Third POV:
In a faintly lighted corridor, where the atmosphere seemed heavy and full of malice, Vega advanced like he owned the place. For this hoodlum who was probably fated to die, hunted by the Guild, the situation couldn't be better. His benefactor called for him.
It was a long and perilous path, with all the trials Mariabell threw at him, but it allowed him to prove his worth. She made him fight heinous monsters, he defeated them and took their power for himself. She made him absorb magical weapons, some of them imbued with various curses, he surpassed the pain. Now, he became a true killing machine, fearing nothing, thinking he could defeat anything who would cross paths with him.
As he's approaching the throne room of Mariabell's secret lair, Vega cracked his joints, a wicked grin showing his true nature. This man believes only in the rule of the strong, and he doesn't hinder himself with notions like loyalty. If he meets someone he can't defeat, he'll grovel as long as needed to survive. But, once he has his chances, he'll overthrow them so he can become the superior being instead.
He heard who Mariabell was during his trials. He cannot imagine how a brat, with such immature physique, could be a danger. As he's in a good mood, he will humor her for a few minutes, giving her a false sense of superiority before he kills her. That is his way to thank her. Then, he'll devour her, perhaps she has a Skill worthy of him.
Once he reached his destination, Vega hid his bloodlust as best as he could. No need to rush it, he has to make sure the overgrown insect isn't here beforehand. He remembers how he tasted the mud a few times when Razul put him in his place at the beginning. Even now, he knows it will be difficult to defeat him without letting his prey escape.
There she is. Mariabell was sitting in a throne in the middle of the room, legs crossed and a smug across her face. She was looking at him like he was a slightly more useful pawn, and it ticked him off. He'll make her pay, and anticipates the moment despair will taint her eyes.
-"Won't you bow before your mistress, Vega?"
-"...Yes ma'am." He bent the knee with reluctance, waiting for the right moment to act.
-"Good. Even an idiot like you understands basic politeness." She looked at her nails, uninterested. "I won't make you wait any longer. You became strong enough and earned a promotion. Also, you'll get a new task, which will put your might in good use."
-"I'm honored, ma'am. Can I know what you have in mind?" He peeked at the room and noticed they were alone, making him almost drop his act in anticipation.
-"Until now, you were mere trash, waiting to reveal some potential. But now," she looked at him with vicious, slitted eyes. "Now, you're worthy of being my prey."
-"Say what?" Vega froze, unsure of what she meant, before he looked at her with fury, dropping his act for good. "You brat. Me, your prey? You really have a death wish."
-"Yes, my prey. I nurtured you only so I could grow to new heights. I will absorb every bit of your essence, and nothing will remain of your pathetic self." She rose from her throne and approached, slowly. "You don't like it? I thought you were a fervent follower of the rule of 'the strong take it all'.
Well, you know what is your only choice left. Kill me, so you get to live. Here, I'll give you a chance to succeed." She stopped a few steps before reaching him, and opened her arms, leaving her body defenseless. "I am generous in giving you an easy target, don't you think?"
In an instant, Vega closed the gap with a roar worthy of a madman on the battlefield. Her taunts had the intended effect, the man got blinded by rage. How a mere little girl dared to mock him when he became a true living weapon?
His fist pierced her chest, and Vega bursted in the loudest laugh of his existence. All bark and no bite, the brat's body went limp, as her life ended. Why did she have to make it so easy? It felt kinda anticlimactic, in his opinion. Not that Vega would spit on a fast victory, of course.
Yet, it felt strange. When he struck her, Vega didn't feel the usual resistance of bones before they break, nor did he sense the pulse of her heart when he crushed it. He couldn't put words on this unfamiliar sensation of passing through some kind of ghost. As if she wasn't here in the first place…
-"I hope you have thoroughly enjoyed your 'win', because it's my turn now." The lifeless body spoke in a haughty tone before dissolving.
-"What was th-"
Vega couldn't finish his sentence as something massive attacked him from behind. The immense pressure made him crash on the ground head first. With difficulty, he pivoted on his back, before freezing from terror. He couldn't even scream as a gigantic serpent swallowed him whole, ending his life on the spot.
The monstrous snake sneered, blood painting its jaws. The thug who would have backstabbed and devoured anyone to reach the top, got eaten instead. All according to her plan.
Mariabell POV:
Too easy. This idiot never realized he faced a puppet, so blinded by his greed he couldn't focus on his surroundings and failed to take notice of my presence even by watching. I would almost pity him. I was right to preserve my shed and control it from afar, it made for a good show.
It's a shame I had to devour his filthy body to absorb his essence, but I won't let this impede my ascension. Nothing can rebuke or terrorize me now, not after having nearly died from that damned ritual. I thought I would disappear from the sheer pain, but that was worth it. My new form represents all I ever wanted.
I became a full monster, and my desire shaped my being into the incarnation of greed. Once I woke up, I heard the Voice of the World acknowledging my achievement and telling the name of my race. I am now Mariabell, the All-covetous Serpent.
Along with my transformation, I became a Spiritual life-form after shedding my human skin and gained a Demon Lord Seed. The only thing is, [Greed] hasn't evolved that day. He told me he stopped the process until I absorbed Vega's power, so he could enhance himself with that trash's Skill.
-"Are you ready to do your thing, partner?"
-'[On it, Mari. Lemme tweak a thing or two and it will be effective.]'
This bastard, I never allowed him to give me a nickname. Bah, nevermind. As long as he doesn't slack off. I need him to finish stealing the lizard's [Anti Skill] and to prepare my future ascension as a Demon Lord.
I need the equivalent of 10 000 human souls, but I can't take them openly or I'll get unwanted attention. I ordered a few raids in the undergrounds, it's an easy resource to access who's disappearance won't bring much attention. Razul will crush some damned Demons on the North coast. With how many are attacking the human nations each year, it's obvious they are fodder and Guy Crimson won't notice. I also need the souls of a maximum of different species, maybe I'll get interesting abilities from my awakening by mixing them.
'[[ Conditions fulfilled. [Greed] has evolved into [Greedy King Mammon].]]'
Ah, finally. This surge of power, it's a realm of its own compared to a Unique Skill, I can feel it. Old Granbell was right to warn me, I don't wanna imagine how screwed I would be if I wasn't aware of such a gap in potency.
-"How does it feel to be closer to the realm of gods?"
-'[...I'd say, still so far from having my hunger quenched, yet it's like I learned how to appreciate delicacies. It's a strange feeling, but not so disagreeable.]'
Did he change his way of speaking? Not that I mind, someone so well-bred like me needs a partner in crime of my level after all.
Before anything else, we did a review of his abilities, and I shuddered from excitement. [Mammon]'s toolkit became exponentially stronger, with a fine addition. 'Skill Steal', the power to seize any Skill from a target as long as it isn't engraved on the core of the soul… Normally. A thing I learned is there's always loopholes to be found and exploited, it will be the same here.
Now, I have to finalize my strategy. The Chaos Dragon ordeal and the souls' gathering are on their way to completion, but I need a plan to hit Tempest and Ruberios deep in their cores. The Trinity Wisemen won't collaborate further as they'll return to their schemes, and there's so much I can do with my group only.
-'My Lady, we found a potential ally of choice.' One of the elves I sent as scouts in Jura called me via an encrypted link.
-'Who is it?'
-'One of Tempest's executives, the Dragonewt Gabiru. He's available for the next two weeks. We're on our way to the usual location and will teleport in a few hours, once we're outside the barrier's influence.'
-'Very well, contact me once you're close.'
…Heh. Hahahahaha! I can't believe it worked so fast, the stars are aligned for my sake. An executive of that damned nation, fooled by its delusions. Depending on his personality, this lizard could be the greatest pawn in my possession.
I was worried at first, this kind of play isn't my cup of tea after all. Acting like a benevolent, selfless soul in order to enrapture the hearts of these weak-willed fools I saved, and make them do my bidding over a false pretext… How laughable, 'fighting all evil in the shadows' and all that crap. Yet, they believed it and I barely had to use 'Desire' to bring them under my grasp. Who could have imagined how seeking peace and being ready to fight for it till the end would be such a powerful source of greed?
These idiots provided me with a great cover, and they're taking their role seriously enough to protect the secret of our 'mission' at all costs. I had to make sure the few individuals who know the real me and my ambitions couldn't speak about it in any way. Razul is an exception, as he never questioned my ways. Glenda received a silencing curse, and I brainwashed the other summons.
Okay, before they bring me the lizard, I'll take another look at the scouts' reports all around the world. Better be productive, a world conquest doesn't happen by itself.
I changed back to my human form, which gained a few years after the ritual. Now I have recovered an adult appearance, looking to be a woman just coming of age. I'd say my physique is greater than in my previous life, if needed I won't hesitate to use my charms to my advantage. Every single tool is useful for my quest for power.
Let's see… Nothing out of the norm in the West, the Giants are passive as always. I thought Demon Lord Dagruel was at odds with the fake goddess, but it doesn't seem he's planning anything soon.
The Western Nations are getting divided between those who got approval from Tempest and the others. While the former ones are working hard to become up to Tempest's standards, the latter ones show signs of restlessness. Some are panicking in fear of getting ostracized and try to mitigate the damage. The rest got stuck in their old ways and beliefs, refusing adamantly to bend the knee to these Demon Lords, thinking they could still be controlled.
Such fools, yet they could be useful. With how much unrest will grow due to their squabbles, I could profit to advance my pawns in the shadows within their lands. I remember Demon Lord Mithra destroyed my first attempt in controlling them behind the scene of the Council when she was a nameless hag. Yet, it doesn't bother me much as it has created new options she might not foresaw.
Then, the Eastern Empire. It was so difficult to infiltrate my spies there, but I may have a massive opportunity thanks to its brutal meritocracy system. The higher-ups got to their position thanks to their strength and skills, but they could lose it if someone manages to best them and prove their worth.
Of course, such an ancient and legendary empire would be home to exceptionally dangerous fighters. Old Granbell told me stories about the First Hero, even if I thought they were exaggerated at first. Now I have my own Ultimate Skill, I understand how foolish I was. Let's not forget that scum Damrada, I don't know who he is exactly, but I suspect he's more important than what he let transpire.
Anyways. The Empire's system is a perfect seedbed for cultivating greed. It's easy to figure out how a few ambitious soldiers would do anything in their power to show how capable they are in hope to go down in history, or for riches. I just have to find them, and set them up.
I'll decide on the specifics once I've found a perfect pawn there, and depending on how I can manipulate the Dragonewt. I already have an idea how, as he's a spawn of Dragons, and will develop it according to his abilities and job.
It's time for them to arrive. I left my quarters for the conference room, so I can greet the lizard. Since he took the bait so fast, his reptile brain won't see through my acting. As he's free for two weeks, I'll take my time developing his desires and stirring his weaknesses. It will be annoying to put a facade each and every time, but it's all for the sake of my ambition.
***
In Rimuru's soul, Testarossa POV:
-"Still haven't found anything?" Carrera asked without looking away from the memory bubble she's investigating.
-"Can you stop asking the same question over and over, dammit? I too wish it would be easy to find out the truth, but you're not helping." Ultima flaunted her hands in exasperation before picking another bubble.
-"Exactly. Concentrate on your task, at least you'll be somewhat productive."
I didn't need to look behind to know Carrera would be mumbling at my remark. Of course we didn't need to hear her complaints all night as it is unnerving enough, trying to uncover what is our lord's curse and not having any clue.
While these two were reviewing Sir Rimuru's memories, I tried to figure out the functioning of this massive wall sewering this soul in equal parts. It is astounding to say the least. From the bits of understanding I gathered, it appears it's self-sustained from the other side through Sir Alestar's willpower.
I cannot tell if this spell could be broken from our side. Even if it does, the only one who could dispel it isn't even aware of this construct, deep inside his very being. I always found it strange. How could someone so mighty and well-versed in his art be affected by a curse to the point he doesn't know what's happening inside his own core? Not only him, but Ciel too. The more I think about it, the more my anxiety grows.
-"Hey, girls. I'm curious to hear your opinion-"
-"What now? We're busy." I cut Carrera off, trying my best to not silence her with a spell as I knew it would degenerate afterwards.
-"...How do you think we should call him once he gets free? Lord? Sir?" She finished her question after giving me a judgemental glare.
-"That's… A good question actually." Ultima stopped in her tracks, looking in the distance for an answer.
It's true and worth pondering about. What should we call him? We call Sir Rimuru like that because he refuses being called 'Lord', even if in our heart he is, and the only soul ever worthy of such title. It is obvious Sir Alestar will tell us the same…
Ah. I'm instinctively calling him 'Sir' too. Of course, he and Sir Rimuru are each a part of a complete being. If one has gained our loyalty, the other instantly wins it by causality. But, is it so simple?
We intruded a few times inside his soul and watched all these memories. We're trespassers in his intimity. We're the only ones in this world —except Mithra— who got a glimpse of his reality, no matter how faint and partial it is. We are the ones among the subordinates who know the most about him… It feels so strange, and I can't put the word on this sensation.
-"Let's ask him once we meet for real. This is too confusing… Mmh? Hold on, come see this." Carrera called us, and we obliged after sensing the shift in her tone. "I can't tell if I dreamt it or if there's something suspicious here."
The memory she played showed us Sir Alestar accompanied by the one named Oryos, exploring a territory at the edge of their world. It starts like usual for that iconic duo: finding ruins inside a mountain, separating for a while to cover more area —not a problem as they're leagues beyond what lives in the area— then, going back home after an inconclusive search… Wait a minute.
-"You saw that too, it seems." Ultima glanced at me, biting her nails to repress her wariness. "Doesn't smell good at all."
-"This is deliberate, and refined enough to fool almost anyone, but there's no doubt." I hid my mouth behind my hand to muffle my next words, as I fear their implications. "This is a fabricated memory."
It happened after their separation inside the ruins, when Sir Alestar found himself alone in the deepest chamber. From here, the visual feels off, as if the original recollection of events got censored, and a new version was plastered upon it. The problem is, we cannot access the true memory. It may be sealed on the other side of the wall.
From here, we took our time watching as many events as possible. After a few hours of research, we managed to gather a few clues. First, every instance of fake memories we stumbled upon follows the one from earlier in chronology. According to what we understand of the timeline, it began around forty years before the fateful day. The day of Sir Rimuru and Mithra's reincarnation.
Second, the heaviest censoring revolves around Oryos, Midir and Rodin coming next. Even Invidia —Mithra's past life— and the young Beryl weren't safe from it. This is worse than expected, almost every interaction between them had been altered.
We couldn't go that far, only a year-length, yet the results are dramatic. I fear these modifications may worsen as we browse the memories closer to the end. What happened in these ruins is certainly the key to everything. For the next time, we can only hope to find something, anything, just a mere fragment that has escaped these alterations.
…What hurts the most is having to keep quiet. Mithra suffers from a sort of silencing curse and can't help us, while our lord is clueless about his own predicament. Trying to spread the word to Kumara, Ciel or Veldora would only serve to create chaos and unnecessary worries at a bad time. Also, we cannot overlook the power of this curse, it is possible we would suffer a backlash if we dare to try anyway.
I took a last glance at the severing wall, as our time for today is up. What happened to you, Sir Alestar? Maybe you can see us from the other side but cannot make yourself known.
I can promise something though, in the name of the three of us: no matter what, we will be ready for what's to come. We will put our lives on the line to save you from whatever is the peril you're facing. This is our duty, the duty of Sir Rimuru's loyal servants and yours, if you wish it.