"Ah, what a pain..." Guy Crimson muttered. He casually sat down, looking annoyed, as he turned to a beautiful man with platinum blonde hair. "You're coming, right? It sounds like a lot of stuff is happening in this one."
"Ramiris insisted, and as much as I want to strangle that small Fairy from time to time, I owe her that much." Leon answered, his face remaining stoic as he drank some of the tea that a green-haired maid had poured for him.
"Hm… I wonder what she wants this time?" Guy nodded. "It's hard to get her this excited about anything. Honestly, this Walpurgis is looking to be one of the more interesting ones in a long time."
Clayman had been the one to call for the Walpurgis, and though usually only three people were needed, four had spoken up in favor of it. Clayman and Milim were to be expected. From what they had heard, Milim had killed Frey and Carrion. Which probably meant they were scheming about something together.
The surprising ones had been Luminous and Ramiris stepping forward and agreeing to the Walpurgis. Luminous usually didn't care much for meetings like this, but she told Guy that she would show up personally.
As for Ramiris, she had been rambling for some time. She didn't say anything important during her yapping session, but her main request was to bring someone along with her for a potential position as a new Demon Lord, Rimuru Tempest.
"I'm going to have to give Milim a serious talking-to for making things so complicated for me." Guy chuckled as he began to play with his food slightly. "I've asked her before to not mess around too much with Demon Lord stuff before."
Leon looked on at Guy, who still kept his usual smirk on his face.
"You don't think that she actually killed them, do you? I've not known her as long as you, but it doesn't sound like something she would do."
"How am I supposed to know what goes on in her head? She's a dumbass." Guy answered, chuckling as he did. Though his words seemed harsh, his tone sounded warm.
Shaking his head, Leon knew he wasn't going to get a direct answer, so he moved onto his next question.
"What do you think of Rimuru Tempest? From the rumors, he appears to be connected to Veldora. As much information as I could gather, he only appeared after Veldora vanished. There is no information about him from before."
Guy lifted an eyebrow in interest, thinking for a moment before shrugging.
"If Ramiris likes him so much to ramble on for an hour, then there must be something to him. I haven't really bothered to look into him yet."
Just then, a cold voice cut through the air.
"Rimuru Tempest, eh?"
The voice was a perfect match for the beautiful woman it belonged to. Her skin was like porcelain, her eyes a fascinating sort of cold, glowing blue diamond in color. Her pearl-white hair cascaded past her cheeks, where the light-green shade of her lips drew the eye.
"Ah, Velzard. I had almost forgotten you were here. I suppose things were too pleasant." Leon spoke, his voice filled with sarcasm.
Velzard smiled as she heard him, though rather than warm up the area, a chill passed through the air.
"Why don't you go summon some more kids and leave me and Guy alone?" She asked, causing both Guy and Leon to frown.
Noticing Guy's expression, her expression turned slightly less cold as she sat down, pretending as if she hadn't said anything.
Guy groaned slightly. Every time Leon and Velzard were around each other, it turned into a verbal fight. No matter what he had tried before, the two of them never got along, and by now, he had all but given up on mediating between them. Thankfully, this time, Velzard wasn't interested in fighting.
"What's this about my brother you were talking about? There's someone going around saying that they are connected to him?"
Leon glared at Velzard for a moment before turning to Guy, answering him instead.
"Rimuru Tempest, he goes by many different titles. From Veldora's Prophet to Veldora's Chosen One. He has practically taken over a large segment of the forest near the Shisu Lake and the Kusha mountains. From the rumors, even the Dryads accepted him as their leader."
"Rimuru Tempest…" Velzard muttered once again to herself. "Knowing my brother, a nonsense name like Rimuru is the type of thing he would go for. Something that just rolls off the tongue nicely with no real meaning. The Tempest part doesn't sound like him, but maybe sitting in that cave for a couple hundred years gave him some sense."
Guy sighed once again as he heard him.
"Rimuru… Do you think he will be as much of a pain to deal with as your brother?" Guy asked, only to earn a shrug from Velzard.
Leon, who was listening in, had to hold in a sigh, too. Veldora was the type of True Dragon who caused a mess wherever he went. By the time he was summoned, Veldora had already been sealed away. However, he had spent enough time listening to his master, Sylvia, complaining to know that Veldora was bad news.
"Do you want to come too, Velzard?" Guy asked, but Velzard just shook her head.
"If my brother isn't there, then it's not my problem. I'll let you take the first look at him, and if he looks interesting to you I will go and visit him." Velzard answered as she stood up, giving Leon one final side eye before walking away.
As Leon and Guy were left alone, Guy smiled, moving a little closer to try to flirt with Leon again. Causing Leon to sigh as he dodged his advances.
— — —
Marching into Luminous' church in Englassia, Hinata was led directly to one of the innermost chambers. As one of the highest-ranking Paladins, the priests moved swiftly, organizing the room she had requested with practiced efficiency.
She gently placed the communication orb Luminous had given her on the table and reached out. Within moments, the orb glowed, and Luminous appeared.
Wearing a loose dress, Luminous sat in a seductive pose, carefully and slowly eating some strawberries. By this point, Hinata was used to her antics, so she simply ignored the attempt at flirting.
"Ah, Hinata, you caught me at a bad time." Luminous muttered, stretching lazily and allowing her dress to slip slightly, revealing more skin. "Are you coming back soon? Walpurgis has been called, and I'd like you here to look after the place while I'm gone."
Hinata's eyes widened, her usual poker face breaking.
"Walpurgis? What is it for this time?"
After hearing Shizue's story, an uneasy feeling gnawed at her. She suspected it was related to the reason she had contacted Luminous in the first place.
Luminous's eyes sparkled with amusement at Hinata's rare display of emotion.
"You're usually so composed, Hinata. I wonder what's gotten under your skin." She took another bite of a strawberry, savoring it slowly before continuing. "Milim is goofing off, Clayman is asking for a beating, and a new potential Demon Lord has shown up. Nothing new, really." Luminous finished, smiling as she observed Hinata's reaction.
"By any chance… did they mention the name of the new Demon Lord?" Hinata asked, feeling a headache coming on.
"Rimuru Tempest. He's a Slime that recently took over the Great Jura Forest and is claiming it as his territory." Luminous began, her expression turning annoyed as she continued. "There are a lot of rumors about him being quite close to the lizard, Veldora. And with the seal being broken, I wouldn't be surprised to know that the damned beast is staying in Tempest."
Hinata's expression became complicated as she heard Luminous. Shizue had just spent a few hours convincing her about how good of a person Rimuru was. Trying to go over how many people he wanted to help and how happy everyone in Tempest was.
But here she was, a few hours later finding out that he was set to join the Ten Great Demon Lords and become an enemy of Humanity alongside them.
Luminous smiled slightly as she saw Hinata's expression, grabbing another strawberry and sensually placing it in her mouth. After savoring the flavor for a few seconds, she added.
"Though I must admit that their fruits are delicious. You should try them when you get back."
Hinata became slightly annoyed hearing how casually Luminous was talking about everything, but Luminous sat up, straightened her dress, and smiled.
"Ah, there you go again with that frown on your pretty face." She joked, and then her playful demeanor faded. "What is it?"
Hinata didn't show her surprise as she nodded.
"Not long ago, we received a request to send some of our Holy Knights to attack Tempest. After speaking with Shizue, I tried to contact them to call off the attack, but our communication with the church in Falmuth has been cut off. They were set to attack Tempest, and I believe they are either in big trouble or dead." Hinata reported, causing Luminous to frown.
"Is that so…" She muttered, tapping her finger in annoyance as she thought. The room grew silent, the air thick with tension. Finally, Luminous sighed. "I will get a chance to meet him during the Walpurgis. Until then, come back to Lubelious."
Luminous looked at Hinata, who nodded with her usual serious expression before abruptly cutting off the communication.
Sighing, Luminous fell back onto her couch. She had a lot on her mind now. With Walpurgis approaching, she would finally meet the mysterious Rimuru.
Grabbing at another strawberry, she bit into it, though it didn't taste as sweet as before.
"I could've helped more if you had trusted me…" she muttered to herself, a hint of nostalgia in her voice.
Gunther, an older man dressed in an immaculate butler suit, observed Luminous with a discerning eye. Without a word, he moved to the grand piano in the corner of the room.
As his fingers glided over the keys, a simple yet familiar melody began to fill the air. Luminous smiled softly. It was a song her friend always hummed, and whenever Gunther played it, memories of the past washed over her.
Luminous hummed the melody as she stood up, stretching slightly before turning serious.
— — —
Hunting like predators in the darkness, Clayman's army observed the groups of scared Beastmen. The journey had taken its toll on their young ones, forcing the group they were stalking to stop and set up a temporary camp.
"How long until we can attack?" A dark-haired Demi Human with pointed ears asked, impatience evident in his voice. He was itching for battle, and the vulnerable group ahead was almost too tempting.
"Calm down, Jules. Just a few more hours. Walpurgis is set to start soon." A blue-haired man muttered, his gaze devoid of emotion as he looked down at the Beastmen. Orders were orders, and he would carry them out without question.
"You're too boring, Zanse. Attacking a little earlier wouldn't hurt." Jules grumbled but ultimately relented, pulling out a small orb to contact the main group.
Inside his tent, Jules activated the orb, and a masked man with a mixture of dark and white hair appeared.
"Yo, Yamza. How are things over there?" Jules asked casually, as if chatting with an old friend.
Yamza's eyes narrowed slightly, but he responded nonetheless.
"Demon Lord Milim's people are being a pain. If it weren't for the complications it would cause, I'd kill them now. We're ready for the ambush; anyone spying on Lord Clayman should know better. Stay vigilant. They could strike at any moment. If you mess up, Clayman will throw a fit."
Jules rolled his eyes, lifting the orb slightly.
"Yeah, yeah. I wish I was on your side. We've only got a few sick Beastman kids here. The other ambush sites have more interesting targets."
"Your post is the most important. Don't bother me with useless chatter again," Yamza replied coldly before cutting the connection.
Yamza had begun his march some days ago, eyes scanning the ambush locations Clayman had marked. He had been at Clayman's side for years, absorbing his traits and methods. He used to be one of Clayman's most devoted followers, but ever since Clayman's dealings with the Eastern Empire began, things had changed.
Yamza sighed, tightening his grip on his sword as memories of the past surfaced. But those days were gone. If Clayman's plan succeeded, it wouldn't matter if he had changed. Clayman would become one of the most influential people in the world, and as one of his Five Fingers, Yamza would also rise to prominence.
Now that… that brought a smile to his face.
Even Tempest, who had grown to prominence in just a year, would be struck down. Clayman had played them like pawns, and at this moment, they should still be recovering from the aftereffects of using the drug they had created.
Turning around, Yamza prepared to continue marching as he put the communication orb away. Blood would spill today, one way or another. Before he could leave the tent, a tall, muscular man with a perfectly bald head stepped in, Middray. With his hands clasped behind his back, Middray wore a fake smile.
"What is it now?" Yamza snapped, already feeling the annoyance rise at the sight of Middray's expression. They couldn't stand each other but pretended for the sake of the war.
"There are people hiding, ready to attack. Their illusion magic is quite good, but it's clear it isn't their main focus. The illusions are tainted by the elements they specialize in." Middray said, his smile never reaching his eyes.
As they stepped outside, Yamza did his best to conceal his gaze from the potential enemies, scanning the surroundings.
"There, up the mountain. There are 15 different locations, each with about 10 to 100 people. Seven of their spots are in places Clayman predicted, meaning our traps are ready to go off at any moment." Middray continued, pointing with subtle tilts of his head.
Middray couldn't fathom why Milim had ordered them to attack Eurazania's citizens and Tempest, given her apparent fondness for the latter. But he trusted her enough to follow orders blindly. The messy handwritten letter was unmistakably hers and had instructed them to heed Yamza.
At the very least, he would try to spare as many Tempest citizens as possible. He knew Milim loved the place like a second home. Perhaps this was a test from Milim to see if they could grasp her hidden meaning. If so, he would prove his faith and knowledge of her.
The traps Clayman had set didn't worry Middray. With their strength, the traps would, at best, slow them down and injure them and, at worst, do nothing.
Opening and closing his fist a few times, Middray smiled, ready for the battle. He could sense slightly stronger individuals than the beings he had been associating with lately hiding within the illusion and he relished the chance to stretch his muscles.
Yamza walked away to prepare for the fight. Middray turned to his side, glancing at Hermes. Compared to Middray, Hermes looked small, with silver hair and a perpetually annoyed expression.
"Watch closely, Hermes. Maybe you'll learn something. Lady Milim has made you too desensitized to the levels of strength others can reach."
— — —
As they arrived at the entrance of Clayman's territory, a dense mist enveloped Shuna's group, shrouding the area in an eerie atmosphere.
"Lady Shuna, we are ready," Souei reported, kneeling on the ground. "I must warn you, Clayman has increased the security in his castle. I apologize for the failure of my own team. If we had been more careful—"
"No. Your team has done exactly what they needed to. Stop blaming yourself, Souei. This is an order." Shuna interrupted with a warm smile.
Souei's eyes softened, and he nodded, resuming his report without further hesitation.
"One of Clayman's Fingers, Wight King Adalman, is the first enemy on our path. He leads an army of undead and should be the strongest one in the castle right now. Clayman has also set traps for anyone daring to attack."
Hakuro, peering into the fog with a focused expression, narrowed his eyes. A third eye opened on his forehead as he spoke.
"The mist itself is a trap… the moment we enter, our Magic Sense will be scrambled. If we venture too deep, the mist will throw our senses off entirely."
The gathered army eyed the mist warily, debating their next move until Shuna's clear voice cut through the tension.
"We will take a direct approach. With our numbers, hiding is futile. When the time comes, I will clear the fog. Then we will march." Shuna's gaze swept over her companions, her resolve unwavering.
She knew the challenge ahead: facing a Wight King, an undead Dragon, Adalman's personal knight, and countless undead, with traps laid in their path. But as she looked at the determined faces around her, she felt prepared.
However, as she looked at the ones around her, she felt prepared for the challenge. If anything, she felt a little overprotected, but she couldn't get angry at Rimuru for caring for her. He hadn't forced her to stay when she made her decision, but he had asked her to take some extra protection with her.
Geld Junior stood as her impenetrable bodyguard. Since the defeat of the Orc Disaster, he had grown stronger, becoming one of Tempest's mightiest warriors, despite his primary focus on construction.
Adding onto that layer of protection were Shion's own Amethyst Guards. Their entire reason for being was to protect both Shuna and Rimuru, so they were itching with anticipation to finally show their worth to their Queen.
Claire, one of Frey's daughters, would also be joining in the attack. With her speed and Magic Jamming, she would be able to move across the battlefield and offer support to anyone who needed it.
Hakuro and some of his hand-picked students would be joining the battle, along with Souei and his most trusted Shadows.
Everyone was prepared for the battle, and the starting moment would be Walpurgis. The moment the meeting began, Jistav would fall.
Shuna looked at the fog, her eyes narrowing as her Graceful Authority Subskill activated. Under her command, they would move as one. Her bloodline had awakened powerful Commander-type skills: Benimaru's Generalissimo, her own Queen Grace, and her father's Chieftain from his countless years as a Chief.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and smiled. Soon, they would march over Jistav, bringing the Puppet Nation under their control. The moment Walpurgis began, Jistav would fall.
Looking up, she saw the dark clouds in the distance. Thunder echoed, signaling the incoming storm.
— — —
Special Thanks to my Beta Readers/Editors: The one, the only, the amazing @Basilisk, the Aussie @LuluViBritania (FF.N, SB, WN and QQ)/-LuluViB|99th Britannian Emperor(Discord) and @Kiyan Tribe (FF.net/AO3/QQ/WN) | kiyan_tribe( Discord)
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