"Sally!!!!" Kaede could not stop herself from screaming out the name of her best friend.
No one could blame her even, because at that moment, she was going through several different emotions at once
Her heart felt like it was about to burst from joy, fear, anxiety, love, pain, sadness, and realization. So she did the most sensible thing possible she could think of.
[Thought Acceleration]
Time slowed to a crawl that it might as well be standing still. Kaede sighed internally in relief. 'Thanks, Artificia.'
'Yeah. Risa is... was, my girlfriend, or lover, I don't really know anymore'
'It's been so long.'
'But how? We've been watching Falmuth for any more summonings. Between us and Rimuru, we'd have heard something. Moreover, she was just working with Clayman a moment ago. What's that about?'
'Was he the one that summoned her?'
'Evidence?'
'Risa, died? And she was transferred here as a Deadman. Then she must have appeared in Clayman's domain. Then that means, that that bastard enslaved her.'
'He enslaved, my Sally! He..!'
'T-That's true. I don't think there's anything that can hold Sally. Risa's just cool like that. Thanks for making me keep my cool Artificia.'
Kaede raised an internal brow. 'You seem to be in a very chatty mood today. I've never heard speak so casually before.'
'I already caught you! Don't just change back! Cheeky skill. Now how do I respond to this?'
'Do I rush to her? Will that make me lose face for acting so emotional? Should I pretend I don't know her? No, that's not possible, I already screamed her name less than a second ago. Maybe somewhere in the middle. Not too emotional, and not too much like a stranger.'
'But, how would Sally feel if I did that? We're finally together after three years. She must be excited to see me too. Ah, what do I do, what do I do?'
Finally, time resumed.
Kaede slammed into Sally like a missile.
All of that deliberation, the careful weighing, the calculation, the dignity, were all gone. Her feet were already carrying her across the room before she'd finished thinking about it.
Sally went still for exactly one second, her feet sliding back from the force.
Then her arms came up too, and the mask dropped. "Hey." Her voice was almost steady. Almost.
"Hey." Kaede said into her shoulder.
"You screamed my name pretty loud."
"I know."
"Very undignified for a Demon Lord."
"Sally."
"Yeah?"
"Shut up."
Sally's arms tightened. "Okay."
Outside the barrier, the room had gone quiet. Ramiris had both hands on her cheeks. Deeno had sat up fully for the first time all evening. Guy was smiling, but differently than before.
And Clayman was staring.
The understanding arrived in stages. Confusion first. Then the shape of it forming. Then the full weight landing all at once.
"You." His voice came out wrong. "You're..."
"Free?" Sally glanced at him over Kaede's shoulder. "Yes."
"How?" Clayman's aura spiked. "I had your soul. I grafted your body myself. The seals should have..."
"Clayman." Rimuru's voice echoed behind him like the call of death.
Clayman turned and had half a second before the fist connected. The force of it lifted him off the ground, into the barrier, and sliding down it in a heap.
Outside, Deeno winced. "That looked like it hurt."
"Since you can't evolve." Rimuru confirmed, looking down at Clayman. "Then that means this is it then. You're done."
Clayman looked up at him.
"Or is there something else you want to try before I cast judgement?" Rimuru mimed cracking his fist.
---
I don't think now's the time for ya to be too reckless ya know Clayman. Your plan already has too many holes as it is. Can't afford to letcher guard down
Have a little faith Laplace, with Millim as my spearhead, there's little to fear.
Ya not hearing me, are ya? Cocky doesn't suit ya buddy.
Yeah Clayman, you're weaker than us, Clayman, all right? So try to put more thought into your actions.
You wound me Teare. Everything is moving according to plan, regardless of the recent events.
Hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh! You mean the two new powers that's suddenly made themselves known? Especially after all our hard work. Makes the blood boil.
Our rage is one, dear Footman. Rest assured that those middling pests will rue the day they messed with us. A slime and a human. Preposterous.
Damnit Footman, we're trying to advise Clayman. Don't go riling him up.
That wasn't what I was doing Laplace and you know that. As for you Clayman, don't go thinking you can take care of everything. Feel free to depend on us instead.
I'm one of the Moderate Harlequin Alliance too you know. I think I can handle a lowly monster and a human.
Ya idiot. Can't tell when ya friends are worried about ya?
---
Clayman spat out globs of spit as his back smacked hard into the ground. Every part of his body was in pain, and his mind was even worse off.
The last two minutes had been one of the longest time in Clayman's entire life. Literally. Rimuru Tempest, the despicable slime had spent the last two minutes beating him down with his bare hands.
And on top of that, he'd somehow casted [Thought Acceleration] on Clayman, so the Deadman had had to live through ten years of inevitable punches.
Perhaps, that was why his mind had taken him back to that moment. When things still seemed on track.
'Just where did I go wrong?' Clayman pulled himself on his elbows, even as he screamed for help. "F-Frey! Frey, what are you doing!? You and I share a common fate! Get in here and lend a hand!"
His pleading, of course, fell on dead ears.
"Oh, I'm sorry Clayman's. Nobody can go through this barrier, unless Guy lets them. Such a pity."
Groaning at the heartless reply, his eyes found Millim, and a smile crossed his lips. "Yes, Millim! Follow my orders and execute a stampede. Kill everyone you see here!"
"Now why would I do that?" Millim beamed. "Rimuru and his people are my friends."
The room once again, froze, as Millim reared and started laughing.
"W-wait, Millim! You mean, you're not being controlled?" Rimuru said with surprise.
"Thank you for being deceived by my superior acting skills, Rimuru! You know a kid like Clayman could never take over my mind." Millim laughed even more.
"So he really didn't take over your mind?"
One of the other Demon Lords murmured. "But he hit her that time and she didn't react."
Clayman nodded. "Y-Yes. I used the Orb Of Domination he gave me to put you completely at my beck and call. You killed Carrion under my orders did you not?"
'Is he really that shocked that he has no idea what he's actually saying? Or has he already given up?' Rimuru wondered.
"Yes! That! That's what I wanted to hear!" Exclaimed Millim. "Tell me Clayman, who's this 'He' that you're talking about?"
"Whoa, whoa, who's been killed here?" A gruff voice casually joined in, as the bird man that had been standing behind Frey ripped off his lion mask and wings.
"So you were alright Carrion?"
"Yo Rimuru. Alright ain't exactly how I'd describe it, but that's fine. Thank you for taking care of my forces."
Rimuru frowned. "Even though so many of your people died."
Carrion waved it off. "It's all good Rimuru. I don't think that's on you or anything. I'm the one who wasn't strong enough to protect them in the first place. In the end, it was my weakness. Some Demon Lord, am I right?"
Clayman couldn't seem to make his face look any more shocked than it already did. "What..? How!? Frey! I knew you'd betrayed me, but even this?"
"I worry about how I ever thought you were as smart as I thought you were." Frey gave him a condescending look. "Thinking that I was ever your ally. Don't get ahead of yourself Clayman."
"You, you have to be kidding me! All, all of you... You'll pay, I'll make you all pay for this!" The scream of the pitiful clown echoed across the field.
"Can we move this along?" Leon looked like he was getting more annoyed by the second. "We've wasted far too much of our time on this drabble."
"Yeah, Rimuru. Finish him already!" Ramiris cheered while sitting on the head of the Dryad Treyni.
Sally was still being held by Kaede as she sighed. "I'd have liked to be the one who ended him myself, but I've already taken everything from him."
"Clayman," Rimuru quietly called out. "This is it, you're cornered. I'm stronger than you. Tell me whose bidding you're doing..."
"Wha... No, stay away!" Clayman cried as he dragged himself back and away from Rimuru.
"I'm going to ask one more time, Clayman. Who are you getting your information from? And how is this person related to you? Tell me, and I'll make it easy on you."
"Don't... Don't treat me like a child! I would never betray my friends, and especially not my clients. That, and that alone is the iron clad rule of the Moderate Harlequin Alliance." Clayman exclaimed.
"All right, so be it." Rimuru nodded. "Well I guess I won't be able to extract anything else from Clayman, so I'm going to execute him shortly. Anyone have any objections? If so I'll gladly take you on."
"Do as you please." Guy answered, speaking for the council.
"Stop! Wait, stop it!"
"After all the grief that you've caused me, I'm absolutely sick of you. Don't expect your death to be all sunshine and rainbows."
With that Rimuru placed his hand on Clayman's head. "You're probably thinking that if I kill you, you can connect your Astral body to the leylines here to keep your consciousness and memories protected. That way even if you lose your physical body you'll never actually die. That's why you're being so dramatic and pretending like you're about to die right?"
"W-What? What are you..? What did you do?"
Rimuru shook his head. "I didn't do anything. Maybe it's because your mind's been racing since everything started going wrong for you, but you still haven't noticed have you?"
"Notice what?" Clayman asked.
"It's too late now. You've been screwed from the very beginning. There's no other way this could have ended." From Rimuru's hand, [Beelzebub] activated.
It started slow.
Thin continuous threads of himself that he could feel leaving, each one distinct, each one a piece of the architecture of everything he was. He tried to hold them. He couldn't.
"Stop." He said. "Stop it."
Rimuru said nothing.
"LAPLACE!" The name tore out of him. "LAPLACE, GET IN HERE! BREAK THE BARRIER! DO SOMETHING!"
"TEARE! FOOTMAN! ANYONE!"
His voice had lost its shape. It wasn't the voice he'd used at the council table, measured and sophisticated and deliberately composed. It was something much older and much smaller, the voice of someone who has only just understood that no one is coming.
"Please." The word arrived without his permission. Raw and formless. "Please, I don't... I'm not ready, I haven't, there's still so much I was going to..."
His body was going numb from the outside in. He could no longer feel his fingers. He looked at his hands and they were still there, still visible, but they belonged to him less with every breath.
"KAZALIM!"
The name hit the barrier and fell.
Nothing answered.
And then there was nothing left to dissolve.
Beelzebub completed its work.
Rimuru stared at the spot where Clayman had just laid. 'It's just like you said Raphael. His astral body is gone. His soul too.'
The moment Rimuru dissolved and absorbed Clayman, the red haired Demon Lord Guy Crimson stood up.
"An impressive feat." He intoned. "I hereby recognize your right, from this day forward, to call yourself a Demon Lord. Does anyone disagree?"
Nobody appeared to? Rimuru sighed internally in relief. 'That's a relief. Because to be frank, goading the other Demon Lords into combat with me felt like suicide. Guess there wasn't really anything to be worried about.'
Ramiris flew right up to his face, like she always did. "Ha-ha! I always knew you delivered the goods when the time came for it, Rimuru! In fact, I'd be happy to hire you as my apprentice!"
"Uh, I'm good, thanks. Find yourself another one."
"Why?!" she grumped. "What's the big deal? Why won'tcha just say yes like a good kid?"
"Hmph!" Milim proudly sniffed. "Rimuru's my friend. I heard he doesn't even want to get along with you!"
"What? No way! Hey! That's a lie, right, Rimuru?"
"Wah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Sorry, Ramiris, you aren't part of our team!"
"Whaaaat? Hyah!"
Taking the bait, Ramiris launched a flying kick at Milim's face. She leaned to the side to dodge it and laughed even harder at her.
Rimuru smiled. 'Huh. These guys are better friends than I thought.'
"What about the other one?" Leon rested his chin on his fist, looking unbothered. He gestured at the human girl who was still snuggling the Deadman by the wall.
"Ah. I don't believe anyone here needs any kind of proof of her power do they?" Guy smiled while leaning towards Leon. "Would you like to test her? Although I should warn you, she's even defeated me."
The room stilled and this time, the silence seemed to even quiet down.
"Say what now?" Ramiris blurted out.
Everyone turned to the subject of interest in question and...
Kaede was still wrapped around Sally, snuggling her face into Sally's shoulder.
"Psst. Kaede." Sally whispered. "Everyone's looking at you."
Deeno looked at Guy. "You're joking right? There's no way she was able to pull that off... right?"
Guy laughed. "It was a very refreshing defeat. I like to be kept on my toes every once in a while."
"Holy shit."
"That is incredible news that you're just dropping on us like that Guy. Have some tact." Daggrul exhaled. "But I guess that clears up the question of if she's strong enough."
Roy Valentine who had been silent until now, lumbered up to his feet. "Mmmm. You and I are both aware that none of our opinions on the human matters at all, not when she has your favour."
Guy looked hurt. "I promise I'm not playing favourites at all."
"Me personally though, I'd never want to permit a low born slime to become a Demon Lord, but..." He sneered at Rimuru.
"Hey don't think you can insult my friend you stupid lackey. Don't make me punch you, you hear me?" Millim was suddenly in his face with a glare on hers.
"Hey now Millim." Wisteria made her presence known once again as she whispered at a tone that was literally heard by everybody. "Keep it down about the lackey bit. We don't want everyone to know that Roy is just a stand in, right Luminous?"
Sally blinked as Kaede suddenly let go of her, standing straight as she turned.
"What are you talking about?" The maid behind Roy returned Wisteria's gaze, her voice frigid and her expression icy. "I am simply a faithful attendant of sir Valentine's."
Millim looked nervous as she nodded. "Uh, yeah. Luminous is definitely, just a maid. Roy is the true Demon Lord, and is totally not a stand in."
Everyone seemed to do an internal face palm at the horrible performance that Millim was putting on.
Even Luminous seemed to understand that the jig was up as she let out a low growl. "Tch, such a bothersome bunch you lot are. It seems I'll have to put you in your place again Violet."
Wisteria looked around herself. "Huh? Who is this Violet you speak of? My name is Wisteria you know."
"Enough of this," she huffed. "You may call me Valentine." Then, with a massive outburst of magical force, her appearance transformed, her maid outfit turning into a fancy Gothic-style dress. It was Change Dress in action, a neat trick many here were adept at as well.
This was the real thing. The stand-in Valentine was a remarkable specimen himself, but his "maid" was on another dimension. Now they were greeted by a demon lord among demon lords, the ultimate personification of strength and beauty.
"You can leave ahead of me, Roy," she ordered the kingly ex-Valentine.
"But Lady Valentine..."
"If I've been unmasked in front of this many people, there's no point keeping up the charade."
She glared at Wisteria yet again. Roy had already settled back into his role as a servant. "Anyway there is something that concerns me. When Clayman looked at you, his eyes stopped for a moment, did they not? He might be involved with those cockroaches that invaded my domain earlier. I want you to return home and inform my people to step up our security."
"Yes my Lady." Roy left the chamber.
---
The round table was back in place in the centre of the chamber, as everyone took their seats.
Rimuru was given a seat right next to Kaede who had reluctantly stepped away from her friend Sally.
Rimuru lowered himself into his seat slowly. Clayman was dead. And yet... 'That didn't feel like the end of it.'
≤Affirmative. Multiple inconsistencies remain regarding Clayman's network and external affiliations.≥
Rimuru exhaled softly. 'Yeah… figures.'
Across from him, the remaining Demon Lords had already begun to readjust, the atmosphere shifting from open hostility back into something resembling order. Or at least, the version of order that existed within a Walpurgis.
Which wasn't saying much.
Ramiris was still sulking.
Milim was grinning.
Deeno had gone back to lounging like none of this concerned him.
Daggrul looked mildly interested at best.
Leon… was watching.
Guy... Guy was enjoying himself.
Of course he was.
"…Well then," Guy said, breaking the silence as he leaned back into his seat, crossing one leg over the other. "Now that the… pest problem has been dealt with, shall we proceed?"
No one objected.
"First," Guy continued, his gaze drifting toward Rimuru, "we should formalize what was already made rather obvious."
His smile widened slightly.
"Rimuru Tempest."
Rimuru looked up.
"You have demonstrated sufficient power, influence, and, most importantly, results." Guy's eyes gleamed faintly. "From this moment onward, your position as a Demon Lord is recognized by this council."
A pause.
"Officially."
Rimuru nodded once. "Got it."
Deeno snorted. "Man, you're really not gonna milk that moment, huh?"
"I just killed a Demon Lord," Rimuru replied flatly. "I think that speaks for itself."
"…Fair."
Guy chuckled. "Indeed it does."
His gaze shifted.
"Which brings us to the next point."
Sally stood a short distance away, no longer hidden behind a mask, no longer standing in anyone's shadow.
For the first time since she'd appeared, she stood on her own.
Guy leaned forward slightly, fingers interlocked beneath his chin, crimson eyes gleaming with unmistakable amusement.
"Well then," he said, voice smooth, carrying easily across the chamber. "We've resolved Clayman's… unfortunate situation."
A few faint smirks appeared.
Unfortunate was one way to put it.
"Which leaves us," Guy continued, gaze shifting, "with a rather interesting development."
His eyes landed on Sally. "The matter of you."
Sally didn't flinch under the attention. She simply stepped forward.
Until she stood clearly at the center of attention.
"I suppose," she said, voice calm, steady, "there's no point in pretending otherwise."
Kaede's fingers curled slightly against the arm of her chair.
Rimuru glanced at Sally.
Then back at Guy.
Then forward again.
Sally exhaled lightly. "I will be declaring myself as a Demon Lord."
Silence.
"…Hah."
Deeno leaned back, groaning. "Of course she is. We'll be here forever at this rate."
Daggrul snorted.
Ramiris blinked rapidly. "W-Wait, we're just letting people do that now?! Rimuru and Kaede were ok and all, but three?!"
Leon didn't speak immediately.
Guy's smile widened. "Oh?" he said softly. "That's quite the declaration." His gaze sharpened just slightly. "Care to elaborate?"
Sally met his gaze without hesitation.
"I meet the requirements," she said simply. There was no arrogance in her tone.
Guy's eyes flickered, his Interest deepened. But before he could respond...
Rimuru spoke. "She's not wrong."
Guy's eyes slid toward Rimuru, amused. "You seem quite certain."
"I am."
Rimuru leaned back slightly, resting his chin against his hand. "Clayman's evolution wasn't just incomplete because he was weak."
A pause.
"The souls he used weren't real."
Leon's eyes narrowed slightly.
Daggrul frowned.
Even Deeno's frown faded just a fraction.
Guy's smile didn't disappear, although it did sharpen. "…Go on," he said.
Rimuru's gaze shifted to Sally for a brief moment, then back to the table.
"They were constructs," he continued. "Perfect ones, sure. Same structure. Same composition. Same 'feel' as real souls."
His fingers tapped lightly against the table.
"But still fake."
A quiet ripple passed through the room.
"That's how he evolved, and fooled the system," Rimuru added. "He temporarily deceived the Voice of the World into recognizing the requirement as fulfilled."
Ramiris blinked. "…Wait, you can do that?!"
"No," Leon said flatly. "You shouldn't be able to."
Rimuru shrugged slightly. "And yet."
All eyes shifted back to Sally. Understanding began to settle.
Sally had been the one to give Clayman the souls he'd used in his evolution.
Guy's gaze sharpened further. "So," he said slowly, "if those weren't real souls…" His smile returned wider now.
"…then where are the real ones?"
Sally didn't look away, neither did she hesitate. "They're with me."
That did it.
The atmosphere changed.
Subtly.
But unmistakably.
Power recognized power.
Daggrul leaned forward slightly.
Leon's gaze became sharper.
Even Luminous, now fully revealed, watched with a more focused intensity.
Rimuru spoke again.
"And not just those." He looked directly at her now. "Clayman's soul too."
"I'm not exactly thrilled about that." he added.
Sally nodded. "I'm going to use them."
"I'll use all of them."
The air stilled. Even the ambient magicules seemed to pause.
"To complete my evolution."
Guy was the first to react. "…Hah." A quiet laugh escaped him. "Well," he said, leaning back, "that certainly simplifies things."
His eyes gleamed.
"The purest form of ambition."
He looked around the table.
"What do you all think?"
Daggrul crossed his arms. "If she's got the souls, and the strength to back it up… I don't care."
Deeno sighed. "I wanna go home already."
Ramiris puffed her cheeks. "This is happening too fast…"
Leon remained quiet, for a moment. "I have no objections."
Luminous tapped her fingers lightly against the table, eyes half-lidded. "…As long as it does not concern my domain," she said. "I will not interfere."
All eyes turned back to Guy.
"Well then," he said lightly, "it seems there are no objections."
He leaned forward slightly, crimson eyes locking onto Sally.
"Very well." A pause. "Show us."