Standing in front of Milim she looks at me with a dead look in her eyes. I turn to Rimuru, "I'll deal with Milim, you can go ahead and do whatever you want to Clayman, there's just one thing I want to say." With a cold emotionless face I say, "Just don't kill him before I'm done with him. If you do, there will be some consequences." Going back to normal I finish with, "You got that?"
"Ahaha! Yeah, I understand. But, are you sure you can handle her?"
"Don't worry, I've got this." I release my [Demonic Presence], putting pressure on Milim and charge. With one last glance at Rimuru about to face Clayman and his group I run in to my fight with Milim.
Rimuru's Perspective
Migeru charges into his fight with Milim. "Can he really win? If it's Migeru it's not out of the question but it's a little unbelievable that he could fight someone like Milim." No, wait, focus on my fight. I have to defeat Clayman.
Looking around, Ranryo and Ranga are fighting a big fox-like monster in an actual dogfight. Ranryo pins it down as Ranga bites it when he's kicked off by one of its summons. Ranryo summons a big thundercloud that hits them all with lightning. It's chaos. But then I notice something.
The fox, it's saying, "Help me!" Over and over.
So Clayman is controlling you too. That bastard. I can't ignore this. I run past the monkey and rabbit it summoned and yell, "Ranga, Ranryo, stop fighting!"
Ranga immediately stops but Ranryo doesn't. "Stop! If you don't I'll tell Migeru to punish you!"
He looks up and angrily stops. "Grr! I guess I'll listen to you. Only because you're my master's brother."
Ranryo became more aggressive to us after his evolution. He hides it around Migeru but when he's not around he doesn't want to listen to anyone. I asked Migeru about this and he said, "He's aggressive? I didn't know that. Well, now that I think about it, [Solomon] said as a Rogue Tempest Wolf he will stop listening to people. He probably only listens to me because I named him and stuff. Interesting."
I can't believe that was his only reaction. He keeps almost attacking Gabiru. He doesn't like him. I guess like master, like pet.
Ranryo walks away from the fox. When he leaves I run up to it. It looks injured from its fight but grateful with big puppy-dog eyes. [Raphael], analyze it.
{Notice- Domination curse detected. Would you like to remove it?}
Yes.
{Notice- Removal of domination curse in progress.
Curse removal complete. Domination curse has been lifted.}
The fox looks at me with happy eyes. It howls, getting rid of the monkey and rabbit then turns into a tiny fox. I pick it up. "Now you're just a cute little fox aren't you?" I can feel Ranga looking at me with envious eyes.
Wait, where's Clayman?
I look around and find him. It's just, he isn't very threatening now. Cerulean and Shion are kicking his limp body over and over between each other.
SpongeBob Narrator: Flashback
Shion and Cerulean fight with the strongest marionette under Clayman's control, Viola. Confident that he is going to win he yells, "What do you think of my newest creation!?"
Suppressed and not taking the fight seriously, Cerulean comments, "It's mediocre at best. It's nothing compared to what my lord has created." Bored of the pathetic excuse for an enemy in his eyes, he runs straight forward, taking all its attacks effortlessly. Once he's right in front of it he uses his bare hand to cleave the marionette in half. To finish it off he eats it with [Predator] and absorbs it's Magicules.
"You-You're just the henchmen of two miserable little Slimes! Don't get ahead of yourselves! [Marionette Dance]!"
More puppets appear around Cerulean and Shion. Cerulean crosses his arms, looking at them with pity. "You poor weaklings." Ready to shatter them all like glass, Cerulean is caught off guard by Shion. She runs past him and cuts all the dolls in half with one clean swing from her Hercules' Edge.
Clayman looks at the dolls with a shocked face. It doesn't last long however, "Hahahaha! Well done crushing my dolls so easily. These dolls are injured with some real strong Majin!"
"Pfft. They were nothing."
"I agree. Those pathetic weaklings could never pose a threat to us, let alone our lords."
Clayman grimaces. "You stupid monsters think this is the end!? I did say they were infused with the souls of Majin didn't I!? Dolls, rise up! Ride up once more! It's time to dance! Dance for me and send those monsters to hell!" He laughs like a maniac in the middle of the destroyed dolls. However, contrary to what he thought was going to happen, the dolls don't move. No response to his commands. "Wh-what the hell is this!? They aren't coming back to life!? Wait!" The dolls don't have souls in them anymore. They've been reduced to inanimate objects. "The souls are gone!? That great sword. Are you saying it consumed them!? But, you're just..."
Ignoring his ramblings, Cerulean turns to Shion and asks what she thinks about beating him to the ground. She smiles and nods back at him. That's enough for him. They charge straight ar Clayman.
SpongeBob Narrator: End of Flashback
Is he really that weak? I walk up to the three. "Cerulean, Shion, can you stop for a moment?" They both turn and step back.
I lean over him, "Is that all you have? If you have something up your sleeve, hurry up and use it. I've resolved to crush every scheme of yours. You're a Demon Lord, shouldn't you put up a better fight?"
A fire burns in his eyes as he furiously and shakily stands up. Managing to smile he yells, "You're right! I am a Demon Lord! That is why I am so obsessed with how I fight! Elegantly and gracefully burying my enemies! It's been so long since I felt this burning hatred! The desire to crush my enemies with my own hands! Such exhilaration!" He grows and transforms. Big metallic arms grow out of his back. He then pulls out a mask and puts it on.
Cerulean and Shion walk in front of me. "Step back Lord Rimuru!" "I cannot allow the brother of my master to get hurt. Allow me to fight on your behalf."
"No." They both turn to me. "Let me do this." They both understand and walk to the side. Walking up to him. "So you finally got serious, huh. Well, color me impressed. I, Rimuru Tempest, as one of the Twin Rulers of the Great Forest of Jura, ask to settle this once and for all!"
"Hahahaha! I Demon Lord...No. Crazy Pierrot Clayman, accept! You're dead Demon Lord Rimuru!"
The fight with Clayman is very easy. I'm stronger and faster than him so I easily dodge all of his attacks and cut off one of his limbs in his first assault. It's so easy that I decide to expose part of his plan that I didn't get to use in the discussion. I pull out a crystal ball and show it to Clayman.
"Hey Clayman! Remember this!?" He goes silent and looks at it. It's a recording medium that the invasion force found in Clayman's castle. Because Geld's [Stomach] is able to connect to Migeru and I this allows us to share items. He sent it to us to use in the argument but we never got the chance. "It seems they found it in the treasure room of your castle!"
"Impossible! That's ridiculous! My castle, my castle is guarded by the undead! There is no way to sneak in!"
"Sneak in!? Those guys have surrendered to our shrine maiden princess!"
"Grr! Don't think you can fool me so easily! If you insist, then show us your evidence!"
"I'm gonna show you of course! I'll show how you were scheming behind the scenes!" As I say this I show Yamza dying at the hands of his manipulation and the clown troop talking about small details of the plan as they fought with Geld and Phobio.
After hearing it out I ask, "So, Clayman, who is That Lord?" Migeru probably either has a good idea of who it is or already knows but I want to hear it from him.
Growling in a feral manner he tries to use his strings to get control over me. "Lies! Fabricating lies with fake recordings! What a slimy move! How truly befitting of one! Rejoice! Once my cocoon hatches you will become a puppet bound by my orders!"
Running up and punching him hard in the face making big cracks in his mask. He angrily yells, "Ridiculous! Why!? Why doesn't it work!?"
Shrugging I respond, "Beats me, maybe you're just weak?"
"No! No, this isn't happening! Even to an ancient Demon Lord like Milim the ultimate curse still worked!"
"Who said it did, Clayman?"
He looks at me through his cracked mask, gritting his teeth, "What do you mean!? Of course it did! I saw it myself!"
Migeru explained why he thinks it didn't work. It made sense, Milim is probably too strong to actually be affected by one of Clayman's tricks. Because of that when Milim came I made sure to check with [Raphael].
SpongeBob Narrator: Flashback
Clayman spouts his lies, "While Milim acted out of consideration for..."
I don't have time for this. I look over at Milim. [Raphael], can you scan Milim? Migeru said she's probably not under Clayman's control but I still want to make sure.
{Notice- Analysis complete, no curse has been detected.}
So he was right, well, I guess he always has been.
SpongeBob Narrator: End of Flashback
I whisper in his ear, "Sorry Clayman, but you've been played with by her. She was never under your control."
"Nonsense! Milim! Activate Stam..." He goes quiet with a terrified look on his face. What is he seeing?
I turn and look at Migeru's fight.. When I see it, my mouth drops. That's Migeru!?