Shion's POV:
I don't like it. As days passed, I saw Boss Mithra growing more and more distant since that angel warned us about his intentions. I didn't see her before the tournament started, and even during the day of the event we didn't talk as much as usual. Even now, she took another trip to the Labyrinth without asking for me to come.
She's having another training session with the Devil girls. These days, she's spending more time with them, leaving me to do my own buisness. I can manage by clashing swords with Benimaru, but it's not the same. I can't feel myself growing in skills unless I give it my all against her, as she has the same style as me.
I should ask Sir Rimuru, maybe he'll be able to tell what's going on with them. I'm sure Boss isn't avoiding me on purpose, she would have told me if I screwed something up. It isn't her style to keep silent about her problems… I think. Until now, she never hesitated in revealing to me some of her secrets and giving me her trust.
That's funny. Not long ago, I would have wreaked havoc in panic, fearing she'd leave me on the side of the road. Now I can keep my emotions in check and think in a rational way. I'm getting one step closer in becoming the perfect right-hand for her. And I won't stop, even once I get worthy to be called her 'blade'.
Okay, let's do it. I'm sure Sir Rimuru won't mind me bothering him if it's about his mother. On the way, I imagined several dishes I could serve her. No matter what kind of worries you face, filling your stomach with tasty food always brings a smile. And now I know I can be proud of my cooking without shame, even Shuna finally admitted it. I may not be at her or Sir Rimuru's level, far from it, but it's only a matter of time I'm sure of it.
…Shit. I went to Sir Rimuru's office by habit, but he stayed at home today with Kumara, since there's nothing urgent left to monitor for the festival. Doesn't matter, I used the travel to finish the dream full course I would serve later. I've learned most of her favorite food, with it I'll make sure her stomach explodes… Wait, weird phrasing. Can a Demon Lord even feel empty or full like us mortals? And she cannot get fat either… Now I'm jealous.
Here I am with my idiotic thoughts again. At least I arrived at their house, and I saw it got larger. When the city's construction advanced enough, the little house he shared with Boss and Kumara became a full three-aisles mansion. The extra space allowing accommodations and personalization for each own tastes. I'd say it's a given for our leaders to live in a place fitting for their position. And it's so cute that Sir Rimuru and Kumara basically lived under the same roof from the start, now that I think about it.
-"Come in." I heard Sir Rimuru's voice before I could knock on the door. Well, it's not surprising with his senses. I opened the door and saw him sitting on a sofa, while Kumara was lying down, her head on his lap, reading some paper. Both were dressed in a casual way, Sir Rimuru wearing a shirt, pants and slippers, and Kumara having a hoodie and shorts. It's lovely seeing them looking so relaxed together.
-"I hope I'm not bothering you lovebirds." I expected them to blush at my remark, but they only smiled. Sir Rimuru caressed Kumara behind the ears, making her chuckle and wiggle her tails.
-"You're worried about your dear Boss, perhaps?" He took my sudden stiffness and silence as a confirmation, and showed me a seat. He waited for me to sit before continuing. "She may act strange in your eyes, but I assure you there's no need to worry too much. I know her enough to tell she's just being stressed. I'd say she anticipates not only the incoming war, but also the festival, and what it represents."
-"I understand she stresses about the war, but what could ever make her nervous with the festival? Dealing with officials? She did that a few times in the Western Nations, so what else?" Kumara asked while tickling her boyfriend's sides with her tails, honestly that' a sight to behold. Is Ciel watching from inside him?
-"One of her worst nightmares, and that's probably a reason why she's venting off against the Demonesses, peace to their souls." It looked like he sent a silent prayer for their salvation, but I'm not so sure due to his evil grin. "She won't get away with her usual suit, she'll have to wear something more suitable for a party this time."
-"Heh, I like where this is going." Kumara snickered before turning toward me. "Now you know. She probably doesn't want to lash at you because of her impending doom. That's why she's hiding and make the girls go through torture sessions instead."
-"There's only a problem remaining. The festival is in three days, and we haven't found what we will make her wear yet. That's what we were reviewing." Sir Rimuru pointed at the paper, and I recognized it: it's a part of a brochure showing dresses designed by Shuna. "This is quite a difficult task. We need to find a good balance between embarrassing her, and making her look cool and gorgeous."
-"On my side, I already found what I'll wear for the occasion. And you Rim? Do you still plan to go with your Demon Lord outfit?" Kumara poked his cheek.
-"Well, it's good enough as it is. I'm a chancellor, not a king, so no need to go all fancy. Just adding a cape or something to make it look more regal for those stuck-up nobles and it will be ready to go."
…So that was it? Now I remember she did avoid wearing woman clothes like it was the pest. Such a shame though, I'm sure she'll look stunning with the perfect dress.
-"Do you mind if I help you? I'm curious to see where it will go, and I want to surprise her."
-"We'll be glad to accept your offer. Three brains are better than two. Even if in my case, as a Slime I'm a full walking brain of sorts… What?" He looked at Kumara who's having a deadpan expression.
-"There's a few good jokes I could make with how you phrased it, y'know? Especially after our night-"
-"Don't finish that sentence or you'll beg me to leave you alone tonight." He murmured while caressing her chin, not low enough for me to not hear it, and I felt my cheeks turning red. Well, Kumara blushed too, and shut her mouth. Before it got too embarrassing, I changed subjects.
-"Ciel isn't helping you with the dress choice?"
-"She isn't here. She decided to go to El Dorado with Elmesia's help, inviting Leon to come after the festival." He scratched the back of his head, sweating a little. "Poor Leon. I know I have planned a terrible prank for when he'll be here, but he has to deal with Ciel before. She can be a good trickster herself, and won't hesitate to make his brain explode in confusion."
-"You don't say. He'll think it's you, but having grown boobs since Walpurgis. I would have wanted to see that. But Rim, is it a good idea to let her go herself to the other side of the world like that?" Kumara left his lap and sat next to him, showing concern.
-"Don't worry, she can defend herself and if worst comes to worst she'll return to my soul right away. But with Ranga, Souei and Moss's clones accompanying her, I doubt she'll even need to retreat." He puts his head on Kumara's shoulder and is toying with a brand of her hair. "And we're talking about that socially awkward blondie that tried too hard to reunite with his childhood friend. Compared to Guy, Feldway or Velzard, he's hardly a menace."
-"Right, if you say so." I took a look at the brochure, searching for ideas. "I can't wait to see her face when she wears it. And if she tries to escape, I'm ready to dress her myself. There's no way I'm gonna let this opportunity to witness her wearing women's clothes for once."
I hesitated between two getups, when I noticed it became weirdly silent at once. I looked up and met with questioning gazes from the two lovebirds. What, did I say something?
The Labyrinth, Carrera's POV:
-"Holy shit, calm down old hag. Are you trying to skin us alive? OOF!" I ducked to avoid the humongous rock slab that serves as her sword, only to get caught by her mace. "Argh, fuck. It resonates throughout my whole body."
-"What? You're done already, after asking me to train you?" She planted her sword into the ground and rested on it. "You three better hope the lobster won't hear about the pathetic state you're in, else I'm sure he would laugh at you."
Tch. I hate it, but she's right. With Ultima knocked out, buried under a pile of rubble, and Testa massaging her broken nose after getting struck by a shoulder bash... We're looking awful. Why is it so hard to fight the old hag anyway?
No, we shouldn't complain. We knew what would ensue, asking for a special session after our impromptu visit in our lord's soul. It's better if we face bloody training, rather than losing the war against what cursed them. Yet, the old hag's methods tick me off.
-"Mmmpff. Brutal as always, Mithra." Testa rectified her nose and picked Ultima off the rubble. "Still, what kind of enemy do you expect us to battle with such constraints? Not using our Unique Skills, when they're the core of our arsenal."
I see it intrigues all three of us. Yeah, I believe the brat would complain about it too if she was able to talk. Talking of the devil, she woke up, and pushed Testa away in embarrassment.
-"You asked me to prepare you for you-know-what, that's what I'm doing. Okay, quick review." The old hag pointed Testa with her sword. "If you would stop trying to keep your queenly act in battle, it would help. Looking cool or in your case, elegant, is good. But being victorious, or at least alive and able to retreat is better. Also, you still lack a sure-kill move in case you face something that can ignore 'Death Streak'. Else, I can't complain, you're more than competent enough."
She looked at me with obvious disapproval. "My main concern is about you, Blondie, and Ultima. You'll need to learn the basis of your powers over again, refining your skills, and Skills. You're too dependent on the convenience and the potency of Unique Skills, and not enough of the common ones. Well, that's a remark I could make to the majority of Unique and Ultimate Skills users."
She uninvoked her weapons and sat on the floor, it seems our session is over. She sighed a little and continued. "Of course, those upper Skills are the core of one's power in this world, but that doesn't mean you should just rely on them for everything. Pushing your Common and Extra Skills to their limits will, by extension, increase your abilities and understanding of your stronger Skills. Lemme show you."
She pointed at me, and summoned a huge mass of Abyss Cores. It made me shiver, she isn't planning to use 'that' spell here, isn't she? Oh fuck, yes she is. What a lunatic, does she want to annihilate me?
In panic, I prepared my own 'Gravity Collapse' to counter hers. Ul and Testa retreated and put up barriers to protect themselves from the blast. We released our spells at the same time, and the ensuing explosion was certainly felt in all the Labyrinth. The old hag had the good idea to enclose the space with the barrier provided by [Uriel], containing the conflagration. When the light dimmed down, I noticed something hard to believe.
-"Hah? Am I dreaming or did my spell overpowered yours?" I rubbed my eyes in disbelief, but the marks left couldn't lie. "Bwahahaha, did you see that? I won!"
-"Of course you would, since you used your [Destructor] at full strength. On my side, I only used [Thought Acceleration] for the calculations, and my sheer power."
…Did I hear right? On the side, I saw Ultima turning pale, and Testa laughing nervously. So it isn't a trick from my mind, she did say that. No way, is it really possible to do something so outrageous? Without a Unique?
"If I'm being honest, it wasn't a true 'Gravity Collapse' of course. That was a tuned down version I imagined in my past life with what I had at my disposal. I could only use the real spell by preparing glyphs in advance, or on the spot thanks to my lost, strongest weapon."
-"Wait a minute, your 'strongest'?" Ultima cut her off and sweatdropped. "You mean those oversized weapons aren't your strongest yet?"
-"Ah, it's true we didn't tell anyone, and Veldora didn't spill the beans either." The old hag grinned like she mocked us. "Mine and Rimuru/Alestar's are still in the Lost World, and they're some of the mightiest blades ever created. Even if mine had its temper… Anyways, I'll continue.
My spell wasn't the real deal compared to yours, but I could conjure it with mere Extra Skills. With Alestar, we managed to reach a level similar to Awakened Demon Lords with what we had at our disposal. Well, there was a trick that allowed us to gain so much power, but still. Not bad, heh?"
I see her point. It's true that we tend to get swayed by the sheer power granted by Unique Skills, looking down on the lower ranked ones. It's settled, I have found my new goal: being able to surpass her spells without my Unique Skill. I'll show her why she was right in nicknaming me 'Nuclear Girl'.
-"If I may." Testa approached, curiosity in her eyes. "What is this 'trick' you talked about?"
-"You see how Unique and Ultimate Skills work? Multiple Sub-Skills linked under a common core, allowing to boost their efficiency and create synergies?" She created a figure with fire to visualize it. "Although we were limited to the Extra rank, our Skills worked in a similar way. In that world, all our Skills were engraved into our souls, unlike here, where low ranked ones remain on the physical or spiritual layer."
-"Wait, all of them? It would have put quite the burden on you." I see why their Skills got more potent, but it would be so risky if they accumulated too much.
-"Here's the second part. To make sure our souls wouldn't dissolve under the pressure, obtaining Skills was a slow process. We'd have to put much more effort into a basic Skill, and to help lower the burden, our bodies would evolve too. Once the engraving finished, our bodies became more resistant, and able to gather more magicules to compensate. Finally, a link would be created between our souls and bodies to ease their activation."
-"So, let me rephrase it. The core data of the Skill stayed on the soul, but in order to lessen the strain, the command activation resided on the body, correct? Quite interesting." Testa couldn't help but show her brilliant mind again, acting so smug. "It's without a doubt not as effective as the system in the Cardinal World. And depending on your potential, you suffer from a harder ceiling in the maximum power you can wield. But it was a good replacement indeed."
-"Yeah, that idiot Creator could be inventive if he remembered he had a brain." The old hag grumbled. With her reaction, it's clear Veldanava seemed more… Easygoing than what we saw.
"Anyway. I'm gonna leave you, continue to train how you want." She stood up and waved her hand while walking away. "I'm spending too much time with you three these days, and I fear Shion might think I'm forgetting her again. It's been some time since I last gave her a session after all. I wonder what that girl's doing now."
And she left. We should do it too, before Ramiris starts throwing a tantrum for giving her a scare. It's fun messing with the pixie, but annoying when she catches us making a mess of her place. Not that she's dangerous, so far from it, but we would get an earful from Sir Rimuru if we swat her like an insect and hurt her.
We heard a shriek coming from the depths of the Labyrinth, but too late for her, we already escaped. We probably shouldn't use that floor for a while, until after the Festival for sure. Well, it's not like we have to continue training right now. We'll take some time for ourselves, and to make sure nothing will happen during the event.
Esprit had planned a girls night, and invited Blanche to join our fun in Testa's back. I can imagine her terrified face if she learns about her look-alike friend partying hard with the greatest delinquents of the Demon Realm. It will be epic.
Mariabell's hideout, Mariabell's POV:
Hahaha, yes! I found the solution I desperately needed. It's over getting stuck, unable to snatch that lizard's power because I'm too weak. If the ritual works as well as this old parchment says, I could surpass True Demon Lords in a few weeks.
I had to dispatch one of my most competent teams to explore ruins lost to history, apparently the lair of a forgotten Demon Lord that got slayed. They died from a curse after getting out of the tomb, but what they brought back is the most valuable piece of information in the world. A forbidden ritual that allows one to discard their humanity to evolve into an apex monster. Something beyond mere Majinization, considered a taboo, blasphemous even.
Of course, the price to pay isn't only that. One must prove their strength to withstand a metamorphosis against nature. Also the result depends on the caster's potential and desires. But for this, I can't sacrifice some pawns and test on them if the theory is correct. The preparations are too heavy, it would be a one try ritual, so I'll have to risk it.
Well, it doesn't matter. If one wishes to stand atop of the world and trample everyone else, they must be ready to face all kinds of hardships. In my past life, I have beaten all odds and all of my competitors for world dominance. I can do it again, and write my legend, the tale of Mariabell of Greed. I was a queen, this time I'll become a goddess.
-'[Such drama with your ambition, not that I dislike it.]'
-'Shut up, Greed. Enough of your sass, prepare your circuits to do this.'
I'll have to wait for the return of my puppet from the Magic Tower. With the knowledge residing in that place and the Trinity Wisemen's help, it would be easier to make my project a success. They agreed to offer their assistance. But only if it meant giving hell to that Vampire that plays the goddess, and they'll do it only once.
Vega is also almost ready to become a sacrifice. I have ordered to slow down the amount of prey he has at his disposal, so I won't risk him growing too fast before I change species. In fact, this is going better than I envisioned at first. I'll be able to plunder his strength more efficiently by becoming a monster, as they gain Skills way faster than Humans.
If the old Granbell could see this, he would certainly do everything he could to stop me, but I don't care. We are the weakest species. Even if Heroes exists, the old man showed us it's nowhere near enough. He told me about his mentor, the First Hero, and the fact he ultimately couldn't topple Guy Crimson. So, what use do I have to stay human? Pray for a miracle?
-"My Lady. The spies are ready for their task." Glenda appeared and kneeled. I can tell she's afraid, with how she's sweating. "They're almost in the limits of Tempest, so they will put their telepathy in dormancy for now."
-"Good. I expect success from them. And from you, Glenda. Do not disappoint me and you'll get to live in laziness and wealth as you desire. But if you fail…"
She dropped her head on the floor so fast she started to bleed from the impact. It's so funny seeing the terror in weaklings that cling to hope, and for their life. I dismissed her to have peace, finishing my preparations.
Now the path is straightforward. While my spies will search for a way to cause unrest, I'll be reborn as a true monster. I will win. I will trample them all and be the ultimate power, and I will accept to become the greatest evil if I have to.