in."
"Pardon my intrusion." Testarossa said as she came in.
"Sit down. The tea is nearly ready."
"Rimuru-sama, there was no need to do that."
"It is alright. You have been working quite a fair bit. Anyhow." I place the tea for the two of us on the table. Even though I will go to sleep, I can forcefully dissolve caffeine, so it's alright." About what you were talking about."
"Yes, as the military attache, I wanted to know what kind of relations you wanted with other countries."
"Hmmm. I believe it will be better to have a friendly relationship with them. Try to enter the council if it doesn't undermine us. Also, I know that someone called Granbell Rosso is trying to oppose me in the West, so be careful of his schemes. If only Yuuki took the mangas I gave him to meet with him."
"Mangas?"
"Nothing. Anyway, does that clear your doubts."
"Hai."
"Well, I also want to ask about a few things."
"Please ask, Rimuru-sama."
"It is about souls. Could you tell me everything you know about it. You demons should be good at manipulating them right?"
"Well, that is true but majority of it is still speculation as we cannot confirm it."

"That's alright. Why don't you tell me everything you know about souls and reincarnation."
After that Testarossa explained it to me. In short, a soul is like a ball. The outer part of the soul is the one that defines our personality, meanwhile the inside or core is the astral body. True Dragons have such strong souls that even after their death, their astral bodies remained unharmed. The astral bodies protect certain memories. This is something that I can confirm due to Veldora. She said that the demon believe that after the soul goes for reincarnation, it gets broken into thousands of pieces and it randomly assorts itself with millions of other soul pieces of other people to create a new person and a new soul. There is a minuscule chance that the same soul will be formed. The chances that it happened with me should be non existent. Was I really just that lucky?

After that Testarossa went back to her work. I then went to sleep.

1 week later...

The labyrinth is finally completed. The only thing remaining is to optimize the labyrinth so that adventurers could come here to make money. By making it possible to revive inside, it is the perfect place to train and become strong. I went to the 100th floor. Ramiris and Veldora were there.

"Ramiris, how are you?"
"I am completely fine Rimuru. Mentor's magicules helped a lot."
"Is that so? Well, I came here because I think it is the perfect time to absorb all the chaotic energy inside you."
"Its finally time? Yay!" She started screaming. I look towards Veldora and he is busy reading manga while releasing his aura.

"Fine. Ramiris, do not create trouble for me. It will take some time. Also make sure you don't tell it to anyone that you have gained your true form."
"Alright."
Raphael
Raphael then started absorbing all of the Milim's chaotic energy. It took about five minutes before I could absorb it all. Considering how much stronger my absorbing rate had become, it still took me five minutes to absorb, just how strong is Milim?

After I finished absorbing I sensed something changing inside of me. Raphael started working on whatever it was. I focused on Ramiris in front of me. She had regained her true form. She surely looks to have a lot of dignity. I can't blame Treyni if this was the form she remembered.

(Milim and Ramiris's true form. For reference. Photo is not mine.)

I just hope she got back a bit of intelligence as well.
"Rimuruuuuu. I am back in my true form."
She then jumped on me.
"You know what, just turn back to the pixie."
"Ehhh? Why?"
"Because you are not mature enough. Also it will hide your identity."
"Ehh."
"Also if you use that form then you will have to help me in my work and won't be able to do your research."
She quickly transformed back into her pixie form." Alright."
I hope she is able to research it. I will provide her the blueprints of the Combat Suits and other weapons from my world. I then walk back to my castle. This city has really grown quite big. I remember when this was just an ogre village. We really went a long way.
Many people greeted on my way and I waved back at them.

Once I reached my room, Raphael finally reported to me.
True dragon seed?
!!? Wait. Aren't there only three true dragons alive. How can I just evolve?
How much?
I see. So I can evolve into a true dragon. Isn't this a bit sudden? Why did I only get it now. There must be some conditions to sacrifice only then I should get it.

I see.
After thinking about this for some time i gave up and decided to just go to sleep. Too much just happened today.
After waking up, I told Shuna and Testa to send the invitation to the kings and queens of various countries. I also sent an invitation to Erald and told him to invite the empress of Sarion as well. I have heard a lot about her from Ellen so I also know that she wanted to meet me, so I decided this would be the perfect time.

--
That is all. I hope you guys enjoy. Like and follow me.

CH-26 Tempest Festival Day-1

Rimuru's POV

I am in my office signing paperwork regarding the shops that will be setup in the festival. You see most of them are fine but every once in a while I get things like this. What the hell is Veldora thinking? Making a takoyaki shop? He is one of the strongest beings in the world. I sign nonetheless. Of course later on I gave him a complete lecture to not show himself and use an alias.

I was signing these papers when Shuna entered.
"Rimuru-sama, I have a request."
"Hmm? What is it?" I asked without looking up.
"I actually wanted to invite someone to teach me a bit of cooking."
"Teach you? Cooking?" I look up at her. She is the best cook I have ever seen. She might even be better than Rain and Mizery.
She nodded.
"Who?"
"Yoshida-dono from Ingrassia."
"Oh? Him? He did make quite a tasty cake back in Ingrassia. Sure. You can ask him to teach you."
"Thank you Rimuru-sama." She bowed and left. I would later get to know that there was a whole cooking battle and it appears that made Yoshida accept Shuna's offer.

3 days before festival

I have tight schedule where I have to meet with the representatives of different races that are pledging their loyalty to me. The first day there were some smaller races. On the second day some bigger tribes came. One of which were the elves. They told me about how they were being hunted and made slaves so I decided to let them live in the labyrinth in return for maintaining a village there where adventurers could rest. Gozu and Mezu tribes also came. They were busy bickering with each other so I had them shut up by releasing my aura. Then I decided to let them fight it out in the arena when the tournament was being held.
(A/N Abiru is his subordinate, so they did not come separately.)

The last to come were the Tengus. I heard everything that happened there. It seems that the girl in front of me is Momiji, Hakurou's daughter and the one with her is her mother Kaede. She is not at the best of her health but the full potion seems to be effective to some extent.
"You are Momiji." I said pointing to her.
"Hai. Let me make this clear, we the Tengus will not accept your rule." I could see Kaede's eyebrows twitch a little.
'Moss, bring Hakurou to the meeting room' I say via thought communication. Souei is busy collecting info on Eastern Empire. So Moss is doing security work along with Ultima's subordinates.
I looked straight at her and when she tried to state me back, she shivered away in fear. What happened?
You did something didn't you Raphael?
*sigh* Fine. But don't do it again.
She said in a cheerful tone. She is going to do it again isn't she?
"Are you sure Momiji?" I ask.
Before Kaede could speak up, Momiji answered,"Yes."
"Even if I give you Benimaru's hand at marriage."
Momiji and Benimaru blushed, meanwhile the others didn't react much. They had heard the story with me, so they more or less knew about Momiji's feelings. The only one who didn't know was Benimaru himself. Albis, on the other hand was fuming. She didn't say anything but her look was saying enough. Benimaru was about to say something but I got to him and whispered to him just so that he and Albis could hear. "You have two beautiful flowers on each hand you better take good care of them" Benimaru and Albis blushed and looked at each other and blushed even more. After that Hakurou came in and when he caught up to everything he also supported his marriage with both Albis and Momiji. Then both Momiji and Albis went to the arena to decide who will be Benimaru's first wife. Momiji won and became his first wife while Albis was his second wife. It seems like Albis already had permission from Carrion. Though it was decided that she would take orders from me, orders from Carrion held higher priority.

I also quickly went to Ingrassia and brought the kids and Yuuki with me

On the day before the festival most of the important guests were to arrive and i had to greet them. The first one was Gazel, followed by Youm. We were busy discussing over dinner when the door opened.
"Demon lord ' Destroyer ' and her entourage have arrived."
Hearing this everyone went silent. I went pick up Milim. It appears as if Middrey is completely against cooked food. So I looked at Shuna and she understood. I then continued to chat here and there.

"Queen Luna, The queen of Hyme has arrived." After hearing this murmur started to spread. Many didn't know of kingdom of Hyme, those who did know thought of it as a folktale.
"Thank you for inviting me, Demon lord Rimuru."
"You are welcome. I hope you enjoy your stay here."
"I am sure to do that." She said so and moved towards the buffet. I just noticed but it seems Hikari is with her as well. She appears to be well mannered. If only an otaku dragon could learn from her.

Suddenly guards of different countries started entering and went to their respective kings. Listening to their reports there were murmurs many more times loud as before.
"Her Majesty, Elmesia El-Ru Sation has arrived."
"It is a pleasure to meet you Demon lord Rimuru."
"No, no. The pleasure is all mine."
She then came towards me and whispered,"I don't care when but let's have a discussion later in private."
"Very well." I reply.
"Then help yourself." I say pointing towards the buffet. She smiles and goes on her way. Many people try to talk to her on the way but are blocked by the Magus following her. After analyzing her I found something interesting. Her race is an high elf. Just like Luna, she has a 'high' in her race. I wonder if it is the next evolution or just the title given to the head of a race.

After that was a busy night. The next day was the first day of the festival but I had to meet with a few dignitaries. These were Gazel, Luna and King of Blumund. The meeting were just som small chat for formalities. I had bit of a free time o o decided to take a look around.

As I was strolling through, I tried many different food. The foods were quite delicious. I was strrolling when Moss came in front of me.
"Rimuru-sama, it seems that the hero is here."
"I see. Send Shuna to greet him. Also send Akamaru. Tell Shuna to take the slave elves he is bringing to the labyrinth."
"Understood"
After that he teleported. Moss had given me information on Masayuki. He had not even once anyone seriously. He might be quite strong. But the strange fact is that he might have a skill that effects the surrounding people. So I sent Shuna to prevent that. Also for her protection, I sent Akamaru. Now that I think, sending Ultima might be good as well.
'Ultima, there is a hero who is entering Tempest.'
'Should I kill him for you, my lord.'
'No, dont. He seems to have a lot of influence. Though, try to pick a fight with him. If he accepts then that he can fight me if e wins the tournament.'
'Understood'

Masayuki's POV

Me and my team entered Tempest along with the elves. I was then greeted by a beauty. She had pink hair and was from the ogre family. I could hear Bernie mutter Oni. Is she an oni? Behind him was another man who looked from the same race.

"Welcome, Masayuki-sama. I am here on behalf of his majesty, Rimuru-sama. I am his secretary, Shuna. We thank you for rescuing the slave elves and freeing them from Cerberus."
"Ah! It alright. You don't need to-"
"Just how shameless can the demon lord be to not come here to thank him personally." Jiu shouted.

Don't say that. I looked towards Shuna and she had a scary smile on her face. I looked around. This was about time when my unique skill would make everyone support me. But it seems like it didn't activate. Suddenly another little girl appeared out of nowhere.
"Ultima, why are you here." Shuna asked.
"Rimuru-sama sent me here. He told you to take the elves as quickly as possible. After all they have been seperated from their family."
"I understand." She said so and took the elves with her.
"So you are the brat calling himself a hero huh?"
"How dare yo-" Bernie tried to say but Ultima released some of her aura and shut everyone up.
"Ho? Not fazed eh? Very well. This is a proposal, tomorrow will be the qualifying round for the tournament. If you win the tournament, you can challenge Rimuru-sama. But if you are too much of a coward you can always chicken out." She said and teleported.

"We are definitely winning and making that demon lord accept his defeat."
"Of course. We must kill the demon lord and free the people."

Rimuru's POV

I am looking at everything from afar. Those two are strong. Maybe as strong as Diablo right now. But why are they following Masyuki? Something must be going on here.

--

That is it. I hope you guys enjoy. Like and follow me.

CH-27 Tempest Festival Day 2 & 3

Rimuru's POV

Today was the official beginning of the Festival. I gave a pretty boring speech. I made sure to keep it short. A slight introduction of myself, briefing the major laws and punishment upon breaking them. It was about a minute long. I used to give speeches in military back in my world, so it's no big deal.

Once I got down, I went to the kids.
"So you really were a king." Kenya said.
"I told you" I said flicking his forehead, "You should trust your sensei."
After that we looked around for a bit and met Hinata.
"Oi Hinata. Could you do me a favor?"
"Oh Rimuru. What is it?"
"Ne, sensei, who is this old-" before Kenya could finish his line a blade was just touching his neck. Of course it wouldn't have gone further as I had my sword ready to intercept. Our swords were a millimeter apart. So she had intended to stop regardless. Kenya just fell back on his butt.
"I-I mean this-this beautiful lady."
"*sigh* you really shouldn't talk that way to a girl you know. Anyway, she is your senpai as a student of Shizue. She is Hinata."
"You are the guardian of humanity?"
"I always looked up to you."
The children flocked at her. I let out a smile while looking at this.
"I see that you all like Hinata quite a fair bit, so why don't you look around with her. Here, I will give you this."
I give them all a pendant. "This pendant has a top value usage of 100 gold coins. They can be used at any shop so enjoy yourselves. But make sure not to spend it all on one day." I say.
"I will take care of them." Hinata said and came closer and whispered, "Meanwhile, you take care of Ruminas-sama for me."
"Okay"

I say that and go towards the labyrinth. Today is mostly free for me so I decided to do something that I had been waiting for. Reviving Shizue.

I went to Ramiris's room. She was busy reading mangas. Is she really going to do any research?
"Hey Ramiris, I wanted to summon a spirit. Is it possible, right now?"
"Hmm? It should be. You are already have a spirit, so who is it for?"
"A friend of mine. I will be back in an hour."
"Okay."

After that I went back to my room and reconstructed her body, atleast enough to hold out in her youth for a month or two. I then placed her soul in it and also informed of everything going on in this world for the time she had died.

After a few seconds, I took her out of the void and placed her on my bed. She then slowly opened her eyes and looked at me. She stood up and bowed, "Thank you for fulfilling my wishes Rimuru-san."
"You don't need to thank me. I had my own reasons. And now they are my students as well."
"I see. This body?"
"I have seperated Ifrit. Let's go to Ramiris and get you a spirit."
On the way I met Shuna who questioned who she was but I told her that I would tell everyone together so she needs to wait. I told her to make everyone come to my office in about 2 hours. Shizue took her time looking around. She had never been to a festival so this was new to her. Nobody realized who she was as she was not wearing her mask or cloak. Just casual wear. After some time we finally reached the labyrinth. Ramiris then guided us to the spirit summoning room. The room remained the same as it was before.

Shizue then went in front of the spirit stone to pray. I wonder if she will summon a superior spirit. Just as she started praying a superior fire spirit appeared. She was also called 'Ifrit' but had a different gender. I wonder if spirits of all elements have different gender.
'Not only gender but even amongst superior spirits there are new born spirits like the one inhabiting Kenya which is only a few hundred years old to someone like me who has been living for a few thousand years.' Val informed me.

I see. The spirit then inhabited her. I could have named the spirit but decided against it. It would be better if Shizue names it and forms a deeper connection with it. Her strength would be less then Youm's but her skills in sword should make up for it. I guess she is not as strong as she was before she died but she has a lot of potential now. A few weeks of training her body should allow her to get stronger. I then told Hinata to bring the kids to my room after dinner via thought communication. After that me and Shizue went back to my room. Everyone was already present there.

"Everyone, I would like you to meet Shizue. She is a friend of mine, so I hope you will treat her well."
They all nodded. Shuna was the first to start talking with her and soon everyone was caught up in it. After dinner I was outside the room while Shizue was inside. Hinata and the children came towards me.
"This castle really is quite big and beautiful. " Hinata said.
"Thank you. I have a surprise for you all. Go inside." I said pointing towards the door. As soon as I said that I started moving away from the room. I could see their confused stares at me,except for Chloe, and once they entered I could hear a light scream and sobbing from behind due to my superior hearing. I decided to leave them alone. I had told Shizue to say that she was just staying here to the children searching for a way to save them. She would tell the truth to Hinata at a later time. She would also be a great sparring partner for Shizue to get back in form.

The next day

Today, we held a concert and a show to display our scientific discoveries. At the same time preliminaries for the tournament starting tomorrow was taking place. Shizue decided to spend the entire festival with her students. She later on met with Yuuki as well.

First, all of the major guests were led to the concert. I could also see Ruminas disguised as a maid. Does she have a fetish or what? Anyway I decided to ignore her. The band that came first played quite a old music. Somewhere from 1980s. After that came a few more bands and lastly an hour long play. It consisted of quite a few anime songs which were mixed with each other to play in perfect harmony. Even I am surprised that Raphael could do this. Though I personally believe that this is a waste of her abilities.

Then why did you do it?
...I thought it would be better to do something new for once.
I see. Why the long silence though?
Now you stay silent. Great.

While I was listening, Yuuki and Hinata were glaring at me. Shizue was unable to understand what was happening. Well, she was summoned when she was young, quite young. Also, I dont think anime were being made that early.

Next we had to take a tour of the research center of Vesta and Gabil. I understand very little on this topic. Well, it mainly stated that the healing potion was made from hipokute leaves. But these hipokute leaves were just normal grass that had absorbed magicules. Also, how potions could be used to treat weapons as well, though it was inefficient. After that, everyone was free to do whatever they wanted so they decided to go and enjoy. Me? I had paperwork to do. Even if a festival is going on, the paperwork doesn't stop. I could, of course, keep them for later but I had rather do it now than let it pile up. Suddenly Shuna came into my office.
"Rimuru-sama, it appears that Ruminas-sama wants to meet you."
"Is that so? Bring her here."
"Understood."

After some time, Ruminas entered my room.
"You are quite diligent to be working, even though there is a festival going on."
"I have to do this. I just decided to do it now rather than later on. So why did you come here?"
"I actually liked the concert a lot. So I wanted to ask if you would come to Ruberios later on for the play again. Also the research was interesting. I am sure my underlings can learn a lot from it."
"A cultural exchange huh? That's alright. Well, if I am coming to Ruberios I will bring Chloe as well. She will be able to get back her body as well."
"Okay."
Is she not concerned at all. I am going to take away a true hero from her. If that wasn't enough, her fetish should also be against it. I wonder what she is thinking. Meanwhile in Ruminas's mind 'Once she gets back her body, I will do...'
(Author here. Unfortunately I cannot tell more about her fetish as I will keep this book for all age groups. But I am sure we tensura lovers all know what she is thinking
--

She then sent Gunther to Nightgarden for some preparation.
"Also, I would like to send some vampires here to learn about your technology."
"Hoh? Why do you think I will teach them?"
"Of course, because I will give you something in return."
"I see."
Then we continued to discuss the technological advances of both our countries. The vampires seem to be quite advanced. At the present time we are more advanced in military but they seem to be advanced in technology for daily life. I decided to accept them and return send my own researchers there along with the skill. The fact that she had to start the negotiations gave me quite a bit of advantage.

"So, I assume that is all, Rimuru."
"Yep."
"So about the skill I am giving you, it is skill of faith and favor."
She then explained the skill in detail. The skill was surprisingly easy to master. Well, it was not something I had to do alone. This skill would allow my subordinates to use a bit of my power in the form of holy magic. So holy magic need not be directed towards someone holy or god but to anyone he has complete trust in. After that we went on our ways and I went to bed.

--
That's it. I hope you guys enjoy. Please like and follow me.

CH-28 Tempest Festival Day 4(Part 1)

Rimuru's POV

Today was the say that the battle tournament would begin. The arena I had made Geld construct was massive to say the least. There were enough seats for atleast 50000 people. There were also gigantic screens showing everything happening in the arena to the people outside via optical magic. The arena has 2 layer magic barrier to prevent the audience from getting hurt. The seats could majorly be divided into four categories. One for the royalties of different countries where me, Gazel and a few other were present. These were of course of the highest quality. These seats could not be reserved no matter how much was paid. Then there were seats for nobility and rich merchants. The next one were for common people and were highest in number. They were affordable. The last was a open area where people could stand and observe. It was made free to spread the popularity of the arena.

I was waiting in the VIP section with Shion and Testarossa as my bodyguard. Diablo was to be the referee while Souka would be the announcer. Souei said that it was alright for her face to be revealed as this would allow them to move in the light a bit as well. Also Souka was quite good at hiding her face. Souka then announced the participants. They were
1.Geld
2.Gobta
3. Lion mask
4. Equix
5. Bovix
6. Masayuki
7. Jinrai
8. Gaiye

These 8 were going to battle in a 1v1 until only one of them stands. Masayuki, Jinrai, Lion mask and Gaiye had been the ones who had been elected via the battle royale yesterday.

Geld and Gobta participated from my side. Equix and Bovix were the head of
Mezu and Gozu tribes. I had named them and decided that they will be guardians of the 50th floor of the labyrinth. To end their 100 year enmity they will have one last battle in the arena after which they will both become my subordinates. Lion Mask was well Carrion, to be blunt. Jinrai is a party member of Masayuki. Masayuki on the other hand.
"Diablo, did you obtain any information on Masayuki?"
"No. It appears that his other teammate fought everyone and then yielded to him."
"I see."
Shuna was not here today. This means that Masayuki's skill will make a play. But this will allow Raphael to analyze his abilities as well. So it was a risk worth taking. I then magic to make my voice louder.

"First of all. Congratulations to all of you who managed to make your way into the tournament. Masayuki, as my subordinate had told you, if you manage to win this tournament, I will let you battle me. Jinrai, what so you desire if you win?"
"I will not win, demon lord. I will concede to Masayuki."
"Is that so? Very well. As a symbol of your respect to Masayuki, I will give you an armor piece. I am sure it will be beneficial. Whether you take it or not, just because of me being a demon lord is your choice."
"Then I will like to take you up on that offer."
Even though he looked like a shabby and wild man, he was quite polite.
"Oi, why don't you give that armor piece to me? Let me fight you and I will show you just how weak you are." Gaiye said. I could sense killing intent from behind me. Killing him will not do as everyone is watching.
'Stop. Both of you.' They stopped releasing their killing intent.

"So there are still idiots like you, huh? Very well. If you win this tournament, I will fight you. So your best to survive human."
"My name is Gaiye."
"You are not noteworthy enough for me to remember your name. Also take an advice from me. That attitude of yours will get you killed here in Tempest. You might have been strong amongst humans, but you are nothing but a mere bug in front of the truly powerful."
It seemed like he wanted to say something more, but I didn't want to hear his bullsh*t. So I continued speaking.
"What do you desire Lion Mask?"
"I only came here to fight someone strong and find myself a worthy rival."
"Is that so? If you win, you may ask me for a favor at a later date." So he got forced to fight here due to Milim huh? Bad luck Carrion. He can't use his full strength or skills as people would recognize him.

Souka then continued. There were to be 4 matches today. 2 before the lunch break and 2 after it. The matchups were as follows
Match 1:- Geld vs Lion mask
Match 2:- Gobta vs Gaiye
Match 3:- Equix vs Bovix
Match 4:- Masayuki vs Jinrai

After the introductions were over, Match 1 started. Even though Carrion is a former demon lord, he cannot use any of his signature moves, so this might just be a close fight.

"I wish you a good luck for this fight." Geld said in a slow tone. I guess he had guessed who he was and decided to talk politely.
"You too. I hope it will be a fun fight." Carrion said.
"Very well. We will start in 3 2 1. Now." As soon as he Diablo started the battle, Carrion dashed at Geld and tried to punch him. He was not using any of aura or spear as they could get him recognized, so Geld was able to block his attack with his sword. Geld counter-attacked with his sword but Carrion dodged and made some space between them. They continued to exchange hits for a few minutes riling up the crowd at many instances. Finally, Geld made a move that could be called his last resort. As soon as Carrion attacked, he used his Chaos Eater to hold Carrion in place. Carrion had faced this attack for the first time and was caught off guard but he recovered within a second. Geld did not let this go. He charged at Carrion with his shield. He attempted a shield bash. Even though the shield hit Carrion, Carrion used Gelds momentum against him and managed to push Geld out of the arena.

"Enough. Lion mask is the winner of Match 1. The next match will begin in 10 minutes."

Geld and Carrion shakes each other's hand and vowed to fight later as well.
I looked around the arena and couldn't find Shizue, Hinata or the children. It seems like they are not interested in this rather they are enjoying playing and eating. Good for them. I wonder when was the last time me and my sister went to a carnival or something and took a break from our jobs.

Ten minutes have passed and the match between Gaiye and Gobta began. Gaiye dashed straight at Gobta. Gobta blocked it with his short sword and made some distance. He continued to run away while Gaiye kept cursing him and telling him to stop.

'Gobta, Hakurou will come in about five minutes. If he learnt you took so long against a swordsman, I am sure Hakurou will train you.' I lied to him.
'Ehh? I will finish this now Rimuru-sama.'
He said. I wonder what he will do. Suddenly a black mist came in between Gobta and Gaiye. Ranga was standing in the mist.
"Do you really think a dog like him can defeat me ?" Gaiye shouted and rushed at him. Meanwhile Ranga just sat there on his rear leg and use his front paw to smack Gaiye out of the arena.

"That's it. The winner is Gobta." Diablo announced.

Ranga then came back into my shadow. I didn't allow the executives to participate. The fact that he did not disobey my order or break the rules of the arena and still managed to fight shows that he planned this for a while. I guess I will leave him alone for now.

After that was the lunch break. The lunch was a Japanese course. Everyone was busy discussing the matches and making predictions about the coming ones. I wonder who will win amongst Bovix and Equix. Raphael had experimented while naming them. Due which Bovix had obtained Ultraspeed Regeneration. Which means that Equix will have to defeat him one hit. Meanwhile Equix obtained《Limiter》, a spacial skill that allows the user to have control on nearby space to some extent. It can be useful to defeat people weaker than the user. But against someone of equal strength, it will only distract the opponent for some time. But that simple lapse can be a fatal mistake. I wonder which of the two will win.

--
Part 2 will be coming tomorrow. I hope. Anyhow enjoy. Like and follow me. Thanks for your support.

CH-29 Tempest Festival Day 4(Part 2)

It is finally time for the next matches. The audience is quite hyped up after the matches and seeing Equix and Bovix's figure, they got even more hyped up.

"Ready, Start" Diablo says. Instead of the matches till now, they stand and watch each other's movements. Bovix then finally charges and uses his axe to attack Equix which he deftly blocks and counter attacks with a spear. Bovix let the spear hit and tried to force his way through the shield. His Ultraspeed Regeneration continued to heal him. Bovix then used his shield to push Equix back. They continued to exchange attacks for quite some time. As soon as some space was created, Equix used his spear with a longer range to attack Bovix. Bovix was forced to defend using his shield. He waited for the right time and deflected Equix's spear and slashed at home with his axe. Equix used his《Limiter》causing Bovux to miss slightly. Equix used this and managed to cut his right arm holding the axe. With no way to attack, it seems like Equix will win this battle. I think Equix thought so as well and let his guard down. Bovix suddenly charged and attacked him with his skill 《Battle Horn》and managed to fatally wound Equix.

"Enough. The winner is Bovix." As soon as Diablo said that, a few people went to Equix and used a healing potion on him to heal him. I guess this serves as an advertisement about our potions as well.

They were both guided back. The next match will be Jinrai vs Masayuki. I don't think Masayuki will show any of his skills. He got pretty lucky getting Jinrai as his first opponent.

"Without any information on him, it is going to be difficult to fight him." I said.
"I believe he is not that strong Rimuru-sama." Testarossa said.
"I think so too. That all of this is a fluke and because of his skill. But I believe someone or something is behind this. His skill shouldn't be enough for him to make such a name of himself."
"I see."

We then continued to wait for the next match. As soon as Masayuki entered, the crowd went wild. Specifically the humans. It appears that his skill doesn't affect monsters under me.
Aren't unique skills made by a person's soul and willpower. How can he not control it?
I see.

Jinrai entered the field and as soon as Diablo started the match, Jinrai gave up. As expected. The 4 winners, Gobta, Lion Mask, Bovix and Masayuki were brought in the arena. As everyone was praising them, I loudly spoke," That was a magnificent display of skills from the three of you. As for you Masayuki, I expect to see your abilities tomorrow. To make things more interesting and allow the spectators to enjoy more, nobody will be allowed to resign from the matches tomorrow onward. Anyway. You all, rest for today. You have an important match tomorrow." As soon as I say that, I leave. It is evening and I head to the elf bar at 95th floor of the labyrinth. It was a bar exclusively for royalty or my top executives, so there were very few people here. But the reason I came here was because of Elmesia. She was sitting in one corner of the room. Erald was there making sure that no one disturbs her. I go there and sit down.

"Erald, leave us alone for sometime." Elmesia said.
"Hai."
"So what do you want to talk about?"
"Oh nothing much. Acting as a monarch is tiring, so I thought I would talk to you."

After that we talked about Yoshida coming to Tempest and his sweets and we continued to talk through the topics. While I was talking I got a thought communication from Myourmiles.
'Rimuru-sama, there is trouble.'
'Come to the elven bar. Let's talk there.'

Some time later Gazel came in as well. I had invited him as well but he had to stay due to Dwargons connection to other countries. Due to which he had to make appearance.
"So the old v-" He coughed and continued while Elmesia gave him a death glare,"I mean Elnesia is here as well."
"Yes. We were talking about some small things, but it looks like something troublesome has happened." I say facing towards the door where Myourmiles has just entered.

Myourmiles just entered and came straight to meet me.
"It is nice to meet you Rimuru-sama, King Gazel and.."
"Ah! You don't know her, do you? She is Elmesia, Empress of Sarion." I said.
Myourmiles eyes went wide but he regained composure quite quickly.
"Ah Yes. Rimuru-sama, there is a problem with the merchants."
"Let me guess? They are not accepting payment in any other form other than gold coin."
"Ah yes."
"Its alright. I have the money ready. Though don't tell them that. Tell them to wait or trade in other goods. This could help us to catch one of those pests."
"Understood." He said and left.
Me and Raphael had already thought they would do something like this but are they idiots ? Don't they know that Farmuth, now Farmenas is our vassal.

"You meant the Rossos didn't you?" Elmesia asked.
"Yep. We owe the merchants about 2000 gold coins. The fact is that we have more than enough gold, precious metals and even ancient coinage. But we don't have enough of the Dwarven currency."
"Need some help? I can definitely help my kouhai a little and trade with him." Gazel said.
"No. I had already thought of it. So I decided to take it from Farmenas instead. I will give them basic materials to make their infrastructure and take gold from them. Of course this would hurt their economy. I will be taking nearly 1200 gold coins from them. But I guess we can manage that."

Gazel and Elmesia look at me wide-eyed.

"I see. That is a demon lord for you." Elmesia commented.
"Huh?"
"A vassal state is still a part of your territory even though it is ruled by another king. In this world, they are still treated as a part of your territory."
"I see. In my old world, a vassal state came second after the main country. Many vassal states were completely destroyed from the inside to make sure that the main country develops. A vassal state was a worse status than a conquered state."
"I see. Your previous world did have a lot of difference than ours. Cruel ones at that."
"So, what do you think I should do with the merchants. I am good with economy and military but when it comes to politics, I have quite a lot to learn. It was usually my sister who managed all the political work. How I deal with the merchants will affect my standing in amongst the Western Countries."
"So, your sister was a queen?" Elmesia asked.
"Sort of. She had the same powers as a queen."
"I see. Well I would just have them pay higher taxes than normal merchants would have to do." Gazel said. Elmesia meanwhile said that they didn't trade with anyone apart from long time partners so they have not experienced anything as such. I will decide what to do later on. We continued to have small chats. After some time we decided to leave. Elmesia left just before us. Just as Gazel was leaving, he said," Rimuru, keep you eyes wide against that sly vixen." And left. I wonder what happened between them to make him say that. I will just go to sleep, I guess.

--

This is it. Next would be the semi-finals. Hope you guys enjoy. Like and follow.

CH-30 Tempest Festival Day 5(Part 1)

I wake up and see that the Sun was shining brightly. Shuna had still not come to wake me up, so I am not late. I looked out of the window of my room. It looks like the shops are just about setting up. Tomorrow will be the last day of the festival. Today in the morning, the semi-finals will take place. The evening is free for everyone. I guess I will go and enjoy with the kids. Haven't talked to them for quite a while. I quickly wore the clothes Shuna had made me and went out of the room. I then went to the arena. I sat down and waited for the matches to begin. It seems that people are quite hyped up for the matches. Souka did an amazing job hyping the crowd.
"Testarossa, after the matches end, invite Masayuki to have a dinner with me. Also invite his party in a seperate area."
"Understood."

Testarossa was the only one with me as Shion was busy practicing for her music concert in the evening. When I first saw her on the stage, I had flashbacks of her cooking but she was surprisingly good at music.

"First semi final match between Gobta and Lion Mask is about to begin." Diablo announced.

"Ready, Go."

As soon as Diablo announced the start, Gobta summoned Ranga. He then used his skill 《Unify》and merged with Ranga to form a werewolf sort of creature. Carrion immediately tried to punch at Gobta but Gobta managed to block it with his hand. He was pushed back quite a fair bit but not enough to be pushed out of the arena. He then used Rangas quick speed to attack but failed. The crowd started to boo at him. I guess that is understandable. Gobta is experimenting on the battlefield. He has enough strength and speed to defeat Carrion but his senses are unable to keep up with his speed. This is idiotic now. Just what did Benimaru see in him to make him a captain. He better have a great leading skill or I will have to talk to Benimaru about his.

Carrion continued to attack Gobta but it appears that Carrion was unable to break through Ranga's fur without using his aura. Ranga's fur is magically enhanced to prevent physical attacks to hurt him. Of course, it was still possible to defeat him with brute force. But if Carrion did so, his identity is more or less revealed. I was thinking about punishing Gobta and having him go on a strict training regime but decided against it. Why? Because Milim took an interest in him.

"Ne,ne Rimuru. That is interesting. What is that? My eyes are telling me that it has a lot of potential to grow. Why don't you let me train him? I will make him a great warrior."
"Are you sure you just don't want a new toy."
"Ummm... that... I just wanted to, you know, help him ... get stronger. Yes. Get him stronger."
"*sigh* Fine. Do whatever you want to him after this tournament."
"Yay. Rimuru, you are the best." She says as she hugs me. Meanwhile I just pat her and look at the fight.

It seems like Gobta is trying to end the fight. The black figure suddenly dashes at Carrion. Carrion seeing this adjusts his posture and then uses Gobta's momentum against him and pushes him off the arena. He gets pulled along as well but Gobta was pushed off first so it should be Lion mask who won. That is what everyone thought.

"The winner is Gobta." Diablo declared. Everyone quoted down. Gobta was still there, standing in the arena. The person or the beast which had dashes at Carrion was Ranga. Gobta had stopped his unification with Ranga. Even though Ranga was pushed off stage, since he was a summoned beast, it did not count. So, according to the rules, it was Gobta who won. The crowd went silent, with murmurs of 'cheater' and 'cheap' being heard. Regardless, I have to say that Gobta used his brain. On a battlefield, these split second decisions are important. I guess I can leave his training to Milim. I was also thinking of fighting Milim and Veldora after the festival. It would be great if I can devour their aura to try and hatch my true dragon seed. The next match is of Masayuki. I can't wait to see his skills. I hope I am not disappointed.

I am disappointed. As soon as the match started, it ended. What is this? Where is the heroism in this. Does he even know how to use a sword? What happened was simple.

As soon as Diablo said go, Bovix charged with his axe. He used a horizontal swing to try and slash Masayuki. Masayuki was just able to block with his sword. And that block wasn't because of his skills or anything, just pure luck. He was lucky that his sword took the hit. He was then blasted off the arena and in a nearby wall. The people on duty quickly healed him and took him away for a proper treatment. The entire arena was in silence. Not only the audience, but even Bovix and DIABLO! You know the shit is real when Diablo forgets what he has to do. Though he quickly recovers.

"The winner is Bovix."

I quickly tell Souka to do some advertisement regarding the labyrinth. I had thought that Masayuki would atleast make it to the final and fight against Lion Mask. If he had been a finalist, many humans would have come and it would have been the perfect time to advertise the labyrinth. But now that he lost, very few people will come. So for tomorrow's labyrinth exploration I decided to do something. I told Diablo to bring all the four who fought today on to the stage. As soon as Souka had finished, they entered. It seems like Masayuki was fine but God knows what is going on inside his head.

"You four did very well. Bovix, as the guardian of the 50th floor of the labyrinth, I have great expectations from you. As for Lion Mask and Masayuki, it appears you were caught off guard today. It would do you good not to underestimate your opponents next time. I hope you both learn from you mistakes. As such, I would like to offer both of you, Lion Mask and Masayuki to challenge the labyrinth tomorrow at its opening." I said. I know Carrion will decline but to prevent Masayuki from declining, I put up a thought communication with him.
'Masayuki,you better accept. I will help you if you do. Don't think you can run away.'
'H-Hai.'
"I will have to decline. I came here to find a worthy rival and I believe I have found him." Lion Mask said.
"Very well then, I will not force you. What about you Masayuki?"
"I will accept your offer. It doesn't sit well with me that I lost, so I will join."
The crowd started cheering him on and made up God knows what excuse for his defeat. Even though he lost, how come his reputation is even better than before. What the hell? Whatever. I just want to spend time with the kids. After everything was done, I left the arena and walked towards the children. I knew where they were due to the tracking device in that pendant. While I was on the way, I met quite an interesting pair. Anyone would believe a grandpa was out and enjoying this festival with his granddaughter. But I felt something odd from them. So I decided to send one of my clones each to spy on them. I didn't want to grab their attention, so I continued on my way. I am pretty much sure that those 2 are Granbell and Mariabell. There facial features match completely that of what Yuuki said. He was explaining how he looked to Damrada. So it appears that Damrada has made connections with him as well. I continued and found the kids with Shizue and Hinata buying pendants. Looks like the boys were bored but didn't say anything. Chloe suddenly saw me and came running towards me.
"Rimuru-sensei." She said and hugged my feet. Seeing her run away, Hinata and Shizue also saw me followed by the other kids.

"How are you guys? I hope you are enjoying."
"Yes, Rimuru-san. It is quite fun here."
"I see. I am glad."
Hinata was in casual clothes. She had the perfect body that could make any man fall for her. If only her personality was better. I then decided to let Shizue and Hinata spend some time alone. This will also give Shizue time to tell Hinata the truth. Meanwhile I took the kids with me and decided to let them play. They had not even spent a fourth of their allowance. I did gave them quite a big allowance huh? Oh well. I guess I should let them enjoy. We then continued to look through the shops, eat something and play before I had to go back for my dinner with Masayuki. I left the children with Hinata and Shizue and left. While going, I heard Hinata say something that I never thought I would.

"Thank you for reviving Shizue-sensei." She said. I doubted my ears until Raphael confirmed that she did say that. She said thank you. How is that possible. I just replied,"You're welcome." We talked in hushed tone to make sure that the kids didn't hear it. I then went to the dinner with Masayuki.

--

I hope you like it. Like and follow me. Also, the story will slow down after the Tempest festival. It seems a bit rushed and I know it. The fact is that there are many fanfics till this point which all have the same thing, so I decided to rush it a bit. It will slow down after the festival and include other people POV as well.

CH-31 Tempest Festival Day 5(Part 2)

Masayuki's POV

I thought I had survived but I am so dead. I had to fight that minotaur. There is no way I can win. I am lucky I survived with such little injury. I guess my skill did help a lot. If not for it, I would have been dead a long time ago. But I doubt even that luck can save me now. I am in a room where I am sitting alone. There is a seat on the other side of the table for the Demon Lord Rimuru. Suddenly the door opened. I jolted around to see who it was. It was Shuna.

"No need to be so tense, Hero-sama. Rimuru-sama will be here in a few moment."
"I-I see."

How can I not be tense? He is a demon lord. And my friends even antagonized him. What will he do to me? After some time the Demon lord came in. I see. So this is my last day. This skill was bloody useless. I don't even have a girlfriend yet. I wanted a mature women to be my girlfriend but now I am going to die without even meeting one. Such a useless life.

"Nice to meet you Masayuki. Today's fight was underwhelming, to say the least."
"I know. You-"
"Let's eat first. Shuna."

Shuna then enters with a lot of Japanese cuisine. As soon as she set it down, demon lord Rimuru said something I couldn't believe.

"Itadakimasu"

"Wait. Rimuru-san, are you Japanese?"
"Hmmm. Yes I am. Did I not tell you? I guess I didn't huh? Anyway, that is why I invited you. Let's have a small talk, but before that, why don't we eat."
"Alright. Itadakimasu."

After that I started eating. It is so tasty. Is this heaven? Must be. It was so tasty that I didn't even talk about anything. After I finished eating, we finally talked.

"Rimuru-san,I have decided. I will be your subordinate."
"Huh?"
"Well, you see. Since I came to this world, I got this skill 《Chosen One》 due to which everyone believes that I am a hero or what not. In reality I am just a normal human, you know. I don't even know how to wield a sword. I have just been lucky till now, but i don't think that will continue. So I want to be your subordinate."
"I see. Having you would really help me. How about this. You can stay here and advertise the labyrinth. It will be like a game. You can even respawn and collect loot from the labyrinth. You can in return suggest things to make it better."
"That sounds like fun, but I don't know how to fight you know?"
"That's alright. For tomorrow, you just need to explore and fight some low level monster. Leave that to you teammates. But after the festival, there is a hellish training waiting for you. You atleast need to be strong enough to stand on your own." I suddenly felt shivers run down my spine. He is a demon lord alright. Even if he was once Japanese, he is a demon lord. His sadistic smile said it all.

"Well, you should take a rest now. You have a labyrinth to venture into tomorrow."
"Ya. I will take my leave then."
"Also, no need to try and be formal in front of me. You are failing quite spectacularly though."
"Hahaha. Alright."

It was nerve wracking but he seems like a nice person. I went back to the inn I was staying in.

"Where were you guys?" I asked. They had told me that they were invited by one of his subordinates.
"H-huh? M-Masayuki, nothing. We were just invited by Demon lord Rimuru's subordinate for dinner and let Jinrai choose an equipment. Isn't it Jinrai?" Bernie said.
"Ah. Yes. Masayuki, it seems that the demon lord is not as bad as we thought."
"Yes, so we shouldn't try to kill him." Jiu said.

They are acting a bit weird.
"I see. Then rest for today, we have to go to the labyrinth tomorrow."

I say that and go to bed.

Some time ago...

Jiu's PoV

We are on our way to a private restaurant where we are invited. Masayuki was invited for a personal dinner with the demon lord. If he dies now, then our plan will fail. But I don't think the demon lord would do so. It would hurt his reputation greatly if he did so.

We entered the room and were met by a beautiful lady. Most would believe her to be a human, but I am sure she is a demon. A strong one at that.

"Welcome, hero's party. It is a pleasure to have you here. My name is Testarossa."
So she is named. I looked at Bernie and she seems terrified. Why is she so scared? She is an archdemon at max. And we both are of the single digits.

"Before dinner, why don't you,Jinrai, choose the equipment that you want. It will be given to you tomorrow. If you don't like any, then you can tell us your preferences. Cien, take him to armory."
The demon standing near the door quickly complied and took Jinrai with him.

"Why don't you guys introduce yourself?"
"I am Jiu and she is -"
I turn toward Bernie and she had fear written on her face.
"Jiu, r-run. We can't defeat her."
"Huh?"
"You already know who we are. What are you doing here Blanc?"
Blanc? The white primordial? But she just called herself Testarossa.

"I see. It seems I was correct. You were one of those who faught against me back then aren't you? Well, you see, you are a nuisance to my lord, so I came here to correct it."

As soon as she said that, the space we were in was seperated. I never saw Blanc but I know what a menace she was. That was when she didn't have a name and a weak body. Now that she has a name, only Dmarada-sama or Kondo could do anything to her. This Rimuru must be a monster to name her and give her a body and still have her loyalty.

I quickly took out my weapon and dashed at her. She just caught my sword with her hand and threw me back. I collided straight with Bernie.

"You shouldn't be this aggressive, you know? Why don't you learn something from her and stay at your place. I will torment for you a few hours and then kill you. Am I not merciful?"

Just how is torturing someone merciful. As soon as I tried to move, I realized I couldn't. My legs were binded with chain. She suddenly summoned some insect like creatures.

"Ever heard of Treants?"
Of course. They are the tree like monster living in the Jura.
"This bug is Majuju. It eats literally anything which is alive. It slowly eats the flesh and converts it into wood. The creature would then become something like a treant. Of course the one being eaten will face unimaginable pain." Shae said with a straight face. How can anyone say that with a straight face.
She then unleashed 1 of those bugs on each of us. It hurtled like hell. Even with all the training I had gone through to become a single digit, I had never experienced anything even remotely close to being this painful. I have lost count about how much time I spent in pain. I am sure I should have lost my mind by now and free from this suffering but she kept me alive. So this is the White Primordial.

Suddenly a butler teleported there.
"Testarossa, Rimuru-sama told me to let them live. Of course after using 《Subjugate》to make them slaves."
"I see. So they still have some use huh? Very well."
As soon as she said that, I could feel the pain fade away.
"You know what my skil does right?" She asked.
Bernie suddenly kneeled with her floor on the ground.
"Yes. I will do anything. Please don't hurt me anymore."
I look at her. She just betrayed the Emperor that easily?
'Jiu, just accept that you are her slave now. Her skill can shatter your very soul at any moment she wants. Not even the Emperor can save you now.'
I just went along with what she said. Testarossa came and extracted my memories. How do I know? This is something that Kondo has done many times over to make sure I wasn't lying.

"By the way,weren't you at Farmenas?"
"Yes Rimuru-sama had told me to collect nearly 1300 gold from Farmenas in return for goods and services. I had come back momentarily, so he told me to convey this to you. I will be leaving now."

The butler said and left. The way he was talking as an equal and that he was a demon. Don't tell me? Is he the black primordial. The other primordials also went missing. Are they all serving him? Impossible. If that is so then I can't betray them I will do everything I can to stay in their good side.After that we were sent back along with Jinrai.

Rimuru's POV

"Testarossa, did you do it?"
"Yes."
She then gave me their memories which Raphael started to analyze.
"I have also cast thought manipulation on them. Along with subjugate, it should be enough to make sure they won't betray us."
"Good job."
So partner. What did you find out?
Wait. Isn't Rudra still alive?

I see. That could also explain his odd skill and it running out of control.

Let's see what happens tomorrow. I also have to take care of those merchants and the Rossos

--

I hope you guys enjoy. Like and follow.

CH-32 Tempest Festival Day 6(Part 1)

Rimuru's POV

Me and Testarossa have been busy throughout the night. The entire room is a mess. Papers have flown everywhere in the room. We are busy discussing how to deal with the merchants. I am thinking of joining the Western Council, so this could be an important impression of us on them. Right now, of all the demon lords,the most dangerous one to my country is Ruminas. Demon lords like Milim and Guy can attack me head on but the truce between us demon lords prevents that. But Ruminas can still attack my country with the help of humans

So, by becoming an important part of the Western Council and making an economical block here in the Jura, I can take some of Ruminas's power over the humans. I look outside the window. The Sun was just about to rise above the horizon. I get up to open the window.

"Rimuru-sama?" Testarossa asks but I pay her no heed

I open the window and a cool refreshing wind hits me on the face.
"The rising Sun looks beautiful, doesn't it?"
"...Ahh! Yes. Yes, it does."
"Hmmm? You look a bit sad. You need not lie you know. If you don't like something, it is alright to say so, you know. I won't be angry or anything you know."
"Well, someone close to me was killed at sunrise. Personally, I hate it. It always reminds of that day."
"I see. If you don't like it then-" I say and close the window and put on the curtain," let's do this. "
"Thank you Rimuru-sama."

After that we continued to discuss for about an hour before it was time for me to go to see the finals.

"Alright Testarossa, let's get ready for today's festival."
"Hai, Rimuru-sama."
Testarossa then left and she was replaced by Shuna.
"Rimuru-sama, I have brought your dress for today."
"I see."

Shuna helps me put on my dress. I had told her that she need not do that but she insisted on doing so. Today though, I am glad that she did. The dress had so many decorative pieces that needed to be attached separately that without Shuna I wouldn't have managed to put it on. While she was helping me, I asked," Has Jinrai chosen his armour?"
"Hai. Rimuru-sama. I made sure to attach a tracking device on it."
"Thanks. Even with Masayuki and those 2 with us, I am still skeptical. Especially about Kondo. He might just be as strong as me. Not only that, they also have Velgrynd and the Emperor himself. Their arsenal is really too vast."
"I see. If they decide to attack then the labyrinth will surely be greatly helpful. Is that why you asked Ramiris-sama to come here?"
"Well, there is that, but also, Ramiris is an ancient demon lord. Guy wouldn't just sit quietly if she is in danger."
"I see. Hai. It is done Rimuru-sama. You look as dashing as ever."
"Thanks Shuna." I say and leave. Shuna has her own stall to maintain so she didn't come with me. As soon as I was about to exit the castle I met Testarossa.

"Let's go."
"Hai, Rimuru-sama."

We then went to the arena. The people there were not that hyped for the finals. In truth, neither was I. Ranga is way stronger than Bovix. But that was not the reason that the crowd was not hyped. The real reason was that their 'hero' had just lost to a monster in one strike. And to put the nail in the coffin, Bovix wasn't even a executive. It seems like his skill had less effect due to my barrier. But if it still has that much effect, then I can only imagine how much its effects are when the barrier is not there. It seems like the match will start in a few minutes. I doubt it will be long. Soon after both Gobta and Bovix entered the arena.

"Ready, fight."
As soon as Souka said that, the battle began. Gobta wasted no time and summoned Ranga. Bovix tried to ignore Ranga and go straight for Gobta but was blocked. After that Ranga literally painted the floor with Bovix. The match barely lasted 5 minutes and the entire time Bovix was on the defense.

"Enough. The winner is Gobta."
Gobta was at heaven nine. If only he knew what hell was waiting for him tomorrow. Oh well. I will let him enjoy today atleast.

"That was a fun tournament. There were some quite intense battle and some...well not so much. Regardless, Gobta, you are crowned the victor of Tempest Battle Tournament. As such I have decided that I will reward you by making you the fourth Heavenly King under me. The other three being Diablo, Benimaru and Shion. I hope you will live up to the name Gobta. As such, I declare the tournament over. Let's get started right away with the labyrinth shall we?"

As soon as I said that, Souka took over and explained everything about the labyrinth. Somewhere between the explanation, Myourmiles had joined as well.
"Now I will say these again bit they are important, so please do not forget them.
Firstly, the revival bracelets do not work outside the labyrinth.
And secondly respect should be given to the ruler of the labyrinth at all times. Those who want to participate, please enter the arena."
Masyuki and his squad entered, Ellen's party also entered. Gaiye also entered solo.
"I was just caught off guard. There is no way I will lose to the demon lord, let alone his stupid lackeys." Gaiye said
"I agree with you." Another man said as he entered.
"That demon lord did make quite a show of this tournament but now I will tear off his facade. If there was not that much traffic on the road, I would have entered he tournament on time and won the whole thing." He said.
"Don't forget about me Basson." Another of his party member said. He was a magician in a black attire.
"Ah. Gomez. Of course. And even that hero. He wasn't much of a big deal. Losing to that monster. He didn't even have the conviction to kill the demon lord."

"Should I kill them, my lord."
"No. Dont do that Testarossa. They are just overconfident. Anyway, Ramiris summon the gate for the labyrinth." I told to Ramiris. She was here the whole time but was busy reading the manga.

"Right." She then used her magic to summon a large door which was the entrance to the labyrinth.
"Hahaha. Aren't I awesome Rimuru?"
"Hai hai. You are awesome." I say to make her quite down.

"This is the entrance to the labyrinth and these Dryads will act as your guide in the labyrinth. They will also display everything happening inside the dungeon through these screens." Myourmiles said as they entered the labyrinth.
"Hey, there is no way we can believe that we will revive. Why don't you prove it to us." Gaiye said.
"Very well" Myourmiles said. As soon as Myourmiles put on the ring, Gaiye charged straight at Myourmiles and cut off his arms. "Now it's time for the main part." He said. Myourmiles was writhing in pain. This bastard. Souka tried to stop him but before she could do anything, we saw Myourmiles smiling. Well, I guess, this will make the people trust us more. After all, this can't be a script. Gaiye stabs Myourmiles. After a few seconds his body disintegrates into light particles whic come together to create a figure at the gate of the labyrinth. The figure was none other than Myourmiles.
"Ta-da. I am alive and well. As you can see, my arm is also here, so there is nothing to worry. I hope you all will enjoy the labyrinth." The crow went 'Ooh' and 'miracle' so Myourmiles once again reminded them that this only worked inside the labyrinth and not outside it.

After that the Dryads introduced themselves. I had named quite a few more of them. Alpha was going with Gaiye, Beta with Basson and his party, Gamma with Ellen's party and Delta with Masayuki's party. Alpha and Beta were strongest of the four. After that they delved into the dungeon. The time duration was only 3 hours, so I doubt anyone will even reach the 20th floor. With Masayuki's luck and team they might just make it, but oh well.

--
I hope you guys enjoy it. Like and follow me. Also important question.

Do you guys want me to make new enemies or keep the same enemies?

CH-33 Tempest Festival Day 6(Part 2)

The screen in the sky is showing everything that is happening inside the labyrinth. But there was one thing that caught my attention. None of the teams were even trying to make a map. We had already told them how large it was. Only the 1st floor was about 800 square feet in area. There were many forks, crossroads and bisections. Without anyone making a map, they are sure to get lost.

Yep, as expected. Basson's party is lost. They were using the right side rule by taking the rightmost route everytime. This might work in a cave but in this maze, they will just end up from where they started. All the hallways were similar looking. Without leaving any marks, it is impossible to even identify if they are in the same place or not.
"Basson, I think we were here before."
"Huh? What are you saying. We are following the right rule from the time we entered. There is no way this labyrinth is that big."
"You are right Basson. The magicule concentration here is very high. This must be an illusion."

What are they saying? We already told them how big this was. I suppose they didn't believe that something that big could be made below the Arena by humans. Oh well.

Meanwhile Masayuki's group was going along well. They were already on the 3rd floor. WAIT!!?!! How are they on the third floor? Even with Masayuki's luck they couldn't have made it this far. I continue to observe them and find the answer. It hasn't been a minute since I have begin to watch them and his group has fallen into a trapdoor leading to the 4th floor.

"Hey Ramiris. Why are there traps on the first 20 floors. I remember not putting any of them there."
"Ahh... Well, you see , it seems like you forgot to put them there so me and Milim decided to put some there. But it isn't my fault alright. They agreed with it as well."
"Ahhh. Fine. But don't change the layout without my permission from now on. What else did you put there?"
"Well, those are all the traps till floor 10. But from there, there are some instant death, lava launcher and wind cutters."
"You.. WHAT?"
'Beretta, quickly go to the labyrinth's 11th floor and deactivate all the traps from there till floor 25. Quick.'
'I expected you to say that Rimuru-sama so I have already deactivated it.'
'Thank God. Atleast there is someone sane. Sorry for having you to put up with Ramiris.'
'Please don't be Rimuru-sama. I like conducting researches with Ramiris-sama. So it is alright.'
'Is that so. Well if you ever need something, come to me.'
'Hai. Rimuru-sama.'

I then continue to look at the other team. Ellen's team has managed to find 3 hidden chests. How have they managed that? They seem to be making a map. But they are moving as if they already know where they want to go.
"Hey, Ramiris, you didn't give Ellen's team any hints or anything did you?"
"Nope. Not at all."
"Ya. Even you wouldn't do that right?" I say as I look towards her. Yep. As expected. She was drenched with imaginary sweat running down her face. Just how corrupt are you?
"Let me guess. A cake or something and you gave it to her."
"How did you...?"
"*exhausted sigh* I am done. Why?"
"But they were really delicious. She said they were made Yoshida."
Ya. Yoshida's cakes are really good. Even better than Shuna's. But Shuna is getting better.

I guess them getting loot is also a good sign. Might help us attract some other adventurers. Meanwhile Gaiye is going solo. He has made his way to floor 2.

After 2 hours...

The time is running out. Masayuki's party has made it past floor 10, defeated the boss and made it till floor 14. Upon defeating the Tempest Serpant, which was the floor boss, they got a great drop. They got a unique grade sword. Unique grade sword is not something rare for his group but for most adventurers, unique grade weapons is something that is rarely dropped.

Ellen's group just remained in the top 10 floors 'looking' for treasures. Gaiye was currently fighting the floor boss. Meanwhile Basson's group has a different problem. They fell into a trap room. They are surrounded on all sides by monsters.

"Basson, they are everywhere around us."
"What shall we do?"
"Shit. How am I supposed to do anything? Gomez creat a path with your magic."
"I can't do that I am nearly out of magic."
Suddenly a spider like monster caught Gomez's leg and used his fangs to inject poison into him.
"Ahhhh. It hurts. Shit. Get off of me." Gomez tries to remove the spider. He stabs it and manages to remove it but he falls down. He was unable to take an antidote in time. He fell and his body breaks into a millions of light pieces.
"Nooo. Gomez. No way. Brother..." All the members of the group start mourning his death.
"Are they idiots?" Testa said.
"You just said what was on my mind Testa. They were just told that he will be revived."
As soon as he two hour mark was reached, all teams were told to return. Most teams complied, except Gaiye. As soon as Alpha told Gaiye to return back, he said,"Huh? Shut up and go back if you want to. I will defeat this stupid dungeon and show the true face of that stupid Demon Lord."
"Please take back those words against the dungeon and Demon Lord Rimuru-sama."
"Huh? Fuck off bitch. Who gives a damn about this stupid Dungeon or that Demon Lord."
"Well, I did warn you."

After that Alpha caught Gaiye's feet with the help of her vines. These vines had many thorns which were coated with poison for excruciating pain. The pain reduction of his bracelet was also removed. He started screaming.
"Ahhhh! You bitch. Ahh!"

Soon after his body dissipated into light particles. He then appeared outside the labyrinth. The other teams also made their way out. As soon as Basson's party came out, they saw Gomez. They hugged each other and started crying as if they had seen each other after years. Ellen's party had quite a good loot. But somehow Masayuki's party had even more loot without a map. His skill is so broken.

"The labyrinth will be officially open one week from now. There are a hundred floors, so try your best to beat it. Apart from these rewards, if someone manages to clear the labyrinth, he can ask me for anything. Till the time it is something that can be provided, I will provide it. Anyone who wants to see how strong they are, are free to challenge it. The lower down you go, the stronger the monsters become. I hope all the people who want to challenge the labyrinth good luck. With that, I hope you all will enjoy the last day of the festival." I say and head out. Even though this time is free for most, most of the royalties and nobilities along with people of high standings will be attending a dinner. It was an early dinner aimed to finish till 9 as there was a firework show scheduled to close the festival. I enter the venue. All the people were busy talking and enjoying the food. I move towards Yuuki," How was the festival Yuuki?"
"It was quite good. It really made me nostalgic. But what was that concert? Anime songs? Really? I didn't even know some of them."
"*dry laugh* Anyhow, let's forget that, I came here to ask about the children."
"What about them?"
"I was thinking that those children must have gotten quite strong. So is there anyone who can teach them in Ingrassia?"
"Well, currently a retired A-ranked adventurer is teaching them but I doubt he will be able to teach them for long."
"I see. Why don't you send them here. The monsters under me are quite strong, so they will be able to train them."
"Is that so? Then I will leave them in your hands."
"Ya. I will make sure to take care of them."

Hinata isn't here as she is with Shizue. I told Hinata to not bring Shizue close to Yuuki. She agreed as well. After all, only one person knew about me and that was Yuuki.

After that I continued to have talks with other people until the dinner came to an end and the firework show starts. I decided to look at the fireworks together with all my executives. This would reduce the defense of the country but only momentarily, so I think it I'd alright.

"Rimuru-sama, even I can use magic to make thing explode."
"Carrera, you should enjoy the beauty of things as well instead of just blowing things up." Testarossa said.
"Ya she is right, you nuclear mad woman" Ultima chimed in. Those three continued to bicker. Meanwhile Diablo just stood behind me silently.Shuna, Hakurou, Shion and Souie were chatting with each other. Benimaru meanwhile was on a date with his two fiances, Albis and Momiji. I hope these time could continue forever.

"Bestie... how could you forget me?" Milim said as she dived into me.
"Hahahaha. How could I forget you Milim. I knew you would find me."
We continued to enjoy the show. As the show ended, I stood up. I still have a problem to sort out.

--
I hope you guys enjoy. I am not exactly well and my exams are also coming. So yeah. Well, I will try to write as much as I can.

CH-34 After the Festival

It's the day after the festival. I look out of the window. So cruel. Just yesterday this place was bustling with activity and now everything has gone silent. I guess this is how it feels when something you liked comes to an end. This reminds me of the feeling I used to have when my favorite anime came to an end. Well, I still have one more problem to deal with.

I am going towards a room from where a lot of noise could be heard.
"Geld, only come in when i tell you, okay?"
"Hai, Rimuru-sama." Shuna was standing right behind me as I was overhearing everything going on inside the room.

"Pay us up."
"That's right."
"You said you will pay us today so we waited. Pay us our dues."
"Please wait. We can pay you in anything besides Dwarven coinage. Can you please wait for a few minutes for the issue to be sorted."

And so on. It looks like Myourmiles and his friends are doing quite a hard job. Just as I was about to enter I heard something interesting.

"Everyone calm down. Take a few deep breaths. I, Duke Meùse, representing Ghastone can assure you that even a kingdom of monsters will not go back on their words. Am I correct Myourmiles?"
"Yes that is exactly correct."
"Then I will like you to pay all these merchants according to the international regulations of the Western Council."

I finally decided to enter. Shuna, sensing my mood opened the door and I entered. The merchants were a bit shaken but managed to retain their calm.

"Myourmiles-kun, I heard there was some problem. What is it?"
"Ahh. Yes, Rimuru-sama-"
"That is, Demon lord Rimuru, I Duke Meùse, of Ghastone was just assuring that your country Tempest will pay us."
"Huh? Did I ask you? I am pretty sure I asked Myourmiles." I say releasing some of my aura. I could see visible sweat running down Meùse's face.
"Is that true Myourmiles? "
"Hai. Rimuru-sama."

"Then pay them already. We have a lot of wealth anyway. What is the problem."
"The fact is-" I glare at him again and he shuts up.
"I permit you to speak, Meùse." I say.
"Ah. Yes. The fact is according to the international regulations of Western Council, these merchants want their payment in Dwarven coinage."
"I see. By the way Meùse. What is this international regulations of 'Western Council'." I say specifically emphasizing the words Western Council.
"Well, that is a regulation between the Wester Countries who are a part of council-"
"Let me stop you there Meùse. Are we, Tempest, a part of the Western Council?"
"That is..."
"Let me tell you. We are not. There is no need to pay you in Dwarven coinage. But I understand that you merchants weren't expecting this. So as such, I am willing to sell you special merchandise that will only be available now. If you want to trade for it, step ahead."
As i say this, the merchants look at each other. After a few seconds, three merchants, two male and one female, stepped ahead. The others looked at them as they were being betrayed.

"Demon lord Rimuru-sama, we would like to accept your offer." They said.
"Very well. Could you please stand there, aside from the others." I said pointing to the side.

"What is the meaning of this? Are you saying that you will not pay these merchants?"
"When did I say that? Geld, come in. Diablo, you too."
As soon as i say that, Geld comes in with a large table with nearly 2000 gold coins on it. Diablo came in with a lot of reporters. They were majorly from Farmenas but some were from other countries. They had the looks on their faces as if they were about to catch the scoop of the year. Meanwhile, Geld put the coins on a nearby table.

"This is?"
"Dwarven coinage. Just as you wanted. Myourmiles pay them."

"Forgery is a crime, Demon lord Rimuru."
"Huh?" He shivered after seeing my discontent.
"Appraise it if you want."
"Then excuse me." Another person, who appeared to be the Appraiser said so.
"These are real."
"So I guess these should be enough."
"Ahh. Yes. Yes. Now that you have paid us we would certainly like to continue trading with you. We look to forward it."
"Don't. Now that we have paid all our dues, Tempest will not be doing any trading with you." I say.
"But why? We trust that you will repay us."
"That is the point. Trust is a two way road. When Myourmiles said that we would pay you, did you trust him? Anyway. It was a pleasure doing business with you. From now on, you all are banned from trading with Tempest. I am sure these reporters will tell your home countries about all of this. Well, it was nice meeting you, Duke Meùse." I say and start to leave.
"Oh right, Shuna, take those three and let them choose anything they want from my personal collection."

My personal collection was a collection of high grade weapons. Some were even legendary grade. It also contained armors and dresses from Shuna's store.

I then leave and go to meet with the kids. *Exhausted sigh* Raphael said that this would be the correct choice. I hope so. I then finally reach the room where the children were staying in. They were living in one of the most luxurious hotel in Tempest.
I knock and enter. This was the boys room. Kenya was still asleep, Ryota was washing his face and freshening up. Meanwhile Gale was cleaning the room up.

"You don't need to that Gale."
"No. I would like to this Sensei."
"Whatever. When you guys are done come downstairs to the restaurant. Also bring Shizue and the girls. Oh. And wake Kenya up. It is about to be noon."
"Hai."

I say that and go to the restaurant on the ground floor. Seeing me the waitress got quite flustered.
"R-Rimuru-sama. H-How can we help you?"
"Nothing. I am just here to have a chat with someone. You can continue your work."
"Hai." She suddenly changed. I guess she was afraid that someone might have done something wrong.

Some time later, the children along with Shizue came down.
"Sensei." The children came and I hugged them. Especially Alice and Chloe.
"Did you enjoy the festival with Shizue?"
"Hai. We had a lot of fun with Shizue-sensei."
"I see. Well, there is good news for you all."
"Good news? What is it?"
"Well, you all are going to stay and receive education here in Tempest."
"Really? We need to quickly go and pack everything."
"Hai hai. Wait. I will take you to Ingrassia so just calm down."

After that I take them to the school in Ingrassia. The kids quickly ran in to pack their stuff. Meanwhile me and Shizue were left outside.
"What do you want to do Shizue?"
"Huh? What do you mean Rimuru-san?"
"Will you stay in Tempest or not. Well, I have a perfect job if you decide to stay in Tempest."
"That is?"
"Teaching those kids."
"I see. Then Rimuru-san, could I live in Tempest?"
"Of course." I say. After some time the kids come back and we go back to Tempest. Their schooling will start in one week so I told them to get used to Tempest.

--

I hope you guys enjoyed. The chap is not that good. I know. Well my health isn't as well. Oh well. I hope you guys enjoy. Like and follow.

CH-35 Busted

Rimuru's POV

I open my eyes. The ceiling is quite unfamiliar. It is made out of rocks and stones. Completely different from the one I am used to seeing. I can't feel the left part of my body at all. Was i run over by a truck or what?
"Wahahaha. You still have a lot to learn Bestie."
"Geez. Can't you take it easy for once Milim."

How did it come to this?

Few days back

About a month has passed since the festival. Masayuki has helped a lot in making the labyrinth better. With the inclusion of testing spaces and extra rewards for clearing floor bosses. I was just finishing my paperwork when the door to my room flew off its hinges.
Haaaa. Can't she ever enter a door normally? It's such a common occurrence now that most of the doors in the castle are now enchanted to auto repair and move back to their places once destroyed.

"Bestieeeee..."
Milim said as she dashed onto me.
"What is it?"
"You see, we found ruins in Clayman's domain, so I decided that it would be fun if you came along with me to see what is there."

I see. Ruins. They might be interesting.

"But, you know, I am a king and-"
"I know that. So is asked Frey and she said that by making it something like a visit for extending friendship between our countries, you could come."

She really thought about something. Even if it was Frey who answered, she atleast thought about the consequences of her actions. She is growing.

"I see. I will have quite a bit of time about a month from now. Let's go there then."
"Okay.."
"Hmm? Anything else?"
"You said you would fight me later. So..."
"You want to fight me?"
She nodded.
"You know, I am not that strong."
"You are quite strong."
"No. Compared to you I am not strong at all. Whatever. Meet me in the labyrinth's 103rd floor in about 2 hours. I will be there by then."
"Okay"

She said and flew off. Gobta and Ranga are currently in the City of the Forgotten Dragons. They had been undergoing 'training' according to Milim. Oh well. I quickly complete my work and move towards the labyrinth. I decided to fight her because I promised her, but also because, I might be able to absorb her dragon aura. That could help my True Dragon Seed to awaken.

I go to the labyrinth's 103rd floor. This floor serves as a ground for battle between my executives, especially Carrera and Ultima to vent out. When I reach there Milim was already there.

"Bestieeee. What took you so long?"
"I told you 2 hours. I am already half an hour early you know."
"Mou. Well. I wanted to fight as quickly as possible. So let's fight."
"Alright." I say and put a barrier around to absorb any spray attacks. I am not sure how strong Ramiris's maze is, but I don't want to test it out against 2 awakened demon lord individuals.

"Alright. Let's star-" I didn't even finish and Milim dashed at me. I quickly dodged but she continued to attack with a kick to my torso. I wouldn't be able to stop it so I decided to sacrifice my left arm. Literally. I block her leg with my left arm but it just blows away. I quickly make some distance between us regenerate my lost arm. Should I take out my sword? Kurobee had made a new sword for me. It was a top-grade legend equipment, just a step away from mythical class. Well, assuming I am fighting Milim, it will break within a few attacks. So I cannot defend with it but only attack.

As soon as I create some space, i fire black flames at her. She just flies through it but gets caught in my strings. I hid them amongst the fire to prevent her from detecting it. Though she managed to get free in less than a second, I quickly take out the sword from my stomach and move towards her. She punches me in the chest but I sidestep and manage to cut off her left arm. I then cast a Beelzebub on her arm to swallow any magicules she uses to regenerate. Seeing this she just smiled and continued to pour more mana in it. Just how much mana does she have? After a few seconds, I am forced to take Beelzebub away and she regenerates her arm. Geez. I could have gotten Magicule poisoning. What the hell.

"That was a good plan Bestie. But against me it's useless." She says so and dashes at me.
We continue to exchange clashes. Well it was mostly her attacking me and me dodging and putting in a few sneaky counter attacks. I surprisingly managed to fight for about an hour before she went seriously and nearly killed me.

"Wahahaha. Rimuru, this is fun I am getting serious now."
"Milim! No! Don't do it."
"Battle Form."

In her battle form, I will not survive even a single attack from her.

"Dragoooo-Buster." As she says that, large amount of pure magicule come flying at me. I quickly start dodging and devouring them. Each of these shots was about 15% of my magicules and she just shot atleast 20 of them. Just how much magicules does she have. Just as I devoured the last one,

"Dragonova."

What is that? That single attack has atleast 3 times my magicules quantity. What the hell. I quickly set up a barrier with Uriel and use Beelzebub at full power. Just as the attack hits, it nearly breaks the barrier but I started devouring it just before it could be completely devoured and repaired my barrier. I continued to devour before her output literally overpowered my devouring abilities. I manage to move out of the way just enough to save at least half my body.

I open my eyes. The ceiling is quite unfamiliar. It is made out of rocks and stones. Completely different from the one I am used to seeing. I can't feel the left part of my body at all. Was i run over by a truck or what?
"Wahahaha. You still have a lot to learn Bestie."
"Geez. Can't you take it easy for once Milim."

I look at her from the ground as she looks down on me.
"Why don't you heal yourself?"
"Because someone just forced me to use all of my magicules to defend against an attack which could wipe an entire country head on."
"Hmm?"
"So my magicules are all used up."
"Ahh!" She said as if she just understood.
"I remember Guy something similar that he was running low on mana after we had fought for a week straight."

Guy fought her for a week straight? What a monster.

"Want my magicules?"
"Huh? Aren't you low on magicules yourself?"
"Nope. I have a skill that produces magicules for me, so I never run out of them"
"Hahahaha. Really. What a cheat. This is cheating. You should get nerfed. What the hell?"

She just looked at me confused but I couldn't care less. Skill to make magicules? How overpowered is that. Where is Lavoisier now? Where is his conservation of mass law?" She just made magicules out of nowhere. I am so done.

"So, do you want the magicules or not?"
"Ya please."

She then transfers her magicules to me at a slow rate which I devour with Beelzebub. I quickly regenerate myself and stand up.

"That was quite fun but you really are a cheat huh?"
"Cheat?"
"Nothing."

After that we continue to go around Tempest and spend the day enjoying, just the two of us.

--

How was it? I hope you guys enjoyed it. Like and follow. Also, I am no longer naming the chapters. Mainly because I am running out of ideas for name.

CH-35.5 ?????

Time:-????
Location:-????

In a dark room two figures, both women, could be seen. One of them was busy sorting through some papers under a light source. The other figure is on what appears to be a single bed, asleep.

"*sigh* Just how much of these is left." She said as if venting, but made sure not to be too loud. She didn't want to make the sleeping figure wake up.

"I so want you to help me, but oh well, you have barely have any sleep for the few months due to that incident."

She continues to scroll through the paper. Suddenly the figure on the bed started moving around as if having a nightmare as the other person continued with her work.

"Aah!" The sleeping figure woke up with a scream. The other person hearing a sudden shriek looks towards the figure and moves towards her and holds her hand to calm her down.

"Are you okay? Calm down. Whatever it was, it was just a nightmare."
The other figure continues to pant and slowly controls herself.

"Aah! Sorry."
"That nightmare again?"
"Ya."
"Don't worry. I am sure he is still alive."
"B-But.."
"Calm down. We had attached that equipment to protect his soul didn't we?"
"But it was just a prototype."
"It was a prototype but it had shown results."
"Even then.."
"Also, we already have sent the order that if someone calling himself as 'him' does come, to let him in and have a test to confirm his identity."

They both sit in silence for some time.
"I know he was the only one left of your family, but I am sure he wouldn't want to see you in such a pathetic state once he comes back."
"Ya. I will try my best to not disappoint him."
"Want to sleep some more?"
"No. I will help you."
"I see. Then help me complete these parts, Captain."

--

This is an intermission of sort. I hope you guys enjoy. Like and follow me. I am not sure whether these characters will make an appearance or not in this book, but they will definitely come in my next book if not in this one.

Enjoy.

CH-36 Labyrinth Updates

It's about 2 weeks after my fight with Milim. I am looking at the report in front of me. It said that Masayuki had made it past floor 30. The boss of that floor was an ogre lord and his henchmen. The ogre lord was B in rank. The fact that his squad managed to beat it showed that he sure had skills. Well for Bernie and Jiu it will be quite easy but they continued to hide their true strength and report back as nothing wrong had happened due to Testarossa.

Now that I remember it, Ultima did something on Tear and Footman as well. After she tortu*ahem* played with them for a while, she extracted their memory and let them go back. I also attached a few of my clones on them.

Anyway, about Masayuki, I guess I should go and meet up with him. He helped a lot in making the labyrinth more appealing to the adventurers. Due to which me and Masayuki have become quite close. I go towards the adventurers tavern. It was located on the 95th floor but could be accessed from anywhere in the labyrinth which was sort of a safe point.

"Once I entered, it appears that the information of Masayuki's party making past floor 30 was just being announced. Cheers could be heard throughout the tavern. I cast an illusion on me to prevent others from recognizing me and move towards Masayuki. He was with Myourmiles.

"The populace loves you more than ever, don't they, hero?" I say to him in a sarcastic tone.
"Rimuru-san, could you please not pick on me."
I had cast a sound barrier to prevent noise from leaking, so it was alright for him to call my name, but really, he should be more aware of his surroundings.

"It was truly a magnificent performance, Masayuki-sama." Myourmiles said. If this was how everyone treated him then I can understand why he hates it.

"I didn't do much."
"You are so modest, Masayuki-sama."

I had given Jinrai a series of mythril armor. This made him the main vanguard of the team. With Jiwu and Bernie's strength, it was easy for them to pass through the 30th floor. With Masayuki's skill, even a slip up would be seen in a positive view. He truly is a perfect advertisement. Of course, his progress was fixed, but so what? Till the time people don't know, its alright.

"Now that we have defeated floor 30, the ogre series armor should also become popular."
"Yep. It will also help against floor boss of floor 40. It will grant magic interference when the entire series is unlocked."

This was another one of Masayuki's idea. Upon killing a floor boss, it will drop 1 of the pieces of it respective armor series. For the ogre series there were five different parts to collect. Upon collecting all 5 of them, a special skill could be activated. In this case, magic interference. Now any monster could drop loots. So even low tiered monsters were being hunted. Due to this the monster material was greatly in circulation. Of course, their export to other countries had a keen check on them. I didn't want to lose the monopoly on these monster materials.

"Myourmiles, about those merchants."
"Hai, Rimuru-sama. I have some of my agents. Most have agreed to work with us despite the unfavorable terms."
"I see." Masayuki looked at me with confusion.
"Oh, nothing."

After that we continued to talk about what we could improve in the dungeon and went on our way. I headed to the 100th floor of the labyrinth. Veldora and Ramiris were busy reading the mangas. This room is special. It can grow big or small according to Veldoras wishes.

"Hey, Ramiris. Could you make a room for me."
"Hmmm? Sure. But why?"
"Some experiments."
"What experiments?"
"Nothimg much. Creating a body for Treyni's sisters."
"Alright. Anything for my underlings." She said and got to work. She gets quite excited if it's about her subordinates huh? Well, I could have made them body anywhere but the reason I had asked for this room was different.

After a few minutes Ramairis came back.
"Rimuru. It's done. Don't forget about my payment though."
"Hai hai. The labyrinth has been quite a successful." I say and go to the room she prepared for me. It was on the 107th floor. On the way I could hear Ramiris screaming "I won't be poor anymore." And "Take that Dino."

I go to the room and lock it so only I could enter or leave it. I then start to create orbs. Orbs to put souls in and control it. After hearing Masyuki talk about the labyrinth, even I want to try it. After all every man has atleast once thought of being inside a game, right? After that I place some half prepared bodies in one side. As proof that I was doing nothing shady in here.

"Rimuru-sama."
"Rimuru-sama."

I could hear someone calling me so I went out. Shuna was standing there.

"What happened Shuna?"
"What happened? Rimuru-sama, you have been in that room for 3 days and didn't respond."
"Huh? It's been 3 days already?"
"Hai. And you haven't even eaten a single piece of the food left for you. I was really worried you know. You always loved eating."

Well I am a glutton. Especially with this body which cannot get fat. It is quite convenient.

"Ahh. Sorry. I will keep take better care to not lose myself next time."
"Please do."

Just as I was about to enter back, Myourmiles came running.
"Rimuru-sama, bad news."
"Huh? Myourmiles-kun, what is it?"
"Another team passed through floor 30 and about to reach floor 40."
"Isn't that a good news?"
"About that, they are using an odd strategy."
"Odd strategy?"
"Hai. I would like you to come to the meeting room."
"Very well."

I then got Ramiris's room. We used it as a headquarters of sort as this where majority of changes in the labyrinth can be made easily. Veldora and Ramiris were already there.
"You're late Rimuru." Ramiris said.
"Sorry. I had some things to take care. Anyhow, what is the problem Myourmiles?"

So, then Myourmiles told me the entire problem. It seems that the teams are using the fact that bosses don't heal to their advantage. First a team of strong adventurers will make their way to floor 30 and challenge the boss. After losing they will disband the party and make new parties with 9 other adventurers each making the biggest party of 10 allowed. So, nearly 100 people will march and take down the boss.

"This is troublesome. But it appears we have made quite a profit off it."
"That's true. But, Rimuru-sama, this way they might break through the labyrinth very quickly."
"Ahh. Don't worry about that. The place becomes serious after floor 50, so don't worry. Also, at floor 96 to 99 we have a dragon lord each and floor 100 is guarded by Veldora himself, so there is no problem."
"I-I see. If Veldora-sama is the guardian then there is no way they will break through easily."
"Kwahahaha. You can leave everything to me Rimuru."
"Yep. So which team is doing this?"
"Well, they called themselves Green Fury."
"I see. Ramiris, how strong are they?"
"Well, it is not possible to see how strong they are through a video, you know that right, Rimuru."
"I know that. But don't you control everything in the labyrinth. I am sure you can see how strong one is."
"Well, I can. But it is a lot of information and it hurts my head."
"Then let me interfere with your skill."
"B-but.."
"It's alright. Trust Rimuru." Veldora also supported me.
"Very well."
Raphael, do your job.

After that I suddenly felt a lot of information enter in my head but it seems Raphael took care of it.

I see. Why is the analyze and assess still running?
Raphael said. I felt that she told me to shut up.

Ya. There is no way you would say something like that.
...

"Well..."
"So, it failed huh?" Ramiris said.
"Huh? Of course not. This guy is above A rank." I say pointing to the leader of the Green Fury on a screen.

"Wha- Wait a second Rimuru. How are you using my skill better than me?"
"I don't know. Skill issues for you I guess."
"Huh?"
"Nothing. That is not all. This guy is an A. This one and this one as well." I said pointing to a few who were ranked at A
"That many?"
"Yep. Son of Veldt, were they. They are strong. Especially these two. They are at the same level of Bovix. At this state, they will reach your floors pretty quickly."
"Ya..."
I thought they would be pumped up for this.
"Did something happen?"
"Well, you see, Hinata and the crusaders started their training in the three days you were holed up and none of my traps or Mentors worked. My elemental Collossus stopped them well but..."
"But?"
"One of the Crusaders angered Hinata by saying that she could not win through it and in a span of day she reached floor 95."
Floor 95? In one day? I guess we will have to readjust the difficulty level.
"What about the bosses?"
"Well, about that. My pupil, Zegion was evolving so he wasn't in a state to fight. Capito had completed her evolution but was unable to keep up with Hinata and lost.
"Then Kumara was too inexperienced so I let Beretta fight instead but Hinata defeated him as well. After that she continued till the 95th floor and called it a day."
"How is Hinata not a hero already?" I ask. But no one answered.
"Then yesterday she defeated all the dragon lords and challenged Mentor."
"She was strong. But in front of me, she was nothing. I defeated her easily. Though, her fighting style reminded me of that hero."

"Alright. So let me get this straight. We have no proper defender for floor 60 and down."
"Yes. Adalman may be strong but he is nowhere near as strong my colossus."
"I see. First, I guess we can go and visit Adalmann to make him motivated. For the elemental colossus, we can just build a new one. You can ask Kaijin to help you. He knows quite a lot about spirit engineering. Zegion should wake up in some time. For Apito and Kumara, training is necessary. I will ask Shizue to train with them. It should help her to grow strong as well."
"Shizue?" Ramiris asked.
"Ahh. She came to my takoyaki stand. She didn't seem that strong."
"Yes. But that is just for now. She should get stronger quite quickly. Also her skills are better than Hinata."
"I see. Ramiris, Veldora, let's meet at this time tomorrow. Then the meeting is -"
"Ah. One moment Rimuru-sama."
"What is it Myourmiles? "
"Umm. Hinata-sama was asking for the reward money."
Reward money? Wasn't that given for clearing every tenth floor?
"She said that she had cleared it according to the rules, so..."
"Refuse her."
"Just tell her that if she tries to stage something like this again or threaten you, just tell her that the news she lost to labyrinth guardian will be made public."
"Then I would like you to break this information to her."
"Huh? What are you saying Mollie? You should do that. Anyhow. The meeting is over." I say and quickly leave before Myourmiles says anything.
I think I heard him say that he will pay from his pocket money or something, but that is his problem. I don't want to face an angered Hinata. It's not like she can defeat me in a fight, but that beautiful face, when it has anger on ot, it's scary. I'd rather not see that. I then leave and take Shion with me as I go the kitchen of my castle to pick Shuna.

--
I hope you like it. Like and follow for more. My health hasn't gotten much better, so I am aiming to get well soon. So chapters may not be as good.

Kudos to TURN_NULL for the names of the past 3 chapters.

CH-37 New Friends

I take Shuna and Shion with me to go and visit Adalman. I reach the 60th floor and enter.
"Adalmann, I'm coming in." I say and come in. As soon as I announced myself, he fell to his knees. He is exaggerating as well as ever huh? Oh well. I am used to this by now.
"I am willing to take any punishment for my failure."
"Nah. That's alright. I should have known that a wight wouldn't be a good match agaisnt those Paladins."
"Even then-"
"Even then, the main problem is of your strength right? Tell me Adalmann, how much holy magic can you use?"
"Not much."
"I see. What about you Shuna? And who is the one you obtain that power from?"
"I cannot use holy magic Rimuru-sama but due to my skill I can use an imitation. Of course my faith is in you, Rimuru-sama."
"I see. So I hope you understand that the most important thing for holy magic to work is faith. So, on that note, I will give both of you this skill, the secret skill of faith and favor. I learnt it from Luminous. This should help you use holy magic. Both of you should try to learn and master it. You could always talk and discuss in your free time."
"Hai Rimuru-sama." Both said.
"Also, Adalmann, doesn't holy magic hurt you, seeing that you are a wight."
"A little pain is nothing, my God."

So he is just soldiering through it huh?

"Here, use this." I say as a beam of light leaves me.
"This is holy ray. Unlike its name, it is neither holy or demonic in nature. If used properly it will not hurt you. Of course it is harder to control and master."

The next day, me, Ramiris and Veldora were in the meeting room when Milim barged in.
"I heard someone defeated my dragons."
She said as she entered. She was carrying Gobta as a rag doll with her. He was muttering something."I did it. I survived" over and over. Just what did Milim do to her?

"Hmm? Gobta did quite well. I didnt think he would pass hell mode."
"Uhhhh. Good job Gobta. Go and have some rest." He slowly walked? Crawled? I don't know. He was somewhat between them as he went to a nap to his room.

"Before we do anything, now that Milim is here, let's do this." I give them all a quasi-soul and a black ball.
"Now, hold the black ball and imagine a monster. I am warning you though, choose a monster that you like."

After that we all created a monster. Veldora made a skeleton, I made a ghost , Ramiris made a suit of living armor. Meanwhile Milim made a slime.
Slime?
"Why a slime Milim?"
"I don't know. I thought it would be fun."
"I see."
"By the way, What are we going to do with these Rimuru?" Veldora asked.
"Simple. The other ball you have is a quasi soul. We will put it in our monster and make our soul reside in it. By doing so we can co troll these monsters. We can use these monsters to fight against the adventurers in the labyrinth."
"I see."
"Sounds fun."

"Alright. You guys. You can go to Kurobee to make him weapons for you. But don't tell him about these, okay?"
"Hai." They say and start planning how to make a team and all.

After a few days, we are still polishing our skills. We have better equipment and teamwork now. It actually seems fun. Of course, I am not cutting slack. I am doing my job properly and only playing, I mean, experimenting in my free time.

Meanwhile, in Seltrozzo

Two figures could be seen in a room. These two figures were Yuuki and Johann Rostia.

"So, Demon lord Rimuru knows about you, Yuuki?"
"Yep. I am pretty sure he knows my plans. He even took the kids away. I was thinking of using them as bargaining chips if u get caught, but now? I have nothing on him."
"Couldn't you have defeated him?" A girl, who just came in asked.
"Nope. Just Rimuru alon would be impossible. Let's not even start talking about the storm dragon and his subordinates. I mean he has a primordial demon serving him. What do you expect me to do? I suggest that we don't do anything to have a direct confrontation with him.

The girl, Maribell, thinks for some while. She was not a simple girl. Just like Rimuru, she was also a reincarnated person. Her family, the Rosso, have always ruled the Western Nations in the shadow and economically, but now that Demon lord Rimuru suddenly appeared, their position was worsening. Both Maribell and Rimuru had the same goal, to effectively have a control over the western nation.

"Very well. Invite the demon lord to join the Western Council."
"Do you think he will join?"
"Why wouldn't he? Would he rather fight against the Eastern Empire on his own?'
"I see."
"Johann, come with me. We will discuss this further." Saying so, Mariabell leaves and Johann follows. Left alone in the room, Yuuki lets out a sigh.
"Are you an idiot? Idiots are so hard to control. Damn it. Of course he will reject. Us humans, to him will be more of a burden."

After that Yuuki goes back to free guild in Ingrassia. Kagali was already there along with the other three.
"So, what happened boss?" Laplace asked.
"Nothi-" Just as Yuuki was about to answer, someone teleported in. Everyone just stared at the person. It was none other than Rimuru.

Rimuru's POV

"Yo Yuuki. You fine?"
"Ahh. Yes. Wait. Why are? How?"
"Are you talking about the barrier. Don't sweat about it."
"I didn't want to do this but" as soon as he says this, he dashes at me. He coated his hand with his unique skill and tried to stab me. He managed to break the barrier as it was a skill but was unable to break through the skin.
"Are you done? I already knew about your connection with Clayman and Rosso."
"What? How?"
"Secret. Anyway, isn't your dream of world domination too childish."
"What do you know? I have done a lot to fulfill it. I was so close to do it."
"I know. You are already in control of the western nation. Maybe a few more decades and Guy and Rudra would have collided and you would have taken advantage."
Yuuki looked surprised as to how I knew.
"Surprised? Doesn't matter. Anyway. I actually came here for two things."
"And those are?"
"I want you to continue acting as Mariabell's puppet. After that, till the time you don't interfere with me, I will not attack you. So? Do we have a deal?"
"I sure have a lot to gain from it. But what about you? You're gaining nothing from this. This wouldn't be a deal if you gained nothing from it."
"Hoh. That is interesting. Then let me make a proposal just like a demon lord would.
'Join me Yuuki, and I will give you half the world.'
Well, not really, but I can guarantee that you will be able to live a happy life with your friends."
"You still didnt tell me what you gain from this."
"Actually, I want you to do a job for me. I want you to go to the Eastern Empire and give me information on it. After I deal with the Rossos."
"I see."
"And don't even think about going against me." As I say that, i slice of the neck of Footman, Tear and Laplace. Kagali looks at me with horror while anger fills Yuuki.
"You bastard."
"Don't worry. I can revive them. But remember, I can kill you just as easily." I blow a hole through Yuuki's stomach. Just as he looks down to see where I pierced him, Kagali starts crying and tries to attack me shouting but they just stop after hitting my barrier. I then revive all of them. Meanwhile, Raphael also analyzed Footman's soul.
"So? Do you accept?"
"I.."
"Of course, you wouldn't be treated like disposable pawns. That is my guarentee. Also think about what is best for them." I say pointing to the clowns.
"Very well. I agree."

"Good." I say and heal him.
"Oh, also, Kazaream, I will be exploring those ruins with Milim, so could you bring a few archaeologists with you. We will be going in about a month. I will tell you the proper date later.

"By the way,Kagali, do you know anything about Jahil?"
"How did you know about that name?"
"I have my own sources."
"That-"
"Tell him Kagali. If it's personal matter then I won't force you, but I don't think you need to hide anything from him." Yuuki said. It was more like he didn't want to risk me getting angry. Oh well.

"I see. Jahil, he was the one who possessed my father, the king. After that he continued to do experiments on me until I died. Even after I died he revived me as a deathman and continued to experiment with me. That Bastard!! At that time I had not realized he was possessed. When I told him to stop being this way, he cursed me. He cursed me and gave me that damned body. I used to be a princess of the most powerful country and due to his experiment, I became a monster. That body with all the scars and hideous look. The people started calling me Curse Lord." She said and stopped for a second and continued.
"Of all the things, the only thing I am glad about is that I could meet these people, who I call family. Especially Yuuki." She said the second part blushing.
"I see. Sorry for making you remember something so painful." I say and went to Yuuki and whispered," You better help your wife, Yuuki."
"Ehhh? What do you mean? Me an-"
"Shush. Think about it before you speak. Don't hurt her feelings and sort out your own first."
Me and Yuuki whispered to each other.
"By the way, if I may be rude, Rimuru-sama, why did you ask me about him?"
"Hmm? You don't need to be that polite, you know. Anyway, I believe we might have to meet Jahil in the future. If he becomes our opponent, i will invite you to take revenge. Also, remember about the ruins. Anyhow, remember our deal Yuuki." I say and teleported away back to my room.

Meanwhile, in the room

"Was that the correct choice boss?" Laplace asked.
"Wait, don't you remember?"
"Remember what boss?"
Both Yuuki and Kagali looked surprised.
"Don't you remember? You guys were, were killed?"
"What are you saying boss? We are all still alive."
"Could it have been an illusion? " Kagali asked.
"No. He most probably wiped out their memories." Yuuki answered.

Rimuru's POV

I go back to my room in the labyrinth. I have nothing else to do tonight, so I decided to do something that I really had to do.

I took out all the dragonite I had and create an artificial body. It was based on my body, just a little more feminine. This was of course because of C.C. As a sort of memory of her, I created this body.

Raphael, can you inhabit this body?
Please do so then.

I feel a part of me leave my body and inhabit the body. It felt weird.

"What does Master want me to do?"
"I am sure you know what I have been thinking, but I will say it once more. Milim has a way of literally having infinite energy, you know that as well."
"Hai."
"So, I think we should also have something that could create energy for us. Even if it is not infinite. You have access to my memories as well, right?"
"Hai."
"So, can you salvage regarding the Mobius System?"
"It is possible."
"So, I actually want you to create a Mobius System. It can, in theory, create infinite energy but was too idiotic to make in our previous world. But in this world, magicules exist. I am sure that they will help in stabilizing it."
"Understood. So, master wants me to create the Mobius System."
"Yes. And not only that but these as well."

I lay out the blueprints of what was in my previous life, a state secret. There were massive turrets. These turrets required a lot of energy in my previous world and hence used as a last resort. It was so costly to use that Space Council had banned its use against human enemies. It could only be used against monster invasion in my previous life. Along with that there were guns, bullets, a few bombs and a 'paralyzer'. It was a bomb that turned all the nearby electronic devices and weapons dead.

"Of course, these blueprints will need a lot of tweaking. Like instead of electricity, we will have to use and disrupt magicule."
"Understood. But may I ask, what is the significance of this body?" Raphael says pointing to herself.
"Nothing. I thought it might evolve along with you and become a better part of yourself."
"I see."
"Then good luck. I hope that you will be able to finish them befor the Empire attacks."
"Yes. Currently I expect them to attack in a year latest. These will be prepared till then."
"That's good. Also you can split your conciousness, right?"
"Yes. So I can still remain inside your mind and soul."
"Alright. Also, make sure that no one knows about your existence."
"Hai."

After that I leave the room and go back to the castle.

--

I hope you guys enjoyed. Like and follow.

CH-38 The Council (Behind the scenes)

Rimuru's POV

I along with Veldora, Ramiris and Milim were playing, I mean, researching and experimenting in the labyrinth. We would fight and defeat any adventurers we would come across. Just as we defeated an adventurer group, I sensed someone close. Due to that we all quickly seperated from our avatars and took over our real body. The visitors were Frey accompanied by Valora, Shuna and Rigurd.

"Milim, I wonder why my guard was unconscious. I hope that you have done your homework." Frey said.
"Milim? You had work to do? You could have told us, you know. We wouldn't have asked you to help us with our research" I said pushing the entire guilt on her.
"Rimuru? Wait. Frey I can explain."
"I am sure you can. So let's go back."

Frey literally holds Milim by the ear and flew off. Wow. I guess it takes guts to go against Frey. I mean, even an ancient demon lord couldn't do anything to her.

"By the way Rimuru-sama, what were you doing these past days?"
"Um... that, you see, I was doing some work." Just as i was about to ask Veldora for help, he spoke.
"Rimuru. I am going back to my room to continue my research. This subject is quite interesting. Even I might learn something from this."
I thought he would help me. You traitor. But that doesn't matter. Raphael, you are my last hope. Help me.
Huh? What do you mean?

"Ah. Rimuru-sama, I have been looking for you. We received a letter from the Western Council."
"Ah. Möllie, I was expecting you."
"Is that so?"
How did this happen? I knew they would make a move, but this perfect timing?

"Ya. There were spies in the labyrinth as well. So I played with them a bit. They just ran away then and reported back to their homeland."
"Ah. Could you be talking about Green Fury?"
"Yep. They were obviously hired by Ingrassia."
"I see." Shuna said and smiled. I am glad I managed to fool her.

Meanwhile

The Council of the West.

It was a council made of all the Western Countries, no matter how big or small. Each country deliberated together and had an equal say. The main aim of this Council was anti-monster measures. But they also dealt with floods, draughts, earthquakes or any other natural disaster that might occur to one of its member nation.

Funding for the council was provided by its member nation. Not all countries were equally well off. Some counties paid much more than others. But the fact that they had equal share of power enraged the countries that paid more than others. So, to counter this, a new law was made. Countries could have more dignitaries attending by paying a large sum of money for each new member. The cost of each new representative would increase exponentially. Even a super power like Farmuth could only send five dignitaries. Thus, fall of Farmus and rise of Tempest was a major issue. Due to this, tension was running high in the council.

As such, a special meeting was held to decide what to do. Hinata Sakaguchi, the right hand of God, was invited to act as an impartial observer, given her close relationship to Demon Lord Rimuru.

Hinata's POV

"An invitation? From the council no less?" I asked.
"Yes. Just deny it. What is it about anyway?"
"It appears to be about the new Demon Lord."
"Rimuru?"
"Hai. Hinata-sama."
"Fine. I will attend it."

During the meeting

What is this? What kind of meeting is this? This stupid ranting has been going on for an hour at the very least. How can these idiots be this unproductive? Like, the meeting with Rimuru which had new kings popping out of nowhere was more productive and to the point than this. How can they continue ranting like this in front of me?

Hinata's POV

The representative of countries which held a boundary with the Jura forest wanted to let Tempest join. This was because they had been constantly tormented by monster attacks. But now, as the Demon Lord Rimuru declared that he had no intention to attack humans, the monsters that used to attack also decreased. Meanwhile, countries which were safe inland, were against it and afraid of the demon lord and his power. After a lot of bickering, major countries and its supporters decided to support the admission of Tempest in the Council.

Well, this is fine by me I guess.

"Then let's go with this. We will invite that demon lord. If he decides to join the council, then he must obviously bring gifts and know his position." Johann said.
"But what if the demon lord got angry and put all of his power on us?"
"You don't need to worry about that. What we need to worry about is that how much we have to gain them. We all know about the movement of the Eastern Empire, right? Tempest can act as a shield for us in case they attack."

"The Eastern Empire?"

Hmm? I really pity the representatives of the smaller countries. They have no information regarding what is going on. Of course, King Gazel and kings of countries bordering Eastern Empire know about it. I am sure Rimuru knows about it as well. I mean, in that technological presentation, he just said that he was not involved, but there is no way he was not. Only an otherworlder like us would question the basic principle of magic. He is needling King Gazel to keep his mouth shut regarding the movement of Eastern Empire. Just how far he is he thinking? He really is amazing, isn't he?

The meeting continued as they started discussing on how to deal with this predicament.

"Calm down Everyone. Now that Farmus has fallen, we of course cannot create a united defensive line amongst the smaller nation. But we all know why the Empire isn't attacking. It is of course due to the evil dragon. So I believe that we should let Tempest become a member and use it as a defense line against the Eastern Empire."

Clearly Johann and Gaban are trying to make everyone vote for allowing Tempest to join. What an elaborate script. Atleast this is coming to an end now. I am so tired. It has atleast been 8 hours since the meeting started. This is the most unproductive meeting of my life. Finally, the voting has started.

"Alright. According to the votes, we will officially send an invitation to Kingdom of Tempest to join the Council." The chairman said.

Finally the meeting is over. As everyone begins to leave, I do so as well. Just as I was about to leave I was interrupted.

"Hinata, could I have a moment of your time?"

I turn around and see that it is Prince Elrick. Who are you to call me directly by my name?

"Yes? What is it?" I want to avoid angering him for now.
"Well, Hinata, I want to ask for a favor." We continued to talk as we made our way to a reception room.
"And that is?"
"You see, I was thinking of testing the Demon Lord in the next meeting. We need to make sure that this Dmeon Lord will live up to his name. That is where you come in."
"And how do I come in?" I asked with some irritation in my voice.
"? " He looks shocked. What? You expected me to be cooperative with you against Rimuru? Not happening at all.

"W-well. Let me explain. The person in question is a demon lord. So if he decides to go on a rampage, then it could be troublesome. So, I wanted you to provide security duties for us."

"Why?"

"Why? Because I know you are a strong woman and the right hand of God Luminous. It is also believed that you were able to force the demon lord to enter negotiations with Ruberios. I am sure with your strength we can reveal his true nature."

Are you serious? Just how arrogant are you? You might be a prince, but still. I had heard that he believed that no woman can resist his charm, but is he an idiot? Atleast be someone like him if you want to do something. A picture of blue haired man came to mind but I quickly dismissed it.

"I don't think that's a good idea. If we were to fight now, I doubt I will even be able to hold my ground for a few minutes."

I never even fought him in the first place. Now that I think about it, does he not know about demon primordials serving him or is he just an idiot?

"Oh, come on now Hinata. Just because you are in front of me, doesn't mean that you have to act lik meek, gentle woman."

Huh? What is he saying? Just as I was contemplating on how to answer this idiot, one of his bodyguards stepped in. I think his name was Reiner.

"Non, now. Lady Hinata, I understand that you are smitten by Prince Elrick but everything will be fine even if only I am around. But with you, we can have that extra muscle power to guarentee safety."

I don't even want to hear the rest.

"I am sorry, but I will have to decline. Also as a piece of advice, I hope you do not do anything to aggravate the Rimuru. The Western Holy Church is in a non-aggression pact with Tempest." I say so and leave.

"Pardon me?..."
"Oi, are you ordering me around?"

I could hear then shout behind my back but I paid them no heed. But I really am glad. If they had sent this request through official channels then I might not have been able to decline.

"Are you saying you are okay if a demon lord rampages in the council?"
"Does the Western Holy Church not care if a demon lord takes over and rules over humanity?"

The other guards also started chiming in. This gladdens me a bit, though. They have been ruled by a demon lord for nearly centuries now and they dont even know.

"Unfortunately for you, Rimuru, enjoys my full trust."

They really wouldn't try to rile him up would they? He might be calm and cool, but I know he is ruthless to his enemies. If they want to fight against Rimuru, they would only need another demon lord. I hope the cooler heads amongst them prevails. I will warn Rimuru none the less. I hope he understands and doesn't go too overboard.

--
That's it. Like and follow. I hope you enjoyed.

CH-39

Rimuru's POV

I have finally arrived in Ingrassia. They sure are treating me like royalty. I am currently staying in the most fanciest hotel. I brought Shuna, Testarossa and Benimaru with me. Testarossa was receiving reports from Moss and his subordinates in the shadows. I had left Diablo back in Tempest along with Shion to keep everything alright. But, the main reason was that I know that something has been planned for this meeting. If they disrespect me, then I am sure Diablo will kill all of them. Even if i tell him not to, they will be traumatized just by his aura. Testarossa, on the other hand, should keep her aura in check. I also told her not to do anything, in case they do something rude.

Also, Ranga is not in my shadow. He is with Gobta and is being torme*ahem* trained by Milim. It seems that Gobta and Ranga have become good friends, so that's a good thing. Benimaru is off having a date with Albis. Momiji is with Hakurou in the land of Tengu. Geld is helping rebuilding Eurazania that Milim had destroyed. Gabiru is with Middray in the city of Forgotten Dragon.

We are currently shopping for clothes on request of Shuna. The clothes are high quality, but lack any defensive capabilities.

"You guys, choose anything you want. I will cover the costs."
"Really?"
"Yep. You all have helped me a lot. I also don't give you a salary, so I may as well be generous this time."

It's not like I don't give them salaries, they just denied it, saying that they already had food and clothing and couldn't ask for more. The demons were, like the demons. They said that serving me was all they wanted and working for me was already a reward.

Benimaru decided to buy a tailored jacket, shirts and skinny jeans. It looks good on him.
Shuna mean-Whoa. Cute. Too cute. I bring my hand to my nose to check if I have nosebleed. Thank God. I dont. Shuna is in a fluffy white gaucho skirt and ice-blue knit vest. She looks really good in it.
Meanwhile, Testarossa picks a red colored dress. It was a one piece and she looked stunning. If Shuna looked cute and innocent, she looked bewitching.

"You all look good. If you want anything else, don't hesitate to ask." I say.
They look around a bit more, but at the end decide to buy what they wore first. I decided to buy a few more clothes which would serve as a model on how to design clothes in Tempest. I then brought a few clothes for myself. I wasn't that informed in the styles of my world, leave alone in this world, so I asked the store clerk for guidance. I mean, most boys should understand me, right? Anyway, style and good clothes wouldn't help in a battlefield, but good armor would. That is why I can distinguish between armors quite easily, but clothes are outside my area of expertise.

After leaving the store, Shuna was clutching the clothes and hugging her. Cute!! Meanwhile both Benimaru were quite happy, but were trying not to show it. Well, I have known them for quite a while, so I know them quite well.

We then continued towards what previously was Yoshida's store. Nowadays, as Yoshida had moved to Tempest, this store was run by one of his trainee. Once we entered we ordered and sat down. I cast a sound barrier. By the way, we were suppliers, so we got a major discount while buying the sweets. I was waiting here as I had to meet Hinata here.

I sit down and my subordinates sit as well.

"So, Testarossa, did you recieve any report from Moss?"
"Yes Rimuru-sama. I believe it will be better to hear it directly from him."
As soon as she said that, Moss teleported beside me and bowed. I cast a illusion barrier so that no one sees anything unusual.

"So Moss? Dud you find anything about Meùse?"
"About that, I interrogated all of the merchants and most of them were connected to Meùse in one way or another."
"I see. So nothing will come out of investigating them. What about Meùse?"
I could see Moss visibly twitch.
"He is dead, my lord."
"Dead?"
"Hai."
Hearing this Testarossa gave out a sadistic smile.

But dead huh?
To remove evidence, huh?

"How was he killed?"
"About that, he was killed by a long distance weapon. It fired a metal pellet which killed him."
"A gun?"
"That is its name in the Eastern Empire."
"I see. That confirms it then. Good job Moss." I say, hoping Testa won't go too hard on Moss.
"Hai."

"What is a gun Rimuru-sama?" Benimaru asked and Shuna looked curious as well.

Hinata sneaks up behind me but I sense no hostile intent.
"I heard you talking about a gun."
I turn to her and ask," Was I supposed to act surprised ?"
"That was what I had expected you to be."
"I see."
"Woah. Hinata! When did you come here?" I say in a completely sarcastic way.

"Stop making fun of me. Geez." She pouted. She might act cold and all but she looks cute now.

"Anyway, I am sure Yuuki has a handgun." Hinata told me.
"I guess some otherworlders might have been summoned with them."

We then talk a bit and eat. I then order a coffee, not too bitter.

"I would have called you mature if you took it black, but aren't you literally drinking liquid chocolate."
"So what? It fits the atmosphere."
"No, between your outfit and what you are drinking, there is literally no maturity to be seen."
"Oh shut up. I know that. These clothes are comfy on the very least."
"Well, it is a fact that you look cute."
"Why thank you, I will take it as a compliment."
'It was actually a compliment and not a sarcastic comment.' Hinata thought unbeknownst to Rimuru.

"Do you think it was a sniper that killed Meùse?" I ask Hinata.
"Changing the topic, eh? Anyway, I am not that informed about guns but a handgun doesn't have a range more than 50 meters, right? A hundred at most."

I send a thought communication to Benimaru and Shuna explaining the basic weaponry.

"I see. Quite an interesting weapon." Benimaru commented.
"Yes, though it has no effect on us due to our hard skins as monster, humans on the other hand will die easily. Moss could you replicate any guns that you have seen?"
"About that, I am sure Testarossa-sama had obtained a gun when she had acquired a body before along with a few other weapons."
"I see. Can you show it to me Testa?" I ask her.
"Of course, Rimuru-sama." She says and teleports away and comes back with an AR in her hands.
"This is it Rimuru-sama."
"That's quite heavy I assume. An Assault Rifle?"
"An M4 to be exact. Quite an old model though. Seems to be on the model of 1980's. Quite old."
"I see. You seem to have quite a lot of information on this."
"Guns, bombs, planes, tanks, even nukes. I have quite a lot of information on them."
"A gun freak, is that what you were?"
"Huh? Obviously not. I was a soldier. Of course I know about these."
"I see."
"Either way, we have to be careful for tomorrow's meeting." I say.
"Why is that Rimuru-sama? It will sting us at most."
"The problem is, it could be used to assassinate a dignitary and all the blame would be on me."
"I see."

"So Hinata, why are they calling me here? Apart from the normal interview and such, there must be something else they planned."
"Ah. About that. Prince Elrick did say about testing you."
"Testing me? It seems interesting. I will look forward to it." I say as I get up. Testarossa, Shuna and Benimaru follow.

"Don't go too overboard. By the way, do you know about the movementof the Empire?" She says with a sigh and asks.
"They are currently trying to do a military maneuver. But if they really want to invade, then it is either through my territory or Dwargon."
"Yes. If you need help, I could help you."
"Is that so? Then can you look into Dwargon for me?" I ask her.
"So we both thought the same huh? Very well. You act so careless, but I cant let my guard down against you huh."
Not only us two, but Raphael as well.
"Anyway, Shizue has gotten a lot stronger now that she has a fire spirit working with her. You should come by some day and spar with her."
"Really? Then I will do that."

With that I leave the cafe.

--
That's it. I hope you guys enjoy. Like and follow.

CH-40

Rimuru's POV

I am going towards the council meeting hall with Shuna, Testarossa and Benimaru. After the chat with Hinata yesterday, I am pretty sure that nothing which I hadn't planned for would occur. The representatives might ask me to prevent any monster from escaping the Jura, but I had already planned to do so. This way, adventurers would be forced to come to the labyrinth to make money.

They might also ask me to place some military in each country. Of course, this will make them think that they are using us, but by doing so, they will be indebted to us. So, it would make it easier for us to use them.

As we reached the council hall, I was greeted by the representatives and leaders of countries which were adjacent to Jura. These were the countries that wanted to make friendlier connections with me due to the festival they saw and the safety from the monsters. We exchange basic greeting as a form of courtesy and continue small talk to break the ice.

"A-hem. People. Quit bothering Sir Rimuru. Especially people from small dogs on the map with hardly anything to them."
"Indeed, all this rudeness may give Sir Rimuru the wrong idea about our council."

Someone who appeared to be from one of the few countries to have clout in the council came to greet me, or rather, chase away the entourage I had. I wonder who is more rude? Oh well, this is how nobles have always been, be it in this world or my old one. I can already guess that they want my technology from me. They are big enough to have protection, so that is one of the few things they would aim. They might aim at the labyrinth as well.

"You will never have any constructive conversation with people like them, Sir Rimuru."
"I see. Then what would you guys call constructive?"
"Heavens be, Sir Rimuru. Surely you jest."
"Ha ha ha. Sir Rimuru has never had to have any education in noble etiquette, so it stands to reason. But don't worry, we will teach you everything."
"By the way, we heard that you were building quite an interesting thing called the magitrain."

Right. I had given Kaijin some plans to make a train powered by spirit stones. Ramiris was quite interested in it as well. I was first thinking of air transport but that would not be economical at our current level, so I let it be.

"Yes. We are building a magitrain."
"Yes, so my country will love to help and take part in this project."
"Ah yes. My country will be more than happy to help as well. Of course we expect something, well... you know... in return."

Oh boy. Rude isn't even cutting this.

"Well, I am sorry to say that a lot of groundwork needs to be done before setting up a magitrain, so I respectfully decline."

"You don't need to worry about that Sir Rimuru, I will talk about it with my country so I hope you can give us a priority in its delivery."

Do they even know what a train is? I am pretty sure they don't. And then they have the guts to say something like this.

"I am sorry, but the magitrain is a long term project. For now it is only with countries that we have friendly ties. Assuming that there is a probability we might not be admitted into the council, I have no obligation to help you. Especially when our countries could be enemies in the future." I say and leave them to their own devices.

Sigh. The day is still young and I am this tired already. Now I am even prouder of my sister who had to deal with this nearly everyday.

"Rimuru-sama, should I remove those insolent bugs from existence?" Testarossa asked. Mind I tell you, it was a tempting suggestion.
"No. If you do that, Hinata is going to chew me out."
"Understood."

We then head into the actual meeting room. The seats were in a fan shape. There was a single chair and desk in the middle for me. Meanwhile Shuna, Testarossa and Benimaru would be standing behind me. Moss is on the lookout for anything that might not be normal. While the meeting is continuing, the representatives are constantly arguing about who should I help and make a deal with it and whatnot. While this was going on, I looked above me. The building had a glass ceiling, completely see-through. It is as if the representatives are asking to be assassinated. I use magic sense and locate nearly 5 different locations which would be perfect for sniping. When I was young, I had to assassinate a few people who were a nuisance to the country, so I know a bit about that. Especially with a glass ceiling and nothing in between to protect it, there is literally no way an assassin could fail.

'Moss, I have sent 5 locations to you. Keep a strict eye on these places. If someone wants to assassinate with a gun, these places would be the best.'
'Understood.'

After a load of arguing, the entire meeting boiled down to 3 things.
1) Tempest will adhere to international law.
2)Access to our economic sphere
3)Provision of military power.

The first is understandable. If any country wants to join the council, they must follow its rule. The third is also something I expected. They want us to provide defense against monsters especially those coming from Jura. I had already discussed with Hinata that I would take care of the monsters of Jura while the Holy Knights will take care of monsters from the Barren Land.

The second one, though, was problematic. There is no such thing as a patent in this world. In which case, whoever made the best product took all the credit. Also, some amount of technology had already been released into the world due to the exhibition done by Besta and Gabil. So they all wanted to have a part in this technological advancement. Yet, they didn't want to do the work itself in their own country. This was due to the Tenma War that occurred whenever a civilization became too developed.

"... that is all the conditions set for the admission of the Kingdom of Tempest into the council."
"I see." I take out a few papers which had all the discussion that had happened till now and the conditions which had been decided. Some parts had already been corrected with red ink. I had done so with the help of my trusted partner Raphael. I may not have much information on such topics, but I am pretty sure these are topics that are discussed on paper.

"These a re a list of all the conditions. I have prepared some doubts and a alternative solutions. If these are accepted, then I have no reason not to join. "

I give these papers to Benimaru, who then hands it over to the chairperson.

"If you have any doubts, I will be glad to discuss."
"No..., no. But could you give us some time to debate on this."
"Very well."

'Testarossa, I am pretty sure we will get one more chance to change the demands, if you have any suggestions, do give them, as you will be the military attachè and will represent me later on.' I say handing one copy of the paper to her.
'Understood. Also Rimuru-sama, I can feel something odd in the room."
'Something odd?'
'Hai. Something akin to my skill 《Dominate》but at a lesser strength.'
'So some sort of mental intervention?'
'It is possible. I am not sure Rimuru-sama.'
'I see. Alright. Just give any recommendations if you have any.'
'Hai.'

Yuuki did say that Mariabell had a skill that could let her control others. But if it is at such a large scale ,then it must be a unique, possible from the sin series as well. If it is from the sin series, I would love to take it. I think there is definitely some sort of connection between the sin and virtue series of skills. Well, I guess I will think about that later.

--
How was it? I hope you guys enjoyed. Like and follow.

CH-41

Rimuru's POV

bam* crack*
As soon as I saw the list I slammed at the desk and it broke. I could see Hinata glaring at me as if saying 'Now you have done it.' But I couldn't care less. I bury my heel into the now cracked desk and glare at the representatives.

"All right people. I have enough of this. I was sitting here and not saying anything as you were prattling on and on, but this. What the hell is this? Are you trying to make me angry or what?" I say. I mean the conditions they placed, I can't understand if their mind is being influenced or controlled anymore. The list has a lot of conditions.

1) Open a magitrain line to Ingrassia with Tempest handling all the costs.
2) Provid3 high quality armor and weaponry along with military support in case of any emergency.
3) Add the council to the administration of the labyrinth in Tempest.
4) Tempest has to pay a large amount of taxes every year and its representatives must be humans.

And so on. What the hell is this?

"Rimuru-sama is asking a question, please answer him." Shuna said, delivering the final blow. The smile that Testarossa was giving could be called anything but friendly. I thought I could literally see the anger in her eyes.

"Don't you guys have something wrong. First of all, my country Tempest is already an economic bloc and will continue to do so, regardless of whether you want it or not. The main reason I am joining this council is just to annoy Guy. By taking a passive stance against him, I am trying to annoy him. That is all. If you have so much greed then I won't even bother. I have more than enough ways to enjoy teasing him." I said. I was not using Demon Lord Haki, but in the silent room, it was more than clear enough to instill fear into some of the representatives. In reality, I just wanted to come back at Guy for attacking me out of nowhere but if this is what is going to happen, then forget it. I will just send Diablo over to him. I found it later on that Diablo had been pretty good friends and Guy gets annoyed by him. Should have taken him with me to the Walpurgis.

"No,no... Sir Rimuru. That was not our intention at all."

What do you mean sir? I am a ruler of a country while you guys are just representatives.

Yes.

"Well of course Lord Rimuru is angry."
"Who let these slip past us?"
"These were not discussed in the previous session."

"Looks like they have regained their mind." I mutter.

Both Shuna and Benimaru look impressed. Meanwhile Testarossa had a look as if this was expected of me.

The council was now divided into two. Those who regained their minds and those who had proposed the demands. Those who proposed dont look too afraid. They still have a plan I guess. Just as I was thinking that I could hear a few footsteps coming towards us.

Nobody had any contact with outside did they? I ask Raphael just to be sure.

So this is also part of the script huh? Maybe this was what Hinata was talking about. Just as I was thinking that, a dozen or so soldiers came in and were being led by a larger man.

"Isn't someone a bit too lively." The large man said.

Wait, only this many people? Are there more people?

So he is an idiot.

"So you are the idiot who is calling him a demon lord. Are you sure you can act all high and mighty with only 3 people with you?" He said.

"Hahahaha. This is interesting. Only you guys came here to challenge me. What a nice joke." I say laughing. This laugh wasn't something that I faked but rather my true feelings.

"Huh? What are you saying? This is my chance. I will defeat you and put you under my control." He said dangling an orb of domination. Where did he get that from? Most probably from Yuuki.

"Lord Rimuru, we know nothing of this. You can ask Lady Hinata, she is an impartial party." The chairperson said. Looks like quite a few people are not even aware of what is going on.

"Who let these soldiers in?"
"Look. That emblem is of Ingrassia. Is Ingrassia instigating this?"
And so on. The only one who appeared calm was Hinata.

"Sir Reiner. What is the meaning of this?" Hinata said. Reiner? Was he someone popular?

"Soldiers aren't allowed to enter the council without permission." The chairman also spoke up.

"Hahaha. Worry not chairman. I called them here to discipline the law breaker over there." Gaban said pointing towards me. He was all smiles. I guess this is what happens when you stay in a safe and protected environment, you forget the true fears of the world.

The chairman's face went pale with fear. Now that one of the councillors had accepted to be behind this, he couldn't deny the involvement of the council with this.

"What is the meaning of this, Sir Gaban. We were not informed of this." Johann Rostia said so. If Yuuki hadn't told me about him, I am pretty sure I would have believed that he was not related to the Rossos. Mariabell is pretty cunning. Pitting two of her pawns against each other. Regardless of which side wins, she would have atleast gotten closer to me.

"Unforgivable."
"How dare you disrespect the council?"
"Are you prioritizing your desires so much that you have gone blind?" And so on.

"Calm down people. What my knight Reiner is saying is true. The demon lord has been kind enough to come visit us personally. How can we not use this opportunity?" A delicate young man said as he entered the council room.

"Prince Elrick, I think I advised you to not do any foolish behavior." Hinata said. So he is the prince of this nation.

"Hinata, I am disappointed in you. You have grown fearful of the demon lord and abandoned your post as the guardian of humanity." Elrick said. I could feel my blood reach my head.
"What?" Hinata said in a cold tone.

"So, Hinata. You might be the leader of the Paladins or what not but there is no way you can beat me, the head of Ingrassia' royal knights. You can't even beat that weakling of a demon lord. Let me guess. You used your womanly charm on him, just like with that cardinal."

Oh. He has done it now. I hate idiots like this the most. He doesn't even know what she went through and how strong he is yet he keeps barking like a dog. No, comparing him to dogs would be a disrespect to the dogs. I guess he is the worst scum you can find on the world.

"Are you going to let your knight say such things in the council, Prince Elrick?"
"Hee hee. If only you had cooperated with me, I would have given you better treatment. Now, let us get to the main part. Reiner, here is stronger than an A-ranked adventurers and he is not alone." As soon as he claps, few more guys enter the room.

"This is Gaiye, another A-rank adventurer and these are the mercenaries, Sons of Veldt. I assembled the most powerful team, nothing less to defeat a demon lord." Elrick said.

"Let me ask you this Prince Elrick, what you are doing is antagonizing not only me but the entire Church."

"Don't worry. I have no interest in antagonizing the Church. Just sit there and watch and I will guarantee your safety."
"That is not what I mean. I have been invited here as an impartial judge, the actions you are taking are not something I consent with."

"Shut up." Reiner said as there were voices of opposition from the councillors. "I will defeat that demon lord and make him my puppet."

"Prince Elrick, we agreed to act as your guards but any actions that you take which may be hazardous, our agreement is void." The leader of the Sons of Veldt said.

"Yes. Especially if it is against Demon Lord Rimuru. He has to be a madman to make that labyrinth." Another of the member spoke.

"Oh? Should I take that as a compliment? " I ask her.
"Eek. I am sorry. I am sorry."
"Geez. Calm down. I won't kill you or anything. That is if you don't stand against me."
"Hai." She said shivering.

"Hmph. You coward will do nothing but get in my way." Gaiye said. Looks like he is still on his high horse.

"Are you sure you can say that? Especially after you died with only one attack?" I ask him.
"Shut up. Now that none of your subordinates are here, I will easily defeat you."

"Calm down everyone." Elrick said. "Now is the time that you show me what your views are. Will you join me, the hero who will slay the demon lord or side with the demon lord and betray humanity?"
"Hahaha. So we are doing this democratically now? Hahaha. What a joke. Please tell me that you are not the crown prince, or else Ingrassia is doomed to fall. Hahaha." I say laughing. Hinata was staring at me but refrained from saying anything.

"Youu. Come on people. Now is the time to show your support. All those who support me, stand up."

Hmmm? Any plans Raphael? This way, we might lose.
I thought I could see a cold and cruel smiling Raphael.
I see.

As soon as Raphael said that, a lot of ledger's came into my hand. I see. So he bribed them.

Huh?

I look around and just barely a third of the members stand up. Really? You planned all of this Raphael? Is there anything you can't do?
...
I thought I saw her making a smug face. But oh well.

"The council has spoken. The majority is with me and the resolution has passed."
"Calm down you idiot and look around. Do you even know what a majority is? I guess I will have to ask the King of Ingrassia to reeducate you."
"Huh? What are you..."
"Haha." Hinata broke into a laugh. "Sorry, prince Elrick, it was just so comical to see."
"As an impartial observer. I declare that the vote was carried out in a fair and legal manner. I will make sure to consult whether you even had the right to this vote or not at a later date." Hinata said. I ha to say. Throughout this charade, her facial expressions haven't changed much. She is still that cold and reserved beauty as always.

Elrick looks around surprised. "What is the meaning of this? Have you all forsaken me?"
"That's right. Does this mean you don't care if we take away our nation's support?" Gaban said as well.

"One minute, Sir Gaban. What is the meaning of support?" The chairman asked.

"Anti-flooding constructions in Raibach, food support in Carnada and so on. Should I say all of them?" I ask shaking the ledgers in my hand. Seeing this, some councillors got nervous and tried to sit, but I used my strings to make sure they can't.

"W-what?"
"How dou you know of our internal affairs?" Looks like they both are now out of tricks. I guess that idiot will not back down huh?

"Enough of this nonsense. I just have to defeat this weakling and we are correct." Reiner said. *sigh* looks like we will still have to fight. What a pain.

--

That is it. Like and follow. I hope you guys enjoyed.

CH-42

"Enough of this nonsense. I just have to defeat this weakling and we are correct." Reiner said.
"Ah. Sir Reiner, you are correct."
"We still have you, of course. There is no way we could lose."

Looks like Elrick and Gaban are still on their high horse.

"As an observer, I cannot accept your actions. Rimuru, I will take care of this." Hinata said.
"Heh. I am the strongest man in Ingrassia and I believe it is time I expose you, saint. Gaiye, you take care of that demon lord. Make sure to control your power and not kill him." Reiner said.
"Haha. Of course. With this rare grade weapon, there is no way I could lose." Gaiye said.

I could feel Testarossa just about to move in and kill him when suddenly Shuna spoke.
"That is enough. I have heard enough of you belittling Rimuru-sama, the man I admire." Shuna said moving in between me and Gaiye.
"Is this alright?" I ask Benimaru.
"Well, looks like she is angry. She is strong enough so why not. I am pretty sure she would show more restraint than me anyway."
"I see."

I had heard that those who are calmest normally are also the scariest when angered. Looking at Shuna, it seems to be true.

"Hahaha. How much of a coward are you, demon lord. Hiding behind a girl? Don't you have any shame." Gaiye commented.
"Quiet. Neither Rimuru-sama or my brother has any need to bother themselves with someone worthless like you."
"Huh? What did you say bitch. Man or woman, I won't hold back." He said taking out a cool looking sword. Seeing this Shuna's smile widened. I guess her skill 《Parser》 must have laid all his skills bare for her to see.

True to what he said, Gaiye dashed at Shuna and sliced with everything he got. Meanwhile Shuna just smiled and took out her folding fan and with a single motion, Gaiye's sword snapped.

"Is that all? I am not going to make your death easy for you." Shuna said slowly moving towards him.

"Shuna is a damn good martial artist, isn't she?" I ask Benimaru.
"Hai. She has been learning jijutsu from Hakurou ever since she was young."
"I see. Definitely this fighting style is made for killing rather than self-defense. "
"Hai."

"You. You monster." Gaiye said and took out his backup sword. Shuna continued to attack and made Gaiye fall down with a clean sweep. Gaiye's heavy armor backfired as he couldn't even stand up. Shuna literally now loomed over him and started reciting a spell.

"I offer my prayers to my God. I seek the power of the spirits. Heed my request..."
The spell coursed through time and space to reach me. It didn't have to since I was just there but that didn't matter I guess. A multi layered magic circle appeared

"H-huh? No way. That magic.."

Oh? Looks like he knows what that magic is. Well, he is a A-rank adventurer. Even if he can't use Disintegration, he still knows about it.

"Consume all, Disintegration."

A torrent of light surrounded Gaiye. Oh great. He is dead. Well, he kind of deserved it. Oh? Looks like he is still alive. The torrent of light dissapeared and Gaiye was on his knees half-naked and weeping like a schoolyard kid. Well, atleast he is alive. So, I won't have any consequence.

"Oh my. So immature of me. I really shouldn't have tried using a spell that I only started practicing."

Yeah sure!!! You used Disintegration intricately enough to only strip him of his armor but keep him alive. I barely hold my urge to scream this out. Benimaru has a face that he expected this. Meanwhile, Testarossa looked impressed. I guess being a demon, which specialized, in magic, Shuna must be quite someone.

Meanwhile, a dragon was fighting an ant. Of course the dragon was Hinata and Reiner, the ant. I might just be giving Reiner to much acknowledgment by calling him an ant. After all ants are hard working. Oh well. Hinata was wearing a silver formal wear. The clothes left her shoulder exposed and by the looks of it, must be quite difficult to fight in. She looked gorgeous in that, but it was not the optimum choice for fighting.

Even then, Hinata lunged at Reiner, without a single wasted movement.

"Huh?..." Reiner couldn't even understand what happened. I guess that was expected. My clone had fought her once and I had also seen Testa fight her, and she is definitely as strong as Carrion or Frey, if not stronger.

Hinata picked Reiner up from the ground and threw him at the wall.
"G-General Reiner. This isn't the time to play around."
"Th-that is correct. Quickly silence that impertinent woman. We have to defeat the demon lord as well."

Looks like Gaban and Elrick still haven't understood the situation.

"Why are you not coming Reiner? Where is all that confidence you had?"
She said slowly moving towards Reiner.

"Eek. Stay...stay away from me...eeek" Reiner said and went his pants with the most pathetic of screams I have ever heard.

"What is the meaning of this Reiner?"
"With your strength, defeating Hinata should be no big deal."

Looks like Gaban and Elrick still can't accept reality.

"Well, Elrick, I mean, Prince Elrick, you started this by antagonizing me. What do you want to do now? Continue? " I ask Elrick.
"Uum. N-no. About that..."
"As for you" I said looking at all the representatives forced to stand due my strings," I guess your kingdoms have fully sanctioned your actions today and I can assume them to be of the same guilt. Am I correct?"
"That.."
"About that Sir Rimuru, I mean, Lord Rimuru..."
"Please allow me to speak for a moment."

They continued trying to gain my attention and plead their cases but I don't give them any acknowledgement. But was this all? Now that Elrick has failed, this should be the best chance to assassinate him.

Yep. I use magic sense and see a girl pointing a handgun towards us. But she is a mile over. How is that handgun reach? Which gun is that anyway? Its range would be barely be above fifty yards.
Thanks for correcting me Raphael. Like 5 yards will make any difference! Stop trying to show yourself as superior to me.
Don't hmph me.
'Rimuru-sama, I have found the potential assassin. Should I capture her?'
'Let her shoot first. Capture her then.'
'Understood.'

She shot and the bullet fired. But what I hadn't expected was that a small portal appeared in front of the bullet and in front of Elrick at the same time. The bullet comes out of the hole in front of Elrick.

What should I do?
Oh? Please do so then.

As soon as I say that, Beelzebub was activated. It devoured the bullet disregarding al space and time. I have to say, Raphael really is great. Even if she tries to show off. I can only use Beelzebub with my hands. Meanwhile she can invoke it literally anywhere that is close enough. Well, I guess I have to start training.

Hinata quickly went to Elrick to talk to him. The leader of Sons of Veldt looked shocked at me but I didn't respond. The council's magic security barrier activated. The fact that it didnt activate when Shuna used her magic just proved how weak it was from our standards.

"You could kill a person with this?" Elrick asked.
"Yep. It's called a bullet." Hinata replied
"But why?"
"To pin all the blame on Rimuru."
"That is correct. It would make Tempest's admission into the council difficult." Looks like the chairman was also with me. It looks like I am cleared of any doubts.

"So I am still being targeted?" Elrick asked, his voice shaky.
"Don't worry. You are safe. For now. There is nothing for them to gain now. I won't be blamed and you are not worth killing anymore. They have nothing to gain from killing you."
"But... I am the prince of a super nation. People could exploit me in so many ways." He said falling to the ground on his knees.
I walk to him and hold him by his hair so that he is looking me in the eyes.
"Listen here. You are a prince. The eldest one as well. Your entire country depends on you. If not now then later on. Currently you are a pathetic prince who can't even face reality. What you are now will only harm the country you love more. But, you are still young. Now, after what you have done here, your chances of becoming king is no more than finding a needle in a haystack. But that doesn't mean you can't do anything. Rather, there are many things only you can do." I say and let him free and go back to my seat.

"Haha. To think that a demon lord will tell me what to do. I guess you are correct. I will acknowledge my mistake and repent for my sins. Thank you Demon Lord Rimuru. Come on Gaban. It is time that we atone for our sins. Also..."
"Also?"
"I thought you would be more vengeful."
I just smile at what he said. I then faced towards Gaban.
"By the way Gaban. What did you aim to do when you enticed the prince?"
"I dont know anything of this. The prince forced me to do this."
"You will not get out of this Count Gaban. All us representatives here are going to be witnesses. "
"What evidence do you have?"
I was about to speak when I sensed more footsteps.

"His majesty, King Aegil is here." The attendant said. Everyone stood up and bowed. Meanwhile I just stood staring at the door.

King Aegil glanced at the representatives standing and then looked towards me.
"It seems like my son has caused you trouble."
"I guess so."
"Please accept my apology,not only as the king, but also as his father."
"Very well. But I hope this wouldn't be repeated."
"Of course. I hope to build a good relationship with you."
"Likewise."
"Inquisitors take them. Count Gaban I hope you didn't believe that you can escape. "
"N-no, your majesty."
"Inquisitors take him."
"Wait a minute, your majesty! I will tell you everything. Please, please spare me." He pleaded.

"Excuse me then. Aaloow me to handle this affair." He said and then exited with his entourage. After that we had an afternoon lunch break and continued. It was unanimously decided that Tempest will join the council and the council's military rights will be assigned to Tempest. Today was quite tiring. If I have to do this sort of job every day then I don't know how long I will survive. Today was a long day, but it is finally over.

--

That's it. I hope you guys enjoyed. Like and follow.

CH-43

3rd person POV

Glenda Attley, An otherworlder who was summoned to this world. She is an ex-mercenary and had never failed a mission, except once. She was summoned along with her gun, which had now become a part of herself that it didn't even need maintenance. While being summoned, she gained the unique skill《Sniper》 which had 3 major uses.

First was magic sensed. It was turned beyond what a normal person could hope to achieve. Secondly it allowed the user to completely understand the movement and thinking pattern of another person and thirdly space manipulation which allowed her to connect any teo points in space, regardless of the distance and things between them.

Glenda's POV

After that last blunder, I really have to prove myself, or else they will kill me. Those monsters are not meant to be fought. I use my magic sense to see what is going on. I quickly find my target and take aim. As soon as I have aimed, I pull the trigger. 18 inches. That is the gap the bullet will appear in after exiting the portal. Those monsters might be able to dodge it, but there is no way a mere prince can.

The bullet passes through the portal and just before it could reach the prince, it... Dissapeared?! How!? I quickly look at the other people in the room. That is! No way. What is that monster doing there? And she is standing behind him. So he is demon lord Rimuru? They didn't tell me about this. There is no way I can do this when they are there.

I quickly turn around and try to run when I see someone in the way. A child? What is he doing here? A witness is a witness. I must kill him if I don't want to get caught. I am sorry, whoever you are. I quickly aim my gun and fire at him but the bullet just stops before hitting him. What? How? Why now?

"Do you attack everyone you see?"
"I can't leave any witnesses, can I?"
"Well that is true. For us spies, it is important to leave no evidence behind."

So he is also a spy. That would explain his skills.

"You are lucky. Rimuru-sama told me not to kill you."
"Isn't that worse?" I say sarcastically, to which he doesn't reply. I quickly fire more bullets at him, but they just get stopped. Tch. If they atleast made contact, I could have used my magic bullets. I quickly took out the grenade and dropped it. He looks confused.

Boom*

It exploded. I shot a few magic bullets at him, quickly turned around and ran. I didn't even bother to check if he was alive or not. Just as I thought I was safe, I felt my feet tangle in something and fell. Then a lot of strings covered me and caught me. Looks like this really is the end of me. What a shitty life I had. Forced to kill people and whatnot. Well, atleast it will end now.

Meanwhile...

In a room, Johann, Yuuki and Maribell could be seen.
"Looks like Gaban really got the short end of the stick."
"Well, everything is till according to the plan. Now I have more information on those Inquisitors."
"Plan?"
"Yes. Now I know that those Inquisitors are nothing more than humans who were fused with monster force to become magic born."
"I see."
"But they are worthless, at the end. They might be strong, but at the end they lose their sanity when they go at full force. So they are only disposable pawns. But, they can be used in many ways. So they have some worth, I guess."
"So how about pitting them against the demon lord?"
"That won't work. Inquisitors are strong. But that is all. In form of the demon lord, they won't stand a chance."
"Then shouldn't we join the demon lord? "
"No. Rather, we should do anything to eliminate him. He has a staggering amount of war potential. Think what will happen if he were to negotiate with someone."

Only now did Johann realize the truth. Till now, not even superpowers such as Ingrassia or Falmuth could have made an enemy of every nation in the council. Tempest meanwhile had enough military to do so. Now they only had to apply pressure, either economically or through their military.

Just when this truth sank in, they received a message. It stated, 'Glenda has failed and been caught.' This caught both Maribell and Johann by surprise. They knew that she had failed but they had never expected her to be caught.

"Tch. We have to deal with him right now. Yuuki, you are going to those ruins with him right?"
"Yes. But I suggest not to do anything. Demon lord Milim will be there as well." Yuuki, who had been silent till now said.
"Don't worry. You can use this." She said giving a core to him.

"Infuse this with mana over the ruins and it will reawaken the true body."

"I see. Then demon lord Milim will deal with this and we can seperate them."
"That is right. Then I will take over his mind."
"But that might cause a lot of damage to nearby surroundings. Also, what if the Storm dragon Veldora goes on a rampage due to this." Johann argued to prevent damage to humanity.
"So what? That much is acceptable."

Due to Granbell, she knew a lot about the demon lord. She knew that they would surely deal with Veldora if he decided to destroy humanity. Taking some loss for that was much better than letting Demon lord Rimuru do whatever he wanted.

Rimuru's POV

The meeting is finally over. I submitted all the ledgers I had. They will surely be investigated by their home country and removed from their position. They had this coming. We finally went back to Tempest. I have to say that nothing feels like home.

"Well, I am glad you two got angry before me, or else I don't know how many of them would have survived." I said sipping my coffee.

"I didn't get angry. They were being rude so I just educated them a bit."
"That is correct, Rimuru-sama, I was only reminding them of noble etiquette they ought to follow." Both Shuna and Hinata said in a sync.
"I-I see."

Having two beautiful women stare at you with that smile is definitely not good. I can't anger them at any cost. Suddenly Moss came and informed me.

"Rimuru-sama, I have caught the intruder. She didn't reveal anything, and compared to humans she was quite strong. But she referred to you as the boss of those devils."
"I see. Most probably referring to you I guess?" I said looking at Testarossa.
"It might be Rimuru-sama."
"Who was she? Even if she didn't reveal it, I am sure we have data of anyone who might be strong enough to do this."
"About that Rimuru-sama, she is Glenda, from the Three Martial Sages."

Hearing her name Hinata flinched.
"Alright. I will go talk to her. Coming Hinata? This might concern you as well."
"Ya. I had my suspicions around her but to think she would do something like this."
We then head towards the inn to meet with the captive.
"*sigh* I had told her not to do these idiotic things so many times."
"Well, it is more than possible that she is being threatened."
"That is a possibility, but the chances are low."
"True."

--

Like and follow. I hope you enjoy.

CH-44

Tempest
An inn

Me and Hinata enter the room where Moss was keeping an eye on Glenda.
"Chief?" Glenda asked as soon as she saw Hinata.
"Glad to see you are doing well." Hinata replied.
"Haha. I see. So this is the end for me. Just kill me already. The fate of a spy never changes."
"Shut up." Moss said.
"Rimuru-sama, should we cut off her limbs to make her more complacent." Testarossa commented.
"Um. No. We have healing potions, even so-"
"I see. With those potions, we can give that painful experience to her over and over again. As expected." Shuna said.

What is this? They are scary. Even I didn't treat the prisoners these badly. What is wrong with this world.

"All right. Let's start with introducing ourselves. I am demon lord Rimuru."
"Then, I am Glenda, one of the three battle sages. I was captured once before as well by you, though I never met you."
"That is correct. Anyway. I have a question for you. Your aim was Elrick right?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I dont know. I was told to do so."

"I also have a question." Hinata said.
"Since when were you under the influence?"
"No comment."
"All right. Did you have trust in God Luminous?"
"God? There is no god in this world. Tch. If you want me to trust a god, pay me-"
Before she could finish, Hinata took out her Rapier and sliced her head off. I could have stopped her but decided not to. In my life I learnt an important thing dealing with people like her. If they say that they are not afraid of death, they are usually quite afraid of it. So this should make her a bit more complacent.

"Shuna, could you revive her."
"Hai."

After reviving, she was shocked. Whether because she was killed or came back from the dead, I am not sure.
"All right Hinata, let me take over now." She just nodded and said nothing more.

"All right. A professional like you will surely no thrive information just because I asked you nicely, so just listen to me and try not to lose your poker face."

This way I can confirm the information I have and how much Yuuki is telling the truth in his report. I still don't trust him completely.

"You see, in the council, there were many councillors influenced by their desire, especially greed."
"Uh-huh"
"And you are under the same influence."
"What?"
"Yep. But in your case, your unique skill is doing its best and protecting you."
"Ngh."
"Even if you have that skill though, there are people out ther who can see it."
"You mean with appraisal's eye?"
"Something like that. So, you are being clouded with greed or not has nothing to do with me, but it appears your employer has a strong skill."
"No comment. But I guess there is no denying it."
"Yes. So in the festival, there was also another person who had his desires clouded. He was Gaiye, who was dealt with by Shuna."
"So?"
"The fact that only one person was brought under rule and not many must mean that making many people come under her control would require the person to be physically nearby."
"Possibly. I don't know much about my employer."
"I see. Do you possibly know about Maribell Rosso?"
Hearing this name, her face went pale.
"Y-you.."
"The Rossos huh? True. They do have a lot of clout here." Hinata intervened.

"What the hell? I didn't even tell anything. This is the same as telling everything. They will kill me now."
"Quiet down will you. If they could kill you, they would have already done so. So either they don't know that you are caught or they cannot kill you now. Most probably the former though."

"So you didn't betray God Luminous on your own will?" Hinata asked.
"It is complicated, I really wanted to throw myself into the mercy of God, but Granbell had his eyes on me."
Hinata looked at curiously.
"It seems that there is a curse on her soul that allows the caster to kill her by destroying her soul without even needing to be close to her." I inform Hinata.
"I see. That makes sense. Even resurrection magic cannot save you if your soul is shattered."
Can you remove this Raphael.
Then please do so.
Thanks.

I then tell Glenda about this. She just sobs and starts crying. Is it alright to show your weak points in front of us. Oh well. I guess she is finally free now. Well, the main reason I saved her is because of her skill. It seems like Raphael was a step ahead of me and had already analyzed her skill. Glenda might not know, but her skill is pretty good. Especially the second sub-skill. To understand the thinking pattern of your enemies even a little can be a major advantage, especially if I ever have to fight against Guy or Veldora's sister. I know Milim and Veldora will hold back against me but the same can't be said for them.

"So, now you are free. Go do whatever you want. But let me remind you" I say releasing a bit of demon lord haki, "If you ever go against me, you are dead."
"Hai."
"Well, I guess I will turn a blind eye to this. If I kill someone Rimuru saved, he will not let me hear the end of it. But remember, you betrayed the God Luminous. The Church has no place for you."

"T-then, Rimuru, no, Rimuru-sama, let me work for you."
"Huh?"
"I will do all the dirty job. So please let me work in your nation."
"I can't give you salary. But I can guarentee you food and a place to live."
"That is enough. Ruberios didn't pay us either, so it's alright."
"Very well, Moss introduce her to Souei and tell him to put her under him."
"Understood."
"Well, why don't we eat a bit and discuss what we know about." I say so and go to the restaurant.
"Shuna pick something suitable for us."
"Understood."
I never really picked food for myself so I am not sure about what to order so I let Shuna do so.
"Here you go. These are most famous items. Usually these are bought either with merit points or by standing in line for a long time."

As soon as the food is given, Glenda starts eating as if she was seeing food for the first point. The merit point system was a sort of currency system that worked internally in Tempest. It was only rewarded to people with big contributions. After eating Glenda takes a deep breath and speaks.
"Till now I worked for money. But from now i am going to earn these merit points. If i can get such delicious food, then there is no way i will not work here."

After that I got the basic information out of Glenda and it appears I got to know nothing new. Oh well.

"Benimaru, shore up the defenses. We might enter conflict. I doubt Maribell would attack Tempest, but if she does, we will attack first."
"Understood."
"Well, let's prepare for our excursion to those ruins."
"Shouldn't you cancel it now Rimuru?" Hinata asked.
"Nah. Rather, by creating an opening, I can force her to play a hand and take her out swiftly."
"I see. You better be careful alright. You might act like an airhead but I guess you had thought things through."
"RUDE."
"Don't worry though. I will take proper measures."

I wonder is this her way of caring for me?
You answered this quickly didn't you?
...
Silent treatment eh? Well that means that I hit the mark. Are you jealous by chance?

Whoa. You were quite monotonous right now. I prefer the older you better. No need to act as if you have no emotions.
...

--
That's it. I hope you guys enjoyed. Like and follow. Also, my exams are coming, so I won't be uploading for the next month. I hope you guys understand. I will be back in April. Feel free to leave your ideas in the comments.

CH-45

Rimuru's POV

It is finally the day that we go to explore the ruins. We were completely ready for the exploration. But for some reason Milim kept demanding to wear proper exploration clothes that she had seen in a manga. Shouldn't have let her seen that. Anyway, after I told Kaijin about the gun, they took a quick interest and made a prototype. It was quite good. It used magic circles to explode, so no gunpowder. It also had two types of bullets. Normal lead one and magically enhanced ones to attack monsters. I had brought Shion, Gobta and Ranga with me.

We then departed to the Free Guild in Ingrassia. By depart, I meant teleported. We were welcomed by Kagali.
"It is a pleasure to meet you again, Demon lord Rimuru. I guess this is the first time we meet, Demon lord Milim."
"Hmm? Hi. Nice to meetcha. I am Milim."
What was she thinking? Whatever.
"Anyway Kagali, are you guys ready?"
"Yes. Our team is here, so let me introduce to them. Please follow me."
"Yes." I say.

While we were going to the venue, I whispered to her," Did she bite?"
"Yes. They are planning on releasing the Chaos dragon."
"The one rumored to be Milim's pet?"
"Yes."
"I see."

Chaos Dragon? It has the same race as me. I wonder how it is. According to Milim it is a mindless beast, but I still want to see it. I have never seen another monster of my race, after all.

We then reach an open field. A group of people who would be joining us on our expedition. Kagali then introduced them to us. There were ten people in total. They were heavily equipped with all the things they might need.

"We will carry your stuff Rimuru-sama, so please give it to us."
"Oh, no need to worry about that. We can use spatial magic." I say pulling out a map of Jistav out of my stomach and putting it back in, like a demonstration.

"But-but even your bare skin is showing. It is not advisable to have bare skin."
"Don't worry about that. Both me and Milim have strong skin." I say and show my scales which are usually hidden under my skin. They seem to be a bit surprised by it but regained their composure quickly.

"I-I see."
"We have booked a wagon to go to Jistav."
"Wagon? Why? We can just teleport there."
"Teleport?"
"Yep." I say and open a gate in front of me.
"Follow me." I say but Milim just enters before me. They all follow behind me soon enough.

We came out right in front of the castle of Jistav. This territory now technically belonged to Milim but I still had quite an influence here. Especially amongst the locals who were freed from Clayman's rule. The dark elves gathered their bowed.

"Welcome to Jistav, Rimuru-sama, Milim-sama and their companions."
"Are the rooms ready?"
"Yes, shall we take you to your personal chambers or the group room."
"Lead us to the group room first, we will keep our luggage there."
"Understood. Please follow me."

While following the dark elf woman who seemed to be the eldest. While walking, I could hear them talking behind me.

"This is insanity."
"How have we already arrived? It hasn't even been an hour since we departed."

They followed us in an odd manner. I guess they haven't caught up to reality yet.

"You are Rimuru-sama's guest. If anything troubles you, please inform us at once." The dark elf woman said with a slight bow.

We then took a tour of the entire castle.
It was spotless. They must have been maintaining this entire place.
"Milim, this place will be officially yours after this expedition. I guess these guys still want to live here."
"Yep. I see that. I will have them provided with regular food and supplies."
"I am grateful, Milim-sama."
"Hahaha. No need to worry. You are my people after all."

Looks like Frey's efforts really are paying of. We then continued to explore. Finally we reached the basement.
"This is the entrance to the ruins. The first section is where we live, so it is completelymapped."
"I see."
It was literally just below the castle. I go towards the door. I felt an odd attraction towards it. I move towards it and open it. Even though we are supposed to be underground, there was quite a bit of light there.

"What's this light?" An explorer asks.
"That is a perpetual effect. It turns dark at night and becomes brighter as the Sun rises outside."
"Heavens! Technology from ancient times."
"I would love to take a look at this machine."
They continued to continue this question answer round for some time. Meanwhile, I had noticed something that caught my eye. The design of ruins looked just like ancient kingdoms, nothing out of the ordinary. But in some places there were different designs. These designs appeared to be older than the rest. It doesn't appear to be for artistic purposes.

Raphael, how old are these?
55000?!? Shouldn't that be older than this world itself? Didn't Veldanave create this world 50000 years ago? And why does this design seem familiar?
Hell Paradise? Wasn't that a defense system which had a maze and a fake base containing some important stuff, so that intruders believe they have reached the base but the real one is hidden even more underneath?

I see. Also this device. I have some doubts about it.

"By the way, the machine that keeps the light on, does it feed on magicule?"
"Yes, of course." She made a face as if that was obvious.
"Alright. Could you lead me to the machine."
"I am sorry, Rimuru-sama, but I don't know where it is located. I only know that is further down." She says then lead us to the way deeper into the ruin.
"I see. Let's see if we find it this time."
"Hai."

After that we continued through the first part. It had a few houses and other buildings. We then continued till we reached a door.

"This is the door to go further down. Only Clayman-sama held the key so we can't go any further on our own."
"Hmm? Then let me destroy it." Milim said. I then proceeded head chop her before she actually does so.
"We need to examine the door first. There may be some sort of defense system."
"That is correct Rimuru-sama. This appears to be a part of the defense system. If not handled properly, it could cause the entire defense system to activate."

"This will be interesting."
"It might be long though."
Looks like the team is enthusiastic to start deciphering the code. They get to it. I didn't want to spoil it for them, so I didn't intervene. With thought acceleration, I had solved it quite quickly. It took me around 5 minutes in thought acceleration. It was very similar to puzzles. It didn't take them much either. They managed to solve it in about 10 minutes.

"Bestie. I understood it. I found out how to open it."
"Good for you."

Just as we were about to proceed, the dark elf woman spoke up,"Everybody, we have prepared dinner for you. Please follow me."

"I guess it is late. Let's continue tomorrow."
"Hai."

After that we start moving back. I turn around once and check. Yep, there is definitely something attracting me there.

--

I hope you guys enjoyed. Like and follow. I managed to write this chapter and finish it. Enjoy. Next chapter will unfortunately be after nearly a month.

CH-46

Rimuru's POV

It is the next day. Today we will be heading down to the second section. We reach the door and I pass magic through the last part of the lock, opening it.

The middle section was dimly lit. Along with machine lit lighting of the earlier section, there were candles here as well.

"The mood changed here quickly, didn't it, bestie?"
"Yep, Milim. It is quite oppressive. The ceiling is low, the walls are closer making the place narrower and it appears it wouldn't even be possible for two people to walk side by side.

"Alright. Me and Milim will be walking in front, checking for any traps. You all can follow behind us. Shion, Gobta, come at the end to protect them in case of something."
"Understood."

We then continued to delve deeper. We found various ancient murals, drawings etc. The problem is that all of them seem to date back about 2500 years at most. Yet these ruins are built on top of another ruins which are much older.

After a few hours we decided to take a break. A person set up a temporary camp and was about to start a fire to cook.
"No need to cook. I have brought food with me. Also, do not make fire in enclosed spaces. Even if the ventilation seems fine. We have no idea when the ventilation route might shut down."
"Hai. Sorry." The person looked down timidly.
"Well, here you go. Start eating." I say, taking the food out of my stomach.

After having lunch, we continued to go to the deepest part of the section. There was a mysticist and a shamaness. With the help of spirit communication and making maps, we made it to the end of the section quickly. After that we decided to go back for the day and continue tomorrow.

Day 3

We decided to divide the group into two. One group would crack the code on the gate to go deeper. Meanwhile the others would explore the rest the middle section. Milim, Shion, Gobta and few of the group along with Ranga went to explore. Meanwhile I was with the group cracking the code. This was more complex than the last one. It took me nearly half an hour to crack it, without help from Raphael. I am sure Raphael had this cracked like in a second. Anyway, I didn't intervene and let them do their job. Mainly because it would be troublesome if Milim came here and the gate was opened. After nearly an hour, Milim and the other arrived.

"Bestieeeee. Look at this. We got so much loot."

She was busy riding on Ranga. The other members and Gobta was carrying all the loot. They had majorly found weapons. Though not great, they had absorbed a lot of magicules and become strong.

"We also found this odd sword. It seems to be a unique grade." Kagali said giving me a curved sabre. My eyes widened as Raphael told me what it was.

Tulwar? Why is a weapon like this here? Did someone get summoned here with it? This confirms that time is not a major factor when being summoned. I had only met otherworlders who were from the early 21st century. Of course, I am an exception, but I was reincarnated, not summoned. So I might be a odd case.

"I will be keeping this sword. I return you can keep some of those armors." I said pointing to the armors they brought. They were not unique grade, but rather on the higher end of rare grade.

"That is fine with us" Kagali said.

"By the way, where did you find this?"
"A golem had this."
"Golem?"
"Yep. We just turned into a corridor and a defense system activated. Many golems came in. They were carrying this."
"Milim, how many time have I told you to be careful? We don't know about what might be here. You mustn't let your guard down."
"I'm sorry." She said in a low tune.

Just as she said that, sudden jolt was felt throughout the ruins.
"What was that?"
"Earthquake? "
"We must leave... it might cave in."
"Calm down. It was a jolt. Not an earthquake. " that one line from Kagali was enough to calm everyone down.

Suddenly alarms began to ring.
"Did the alarms to Amrita's defense system go off on their own?"
"No. Their are intruders. They set off some alarms on their way."

Many golems came in poring from different places.
"Looks like the intruders are behind me. Don't worry though, I will protect you guys."
"Thank you."
"But who would be foolish enough to go after a demon lord."
"But, Rimuru-sama, what was that tremor earlier?" Gobta asked quite a valid query.
"Don't worry. It isn't something that you need to know. Rather, you and Shion should focus on taking care of these golems."
"Understood-ssu."

I use magic perception to see outside and saw it. The chaos dragon. It looked quite fundamentally different from me. I guess even if we have the same species, here can be variations. Oh well. I am pretty sure I can deal with it. Even if it has more magicules than me.

"Umm. That. Bestie, I have some work to take care of. You see that dragon.."
"I know. It is the one, right? Good luck. I will come to help you quickly. Don't destroy the nearby area too much."
Her eyes went wide for a moment but soon a smile came over her face.
"Thanks, Rimuru."
She said and teleported. Meanwhile Gobta and Shion are struggling due to the cramped space.
"I will open up the gate. It might be wider there."
"I see. Then we will quickly-"
"Don't worry. I will do it." I say as I quickly undo the seal and open the gate.

"Quickly, get inside." I say. The investigation team enters followed by Kagali and me. Gobta comes next, followed by Shion and then finally the golems. But now the fight was turning around. Shion is now able to move freely and is pulverizing the golems without a second thought.

It seems I will have to get serious if I have to save that dragon.
Raphael, battle mode.

My arms and legs were now covered by my scales. These are a part of my body and their defense capabilities are low class mythical class.

Meanwhile my torso is a bit less defended. This is because of my fighting style. We humans were weak. So in my previous life, I had to make my own self bait to mange a counter attack on those species which were stronger.

Seeing me transform, a member asked, "Who would be stupid enough to fight a demon lord."
"I have many people who want me dead. Well, I guess we will get to know soon enough."

Hearing my reply they stood there silently.

"Why do you have so many opponents, Rimuru-sama? You seem like someone who will talk through things if something happens. Is it because you are demon lord?"
"Hmmm. Why huh? Maybe it will be better for you to understand this way. Every person has his own viewpoint and ambition. Some are willing to go as far as hurt others to accomplish what they want. For reference, Farmuth attacked us because they wanted to take over our goods and prevent us from growing. I wouldn't sit quietly would I now?"

"So, do you think that you are justified in what you did?"
"Hmm? No. Not really."
"Then-"
"Listen to me. What is justice anyway? Different people have different descriptions of justice. Even the God Veldanava himself had the Ultimate Skill Justice King Michael. I heard it from Milim. Even then, he is dead now. Whether he can or cannot revive is a different thing. What I mean to say is, that in a war, only the winning side is just. Only the winners have the right to write history. That has been the untold truth. Whether you accept it or not. The wars themselves occur just to maintain peace."

"Even so. If you respected the other side, couldn't you have come to a conclusion?"

Hmm? How should I explain this to her. Lucky for me, another person said it for me.

"Impossible. It's impossible. People have endless desire. Even if one side gives up, their demands will keep getting bigger and bigger." A child like voice answered.

Everyone turns to look who it was. There was a girl there, who I had met seen in the festival, Maribell. Beside him was Yuuki, Gaiye and another person whom I don't know about. I wonder who he is. Anyways, the three are manipulated. Atleast that is what most believed. I guess this is the place where we fight.

--

That is it. I hope you guys liked it. Enjoy. Like and follow. Managed to write this in the middle of my exams. I will become regular only after the exams, somewhere in early April.

CH-47

Looks like everyone is shocked. Yuuki, on whose order they had come here, is now standing in front of them as an opponent.

"Gulidmaster?"
"Why... if you are against the demon lord, why did you send us here?"
Looks like the group was confused to see Yuuki here. But I have to say, Yuuki and Kagali sure are good at acting.

"Maribell, I won't accept surrender, you know."
"Hmph. That should be my line. You are going to die right now." She said.

"Let me ask you something Maribell. How strong do you think the demon lords are?"
"Hmm? They might be strong, but not unbeatable."
"That is where you are wrong Maribell. Each and every member of the demon lord can completely wipe off the Western Nations if they desired to do so."

Well, maybe except Ramiris. But now that she had her powers, maybe.

"Stop lying. We are holding our own against Demon Lord Guy's forces. He cannot defeat us."
"Really? Then why hasn't Guy made a move yet? If he wanted to wipe out humanity, he can do so at any moment."
"Then why doesn't he do so?"
"Just because you can kill all the bugs in the world doesn't mean that you will do so. We have nothing to gain of it. Also, Guy is the mediator of the world or something. Didn't bother to listen back then."

Maribell doesn't look too surprised by this. Maybe she already knew. Well, she might have heard through Granbell. I guess she tried to obtain information about other demon lords.

"Well, there is no need to know. You will die today regardless. Smash him down." As soon as Maribell ordered, Gaiye dashed straight at me. Shion tried to intercept, but Yuuki got in the way.
"Your opponent is me." Yuuki said to Shion.
"Someone weak enough to be controlled is not an enemy for me."

I hadn't told her about our cooperation, so I guess this will be a good chance to see how strong Yuuki is. Gobta transformed into a werewolf after merging with Ranga. The foe he was fighting could most probably be as strong as The Ten Great Saints. But after Milim's training, I am sure he can handle his own. I then look at Gaiye.

"Why bring distractions to the battle?" I ask as I throw a small ball of my aura at Gaiye, completely wiping him off the face of the earth.

"What? That power. What is that?"
"This is me taking this seriously. Tell me Maribell, you don't seem to be ordinary. Who are you? Are you a reincarnated person?"
"How? How did you know. No. It doesn't matter. I will kill you today. I have to kill you today."
"So you really were reincarnated. From where? You seem to be quite familiar to politics."
'Maybe I can stall for time and let Yuuki defeat that oni and take him together. That would be best.' Maribell thought.

"I was the last queen of the Maelstrom Kingdom. Though, I don't think you will know about that."
"Maelstrom? Wasn't that kingdom a supporter of the Flame Empire?"
"You know about it? How!?"
"That isn't important. Anyway, wasn't that kingdom destroyed. It fell when the Glocks invaded."
"That is the story that the common folk were told."
"I know. In reality, the last Queen, aka, you were suspected to turn traitor and sheltering deadly species. You were charged with assassination of leaders of friendly races, slave trade of friendly races and many other crimes."
"How do you?"
"They were all mostly false though, weren't they? Apart from the slavery and experimenting on humans and elves."
"They were. But how? Are you a reincarnated person as well? From the same time as me?"
"I guess. Though I am not someone you would want to know who I am. After all, it was because of my sister that all those crimes were pinned on you."

Her eyes widened as she realized and connected the dots. She suddenly felt all the fear that she had felt blow away and anger took its place.

"I see. That's good. I can take revenge for that as well. Hahaha." She laughed like a maniac.

Has she lost her mind?

"I will show you just how much you overestimated yourself. Holy Field."

Just as she said that, a holy field was set up. It was much stronger than before.
"Did you really think I didn't expect that. You should know who I am, yet you think this would work on me? Idiotic." I say. Just as I say that, the barrier shatters.

"You. What did you do?"
"Nothing much. I just had my people keep a check on the outside."

3rd person POV

It was only now that Maribell understood who she was up against. A member of the Octagram. A true Demon Lord. Gaiye, who she had powered up to her best was wiped out like he was trash. Yuuki, though had the advantage, was unable to emerge victorious. Rama, who was challenging Gobta was still fighting on an even footing. Only after the 《Holy Field》 shattered did Maribell realise that she was the only one who was overestimating herself. She then decided to take matters into her own hands. She started combusting her own soul to go beyond her limits. For Maribell, a chance like this where the demon lord will be this vulnerable will not come again.

"I am going to wager everything on this." Maribell said.
"Do whatever you want. You will not win." Rimuru replied.

Maribell then dashed at Rimuru and then kicked him with a form that was far from child-like. Rimuru ,meanwhile, just lightly parried the attack and used her momentum against her. Maribell spun around and dodged the attack from Rimuru and let some black Ray's leave her hand and go towards Rimuru.

This was a part of her unique skill 《Avarice》.

"There is no way you will survive this. Nobody can give up their greed to live."

Maribell was a bit disappointed that she had to kill Rimuru, but she couldn't let someone like Rimuru roam free.

"Sorry, but my analysis just finished. This won't work on me anymore."

Hearing this, Maribell's eye went wide. Her attack was by no means weak. It was strong enough that Carrion, Frey, Clayman and even Hinata would have died.

Maribell was all-powerful. But only under the scope of unique skills. There is no way it can hold it's own against an Ultimate Skill.

Rimuru's POV

Raphael was correct. Maribell had a Holy Field prepared. Maribell sure is strong. This attack might not have killed me, but my subordinates are another thing. If I have to guess Shion and the demons might survive. But the others won't. Maybe I should train their souls as well. Raphael quickly analyzes the attack.

"Sorry, but my analysis just finished. This won't work on me anymore." I tell her. Just as I was about to use soul consume, I saw Shion fly past. It seems Yuuki has managed to defeat her.

"Hahaha. Demon lord Rimuru. Looks like i underestimated you. But you still won't win." She said as the black aura around Yuuki increased.

Me and Yuuki launch at each other in a sync. Maribell is slowly creating space between us. Most probably to flee. Kagali and the others are attending to Shion. Just as Maribell escapes, I kick him straight in the gut launching him into the nearby wall. In that one second, Raphael had managed to obtain information on most of his skills.

"Free now? I should have removed her control over you."
He stood up holding his head.
"Ya. But Rimuru-san, couldn't you have been more lenient? Ouch. It hurts."
"Ya ya. Whatever." I say as I spray a healing potion on him. His wounds immediately heal and he seems to be better.
"Gobta, finish your fight quickly."

Gobta shouldn't be having troubles. What is he doing?

I see. I cut off the spiritual connection with Maribell, making him willing to understand. Now only Maribell and the Chaos Dragon was left. You will die today Maribell.

"Yuuki, go after Maribell. I will go help Milim."
"Fine." He said as he left. I guess I should go as well.

--

Managed to write this as well. How is it? I hope you guys enjoyed. Like and follow.

CH-48

Maribell's POV

He is a monster. There is no way I am dying today. No way. Not again. That bitch. She experimented on me till I died. Doing something to my soul and whatnot. They didn't have any proof of our crimes, yet I had to suffer. I wasn't even involved in them. Now his brother. Why? Why? Why me? What have I done? I will atleast take them down with me.

I quickly run to the room where the magic reactor should be. I will make it overload with magic and explode, killing everyone here. But where is it? Why can't I find it?

"Looking for the magic reactor?"
"Yuuki? How did you? Why are you here? Weren't you fighting against the demon lord?"
"Hmm? I gave my all against him. He just knocked me out. By the way, I already knew I couldn't defeat him."
"How?"
"Oh? Are you wondering how I broke free?"
"Yes. Tell me."
"Well, it's simple really. I really wasn't in your control." As he said that, a dark look came up on his face. Just when he used to controlled.
"Impossible. My power harnesses tour feeling."
"Ya. Your greed was something else, but nothing compared to mine."

Just as he said that, his hand pierced through my heart.
"You... what are you? My skill."

No way. Is he absorbing my skill? Are you saying he is more greedy than me. No way. I am Maribell the Greed.

"Ukh..."
"Your body is too young to hold that much power. Too bad. Even if you were older, there is no way you could have beaten Rimuru. He is in an another league you know."

You bastard. Of course i know that. He alone managed to slay a dragon in that world. Without magic. His body couldn't use magic and still he managed to defeat a dragon. Of course with magic, he will be unstoppable. So this is how I die huh? This life was just like my last. Getting killed for the benefit of others. The world is going blank. I see. This feels nostalgic. The feeling of death. That time it felt so peaceful, but now, I feel frustrated.

Rimuru's POV

I quickly teleport to Milim and look at the Chaos Dragon. It is atleast 300 meters in length and is absorbing magicules from his surroundings and growing bigger. I'd say my chances of winning against this is 50-50 if I don't summon Veldora. Well, with Milim here, I might be able to deal with it.

Is it possible to save it?

I guess that's fine.

"Milim. I am here to help."
"Oh, Bestie. You see he is my...old friend. So I need your help to seal him. I don't want to kill him."
"Don't worry. I will help you. But do you really want to seal it?"
"Huh?"
"I can help you make him sane. But he won't have any of its memories. It will be reborn."
"Really? Please do so Rimuru."
"Geez. No need to be so uptight. You are my bestie after all. Of course I will help you."

We both fly to the Chaos Dragon. It really is violence personified.

"Milim, hit it with your strongest attack. I will control it."
"Alright. I trust you Bestie."

Partner, do your thing.

As soon as I said that, a bright light enveloped everything. Even closing my eyelids barely made things better. Then a Dragonova went straight at the Chaos Dragon. My partner did everything to accelerate my thinking to millions, if not, billions of time. Looking at her now, it reminds me, she really is at an another level from the rest of us.

As soon a s the astral body of the dragon came into view, I devoured it and stored it in my stomach.

"Bestieeee. It's going to explode. Do something."
"Don't worry."

As soon as I said that, I devour the rest of the body of the dragon and make it my own power.

Really all that dragon aura and still 36.28%

"Thanks Rimuru." Milim said jumping at me.
"Don't thank me just yet. We still have to do something about your friend.

She just tilts her head cutely. I take out a pseudo soul and put the soul of the Chaos Dragon. Even then, nothing happened. What happened?

"Milim. Name. Name. What did you call it? What did you use to call her?"

"Gaia. I wanted to call it Gaia one day."
Gaia huh? A good name. I apply a master core, giving the pseudo core an avatar as Milim names it. The core slightly glows. Great.
"This is Gaia. Now it is more like an egg, but it will take birth and grow again. Take care of it, alright." I say as both of us go to the castle, where everyone else was. They all look alright. We tell everyone what happened and things calmed down. Soon we all had dinner and went to sleep.

Same day, midnight

I wake up and leave the castle and go to the crypt. We will be leaving tomorrow, so today will be the last day we are here. I am yet to find out what is attracting me to the crypt. I teleport to its deepest part. I look around but there was nothing out of the ordinary there. Atleast to a normal eye. But I felt strangely attracted to a single part if the wall. I go there and punch a hole in the wall. I hadn't expected anything to be there, but there was surprisingly an empty room there. I walk in and am surprised. It was quiet, yet it was not disturbing. It was the peaceful type of quiet.

I look around a little and soon find that this place is empty, except a single throne. Was this a throne room or something? As I move towards the throne, I realize that it was quite intricately designed. It was lauded with many rare gems. I could already see admantite and Dragonite being used. As I reached the throne, the stone at the top of the throne shone lightly and a transparent figure appeared out of it. It was a figure of a woman. She would be about 5'7 in height. The fact is that her face was not visible. It was as if it was distorted. The rest of her body was completely white, just like a ghost.

"Hologram?..." I mumble out loud.
"Hmm? Sort of. You could call me that. After all, I don't have much time left to live anyway."
"So? Who are you?"
"Me? I am the One of the Seven Sin Lords, Beelzebub."
"Seven Sin Lords?"
"That was what we were called. Those who wielded the sin series skill."
"So?"
"We were the first people to hold these sin skills, so in a way, we are its progenitor. If you don't even know about us, then a lot of time must have passed away. I guess it is better this way."
"Alright. I understand you are the progenitor and all. What do you want then?"
"I told you didn't I? I don't have much time left. So I want to give you something."
"Something?"
"Yep. Think of it as my legacy. You are eligible after all."
"Eligible?"
"Yep. For the sin of Gluttony. You felt attracted here, right? That is proof. But before I give you my legacy, I have a question to ask you."
"Will you decide whether to give your 'legacy' to me upon that question."
"Yep." She said smiling.

That's odd. Why did I think she was smiling? I can't even see her face.

"What is it, then?"
"Simple. What do you want to use your powers for?"
"You will be disappointed to hear."
"That's alright. You have got me curious now."
"I only want to use my power to keep my people and myself safe and live a happy and peaceful life."
She just stares at me for a while and bursts out laughing.
"*sigh* I knew this would happen."
"Sorry. Sorry. But really? Just that."
"Yep."
"I see. Very well. I will give you my powers."
"Just like that? Really?"
"Yep."
"If I had said that I would destroy the world, would you have still given it?"
"Yep. I only want to make sure that you follow your desire. The sin series skill are completely controlled by desire. If you are doing it for someone else's desire, then it isn't worth it."
"I see."

As soon as she said that, I felt a lot of information flow into my head. It hurt a little, but not much.

"Work on the skills I gave you. They are really useful."
"Thanks, I guess. Can I ask you a few of my questions."
"Feel free. My soul will dissipate in a few minutes anyway."

I had Raphael run analysis on her. She is much stronger than me. I can't even analyze her. Raphael refused to give up and managed to analyze a bit. It seems like this is only a part of her soul. Saving her is impossible until the remaining parts of her soul are found. Though impossibly difficult, not impossible.

"Don't you want to live?"
"Nope. I have lived long enough. Also, the world without them would be quite boring."
"Them?"
"The other Sin Lords."
"I see. Can you tell me all that you know about these skills?"
"I myself don't know everything about them. Only that these skills are a part of a whole. Different skills have a set reaction with others. It is believed collecting all seven of sin or the virtue series will give the wielder a huge buff. Just how true it is, I don't know. But I do know that the sin and virtue series are found in a pair. If one person collect two opposing skills, it forms a pair. For example, Justice and Pride, are opposite to each other. Justice can defend from any attack, meanwhile Pride can copy any attack."

"So, these opposing skills act complementary to each other?"
"Yep. By the way Gluttony's opposing virtue is Wisdom. If you gain it, you will be able to use Gluttony better. Wisdom will help with all the complicated tasks and digestion."

She said. As soon as she finished, her body slowly started to break and shatter.

"Looks like it's time for me to go. One more thing. All of us, the Seven Sin Lords and the Seven Virtues have left their powers, so that our successor could wield them. If you gain any other skill from these 2 series, make sure to look for them. They might be able to help you as well. Also, apart from these two series, there are other series as well." As she says that, her figure appears to be shattering but I devour her. I then place her soul in a sort of coma. She is stronger than me. If I find her soul pieces and devour her, then I am sure I will get stronger.

New power, huh. There is a lot going on here. I will have Souei look into this later.

--

That is it. I decided to add a bit more lore to the story, but don't worry, it will not diverge from the main story too much. My exams are still not over!!! I should be able to publish daily from 27th or 28th. Not sure though. Look forward to it, I guess. Anyway, enjoy.

CH-49

A few days later...
In the Freedom Guild

3rd Person POV

Two figures are currently sitting in the room.
"That was really stupid of Maribell."
"You are right Kagali, but she must have a plan. Maribell wasn't the type to take gambles."
"What do you mean Yuuki?"
"What I mean to say is simple. Maribell must have a plan that made sure not a lot of damage will be done."
"But what if she believed that taking some damage was worth it to take out Demon Lord Rimuru."
"Even if she managed to take Rimuru-san under control, she would have to face with the Chaos Dragon and angered Demon Lord Milim and The Storm Dragon. The damage would be catastrophic."
"Then, maybe she had a plan to remain safe?"
"No. Then her entire plan to rule the Western Nation would have toppled regardless."
"Then why?"
"Think about it. Who did Laplace fight and kill?"
"The Demon Lord Valentine."
"And name all the demon lords in the Octagram."
"Huh? There is Guy Crimson, Milim Nava, Ramiris, Leon,... Valentine."
"Yep. Laplace killed him, yet a new demon lord was not selected and number remains the same."
"Then there is another demon lord Valentine?"
"No. The Demon Lord Valentine that Laplace fought was fake. The real one is most probably, even more strong."
"T-then.."

Something interrupts Kagali. Someone teleports inside the room and sits down opposite to Yuuki and Kagali. Kagali immediately stands up.

"Why are you here Rimuru-san? Spying isn't a good activity. Girls will not like you, you know."
"No need to concern yourself regarding my love life. Anyway, I am surprised you managed to find this much out."
"Ehehe. You praise me a bit too much."
"Well, the Western Holy Church is Demon Lord Luminous Valentine's domain. I guess that explains it."
"Yes it does, Rimuru-san. It confirms my theory."
"So, Yuuki, let's play chess."
"Chess?"
"Yep. Which one do you want to play? The classic, battlefield or the warship?"
"Woah, woah, woah. There are more types of chess? I only the classic ones."
"Well, I was summoned after you. The battlefield was developed in 2035, while the warship was developed in 2042. They are more like evolution of chess. Anyway, let's play."

They start to play. It was an interesting match. The main spotlight being that this was very well Yuuki's first match in years. This is because there is no chess in this world, so he wouldn't have much chance to play either.

The match went pretty much evenly until Yuuki managed to trade Rimuru's queen for a rook and a bishop. Points wise, he had an upper hand, but Rimuru wouldn't lose either. After that they continued to play. Rimuru didn't use Raphael. With her, Rimuru would pretty much win in an instant. So he decided against it. In the end, the match went to a draw with Rimuru having a knight left while Yuuki had no other pieces than the king. Ranking wise, he would have about 2500-2600. He has a lot of potential to grow. His mind is different from the common people. He is a genius.

Rimuru's POV

"By the way, are you still making deals with Leon?"
Yuuki's eyes go wide. Did he think I wouldn't know? As soon as I got hold on the Western council, it was obvious that I would trace back the summoning rituals. After all, they are like Wild Cards. I don't need any wild cards that could potentially harm me.

"How? How did you know?"
"No need to know. You are not giving me all the information, why should I tell you? Anyway, tell Leon that there is no point in summoning anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"He is looking for a nearly 4 year old with black hair right? Tell him that it is highly possible that i have her with me. Give him the name Chloe Albert."

I stand up and was about to leave. "Oh right. Tell him that I can bring Chloe with me so he should send me an invitation. "

Now that Shizue has much better control of her spirit, she will be able to fight against Leon. Winning will be difficult, but ahe will give a good fight. Her EP should be just about reaching the million mark. She is now as strong Benimaru.

"Alright?"
"H-hai."

I then teleport back to my country.
'Shizue, where are you?'
'Ah. Rimuru-san, I am training with Valora-chan right now.'
'I see. I am coming there.'
'Eh? Why? Did I do something?'
'No. No. I will tell you once I get there.'

I then go to the labyrinth and go to the 100th floor. What the hell? Is this Veldora's room? Where is all the mess I expected? How are all his mangas in place? Just as i was thinking that, Valora and Shizue came up behind me.

"Is this really Veldora's room?"
"Hai. Father was keeping this room a bit messy, so I gave him a lesson and opened his eyes." Valora said with a smile.
What is this? Women are scary. Hinata, Shuna and now Valora. What the hell? How can they be so scary? Their smile is scary.

"I-I see. Where is he now?"
"Father is busy training Zegion right now."
"I see. Let's talk somewhere else shall we?"

We then go out of the labyrinth and take a look around the city.
"This city sure has grown." I say.
"Haha. You are the ruler of this country and you yourself don't know how much your city has grown." Shizue says.
"I know about how much it has grown. But it was all on paper. I never saw it with my own eyes."
"Alright, Rimuru-san. I was just teasing you."
"Hmph."

We continue to take a walk around. Many people wished me a good morning and quite a few of the children flocked around me. These children are harder to face than any foe ever. I can't just straight up tell them I am busy or else they will start crying. So I was forced to play with these kids. Meanwhile Shizue and Valora just looked at me, all smiles. I quickly grab them by their hands and pull them in and the children start playing with them. We continue to play around until it was nearly evening and the children finally dispersed. Just how much stamina do children even have? I don't get tired, but Shizue looks quite tired.

We then finally reach the castle. Just as I enter, Diablo appears beside me.
"How may i help you Rimuru-sama?"
"Make some tea for the three of us."
"Understood."

The three of us then proceed to my room. Diablo pours us three tea and then stands beside me. I am sitting on my chair with my hands on the desk. Meanwhile Valotlra and Shizue sit on the couch facing each other.

"Alright. The reason I asked you to come is simple, Shizue, we might go to visit Leon soon. Do you want to come?"
Hearing Leon's name, her mood dropped quickly.
"Rimuru-san, you know how strong he is. Do you think I stand any chance against him?"
"To tell you the truth, it will be close. But 99 out of 100 chances you will lose."
"Those odds are pretty bad aren't they?"
Better than a gacha.
"I guess. Do you want to come. Who knows, maybe fighting him might just awaken something inside you."

By awaken, I mean her Hero's Egg. She has received a hero's egg when she was training in the labyrinth. Now that the spirit is in harmony with her, I guess she has become stronger. Also, now she has no regrets as the children are fine. Though, I doubt that she knows that.

"Very well. I will take your offer than Rimuru-san. Thank you for offering this chance to me." She said bowing to me.
"No need to bow. Anyway, Valora, you want to come as well? Must be boring training in the labyrinth and all."
"Very well, then I will take your offer, Rimuru-sama."
"Oh right, Shizue, how is the spirit I gave you?"
"We are doing great. We are now able to completely fuse together as well."
"I see. That is great. So, why don't you name her?"
"Name my spirit?"
"Yep. That should make you stronger, which in turn will make you stronger."
"But isn't it dangerous?"
"Don't worry about that. Just give her a name. I will control the mana flow."
"Alright." As soon as she says that, her flame spirit materializes in front of me.
"Your name is Agni."
As soon as she says that, magicules leave her body. Me, I mean, Raphael controls the flow of magicules and cuts it off at the perfect timing, so that it doesn't have any repercussions and at the same time, helps the spirit, now Agni, grow the most. Agni evolves into a spirit lord. With thos, Shizue has crossed the 1 million EP mark. She is most probably as strong as Diablo. Diablo will still win, mostly because of his experience.

"Anyways, it is getting late. You should go to sleep, Shizue. Get used to her powers. If you want to defeat Leon, you need to be at your best."
"Hai, Rimuru-san."
Both Valora and Shizue leave. I guess I will have to decide whether to go to Ruberios first, or El Dorado.

--

That's it. I hope you guys enjoy. Like and follow. From Monday onwards, daily updates. Yay.

CH-50

A month has passed since the incident at the ruins. Things have calmed down a bit, for most people. For me, the paperwork has only increased. Now that Tempest has more or less replaced the The Five Elders, all the handling of the Council is mainly led by Tempest. Due to which my and Testarossa's workload has increased.

Meanwhile, in Tempest, a proper legislative council was made. The council was majorly divided into two parts. One for humans and one for monsters. Both the human and monster representatives were 150 in number. For a law to be made, it must have majority vote from both human and monster representatives. Finally, my stamp is required for it to be a law. It is a type of democracy, that is, if you don't count me or my executives. I am still above the law and have the right to dismiss anyone from the legislature.

I was in my room when I heard someone running towards my room. It could only be one person. Yep. As I expected. The door blew of its hinges and fell apart. Luckily, I had long given up on making them stronger to withstand Milim's force, rather, now they can restore themselves automatically.

"Bestie. It's hatching. What should I do? Look. Look."
"Calm down. I get it. It will hatch properly and you need not do anything."

Milim has been staying in Tempest for the past month with the excuse of Gaia. She said that it would be better if she stayed here so that I and Veldora, who were dragons, could help her. Quite cheeky of her to run away from her duties, but I guess it worked. She showed me the egg. It had cracks and was moving around. Looks like it really is hatching. Suddenly the egg shell shattered and a cute chibi dragon came out of it.

"Kyuuu." It said.
"Gaia. It really is you." Milim said hugging Gaia and with tear in her eyes. I quickly run an analysis on her. Two things catch my eye.
Firstly, she is strong. She most probably defeats Gobta in EP. The problem is how well Gaia can use her skills.
Secondly, Gaia's race. Gaia was a Chaos Dragon, but now Gaia's race is a Holy Dragon. What the hell? You can change species like this? How? Could it be?

I knew it. Mana plays a major role in a dragon's life. But, it is still a speculation.

I guess that is understandable.
"Hey. Hey. Rimuru, let's take Gaia on an adventure."
"Huh?"
"Ya. Dragons are apes hunters. They only ever eat what they hunt. Well, I guess you are an exception as you had your soul."
"Then just take him to the labyrinth to train him. Also, wouldn't Frey be angry if you don't go back."
"Ehh. Rimuru. Please."
"Fine. Tell the others to get into their avatars. I will be there in some time."

After quickly finishing my work, I went to go and train Gaia. We four, along with Gaia, later on came to be known as the flourless guardians. But that is a different story.

A few days later...

I was in my room doing al the paperwork when Shuna came into the room.
"Rimuru-sama, you have a guest."
"Who?"
"He called himself Dino."
"Dino? Why is he here? Let him in. He is a demon lord."
"Understood."

Shuna then left the room and came back.
"Please follow me to the guest room."
"Yep." I say and get up and follow her to the guest room.

As soon as I enter the room, I see Dino lying on the couch as if owns the place. I could feel Shuna's anger, but I guess she decided to hold back.

"Yo Rimuru. Doing fine?"
"Yep. What about you?"
"I will go and bring tea." Shuna said and left.

"I am fine. Just lazing around."
"So? Why did you come here? If you came here for fun then I am kicking you out."
"Oi Oi Oi. Wait. Look at this. Guy told me to come here." He said giving me an envelope. It had Guy's aura all over it. I open it up and read what was written. It said,

"Yo Rimuru. I hope you are doing fine. Because I certainly am not. Someone has been a source of constant headaches for me. I am pretty sure that you are smart enough to know who I am talking about. I heard that you joined the Western Council. Congratulations. As a present, I have sent Dino over. Do not shoo him away alright. Dagruel just kicked him out and I don't want to deal with him. Anyways, don't cause more trouble for me.

Yours truly
Guy Crimson"

What the hell? He sent a letter? Since when was Guy this civilized? What is going on? I look at Dino.

"Don't look at me like that. I don't what is going on here. I have no idea what he has written in the letter. He just told me to stay here."
"That's it? Not to spy on us or anything?"
"He did tell me to report to him."

You just accepted you are a spy. Well, I guess this is the extent of influence of Guy. Even though I know he is Guy's spy, I can't do anything. Tch.

"If you want to live here, you will have to work."
"Ehhh. Don't wanna."
I glare at him. I hate these kind of scum the most. He has no other place to go and still has the audacity to talk back.
"Listen here Dino. Guy didn't tell me how to treat you. So, you see, I can have you act as a punching bag for my demons. They are getting pretty bored only fighting against each other, so i am sure that they will love to fight an angel for a change." As i say that, a shiver ran down Dino's back. Looks like he just remembered Carrera.

"Alright. I will work, but give me the easiest job."
"Oh, don't worry, I have the best job for you."
"That is?"
"A researcher. Ramiris was constantly pestering me to get her a new subordinate as she was lacking hands."
"Wait. Ramiris is here?"
"Yes. And unlike you, she is doing work."
"What? No way. I thought she was one of us."

After that I teleport to the 100th floor of the labyrinth along with Dino.
"Woah. Why is the magicules here so thick?"
"That is because Veldora lives here."
"I see."

I had told the demon lords that Veldora had been freed and was living with me. Most accepted that because I had no reason to lie.

"So this is why I can't sense him. He stays here."
"No. That is not it. I told Veldora to control his aura if he wants to live here. So he controlled his aura."
"Wait. That egocentric dragon that lays waste everywhere it goes. You ordered him to hold his aura. That too such a massive one?"
"Believe me if you want."

We then progressed to floor 103. Ultima and Carrera were busy fighting there. Meanwhile Testarossa was just observing them and Diablo was acting as the referee. I guess this is why he didn't come.

"Yo, you four."

Seeing me all four just stopped and kneeled in front of me.
"No need to be so formal. You all can stand up."
"Oi. That's Noir isn't he. And that is Violet and Blanc. What are they doing here?"
"Call them by their name Dino. She is Testarossa, Ultima and he is a Diablo."

Good luck reporting this to Guy. I hope he gets the biggest headache. I have now technically destroyed the balance of powers he was maintaining. It look like Dino just stopped processing. He just stared with a blanck face.

"My lord, what is Dino doing here?" Carrera asked.
"Nothing much. But he will be working here, so keep an eye on him."
"Understood."

As I say that I drag Dino with me to the research center. Vesta was there busy writing something.

"Yo Vesta."
"Oh, Rimuru-sama. I hope you are fine. And who is that?"
"I am fine. But what about you? Getting enough sleep?" Vesta just laughs in response.
"He is Dino, a demon lord."
"Demon lord?"
"Yep and he will be helping here." Just as I say that Ramiris flys into the room.
"Oh Rimuru? Vesta has helped me a lot, but I still need more people."
"I know. That is why I brought Dino with me."
"Dino?"
"Yep."
"I don't want to this but if I have to stay here and then Rimuru told me u have to work. So yeah."
"Hahaha. Now you work for me Dino. Don't forget what will happen if you make fun of me anymore."
"Yeah yeah. Shut it, pipsqueak."
"Dino, you.. I am going to use my 48 killing moves on you."
"Calm down. Anyway, you will help here. You will be Vesta's assistant."
"Alright. Follow me. We have a lot of work to do so get ready." Vesta said.
"I am a demon lord, you know?"
"So? We have the Stirm Dragon Veldora and Demon Lord Ramiris, who are happily working here."
"Wait. Veldora is also here."

As if on cue, Veldora came into the room.

"Rimuru, I need an assistant."
"Huh? What are you talking about Veldora?"
"Isnt it obvious? Someone as great as me must have an equally great assistant. Kwahahaha."
"Shut up. I don't have time or the people to play along with you."
"Ah. Wait. Rimuru, I have an idea on who could be my subordinate."
"Who?"
"Ifrit."
"Huh?"
"The Ifrit you devoured. While we were in your stomach, I would constantly teach him of my greatness."

While we were talking, Vesta dragged Dino out of the room to god knows where. But Ifrit? Didn't he create trouble for Shizue? Well, if he promises to take care of Veldora and not cause troubles then I guess it will be fine.

"Fine." I then take out a bit of Orichalum and let Ifrit take possession of it. Ifrit quickly takes up the body. Earlier it was only a skeleton, but as soon as Ifrit took over, blood vessel and fibres started to form and finally an outer layer of skin. He had tanned skin just like Veldora. As soon as he completely took over the body, he kneeled.

"It is a pleasure to meet you again Rimuru-sama and Veldora-sama."
"Umu."
"So Ifrit, I will get straight to the point. I already know why you clashed with Shizue and all. Shizue told me about it. Leon told you to do so, didn't he?"
"Hai. But now my mind has changed. Even though Demon Lord Leon is a great demon lord, I will like to pledge my loyalty to Veldora-sama."
"Very well. Give him a name Veldora. I will control your magicule flow."
"Kwahahaha. I knew you would say that so I had already planned his name. His name will be Charys."

As soon as he was named, large amount of magicules left Veldora. But I was able to control it meticulously due to the soul corridor between us. He now powered up tremendously.

I see.

"Charys, take care of Veldora for me."
"Understood."

--

I am finally back. Daily updates from today.

That's it. I hope you guys enjoy. Like and follow. Also, now that we are talking about the labyrinth, did the elves of Night Butterfly move into Tenpest? Could anyone please confirm. Anyways, thanks for reading.

CH-51

Charys is getting settled in and exploited by both Ramiris and Veldora. Meanwhile Dino who was busy playing finally noticed Charys.

"Since when did we have such a strong companion?"
"From the time you were busy playing with the marble combination."
"No no no. This a spirit lord we are talking about. It can rival a demon lord you know."
"Calm down. You will get used to this."
"No, but Vesta-san..."

Looks like Dino can't accept this reality. Oh well. I wonder what his reaction would be when he found out there are two other spirit lords. Oh well. I wonder how Guy will react.

After that I finally go back and get some free time. By free time, I mean doing my paperwork. Luckily, I have managed to find a flow with which I am comfortable with. This allows me to think simultaneously with signing and checking the papers. I quickly finish the paperwork and move towards the school. It should be break time right now. I go and was about to enter in the classroom when I heard a commotion inside. Nowadays, both humans and monsters used to study together. This class was sometimes taught by Shizue or Hinata. Both of them were busy in the labyrinth honing their skills. They would come and teach in their free time.

"Oi, you boys. Come and help clean the room." Alice said.
"Huh? Why should we?" Kenya replied.
"Oi. Kenya. We should listen to her or we will be in a world of pain."
"Haah? Today I will defeat her and show her who is the boss."

While they were squabbling, I use illusion to hide myself and teleported inside. Both Kenya and Alice were about to fight. Meanwhile all the children were looking as if this was their daily entertainment.
"Ne, Gale. Who do you think is going to win?"
"It's obviously Alice."
"Huh? Why?"
"Because Kenya loves Alice after all."
Gale mercilessly exposed Kenya's feelings. Well, I guess they are at the age. Well, I don't want them to get into a relationship before they actually understand what it is.

"Huh? What are you saying Gale? There is no way Kenya loves me."
"Ya. What the hell are you saying?"

"Alright alright. That's enough. Don't fight." I say revealing myself.
"Sensei." Chloe said jumping onto me.
"Rimuru-sensei? Chloe? No fair." Alice said as she hugged me as well.

Meanwhile Gale and Ryota just wished me from afar and Kenya was late to even react. Seriously, what is he doing?

"Rimuru-sama, long time no see-arinsu." A cute girl said as she came in front of me.

"Kumara?"
"That's me-arinsu."

I remember leaving Kumara to Hinata and Shizue to train. I thought she was training in the labyrinth. Looks like she was attending classes as well to learn.

"Woah. It is Rimuru-sama."
"I am going to brag about this to my dad."

Looks like the monster children are all happy to see me. Meanwhile the human children were a bit skeptical but didn't show it. Some were even curious and asking others questions about me.

"Alright. Calm down. Don't make a fuss."
As soon as I said that, somebody else entered. It was Fritz.

"Oh? Is Fritz the lecturer for today?"
"That is right, your majesty."

The Holy Knights would also come occassionally to teach.

"Anyways, thanks for coming and teaching these children."
"Oh, that is alright. This is much better than Hinata-sama's rigorous training. That is truly hell."

Oh you have no idea what is hell. Well, I guess you will know soon enough Fritz. My condolences.

"Oh? Is that so? Looks like I will have to increase your training." Hinata said. As soon as she said that a chill ran down everyone's spine. It's too late now. There is no way to survive Fritz. Just give up. This is also why I, Rimuru, on behalf of the author is reminding you readers to be careful of your surroundings. Especially before talking about someone else.

"So, why did you call me here, Hinata?" I said giving Fritz a lifeline.
"Ah! Right. I called you here to show their improvement." Hinata said pointing towards the children.

"I see. Well, let's go to the labyrinth then." I said. We then leave Fritz to give the lecture as we head towards the labyrinth.

"A chance to fight Rimuru-sensei."
"We will defeat you, Rimuru-sensei."
"Yep, we trained a lot."

Looks like they are eager to fight me. I guess with greater spirits in them, they will surely grow a lot. And with teacher as spartan as Hakurou and Hinata, they are bound to grow. I don't know about Shizue but Hinata did tell me how she and Yuuki used to call her a demon teacher.

Anyway, we reach the labyrinth and decided to fight in a one-on-one. And, oh boy, did the results surprise me. I used a clone to fight all of them at once. That might have been a mistake on my part, but I luckily didn't lose to any of them. But, they were able to put up a good fight against a clone of an awakened demon lord. That is no joke. Even if it doesn't have any unique or ultimate skills, its base stats alone is something that can send shivers down a anyone's spine.

Kenya was quite good with his sword and he synergized with his light spirit quite nicely. The only down side? He was using fighting stance from mangas and anime. They might look cool but far from practical. He managed to use them somehow, but that won't work for long.

Ryota was not as good with a sword as Kenya but he used wind and water spirit strategically to fend off my attacks.

Gale was more cool headed. He focused more on defense than offense. He managed to counter my attacks but they were not anything impressive. But the main fact was that he used his shield and Earth spirit together to block nearly all attacks. He could be a great tank.

Alice, meanwhile, just scared me. You know how odd and scary it will be if a ten year old had a sword, right? Now think that she was using tens of swords. That is exactly what Alice was doing. She had materialized a few dolls which constantly attacked me. Meanwhile, the swords continued to slash at me. It was difficult to neutralize her, but my clone managed it. Mainly due to Future Attack Prediction.

Kumara was next. She was already quite strong with her two beasts. But now, she could summon 8 of them, one from each tail. Meanwhile, the last tail represented her. Those beasts are quite strong themselves. The fact that they can share battle experiences with each other and work as a team is more problematic. She surely will grow to be quite strong if she manages her power well and learns how to use it.

Lastly, Chloe. She became strong beyond belief. She now used swords actively compared to how she was before and preferred using magic. Her sword style is definitely developed from Shizue, but there were certain moves that could only be perfected over time. These moves further cements the idea that she came from the future. While we were fighting, Shizue and Hakurou also came and observed.

"Geez. How did you guys become so strong quickly? It makes my life look like a joke."
"Huh? You became an awakened demon lord in 2 years. How is that not unusual?"
"True I guess."

I was referring to my past life, but I guess it is better if she doesn't know.

"Anyways, you all have gotten quite strong. Especially Chloe." I say.

"Yep. When Chloe is angry, she is really scary."
"Even more than Alice."

Looks like Kenya and Ryota see Chloe as more scary than Alice. Gale just silently nodded.

"Anyway, Kenya, your sword style has lot of flaws. It might look cool, but it isn't useful in fighting."
"I agree with Rimuru-sama. But, that doesn't mean it has to be discarded. Allow me to train him personally, Rimuru-sama." Hakurou said.
"Alright."

I said. I could see Kenya visibly shiver. I guess Hakurou really is scary. Well, I did train from him, so I know. Shizue ran over to the children and hugged them. She then gave them words of advice and such. Me and Hinata just looked on. I am sure we both thought the same thing. Shizue really is special to them.

"You didn't just call me here to show their progress, did you?"
"No. It is regarding the musical show."
"I remember. Luminous really pestered me about it. Takt and his group are still practicing."
"I see. The Holy Knights will escort you. After all, taking a large band into Ruberios will be difficult. So we will teleport you there."
"I see. That will be helpful. There is a barrier around Ruberios after all."

"Is Rimuru-san and Hinata-chan going somewhere?" Shizue asked.
"Yep. We are going to Ruberios. Now that I think about it, this will be a good experience for the kids as well. They haven't really seen the world, have they? Shizue, you and the kids should come as well."
"To Ruberios? Won't we hinder your work?"
"No. And I am sure Hinata would like that as well."
"Very well."

"Alright. Listen up everyone. We will be going to Ruberios sometime soon. So stay ready. I will inform you guys when."
"Yay."
"Rimuru-sensei is the best."

And so on. Looks like they are all excited to skip classes. While the five kids were busy talking excitedly, Kumara came to me.
"Um.. c-can I go as well-arinsu?"
"You know, if you want something, you can ask for it Kumara. They re your friends right?" I said pointing to the five, "Of course you can go with them."

As soon as I said that, Kumara hugged me. I patted her head. Her hair felt exactly like her fur in her beast form. Very smooth and soft. Well, I was planning on taking them with me anyways. We need to obtain Chloe's body anyway.

--

That's it. I hope you guys enjoy. Like and follow me.

CH-52

A few days have passed since then and we are just about ready to leave. But before that, I still have a job do. I have already heard from Yuuki that Granbell is planning to release Chloe's true body. This is favorable for us, so I guess I won't stop him. The job I have to do is with Elmesia. I quickly contact her with thought communication.

'El-tan, you free?'
'Rimuru? I guess I am free. I have nothing to do. Erald doesn't let me do anything fun.'
'I see. I have something just for you, then. Should I teleport to your location?'
'Yep. There is no one here.'

I then teleported to Elmesia's location. She was sitting in a chair in a garden. There was another chair facing her and a table between them. I quickly lay out some sweets which I got from Yoshida.
"These are..?" She asked.
"Sweets. Yoshida-san made them."
"I see. I really enjoyed eating them when he was still easy to contact."
"Come to Tempest then. You are always welcome."
"*sigh* As if Erald will let me. He wouldn't even let me leave and have fun."
"Well, I have an interesting proposal for you."
"Hoh? Let's hear it."
"It's regarding the underworld of the Western Countries."
"Underworld?"
"Yep. I am sure you know a lot about it."
"I do know about it, but I had no interest in interfering with it. There is too little to gain."
"Was."
"Huh?"
"There WAS too little to gain. Now though, the things are different."
"Ah! I see."
"Yep. Now that I have literally taken over the Council, I will ban quite a few of goods and devices which might be harmful."
"But it is necessary to keep them in circulation and keep an eye on them at the same time."
"Yep. I knew you will understand El-tan."
"But can't you do it on your own? You can create your faction and take over the underworld. There is hardly anything that can stop you."
"That is where you are wrong. There is one thing that can still stop me. Or rather will stop me, regardless of what I do."
"Hoh? What is that?"
"Corruption."
"I see. If only one organization is at the top, it will turn rotten from the inside. So? What do you want me to do?"
"Simple. Make an organization to stand against mine. I already have a plan to make an organization which will connect Sarion, Dwargon, Tempest and Farmenas. It will function in the light. Meanwhile, I want you, El-tan, to create an underground organization to oppose this."
"I see. I hope I have something to gain from this."
"Of course. I have decided that Myourmiles will help you to set up the organization. He used to work in the underworld after all."
"So, we are splitting the profit three ways?"
"No. It will be 40-40-20. 20% for me."
"Why? I don't see what you stand to gain from that."
"Of course, I have my reason. Firstly, I get preferential treatment when I select goods. If I find something interesting, I will be taking it. Also, I want you to do somethingfor me."
"I guess that is acceptable. But what do you want me to do? Whether I accept or not depends on it."
"It's a simple task really. You have connections with Leon, right?"
Elmesia's eyes went wide.
"How do you know?"
"You shouldn't underestimate me, you know. I don't know what type of connection it is, but I have information that you guys meet."

Yuuki was pretty good at keeping tracks of such things. Having him with me is quite a blessing, now that I think about it.

"So? what of it? If you ask me to har-" she said angrily but I interrupted her.
"El-tan. That's it. No need to continue. I don't want you to do anything of that sort. You know that I will be visiting Ruberios, right?"
"Yes." She said still not convinced.
"I want you to bring Leon there. 'You see, Granbell, one of the seven Luminaries, is planning something and the one he is looking for might be in trouble.' You can tell that to him if he doesn't agree."
"And why would I do that?"
"Don't worry. I won't do anything to him. Rather, I only want him to meet someone. He was about to invite me later on anyways. You have my word. You can come there yourself if you don't trust me. But you mustn't interfere."
"Fine. But if you break your promise.."
"No problem. Neither me nor my subordinates will attack him. Well then, I will take my leave."

I say that and teleport back to my room. I need to quickly finish these paperwork so that I can go to Ruberios.

While I was doing it, Souei appeared.
"It's been quite a while. Have you done what I told you to do?"
"Hai. I looked into the Hyme kingdom and its functioning."
"So? Did you find anything?"
"Unfortunately, I found nothing suspicious. There were no signs of trade with the outside world either. I believe they don't have anything to hide."
"Well, I guess I was just being paranoid, but I had a feeling that something was wrong with Hyme."
"Something wrong?"
"Yep. The main thing was that they were growing crops which are only found on the surface. They must have obtained it by trading. Even if it was some other way, they still would have to make contacts with the surface. The fact that they didn't make contact with the surface for so long was bugging me."
"I see."
"You should take a few days off. That is an order by the way."
"Hai."

These guys won't even take a break if I don't tell them. So it is necessary to give orders for these things.
"After that I have another mission for you. Find information on any old ruins you can. The older the better."
"Ruins?"
"Yes. Also, keep this fact a secret from anyone else."
"Understood."

As soon as he said that, he dissapeared. I have Raphael and Uriel. Finding their ruins would be a great help. Especially Raphael.

A few days later...

We have finally arrived in Ruberios. It was quite a fascinating sight. The children were all excited and looking around here and there. Meanwhile Takt and his band were shaking nervously. Our guide was of course Hinata. I had brought Shion and Diablo with me.

While the children asked a lot of questions, which Hinata answered, my focus was elsewhere. This country being one of the oldest, I thought it would be made in a place which would have a geographical advantage. But Ruberios had no such advantage. Neither was I built on high ground, like a fort, nor was it surrounded by mountains as a natural shield. Why was Ruberios built here then?

True. She might just have another reason.

"Anyway, Hinata, what is our schedule?"
"Hmm. For today, you all can just relax. There is a dinner feast today. Tomorrow we will invite you for sound checks. Day after, is for practicing and finally the performance is in 3 days time."
"I see. Are you guys ready? You will only have one day to rehearse." I ask Takt and his group.
"Hai, Rimuru-sama. We have been practicing all the time for this purpose only."
"I see. That's good. I look forward to hearing you guys."

After that we continued to look around, until finally the dinner feast was started. It was just like a noble's banquet. Brings back unpleasant memories. Anyway, they were serving small bite-sized appetizers. The children were angry as they wanted more, but by the end, they looked satisfied. No matter how small, if you keep eating a lot, it will fill your stomach. Me? For some reason, no matter how much I eat, it is never enough. But it's not like I need food to live. I can live off of magicules.

or so she said.

Meanwhile, Takt and his bands were quite nervous. Well, they are common people after all. If they are suddenly treated with such hospitality, of course they would be nervous. But I guess I will leave them be. After the dinner, we were all led to our own room. My room was quite luxurious. Not on the same level as the one in my castle, but quite good.

While I was in the room, I heard a knock.
"Come in."
"Sorry to intrude, Your Majesty. But our master will like to meet you."
"I see. Lead the way."

Looks like it's finally time to ask her a few questions. I take Shion and Diablo with me to meet Ruminas. The maid was quite strong. I assume she one of those 'Surmounters' that attends Ruminas.

--

That's it. I hope you guys enjoyed. Like and follow.

CH-53

I arrive in a room. Luminous was already waiting there. Roy and Gunther were standing behind her on either side.

"It's been a long time Rimuru."
"It sure has been."
"I see that you didn't bring that evil dragon with you."
"Of course. Even I am not that stupid. He is just moving load of problems."
"I see. So someone else also understands me."
"Anyway, I thought Hinata would be here as well."
"Well, she went to sleep."
"Isn't she a saint? Does she really need sleep?"
"She was a human once. She has not gotten over the fact that her body can survive without sleep."
"I guess. Us monsters are different I suppose. So? What did you call me for?"
"You see. Granbell is plotting something and I am looking forward to the concert and I don't want anyone interrupt it. So I want your help." She said eating the cake that was served. I took a bite as well and it was quite good. Different from what Shuna makes. Sort of more sophisticated.

"Hmph. Don't bother Rimuru-sama for such small things." Diablo said interrupting us.

As soon as he said that, the atmosphere became heavier. Both Gunther and Louise's expressions darkened drastically. And here I was thinking that he was behaving himself.

"Kukuku. Rimuru sure has made you quite an obedient pet, Black Primordial." Ruminas said. This seems to have improved the atmosphere.
"Don't call me that. Rimuru-sama has already given me a wonderful name. Please call me Diablo."
"Diablo, didn't I tell you not interfere." I reprimand him.
"I-I am sorry, Rimuru-sama."
"*sigh* Anyways, wasn't Ruberios made to withstand against Veldora? There us no way that a mere hero will be able to break through, right?"
"Hmph. Don't underestimate the defenses of Ruberios, Demon Lord Rimuru. The problem is that Granbell might use one of the old and hidden tunnels to infiltrate."
"I see. Well, he was the head of the Seven Luminaries, so I guess he knows of quite a fair few secrets."
"Yes. That is why I need your help."
"Let me ask this. How strong is he?"
"He is quite strong. He might be as strong as the old demon lords, if not stronger."

Both Gunther's and Louise's eyes went wide. Looks like they hadn't expected him to be that strong.

"So? What is his goal?"
"I am not sure myself."
"Really? Are you sure that his goal is not 'that'?"
"I am not sure. I can't really confirm it anyways." She said completely relaxed as if it was none of her business.

"By the way, do you know of Yuuki?"
"Ya. The guildmaster, right?"
"Yes. This would be quicker then. It appears that Yuuki and Granbell met with each other."
"I see. So they are working together."

I know that already. Tell me something useful. I already know that they will attack.

"So, three more days, after that this is none of your business."
"Very well. Also, about that."
"Ya. Follow me." She said as she got up.
"Louise, Gunther, leave us alone."
"Hai."
"Understood Ruminas-sama."
"Diablo, Shion, you too."
"Understood."

The four left leaving us alone. She then led me through some hallways. We then descended down a few stairs and seemed to enter what appears to be a hidden room with a coffin in the centre.

"That is Chronoa's body." She said pointing to he coffin.

I move over and see a beautiful girl lying inside. She is definitely Chloe. I can see quite a few resemblances. I touch the coffin and my hand starts burning. Though it regenerated, I still felt the pain.

"What is this?" I ask.
"The coffin? That is the 'Holy Arc'. Monsters like us are damaged when we touch it."
"I see. So how do you take her out?"
"That's the problem. I can't tell you."

I glare at her. She brought me all the way here just to tell me she can't free her.

"If you are joking, it wasn't funny."
"Nope. I am completely serious."
"Ruminas. I am being serious. This is the last time I am asking politely. HOW do you get her out."
"Hoh? So you want to fight? You might be strong, but don't get cocky."
"So you have to take the difficult way, huh?"

As soon as I say that, she fortifies her barrier. But that's useless. The thing that will attack her is already attached to her brain.

Ruminas's POV

I brought Rimuru here as per the deal, but even I don't know how to get her out. Chronoa never told me how to. She just said that she will come out on her own. But there is no way I will tell him that I don't know. But, really, Rimuru really wants to fight. I guess I will have to show him how to be a little humble. I fortify my barrier but he doesn't move. What is he planning?

My arm?! Impossible! How? I look at my arm, but it is still there. How? I am sure I felt that it was cut off. My legs. What is happening? An illusion? No. There is no way. How did he do it? I look at him but he is just looking at me with a smile on his face. RIMURU!!!!

Ahh! My heart. My bones. What is this!? All my body hurts like hell. It is as if my body is breaking on it's own. How? I have never felt like this. What did he do? But suddenly the pain slowly fades away. Shit! Why is Asmodeus activating now? Not now. Shit. I can't let Rimuru see me like this. If it converts all my feelings into pleasure, it will be too much for me.

(A/N:- Both Luminous and Dino have ultimate skills in this fanfic to make it more balanced.)

Rimuru's POV

As soon as she fortifies her barrier, I tell my clone to take over her nervous system. My clone has already attached to her brain. My controlling the Medulla of her brain, I can control the sensations she feels. This was quite an effective interrogative method in my old world. I start of slow, by making her feel that she lost her limbs and then slowly moved towards her important body organs.

She must have felt her bones shattering, heart squashed, stomach bursting, lungs on fire, skull cracking and so on all at once. Must be painful. Well, this proved quite useful. I had already learnt from Raphael that monsters such as Vampires have their main body control in their brain, unlike demons or angels, who have the main control in their souls.

I guess she will tell me soon enough. She glares at me, but I just give her a smile. But suddenly something odd happened. Her breathing became haggard and she started gasping. The fact that she was gasping caught me off guard. She doesn't need to breathe, does she?

I knew it. So why is she gasping. And the way she is doing it. It is more as if she is enjoying it. What the hell? Did I break her? Or is she an M?

"Ri-Rimuru. Stop it. I am sorry. I apologize. I will do whatever you want. Just stop. I promise. I will be subservient to you. So stop."

She said as she fell on the ground, breathing hardly. What the hell? This feels like the genre of the story changed. Oi, author. What did you do?

(Nothing much. Just don't break the fourth wall, will you.)
Shut up. What am I supposed to do about this?
(I don't know. You do you. Do whatever you want. Geez, where is the flex tape.)

Huh? If such a beautiful woman like Ruminas says that, I will definitely be excited. But the fact that I am not is concerning. Raphael, do you know the reason.
...
Raphael?

I see. That explains it.

"So? What happened to you suddenly? Whatever it was certainly was more effective than the pain I was giving you."

I say, but she doesn't respond. I go towards her and bend down and pull her head up by her hair. She had hearts as her pupils. What the hell? Is this a that type of game?

"Reply." I said authoritatively.
"Hah. Hah. Hah. It is due..hah... to my skill."
"Skill?"
"Hai."
"So?"
"It turns any excessive sensations to pleasure...hah... after it crosses a certain threshold."
"I see. So the pain got converted to pleasure."

I quickly order my clone to stop and release Ruminas. Her head falls onto the floor. She doesn't respond for some time. She is getting on my nerves now. She can't even control her skills. Tch.

"Oi. Get up." I say, yet she doesn't respond. I go over to her and kicked her into the coffin. Her skin was burning and her skin burning could be heard.

"Are you getting up or not?"

She slowly stood up and glared at me.

"Are you sure you want to glare at me? I know your weakness now, you know?" I said licking my lips.

"Tch. Even I don't know how to get her out. She just said that she will come out on the own when the times comes."
"See. It wasn't that difficult now, was it? Oh, by the way, remember what you said. I might have to use you quite a fair bit. Alright? Also, don't tell anyone about what happened here."
"As if I will tell anyone this humiliating thing."
"Good." I say as I look at her one last time and leave.

I guess I will have to rely on Chloe. If she doesn't comes out till the time we are going back, I will just ask Chloe.

--

How was it? I hope you enjoyed. Also, Ruminas is a potential waifu guys. If you want someone else, tell me. I will try to add them if I feel like it. Anyways, like and follow.

CH-54

It's the next day and Takt and his group are busy checking their instruments. Me and the children along with Shizue are about to go on a tour around Ruberios.

"Diablo, make sure the band members are well protected."
"Understood. I have already told Veyron and his subordinates to secure the perimeter."
"Good."

That's Diablo for you. Always ready. As we go around, I noticed something. Ruberios was a complete antithesis to Tempest. People led simple life without any luxuries.

"This feels... boring ?" Alice said.
"No one seems to be truly happy. Even the children are working." Kenya supported Alice.

"That is because everyone is under the name of one tru God. There is no school or such in Ruberios."
"That is because the people here don't know about the luxuries of the outside world. They are safe and have their stomachs filled. There is nothing more they need." Shizue explained to them. We continues to look around for a time after which we go back. Looks like he children were not happy to see such a lifeless country.

Yuuki's POV

I am going to meet with Granbell. Rimuru told me to help him out till the time he gives me something valuable enough and it doesn't seem forced. Now that I think about it, what will Granbell even offer me?

"It's been a long time Yuuki."
"Yes it has been."

After that I tell him what had happened.
"I see. So Mariabell died."
"Ya. And now Rimuru might just kill me you know?"
"I know. So listen to this. Help me take down that demon lord."
"Huh? What do I have to gain? I don't want to antagonize him anymore than I already have."
"Then what about humanity? That Demon lord will take over the world."
I never really cared about humanity till the time I get what I want.
"So? Rimuru is a good person and wants to live along with humans."
"You know that the God Luminous is Demon lord Valentine. Don't you? I can give you her secret treasure."
"Secret treasure?"
"Yes. The hero who sealed Veldora."
"What?"
"Yes. Your skills can free her and you can use her to fulfill your wishes."
"I see. Very well. You better hold your end of the promise."
"I will."

After that I leave the room and go to my room and tell everyone what happened.

"So? What should we do boss?" Laplace asked.
"I guess we should tell Rimuru-san about this."
"Is that so? Well, you are our boss. We will follow you." Teare replied.
I see. They really are more than what I could ask for.

"Rimuru-san, you can hear me, right?"
"Yep. Loud and clear." I heard someone say beside me. Jesus. Don't just come out of nowhere. Rimuru-san was sitting beside me with a cup of tea as if it was completely natural. The others were surprised as well, but didn't do anything. I guess this has happened once before as well.
"So? I am sure you heard it all."
"Yep. The Human Hero who sealed Veldora, Chronoa."
"Yes. So, should I just go along with his plans or suggest something else to him?"
"No. Just follow his plans. What did he say?"
"He said that he would pit you against Demon Lord Leon. Meanwhile Razul would fight your opponents. I would then sneak into the holy sanctuary to steal the Holy Arc or something."
"I see. Go along with it then. Leon, huh? This will be interesting. Anyway, you should get ready. After this, you have to go to the Eastern Empire."
"Hai. I know."
"A piece of warning, don't try to leave any evidence behind when you go to the Empire. They have some intelligence officers there and they are doing a damn good job at it. Even Moss is having trouble infiltrating."
"Isn't he a demon peer?" I ask. If he can't get in, then it must be dangerous.
"He is. I hope this tells you how serious it is. Also, Guy has an eye on you. Better be careful." He says, as he shoots an ice spear outside the window. I use Magic Sense to follow it and see that it hit a demon straight in its chest and killed it in one blow. I turn to look towards Rimuru but he had already teleported away.
"What should we do boss?" Laplace asked.
"What can we do? Well, he doesn't seem to be betraying us. He killed a subordinate of Guy. So I am sure he will cover for us. Till the time we have worth for him atleast."
"Hohoho. You are right boss. I don't want to fight him. I have a bad feeling."

Tch. To think I will become someone else's pawn. Well, it is better than being fighting on two different fronts.

Rimuru's POV

I had thought Granbell was just an old man waiting his death. I guess he still has a punch him. Well, I guess this will be fun. So Yuuki's skill should be enough to free her. And Razul? If I am correct he is an Insectar just like Zegion. This would be good fight for Shion. I guess I should allow Ranga to help as well.

3rd Person POV

In a beautiful garden, a beautiful elf could be seen sitting elegantly. Her hair flowing in the air was so beautiful that people might question if it was straight out of a picture. This is girl is none other than Elmesia, ruler of Sarion. Opposite to her sat a man. The man with blonde hair was Leon.

"So, Leon-kun. Long time no see."
Leon just nodded.
"Come on Leon-kun. Don't be so cold. Other people will misunderstand you."
"I don't care if they do."
"*sigh* And look where it got you. You might have to fight Rimuru, you know."
"No. I am sure he can be conversed with. Much better than the other demon lords."
"Hmm? Are you afraid of Rimuru? Could it be? Could it be that he is stronger than you?"
"That is beside the point. I don't know how strong he truly is, so I cant tell. So it's obvious that I will avoid fighting."
"So? Why did you come here? Let me guess. You want to ask me if I have seen any kids in Tempest."
'Her information network is scary. And the way she knows me so well. But, I have no choice but to rely on her now.' Leon thought.
"Yes. Especially if a girl named Chloe was there."
"So you are finally trusting me. I am glad."

Both Leon and Elmesia have been quite close in the past. Not just as rulers of El Dorado and Sarion, but way back, when Leon was still a hero.

"As for your question, yes. I saw her there. She was enjoying the festival as any normal kid."
"I see. That's good. The Rossos are creating nothing but troubles for me. They are forcing me to go to Ruberios."
"Hoh. Forcing a demon lord. Must be quite a convenient trump card they have. Or maybe it is exposing your plans?"
"Even you know it is nothing like that."
"I know. I was just teasing you. You really haven't changed a bit Leon-kun. The defense force of the north and all of the Rosso's army have been deployed in Ruberios. I am sending the Magus Order to reinforce. Do you want to come aboard? My airship is going to be the fastest way to reach Ruberios."
"I see. Sorry for troubling you then."
"No problem, Leon-kun. We have known each other for a long time."

They both stand up and leave. In the empty garden, no, the supposed to be empty garden, a figure appeared. With his blue hair which shone like the moonlight covering his face.

"I see. So she is going to be troublesome. She has quite a good information network. She will be a deadly enemy and favorable ally. Well, I will use her the best I can." Rimuru mutters and disappears.

--

That's it. I hope you guys enjoyed. Like and Follow.

CH-55

Rimuru's POV

It's a sunny day. The perfect day to relax and enjoy. Me and Hinata were having breakfast when a new recruit came running in.

"Report. A large number of enemies have attacked the Grand Cathedral and are being fought against."
"Calm down. What are their numbers. How many casualties have we sustained?"

That's Hinata for you. Always calm and composed. Having someone like her under my command in my previous life would have made it much easier for me. Well, let's not think about it.

"Hai. There are about 100 enemies. Some casualties have been sustained amongst the Holy Knights and Pope's Imperial Guard, but no civilians have been injured. It seems like they know the layout of the Cathdral very well."
"I see. Don't let your guard down. Deploy all the Holy Knights and do not underestimate them. They are men of Gran, the leader of the Seven Clergy."

I turn to look at Diablo and he smiles as if everything is under control. I am sure he just contacted Venom through telepathy. I quickly open a portal and say, "Let's go. It would be troublesome if plans go awry now."
"What plans?"
"The music performance." I said with a smile. Looks like she won't trust me, but that doesn't matter. She isn't getting anything else out of me.

I go through the portal. Shizue and the kids were already with the band. The band continued to practice even when they were fighting. What is this? Background music during the fight? Is this an anime? What the hell? I quickly go to the place the kids were.

"You guys, don't run around all right? Shion, Diablo, protect the kids. Shizue, you should come with me."
"Huh? Are you sure?"
"Yes. Don't worry. With Shion and Diablo here, the kids will be fine."
"Alright then."

I take Shizue with me and head towards the front gate. There, Hinata was busy fighting an old man. He looked to be quite good in fighting. His fighting style was refined.

"So you are Granbell, nice to meet you."
"I see. So you are the Demon Lord Rimuru. How dare you kill Mariabell!!?"
"It wasn't my fault that she overestimate herself. And I would have killed her regardless. If not then, then right now as you die."
"Looks like you are also overestimating yourself. I am a hero."
"So? I am a Demon Lord. Aren't we destined to fight? Why are you busy fighting Hinata."
"Hah. Maria. Go and bring back Ruminas-sama. If she resists, it is fine to kill her."

As soon as he said that, a woman came out from the crowd. She seems to be in her 20s.

"Understood. Executing command." She said and left towards the Church.

A machine? Also, is she related to Mariabell? They look quite alike.

How do you know with just a look? No. I won't even ask. No need to answer.

"Hinata-sama, there is no need for you to fight. Head Priest Gran, we will be your opponent." Cardinal Nicholas said. Three Holy Knight Captains, Arnaud, Ritase and Leonard bought time for Nicholas to cast Disintegration. Bad move. Not by Nicholas but Hinata. Now that Gran was distracted, this was the perfect time to take care of other problems.

Right now, Hinata is just standing there with her body cooling down and losing adrenaline. A human body is quite amazing. In a situation of do or die, it can function for days with limited resources due to adrenaline with little to no drawbacks. Yet, it is not omnipotent. It has it's own drawback. Once an adrenaline rush dies down, fatigue takes over and it can take up to 24 hours before adrenaline rush in the body can occur again. Hinata is still a human and cannot force her body to secrete adrenaline at will. Hence it is imperative that she uses it to it maximum advantage. A monster like me doesn't need it, but Hinata is still a saint.

Meanwhile, Granbell doesn't seem to have any trouble fighting three of the Holy Knight Captains at once. Nicholas has finished chanting and casts Disintegration. Granbell doesn't seem scared at all.

"Hmm. Your control over magic is quite exquisite. Really, quite commendable." He says as if tutoring him. As soon as he says that, he absorbs the Disintegration into his sword.

"That is..." Hinata quickly prepares stance, but the others weren't so lucky. I quickly cast a barrier around them. It should prevent them from dying on the very least.

"Are you guys alright?" Hinata asked.
"Hmm. So no one died. I guess you should thank that demon lord." Granbell said.
"Why you.." Shizue said and was about to move in when she stopped. Rather I stopped her.
"Calm down Shizue. You don't have to fight him."
"What are you saying Rimuru-san. He is-"
"Calm down and look around."

It was then she noticed that there were other people as well. They were all otherworlders.

"I brought those here as gifts, Demon Lord Rimuru. They are from the same world as you. There is no way you will kill them right? They are powerless after all."
"Shizue, I will deal with them, you take care of him." I say pointing towards the airship coming towards us.
"Leon is on that ship. Take your revenge." I whisper to her as I quickly go and put the otherworlders to sleep one by one. There were some otherworlders who were Japanese, some Indian,some American, some from Europe. These were fine. But there were some whose race I couldn't identify. So there are other worlds beside our two and summoning from them is possible.

Just as I was finished, I heard a loud, crashing noise at the Grand Cathedral. We all turn to look there.
"I did tell Razul to destroy the Cathedral, I guess he is doing it too flamboyantly."

The kids are still there. With Diablo there, it should be fine, but an Insectar will be tough to fight against, even for Diablo.

"I guess so. So, is he Razul? Quite weak. I thought he would be stronger. Well, I guess humans really are disappointing."
"You. You.. you newborn demon lord!! You just don't know the true power of Razul. Hahaha. He is strong. Stronger than even me. Do you really think he is weak now? When he is even stronger than me?"
"Huh? Of course. Do you think you are strong? You are pathetically weak, you know. I could kill you right now if I wanted,but that would be too boring. So entertain me a bit, will you? The only thing you have for yourself are cheap party tricks. You are more of a clown than a hero."
"You!!"

Looks like he is losing his calm. What an idiot. Looks like Hinata has managed to understand what I was trying to do. Earlier the battle was in favor of Granbell, but now, due to his anger, he is slipping up and Hinata is no longer a sitting duck. This was all within expectations except her. I didn't expect Guy to move. Oh well. This will be perfect.

'Ranga. Go and help Shion.'
'Understood.'

I then use telepathy net.
'Diablo, something on your mind?'
'Rimuru-sama. Yes.'
'Is it regarding her.'
'As expected of Rimuru-sama. To notice her.'
'Shion, Ranga is in your shadow. You two work together to keep Razul at bay. Diablo, go and take of her for me. Don't kill her. Just annoy her a bit. Annoying Guy will be fun.'
'Understood.' All three said at the same time and got to work.

--

That's it. I hope you guys enjoy. Like and follow.

CH-56

3rd Person POV

"Kufufufu. Rimuru-sama really saw through me." Diablo said.
"Of course. It is Rimuru-sama we are talking about." Shion said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Well then, First Secretary, I will be taking my leave. Are you sure you will be able to defeat him?" Diablo said looking at Razul.
"Hmph. To tell you the truth, I know that you are stronger than me Second Secre-no, Diablo. But, if even you have to move out then someone much stronger is there, right?"
"Kufufu. I never expected you to call me by name."
"You can call me Shion as well. One day I will be stronger than you. You better be ready. Then Rimuru-sama will have no need of you."
"Kufufu. Then I will just get stronger."

As soon as Diablo said that, he turned to look at Venom.
"Even if you die, protect the kids."
"Hai." Venom replied.
'If only you took more care of us.' Venom thought.

Diablo then teleports to another room. Several Holy Knights are lying on the floor. A beautiful maid in a red maid dress was standing there. She turned towards Diablo. As soon as she saw him, her eyes went wide.

"Noir? Why? What are you doing here? And why do you have a body? I thought you were not interested in gaining power."
"Don't call me that. I already have a beautiful name, Diablo. Call me by that name."
"You have a NAME?!! Who was idiotic enough to name you?"
"So you want to die, huh? Let me help you then."
"Wait. Who named you?"
"It is my beautiful master, Rimuru-sama."
'Rimuru-sama named him? Carrera is also serving him. What is happening?' Raine thought.

Raine then dashed straight at Diablo.
"Quick to move huh?"
"Just shut up. I just bloody hate you. I will release all my pent up anger on you."

Raine always hated the free spirited Diablo. Unlike the other primordials who sought power, Noir, now Diablo just did what pleased him. He had fought Guy to a draw before Guy was summoned. Even after Guy was summoned, Noir refused to obtain a body as if sneering at the other primordials who sought power.

Rain believed that all demons should have one goal. That is to obtain a body and evolve. Yet Noir refused to do so. This angered Raine to the extent that she would have killed him, if she could do so. She herself knew that the fight with Noir would be close, even though she had the advantage of being named and having a body.

"You haven't gotten used to your body, have you? Don't worry. I will kill you before you can get used to it."

Raine said and dashed at Diablo. Her hands slashing at Diablo, just like a knife. Diablo just stops Raine by pushing her aside, using her own momentum against her. Raine then continues to attack using not only her hands but magic as well. Diablo kept dodging and avoiding her attacks.

"Is that all you can do, Noir? Run around like a dog. Well, I guess it suits you."
"Did Guy not teach you anything? What have you even been doing for the past 2000 years?"
"Huh? What are you saying?"
"Look around you."

It was only then that Raine realized what was happening. I large three dimensional magic circle surrounded her. With layers upon layers stacked upon each other, it was nigh-impossible for someone to escape this.

"This... this is..."
"Disintegration. One of the strongest holy magic." Diablo said as if it shouldn't be surprising.
"Are you mad. A demon using holy magic? The repercussions if not handled properly are enormous."
"Do you not even know this? If your faith in your master is strong enough, then even demons like us can use holy magic. Remember this. Well then, I hope we meet again after you revive."

As Diablo said that, Disintegration activated, attacking Raine from all sides. Raine tries and manages to dodge the first few attacks but it was all futile afterwards as thousands of Disintegration continued to attack even after nothing of her remained.

Meanwhile, in a secret room,

Three figures could be seen in a room which could be barely be caught lit. The room had just a single piece of furniture, a couch to be exact. This couch seemed extremely out of place compared to the coffin in front of it.

Demon lord Ruminas is sitting on the couch with wine in her hand. Even after hearing the loud noises outside, Ruminas refused to go out. It was a simple intuition for Ruminas, but her intuitions had always been on the mark. She knew that Granbell wouldn't attack without a plan. There was only one thing that was worth Granbell's time. The Hero who sealed The Storm Dragon.

Meanwhile, Gunther and Louise stood behind their mistress. They knew that Luminous had been in a bad mood ever since she came back from her meeting with Demon Lord Rimuru. Yet, she refused to give any concrete answer about what had happened. Suggesting to go out and see what is happening will only anger Ruminas. They both knew this and did not dare to say anything.

And as if to answer Ruminas's intuition, two people barged into a room.

"There are people here? Looks like they expected here." One of the intruders said.
"Hoho. So what? We just have to defeat them."
"Calm down Footman. That babe over there must be the real Demon Lord Ruminas."

"So? Who are you? I will allow you to state your name." Ruminas asked. These two were no threat for Ruminas. Yet, they were not weak. Ruminas had also gotten a bit more cautious after her little incident with Rimuru.

"My name is Laplace, the Wonder Pierrot, the vice-leader of the Moderate Harlequin Alliance; and this is my friend Footman, the Angry Pierrot."
"I see. Well then let's get this over with."
"Calm down. She came with us just for this reason you know."

Just as she said this, another women came in.
"She is... um, what was her name? Mar.."
"I know you. Maria, was it? The girl Gran was so addicted to."
"Ah right. Maria."
"Well, the introductions are over."
"Wait, wait, wait. Granbell had a message for you."
"Hoh? What does he want to say now?"
"He said 'Ruminas-sama, come out and fight. If you don't then everyone who is important to you will die.' He should be fighting against that monster, Hinata. I wonder between them who wi-"

Laplace spoke but was cut halfway by Louise who had attacked him after Ruminas told him to do so. Both Gunther and Footman faced each other. All the four left the room to avoid any damage.

"Looks like Gran couldn't get over you. Even my resurrection can't save someone whose soul is gone. Atleast let me kill you myself."

As Luminous says so, she attacks Maria and throws her out of the room and follows her.

As silence falls on the room, a figure comes out of the shadows.

"Phew. I really thought I would get caught. Next time I meet you Rimuru-san, you owe me." Yuuki says as he moved out of the shadows and headed for the coffin.

"So this is the Holy Ark. I guess Rimuru-san was saying the truth that he couldn't remove it. Only my 《Anti-skill》is of any use against this."

What Yuuki had said wasn't wrong. But this did not mean that Rimuru couldn't have undone the seal. It would just take Rimuru, or Raphael, a long time to do so.

Yuuki quickly undoes the seal and looks inside. A beauty with black hair laid inside it. She seemed to be about 16 years old.

"This would be considered sexual harrassment, wouldn't it?" Yuuki said as he took the hero with her and quickly left.

--

That's it. Like and follow. I hope you enjoy.

CH-57

Outside the Grand Cathedral
Shizue's POV

After defeating the otherworlders, Rimuru-san teleported away. But what he said was still on my mind. Demon lord Leon. Just as I was looking at the approaching ship, Demon Lord Leon teleported in front of me.

"Demon lord Leon. Good to see that you are here. As you had ordered, we had summoned many children, but we had problems delivering them. I am sure you can see the problem."
"What is the meaning of this?" I asked Demon Lord Leon.
"It wasn't just me? You summoned even more?"
"Of course. You see, young children will die if not given a spirit. By saving them, he can use them as his secret weapon." Granbell answered.

I just dashed at Demon Lord Leon and punched him. I was sure he would block or dodge. But nothing of that sort happened. I punched him and he didn't even move. He stopped his subordinates from taking action and took my hit head on. His lips were bleeding but he wiped it.

I knew it. Demon Lord Leon is not a bad person. He was cold to me. Didn't talk much to me. Yet he didn't leave me alone. He taught me about this world. Gave me Ifrit. And then left me in the care of the Hero. I know it, yet. It is hard to accept it.

"Are you satisfied now?"
"Why? Why Leon-sama? Why did you summon me? Why did you ask him to summon them." I asked pointing to the otherworlders that Rimuru-san defeated.

"I have a reason for it."
"What could be as important that you sacrificed hundreds of poor children."
"To find my childhood friend. She was summoned just like us."
"Just for that? If she was summoned, you should have looked for her. Not summon more in Hope's of summoning her."

I yell at him and dash at him. I quickly take out my sword and cover it with my flames. I then slash at him, but he just blocked with his sword. I quickly create some distance between us and then attack him with water balls. This seems to have caught him off guard. I might be good with fire magic, but that doesn't mean I can't use other elements.

I then quickly use my fire to evaporate the water balls causing steam to rise. Even though Leon doesn't need eyes to see, he was once a human. Not being able to see caused him to falter for a moment. I used this chance and striked at him. I went straight for his waist. He managed to block it. As expected. I knew he was strong. I continued to attack. He was on the back foot because I was not giving him time to properly adjust his posture, yet he was able to hold me off with ease.

'Should I help?' Agni asked.
'Yes please. Put all your strength in the next attack.'
'Alrighty.'

I then covered my sword with blue flames, which with the help of Agni has reached a black color. I quickly dash at Leon, aiming at his neck. He moves his sword to block it. As expected. When I was very close to him, I changed my target and aimed at his waist. He wasn't able to bring his sword down on time.

Why? Why is this happening? I put everything in that attack, yet Leon just stopped it with his bare hands? How? He isn't even injured? So this is the difference between us? Did Rimuru-san know the difference between us? Then why did he tell me to fight?

"Calmed down?"
"Why? Why did you not attack me back. In the entire fight, you never once attacked me. Am I not worth it?"
"Well, there are two reasons for that. One is because of him. He told me to not go too hard on you."
Him? Does he mean Rimuru-san?
"Secondly, I wanted to atone for what I did. I don't regret the choice I made. If I were to go back in time, I am sure I would do the same. I won't ask for your forgiveness. You can hate me all you want."

A few minutes ago,
Elmesia's ship...

Rimuru's POV

I teleport to El-tan's ship. It appears like Leon was about to teleport to the ground.

"Yo. It has been a while, hasn't it?" I say, sitting on the seat Leon was previously sitting on.

The Magus orders raised their weapons and were about to attack but were stopped by Elmesia.

"Rimuru?" Leon looks surprised.
"Can you not teleport here without warning? This ship is supposed to have a barrier, you know." El-tan complained.

"I know. You are going down there, right Leon?"
"Yes. So what?"
"You see, Shizue is there."
His eyes widened for a second, but soon went back to normal.
"So?"
"I don't mind what you do and how you decide to fight her. But don't kill her or traumatize her." I said as I released my aura. Leon countered by releasing his own aura.

"And what if I dont?"
"Wouldn't it be a shame if El Dorado were to be wiped out of the map of the world. A real shame, wouldn't it be?"
"Is that supposed to be a threat?" The question came surprisingly from Elmesia.
"If it is so, then Saruon will support El Dorado. Let me tell you."
"So? Am I supposed to be scared? I have more than enough forces to take on both Sarion and El Dorado at once."

The atmosphere became heavy. Well, I wasn't completely bluffing either. I am sure we can take both El Dorado and Sarion at once, but it will leave us defenseless against the Empire. Guy would probably also move.

"But. There is not much for any one of us to gain out of this. So why don't you do all three of us a favor, Leon and not kill Shizue."
"Fine." He said after a moment of hesitation and teleported along with his subordinates.

"Did you really have to say that?" Elmesia asked.
"Of course. It is important for Leon to know that I will not back down from a fight."
Elmesia just sighed as we continued to observe the fight.
"But this must have taken quite a lot of preparation to do. Three demon lords, a true hero and a saint."
Hearing that brought a smile to my face.
"Huh? Why are you smiling?"
"It's four demon lords and two true hero."
"What?"
"Yep. Guy is also here."

She went quiet. Looks like she is trying to put the pieces together.

"Wait. Could the hero be?"
"Looks like Shizue couldn't hatch her egg." I say changing the topic.
"Huh?"
"I thought Shizue would hatch her Hero's egg, if she fought with Leon, but that doesn't seem to have happened."
"Wait. You were aiming for what?"
"A new hero to be born. If she were to awaken, I would have better chances against the Empire."

I looked around. Shizue and Leon continued to battle, but it was more of a training for Shizue as Leon was holding back quite a fair bit. Meanwhile, Shion and Ranga were fighting against Razul.
Being an Insectar, his defense was impeccable. Shion was taking many hits but due to her 《Ultraspeed Regeneration》 they healed quickly. Meanwhile Ranga would attack while hiding from the shadows. It was a good strategy but it doesn't seem to be working.

Meanwhile, it looks like Hinata is tired. Granbell really pushed her to the limits, huh? Looks like Hinata is about to go all out. I wonder how it will go out.

Knew it. But I really want to know what Hinata's limit is. What is Diablo doing?

--

That's it. I hope you guys enjoyed. Like and follow.

CH-58

Meanwhile...
3rd person POV

Diablo's mind was in a turmoil. He couldn't decide whether to act haughty and go back after killing Raine, or tell Guy and Raine that he knew they were here. Razul was no easy opponent. But since Rimuru had told him to annoy Guy, he decided to stay there. Diablo after all was a firm believer of Rimuruism, believing that whatever Rimuru said was the law.

"You can come out now. No need to hide."

As he said that, both Guy and Raine appeared.

"Long time no see, Noir. I wonder why you evolved now? You are not like those three, after all." Guy said, looking all calm and composed. But on the inside, he was baffled. He didn't know whether Diablo evolving was a good thing or not.

As an old rival, he was happy, yet as the mediator of the world, he was confused. He didn't know how to deal with Diablo. He had always been an oddball. If that wasn't enough, a single demon lord now had two primordials serving him. The balance of the world he had created was breaking.

"Hmph. I have my own reasons. But the most important was Rimuru-sama. He is the only person worthy of being my master."
"I see. So you already know about, Jaune, I presume."
"Carrera? Yes I do. I even know about Testarossa and Ultima."
"Testarossa and Ultima? Don't tell me."
"Yep. They are the Blanc and Violet."
"There were rumors about Blanc serving him, but even Violet? My head. And they are named."
"Well, I heard he managed to join the Western Council."
"Of course. Such a thing is very easy for my master."
"Of course. So I sent Mizeri over there to create some chaos."

Hearing this, Diablo just smirked.

"Did you think Rimuru-sama had not foreseen that. He already knew you might do such a thing so he Testarossa there."
"Is that so? Let's see what happens then."

Meanwhile, in the Council Room,
Ingrassia

Testarossa's POV

"The demons are coming south?"
"What is the Count of Sidre Border doing?"

The entire council is in chaos. Rimuru-sama did tell me to be aware of the movement of demons under Red. To think it was true. As expected of Rimuru-sama.

But how do these humans think they will survive? As a council, every decision will be first voted, then acted upon by each kingdom on its own. I wonder why Rimuru-sama doesn't just control this entire place directly. Well, Rimuru-sama did give me this duty, so I will complete it to perfection.

"Everyone silence. Now is not the time to argue. We have the representative of Demon Lord Rimuru-sama here, Testarossa-dono. She has been entrusted to be Rimuru-sama's proxy, so she is surely worthy of leading the coalition army."

As soon as the speaker said that, everyone started analyzing me. Atleast what these humans could.

"Um- I know this might be rude Testarossa-dono, but can you really lead an army?"
"Of course. No need to worry. Also, Moss. Give the report."

I had learnt a lot about warfare strategies with Blanche. Humans focus more on numbers rather than strength as they are so weak.

"Hai. Reliable reinforcements have reached the northern defense. The Dragon ships have reached the place under the Elf's order."
"Everything you heard is the truth, Speaker-dono. Also, Moss. It is extremely rude to call His Majesty Rimuru-sama's ally an 'elf'." I say glaring at him. He hasn't grown at all. Looks like I will have to educate him again. But he is lucky. Doing so here might traumatize the councillors so I will leave him for now.

"My utmost ap-"
"Don't ever do it again. Make sure to address her as Her Majesty Elmesia."
"Hai."

"Our country supports Testarossa-dono."
"How could you say that? If the report is false then it would be too late."

Looks like the entire council is divided into two about what to do. But I don't care about that. I look around the council. I am sure that someone in the council is connected to the demons. There is no way that they would know the perfect time and place to strike. Red didn't care about getting information regarding humans earlier. And I am sure he doesn't now. But to think humans are creating their own downfall. How idiotic.

"I get it. It was you, wasn't it, Johann Rostia."
"Huh? What did I do?"

As I said that, all the other councillors quieted down, trying to understand what happened.

"As I guessed. Monsters cannot be trusted. Guards. Guards. Come here at once."

"Are you done? Then why don't you tell me who you were talking to with via 《Magic Communication》"
"Huh? What-what do you mean?"
"Just to whom did you give the order to disrupt the magical barrier of Ingrassia."

"What?"
"Is that true?"
"No way."
"Why would you do so?"

Looks like the councillors are all in chaos, again. Meanwhile, Johann seems to have calmed down.

"Girard-dono, the barrier is destroyed. Please summon that lord."

As soon as he said that, Girard came out. If I remember correctly, he was the leader of Apostles of Verte.

"Thank you, Johann-dono. As of this moment, our contract is complete."
"No need to thank me. Our interests just aligned. Now, do your job thoroughly and turn this place into a living hell." He said laughing maniacally.

"Ayn. It's time."

As soon as Girard said, she started summoning. A demon summoning? So it is either going to be Mizeri or Raine.
Well, it has been a long time since I have met either of them, so I will let her complete her chanting.

As expected, Mizeri walked in through the portal. Meanwhile, it looks like Johann was willing to sacrifice himself. What for? I don't know. I never understood how these idiots think. I am pretty sure Granbell wanted to protect humanity, yet here they are trying to destroy the peace they have developed. If only they pledged their loyalty to Rimuru-sama.

"It's over. Now our last wish will be accomplished, Granbell-sama." Johann shouted.

Meanwhile, it looks like Ayn just managed to stay alive. To survive after summoning a primordial like Mizeri. She sure is interesting.

Mizeri looks around the room until her eyes finally land on me. Her eyes went wide. Looks like she just realized that I was here. *Sigh*. I had told her even before she went to fight Guy that she should use 《Magic Sense》 but looks like she has yet to learn.

"It has been a while, hasn't it Mizeri?"
"Blanc? What are you doing here?"
"Call me Testarossa. It is the name Rimuru-sama gave to me, after all."
"You have a name!!?!! Not only a body but a name as well?"
"So? Wanna fight? It has been a long time since we last had a talk."

Looks like Mizeri is weighing the pros and cons of fighting me. I would have attacked her already, but then it would be difficult to protect everyone here like Rimuru-sama ordered. So I wanted to pressurize Mizeri to leave. Moss came and stood behind me. Looks like he understood what I wanted.

"Huh? Who do you think you are? Talking to the great diety like that. Soon you will be nothing but ash." Johann spoke. Looks like he was angered because I was talking to Mizeri so casually.

Meanwhile, it looks like Girard is catching onto the oddness of the situation. He started shivering as soon as he heard my old name, Blanc. I guess he knew who I was.

"No. My task was just to cause chaos. I have already accomplished that. I will not throw away my life without Guy-sama's permission. Then, I will take my leave."
"Oh. Is that so? Too bad. Here I was, looking forward to fight you."

As I said that, Mizeri teleported away.

"No way. Our Diety."
"Wh-who is she?"

Looks like the Inquisitors had entered the room earlier.

"Inquisitors, seize Johann and the Apostles of Verte."
"H-hai."

They took prompt action. This should help to play out in my favor. With this, the council should be effectively be under my control.

--

That's it. I hope you guys enjoyed. Like and follow. Sorry for the delay. Was out with the boys.

CH-59

3rd Person POV

Guy, the overlord and the mediator of the world, is currently having the biggest headache in his life. Let's skip over the fact that he is a demon and cannot feel pain. Because that is how great Rimuru is.

Till now, the world remained in a delicate balance. But due to Rimuru, it was completely shattered. He named and gave body to four primordials. Diablo aside, the other three would never bow down to anyone. What Rimuru has done is no longer in the realm of 'crazy' or 'overconfident'.

"Well, I guess i will go and give Rimuru a visit to clarify a few things."
"No. That sounds troublesome, so I refuse."
"Huh?" Guy was flabbergasted. He was about to burst out in anger, but managed to control it. If he got angry, then he had lost. Diablo could revive instantly, unlike other demons.

"Come on. I heard that Tempest is quite a beautiful country. This is no place to talk. I will go and there and talk."
"Fine. Let's talk later then."

Just praising Rimuru's country a bit was all it took for Diablo to change his mind. As soon as Diablo said that, Guy and Raine teleported away.

"Kufufufu. Looks like I managed to avoid a fight. I guess I can't win against him as I am now. I should get stronger." Diablo said.

Rimuru's POV

I look around at what is happening. Looks like Laplace and Footman are thinking of running away. Gunther an d Louise are doing a good job I guess. Anyways, Louise seems stronger. By a lot. Do you know anything, Raphael?

I see. That might be a possible explanation. Meanwhile, Luminous is fighting against Maria. She seems to be holding back quite a fair bit.

Ruminas's POV

It seems like Gran still could not overcome the love he had for this woman. To go as far as to make her corpse a death golem. But, she is really well made. It appears as if she was able to use many unique skills.

But. Something is wrong. She is strong. No doubt about it. Yet, to even give me a proper fight, she is weak. So why did Gran send her here. I quickly go to the place where the Holy Ark was. Please let it just be me overthinking things.

I reach the room. Gunther meets me midway as I keep Maria's attack from reaching me.

"Ruminas-sama, me and Louise have flushed out the invaders. I will proceed to go after him."

But before I could acknowledge what he said, I reached the room.

No way. A huge amount of my aura left my body, but I couldn't care less. The coffin was stolen. How?

"Gunther. Flush out whoever stole the Holy Ark."
"Understood."

As soon as he said that, he stood up and left. Maria tried to attack me, but I just pierced her body with my arm. I look around the empty room. It is completely destroyed. Damn it!

"DAMN IT! Gran! You will pay now. You will understand what it means to push my limits!!"

"Calm down."

I look around. A dark mist appears to have coiled around me. I tried to move, but my body instinctively froze. I look at the figure in front of me. It was a dark mist with a humanoid figure.

"Think calmly. Or else you will lose the Holy Ark."

Who? How does he know?

"Who are you?"

As soon as he said that, I felt a sudden pain in my heart.
"Now do you understand? "
"Rimuru?"
"Yep. I want the Holy Ark as much as you do. So don't mess things up."

As soon as he said that, the mist slowly dissolves and dissipates. Tch. Acting all haughty. But I know what he was saying was the truth.

Rimuru's POV

After telling Ruminas to calm down, I teleported to the Grand Cathedral. After some time, Luminas came bursting out of the underground room with Maria in her hands.

"Granbell. What do you want? You should know that she is dead. This is how you respect her."

Three? One is Chloe. Second is Chronoa. Who is the the third one?

It seems like Luminas and Granbell are busy talking to each other. Everyone stops fighting to listen to them. I meanwhile turn to look at Chloe. Chloe doesn't realize that I am looking at her, yet I could see a faint glow behind her. The glow started to move towards me.

She came to a stop in front of me and said, "Hinata. I know you already guessed it, but her dying is important for Chloe to go back in time."

I looked around. It doesn't seem like anyone other than me can see or hear her.

"I see. Then, I will make sure she dies, but, after you come back, you better explain everything to me."
"Alright."

I then made my way towards the children. I glanced at Granbell. Doesn't he look quite a bit younger now?

"This is why. Forgive your old past Hinata. Otherwise, you will never be able to have a light spirit reside in you. Even if killed someone close to you, if you don't forgive yourself, you will lose more people close to you."

As soon as he said that, he attacked with a wave like aura towards the children.

To protect them, both Veyron and Hinata jump in the way. But before either of them could be hurt, I devour the attack with Beelzebub.

"Rimu-"

Looks like she was genuinely surprised. Not only her but everyone who was there. Even Granbell. Though, I don't know what surprised them more. The fact that I was in front of the children and had predicted Granbell's attack, or the fact that my hand had pierced completely through Hinata's chest.

"Be quiet. I am sorry. You will understand why I did this soon. I won't ask you to forgive me. I had my own goals anyway. But, take care of Chloe."

"Huh? Wh-*cough* what do *cough* you mean?" She asked while coughing out blood.

I just put my finger on her lips, indicating her to remain silent.

"Eh? Hinata-oneechan? Rimuru-sensei? Why?" Chloe asked confused. She just ran to Hinata and looked at her.
"What are you doing Rimuru?" Ruminas said as she came towards with her sword. I just took my hand out of Hinata's chest and block her attack. I then use my free hand to knock Luminas straight into the nearby wall.

Meanwhile, Hinata has lost a lot of blood. It will be impossible to save her now, even if a full recovery magic is cast.

"Why? Why it wasn't the time yet? She didn't tell me anything about this."
"Chloe, take this *cough*. You can get str*cough*onger than me."
"No. I don't want this."

Suddenly, Hinata's body disintegrated into small light particles that went towards Chloe. After a little while, they both dissapeared. I look towards Ruminas, who had just recovered.

"You understand now?"
"Shut up. There must have been another way for this."
"Might have. But it would have been more troublesome. Anyway, Venom, protect the kids."

I had already made the kids and Shizue fall asleep due to my paralyzing poison. Leon was quite startled to see Shizue fall mid fight, so much so, that he didn't even realize what had happened.

--

That's it. I hope you guys enjoyed. Like and follow.

CH-60

Velgrynd's POV

It seems like his soul really is gone. Why did you do this brother? Without you, he has gone mad. He is trying to destroy what you created, just to revive you. Should I stop him?

No. If this brings brother back, then this might as well be worth it. With his soul in tatters like this, if someone can do anything, it can only be you, right, brother?

Rimuru's POV

Ruminas just looked at me with a glare.
"Tch." She clicked her tongue. But I didn't care much about it.

"Hahaha. I don't what prompted you to kill Hinata, but you have my thanks, Demon Lord Rimuru."
"Is that so? If you knew why I did that, you would pee your pants, you know."
"Oh my. I am quite scared, then." He said, slightly chuckling.

"Granbell!! You. You wanted a duel, didn't you. Let's end it today then." Ruminas said.
"Very well, Ruminas-sama, no, Ruminas."

Ruminas's heterochromatic red and blue eyes started to glow brighter as her expression changed. She was dead serious now. That's a good expression. So even she can make such a face. Interesting. Well then Ruminas, do show me what you can do when you are serious.

I look around. Shion and Ranga are being cornered but are still able to hold on their own. Shion was so concentrated that she didn't even see the explosion that had taken place. Meanwhile, I was standing in front of the kids. Diablo just returned.

"Diablo, create a barrier and protect the kids. Help Shion and Ranga only if she needs it."

I then moved towards Granbell and Ruminas. Just as I was moving towards them, I felt quite an ominous aura.

Suddenly a loud explosion happened. Again. As the dust settled down, a peerless beauty was standing there. She had a figure that would mesmerize anyone. Truly a thing that could be only seen in dreams. She was standing there completely naked.

"Geez, Granbell. I didn't get paid enough for this. This is way beyond my control. I am leaving. Now. She broke her seal on her own." Yuuki said as he quickly teleported away. But before teleporting away, he looked at me with a face as if challenging me.

"Don't worry about her, Ruminas. I will take care of her. Why don't you fight Granbell and show me your tricks."

I said that and dashed straight at the hero, Chronoa. As expected, she materialized her sword and blocked me. Instead of going on a counter attack, I waited. Chronoa donned on a spirit armor. I guess that even if she is no longer in control of the body, she still remembers what I taught her.

But why is she not in control?

Wait. I was in the cave for nearly three months then?
I am surprised nobody attacked me while I was sleeping.

I stop thinking about such things and look at Chronoa. She had black armor and a beautiful rapier equipped. Both of which overshadowed legendary grade weapon. They might just be mythical grade weapon and armor.

I quickly cast 《Absolute Defense》 on my sword and parry Chronoa's attack. It appears that she can break my barrier with every attack, using Absolute Severence. Why is it called Absolute if it can be broken. Well, I can complain later. I am using a lot of magicules to protect my sword. So I decided the best move at the time. To not use my sword.

I quickly create a gap between us and eat my sword. I then activate my dragon scales in my hands and feet. My scales are already as strong as mythical grade, if not stronger. I then continue to parry her attacks. It is easy to predict her attacks as her sword style is quite similar to mine and Shizue's. Yet, the power behind those attacks are devastating.

3rd Person POV

A woman in her early twenties with silky black hair and a face that could charm even those of the same gender as her stood in an open plain.

It might appear as if the person in question was enjoying the calm surrounding her, yet the inside of her mind was in chaos.

Hinata's POV

I am tired. My eyes just refuse to open anymore. I just want to stay in this dark void forever.

I had a good life and loving parents. Yet everything went downhill after my father's company went bankrupt.

If only father hadn't indulged in those drugs. If only all three of us had supported each other through hardships, maybe things would have been different.

'Human heart is a fragile thing. Yet if conditions are right, it could be harder than diamonds.'

I know. You were right Rimuru. Yet, for me, the correct conditions never arrived. In the end, you killed me. Damn it. I know I was a pain in my entire life. I killed my dad and made mom sad. That is why when I came to this world, i decided to help everyone. Where did i mess up? I just want to rest.

'-eechan.'
'-ata-oneechan.'

Who is it? It's noisy. Just let me rest.

'Hinata-oneechan.'
'Chloe?'

Why can I hear Chloe? I am sure this isn't my imagination. I use my skill 《Mathematacian》at its full power, yet I was unable to reach a conclusion.

'Hinata-oneechan. Can you hear me?'
'Yes. But what happened? I thought I died.'
'Yes. About that...'

She then explained to me about how she was sent into the past.

(A/N:- I am not explaining the entire time leap. I am sure all the Tensura lovers know what happen.)

'So, the skill only works when I die?'
'That is what i think. Even I am not sure. I have a bit of my memories. In the past life, you did not attack Rimuru-san, so this part where we are attacked by Granbell never happened. Also, Veldora-san is never released. But Rimuru-san still became a demon lord. I studied normally until I grew up. As I grew up, I started to have feelings for him. So, when the Empire attacked, I wanted to be selfish and tell him not to go. Yet, he just smiled and told me he would come back.'
'So Rimuru lost to the Empire?'
Also Rimuru-san? Not sensei?
'No. The initial attack was repulsed and Rimuru-san had even successfully counter attacked. Yet, someone killed him. I am not sure who it was, but Rimuru-san died. After that Veldora went on a rampage and me, Ruminas and you went to stop Veldora, but again, you were killed, activating my ability.'

'I see. But this still doesn't explain why I was killed by Rimuru.'
'I am not sure, but now that I have my past memories, I understand Rimuru-san better. I believe that this time Rimuru-san had somehow found out earlier about how to send me back in time and decided to do it.'

'But, why?'
'I don't know. But I know that there is something very different from all the previous loops.'
'That is?'
'Rimuru-san is still alive. If it is him, then he will definitelydo something so that we all can survive.'

I know. If it is him, then I can trust him. Even though he just killed me. Isn't that quite ironic. Even then, I just can't bring myself to hate him.

'Also...'
'Also?'
'Um.. something odd happened when I forcefully took your soul.'
'What happened?'
'You see. While I forcefully took your soul, I was unable to control the power properly and absorbed a bit of Rimuru-san's soul.'
'Wait. So he is here with us?'
'No. The part of soul is so small that it should have disintegrated on its own. Yet it did not. So I believe it must include memories important to Rimuru-san.'
'So? Should we take a peek at it and see what it is?'
'I guess. I hope it isn't something that will not make Rimuru-san angry if he gets to know that we saw it.'
'He killed me, you know? I don't think he has any right to complain.'

--

That's it. I hope you guys enjoyed. Like and follow.

CH-61

Hinata's POV

'Rimuru's memories, huh? I wonder what it is about.'
'Well, let's see then.'

We then take a peek at Rimuru's memories. It was as if I watching a movie, through someone else's eyes. I guess we are seeing what Rimuru saw back then.

The surrounding is completely destroyed with marks of explosion everywhere. There was no signs of life apart from the corpses on the ground.
'Eeeek. What is this? Why are they all dead?'
'Calm down. Rimuru told me he was a soldier, so this must be a battlefield. We should stay quiet and see what had happened.'

Chloe didn't respond. Even if she has her memories, she is still too pure, I guess. But, now that I think about it, why do all the soldiers have the same uniforms. Shouldn't the opposite side have some casualties as well?

Rimuru continues to move forward. The movement was sluggish and without even seeing his condition, I am sure he is pretty badly injured. As he continues to move, a large crater comes into view. No, calling it a crater would be incorrect. It was as if a large meteor had crashed on to the Earth. At the end of the crater was something that shouldn't exist. Atleast not on Earth.

'Is that a?'
'No way. There were no dragons on Earth, right?'
'Then could it be his memories after he came to this world?'
'Yes. That must be it.'

This conclusion that we had reached was soon proven wrong as well. The vision turns slightly red.

'Is that blood?'
'Most probably.'
'But Rimuru-san has Infinite Regeneration.'
'I know. So, this must mean this is before he reincarnated.'

He continued to move towards a white dragon. Blood covered its scale at many parts but its white and untainted scales were glowing brightly. Once he reached there, he looked down. There was a pool of blood at his feet, most probably of the dragon. In that blood, we could see Rimuru's reflection. There was a big gash at his forehead which was bleeding and his face, which was the only thing visible, was covered with blood.

'His face is different.' I tell Chloe.
'Um. That means this is how he actually looked before he reincarnated, right?'
'I guess.'
'I know this is not the time to say this, but...'
'But?'
'Rimuru-san was quite handsome, wasn't he?'
'Haaaah?'

Is this what love makes a person? I don't want to fall in love then.

"Tch. So you are still alive." Rimuru said.
"Haha. I am a dragon after all. It is not that easy to kill me, you know."
"Well, that ends now."
"You don't have any ammunition left, do you?"
"I don't need them anymore. You are going to die anyway."
"I guess I will."

They are talking as if they are old friends. I thought they would be at each others throat.

Rimuru just casually goes and sits next to him.

"So you are finally dead now. Happy?"
"Yep. I am glad that I can finally die."
"How old are you, even? Just 'very old' wouldn't cut it, alright."
"In your terms, I should be around 14 billion years old. Though I was sleeping the majority of the time."
'14 billion?'
"Billion? You know how much that is?"
"I know. By the way, do you believe in God?"
"Huh? Why the sudden change of topic?"
"Just answer me."

Rimuru then hesitates for a bit.
"...No. I once did, but it changed after she died."
"So you don't believe in God, huh?"
"No. Not anymore."
"I see. But God is real, you know. He was the one who created me. I am the only one of my species, after all."
"Hahaha. Now that you are dying, is your mind blowing up in smokes?"
"Say whatever you want, but that is the truth."
"Well, if God is real, then I would love to meet him. I will definitely ask him why he didn't help me when she died. But I guess it isn't that easy, is it?"
"No. The path is definitely not easy, but it is not impossible either."
"Oh really?"

Rimuru's tone was of a person that had full doubts about what was being said. Well, I can't blame him. I am the same. If someone were to tell me that it was possible to meet God, even I would doubt if that man was sane.

"Three of us. He created three of us. If you can defeat all three of us, then you can meet him."
"Why tell me all this?"
"Because, now that you have killed me, you are the only one who is legible to meet him. Here take this. These are your proof for defeating me. A trophy of sort."

A beautiful black-violet scale came in front of us.

"Also, he doesn't like to interfere, so it would be difficult to meet him."
"I see."
"I know you won't believe me now, but you will understand soon. I know, because it your fate."
"My fate?"
"Yes. You are fated to be a God-killer. So I hope that you protect those close to you and not go down the path of destruction. Power can take even the most humblest of man to death."
"I will keep that in mind."
"Thanks. I wish you luck in this journey, you call life, friend."
"You could call me by name, you know, Qaris."
"Hahaha. Maybe I could."

"But, your soul is still nameless. Anyway, this should protect your soul." He said this so lightly, that it was difficult to hear. It appears that Rimuru didn't hear it as he was too tired.

"C.C. Tell them that the dragon is dead."
"Understood."

A small drone came in front of Rimuru as the memories of this part of soul came to end.

'Ne, Hinata. What do you think about this? Is he from our world or maybe he is not summoned from Earth, rather some other dimension.'
'No. The chances are low. He knew a lot about the animes and mangas of our world. He also knew the history of our world. Let's ask him about this when we meet again. For now let's not tell anyone about this.'
'Alright.'

After that we continued on our journey. We spread our name as Chronoa, made friends with Ruminas and finally sealed Veldora. I finally beat that arrogant dragon. After that Chloe was summoned and her soul went to her child form. It was then that I finally understood how problematic Chronoa really was.

When I gave the name Chronoa, I lost my skill Usurper. It was as if I had named a monster. And that monster, Chronoa is now constantly fighting for the control over this body as her master, Chloe, is no longer here. But something about her is off. Her aura is cold. It seems as if she would destroy everything once she gains control. S9 I was doing everything to prevent it from happening.

I somehow manage to hold on. I then go to Demon Lord Leon's castle and take Shizue-sensei with me. Then, after teaching her everything I could, I went to Ruminas. It was about time for me to be summoned.

"Ruminas, have you created it?"
"Yes. Now all it needs is a bit of your holy aura."

I pour my mana into it and it starts glowing.
"Thanks for all this. Keep an eye out for me and Rimuru."
"Alright."

As I said that, I entered the Holy Ark. I wonder what will happen to me. Chloe has a proper body to go back to, but I am already dead. I hope Rimuru has done something. Ironic, isn't it. To wish that the person who killed you, will save you.

I then lay inside the coffin and Ruminas then seals it.

--

How was it? I hope you guys liked it. A bit of backstory as well. Like and follow me.

CH-62

Rimuru's POV

Geez. I knew she was strong, but this is too much. Just one of her attacks was enough to break through my barrier. If I use Uriel, then she uses holy particles which just moves through my barrier.

My arms and legs are completely bruised. I am using the martial arts I had learned, yet they are not yet perfect. The fact that there is magic is hindering how effective they are. And I have to defeat her alone? Geez. I should have accepted Leon's help when he offered it. Damn it.

No. He is definitely hiding his strength. I believe his ultimate skill must be on par with mine. Or else he wouldn't have stayed here.

'Rimuru-sama, I have a suggestion that might help.'
'Hoh? Speak.'
'Yes. I believe that by making physical contact, it might be possible to intersect the your spiritual realm with that of Chronoa. You can then calm her down and have a proper talk with her.'
'Interesting. Very well. I will try it if I have no other choice.'
'Hai. I suggest that you use something to stabilize her mental condition. Then, I wish you success.'

Raphael, what are the chances it will succeed?

What are the chances?

Oh. That's higher than I expected. Very well, create a replica of that mask.

Don't worry. I will take care of it.

Just as she said that, a replica of Shizue's mask appeared in my hand. I then dashed at Chronoa. To stop my motion, she tried to stab me. I blocked her stab with my left arm. The rapier pierced through my hand. I twisted my arm before she could react, disarming and proceed to place the mask on her face.

What I had done was simple, I caught her rapier using the two bone of my arm, radius and elna, and then twisted my arm, taking the rapier away from her.

As soon as I placed the mask on her, I felt as if my consciousness had been transported to another place. I had no clue how to do that. It was Raphael who did that.

As soon as I gained control, I proceeded to look into my surroundings. There was a straight line cutting the entire space into two. I was standing right on the line. The side which I was facing was sunny. There were no trees or plants growing there, but it wasn't barren either, just grass growing.

As I turned around, I saw a wasteland. With no signs of life anywhere. There was no sunlight. It was as if the light itself refused to enter such a desolate place. On the ground there were countless pieces of armor and swords.

Is this?

Quite depressing isn't it? To think it would be a battlefield. Well, I lived most of my life in a battlefield.

I move towards the grassy side. As I continued to move I saw a beautiful girl. It was Chronoa. Her eyes were dark. Yet her look of determination in her eyes were only beautiful. At least to me they were.

Don't say that. Also, stop reading my mind.

"Rimuru-san? Rimuru-san, is it really you?"
"Yes. It is me, Rim-" Just as I was speaking, Chronoa tackled me to the ground. I guess it would be better to say that she just ran to hug me and was unable to stop in time.

"Rimuru-san it rea-lly is you." She just sobbing and crying at me.

I just patted her head and let her calm down. After she calmed down, I finally asked her.

"Are you Chronoa?"
"Yes. I am the incarnation of evil that is sealed inside Chloe. I am an alternate personality, if you will. But if Hinata had not named me, I probably wouldn't have an ego."
"I see. So what do you want to do. Destroy the world."
She just cutely denied by shaking her head.
"No. Everything is fine now. Rimuru-san is safe and sound."
"Just call me Rimuru. By the way, I have always been safe and sound."
"How dare you say that? You just sacrificed yourself to save me."
"I-I see."
"This is my first time meeting you. Till now, I only had memories of you. Bad ones only."
"So, what about Chloe and Hinata?"

Chronoa then told me about all their journeys of the past 2000 years. It looks like Chronoa accepts herself as the second personality and Chloe as the main one.

"About Hinata, she is ... dead."
"Where is Chloe?"
"Inside the Infinite Prison. Earlier I used to be trapped there, but as she was summoned, we swapped places."
"By the way, Hinata is not dead."
"But.."
"Don't worry. I had already put a barrier on her soul. So even if it is the Infinite Prison, her soul would not disappear."
"Can we really save her?"
"Yes. She is quite resilient, after all."

After saying that, we finally get up. By the way, all this time, Chronoa was hugging me. Even when we moved towards the Infinite Prison, she kept hugging my arm and refused to let go.

We soon reached the Infinite Prison. It was as if a dark void had opened up out of nowhere. A complete outcast compared to the beautiful surroundings.

So? Raphael, can you do something? This stuff isn't really my forte.

"I get it. Then, I will give the authority to you, Rimuru."
"Huh?"
"Even Chloe agrees. Feel free to do whatever you want. If it's you, then I am sure you will figure something out."

What?

How should I say this? You seem to be quite happy, Raphael. I guess you really love messing around with skills and all.

The hell? She didn't even ask for my permission. I get it. These are not my skills, yet this feels off. Is it that easy to get an Ultimate Skill. And what is a Manas?

Raphael then explains to me what a Manas is, or rather could be on the amount of information available.

"Hehehe. Rimuru is always so reckless. But I love you for that."
"No fair. Taking advantage like that, Chronoa."
Someone said. She then proceeded to hig my other arm. It was Chloe.

"Chloe. Thank God, you are fine right?"
"Yep."

Both Chloe and Chronoa looked exactly the same. Only thing differenting the two were there clothes. Chronoa wore pitch black clothes, meanwhile, Chloe wore the same clothes in a bright white color.

Being hugged by two beauties like this is not good for my health. My body might not be old enough, but I am still a full grown adult in mind. Suddenly, I feel another presence behind me.

"Good to know that you are fine as well, Hinata."
"Hmph. Says the one who killed me."
"Oh come on. I am sure you know why I did that, don't you."
"I know. That is the only reason I haven't you killed you yet."
"Hinata, if you stay stuff like that, Rimuru will never like you back." Chronoa said.

Did she really say that to her face? In front of me, that to? I look at Chloe and she had a face as if she was thinking the same thing.

"Ha? Wh-who wants to be liked by him anyway? Stop spouting nonsense." Hinata said completely blushing. A Tsundere.

"*cough* Anyway, let's go outside. We still have to revive Hinata."
"Very well." Hinata agreed, trying to change the topic.
"Geez. You will never learn, will you, Hinata?"

With that being the last thing I hear, I seperate our soul realms.

--

That's it. I hope you guys like it. Like and follow me.

CH-63

3rd Person POV

Shion and Ranga are in a great peril. If this was the old Shion, they would have lost quite a while ago. But Shion had grown. When she failed to protect the citizens, she started practicing. Her techniques had improved by leaps and bound.

Shion, right now, was buying time. She knew that if she lost, the tide of the battle would change very quickly. So, for now she was just wearing Razul out and buying time. This doesn't mean that she had given up on the chances of winning. She still had two aces up. She was waiting for the perfect chance.

That chance had just showed up. Razul's exoskeleton was an armor that could repulse not only magic but also physical attacks. But this doesn't mean it was undestroyable.

Till now Shion had drained all her will power just to keep up. Till now Shion believed that it was obvious that the weak would die. But when she faced that weakness herself when Falmuth attacked, she changed. Then, Rimuru told her how not everyone has the same strength. She understood that. Not now. She knew what it meant to be weak, yet refused to accept it.

But now, she had finally accepted it. She was weak. Compared to Diablo, she was weak. But that was no problem for her. So what if she was weak now? She could just get stronger. Her kind lives for a long time. She has more than enough time to grow stronger.

[Confirmed. Unique skill 《Ogre Berserker》 has evolved into 《Battle God》]

This was the result of her will.

"Ranga, now."

Shion used her newly acquired skill to increase her strength and slashed at Razul. She had been striking the same point of the exoskeleton in an attempt to break it. Though it didn't break, it definitely weakened.

Shion swung her blade and hit the same point on his arm with which Razul was blocking. She then used her unique skill 《Chef》 to get a guaranteed outcome. Just as her sword collided with Razul's exoskeleton, a large gash appeared all the way from the arm to the center of his body. Ranga's 《Black Lightning》 then proceeded to burn the inside of Razul.

"Hahaha. Even though you never managed to hurt me, a single attack was all it took. Hahaha. Forgive me Gran, I will be going on ahead. Let us ... meet at... the place we deci...ded." Razul said as his life diminished.

Meanwhile...

'Did he do it?' Ruminas thought as Rimuru places the mask on her face.

Both Hinata and Chloe had spoken quite highly of Rimuru in the past. So when she met him, to not destroy the timeline, she feigned ignorance. But then, just before the concert a large irregularity occurred. There were many irregularities before this as well, but they were quite minor.

But now Hinata had died and Chronoa had been released. The only irregularity that could be of help to her was Rimuru. Yet she has not forgotten the humiliation she had to face a few days ago. Yet she decided to put her faith on Rimuru, because there is nothing else that she could have done.

Seeing that Rimuru was trying to call Chloe's soul, she saw hope. She thought that there was still chance.

"You seem quite happy, Ruminas-sama. Do you really think Chloe's soul still rests inside Chronoa? Isn't she the incarnation of evil? There is no way such a young and fragile soul, such as of that girl would survive."
"How did you? No. If it was you, you could have eavesdropped on us."
"Indeed. This is the fastest way to achieve my dream."
"Shut up. There is no way everything will go according to your plan."
"Oh, but it will."

Just as Granbell said that, a lot of soul particles entered Granbell. It was then that Ruminas realized that Shion had managed to defeat Razul.

"Let's finish this, Ruminas."
"Very well."

Ruminas took out her beloved sword, Night Rose, named after her hometown. Granbell also took out his Longsword of Truth.

[Confirmed. Unique skill 《Unyielding One》 has evolved into the Ultimate Skill 《Hope King Sariel》]

Now, both were on even grounds. Both had an Ultimate Skill with similar powers over life and death.

Maria, Granbell and Razul's power together gave birth to this power. So, when both collided the one with more will power should have won. Granbell, the Unyielding Hero, who had no reason to lose, lost.

Rimuru's POV

As my vision returns to me, I see that I had not moved at all, yet Chronoa had fallen to the ground.

"Oi, Rimuru, what happened?" Leon asked.
"Nothing. Don't worry. Just keep a guard here. We already have too many problems. I will let you see Chloe after this entire charade is over."
"Fine. But you better keep your word."
"I will."

I then quickly pick up Chronoa's body and take her near Hinata's body in a princess carry and then lay her down near Hinata.

"Oi, Ruminas, help me revive Hinata." I say.

"Hahaha... it was... good ... Ruminas-sama."

Ruminas had understood what he meant, I guess. Granbell, in reality, didn't want Chronoa to go berserk, but rather awaken properly and become a new hope for humanity.

Just as Ruminas was about to come towards me, Granbell interrupted her, "Ruminas-sama, my hope... give my hope... to her... She ...will be the hope... of humanity."
"Fine."
"M-much obliged."

After that, she came to my place.

"You sure took your time."
"What? You have a problem."
"You have quite a nerve to talk to me like that again. Especially after what happened a few days ago."
"Shut up."

After that both me and Ruminas started their revival. She was using Asmodeus. As another Ultimate Skill, I couldn't analyze it. I could have used the special move Beelzebub taught me, but I hadn't mastered it yet, and Rumimas would have surely noticed. So I guess it wouldn't have been too helpful.

Soon, the process is complete and Hinata and Chloe wake up.

"Rimuru..." Chloe said as she jumped at me. I thought that her body would be difficult to catch in the position I was in, yet she changed into her child form and hugged me. I, obviously hugged her back.

"Oi. What is the meaning of this?" Leon asked as he saw me hugging Chloe. Meanwhile Hinata was glaring at me. I get it. If somebody saw this they would believe I was a lolicon. I understand. But I am the younger one here. Geez.

"Anyway, I think this is a good time, so i will say this. I have finally become a True H-"

Just as she was saying, my eyes widened in realization as I understood what she was about to say. I quickly raise my hand and aim at a nearby tree on which a demon was hiding. Tch. He had spies here. I didn't kill them thinking that this would make him underestimate me but now it backfired, I guess.

Chloe went silent as she saw me taking action. I chop her lightly and speak,
"Even though you have grown, you still forgot to take a look at your surroundings. How many times have I told you not to disclose important information when you could be spied on. That was one of the basic things I taught you."

"Sorry, sensei." Chloe said as she held her head.

"Whatever, it is too late now. Let's go and talk in somewhere private."

Seeing that we were being spied on, everyone agreed.

--

That's it. I hope you guys like it.

CH-64

Rimuru's POV

That evening, we just exchanged information. Leon told me about Chloe and their childhood. Then Chloe explained how she had two Hero Egg, one which belonged to her and another to Hinata, which fused to then become a true hero.

The next day we finally held the music performance next day. It was quite a spectacle. But my mind was busy in different things. Right now, I was setting my priorities. I have too many problems. One is Guy. Then there is The Eastern Empire. There is also the underworld, but with Elmesia's help, that should be taken care of. Next is the Virtue and Sin powers. I have Raphael and Uriel, so gaining a buff for them would be quite useful. I also know that Chloe has Hope, so that should help as well.

While I was thinking about this, Raphael reported.

Crest of Virtue?

Crest of Sin and Crest of Virtue? Could it have something to do with what Beelzebub had told me?

I guessed as much. For now let's focus on what is right in front of us.

Yuuki's POV

Just after releasing the true hero, I ran away along with Teare, Footman and Laplace. I don't know how much Rimuru-san would protect me, but I am sure that in front of two other demon lords, he would definitely not accept that we are related. So I just ran. I wanted to analyze the fight, but my instincts told me to run. Till now my instincts have always been on mark. It is because of them that I had managed to take control over the west.

Not that it matters. It has been a few hours. I decided to take it slowly and not rush. Looks like that backfired on me. In front of me was a red haired person and beside him were standing two maids wearing a crimson colored maid outfit. One had blue hair and other had green. Their appearances match exactly what Kagali and Clayman had said.

"You did well to catch my eye." Guy said.
I told the three to not attack by thought communication.

"My. It is a pleasure to catch the eye of the strongest demon lord, Guy Crimson. So what do you want? Maybe team up with me against the empire?"
"Haha. You sure are an interesting one. I understand now why he tried to hide you from me."

He? Is he talking about Rimuru-san?

"You see, both me and Rudra are playing a game to see who can rule this world. But, neither me nor Rudra is allowed to fight. Simple, right?"
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because, till now it was only the two of us. But a few decade ago, someone was summoned who might have changed the game."
"That is?"
"You, of course. I believed that you would unite the West and become a third power. A third player in the game essentially."
"There is no way that would have been possible. There is no way I can fight a True Dragon."
"True. But that hero could have, couldn't she?"
"I guess."
"But, guess what, somehow something even more exciting happened. Rimuru was born. He created the third power. He essentially became the third player. But I thought this was fine, you know why?"
"Why?"

He just keeps on talking and giving me information. What does he want?

"Because then you could have allied yourself with the empire and me Rimuru could fight against you."
"So a 2v2?"
"Yep. You could say it like that. But Rimuru did something that I didn't think about."
"He absorbed the west into his influence."
"That, and also made you serve him. Now he has a True Dragin, four primordials, a true hero and you working for him. I am sure he has a few more aces up his sleeve that I don't know about."
"So? Why tell me all this?"
"I thought it would be better to let you know."
"Huh?"
"Now scurry on. I also want to see what you can do, so good luck."

Huh! Is he for real? There is no way he is letting me go like this.

"What do you want?"
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"There is no way you came all the way here just to tell me all me this."
"Well, I did come for all that. I wanted to humble you a bit by defeating you before you go to the Empire, but looks like Rimuru did it for me."
"So, you are not going to kill me?"
"No. If I do, I am sure Rimuru would use that as a reason to join the Empire."
"Huh? There is no way Rimuru-san would do that."
"No, I am sure he would. He is quite cunning. And I am sure Rudra will agree to give him autonomy over Tempest. Gaining a True Dragon, 4 primordials, an awakened hero and an awakened demon lord is a lot to gain, just for that."

Now that I think about it, he might be correct. Then the information he gains from me would decide how he moves.

"But now, you have my interest even more. I wonder why Rimuru wanted you under him. What about this, if you manage to defeat me, I will let you go, but if you don't, I will kill you all."

Tch. Shouldn't have tried to get more information out of him.

"Come at me, or I will kill you regardless."
"Why the sudden change? I thought you were afraid of Rimuru."
"Afraid? You are quite amusing. Let's start."

Looks like he won't talk anymore.

I quickly apply Anti-skill on my legs and kick at him. But it gets stopped as soon as it touches him.

"Just what are you built of?"
"Hahaha. If you are this weak then it wouldn't be interesting at all. Well, allow me to attack back."

As soon as he says that, a black fireball appears in his hand.

"Napalm Burst."

As soon as he said that, he fired started approaching me. I am immune to the fire thanks to my Anti-skill. I am immune to any magic, rather.

!!!?

Just as the fire was about to touch me, my instincts screamed at me to jump out of the way, and I did so.

Somehow my body had caught fire and the oxygen near me was being used up.
It's a mix of magic and physics. Shit. My Anti-skill can only deal with one of them at a time. That is the only disadvantage.

3rd Person POV

Yuuki still did not give up. Even after being burned in flames, he used water magic to put out the flame and used his Anti-skill to douse out any magical interference. For the next few minute Yuuki continued to attack but was finally shut down when Guy just punched him into the ground.

"So that was all? I wonder what Rimuru saw in you? Oh well. Let's end this."
"So you really are strong, Demon lord Guy. I have a proposal. Now that you have defeated boss, I mean our contractor, our deal is more or less nullified. So just let me live and I came work for ya." Laplace said in his usual tone.

Laplace wasn't betraying his team. Rather this was a last ditch effort to save them. The number 1 rule of the Moderate Clown troupe was not to betray their friends and employer. Laplace believed that Yuuki would remember that.

Guy was an eccentric person. Laplace believed that if he talked to him like this, he would incur the wrath of Guy. By doing so, Yuuki and others might just be able to escape.

Yuuki understood this as well. Yet, instead of going with the plans, he went completely against it.

"Am I really that unreliable, Laplace?"

Yuuki said as he got up. Till now, he always believed that it would be control the ones at top, yet now that he was beaten up not only by Rimuru, but Guy as well, his desire welled up. His desire to get stronger. To rule the world. To correct the world which was still young. To make sure that this world was truly just. But, most importantly, to save and protect those close to him.

[Comfirmed. Individual Yuuki Kagurazaka's Unique Skill 《Greedy One》 has evolved to the Ultimate Skill 《Greed King Mammon》]

This voice was heard only by Yuuki.

"Isn't that enough, Guy? Look at him. He is all bruised up. You shouldn't be this aggressive to someone you have just met." A voice resounded.

--

That's it. I hope you guys enjoy.

CH-65

Yuuki's POV

Now that I have power, I can atleast let the others escape. He is a monster, but I am sure if it's Rimuru-san, then he will keep the others safe.

"Isn't that enough, Guy? Look at him. He is all bruised up. You shouldn't be this aggressive to someone you have just met." A voice resounded.

I turned to look at who said it. It was Rimuru? Is he really Rimuru? He looks different. Rimuru had two golden colored eyes that appeared to look into your soul, yet right now he his left eye was like a ruby. Completely blood red. Meanwhile his right was exactly the same, golden. Not only that, but the left half of his body was a bit different. He was wearing armor. Though calling it scales would be better. It wasn't a normal sort of armor. It covered only the limbs.

Meanwhile, he was not having any scales on his right hand. It looked as if his body had divided into two. The aura released from both sides were different. How can a person have two different auras at the same time?

I look at Guy. Looks like he is intrigued by it as well.

"I didn't think you would come here, Rimuru."
"Hoh? But isn't that the exact reason why you attacked him? To see how important of a pawn he is?"

Tch. I don't like being called a pawn, but for now I have to accept it, or else I really will be dead.

Guy's eyes darted behind Rimuru. That is when I noticed that there were two women behind him. One was a young girl with purple hair and a purple outfit. While the other appeared to be around 16. She had yellow hair and an attitude like that of a high school delinquent.

Rimuru noticed Guy's gaze and decided to speak, "Oh them?" He said pointing at the two girls, "I brought them with me, in case you wanted to have some fun. But if we decided to fight, I wonder what would happen to humanity. After all, I won't be holding back and of course, neither would they."

"Tch. Very well. I really can't understand if it is a bluff or a truth. You are quite interesting, Rimuru. Oh. By the way, I will pay you a visit soon. Keep the best room ready for me."
"Hai hai. I will keep the best torture chamber ready for you to be tortured."

Guy just laughed and ordered his maid to follow him as he teleported away. Just after he teleported away, the violet haired girl spoke up.

"Mou... I wanted to fight."
"I know, right? Since when was Red a coward?" The yellow haired girl spoke.

Red? Calling a primordial by the name. Could it be? If she is Jaune, then the little one must be Violet.

"Don't say that. You both might have won against Raine and Mizeri, but I would have a hard time against Guy, you know."
"Surely you jest, Rimuru-sama. Red might be strong, but there is no way you would have come here if you had no way of winning."
"Well, that sure is true." Rimuru said and turned towards me.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Go already. Your wife~~ is waiting for you."
"Don't tease me Rimuru-san. Why did you come here?"
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"There was no need to antagonize Demon Lord Guy just to save me."

He looked at me and smiled. Now that I notice, he has reverted back to his original self. Could it be that was a battle form of some sort? I am sure I had read in a book that Demon Lord Milim had some different form when she went on a rampage 2000 years ago.

"Two reasons. Firstly, I promised you, didn't I? Till the time you are loyal to me, I will protect you. And secondly, me and Guy are just having fun. If we were serious, the world would be in danger. Anyway, don't keep your wife waiting."
"Geez. I get it. Don't tease me anymore."

Rimuru's POV

After seeing Yuuki and others off, I look at Carrera and Ultima.
"You both can go back now."
"Hai."

After that I go back to Ruberios. I had managed to obtain a form of complete balance in which both me and Raphael had control over half the body. This could be pretty useful later on. Especially against Guy or other demon lords.

The musical exchange was held the next day. After that I went back to Tempest. It was decided that both Leon and Luminas would come to meet in Tempest to exchange information. Especially on Chloe.

A week later...

It has been a week since I met those two. Today, they both have come to Tempest for the meeting. I am surprised they managed to clear their schedules so quickly. Especially Ruminas. I mean, like, her country was literally attacked by a true hero. Oh well. That is none of my problems.

The ones attending is me, Diablo and Shion. From Leon's side is him, and his two knights, Claude and Alrose. Ruminas has Gunther and Roy. Of course, Chloe, the girl of the hour was also there.

"So... Before anything else, I guess Chloe, why don't you tell us what all you remembered." I asked.
"Hai."

After that Chloe told me whatever she remembered. There were some few things that caught my attention.

First, every single time till now, Chloe, had never been teleported back in time when I was alive. This means that I was always dead, before Hinata.
Secondly, everytime I was killed by an unidentified individual. He was not someone from the Empire, rather completely independent from it.
Third, I had never met Chronoa before today, atleast according to Chloe.

"Wait. So how did Chronoa fall in love with me? We never met before, did we?"
"Ah. About that, let me answer."

She sounds different. The way she speaks.

"Wait. Chronoa?"
"Yep. It's me, Rimuru."
"So you can take control over her body?"
"Yep. But I won't do anything that could be dangerous, so don't worry. After all, both of us are the same."
"I guess. So?"
"Yes, you see, the last time, you didn't save me, but I remember it, albeit vaguely, that once when I had gone on a rampage, when Tempest was destroyed. It was you who saved me. But, later on you were killed as well."
"I see. What did you then?"
"Huh? Are you not fazed at all? She just said you died. And Tempest was destroyed." Ruminas interjected.
"Isn't that exactly why I am asking her. I died, so I died. Nothing to do there. Rather, I should try and prevent Tempest from being destroyed this time."
"I see. Quite a realist."
I just glare at her and then turn towards Chloe.
"After that I went on a rampage, again." She said without a hint of guilt.
"I mean, Rimuru, you died, you know?"

Oops. Looks like I couldn't control my facial expressions.

"So?"
"Then I was killed by someone. The memory is quite blurry, so I am not sure."
"Someone who is able to kill you? I can only think of Guy."
"I agree. He also has a role of the mediator of the world. So eliminating Chronoa who is on a rampage will most certainly be his priority." Leon agreed.

But something has been bugging me. I am sure that Chronoa went wild in Empire's territory. So shouldn't Guy actually benefit from this? Why go out of his way to help the Empire?

"Diablo, is there anyone who was as strong as you." I ask Diablo.
"There were a few angels, but they are none of your concern, my lord."
"Diablo, I don't have time for this. Tell me about the angels."
"H-hai." He looks shaken. Not my fault.
"There are seven angels which are the polar opposites of us primordial demons. They are called by Primordial Angels and are led by the angel Feldway."

Led by? So they work together. Then they are much more of a threat than these demons. Also if Diablo and others could get stronger, there is no denying that they haven't.

"Oh. You also told me to remember something important." Chloe said.
"Something important?"
"Yes. It was the number 14."

14? Could it be? Then that means that she has already gone through the loop atleast 14 times. Then my first fourteen plans failed? Tch.

Just as I, or rather the entire room was in thoughts, a large commotion could be heard outside.

"Please wait. An impo-"
"Oh come on. Diablo invited me here."

That confidence could only be one person. I look at Diablo and he bowed and moved towards the door. I guess he understood.

--
That's it. I hope you enjoyed.

CH-66

Rimuru's POV

Diablo bows to me and proceeds to open the door.

As soon as he opens the door, a redhead could be seen. Seriously? It hasn't even been that long.

"Leave. I did invite you, but I will send a formal invitation later. Do not disturb Rimuru-sama." Diablo said and closed the door.

Hahaha. Serves him right. If I had known about this, I would have definitely taken Diablo with me to the Walpurgis.

Guy then opens the door, "Oi. Don't say that No- , I mean Diablo."

It looked as if a comedy skit was going on. But I was the only one who was enjoying it. Both Leon and Ruminas had a shocked face.

"Let him in Diablo. *sigh* As much as I don't want him here, he needs to be here to understand the whole ordeal. After all, he is the M-E-D-I-A-T-O-R of the world." I say showing him a smile.

"Understood, Rimuru-sama."

After that Diablo finally let Guy enter. Just as Guy entered, another pandemonium began. Both Carrera and Ultima barged in.

"Rimuru-sama, I thought I felt Red."
"Are we finally going to fight?"

"*sigh* no. We are not fighting. Atleast for now. Go back to your jobs."

While I was sending those two troublesome demons back, Guy sat down on an empty chair without a care in this world. Quite arrogant of him. But I guess he has the power to back it up.

"Ah! I just remembered something. It's good that you came Guy-san. I just remembered something important." Chloe said or rather Chronoa.
"And who are you?"
"Me? I am the hero Chronoa."
"Hoh. So you are the hero who went missing 300 years ago?"

Shit. I don't like his tone. This reminds of when I was first met him in the Walpurgis. I quickly create thousands of small clone and make a barrier around Chloe and myself.

The next instant, the barrier around Chloe shattered. What the hell? I quickly create more barriers around her. They keep getting destroyed nearly instantaneously. If it wasn't for Raphael, I wouldn't have been able to keep up at all.

Suddenly Guy stops and looks at me.
"How did you do that?"

Everyone seemed as surprised as me, except Chloe. Could she actually keep up with him?
"Who knows."
"Hoh?"

The next instant the barrier shatters again.

Raphael, activate though acceleration at maximum power. With this the world slowed down. It slowed down to the extent that if I focused with help of Raphael, I could even see the individual light particles flying around. With this I can definitely see how fast he is going.

Yet, much to my dismay, the barrier shattered. What? How? Is he faster than light itself? But then, the backlash should be immense. I cannot see any magic being activated either. How? But that would explain it. If he is faster than light, then I obviously can't see him. After all then he would have already moved before light particle actually come to me. Wait. Then how is Chloe able to keep up? Could it be?

Chloe really has gotten stronger. Stronger than me. She can even move faster than light. It's more like she can move in a frozen world.

...

Damn it. In these thoughts I forgot to create a new barrier.

"You are quite good." Guy said facing Chloe.
"You as well."
"I know. But it really is surprising. How did you do that?" Guy said facing towards me.
"I have no clue what happened." I said. It was a half truth. I knew he attacked Chloe. But that is all.

"Whatever. Sit down. You are the mediator right? This thing will definitely fancy you."

Chloe then explains everything briefly again.

"So? What did you remember?" I ask.
"It is about demon lord Dagruel. He also attack Ruberios when Rimuru was attacked by the Empire."
"So he turned traitor?"
"I don't know. But from what had happened, it is highly likely."
"Don't worry. I will keep an eye on Dagruel." Ruminas said.
"Ya. Please do so. If something happens just tell me." I tell her.
"Hmph. You should focus on the Empire."

Well that's one more thing sorted. But the number of potential enemies keep increasing. The empire. Then there is the Tenma. The angels are led by Feldway. Then there is Dagruel. Tch. I don't have anything to use as a bargaining chip against him. I look at Guy. He doesn't seemed that bothered by learning of Dagruel's potential betrayal.
"Guy, I thought you would be more interested here. You are the leader of us, demon lords, aren't you?"
"So? Dagruel only served Veldanava. I have no clue what his aim might be. He only became a demon lord after he heard I was the mediator."

So Dagruel was loyal to Veldanava. Also, aren't angels supposed to serve gods? Then... I hope it is just my mind getting paranoid.

"By the way, Rimuru-kun." Guy said. Oh F*ck. What does he want now?
"What?"
"You spoiled Mizeri's plan, you know."
"No clue what you are talking about." I say taking a bite of the cake that Shuna just served us.
"Is that so? Blanc, I mean Testarossa still spoiled her plans. I know very well that you knew what had happened."
"Fine. I know about it. So? I am not obligated to repay you or anything. What did you wish to accomplish by doing that anyway."
"Isn't it simple? By killing all the dignitaries, I was reminding humans about the danger of the demon lords and uniting them."

Hearing this Hinata shivered a little. Makes sense. Hinata fights with demons to protect the people and her Guy is just saying how he would kill all the representatives just to spread fear.

"Do you really think that would work?"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Let me tell you Guy. Humans are like pests. That is both their weak and strong point. No matter how hard it is, they will survive. If you do not killed each and everyone of them, it doesn't matter. They will forget about this show of 'terrorism' in about a hundred years. Do not underestimate them, or else you will be surprised to know how persistent humans can be."
"Oi. Rimuru, isn't it too much to call humans pests?" Hinata said.
"That is just my opinion."
"You were once human as well, weren't you?"
"Yes I was. So?"
"Then.."
"That doesn't mean humans were not dangerous. The environment of Earth was destroyed because of us humans. Just like how pests destroy the plants, we destroyed the Earth. I fail to see any difference. By the way, Guy, do not interfere with the Western Nations. I will take care of it."
"Fine. Do whatever you want."

After that things finally calmed down. We all had dinner and the demon lords slowly went back. There was a small dispute amongst me, Leon and Limnas about where Chloe would stay, but those two backed out when Chloe said that she wanted to stay in Tempest.

"Ruminas-sama, will it be alright if I stay here for a few days?"
"Hmm? Why?"
"I would like to look after the children for a few days to confirm they are alright."
"Very well. But come back quickly. The Holy knights need you."
"Hai."

After that Ruminas left. Both Chloe and Hinata stayed with me until everyone had left.

"Do you want to talk about something?" I ask them. They would have left already if they had nothing to do.
"About that.." Hinata said as she looked at Diablo and Shion.
"I see. Diablo, Shion. Leave us alone for a moment."
""Hai."" They both say and leave.

"So?"
"Rimuru, just who are you?"
"Huh?"

--

I hope you guys enjoyed.

CH-67

"So?"
"Rimuru, just who are you?" Hinata asked.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb with us. Since when is a dragon supposed to be something living. Isn't a dragon supposed to be a mythical creature?"
"Huh? What are you saying? I am a dragon, you know. Even Veldora is. What is wrong with you? Did you hit your head somewhere?"
"Not in this world. I am talking about our old world. You are from Earth, aren't you? Then how come there is a dragon?"

What? Impossible!! How do they know?

Why did you not tell me this till now?

No. Raphael. How is this not im-. You know what never mind. I am never winning against you in an argument anyway.

"Fine. Follow me. I will tell you. This isn't the place to talk about this. By the way, don't tell anyone else. If you were in my old world, you would have been killed to silence you." I say, standing up.

I then go out of the room and head towards the labyrinth. Both Chloe and Hinata follow me silently. Surprising. I thought Hinata would be against this, shouting that she wanted an answer right then and there.

As we walk through the city, I see a few families outside, enjoying the slightly cool breeze. They greet me and I greet them back. Some nocturnal monsters also live in Tempest, so Tempest enjoys a bustling night life as well. I mean, aren't the Direwolves a nocturnal race as well?

We then reach the labyrinth and head to my room on the floor 107. As soon as I entered, the entire lights turned on. Raphael was not there. I had already told her to hide herself.

"What is this? These things are..."
"They seem to have come out of a sci-fi movie."

Hinata seemed skeptical entering the room, meanwhile Chloe entered as if a child had been entranced with a new toy.

"Sci-fi movie? I guess that is an accurate description for you."
"Huh? So you made these?"
"Sort of . First, sit down, and I will tell you."

We all sit down. The sofa was in he opposite direction of the entire machineries that Raphael was making. If someone told me to make them, there is no way I could. I could use them as if I was breathing air, but making them? Nope. Not happening. I am really grateful to Raphael for that.

"So. I will give a brief summary of the history from 2030's till 2169, or was it 2170? Not sure."
"Wait. So you are telling me that you lived a hundred and fifty years in the future?"
"Sort of. Anyways, let's get to the point."

After that I tell them the history of what happened.

Chloe's POV

We sit down as Rimuru starts to tell us his story. No matter how much I search my memories, I never heard about his past life, till now. In no time cycle have I known about this. This timeline is truly an anomaly. Maybe, just maybe, this might be it.

"Alright. Long things short, in 2032, a wormhole opened up in 7 places across the world. Well, it would be easier if it was called a warp portal. After coming here, I have better understanding of magic, so I know now that it is called a warp portal. But, back on Earth, it was called wormhole."
"Wait, a warp portal, like the one in Yuuki's office?"
"Yep. Now, don't disturb me when I am speaking. So, when these portals opened, monsters flooded out of it. At first they were mindless monsters, but soon they started getting more and more intelligent. The portals opened in 7 different places. One in China, India, Belgium, Japan, USA, Brazil and in Antarctica. Most countries fought back, but the western half of the world fell by 2035. The reason was that a leader class monster had appeared. It could lead the mindless monsters and unite them. Guns had a hard time against it. He came out of the portal in USA which was called 'Nightmare'. While the monster wreaked havoc in the western world, the portals in the East calmed down. So India, China and, Japan led a cooperated movement to find a way to solve this problem. Each country sent about 20 explorers into their own wormhole. Till 2037, both, North America and South America had been destroyed and the monsters had reached Africa by swimming. The only saving grace was that nearly 80% of monsters died by drowning or naval fire. But Africa fell soon enough as well. Till 2037, monsters had taken over central Asia as well, isolating Europe and the rest of South East Asia. For the next 2 years a long fought war happened. They were only able to hold on because the monsters were fighting on two different battlefield."

Rimuru then stops and stands up and gets a glass of water for the each of us. As I was processing all this, I look at Hinata-nee. She seemed to be deep in thought. No. It was more like that she was trying to prove Rimuru wrong, but Rimuru has no need to lie. And also, because of me becoming a hero, I can also judge when someone is telling a lie. And Rimuru wasn't lying.

Rimuru puts a glass of water in front of us and sits down.

"Let's continue, then. 14th November, 2038 was called the Day of Hope. The exploration squad sent by China and Japan returned. With them, they brought the knowledge of magic and important information on how to kill the monsters. Normal guns struggled against them, yet a bit of magic was enough to enhance the bullets. This changed the tide of the war. Humans were no longer on the defensive. But, an all out attack was not initiated until 5 years later, in 2043. While Japan and China continued to develop magic, India had a different mindset. They believed that humans should develop their technology instead of magic. And they did exactly that. In 2043, a single duo managed to take down the entire monster herd in Central Asia and reconnected South East Asia to Europe. This duo of a girl and a boy, did not live long. Their names were lost to history, and so were any proof of their identity. But, the girl did bear a child, which she gave birth to and died. Both of them died because their genetic condition was unstable."
"What does that mean?" I ask. What does genetic instability mean? A genetic disease, maybe?
Rimuru looks at me for a second and then sighs.

"Human experiments."

Huh? They experimented on humans?

"Isn't that cruel? How could they do that?"
"Desperate time calls for desperate measures."
"How can you say that with such a straight face?" Hinata screams.
"Because it has nothing to do with me."
"Huh?"
"In World war II, many were killed and gassed. You might have sympathy for them, but that's it. Same goes for me. This happened nearly a century before I was born. Anyway, the boy managed to reconnect Europe and South East Asia and drove back the monsters. He had a perfect balance between magic, technology and skill. He managed to recapture the entirety of Asia and drove them back all the way till Africa. In Africa the boy and the girl,after giving birth together fought against the leader of monsters. His name was dubbed 'Demon'. The battle continued for 2 days and ended up killing all three of them. The monsters now, were easy pickings, left without a ruler. The magic that the explorers brought with them was able to seal the wormholes. In 2056, all the wormhole apart from the one in Antarctica had been sealed. The human race started a modest recovery, yet there was another problem. A lot if resources were destroyed. Humanity wouldn't have survived if things continued as they were. So, a new plan was devised. The wormhole which was in Antarctica which was only discovered in 2053, would be put to use."

--

How was it? Hope you guys liked it and enjoyed. The lore will have one more chapter I guess, maybe two? Not sure.

CH-68

"In 2057, a new mission was led to Antarctica. It was led by the son of the two heroes, Shiva. His name was based on one of the Indian Gods. Upon reaching Antarctica, no monsters could be seen. They managed to reach the wormhole within a month, and went through it. They came out in a few hours, but for them more than a few days had passed. It was a wormhole connecting to an ancient civilization which died to these monsters. It was theorized that opening these wormhole and escaping was their last ditch effort, which was in vain. Humans then took over everything they left behind and advanced technology to new heights. All the sci-fi movies you saw were now reality. Till 2070, humans had managed to obtain space travel and colonized thousands of planet with the help of superior firepower, technology and wormhole. Many planets had different lifeforms such as humans, beastfolks, elves and many more. All those which could think and act and talk were called superior species. Shiva, then led to the creation of a new galactic empire under his rule, called the Golden Fang Empire. The name was a tribute to his father who used a golden fang like weapons. Japan also started spreading its influence across the cosmos. From 2070, humanity prospered. Different places had different flows of time, so, even though only 50 years passed on Earth, more than 200 years had passed on planet Somalis, which was the head or capital planet of the Sakura Empire. As the name suggests, this empire was created by one of the Japanese who led the exploration squad. I was the second oldest prince of the Sakura Empire, and my mother was the first princess of the Golden Fang Empire. I had two little siblings and an elder brother. Due to the power struggle,... I killed my brother."

Rimuru hesitated to say it. Yet I am sure. When I looked at Rimuru just before he told us about killing his brother, I could feel bad emotions welling up inside of him. He was not angry about the fact that he killed his brother. It was something else. The dark and ominous feeling was enough to send shivers down my spine.

"So... in my lifetime, I carried out various missions in which I met the dragon. Satisfied now?"
"Can I ask something?" I asked.
"What is it?"
"How strong was that 'Demon'?"
"Now then. Who knows? There is no proper way to transform data of power of that world and this world. But, according to reports, he might be as strong as an awakened demon lord. The only reason humanity won was that he had used up most of his magic in destroying the western countries. He was unable to replenish mana as there was very little of it on Earth. Anything else?"

I look at Hinata and she seems to be deep in thought.

"Nothing then? You should go now. It is about to be dawn."
He said and led us till the door. Hinata just followed absentmindedly as she was busy with other things on her mind.

Both of us then silently left the room and headed to our rooms.

Rimuru's POV

As the two of them go, I sit back down. Tch. I nearlt lost my temper at the end. There is no way I will ever forget what my brother did to her. My fiance died because of him. She died because of him!! But, why? Why? Why did I have to remember it.

I guess so. I look around the room. It was completely dark. I am positive that the Sun has risen but there is no light rays entering the room. It was completely dark. I wonder why, but it seems Raphael prefers to remain in a dark place than a brightly lit one. I wonder if was because of my influence.

"So? Are the things done?"
"Hai. All the defensive turrets are now functional and in place. They can only be used with milord's permission. All the other gadgets have also been made. They are currently residing in Master's stomach. Though, the Mobius system is still not complete." Raphael replied as she took a human form.

"I see. That's good. So? How do you like that form?"
"It's given to me by you, Master, so I took very good care of it."

"Really? I gave it to you so I wouldn't mind you use it anyway you want. Also, that didn't answer my question. Fine. Do whatever you want."

I say that and leave the room.

Nearly half a year has passed since then. Hinata and Chloe have more or less accepted what I had told them and moved over it. Not seeingit with your own eyes doesn't leave as much of an impact. Quite a few other things have happened since then.

Firstly, anyone and everyone who entered Tempest had to be screened. This was to prevent spying and information leaks.
Secondly the Empire had started moving supplies to major cities across the border. A war is brewing and I am sure it will be problematic.
Finally, the last problem is the letter in front of me. It is a letter inviting me to Hikari's 8th birthday. I am quite surprised. I thought they wouldn't try to contact me, or anyone else, so this was a surprise. I will have to go and discuss this with Gazel and El-tan and get their opinions. I have no clue about them after all. I heard that they got an invitation each as well.

'Testa, could you come to my office.'
'Of course, Rimuru-sama.'

After some time Testa enters my office.

"What is it, Rimuru-sama?"
"I want you to send an envoy to Dwargon telling them that I will make an official visit."
"Understood. About the reason, what should I.."
"Gazel will understand. So, tell them it is to strengthen our relationship for the masses. Tell them that I will come after a month."
"Understood."

Testa then bows and leaves the room. As soon as Testa leaves, I contact Elmesia with my thought communication.

'El-tan, you free?'
'I am, but don't teleport here.'
'I won't. Who do you think I am!'
'A stalker.'
'Th- i can't deny it, huh?'
'So? What did you want to talk about?'
'It's about the invitation to Hikari's birthday invitation.'
'So you feel that it is odd as well, don't you?'
'Yep. They used to isolate themselves, so why show up in the world now.'
'Is their queen still Luna? We haven't had contact since like forever.'
'Yes. Hyme's queen was Luna. Do you know her?'
'Yes. She had been the queen even when my mother was the queen and I was little. Though I am surprised to know that she had a child. Quite a young one at that.'
'So? Are you attending?'
'Of course. You might not know this, but their military strength is equal if not surpassing us. The fact that they can fight on both land and sea is a threat as well.'
'That is quite surprising. I knew that they were strong but this might be a bit above my expectations.'
'Well, their kingdom is older than Sarion. I suggest that you stay in top behavior in front of them.'

This is the first time I have seen Elmesia so serious. She doesn't know that I already have a treaty with Hyme, does she?

'I will keep that in mind. Anyway, I am going to Dwargon to visit Gazel and see what his opinion is.'
'Alright. I will meet you in a month.'

She didn't joke around or tease me at all. Quite a different personality. But this means there is much more behind Hyme and its history than what can be seen.

--

I hope you guys liked it. A new and original arc begins. Yay. Look forward to it.

CH-69

Rimuru's POV

Rattle*Rattle*Rattle*

Tch. No matter how comfy you make this carriage, it still hurts. I know I can't compare to what we had in our previous world, but still. I am currently heading towards Dwargon for discussing about the invitation.

With me, Shuna, Shion and Benimaru are coming. Kaijin and his brothers are also tagging along. They haven't been to Dwargon for a few years now, so I decided to let them come with me as well. I asked Vesta as well, but he said that he had not accomplished anything worthy of Gazel's attention. Creating a 99% pure potion is quite a feat if I say so, but he just wasn't budging, so I decided to leave him be.

It's been a few hours and we still haven't reached Dwargon. With Geld and his men paving the road to Dwargon and Ranga and the Tempest Wolves running at full speed, we should have reached in a few hours. But these few hours have been the worst of my life. We can finally see the entrance to Dwargon. It's quite large with a small door to let people through. As we neared the gate, I could see a large line of people waiting to enter Dwargon. As soon as they saw me, or rather the carriage, they all stared at it. Small murmurs could be heard. I could listen to what they were saying, but decided not to.

As we reached the gate, Shuna exited the carriage to talk with the guard. I later came to know that the guard was Kaido, brother of Kaijin.

After some time Shuna gets on the carriage and we are taken to the front of Gazel's castle. Once reaching there, I finally got to exit the carriage. Note to self that I have to build suspensions for the carriage.

I then look at the castle. Unlike the ones I had seen till now, this castle was obviously underground and was built like it was a part of the mountain. Dwargon did not use the cave as a natural barrier, rather it was the natural barrier that was used as a city. Annexing Dwargon is difficult, yet simple, at the same time. If the invading party is ready for a drawn out battle, it is best to cast anti-magic barrier around it and seal of the entrance to prevent food from entering.

I am sure Gazel would have a counter measure against it, after all, Dwargon, in its entire history has never lost. The carriage finally arrives in front of the castle.

We are then led to the meeting room, where we waited for Gazel for some time. The meeting room was more like a balcony. It had a brilliant view of the bustling city.

After some time Gazel entered.

"It has been some time, Rimuru."
"It really has been. I hope you are doing fine." I ask as I stand up and shake his hand. We both then sit down and continue.
"Haha. Nothing that my kouhai should be concerned about. Anyway, let's get to the main part shall we? We can have all the pleasantries later on."
"Very well. I have a single thing to ask. What is your opinion regarding this." I say as I put the invitation I had received on the table.
"To tell you the truth, I have no clue. My grandfather had only once mentioned about the kingdom of Hyme. That to, only because he had met with Queen Luna as a formality."
"I see. So? Do you know anything about Hyme?"
"Apart from it being in the ocean, nothing else."
"*sigh* To tell you the truth, I have been there once."
"What?!! Really?"
"Yes. It was quite a beautiful and well maintained city, on the very least."

I then look at the door. The door opens and a few maids walk in. They serve us few drinks and snacks and then take their leave.

"But that is exactly what makes me believe something is wrong with it."
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Think about this. They live underwater. It is all sand. There is no fertile land to grow crops. Yet they never traded for food for more than 2000 years. Even after that, let us assume that they can live solely on fish, even then, to be never heard of is odd. Also, I am not even sure whether there is only one city or multiple cities in Hyme."
"I get that, but I don't think that is a problem. Even Dwargon has enough provisions and secret trade routes that we could survive for centuries even if they try to blockade us in by controlling the entry."

Looks like they had a plan against a siege. That will be extremely important as the Empire is about to attack.

"That's not all. Right now, when the Empire is getting ready for war, they invite the leaders of three of the main fighting forces. Don't you think it's suspicious."
"If you think so, then why attend. I am also think of sending an envoy."
"I thought the same, but it appears that El-tan trusts Luna. She even said that Luna is older than her. She might be one of the strongest beings 9n this world right now. Having her cooperation can be decisive in the battle against the Empire."
"So, you are willing to take the gamble, huh?"
"I am. I might not have an intuition as good as my sister, but my intuition has saved my life quite a few times."
"I see. Then I will go as well."
"I see. Then, why don't you come a bit earlier to Tempest. We could depart together."
"Hmm? Not a bad idea, very well."
"Then, I guess, you should go and meet Kaijin and his brothers."
"I will."

After that I stand up and was about to leave. Now that I think about it, I am surprised Shion did nothing dumb. I look behind me and see Shuna standing there with a smile. But Benimaru and Shion were nowhere to be seen.

"Umm... Shuna? Where is Shion and Benimaru?" I ask timidly. I can defeat a dragon, but I cannot defeat Shuna and the scary smile on her face.

"Shion drank a bit too much, so Onii-sama escorted her to her room."
"I-I see."

I then leave and go to the room entrusted to me. Shion was there on the bed, sleeping. Doesn't Shion have her own room? Why bring her here?

"Thanks for bringing her here, Benimaru."
"No need to thank me, Rimuru-sama."
"Let's go and look around Dwargon a bit, shall we?"
"I will stay here and wait for Shion to wake up." Shuna said.
"Is that so? Once she gets up, be sure to enjoy yourself."
"Hai."

After that both me and Benimaru roam in the streets of Dwargon. They looked around the stores. We went to some blacksmiths to look at the weapons, and at a cafe to eat sweets. It might not be obvious, but Benimaru seems to have a sweet tooth, just like his sister. While we were looking around, it had already been evening.

"Oh. Rimuru-sama. What are you doing here?" I turn around after hearing a familiar voice. It was Kaijin.

"Me and Benimaru were just looking around the city."
"Is that so? Then I know the best place for us to go."
"Is that so? Then lead us." I say, wanting to see where we are going. He took us to a night club, called Night Butterfly.

So things like these exist in this world as well.

"Oioioi. You do know that I am married, you know. I have two wives, you know." Benimaru said, completely against the idea.

I wanted him to come with me, but decided not to say anything. I'm sure if she was still here, I wouldn't have gone either.

...

"Well then, why don't you go back, Benimaru-kun. I will come back in some time."
"Very well, Rimuru-sama."

Benimaru then leaves us alone.

"Let's go, shall we?"
"Ah, hai."

We then proceed to enter the shop.

--

I hope you guys enjoyed.

CH-70

As soon as I enter the shop, I meet a familiar face. Yep. She was the same elf I had met in Ingrassia and told me about the location of Ramiris's labyrinth.

"Ara, if it isn't Rimuru-sama, I wonder what you are doing in such a humble establishment?"
"Oh? Am I not welcomed here?" I asked back, teasing her.
"Of- of course you are welcomed here."
"Haha. Calm down. I was just kidding." I say as I sit down followed by Kaijin and his brothers.
"In reality Kaijin brought me here."
"Is that so? How are the kids?"
She asked as she poured me a drink.
"They are fine, thanks to you."
"Is that so? Then I am glad."
"So boss already knows her?" Kaijin asked.
"Yep. I met her in Ingrassia."
"No fair. To know someone so handsome as Rimuru-san, and not telling us." Another elf spoke up.
"But I thought you weren't interested about why I went to Ingrassia."
"Mou. That's not fair."

"So, is there anything in your mind, Rimuru-san?"
"Hmm?"
"You zoned out for a bit, you know."
"That's right boss. You should look at them, or else it will be a disrespect to them." Kaijin said. He is surely drunk.
"Well, as I know you, why don't I tell you who your fated one is?"
"Hoh? Fated one?"
"Yep. The one you are destined to live with."
"Can you really do that?" I ask suspiciously. All these were mere scams in my previous world, but in this world, where there are skills and high tier magic, it might not be that out of reach.
"Of course, with the help of this." She said pointing towards the glass ball kept on the table. So that's why it was kept there. I knew that it wasn't just for aesthetics.

"Is that so? Please do so then. I wonder who my 'fated one' is."

She just smiled and proceeded to fiddle with the ball. Slowly, an image of a girl started to appear.

She had a slim figure, her chest wasn't flat, yet it couldn't be called big either. She had an androgynous appearance, but it was more towards the female side. Her face was as beautiful as a doll. Her lips were sealed, showing no emotions at all. Yet, I could somehow fell that she was happy. She had sky blue colored hair like mine, which went till her waist, and her eyes were blood red.

"Woah. She is quite beautiful, boss." Kaijin said.
"Ara. I never knew you knew someone so beautiful. Color me surprised."
"Moh. Why couldn't it be me?" The elf from earlier commented.
"To tell you the truth, I dont know her myself."
"Is that so? I guess your future is quite bright, Rimuru-san."
"I guess so, as well."

We then continue to drink and make some small talks until midnight.

"Well, I guess we should go."
"Leaving already?"
"It's about to be midnight. You all should sleep as well. Not enough sleep might spoil your beauty, you know."
"You sure know how to please a woman, huh, Rimuru-san."
"Hahaha."

I just give out a dry laughter and was about to head out.

"Oh right! If you girls want, why don't you come to Tempest. There are other elves there, and I can guarantee you a bar according to your preference."

The elves looked at each other.

"Of course, if you want, you can come and take a look first. You see, there are not enough high-end establishments like this one in Tempest. If something else fancies your interest, you are free to look into that as well. I hope you will come to Tempest, at least once."

I say as I take the drunk Kaijin and his brothers with me back to the castle. I leave the brothers in their room. They had already fallen asleep before they reached the room. What a trouble. But, things like these aren't so bad every once in a while.

After leaving them in their rooms, I go back to my own room. As soon as I open the door, I am met with a familiar face with a smile on her face. The problem being that the smile was not at all something that would calm a person down. Rather, it would send shivers down someone's spine.

"Where were you Rimuru-sama?" Shuna asked.

I wanted to tell her, but my voice didn't come out. I mean, I am not married, I don't have a fiance and I don't have a lover. So what's wrong with going and enjoying in a bar with those elves, but those words didn't come out of my mouth.

"Did you enjoy your time with the elves? Huh? Ri-mu-ru-sa-ma"
"Um... Sh- Shuna. Where di-di did"
"Oh. I thr-, I mean asked Onii-sama."

She said threatened, didn't she. I am so glad I didn't say what I wanted to. I can already imagine Benimaru tied to a seat and forced to eat carrots and other veggies. And if I had said that then I would be beside him, forced to eat Shion's cooking.

"Is that so?"
"Hai."

After that the amount of scolding I received was nothing to scoff at. She didn't stop until it was morning. She also refused to give me any food for a whole week. I know I can live without food, but that doesn't mean I want to.

Luckily I knew what to do in such situations. That is to keep your head down and stay quiet. Thank you. My fiancee was a great woman and I learnt a lot from her. Even stuff like this.

Two weeks later...

We will be leaving for Hyme two days from now. Gazel is arriving today, so I am waiting to welcome him. Of course diplomacy and respect is a reason, but the main reason is to see his reaction of riding a carriage and how much it hurts.

From afar I could see a carriage. It was decorated with beautiful ornaments giving off a vibe of elegance. Completely opposite of what my carriage shows, power.

As the carriage comes close to the castle, it slowly comes to a halt. It was already evening, and we were to depart tomorrow, so there was no important meeting or any ceremony.

As the castle comes to a halt, Gazel comes out of the castle, followed by Dorf and Henrietta.

"It has been a while." Gazel says.
"It sure has." I reply, while leading him into the castle.

"So. Are you ready for tomorrow?"
"Yes. I have already made all the preparation to keep Dwargon safe."
"That's good. If push comes to shove, I have a way that can forcefully teleport us."

It is a device that Raphael made. It uses science to bend space instead of magic. So anti-magic barriers are useless. This creates a small wormhole. As the science in this world is much less developed than in my previous world, nobody would be able to trace it back. Obviously, using magic to trace us is useless as we are not using magic at all.

I then showed them around the castle and led them to the dining room. Shuna had made quite a few delicacies for today. She seems to have a gotten over the fact that I went to Night Butterflies after I went on a date with her around Tempest.

(A/N:- Do you guys want side stories? Like this date could be a side story. If you guys say so, I might write it.

Also, I have no clue how to write about food. I never have had Japanese cuisine and I have very little clue about it.)

After having the dinner, we all went to our respective rooms. When I say we all, I meant everyone else other than me. I instead went to my personal bath. Nowadays, Shuna has gotten even more busier, so she insisted on having a maid with me at every single moment. They only leave me alone right now, at night. So I take this time to take a soak. A day for a japanese is never over without a good bath.

As I was soaking I looked outside the window. The stars were twinkling.

Hey Raphael. Is it possible to find my coordinates using the stars as a reference. Take this planet as origin and see if it's possible to go back to a planet I know about.

I am unable to locate any planets that Master might know about. The most probable explanation is that Master is in a different dimension.

So, I am really in a different dimension. I guess I knew it already. I just refused to accept it.

The next day...

I am standing on the beach with Gazel. Henrietta and Dolf is standing behind Gazel. Meanwhile Ultima is hugging my arm. Veyron and Zonda are standing behind me. I decided to take Ultima with me. I believe having Veldora, Carrera and Diablo in Tempest along with Zegion and Benimaru should be enough to protect it.

Suddenly my magic sense catches my attention as two carriage come out of the water surrounded by guards, just like last time.

"It is an honor to meet you, Demon Lord Rimuru Tempest and the King of Dwarves, Gazel Dwargo."

We both just nod to return the greeting and sit in our respective carriage.

--

I decided to bring Ultima. Why? Who knows? It just popped up. Anyway, enjoy. Also, my school starts from tomorrow, so daily updates will stop. But I will still upload two to three times a week.

CH-71

"Hmm... Hmmm..." the one happily mumbling along was Ultima. I was looking out of the carriage with the help of magic sense. Looks like this is the first time in along time that she could go outside of Tempest to sightsee.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened till we reached the kingdom of Hyme. I don't how Gazel's entourage was reacting to all of this. We reached first, so we were showed our rooms. It appeared as if the entire event was only officially one day long, i.e., only tomorrow. It seems that Queen Luna is currently having a chat with Elmesia since she had arrived earlier. I was supposed to meet Queen Luna after dinner. Normally, this would be a sign of disrespect, but a maid had brought a letter to me written by Queen Luna herself stating that she had something important to discuss, which could take a long time.

I wonder what she wants to talk about.

After dinner...

After dinner, what I was awaiting came.

knock*knock*

"Come in."

As I said that, a maid came into the room. She bowed and then spoke.

"Demon Lord Rimuru-sama, Queen Luna is inviting you for a late tea."
"Is that so? Lead the way." I say as I stand up.

"Why don't you come along as well Ultima? That's fine isn't it?" I ask Ultima and the maid respectively. The maid just nods.

"Are you sure Rimuru-sama?"
"Yep."

After that we follow the maid into a seperate room. After opening the door she just bows and then leaves after bowing. As I look inside the room, it is quite intricately designed. There are gold ornaments and ornaments of other precious metals. There were two couches placed across a table with three teacups placed on the table and some sweets. On one of the couch was Queen Luna.

So, both me and Ultima obviously sat on the other couch. I took a sip of the tea, but Ultima just took a few cookies.

"So? What did you want to talk about?"
"Well, it is regarding your Ultimate Skill 《Wisdom Lord Raphael》."
"How di you know about my ultimate skill?"

Even if she has a great analyzing skill, they can only figure out that I have an Ultimate skill. They should not know what Ultimate Skill I have. While I was thinking about what to do, Ultima had already made a move. She dashed straight at Luna ready to jab at her. But she was stopped by Luna. Ultima's jab managed to pierce through Luna's palm, but could not do any meanwhile damage.

"Ultima! Stop."

I then quickly shot a compressed air wave cutting off Ultima's right which had pierced Luna and create a barrier around ourselves. Just as I manage to put the barrier, Ultima's arm, which I had cut off exploded. It was mixed in with a variety of poison. I don't think that would be enough to kill Ultima, but it would definitely bite her if the fight dragged on.

Ultima was surprised to see her arm explode. Looks like she hasn't caught up to the situation yet. When Luna's blood splattered onto Ultima's hand, it continued to gain magic. It was as if it was being manipulated. This must be one of her skills. She must have something to control her blood.

"You really have quite good reactions."
"Hoh? I thought you would say instincts instead."
"Hmm? But you saw the magic being collected in my blood, didn't you? You would be a scary opponent to fight."
"The fact you say that and still decide to do something like this is quite concerning and contradictory."
"But I don't want to make you a enemy?"
"Huh?"
"You see, I have a unique skill 《Prophecy》 and it let's me see glances of the future."
"So?"
"There is a big storm brewing, and you were in the centre of it."
"What am I supposed to do about that?"
"Gain power and become stronger. Follow me."
"No. I still don't trust you."
"Is that so?"

She then releases some of her magical power, but not in a threatening way. But something caught my partner's eye.

Just like my Beelzebub, huh?

"You get it now, right? I have the Ultimate Skill 《Sea Goddess Salacia》 as well as its blessing. I want you to get the blessing for Wisdom Lord Raphael."

I then stand up and signal Ultima to follow me. Ultima who had just finished healing and understanding what happened just silently stood up and followed me.

'I have to quickly get stronger and get an Ultimate Skill if I want to fight against them.' She thought to unbeknownst to me.

"By the way, was it because of your skill that there were three cups of tea?"
"Hai. I could see that you would bring Vio-, I mean Ultima woth you."
"Is that so?"
"Hai. Then I will be teleporting. Please follow me."

She said as she gave me the coordinates. This could very well be a trap, but I guess it is worth taking the risk. I still have that device in case I have to escape.

"Let's go Ultima."
"Hai."

After that I teleport at the coordinates she gave me.

As soon as I teleported, I could see Luna standing in front of me.

"Where are we?"
"In the Empire." She said as she began walking. I follow her as well.

"A shrine was made where Lucia obtained the power of Wisdom. Just like me, she had also obtained its blessing." She said without having me asking.

Lucia? If I am correct she is Milim's mother and wife of the true God Veldanava.

Soon enough, a shrine came into view.

"Is that the shrine?"
"Yes."

Silence fell again. Who knew silence could be so deafening?

"Did you know Lucia?"
"We... were quite good friends."
"Is that so?"

Looks like she doesn't want to talk about this topic. I know more than not to wake sleeping tigers.

We reached the shrine in silence.

"You should go in."
"I guess so. Ultima. Stay here."
"Hai."

I then moved into the shrine.

3rd person POV

As Rimuru went into the shrine, the two girls outside stood in silence.

Finally, Luna decided to speak.

"It has been a long time, I guess."
"I guess."
"How long has it been?"
"20,000 or maybe 30,000 years. I don't know."
"Mou... are you angry with me?"
"No. Not really."
"Come on, Ultima-chan. I know you are angry."
"Don't call me 'chan'."
"It's fine isn't it? There is no one here anyway."
"Even then."
"Are you, by chance, worried about how powerless you are?"
"Did you get to know about it from your skill?"
"Nope. It came from my experience with you."
"Tch."
"Are you enjoying serving him?"
"Yep. If I have to take someone as my master, then Rimuru-sama is the only one."
"I know right? You are welcome."
"Tch. You were the worst person to summon me. You just summoned me and told me to not get summoned until Noir came to pick me up. If that wasn't enough, you even told me to take Noir's master as my master."
"I didn't order you to do so. I just told you that you will enjoy serving him. And you enjoy, right?"
"Tch. I can't deny that. Rimuru-sama's soul is quite beautiful. But now I understand why you told me to do so. It is because of your skill, isn't it?"

Luna just smiled back at her.

"Let's wait for Rimuru to come back." Luna said.

Both then silently stared at the shrine in which Rimuru entered.

--

I hope you guys enjoyed.

CH-72

Rimuru's POV

As I go inside the shrine, I see nothing out of the ordinary. It was just like how you would expect a shrine to be. There was nothing eye catching, for most people that is. I felt a slight connection to something, just like I felt at Jistav. I moved towards the center of the shrine. The pavement on the floor was not solid. Just by hearing my footstep on it, I could confirm that there is some open space below it.

I use Shadow Movement to move through the floor and enter the open area below the shrine. It was a staircase leading downward. After going down, what I assume is about 59 meters, I found myself in a large opening.

"Oh? Someone came to see the old me? I am so happy." Someone said behind me.

I quickly turn around and see a mature woman of around 28 wiping her eyes feigning tears. She has a beautiful face, pink hair about waist long and sky blue hair.

"Who are you?"
"Me? I am Lucia Nava. Nice to meet you , Rimuru-chan."

Chan? Wait. Before that, Nava?

"Are you by chance?"
"I am Milim's mother."
"Then..."
"Calm down. Let's do things in orders shall we?"
"Huh?"
"You came here to gain power for Raphael, didn't you?"
"I, that, Yes."
"Then, let's begin."

As soon as she said that, the surroundings changed. I was standing in a large wide plain. A large mansion could be seen.

As I continued to move through the plain, which I believe is a large garden depending on how well maintained it appears to be, I saw four people playing together. I guess it would be better to say that they were a family. There were two kid, a boy and a girl, and a married couple. There faces could not be seen as if they were deliberately hidden, yet I knew who they were. No. Who they were supposed to be.

Raphael, is that by any chance me and her?

Raphael? Why is she not responding?

Beelzebub.

Tch. None of my skills are activating. I lit up a fire in my hand. Looks like magic still works.

"Raphael will not only tell you the best thing to do, but also the best thing you could have done. This means, you will also be able to know what you could have saved." Lucia said.

"I see. So if I had been more decisive back then, this could be a possible future"
"That's right. To lose your loved one must have hurt. If you want, you can live here with them forever."
"No. That's all right. I am glad to know that there was something I could have done. And, she is waiting for me, regardless. I don't know how I would ever face her if I live a dream here."
"Is that so..."

The surroundings changed yet again. Instead of the beautiful view, I could see a destroyed landscape. From my experience, I could tell it was a battlefield, yet it was much different. The 'was' is because I could see countless dead bodies on the ground. Most of them were people I knew. They were residents of Tempest.

"What is the meaning of this?"
"Once you get more knowledge, you will realize some things can't be changed, no matter what you do."
"So? You want me to accept that?"
"That is correct."
"Hah. You must be joking. Am I not getting stronger just to avoid this?"
"Some things just cannot be avoided."
"Huh? I might not believe in God, but I do believe in miracles."
"That is quite contradictory."
"Even if it is. I will find a way to prove that what you believe is in stone, can be changed. The future can be changed. And I will make sure it does."
"That is not the answer I want."
"I don't care. I will not change my ideals. I will find some other way to get stronger."
"But... it isn't me who decides whether you are worthy or not. Raphael does. And it seems that sh thinks your answer was acceptable."
"Huh? What are you saying?"
"I am saying that Raphael recognizes you."
"Huh? Then what about you?"
"Let's talk about that later."

Just a few moments later, I felt information flow into my mind. It was not painful, yet again, it was more irritating.

Soon a bright light engulfs me. As the light fades away, I find myself back in the shrine. Lucia was still standing there looking at me.

"You managed to get his approval."
"I guess so."
"It's quite a feat, you know. Even I didn't get his approval."
"Huh?"
"I wonder if I had your mindset, could i have been with Milim, now?"
"So you really are Milim's mom."
"Hai."
"Then..."
"You must be wondering what I am doing here, instead of being beside Milim, don't you?"
"Yes."
"My soul is bound here. When we were about to die, dear bound my soul here to protect it. As a result, I lost all my skills, including Ultimate Skills. He said he would free me once he revives, yet he hasn't revived yet."

"I will have to talk with him later." She said. But her tone was different. She had the same tone that Shuna had when she found out I had gone to Night Butterflies, but worse.

"So..."
"Ah. Sorry about that. You had to see such an embarrassing side of me."

Embarrassing? It was scary. Girls are scary.

"Should I tell Milim about you?"
"No. I would prefer you dont do that. I saw everything from here. Isn't Velda cruel? I could see my daughter in pain, yet I couldn't even help her."
"But that did help her grow."
"I guess, but that doesn't mean I acknowledge what he did."
"Well, let's change topics. You were the previous holder of Raphael?"
"Yes. But I never got Raphael's approval."
"I see. And where is Raphael?"
"Don't know. He just talks to me sometimes, like not even full sentences
Just some words and phrases."
"I see. Also, should I help you? I am sure with Raphael's help, I can create a new body for you."
"I am sure you can, but I will wait for Velda. I have been waiting for millennias now, I want to believe in him."
"Alright. Then I will take my leave. I will come again, if I get some time."
"Hai. Do come visit me Rimuru-chan. Also, keep Milim company, alright?"
"Don't call me 'chan'."
"Ehhh? But you are so cute."
"Tch."

After that I teleport outside the shrine. I see that both Ultima and Luna were staring at the shrine.

"Let's get going then." Luna said.
"Huh? You aren't even going to ask whether I succeeded or not."
"I know you succeeded."
"That skill of yours."
"Haha. But I refrained from saying that. I wanted to make sure you were not cocky."
"Whatever. Ultima, come here."

She looks quizzically at me but obliges. Once she comes close enough, I take out a hairband from my stomach and tie her hair in a ponytail.

"Huh? This is? Rimuru-sama?"
"A gift from me, of sorts. Always keep it with you, alright?"
"Hai. I will treasure it."
"Good."

In reality, this band isn't any ordinary hairband. Raphael made this hairband and it has nuclear power stored inside it. Unlike magic, this nuclear power is completely made of physics, hence it is impossible to sense it with Magic Sense. It also has a barrier. In case, if Ultima's life signs start to deteriorate, the band will explode and a barrier will be formed to protect Ultima. I had thought about giving this to her before the war with the Empire, but I decided against it and gave it to her right now. I also have one for Testarossa and Carrera.

"Let's get going. It is about to be sunrise."
"Huh? It has been that long?"
"It has. Let's go quickly. It wouldn't be good if rumors about us being missing through the night start spreading."
"Hai hai."

I say as we all teleport back to Hyme. But, it was worthwhile to come here. Now I finally understand why Hyme decided to finally come and make contact with the world. I guess I can trust them.

--

That's it. I hope you guys enjoyed.

CH-73

Today is finally the day for Hikari's birthday. A list of gifts were prepared for her, but there is something that I had to give her myself, so I decided to keep it with myself until I get to have a meeting with her.

The party started somewhere around six in the evening. It appears that the nobles of Hyme got to have a meeting with Hikari first. It appears that there are other cities underwater as well. Each of these cities is ruled by a noble house.

But, they are unable to expand because creating an air bubble like this one is an 'ancient magic' as they say. I am sure Luna can create an air bubble, but maintaining it would be a pain, and if she lost her control over her feelings, the air bubble could be lost.

Hikari was sitting on a small throne made especially for her. Beside her, Luna was sitting acting as a guardian and a parent at the same time. As the different nobles were greeting the birthday girl, I just stood in the side and looked at their exchange. They seem to be pretty close with each other. I guess that makes sense. For such a long living race who can only depend on each other in case of an emergency, it is obvious they will deepen their relationship.

I cannot hear their conversation no matter how much I try, so I guess they have applied a sound absorbing barrier. After some time, all the nobles had talked to the girl of the day, and Elmesia was the first one to get to meet Hikari officially. Now that I notice, apart from me, Gazel and Elmesia, and our respective entourage, no one else from the surface was invited.

Gazel was busy talking with someone. If I am not wrong he was the head of the technology department of Hyme. Looks like Gazel will do anything to get more types of technology under his belt.

After some time, Elmesia finally decided to leave Hikari alone. They had put a barrier to prevent anyone from seeing what was happening inside halfway through, mainly because Elmesia was treating Hikari as a cute little toy. After Elmesia it was finally my turn.

Once I get close to them, I can feel that i passed through a barrier.
"Happy Birthday Hikari."
"I am grateful to have your blessing."
"No need to be so formal. Nobody can hear us anyway."
"But.."
"Why not just do what he said." Luna said. It was only then that she finally agreed. Such a well-mannered girl. If only Veldora could learn something from her.

"Anyways, I want to give you something." I say as I take out a small ball like structure from my stomach.
"You see, in my world, giving gifts on birthdays was a sort of practice. Of course, I have sent a lot of other gifts as well, but this is something that I wanted to give you by myself."
"And that is?" She said looking curiously at the ball.

I smile and let the magic ball do its work. This is a device that Raphael had made. It was a large scale barrier that can be used to prevent specific things from entering or exiting the barrier. Of course, it used to be much larger in my world, but with the help of magic, it was made much smaller and compact.

As Hikari was looking at the ball. It's outer layer divided into four and moved spherically outwards, revealing a bright red orb in the centre. The entire ball was floating in the air, so I pushed the ball into her hands.

"This is a large scale barrier. It can help you protect a large area. It can even withstand a full power attack by a true dragon, but only once. It would need to recharge after that."

Hikari's eyes went wide when I told her how strong it was. Well, it could handle Veldora's power, but I am not sure about her sisters. Scorch Dragon, Velgrynd should be weakened inside an ocean, but the same couldn't be said for the Frost Dragon, Velzard.

"Rimuru, isn't that.." Luna asked.
"Hmm?"
"The barrier around our cities. It is also maintained by something like that. The people who built it used to call it the 'Obsidian'. Could it be related to it."

Obsidian?

"Wait. Does the barrier run on something other than magic?"
"Hm? Yes. It runs on something called elektrivity, or was it eletrivity?"
"Electricity?"
"Yes. That."
"I see. Then the machine you are using is not from this world."
"I know. It was made by otherworlders. But to think you are form the same world as them."
''By the way, this can be used in the same way as those 'Obsidian'. But, instead of electricity, it runs on magicules in the air. Also, whatever you do, you must no let anyone touch the core, alright?"
"Huh? Why? Is it delicate?"
"Yes. It is extremely delicate. Obsidian is a rock found near volcanic regions. Form the outside it looks extremely hard and smooth, but in reality it is quite fragile."
"I see. I will keep good care of these."
"I hope you do. Then I will take my leave."

I then stood up and glanced at Hikari. She was busy fiddling around with the barrier I gave to her as if it was a toy.

As I leave Gazel made his way to meet Hikari. He had eyes as if he was going to get the most important thing in his life. Just how much does Gazel love technology?

I know, right? But conquering is not the correct word, you know. We held a lot of it under us, yet we knew very little of it.

Wait! Wait... Raphael?

Did you just initiate conversation on your own?

No. No. I was just surprised. You never usually initiate a conversation. But, I like it better this way. This makes me think that I am closer to my aim.

Nothing. Nothing at all.

The rest of the party continued without any major events. Unlike my previous world, there was no such thing as cutting a cake to celebrate a birthday.

Ultima was talking with Luna and Hikari. It appears that Luna and Ultima knew each other. Meanwhile, for Hikari, the closest in age to her was Ultima, at least according to her, so they became friends and Ultima was dragged along with Hikari. But, from my soul corridor with her, I knew she was not hating it.

Meanwhile Veyron and Zonda were just following the two around along with some other maids to stop them. While I was witnessing all of this, Luna came beside me.

"Why in the corner?"
"Who knows? Maybe just a habit of mine."
"Such a waste. Someone as handsome as you should be the center of the stage."
"Flattery won't get you anywhere. Besides, for today, Hikari is the center of the stage."

As I say that, we both looked towards Hikari who was now running around the garden outside the castle along with Ultima, through the window.

"*sigh* So? What did you come to talk about?"
"Ara? Can't I come to talk you about small things?"
"You can, but you wouldn't. You don't appear to be that type of a person."
"Mou.. You need to be kinder with you words, you know. Or else women will hate you, you know."
"You don't need to worry about that."
"*sigh* I came here to tell you this, there is a lot of this world you don't know. Even I, who personally knew GOD don't know much about it. But, it is far more complicated than you can think."

"So?"
"This world is not a chess board."
"I know. It is a game of war and tactics."
"Is that so? I have told you all you need to know."

She then leaves. Of course this game isn't chess. Unlike chess, where you will sacrifice your pawn to save the queen, in this world, I cannot sacrifice anything. No. I will not sacrifice anything. I will make sure that a tragedy like that doesn't happen again. Ever again.

After that, the party slowly came to an end. The next day we went back to Tempest. Nothing of note had happened for the three days I had been gone. But, the war with Empire is on the horizon.

--

I hope you guys liked it.

CH-74

Six months have passed since I returned from Hyme. The Empire is yet to take any major steps, but from how things are progressing, it is easy to see that we will be forced to fight a war in less than a year. Usually I would strike first, but the fact that I have already failed 14 times is something that's surprising. I made up as many attack plans as I could, but there was only 13 ways of attacking that I found probable.

So, I guess I will be on the defensive. Maybe cou ter and deal some damage to them. But the fact is, that Rudra doesn't seem to care much about his people if he sent a million people to fight Veldora.

I got some inside information regarding the Empire with the help of an underground organization 'Cerebrus'. It was attacked by Masayuki just before the Festival. They stopped their work temporarily but resumed later on. It seems that it was headed by Yuuki. One of the three heads of Cerebrus, Damrada had a lot of information. The amount of information he had was pretty suspicious, but it didn't contradict with anything that Moss had gathered.

He might be someone under Rudra's control, but Yuuki and Damrada had known each other for more than 10 years. So I believe that he is not against Tempest. Speaking of Yuuki, he sent a few people over from the Empire. First was a group of youngsters led by Shinji. He had an interesting skill which allowed him to play around with microscopic organisms. The reason I say play is because he has no idea how to properly use it. My clones, without any unique skill is more effective than his unique skill. That should prove the difference in skill to use it.

Secondly, he sent an old man named Gadra. He is the teacher of Razen, who is currently helping Youm to rule. He is also an old friend of Adalmann. He is a complete maniac when it comes to learning magic. Ramoris's magic golem caught his fancy and he decided to become the guardian of the 60th floor after a series of incidents. Diablo also used 《Dominate》 on him to make sure he wasn't lying or would betray us in the future.

Other than that, nothing major regarding Tempest occurred. The Empire had started moving around the border of former Clayman's territory. Milim suggested to take action against this, but I told her not to. As in this world, there is nothing that seperated two territories like a boundary, we could easily say that they had invaded, but this would have more troubles as I would no longer have total command over the army.

The war that was supposed to Empire vs Tempest would become Empire vs Milim's territory. Meaning that Milim would become the head of the army. This would be unpredictable for me, as Milim is no less of a troublemaker than Veldora.

So, right now I am in the control room in the dungeon. With me is Benimaru. With the help of Argos I can see the battlefield just like how a satellite would show.

Currently I was looking at the Imperial Army. They had slowly moved towards our border and finally breached it. Unlike most other countries, Temoest has a clear outlined border. A whit line approximately fifty feet wide demarcated Tempest's boundary. This wasn't all for aesthetic reason either. It served a purpose as well. Just below this line is a wall nearly 50 meters tall with many artilleries and turrets. For now, I want to keep these hidden if possible.

Raphael had made anti-army machines which were at the pinnacle of not only magic, but scientific technology as well.

The army invading Tempest was an army of old-fashioned tanks. They are still used? I thought they were only for display. But then again, people from the early 21st century were summoned here. I guess at that time these would be one of the strongest weapons.

Meanwhile, nearly 700,000 thousand soldiers were marching towards the connecting land between Dwargon and Tempest. I guess they want to prevent any reinforcements from Dwargon reaching Tempest.

I looked at the screen showing Dwargon. The tanks were lined up about thirty kilometers in front of the entrance. Looks like their most convenient range is thirty kilometers.

"I have already sent Gabil and Gobta as reinforcements, but I guess I should talk to Gazel once more to make sure no confusion ensues."

The last thing I want is infighting. To prevent this, me and Gazel had come to a solution. Tempest forces would be free and attack the legion, meanwhile the Dwargon forces would focus on defense.

I then use my contact device, aka, computer, made by the one and only Vesta to connect to Gazel.

"Hello? Is Gazel there?" I ask.
"Um. Please wait a minute. We will ask for King Gazel's attention."

In less than two minutes, Gazel came on the line.

"I just called for a final confirmation."
"Ah yes. I was about to contact you for that as well. Also, the Eastern gate is also blockaded."

As expected. I heard from Gadra that it was the legion led by Yuuki. In the past year, I have never tried to initiate a connection to Yuuki. The reason for this is simple. Kondo. He does the same work as Souie or Moss. There is a high chance he would never catch me. But I don't want to take any unneeded risk and foil the entire plan.

"I see. As I said, just stand off against the army. It should not attack."
"I see. We, of Dwargon, will not initiate an attack. That has always been a part of our heritage. But you have no need to follow that. What are you going to do?"
"The Empire has invaded my territory. As such, I will make sure to show them what happens to those who don't follow my rules in my territory. Today, right now, I declare war on the Empire."

"Haha. That's good. To make things clear, we, Dwargon, left all the negotiations to Tempest. If Tempest is to enter a state of war with the Empire, then Dwargon, as an ally of Tempest, would support it."

I recorded this as a proof of support of Dwargon.

"Well, take care. Regarding these Magic Tanks, we have no data on them. So, make sure you take proper precautions against them."
"No need to worry about that. There were things like these in my previous world. I have some information on them."

I don't have much information on them, but I do know a few ways to take them out. The best would be a hit and run strategy. They are good at bombing, but highly inefficient when it comes to attacking a single target.

"Then, I will send someone to state the declaration of war. I am someone who upholds rules, unlike the king of Farmuth."

Now. Who should I send? Gabil is out of the options. Similarly, Gobta is not a choice either. He is too cowardly. That leaves only Testarossa, I guess. Now that I think about it, Testarossa does help me quite a fair bit in my work as well. Her work load must be quite large, especially with the Western Council.

Recently things have calmed down. Testa no longer goes for the monthly meetings, instead, Cien is sent. I guess she really deserves some rewards for her effort. Thinking as such, I use my thought communication to contact Testarossa.

--

I hope you guys liked it.

CH-75

3rd Person POV
Dwargon

The entire nation is in a state of emergency. All the people living in the cities have already evacuated. The Dwarven soldiers are busy moving supplies and building temporary defensive trenches and walls. Due to the information provide by Rimuru about the tanks, the common method to reduce damage, trenches, were made. As entire legions could be seen moving and the tension could be sensed in the air.

Yet, there was a group that hardly seemed effected by this. This was the first and third legion of Tempest, led by Gobta and Gabil respectively. They were resting without a care in the world. Meanwhile, Testarossa and Ultima sat under a parasol eating food. Both Ultima and Testarossa were wearing a military uniform. But, unlike the outfit which is mass produced, this was an intricately hand-made product.

These outfits were made especially to suit them. Not only those two, but the other leaders also had an individual suit of armor made. The reason for this is simple. Those who are strong can bend the laws. Rimuru, being the leader of Tempest is completely free from the laws. Most of his executives can also bend the laws to a great extent.

The food was made by Veyron, the personal butler of Ultima. The food that they were eating could be considered a luxury on a supposed to be battlefield.

"This is quite delicious."
"I know Gabiru-san."

This fact is supported by both Gabiru and Gobta. But, this doesn't mean that everyone was satisfied with the food.

"The taste can't even compare to what Shuna or Yoshida makes."
"And there is too little variety as well. It is all just smoked or grilled."
"I apologize. I will make sure to improve before serving once again." Veyron kneeled as he spoke.

Testarossa and Ultima complained. It was not Veyron's fault either. Veyron had hunted for the food and made it himself. In his entire life he had never needed to cook. The fact that his cooking was better than many chefs is in fact a matter of praise. But Ultima and Testarossa aren't like that. Being the leaders of demons, there is very little they can't have. As such, there demands and expectations are equally high.

"My, look at that. You have such talented subordinates. While look at mine." Testarossa said.
"That's not true. Moss is quite useful when collecting information. Even Rimuru-sama himself is using him to get information on the Empire. Also, Cien is quite helpful when it comes to paperwork, isn't he? All my subordinates are good for is menial work, so I really envy you."

How Testarossa and Ultima were talking might appear rude or disrespectful to others who didn't know who they were. To obtain attention of primordial demons is something akin to highest honor a demon could achieve. It was due to this reason that Veyron and Zonda were feeling elated.

Both Testarossa and Ultima had been deployed as observers. Not only that, but Carrera was also deployed to be the observer for the second legion led by Geld. Their main job was to make sure that if anything too out of the ordinary is to happen, they would take action. Though, this order wasn't known by anyone other than the three themselves and Rimuru.

It was at this moment that Rimuru contacted Testarossa via thought communication.

'Testarossa, I want you to go and declare war on the Empire. Also, give them an option to surrender peacefully.'
'Understood.'

Normally anyone would be shaken if they were to be contacted so suddenly. The fact that Testarossa didn't is proof about how much Rimuru and Testarossa had to communicate via thought communication.

Then Rimuru proceeded to connect all the leaders of the army, aka Gabiru and Gobta. Ultima was also included.

'I hope everyone can hear me. Right now, I declare war on the Empire. Testarossa will now go and declare our intention to the Empire. Prepare for war. I hope to see the very best from each of you. Take care of your legions and be an inspirational figure for the soldiers. That is all. I am sending Ranga with you Testarossa.'
'Um. Wait a minute, Rimuru-sama. Shouldn't I go as well. Sending a woman alone isn't alright is it?'

Hearing this Testarossa was just stunned. Meanwhile Ultima was just enjoying the entire charade. On the other side, Rimuru was just as shocked as the primordials. It is true that he has no idea who they were, but the fact that they were having tea on the battlefield, and that they were recruited by Diablo should be more than enough for him to atleast piece out that they were, on the very least, stronger than him. Yet, this is Gobta we are talking about.

'Is that so? Then you should go as well.' Rimuru said, thinking that it might be fun.

Rimuru's POV

As expected. I can count on Testa. I was thinking of giving Testa some kind of reward, but doing so, just before an important battle might bring bad luck, so I decided to reward her later on, after the battle has settled down. Next is Ramiris.

"Could you go and call Ramiris and Veldora" I say to an ogre who was stationed here as well. He then bowed and left.

"So? How are you thinking of dealing with this Benimaru?"

I can obviously lead the war, but I would rather have Benimaru get some experience.

"I am thinking of sending 100 goblin riders under Gobta to see how the magic tanks function and to test them. If they prove to be stronger than expected, then I will order them to retreat via shadow motion."
"Alright. We will continue with that. You are the military general."
"Hai."

3rd Person POV

Gastar. He is the leader of the magitank Corp which was responsible for attacking and defeating Dwargon. To him, fame mattered much more than anything else. This was also the reason why he decided to lead the magitank Corp instead of attacking the labyrinth. The fame that he would get for defeating Gazel Dwargo and Dwargon was something that would make his name go down in history as one of the greatest generals of all time.

The mere thought of him being revered as one of the greatest made his heart race. But this doesn't mean he was letting his guard down.

His unique skill 《Performer》allowed him to control and listen nearby sound. He could use this to get to know about any changes in the surroundings much more efficiently than magic sense.

Just as he was lying on top of the tank in the front, he couldn't hear anything. All the insects that were chirping till now, all the plants that were waving and flowing with the wind, stopped. The silence was certainly not something natural.

"Abort camp preparation. Take defensive formation."

As all the tanks turned towards the direction Gastar was looking in, three figures came out. The wolf, Ranga, was something akin to the Demon Lord's pet as was stated by the Imprial Information Bureau. He was by no means weak. Yet, the woman sitting on top of Ranga was the one who caught Gastar's eyes.

True. She was beautiful. With a beautiful face and long white hair and a body that could make men go mad with lust, but that was not what caught his attention. Gastar could use his skill to listen to nearly anything. He could hear her heartbeat. It was much faster than that of any human. The blood in her body was flowing with so much pressure, that even A-ranked individuals would die.

Without a doubt, Gastar knew, that the woman in front of him was far more dangerous than Ranga. It was at this moment that Gastar wanted to go and scream at the IIB(Imperial Information Bureau) for not doing their work properly.

"So you are the the emissary sent by that demon lord."
"That's correct. My name is Testarossa and today, I have come here to bring you gentlemen two options. Either accept milord's mercy and surrender peacefully, or experience true terror and die a death in vain." Testarossa said.

To Gastar, this sounded as if she was belittling the Empire, which she was. He believed that she had no clue how strong they were. This made Gastar lose his calm.

'Blow this bitch's head off.' Gastar ordered his sniper.
'Understood.'

The sniper then took aim and shot at Testarossa. There was no way anyone could survive a bullet which was moving at three times the speed of sound. Or so he thought.

As soon as the fire shot, Testarossa turned around and stopped the bullet with the help of her index finger.

"I see. So this is your answer. Atleast try to entertain us, weaklings." Testarossa said as she turned around and returned.

--

I hope you enjoy. Also, I will upload every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.