Guy looked at Rimuru one final time, his face not showing any more emotion, before tilting his head to look at Ramiris, who was fluttering around him.
"Now, what's gotten you so excited?" Guy asked, finally getting Ramiris to stop circling him.
Ramiris laughed mischievously, her wings buzzing as she settled into her seat.
"Ha, it's a secret. You'll have to wait to find out." She teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She looked immensely pleased with herself for prompting his question.
Guy shrugged, unperturbed by her antics, and turned his attention to the next arrival.
Dagruel, a towering figure whose presence seemed to rival even Veldora's, entered the room. Each of his steps made the ground tremble slightly. As he took his place beside Guy, he sat on a massive chair that held his weight perfectly. His eyes scanned the room, briefly resting on Frey before locking onto Rimuru.
He looked more curious than anything as he glanced at Rimuru before he simply turned back to look at the ceiling, waiting for Walpurgis to finally start. In the brief moment in which they had exchanged glances, Raphael had tried to get a proper reading of him, but due to how outrageous his strength was, she wasn't able to get a proper reading.
Before Rimuru could dwell on Raphael's lackluster report, another Demon Lord made his entrance. A blonde man with a strong, muscular build and short, curly hair who exuded a surprisingly charming aura, Demon Lord Valentine, or rather, her cover.
Behind the "Demon Lord" walked a butler with movements so practiced they seemed choreographed. Accompanying him was a beautiful woman with long silver hair, wearing a maid outfit. She had heterochromatic eyes, one crimson and one blue.
As she walked in, her eyes quickly moved to look around the room, not revealing a single emotion on her face. She positioned herself behind Valentine, who sat down without a word, casting a brief, uninterested glance around the room before closing his eyes.
Shortly after Valentine settled, another figure entered the room. With messy purplish-blue hair, the newcomer's drowsy appearance and prominent eye bags marred what would have been a handsome face. He slouched slightly, scratching his head as if he had just woken up.
His light blue eyes brightened momentarily when he spotted Ramiris. He smiled, but before he could speak, Ramiris shot from her seat, fluttering in front of him with a smug grin.
"Ho? As lonely as ever, Dino. Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised." She muttered, looking extremely smug as she subtly pointed to Beretta and Treyni, before quickly fluttering away and landing on top of Rimuru's head.
Dino raised an eyebrow, taking in the two who stood behind Ramiris' usual seat. He turned back to Ramiris, who continued to smile smugly. And after taking a moment, a grin appeared on his face.
"Damn, you are cold, Ramiris. After all our years of friendship, why do you have to do me like this? I thought we were both going to be alone forever." Dino joked, his tone light as he moved to his chair.
He ignored Ramiris' bait, choosing instead to lay his head down and close his eyes, falling asleep instantly.
"Wait, no!" Ramiris shouted, leaping off Rimuru's head to flutter angrily around Dino. She tugged at his hair, trying to wake him. "Do you have a clue how long I waited? Stop being annoying and ask me so that I can brag!" Despite her efforts, Dino remained fast asleep.
After a few moments, Ramiris gave up, kicking his head before floating back to her seat and crossing her arms in annoyance.
As Ramiris continued to sulk, a striking man with long, silky hair entered.
Shizue, who had been standing behind Rimuru, became slightly stiff as she saw him. Leon Cromwell, the Platinum Saber, had arrived. The man who had summoned her to this world and abandoned her to face the Hero alone years ago.
He was both her savior and the one who had put the chains that were Ifrit on her. He had always been cold to her throughout her entire time as his servant, and were it not for the Hero rescuing her, she might have still been serving under him to this day.
She had a lot of different feelings for him, but the main one was just pure spite. She had wanted to ask him so many questions since she had left him. But she had to admit that most of them were her childhood self wanting some semblance of an explanation for her life.
As she looked at him, she saw Leon change paths. Moving directly towards her until they were face to face. Leon's knights are behind him, ready to act if anything happens. Leon's eyes were slightly wide, and he was surprised as he looked at her, sensing all of the changes in her body.
"Leon…" Shizue muttered, unsure of how to start the conversation, especially since the Demon Lord Council surrounded them. She clenched her fists slightly, feeling as if she was the same kid who had been summoned all those years ago.
"Shizu… I am glad to see you are finally safe. It's good that you finally accepted Ifrit and became a Majin. It was only a matter of time until the two of you killed each other, fighting for dominance. Even if you hated me, that was no reason to throw away your life in spite." Leon spoke, his voice cold as he did. Even though there was a trace of affection in his words, his face didn't show a single ounce of emotion.
Shizue's expression became slightly complicated as she heard him. Yet, after a few moments of silence, she spoke up.
"Ifrit and I were not compatible before." Shizue explained in the past she had been terrified of losing control and having Ifirt consume her consciousness which had led to the awakening of her Unique Skill. Then as she became trapped in her own body from time to time because of him, she grew to reject Ifrit more and more.
She had wanted to continue being human, to keep a part of her humanity inside of her. A way to challenge the world she hated, yet now… she felt lighter. After Rimuru had given her a new chance at life, she was able to see things from a different perspective and finally opened her heart slightly to the world, which had resulted in her finally becoming a Majin after all those years.
"Now we are." She continued, looking Leon directly in the eyes.
Leon glanced over to Rimuru, his eyebrows raised for just a moment before a small smile appeared on his face.
"I see…" He muttered, turning back to Shizue just as the smile vanished. "In any case, I am sure you still hold some grudges against me. If you ever want to confront me directly, you are always welcome to come to El Dorado."
Shizue opened her mouth to answer, yet in the end, she simply gave him a nod. She was surrounded by other Demon Lords, which meant this was far from where to finish her confrontation.
Leon turned around after receiving her nod, moving to his seat to wait for Walpurgis to properly start.
Shizue looked at Leon for a few more moments, getting lost in thought before letting out a sigh and focusing. She felt lighter after confronting Leon, but she also was left unsatisfied. Though she knew that would be a problem for a later day.
With most of the Demon Lord's gathered, a tense silence filled the room as minutes began to tick by.
Finally, the grand doors were opened by Mizeri for the last time as she led in the man of the hour, the one who had called for Walpurgis.
Clayman strode in, dressed in an immaculate white suit that exuded an aura of luxury. The scent of expensive cologne trailed behind him, a testament to his meticulous attention to detail. He had clearly spent considerable time perfecting his appearance, aiming to project an image of charm and sophistication.
However, the moment his eyes landed on Frey and Carrion, his facade cracked.
Rimuru watched as Clayman's confident smile faltered, his air of superiority dissolving into stunned disbelief. He stood frozen, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape, unable to mask his shock.
Yet, as Milim walked next to him, his smile returned. He took a moment to clear his throat and adjust his own jacket before smiling once again and walking in with Milim behind him.
Milim's expression was a pure deadpan. Her eyes flickered between the people inside as she continued to follow him, standing behind Clayman as he sat down.
"With all the Demon Lords gathered, we may start this Walpurgis." Mizeri announced. "This Walpurgis was called to discuss two different issues. First is the attack on Lord Carrion and Lady Frey. Second is the invitation of a new member to join the council. May the Walpurgis begin."
Moving behind Guy, Mizeri gestured to Clayman, giving him the chance to speak.
Clayman rose slowly, a charming smile spreading across his face as he surveyed the room.
"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed Demon Lords, I come before you with grave concerns that threaten not only my standing but the very integrity of our collective title. When all of us became Demon Lords, we all understood that with the title came the responsibility of upholding the respect and fear of the rest of the world. Yet it is with great sorrow that I must inform you that certain members have flagrantly violated these principles."
He paused, allowing his words to settle. The room remained cold, the audience indifferent, but a quick glance back at Milim seemed to bolster his confidence.
"Firstly, let us address the attack on Lord Carrion and Lady Frey." Clayman continued.
"The explanation for this attack is simple. Frey and Rimuru, who recently got married, have been conspiring together. Rimuru's influence over the human world has been growing at an alarming rate, using a special enhancement drug to artificially boost his strength. This dangerous substance, while giving him temporary power, will eventually lead to his permanent weakening. Such recklessness endangers us all."
Turning to point at Milim, he exclaimed.
"Milim here found out about the Slime's plan to try to expand and use his drug along with Carrion and Frey, so she took action to eliminate them. The very fact that they would use such a shameful drug to temporarily enhance their strength, which would only weaken them in the long run, angered her enough to attack. I can only assume that they used such drugs to escape from Milim, judging by how weak both of them are at the moment."
Hearing him, Guy actually raised an eyebrow with curiosity, his head tilting to look at Rimuru before a slight grin appeared on his face as his eyes turned back to Clayman.
"An enhancement drug?" Ramiris asked, tilting her head in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
Clayman smiled as he heard the question, giving a subtle nod to Ramiris and shaking his head, pretending to be disappointed.
"Ah, I am not surprised you haven't heard of it, Lady Ramiris. The Slime has kept it as his own personal secret. I sent one of my most trusted servants, Mjurran, to Tempest to try to familiarize myself with this new city that had appeared yet…" Clayman continued, stopping for a moment and placing a hand on his chest as if in pain.
"Yet, Rimuru attacked my poor servant and killed her. She accidentally stumbled upon the secret while trying to reach out to Rimuru. Even though she meant no harm, Rimuru killed her without giving me any chance to make up for her mistake. All to keep the fact his strength is false a secret."
Shaking his head, Clayman let out a deep sigh.
"If that were the end of it. I would have simply settled my issues with the Slime myself. I know all of you are quite busy. However, when I discovered how deep the conspiracy went, I knew I had to call for a meeting."
His words actually made a few of the other Demon Lords look at Rimuru with surprise, yet none of them spoke up. They knew better than to blindly listen to Clayman, despite the seemingly convincing narrative he was weaving.
For what felt like hours, Clayman continued to speak, carefully crafting a tale of betrayal, conspiracy, and honor-bound revenge. One in which Rimuru, Frey, and Carrion all worked together to artificially inflate their strength without care for the long-term consequences. Eventually leading to a war against humanity in which they would embarrass the Demon Council as a whole due to how weak their drug-riddled journey to power left them.
It was truly impressive just how easily he continued to paint himself as a righteous Demon Lord, simply trying to ensure the integrity of the council remained.
Rimuru had to admit that even he himself was impressed by just how amazing Clayman's bullshitting ability was. The man easily answered and justified himself with every question sent his way. And judging by his shocked expression when he walked in, it was clear that he had not expected Carrion and Frey to still be alive.
The man was clearly an expert when it came to improvising and charisma. Finally meeting him face to face it was easy to see why he was the richest of all of the Demon Lords.
If Clayman had actually hurt Tempest, he might not be as amused as he was right now. But since he had unknowingly facilitated his Awakening as a True Demon Lord, Rimuru was just enjoying the speech.
Just like how he felt nothing but pity and gratefulness to Mjurran for helping him feed his lies to Clayman. At the moment, he didn't have any hate for Clayman. Poor guy had been playing into his hand the whole time.
Turning to the side, he could tell by Frey's death glare that she was ready to pounce on him and tear him apart. Yet she was holding back since it wasn't yet her turn.
Actually, as he took a closer look, even with his speech, Clayman didn't appear to be making any real progress. Carrion was just as pissed off as Frey, Ramiris was frowning, Dino was half asleep, Leon appeared indifferent, Valentine didn't care, and Luminous also appeared uninterested.
Guy had a small smirk on his face, Dagruel was impossible to read, Milim was still keeping up her act, but it was clear that she was getting bored by the slight tapping of her foot.
Hell, even if he was actually guilty of all the things Clayman was accusing him of, the Council, judging by their reactions, might still punish Clayman for wasting their time. If anything, he felt bad for Clayman, who didn't even realize how deep he was.
It was honestly extremely weird that such a charismatic genius continued to shove his foot in his own mouth by droning on and on. It was almost as if he had a vendetta against him and the entire forest of Jura.
[...]
[Notice. Utilizing Asmodeus, Lord of Lust, to analyze Clayman a few different things were discovered.]
'Hm?' Rimuru instantly asked, not expecting his guess to actually have some real merit.
[The Soul of the subject, Clayman, appears to be a strange amalgamation of countless different souls…]
Turning to look at Clayman, who was still in the middle of his speech, Rimuru activated his Universal Sense, which had been enhanced by Celestial Eye and Asmodeus, and looked directly at Clayman's soul.
Just like Raphael had announced, his soul looked unlike any he had seen before. Yet Raphael wouldn't have brought it unless she had something important to add.
[Due to the strange soul shape, a detailed analysis without raising any alarms or notice from the council was delayed. However, certain inconsistencies were detected.]
[Utilizing Asmodeus' Thought Domination as a basis, it is believed that Clayman is currently under some sort of Mind-Altering effect. The traces are delicately weaved into his very being.]
[Utilizing the current knowledge of Ultimate Skills, it is believed that a skill of such level was used on Clayman.]
Rimuru's eyes widened slightly as he heard Raphael's report, and as he looked at Clayman's confident smile, he couldn't help but become more curious.
'Is it Yuuki?' Rimuru asked. The first person that came to mind was the one he knew the least about.
[Answer. The current level of information on the subject, Yuuki, is not enough to give a guaranteed answer. The recommended course of action would be to consume and Analyze Clayman's soul more in-depth.]
'I guess we'll have to postpone Mr. Clayman's death a little longer.' Rimuru mused to himself before turning to listen to the final part of his speech.
Clayman continued to talk for a few more minutes before finally clearing his throat, giving a bow, and sitting down. He still had Milim as an emergency card, but it appeared as if he had decided not to show his full control of her yet. Carrion and Frey must have really thrown him into defense mode.
Mizeri moved forward, looking at Rimuru, Frey, and Carrion before speaking up.
"Lord Clayman has finished. All three of you have a chance now to respond to the acusations. Now, it is your turn to defend yourselves."
Frey looked angry, yet when the question came, she instantly became calm. She knew that anger would only cause her to stumble, so she decided to take a step back and observe.
Naya, who had been quietly listening the whole time, couldn't help but smile as she turned to look at Rimuru.
Carrion and his attendants, for their part, were all ready to attack and fight back. Yet Carrion had held them back. As much as he wanted to rip Clayman's head off, he knew that the sneaky Slime must have an answer to settle everything.
Just as he had expected Rimuru stood up. Smiling widely as he prepared to speak.
"Thank you, Mizeri." Rimuru announced, looking at the uninterested Demon Lords.
He had prepared countless files to support all of his claims and evidence, but as he looked at all of the Demon Lords, he instantly knew that it wouldn't be necessary. All he had to do was stoke the fire.
— — —
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