There was a moment of comfortable silence as Luminous drank the tea, enjoying the flavors before letting out a satisfied sigh and smiling.
"You know, your plan is somewhat ridiculous. Countless things could go wrong and actually force you to perhaps make decisions you may not be happy about in the future. This entire plan of yours has many risks, but it has the potential to pay off. Yet despite all that, it can only be called the plan of a madman." Luminous chimed. However… something about that does attract me…"
She began thinking momentarily before shaking her head, somewhat amazed at herself.
"I will play along. I am curious to see the full picture of your plans, and I have a feeling that you can make it happen." She finished, placing her teacup down. "You and your Kingdom are already intriguing enough." Luminous said with a knowing smile.
Rimuru couldn't help but chuckle as he heard her returning the smile.
"Well, at the very least, I can tell that you enjoy our products. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many things we haven't been able to release for sale due to some issue with finding human merchants, but I am quite proud of everything we have created. There is still a lot of work left to do, but by the time I am done, Tempest will be the envy of the world."
Luminous raised an eyebrow as she heard him, her smile turning challenging as she asked.
"Oh really? The envy of the world? I feel like my own country, Lubelious, is already one of the pinnacles of what can be reached." Luminous challenged, her smile widening enough to reveal a hint of fang. "While the fruits from your Kingdom are unlike any I have tasted before, there is a refinement and happiness in my Kingdom that can't be matched by any other."
"Is that so?" Rimuru played along, causing her to chuckle.
Of course, he knew the true nature of how Lubelious, the so-called Holy Empire, in his opinion, it was a dystopia.
The Humans were nothing but cattle, well-kept cattle, but cattle nonetheless, meant to only survive to feed their so-called betters, though they weren't aware of that fact.
Each Human was given roles to play in society. They never complained about the fate decided for them because resistance had quite literally been bred out of them. There was no homelessness, poverty, or famish, and every Human was safe from Monster attacks, yet there was a price to all that.
The very potential of the Humans in Lubelious had been sapped, without the will to resist, without the desire to thrive, without the desire to become more. Humans were nothing special. At that point, you might as well just keep some monkeys.
He had some vague memories of Luminous complaining to the original Rimuru about her people being so dull. However, he believed that she had played a part in that "dullness." Even the Vampires under her stopped seeking more advancement as they already had everything they needed: blood, prey, and fun.
Why seek more when they were already satisfied after all.
Though Luminous wouldn't care about any of that he supposed. She kept the cattle happy, and so the blood tasted better for her and her kin, a win-win. She was a Demon Lord through and through.
But there was a reason Hinata supported the Demon Lord in front of him. Her methods may leave a lot to be desired, yet she had established the closest thing to peace within a territory as possible which Rimuru could admire, if only from a distance… a far distance.
"Of course, I simply enjoy the products from your country because of their unique taste."
"I wonder if you would say the same once you tasted the actual dishes from our country." Rimuru countered, his tone light yet confident.
Luminous shook her head with a soft, almost indulgent smile.
"This was truly an interesting meeting. To be honest, I had my doubts about you." Her smile faltered briefly, a shadow crossing her face before she forced the expression back into place. "It is about time for me to return. I have to check that the intruder didn't mess with anything important. However, I look forward to visiting your country." She spoke, standing up and making the tea set disappear with a simple snap of her fingers.
Nodding, Rimuru also stood up. Even though everyone had dealt with their own roles perfectly, he, too, would have to begin working to deal with the aftermath.
"I thought our first proper meeting would take way longer, but I am glad it happened this way." Rimuru commented. "Are you going to be coming along with Hinata?"
"Hmm… Who knows? I'll just have to leave you guessing..." Luminous teased, looking at the flowers one last time. "Feel free to enjoy the garden. I built it with a friend a long time ago. Just make sure not to damage anything."
With those words, she vanished.
Rimuru raised an eyebrow at the comment, looking around the garden for a few moments.
After a few moments he merely closed his eyes with a sigh.
'Uriel.'
With that he vanished, leaving the garden untouched.
— — —
Not long after he appeared in his office, he heard a knock on the door. Allowing them in, Testarossa entered with a beautiful smile.
"Lord Rimuru, I am glad to see that you have returned without harm to your person. I am proud to inform you that in your absence, there was not a single intruder." With a bow, she quickly looked at him with sparks in her eyes as if awaiting praise.
Rimuru couldn't help but smile as he saw her, choosing to tease her slightly by holding off on his praise.
"Any other news?" Rimuru asked, causing her to smile widely as she summoned a few papers into her hand.
"Yes, King Gazel appears to be heading this way. He should be appearing in approximately four hours if my calculations are correct. In addition, representatives from Sarion are on their way. Their estimated arrival time is sometime tomorrow." Testarossa informed.
Placing a few papers down, she continued with her report.
"I have taken the liberty to create a full list and rundown of everything Lady Shuna and Sir Benimaru have reported back."
Since they knew that he had been busy dealing with the other Demon Lords, they had avoided bothering him unless he reached out directly. Yet they had kept up with their reports for when he returned.
Looking down, he could see that Shuna had called forth a large majority of Tempest's representatives to the Puppet Nation Jistav to begin the passage of authority to Tempest. They had trained a group specifically for the situation, and Diablo himself had joined them once the battle had finished to offer his support.
Benimaru, for his part, had captured a large majority of Clayman's army. Unlike the civilians from Amrita, they would have to go through a vetting process to ensure that they wouldn't cause a mess, but in the end, since they were being returned to Jistav, the odds were they wouldn't put up too much of a fight.
Everything was set in motion. Though it was going to be a long process to integrate Jistav and Falmuth with Tempest, the wheels were already in motion.
"Lady Shuna also wanted me to deliver a message to you: Leave Jistav to her, she estimated that she would return in approximately a week once everything is settled." Testarossa continued, smiling brightly in anticipation.
Finally giving in, Rimuru returned the smile.
"Well done, Testarossa. I am glad to have you on my side."
Her eyes gleamed with a mix of pride and devotion as she gracefully bowed.
"No, Lord Rimuru, the one who should be glad is me. Is there anything you require me to do?"
Rimuru paused for a moment, considering the next steps carefully. He nodded thoughtfully.
"Do a final checkup on our people in Falmuth. Ensure everything is going according to plan and there is no unrest. Once your job is done, I'd like you to return to help me with the envoys from Sarion."
"As you wish." Testarossa replied, her voice firm and confident. She offered one last, respectful bow before her figure shimmered and vanished, leaving Rimuru alone in his office.
As the silence settled in, Rimuru turned to the large window behind his desk. He looked on at the empty streets, which were eerily quiet. All of the residents had been evacuated to the Labyrinth in case of a surprise attack. So until Ramiris returned, the streets would stay empty.
A gentle rain fell over the city, causing him to get lost in thought.
'Raph, how do you feel everything went today?' He had a strange feeling in his stomach. So, he reached out to the person he trusted the most.
[Report: All missions have been completed successfully. Additionally, a somewhat fragile alliance has been formed with Demon Lord Luminous. After a thorough analysis, the day's events exceeded expectations.]
Raphael's response was, as always, precise and reassuring. His alliance with Luminous would grow over time, like any relationship, theirs needed time to fester and grow as trust between him and Luminous formed.
Yet, despite the clear success, that uneasy feeling remained. Rimuru leaned back in his chair, his eyes drifting toward the window as the rain continued to fall in a gentle, steady rhythm. For a moment, he let the sound wash over him, hoping it might soothe the discomfort gnawing at him.
It took him a few moments of silent contemplation, but eventually, the source of his unease became clear. He had been fine with not knowing exactly what the Unique Skill: Prophet had shown Raphael. After all, his focus had been on ensuring everything went smoothly, on executing his plans with precision.
However, after receiving the warning from Luminous, the discomfort began.
Ramiris was currently messing around in Walpurgis, enjoying the food. So it would be some time before they all returned back. He had a moment to himself, a moment to think.
'Raphael….' He began, hesitating for a moment before asking. 'Could you show me?'
[Report. The memories contained within the Unique Skill: Prophet are incomplete. Analysis suggests that the damage to these memories originates from harm sustained by the source of the memories prior to the transfer.]
'Raphael… I want to know what we are facing. I trust you, but I need to be prepared.'
[...]
[...]
[Understood. The memories will be sorted and organized for clarity.]
[Do you wish to activate the Unique Skill: Prophet?]
'Yes.' Rimuru answered, closing his eyes.
[Understood.] The moment Raphael spoke those words, the world turned dark. [For the duration, the memories will feel as if your own. However, your mind will be protected from interference.]
[The Unique Skill: Prophet has been activated.]
— — —
The last thing she remembered was going out of control. Everything before it was blurry, as if she hadn't been fully awake. She had felt pure unbridled anger, the urge to go wild and destroy.
Yet all that vanished as she felt a soft, warm, and comforting feeling spreading from her head. A hand was gently caressing her, holding her closely as if trying to protect her.
It felt… safe.
Her eyes fluttered open to see him, Rimuru Tempest. She faintly remembered him, it was hard to go through the fog inside her mind, but instinctively, she huddled closer.
'That's me?'
Unlike now, Rimuru looked like a mess. His hair was wild, the Kijin horns in his head had changed, resembling Veldora's own horns more. His eyes looked tired, and though he didn't need sleep, he looked as if he needed to rest.
"She's awake." Someone across the room muttered, causing her to turn.
The striking crimson hair was the first thing she noticed, his muscular figure resting on one of the walls with an expression of pure annoyance.
'Guy Crimson… what happened to him?'
Even when he was seeing him through someone else's eyes, Rimuru could tell that something was wrong. Guy had been practically perfectly in control of his aura during the Walpurgis. The only time it shifted was when they first locked eyes.
Even when he had fought Clayman, a fellow Demon Lord, Guy could not suffer from a single emotional disturbance. It was as if it had all been a game to him.
Back then, even with how strangely he had acted, Rimuru could tell that Guy was simply putting on a show. Raphael had seen through the low amount of power he showcased, yet now, it was all out on display.
His level of oppressiveness felt just as strong as Veldora's. No, if anything, it felt even more oppressive. The power of the Lord of Darkness was oppressive. As if he had lost the perfect essence of control, he carefully maintained.
His aura covered the air, wild and unrestrained, as it crashed against Rimuru's own. The only protection stopping Guy's aura from destroying her.
"So what now?" Guy asked, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her. Almost as if he was contemplating killing her.
"I… don't know, Guy… I thought I had lost everyone… but… she's still alive." Rimuru answered, his hand still gently caressing her hair.
Turning back to look at Rimuru, she felt a wave of warmth and affection. His concerned look made her feel as if she would always be safe. Yet, she couldn't help but feel a wave of discomfort as she looked at his expression, a wave of guilt.
'I'm not her…'
Another voice echoed in his mind, the thoughts of whoever the memory belonged to. Yet, before Rimuru could focus on it, their attention shifted back to Guy.
His expression turned into pure, unbridled anger as he heard Rimuru's answer. Releasing the full might of his Demon Lord's Haki, he sent it directly towards them. Yet just as she felt her chest tighten and the air leave her lungs, Rimuru reacted.
Releasing his own Haki, the two of them clashed in the air. Protecting her from the assured death Guy was trying to deliver.
"Guy!" Rimuru growled.
Guy clicked his tongue before instantly bringing his Demon Lord's Haki back under control.
"You know where to find me. Don't let her distract you from our mission." Guy muttered before walking out, the pure and unbridled power behind becoming wilder as he stepped out of the cave, turning back one last time before vanishing.
There was a moment of silence as this other version of Rimuru looked on at where Guy had been before sighing. He looked lost as he turned to her, trying his best to smile.
"I'm sorry… I should have been there."
As he opened his mouth to speak again, no sound came out. Faint static filled her vision as a piercing ringing filled their ears.
And in an instant, it was all gone.
The darkness returned.
[Notice. Fragmented memory #01 completed. Start fragment #02?]
Rimuru took a moment to gather his thoughts in the darkness.
'Yes.'
As he answered, the color returned to the world.
He was walking through pure, unbridled destruction. There was rubble and dried blood, but the destruction made everything practically unrecognizable. Yet deep down, he knew what he was looking at was his own Kingdom, Tempest.
Taking a moment to relax himself, he let the memory continue…
She saw Rimuru walking in front of her, keeping some distance as he made his way through.
"I'm sorry…" She muttered, feeling guilty as she followed him, only for him to stop and turn around.
"No… Don't be…" Rimuru answered, looking around for a moment before sighing. "It's just…"
He trailed off near the end, yet deep down, she understood.
"You can't bring them back?" She asked, looking around at the destruction. She understood how he had ended up like he had, but it didn't make sense.
"I tried." He answered. "Their souls were gone by the time I got here, and well… I guess I don't have the processing power anymore."
There were a few moments of awkward silence before Rimuru motioned for her to follow him. This time, walking side by side through the destruction.
"I used to have a good friend. She was always there with me. With her by my side, I was unstoppable." Rimuru began, speaking to fill in the silence.
"What happened?" She asked, making Rimuru's expression twist before he continued.
"I fucked up. I asked her to do something she shouldn't, and the next thing I knew, she was gone." Rimuru answered, his eyes getting lost as he answered. "I messed up, and this is the result."
Hearing his answer, a wave of pain passed through her. Moving closer to embrace him in a hug to try to give him the same warmth and feeling of safety he had given her.
Just like that, darkness returned.
[Notice. Fragmented memory #02 completed. Start fragment #03?]
'Yes.'
— — —
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