173. RAGE
As soon as Rimuru had left, Shion and Diablo immediately went into action.
Now was not the time to be surprised about seeing an outraged Rimuru for the first time.
They promptly informed all the Executives to proceed to emergency countermeasures by thought transmission.
For those that were still in the process of evolution, the message to "complete the process as quickly as possible" was left, but the wills of all involved were already in union.
For the glory of Rimuru-sama!
They would finish their evolutions at top speed.
They reconstructed their bodies at tremendous speeds, and attained new power...
And with the use of 『Food Chain』, they became strength for Rimuru.
They evolved, while resonating with Rimuru's anger.
But this wasn't your typical evolution or ascension, the resonance caused the development of aggressive and combat oriented abilities.
More potent, more efficient.
And so, preparations began for the orders that would arrive soon, if any of them were ever called upon by Rimuru.
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
In my anger, I had teleported to the location where Veldora's fight had first started.
Wisdom Lord Raphael had proved useful in following my order of figuring out the coordinates.
I had teleported here without any hesitation, but I was presently at a state of anger unimaginable from my usual self.
It could even be the first time I lost my reason due to rage.
That time when Shion was killed, I was in a mix of anger and regret, but then the prospects of hope had calmed my state of mind.
Thanks to that, I maintained my reason even in the anger, and could work skillfully.
But this time was not the same.
Remembering the pain as if my soul was torn apart, just imagining losing Veldora had thrown any reason out the window.
Chance of success? Who gives a fuck.
I'll crush the enemy.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Looking at the enemy's forces, Wisdom Lord Raphael had advised that it was dangerous, but I shut her up and ordered 「Do something!」.
"Solution. Understood. Commencing implementation of optimal strategy."
I think I heard something like that, but at the moment, I didn't care at all.
I just needed to rescue Veldora, and kill those fuckfaces.
In my rage, I had resolved to confront two of the "True Dragons", and appeared in front of the enemy.
Now, I only needed to avenge.
Demon Lord Rimuru had appeared.
Having lost his calm, his mind focused only on attack.
Seeing him,
「Oh ho? So you came here noticing your owner was stolen?
Fool. With the your source of power, your master Veldora, gone, even for a Demon Lord, you're now just a simple monster.
Coming here without a single underling, it seems you don't possess a shred of intelligence.
Make haste, and rid me of this fool!」
Emperor Rudra uninterestedly ridiculed him, but his words did not reach Rimuru.
For Rimuru, the Emperor was only one of the many targets for extermination.
The tactical conditions for victory.
In this situation, they were:
1. Recover Veldora.
2. Eliminate the threat.
3. Massacre every one of the Imperials.
That was all.
For him, whose mind was wrapped in bloodlust, there was no need for warnings.
All self-preservation conditions were deemed unnecessary.
Currently, only success mattered.
Recovering Veldora was the absolute condition, and took the highest priority.
There were very few who were cautious of Rimuru's sudden appearance.
They were, Velgrynd, first lieutenant Kondo, and Damrada, only these 3.
Currently, with the capture of Veldora, the Empire had a great advantage.
The Emperor's historic battle with Guy would come to an end, they were only one step away.
Therefore, a single Demon Lord coming out was nothing in comparison to the threat from the recent appearance of a "True Dragon". (TN: Talking about people other than the 3.)
After all, "True Dragons" were normally considered the strongest in the world, and on a completely different level from a mere Demon Lord.
A Demon Lord who had only come after they had captured one of the strongest, a "True Dragon", and in addition, the fact that they now controlled 2 of those "True Dragons" naturally lead to the assumption that they were not in any danger.
Among them, Damrada made a tense face.
Donned in his exclusive Legendary armour, his face was covered with a helmet, and there was no worry of anyone seeing his expression.
But still, he suspected if anyone noticed his anxiety.
10 of Emperor Rudra's Royal Knights stood at attention on the bridge.
The strongest force of the Empire was gathered there.
With defensive barriers at maximum output, their position could be considered the safest.
As a result, The Royal Knights didn't feel any tension.
However, Damrada recognized Rimuru's appearance as a danger.
It wasn't based on logic.
This Demon Lord, from the first time they met, had triggered a bizarre feeling.
Him, and also Yuuki.
They had an aura (TN: haki) akin to charisma that fascinated Damrada.
Wasn't there a better way to live, other than a life in sworn fealty to the Emperor? They had something that evoked such a feeling.
Thus, from Damrada's perspective, Rimuru was not an enemy to be underestimated. Ever calm, he was an absolute existence whose thoughts couldn't be read by others.
That Rimuru had lost his calm in a pit of anger, something was bound to happen.
Damrada remained vigilant, and focused on the Emperor's protection in case that something did happen.
First Lieutenant Kondo witnessed Demon Lord Rimuru for the first time.
And had the thought, that he had made a grave mistake.
That it was a mistake to prioritize the capture of Veldora.
He understood that Demon Lord Rimuru could not be dealt with in negligence. That was why he was not a target for capture, and was left for later.
The plan was to use reconnaissance to gather ways to trap him.
But then, reports came about the encounter with Veldora, and his engagement with Velgrynd.
This was a great stroke of luck, Emperor Rudra thought so, and ordered an immediate sortie; but Kondo had a bad premonition. Logically speaking, there was no doubt this was a good opportunity, and he didn't have a clear reason to oppose those orders.
It was only to the level of: since the information was still vague, wasn't it premature to act now?
But, the clarity of the information was negligence on the part of Reconnaissance, and wasn't reason enough to let go of this chance.
After all, Kondo's bad feeling was hardly a reason to stop the sortie.
And now.
When Kondo had used his power, ―― Not the one granted by the Emperor, but one he had attained on his own ―― Ultimate Skill 『Sandalphon the Executioner』to seal Veldora's movements, his premonition worsened.
He shot Veldora with Remove and Necrosis bullets at their highest potency, but felt like Necrosis' effects were nullified in the middle.
He also felt that his eyes had met those of the Storm Dragon Veldora at that moment.
―― Not only me, but to lay your hands on my sworn friend Rimuru. You shall not be forgiven, human!!――
He seemed to hear a disembodied voice say.
Necrosis' curse, which caused the destruction of the target's Magic Circuits, was also effective against Spirit Forms.
Even the strongest beings, the "True Dragons" couldn't escape its effects.
To resist it in the first place was to prevent being hit, but that wasn't possible for Veldora who was caught in a complete surprise attack.
It was at a single gap between the time when Veldora's power rivalled Velgrynd's.
With perfect timing, just as Veldora was overpowering the Empire's Guardian Deity, Kondo had succeeded in stopping the Storm Dragon's movements.
But still...
At the very end, Veldora had managed to resist Necrosis.
Kondo recognized Veldora's impressive feat, and at the same time, felt the strongest sense of uneasiness.
Killing a "True Dragon" was difficult even with multiple shots of Necrosis.
Kondo had fired multiple times to gradually slow him down, and stop his movements. Even if he fell unconscious, a "True Dragon" wouldn't die.
But, even though Veldora should have known that, ignoring the seal binding his body, he focussed on resisting the destruction of Magic Circuits.
No... perhaps he was resisting Necrosis' curse to protect something much more important than his Magic Circuits?
Veldora's disembodied words supported that line of reasoning.
Yes, Veldora had put the utmost priority in ensuring the safety of his sworn friend, Demon Lord Rimuru.
In that case, the Demon Lord in front of their eyes at that moment, should not be dealt with half-heartedly.
This was the Demon Lord who had become powerless due to Veldora, the source of his power, being stolen?
Ridiculous.
In fact, this was the outraged state he had come to having his sworn friend captured.
That was more likely the case.
Instead of putting one before the other, shouldn't they have chosen to try capturing both of them together?
He had arrived at that conclusion, but it was now too late.
At this point, they could only act according to how the situation played out.
Similar to Damrada, Kondo also braced himself to be able to react accordingly to anything that might happen.
"Scorch Dragon" Velgrynd was also on guard following Rimuru's appearance.
No, not only that, she may have been the one on highest alert, judging the danger Rimuru represented.
A surge of anger not unlike that that of her younger brother Veldora could be felt from her. (TN: note on gendering at the end.)
A Demon Lord, or rather, a lowly slime was releasing an aura similar to themselves, the "True Dragons".
Normally, a matter impossible to the point of laughable.
Regardless, the Demon Lord with the appearance of a young girl before them was relentlessly releasing an intense aura of rage.
That aura could be called a sign of the danger she represented.
A normal human would instantly die faced with such a fierce aura.
No, it wouldn't stop at humans, anything that didn't possess superior strength would die without the slightest of resistance.
Veldora had recognized the overwhelming prowess of that aura.
(This one's pretty bad. I see why Veldora was interested in her.)
Veldora's growth had greatly exceeded her expectations.
The growth was probably caused by this Demon Lord.
In that case, it was absolutely necessary to face her head on, and beat her into submission.
Or else, she would definitely become a menace. This was what Velgrynd predicted.
And she, once again, calmly returned to a battle-ready state.
The three of them were admirable for not underestimating the Demon Lord Rimuru who had appeared before them.
However, that was not enough.
The correct decision was to take all their forces and gang up on him at full power the moment he appeared.
History is not concerned with what-ifs.
The conclusion was a result of them not taking that correct decision.
The Demon Lord in front of them had already become a being they wouldn't be able to deal with.
He could be called their greatest threat ever.
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
The battle erupted.
Wisdom Lord Raphael had begun the analysis of the enemy forces immediately after Rimuru had arrived.
And as announced, she had taken the optimum course of action.
Rimuru first launched a Tornado Blade towards the Airship fleet.
It was the same attack used by his Ghost Avatar in the Labyrinth.
It was at a lower level, but the output force was like in another dimension.
Cutting down any enemy within range, it was a magic that manifested itself as many blades of wind.
This was an attack launched by overlapping the effects of Ultimate Skill 『Storm King Veldora's』 "Death Heralding Winds".
Several atrociously large Wind Blades that ripped through the atmosphere, cut down several Airships.
The immense power was far beyond expectations, but to me, who was blinded by pure anger, it only seems more convenient. (TN: suddenly goes first person here.)
Compared to the Energy used, the power of the Tornado Blade was unbelievable.
With both quality and quantity of Energy being abundant, the magic output would naturally be larger. On top of that, with the effects of an Ultimate Skill overlapping it, the power would reach unprecedented heights.
Moreover, Rimuru's current circumstances were important to consider.
The evolutions of his subordinates were now proceeding much faster. Every one of them who were bonded to Rimuru by the soul, was granting power to him through 『Food Chain』.
As more time passed, Rimuru's power only kept growing larger.
Wisdom Lord Raphael, who maintained and ensured optimum usage of power, was now acting a support system for an all out assault.
Accordingly, he converted all the abilities received from the subordinates into Energy, and provided it to Rimuru.
And towards that same Rimuru, several energy balls and sword attacks were unleashed.
By Emperor Rudra's orders, the Royal Knights began their attacks all at once.
They were the few who were granted the Ultimate Gift『Alternative』. (TN: Enchant -> Gift, note later.)
A torrent of attacks with power equaling that of Ultimate Skills rushed towards Rimuru.
Rimuru observed the attacks with an unchanging expression.
Compared to his thoughts that had been accelerated 1,000,000 fold, the enemies' movements were far too slow.
"Solution. Analysis complete. All attacks have been determined to be of similar output. It is hypothesized that the outputs are degraded. However, the outputs are equivalent to that of Ultimate Skills."
(Guard.)
"Solution. Understood."
All attacks reaching for Rimuru were easily nullified by the Absolute Barrier made by Ultimate Skill 『Covenant King Uriel』.
"Alert. Anti-Barrier countermeasures detected... successfully nullified.
Furthermore, soul and Magic Circuit destruction attacks detected.
It is hypothesised to belong to Ultimate Skill 『Sandalphon the Executioner』...
Successfully guarded."
Rimuru slightly shifted his gaze towards the Emperor who hadn't moved, and the guards by his side.
(Is that all? I don't need to be careful at all then.
I'll leave you for later. Do try and wallow in despair.
And don't get killed before I come for you.)
And then, to remove the hindrances between him and Veldora, Rimuru played his next hand.
(Diablo, Testarossa, Ultima, Carrera! Are you ready?)
(At any moment, my liege!)
((There are no problems, master Rimuru!!))
To his summons, the three forcefully evolved Demon Dukes, or rather, the three Devil Lords, along with Diablo, swiftly answered.
This summons was their blessing, they were highly anticipating the voice that had called them out.
「Come forth, my Demons! Call Demon ・ Create Summon Gate!!」
Answering his summons, the 4 Devil Lords manifested.
Bringing along their minions.
The 7 Demon Dukes. (TN: see this for details. )
And in addition, the 100 Demon Chevaliers, and the 600 Greater Demons.
One after another, Rimuru's servants assembled after passing through the Summon Gate.
To showcase their fearsome destructive might.
To prove the true depth of Rimuru's rage.
Rimuru delivered his orders to the Demons.
「You are allowed to rampage all you want.
However, death is forbidden.
Letting them get in my way is also forbidden.
While I go free Veldora, keep those mosquitoes busy!」
「How shall we handle Veldora-sama's elder sister?」
「Ah? I'll deal with her. Now go. Grind them to dust!」
Truly simple.
Receiving those words filled the Demons with absolute joy.
The Demons were already provided with all the results of analysis through Thought Linkage.
It was only natural, as, excluding Kondo, any and all skills that the Royal Knights possessed had been exposed to Wisdom Lord Raphael.
「As per your wishes, our lord!!」
These Demons who knew not fear, cast their bodies into battle, solely to be of service to their master.
Gleefully.
The Black Corps of Doom were, just now, released into the world.
It was the maiden battle of Tempest's strongest corps, the Black Numbers.
And so, Rimuru faced Veldora.
He faced his sworn friend who had become the Emperor's puppet.
He also the red dragon, the 'Scorch Dragon' Velgrynd at the same time.
(Just you wait Veldora. I'll definitely free you!)
And the true battle had finally started.
Notes:
Gendering: Since Japanese can be very sly with its non gendered pronouns, I believe I can take a translator's liberty in those cases. Since Rimuru is genderless, I use 'he' generally (no, not because he's a dude inside.), and 'she' when the person talking about her sees her as a girl. …The previous sentence is kinda weird.
Apparently soon, the author changes 'Ultimate Enchant' to 'Ultimate Gift'. It's more suitable or something, Sushi said. So there.