Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken (LN)

INTERLUDE

THE DEMON LORDS

The demon lord Clayman awaited the appointed hour, a glass of wine in his hand. The Walpurgis Council was tonight, and as a mixture of anger and happiness danced across his face, he thought over a few things.

First, the bad news.

Ignoring the warnings of his friend Laplace, he had advanced his forces into the Beast Kingdom of Eurazania. But they had failed to discover even a single citizen left there. The effort had gone to waste.

The briefing from his commander Yamza drove him into a fit of rage. But until they knew why this happened, giving further orders would be careless. Instead, Clayman decided to gather his forces together and carefully continue the search.

What they found was a group of stragglers, frantically attempting to flee the kingdom. Upon being advised of them, Clayman immediately ordered an attack, sending scouts to the area to search for anyone else hidden nearby. They eventually found several hundred civilians in hiding, but as they attempted to dispatch them all, they immediately ran away.

Finding this suspect, the army conducted further investigation, only to discover that a larger group of some several thousand refugees was fleeing toward the Forest of Jura. The small group of several hundred was just bait to help the rest of them flee.

Those insolent!

Now Clayman knew why there was nobody left living in the Beast Kingdom. They had undergone a mass emigration to Tempest, relying upon Rimuru for their continued survival. The stragglers were also on to the Clayman forces activity, fleeing the area once the bait was taken.

He wanted to have those souls safely hunted and collected before Walpurgis, but it just wasnt going to happen. He had to admit that now, and it made him deeply unhappy.

Yamza, the Council is about to begin. I want your entire force to chase them down before I return. Kill every last one of them and bring the survivors before me!

I swear to you it shall happen, sir!

He nodded, but it did nothing to overturn the fact that he wouldnt be awakening tonight. It annoyed Clayman terribly as he closed the magical link.

Meanwhile, there was good news to be had.

Using his feelers in the groundelectric signals and natural geomagnetismhe was constantly gathering information. Nobody had been fully aware of this power yet, giving Clayman free rein over a vast array of data. It was what allowed him to enjoy the alias of Marionette Master.

At the time he gained this skill, it permitted him to interact only with people or things within his line of vision. Now, however, thanks to ceaseless training and effort, it had become the keystone force of his entire empire. This unique skillManipulator, it was calledconverted information into encrypted communications as it conducted surveillance over a wide area. Deploying a member of his team to an area allowed them to function as his eyes and ears to gather intelligence.

It was this vast network that informed him that Veldora, the Storm Dragon, had revived. This, in itself, was not welcome newsbut the human beings who had spoken with the Storm Dragon and apparently survived the experience had some very fascinating things to say.

According to conversations surreptitiously heard from adventurer types leaving the monster town, Rimuru, self-styled leader of the forest, hadnt defeated the Farmus force at all. The missing army was the result of the Storm Dragons resurrectionand since he had only just been reborn, the dragons stores of magicules were largely lost, emptied out as it raged upon Farmuss army. That explained why there was no massive onrush of magicules around the Forest of Jura, as one would expect from such a cataclysmic event. That these adventurers lived to tell the tale was another sure indicator.

If the Storm Dragon Veldora was alive once more, there was no way Clayman, a demon lord, wouldnt have picked up on that. The rumors must have been true, thenhe lost his magic force during the battle with Farmus.

These two pieces of news conflicted Clayman.

It would be a simple matter to slay that dragon right now. I may even be able to add him to my cache of pawns

A tantalizing fantasy. The dragon has been using the town the monsters built as his personal den, it seemed, and it was hard to gather information in that areabut he felt no need for concern. Those empty stores of magicules wouldnt rebuild themselves in two or three days. After Walpurgis, hed have all the time in the world to snare him.

And if all else fails, I can simply send Milim after him. For now, though

It was time to concentrate on the Council.

Or perhaps, if Clayman hadnt been over-reliant upon Milims strengthhe might have noticed all the points that didnt quite add up.

The fact that there wasnt a single enemy casualty yet. The force, reportedly scattered all across the Beast Kingdom, was now gathered together. Both pieces of information were too important for someone as careful as Clayman to overlook. But it wasnt Clayman on the groundit was Yamza. And Claymans mind was too full of the upcoming Council to notice. That was how vital this Walpurgis was.

Out of nowhere, Ramirisa demon lord who preferred to remain incognito, cooped up in her labyrinth, most of the timeasked for Rimuru, the subject of the meeting, to be extended an invite as a supplementary condition. Clayman hadnt accounted for that possibility; it prevented him from making a snap judgment. But as he groused over it, the others quickly agreed to the suggestion, making it impossible to stage any resistance.

Still, this could lead to good things for him.

Its better this way. Now weve unmasked Rimurus true nature. I was almost fooled into believing that he leveled the Farmus military by himselfbut theres no hiding the truth.

Clayman grinned. If Rimuru was joining the Council, he should consider himself welcome. There, before all the other demon lords, hed know exactly how powerless he really is.

A mere slime, borrowing the majesty of a dragon for his boasts! I hope you consider it an honor to be crushed by my own hands!

He went back to fantasizing about his own future glories. And that was why he missed it. Those small yet glaring inconsistencies out on the battlefield.

You be careful, too, okay, Clayman? Nows not the time to be too reckless.

His friends words flashed across his mind. Now, a small sense of unease was taking root. The nagging feeling that he had missed something. But he laughed it off.

Dont you worry, Laplace. I will win this

He drained his wineglass, as if to wash the anxiety away.

It was with a somber gloom that Frey prepared for the Council. Things were in a constant state of flux. The original plan had all but gone by the wayside. She didnt expect any of this, and now it was all too unclear how things would shake out.

But she wasnt nervous. She was aware of her limits, and she always made decisions based on cold, hard facts. That was how the Sky Queen always acted. If all went well, then fine. If notshe would have to prepare to make the right move herself.

It all began with a certain promise. In order to defeat Charybdis, she had accepted an offer from Clayman. In exchange, she agreed to take one request from him.

Several months ago, Milim visited Freys domain. She didnt exactly slip in unnoticed. There was a loud bang! as she shoved the doors open and ran into the room.

Frey didnt bat an eye. Milim always acted like this. When she felt that massive auraone Milim never bothered to hideshe knew it had to be her.

Hey, Frey! Beautiful day out, huh?!

She beamed at her, playing around with her beautiful platinum-pink hair to show it off. Was Frey busy at the moment? Who cares?

On Milims hand, however, was something new. Not a ringa brass knuckle covering her four fingers. It was something far too boorish for most young women, but on Milim, it couldnt have been more perfect. It had a relief of a dragon carved into it, half aglow in magical aura, and it fit snugly in her clenched little hand.

Mmmm, maybe a little too hot, though? she said as she fanned her face with one hand. It was obvious what she was doing. She never gave a crap about the weather.

Oh, Milim. Havent seen you in a while. You look like youre doing well. Did something nice happen to you?

Frey had to take the bait. Otherwise, shed have to put up with this act for the next hour.

Ooh, you could tell? Well, just look at this!

She thrust her Dragon Knuckleequipped hand in front of Freys face, giving her a proud little eh-hem!

Frey glumly sighed. Oh, wow, she said, giving Milim what she thought the girl wanted. It looks great on you. Whered it come from?

Oh, you wanna know? came the bashful reply. Oooh, I dunno if I can tell you or not Hmm, ohhh, what should I doooo?

This Im-the-best act was grating on Frey. Despite all the years they had known each other, it still rankled her.

Well, arent we friends, Milim? Its all right to tell me, isnt it?

Milims eyes sparkled. Ooh! Oh yeah, we sure are friends, huh?! Okay, Ill tell you! To tell the truth

Now that Milim finally had the invitation she wanted, she burst into a long story about the town of monsters she visited. The self-aggrandizing tale went on for a while, accompanied by several wardrobe changes from the new clothes she picked up there. It gave Frey some pause. Milim loved carrying on about herself all the time, but rarely to this level.

Once the conversation died down a little, Frey realized that now was the time to do the favor she promised Clayman.

Oh, right. You know, Milim, I actually have a present for you, too. From friend to friend. Would you like to see it?

She signaled to her attendants. They quickly brought over a tray bearing a beautiful, shining pendant, perched on top of purple satin cloth. An orb had been installed on the pendant, a jewel that even someone who knew nothing about precious stones could tell was worth a fabulous amount of money.

Mm? A pendant, huh? Can I have it? But that doesnt mean you can have my knuckle, okay?

Frey chuckled. Thats fine, Milim. Consider it a symbol of our friendship. And as a friend, I hope you wont be too shy to wear it around.

Milim gave a bright nod to Freys soft smile. You got it! she chirped as she attached it to her clothing.

Forbidden magic: Demon Marionette launching Activated.

At that instant, the expression on Milims face changed. Her eyes glazed over; the light of consciousness faded away from them. With the magic in the pendant released, a forbidden spell wormed its way into her.

This jewel was the Orb of Domination provided by Clayman to Freyand having Milim put it on was the promised favor Clayman asked of her.

So theres my promise. That takes care of my duty, but what will Milim do?

Frey observed the girl. She stood there motionless, face a total blank. Then, for just a single moment, she felt like Milims blue eyes looked at her.

There, at that moment, Milim knew something weird was happening. Maybe Yes. Indeed. I suppose it is, Milim

The Dragon Knuckle fell out of her fingers, clunking on the ground. Frey looked at her and sighed.

Im done, Clayman, she called out to an empty corner of the room. Are you happy?

I am, the Marionette Master replied, emerging from the corner. Well done, Frey. Now Ive obtained the strongest puppet there is! Ha-ha-ha-ha! This is what she gets for picking on me, calling me a young upstart. Pathetic, isnt it, Milim?!

He punched her as he laughed his nasal laugh. Her face reddened, a cut appearing on her lips. The multiple layers of Barrier protecting her were gone, meaning that even she could be hurt nowespecially if it was a demon lord like Clayman doing the hurting.

Shouldnt you stop that? Frey coldly commented as the half-giggling Clayman prepared to land another blow. It wasnt a pretty sight to see, and besides

Pfft! This isnt the sort of weak curse thatll undo itself after a punch or two. This is forbidden magic. It includes all the magic force I can muster from my body. Dont you resent her at all, after the way she acted around all of us? Thats why you joined me on this plan, is it not?

Its not. I just fulfilled my promise to you.

No need to lie to her face like that, you know. This girl is nothing more than a doll to us now. A pointlessly sturdily made doll, I should add. We can just fix her before she falls completely apart.

The veins were visible in his eyes as he kicked Milim away, Frey coldly watching the whole time. Such an impertinent man. This is how you really are?

It was at that moment when Frey abandoned Clayman for good. Thus, she decided to act on her own instincts for a change.

Listen, Clayman. Maybe you dont know, but Milim comes with a self-defense mechanism, all right? The way she described it, at least, its called Stampede, and it puts her in an uncontrollable state. Youre free to trigger that and die if you like, but try not to take me with you.

The words were enough to restore Claymans composure. He resentfully groaned. Psh. What a bastard of a demon lord this is. Very well. Using her should give my words a little more presence among us all. And you, Frey; youre a coconspirator as well. Ill expect you to work for me.

Oh? I thought we were equals.

Fool! Im the one who came up with this plan. Youre already one of my pawns. Or would you like to engage Milim in battle?

Are you threatening me?

Ha-ha-ha-ha! You can take that any way you like. But if you dont want to die, Id suggest not angering me.

It was classic Claymansometimes offering the carrot, other times the stick, but always with a heaping helping of arrogance. And its true; this was Claymans plan all along. That, and it was his hint to Frey that Milim had a weakness for the word friend. How he managed to learn that little tidbit, she didnt know, but all Frey did was keep her promisealthough she only did so because of one she firmly believed in.

All right.

Good. Just dont think about doing anything to betray me. As long as you listen to my requests a bit, I will personally guarantee your position as ruler of the skies.

The escape route was cut off. Now Frey was Claymans business associatea fancy name for his puppet. All of this happened several weeks before the Day of Ruin that visited Tempest.

Thinking it all over again, Frey sighed.

With Milim under his wing, Clayman was using her overwhelming potential violence as a cudgel to coerce her with. Now Frey was simply following orders, forced to do his bidding.

She couldnt help but laugh at how much she deserved this. She felt like such a fool for believing him. But she also had another thought. Clayman was a sly, conniving demon lord, never one to play down, but he also tended to overestimate his own powers. Thats why he never had a perspective on the true essence of things. Frey, luckily, was blessed with exactly those observational skillsnot a skill like breathing fire, but something she naturally picked up in her relations with other people. The ability to see the kind of truth that someone like Clayman, who treated people as nothing more than useful tools, could never notice.

So, trusting her instincts, she made a bet. And no matter how it turned out:

I dont think youll be alive for much longer, Clayman.

She began going over the procedure to come. The promise came to mind once again. It made her smile.

The frigid land was encased in howling snow and ice, surrounded by frozen tundra. Temperatures stayed at well below zero degrees Fahrenheit, driving away nearly all life.

In the middle of it all stood a tall, looming castle, a beautiful, fantastical palace. A demon castle, one materialized from an unimaginable amount of magical force. It was called Icefayr Castle, and it was the domain of the demon lord Guy Crimson.

A calm, collected man strode along a corridor inside the castle, his hair of platinum blond, eyes long and narrow. Those blue eyes were a prominent feature of his chiseled visage. His skin was fair, practically translucent, and his beauty would almost make some assume he was female.

This was the demon lord Leon Cromwell, known alternately as either the Platinum Devil or the Platinum Saber, and he stalked the halls of this castle like he owned them.

Ahead of him was a large door, decorated ornately by a master woodsmith. It led to the audience chamber where the master of this domain awaited. Leon was here to see Guy Crimson, and as he stood before the door, two large, heavy magic-born grunted and strained to open it up.

The demon lord Leon Cromwell has arrived!

A beautiful female magic-born beyond the door shouted Leons name as he entered. There, he saw two lines of powerful Greater Demons lining the way ahead on both sides. Each one was a named demon, and each had been granted physical corpuses for use in this world. All of them were powerful beyond the definition of a Greater Demon, easily surpassing what a high-level magic-born could manage. They were also bedecked in a fine array of magical equipment, each having evolved in their own unique ways. They numbered two hundred or more in all, and some were even calamity-class threats, rated Special A on the scale.

But not even these demons could defy the figures beyondthe sheer overpowering awe exuded by the six demons that surrounded the throne in the chambers midpoint, under the watchful eye of Guy Crimson.

These were named Arch Demons, capable of subduing even calamity-class monsters. If anything, they could be defined as demon lords themselves.

Amazingly, not even these demon kings were allowed to speak freely in this chamberfor there was a wall, an impregnable force, that none of them could ever conquer.

The green-haired demon that heralded Leons arrival was soon joined by a demon with blue hair that guided him down the aisle. She was gorgeous, the personification of all human desires. Her graceful, wispy arms were hidden in the sleeves of a dark-red maids dress.

The green-haired one was Mizeri, the blue-haired one Raine, and they were the two pillars who stood on both sides of the absolute ruler Guy Crimson, doing the speaking for him. They were both Demon Peers, superpowered creatures that each rated a disaster classificationthe equal of a demon lord.

Now Leon was at the throne. Mizeri and Raine nodded at him, then took their posts beside Guy as the man on the throne stood up. The only people in this room allowed to move a muscle were the two demon lords.

It gladdens me to see you, Leon, he said in a clear voice that carried across the chamber. Doing well, I hope? I appreciate your answering my invitation.

His bloodred eyes had stars of gold and silver dancing in them, and his wavy, burning hair was a deep shade of rouge. He was about as tall as Leon, and while Leon was feminine in his beauty, Guys was more prideful and distant. He had an alluring sort of attractiveness, the look of one born to leadand conquer.

He walked down the steps from his throne as he greeted Leon, bringing an arm to his chest and embracing him. Then, without hesitation, he placed his hand upon Leons face and kissed his lips.

Leon pushed him away, wincing. Leave me, he complained, like he always did. He glared at Guy, looking genuinely peeved. I am not interested in other men. How many times have I told you?

Ah-ha-ha-ha! Oh, you never were any fun like that, Guy gleefully replied. Id be happy to become a woman for you, if you like. But very well. Let us change locations.

He walked off, without waiting for a response. This, too, was how it happened every time.

Considering the arctic region he lived in, Guys clothing was quite unusual. He mostly had his clothes draped over him, revealing a great deal of bare skin. To Guy, who never felt the cold anyway, that was never an issue. He wore a near-mystical smile to complement his bewitching beauty, perhaps recalling the sensation of Leons lips against hisand then a snakelike tongue licked his bright-red lips, creating an eerie sort of irresistible allure.

For Guy, who could adjust his gender at will, men and women were both targets of his sexual appetite. Heor she, dependingwas Guy Crimson, demon lord, master of this castle, and the oldest and strongest of demon lords. As the Lord of Darkness, he was the sole and absolute ruler of this blindingly cold continent.

Guy pressed on ahead, not bothering to guide Leon. Leon followed behind, as if this was normal to him. No one else in the audience chamber moved until they were both gone. It was forbidden. They all bowed their heads to them, waiting for their ruler and his guest to leave.

Once all were sure they were gone, Mizeri and Raine stood before the rows of demons. And then, a single word from Raine:

Disperse.

Then the two Demon Peers left, setting off to prepare tea for their guest. They were the highest-ranked among all the demons in this castle, but their sole occupation was to take care of Guy Crimson. This work was prioritized above all else in this domainand so they quickly set off, not wanting to attract their masters ire.

Following Guy, Leon stepped into the ice terrace on the highest floor of the castle. Despite being open to the elements, not a single snowflake made its way inside. It was a comfortable, fully air-conditioned environment, and since Guy was wholly unaffected by the temperature around him, he had set this up exclusively for Leons sake. He might have been arrogant, but when it came to his friends or those who recognized his authority, he took care of them down to the last detail.

Musing about how little Guy had changed, Leon gruffly threw himself down in his seat. It was made of ice but didnt feel cold at all. That didnt faze him, nor did the way the ice bent pliably under him, providing a soft cushion.

So, he asked, what did you call me here for?

An ice table appeared out of nowhere. Raine lined up two cups of tea on it, as Mizeri soundlessly stood by the terrace entrance. They were not to interfere with their masters speech, unable to speak themselves without permission. This was not at all an equal relationship. Until ordered, they could not even allow their emotions to be shown in public. If they ever acted on their own without their masters orders, they would be provided with nothing but a quick death.

Even Demon Peers as powerful as them both were mere tools before the demon lord. That was how strong Guy was, and that was why they wouldnt move even if Leon attacked Guy right there. His rule was absolute, and worrying for his safety was the height of disrespect. Their presences were thus ignored as the conversation continued.

Well, as you know, a Walpurgis Council is coming soon. I thought I should implore you to attend, no matter how inconvenient it was.

Oh? Rare of you to force anything upon me like that.

I know. Even if it means I owe you a favor, I want you to participate.

Why is that?

Ha! Guy smiled, enjoying this. Wary as always, I see. Very well. Let me explain. It was Clayman who proposed this one. A little man. But for some reason, Milims name was among the cosigners. Milim is one of the oldest demon lords, up there with me. She wouldnt lift a finger for someone the likes of Clayman. So I believe

You believe that reports of Carillons death might not be entirely true?

Oh, you know, do you? Guy resented having his thoughts guessed so easily.

Leon paid it no mind. Clayman went too far, he continued. He tried to harass me without leaving any evidence behind, but Im not letting it pass this time. Whether Carillon lives or not, if Milim is taking action, that is bad news.

Guy gave this a relieved nod. Hmm. I agree with you. This might be just another game to Milim, but I dont like to see anyone tipping the balance of power among the demon lords. It just gives me more work.

Waiting to make sure Guy was no longer peeved, Leon decided to tackle the question that interested him the most.

So, Guy, do you think Milim is being controlled by Clayman?

Thinking about Milim is pointless, came the blunt reply. Someone like me is too intelligent to read the behavior of a moron. That is one of my very few weaknesses. He shrugged and gave Leon a broad grin, then went back to his first question. But if you worry about it that much, Leon, should I assume you will be participating?

Leon could tell that dancing around each other like this would lead them nowhere. Yes, I intend to. I hate working with others, but this time, I suppose I have no choice.

Oh? Well, very good. Before then, I was hoping we could embrace each other in bed later this evening

I have no interest in men. Or in women, unless they strike my fancy. Besides, what benefit would embracing you, as you put it, have for me?

You dont have to start with that. If you wish, I would happily take on a womans body for you

Guy slithered in for a hug. Leon, seeing it a mile away, dodged it beautifully. One saw this little exchange between them on regular occasions.

By the way, he said after it was clear Leon wasnt putting up with it, its rather rare for Ramiris to provide feedback to us one way or the other, but do you know anything about this Rimuru person?

This was another topic of the next Walpurgis, something everyone had an interest in since itd mark the first new demon lord after Leon.

The way Clayman puts it, Leon replied, hes just a self-styled demon lord. Personally, if he has the strength to back it up, I have no problem with him.

Ah. So you think Rimuru is qualified to be a demon lord? I was just wondering, since Ramiris, of all people, is involved. If someones piqued her interest that much, it should be a lot of fun for me.

Although this Walpurgis was convened by Clayman, Ramiris had made the additional proposal of having Rimuru himself attend. By Guys estimate, Ramiris mustve had something to say about Claymans actions here.

Ramiris? I have trouble dealing with that fairy. She makes fun of me every time we meet. Ive thought about strangling her to death countless times

But if it was Ramiris making this request, Leon had to agree with it. He couldnt help but feel like he owed that much to her.

Ah-ha-ha-ha! Better not. If you kill her, youd be making me your enemy, you realize.

Im sure. I wasnt being serious. Besides, theres no way Id win in a fight against you.

That was no lie. Leon was no fan of Ramiris and her big mouth, but he didnt actually mean her harm. And to be honest, he had no hope of beating Guy. They were both equal in demon lord rank, but the difference in strength was like night and day. Leon was closer to Mizeri and Raine than Guy on that score. There was just no comparison.

Mm? I wouldnt be so sure. Maybe youd kill me one in a million times?

Dont be ridiculous. Im not interested in a fight Im not guaranteed to win.

Quit being so modest. There arent many people who could wound me. The mere fact that you have a chance of killing me makes you more than strong enough, Leon.

Pfft. The truths the truth. You and Milim are on a different echelon from us. And speaking of that

Leon was reminded of somethingthe reported resurrection of Veldora, the Storm Dragon. And when he told that story, Leon managed to honestly shock Guy for the first time in his life.

Just then, an icy, shrill voice echoed across the terrace, cutting them off.

Oh my. I am very interested in that topic.

The voice was a perfect match for the beautiful woman it belonged to. Her skin was like porcelain, her eyes a fascinating sort of cold, glowing blue diamond in color. Her pearl-white hair cascaded past her cheeks, where the light-green shade of her lips drew the eye.

She was allowed to move and speak without Guys permission, shining more beautifully than any crown jewel. She was praised as the Ice Empress by some, but to the rest of the world, she was known as Velzard, the Ice Dragonone of only four dragon types to exist, and the demon lord Guy Crimsons friend and partner. Just like Leon, she was on equal footing with Guy.

Ah, Velzard, Leon said, dripping with sarcasm. I suppose there was a dragon type here, wasnt there?

My, cold as always, arent we? But Im glad to have the chance to see you.

Are you? Well, its a great honor to have a glimpse at your face.

There was little real emotion behind this exchange.

You never did get along with each other, Guy observed with a groan. Not that he had any interest in mediating. Normally, this would kick off a series of back-and-forth put-downs, but today Velzard changed the subject.

So the topic you were discussing? Sir Leon, my younger brother has awoken? Her blue eyes were shining as she asked for details on Leons big news. You are sure of that, Leon?

I stopped feeling his presence two years ago, so I assumed he had met his end, but?

If Veldora had resurrected himself, it wouldve been obvious. His massive, out-of-control aura wouldve changed the worlds weather patterns. But none of that happened. Guy and Velzard could be excused for their shock.

Its no mistake. A spy I sent to the Western Nations reported as much to me.

Oh? So why is that evil dragon acting so obedient? Has he weakened to the point that he can no longer replenish his magicule stores?

And who wouldve undone the seal placed upon him? I dont think he couldve broken out by himself

The Hero had sealed Veldora awayand Velzard had done nothing to save him from it. To her, this was a good way to teach Veldora a lesson for all that selfish rioting. She figured she would spring him out before he disappeared for good, once he was a bit more mature. But then he really did disappear, which perplexed her. It happened much quicker than she anticipated.

As the spy put it, Claymans scheming was the cause. He had impressed upon the Western Nations, and the larger kingdom of Farmus in particular, to defeat and destroy the Great Forest of Jura Alliance this Rimuru character has established. The results cost Farmus its entire military force and caused Rimuru to place his hat in the demon lord ring.

You know much about this, Leon.

Of course I do. Im a former human, unlike you. Ive also just recently learned that Veldora was apparently sleeping right in the middle of the most intense combat. Just before his soul disappeared for good, he was exposed to vast amounts of blood, and it awoke him. That is the truth.

The Farmus troops were subsequently massacred by his rage, he went on to explain, although Rimuru escaped injury.

So thats it? The seal just undid itself?

That much, I cant tell you.

Velzard nodded at this. Leon could be right, but a single spys report wasnt enough to make a policy decision from. The Heros unique skill Unlimited Imprisonment encased its target in a dimension of an imaginary number, shutting out any access or interaction with the real world. But now Veldora was exercising his presence here, once more?

Perhaps the Heros seal wasnt so complete after all

This made sense to herbefore Leon corrected her.

Thats possible, yes, but I have another theory. What if someone swallowed Veldora up, seal and all, and placed him in another subspace of their own making?

Guy smiled giddily at this. Ooh, I like that! So someone did undo the Heros seal, then! The seals too interwoven with the Heros own abilities to be undone by any normal skill. Perhaps you or I could do itbut if this person exists, then he must be as powerful as us. How fun!

It is just a possibility, keep in mind.

And you think this person might be Rimuru, Leon?

Exactly.

I see, I see. Then we definitely do need to size this person up.

Now it made sense to Guy. No wonder Leon wasnt showing his typical reluctance to attend a Council. Clayman was engaged in reckless violence; Milim was acting unusually strange; Rimuru undid Veldoras seal and declared himself demon lord. What if all these events were actually connected? At the very least, itd make this Walpurgis a hell of a lot of fun.

A longing smile erupted across Guys face. You know, he whispered, why Veldora is acting so obedient, then?

I think hes been weakened, replied Velzard. Im receiving only the tiniest of reactions from his presence. Nothing like before.

Even as a fellow dragon type, Velzard had to concentrate to receive even a weak blip from her younger brother. If his energy had been drained, that would explain that.

Strange that he hasnt acted out at all, though. With his personality, violence is practically what he lives for.

Velzard was having trouble making sense of all this, too.

Well, be that as it may, Leon matter-of-factly replied, Im not terribly interested in Veldora. If you want to try to drag an old friend of yours back here, be my guest.

While Velzard was family, and Guy had torn his hair out figuring out what to do with Veldora in the past, Leon had no connection to Veldora. As long as this dragon didnt mess with his domain, he had no intention of being involved. Thats how dangerous Veldora was to him.

Are you leaving?

Yeah. Thats all you needed from me, right?

Well, one moment. No need for all the rush. I wanted to ask: Have you made any progress in pursuing your real goal? You know, targeted summoning?

Guy was referring to the experimentation Leon had spent much of his life working on. He was just as interested in the subject as Leon.

Not quite yet on that, no. I changed up my plan and tried having them perform summons at random, but that ended in failure as well. It just attracted too much attention, you see. I brought the theory of incomplete summons to the Western Nations, but the Free Guild interfered with me. Its already a horribly inefficient way of going about this business, and itll face another obstacle in the future. Once it does, Ill just have to find another way.

To put it in an extreme way, Leon really didnt care about the Council or the new demon lord. He was simply trying to pick out young weeds before they grew and got in his way.

Obstacle?

Yeah. This one apparently saved the lives of some kids who were just waiting to die. Before I could pick them up, no less.

Ah. So they were forced into rescue before you saw any results? And youre sure youll continue being interfered with?

Seems likely. He got angry about all these nations summoning children, so he may start applying pressure to each of them. So its time to clear out that experiment. If we go any further with it, hell find out that Im there, behind the scenes.

Hmm. Could you perhaps rub out this hindrance?

Guy hinted with his eyes that itd be all too easy for Leon. But his friend simply sighed.

Well, this hindrance is the exact Rimuru we were just discussing.

What?! Thats no coincidence, is it?

Funny, isnt it? Leon nodded, face dead serious. Thats why I wanted to meet him for myself sometime.

Of course, he still couldve afforded to ignore this Rimuru person, if only Ramiris hadnt chosen to stick her nose in

All right. This seems to be getting more curious all the time. Perhaps Milim is thinking along similar lines, too. She may be a moron, but shes got quite the instinct for this kind of thing.

Perhaps. Tonights Walpurgis could be a rather raucous occasion.

Hee-hee! No doubt about it.

Leon and Guy exchanged smiles as the gentle blue eyes of Velzard watched over them. They proceeded to chitchat a little more before Guy changed the subject.

By the way, I had been wondering about something else. Who is this collaborator of yours providing your information?

I dont know much about him. He seems to be a human from the Empire, and he calls himself a merchant.

Summoning an otherworlder required vast amounts of magical energy, exacting conditions, and convoluted rituals to work. The pickier you were about who you summoned, the longer you had to wait before you could attempt the summon again. To get around this, Leon did some business with this merchant, who then conducted the summons for him.

And this merchant can be trusted?

Trusted? Trust never needs to be involved. All Im doing is using him.

Ah. Well, if thats fine with you, I have no complaints. But be careful, all right? I dont want you dying on me.

Heh. You, worried about me? Thats a rare sight from you, Guy. But dont worry. I have no plans to die until Im finished with my goals.

Again with those goals. Its that important to you?

It sure is. Id put them ahead of well near everything else in this world.

Hmm. Im starting to feel jealous.

Dont give me that nonsense. But I will accept your warning. See you tonight.

With that, Leon left the terrace. Guy refrained from stopping him this time, as Leon left a single shining crystal and used Spatial Motion to set off.

A pair of eyes watched him go.

Talk about impatient. I know thats how Leon is

Guy grinned a little as he spoke softly.

It feels to me that Leon is leaving himself uncharacteristically open to attack, Velzard observed in her icy voice. Hes working with people without even knowing who they are. Should I investigate for him?

Nah, Guy replied, unconcerned. Meddling in Leons affairs would just offend him. I dont want my friends to hate me.

To him, Leon was a trusted friend, someone whose personality he was keenly aware of by now. He knew about Leons talent more than anyone else. If Leon wasnt looking into his cohorts backgrounds, it must have been because he saw no great need to.

If he asks us for a favor, you can help him out then.

All right.

And that was the end of their conversation.

Now the attendees of tonights Walpurgis were set in stone.

Clayman proposed the Council; Frey and Milim signed on to it. Ramiris, with her additional proposal, was also attending, as was the homebody Leon.

Speaking of homebodies, there was another demon lord whose location was a complete enigma. Guy had reached out via their specialized demon lord connection, all but demanding that ones attendance.

Beyond that, there was his old friend Daggrull, along with Hmm. What about that other guy? He should be coming. Daggrull promised to bring him along. And that just left Guy himself. Itd mark the first Walpurgis in a while to have all the demon lords show up, except for the missing Carillon.

It should be a fun one, for sure. You want to join me?

Hmm Velzard reflected on this. No, I think I wont. Perhaps if my brother were there, but otherwise, I have no interest in demon lords.

No? All right. Keep the lights on for me.

I would be glad to. Now, time to prepare.

Velzard stood up, leaving Guy to brood over the upcoming Walpurgis as he gazed at the aurora covering the frigid land.

A demon lord working behind the scenes, head full of schemes.

A newer demon lord, but one that could crumble at any time.

An old friend who was starting to get surprisingly active, considering he hardly left the house.

And then the potential birth of a new demon lord.

So exciting! His heart hadnt sung like this for hundreds of years.

He needed real change like this. Demon lords werent friends; they were supposed to be competing with one another. There was no artificial limit placed on their numberthere were times when a dozen existed at once, even more. Whether its ten or a hundred, anything was fine. If they werent strong enough, theyd get pushed out of the picture the next time a Temma War came around, every five hundred years.

Its just that each time that happened, this new crop would fight for a piece of the pie, and to combat this, the maximum number of demon lords was finally set at ten. The human world, once they became aware of this, started calling them the Ten Great Demon Lords. Guy was firmly against it, but it became a sort of tacit agreement among them. The humans didnt mind the demon lords picking one another off until they were a more manageable number. Ten was enough.

But Guy figured it was time to put an end to that. The weak didnt deserve the title demon lord. Perhaps it was time for a new era of rule to unfoldone, he thought, where real demon lords held sway.

Guy was one of the seven Primal Demons, and the first demon lord to be summoned to this world as an Arch Demon. Each of these demons had a primary color associated with them, and his was Rouge.

He was an unnamed demon unleashed upon the world, fulfilling the wishes of the powerless human who summoned him and destroying a nation that the human was apparently at war with. He followed that up by destroying his humans own nation as well. That earned him his nameGuy, pronounced ghee. An unpleasant-sounding name, like the shrieks of the doomed and desperate as he crushed them.

Upon being named, Guy realized he had awakened into his new class of true demon lord. He thought it needless at first, given that he believed he was already the strongest out therebut this evolution also affected the Primal Demons Vert and Bleu, summoned alongside him as errand girls. They, too, were given physical bodies to work with, as well as the brand-new class of Demon Peer.

On a whim, Guy decided to make them his servants and gave them names. For Vert, Mizeri, reflecting the misery of mankind. For Bleu, Raine, the rains of blood that fell wherever he strode. They had been faithful to him ever since.

Just after Guy awakened to demon lord-dom, another one did the same. That was Milim, a girl conceived by a human in this world and the first of the four dragon types that ever threatened it. That dragon had paid for its strange dalliance by losing the majority of his power to his own child. The act had been reviled as taboo ever since.

Upon losing his power, the dragon type dispersed his body, came to the surface to attain a physical form, and became the founder of the dragons as they existed in this world. This led to dragon types as being defined as the self-sentient propagations of natural spirits, the prototypes, and all the dragons that existed and thrived in the world came from this first fatherVeldanava, the Star-King Dragon.

One day, the Star-King Dragon gave his daughter a pet, a young dragon that would serve as his next incarnation someday. This pet was killed by a certain foolish kingdom that ignited Milims rage, causing the very heavens to tremble as the nation was destroyed. This made Milim awaken, and the resulting new force sent her wholly out of control, almost wiping all life away from the world.

It was Guy who stopped her. The battle took place over seven days and seven nights, the most severe anyone had ever seen, turning the bountiful fields of the west into an utter wasteland.

In the end, no winner could be crowned. The battle ended once Milim regained her senses. It was Ramiris who did this, back then a leader of spirits who sacrificed her own power to neutralize Milims rage. She paid a heavy price for this. Being exposed to the auras of demons and dragons sapped her force and made her fall to the worlds surface, becoming a continually self-resurrecting fairy.

But it did the trick. It prevented the end of the world and allowed Guy and Milim to come to an agreement.

These were the first three demon lords, and each had their own goals.

One wanted to find the farthest reaches of power.

One wanted to live free from all barriers.

One wanted to promote balance in the world.

But that was fine. These differing goals were exactly why they could see one another as equals.

The demon lord ranks were soon swelled by a giant protecting the gates to heaven, as well as a vampire from ancient times. A figure fallen from heaven became number six. This was the second generationnot as strong as the oldest but more than strong enough to rule over the world.

The giants body was too imbued with the holy element to allow the seeds of demon lord-dom to take root, but he was still so blindingly strong that he got in anywayan unusual path to take. The old vampire was shrewd, sly, and more conniving than any of the othersalthough someone else was currently occupying her seat at the Council for her.

The sixth one was interesting. Definitely strong, but completely uninterested in the world. Laziness was the watchword here. No doubt had the ability to rule the land but probably still living just as fallen as ever somewhere.

Four out of the six demon lords at this point had awakened to the job, apart from the giant and the fairy. They had survived multiple Great Wars, polishing their skills with each oneenough so to earn ultimate skills, like Guys and Milims.

In addition to them, there was Guys friend, Leon. Leon was a human and a former Hero. A unique upbringing led to him picking up an ultimate skill, making him strong enough even to satisfy Guys strict standards.

That made seven. And how many of this next Walpurgiss attendees would live up to the standard of these seven? Guy couldnt wait to see.

And then there was Clayman.

That fool thought he could rule over Milim. It was just too hilarious. Guy could barely contain his laughter. That was impossible. If Guy couldnt do it, there was no way someone like Clayman could. Lower-level skills simply didnt work on those who possessed ultimate skills. All the natural laws that ruled this world were nothing more than unique cases to them; they could easily nullify any magical attempt to cloud their minds.

An elemental attack that struck at their weak points might have some effect, yes. But mind-domination magic? Out of the question. Anyone spineless enough to be ruled over by conditions like that would never be able to obtain an ultimate skill in the first place.

Ultimate skills, as the name implied, gave the wielder ultimate power to control the very laws of nature. The only way to counter an ultimate skill was with another ultimate skill. That was the absolute, unbendable rule of this world.

Clayman couldnt do a thing against Milim. Milim was just having him dance on the palm of her hand.

What a fool

Guy flashed a weak smile as he watched the events unfold.

The era of weaklings styling themselves as demon lords had come to an end. The fakers would get sifted out; the generation of true demon lords would begin. Guy was sure of it. He smiled.

And thus he set off for what was bound to be the most chaotic Walpurgis in recent memory.