The meeting chamber of the Heiligh Palace was built and designed to impress, and yet somehow, the beauty of it all made the tension worse.
And tonight, it only amplified paranoia.
An oval table lie at the center, long enough to seat every leader summoned to the meeting. Flags hung behind their chairs; one from Heiligh, Hoelscher Empire, Verbergen, and smaller and newer states eager to be seen as relevant. The summoned heroes' party sat as a block, while Hajime and his group had been given seats off not far to the side.
At one side's far end, was Princess Liliana—now titled Regent Queen—while on the other end was Demon Lord Rimuru.
The purpose of this international conference was to discuss the plans of the collective mortal races regarding the upcoming war against the gods. It took time to convince everyone of the truth about the history of the gods and Tortus as a whole, but Princess Liliana managed to pull it off in a couple of days, which Rimuru found seriously impressive.
Then again, while getting everyone to listen was one thing, having them cooperate willingly and with full sincerity was another matter entirely.
A young general in polished armor—visually no different from Kouki Amanogawa, if not somehow worse—stood up to present his proposal. His name was Lord Per Vart, and he seemed to have a tendency to overestimate his own importance.
"And so, with this proposal, we would fortify the defensive positions along the borders using our specialized—are you perhaps listening, uhm, Lord (?) Rimuru?"
Rimuru himself had his chin resting lightly on his palm. His hair—silver-blue waves—caught the light like frost. Gold eyes half-lidded, he looked every bit the image of an uncourteous guest who didn't even bother listening.
"Oh, uh, I stopped listening after you said you had a plan," Rimuru scratched his cheek sheepishly.
"W-wha... you—!" Lord Per Vart sputtered, his face flushing red.
"And what exactly are you going to do about it?" Tio, surprisingly, interjected. She glared at the man with an awful clear disdain, leaving him shaking in his boots until he eventually sat down like a good boy.
Rimuru smiled triumphantly.
Princess Liliana then raised her hand subtly. "Please, representatives, we must remain civil. Lord Rimuru, if you would permit us to continue—"
"Okay," he interrupted, standing up. The mere act left everyone speechless and holding their breaths. He turned to look at Lord Per Vart, then dismissed him entirely. "I didn't bother listening to your plan. Sure, it might've been likable; except, it sucks. So, let me do the plan, and that way, it might be really good!"
He clapped his hands, smiling at everyone. It was a genuine smile, but for some reason, everyone was struggling to breathe.
What's going on?
<
"Oh!" Rimuru exclaimed in embarrassment as he hurriedly, consciously, withheld the pressure he was exerting upon the entire room. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I swear I'm learning."
No one said anything.
"Ehem," continuing on his speech, Rimuru coughed a little to snap everyone to reality. "I know you've heard stories about me. That I'm volatile, unpredictable. A monster. That I poison people's minds~. I won't say more regarding their validity, but I'll tell you a different story. A true story."
He looked around the room.
"Yes, the war is upon us. And yes, those lunatics want to kill everybody, but there is nothing to fear... probably."
"You didn't need to say probably, dumbass."
"Didja say something, Hajime?"
"..." Hajime didn't bother responding, just shook his head.
"Hmm? No? As I thought. Okay!" Rimuru clapped his hands once more. "These gods... I've already killed a number of them. And as of right now, none of the remaining ones will prove sufficient to best me in direct combat. Not a single one."
He paused for effect.
"And so! What will our dear, pitiful gods do? Well, they'll scheme. That's a thing they're awfully good at, you see. For millennia, violence was the only language they spoke. And when I spoke their language back to them, they suddenly became disabled! Mute, deaf, dyslexic, whatever. They just won't 'talk' to me the same way anymore. Aren't they a bunch of fucking assholes?"
The sheer suddenness of the cuss, the profanity, and the change of tone left everyone even more speechless. They were already speechless before but now they were speechless squared (^2).
"I thought you had a plan," Shizuku said after a long pause. She was still troubled by Rimuru's recent—intentional and somewhat immature—distancing from her, but she had chosen to speak up out of professionalism and the simple fact that someone needed to steer this conversation in a more coherent direction. "Though I do agree about the assholes part."
"Thank you, Shizuku. Your support means everything. Now, as for the plan—"
But that's not what I meant... Shizuku thought to herself, but knew better than to speak up about it.
Rimuru paused, gauging everyone's reactions as he walked around the room, circling the table. Ninety percent of the people in the meeting swallowed their saliva and halted their breathing.
"Wait, scratch that, do you guys believe the saying that having talent is an enooooormous gift? However, having middling talent is, well, considered a curse instead."
"Your point is all over the place, my lord," Princess Liliana calmly said. Hearing her, Rimuru stopped circling the table and paused to look at her. "Forgive me, but I think I speak for everyone when I say you aren't really making sense. May I ask that you clarify?"
Rimuru simply smiled, as if saying he knew what he was doing.
"Yeah, don't worry. I'll break it down into something simpler," he said. "You see, what I meant was that the dumbass you all know—Ehit—ain't actually the big bad in charge. That would be Keith. Ehit's middling at best. Now our dear friend Keith is the God of Mischief, and he's the one pulling all the strings! He's a real asshole who's better off not existing."
Several of the attendees began whispering among themselves. This was new information.
"So tell me, everyone," Rimuru continued. "Imagine you are Ehit, worshipped as the most powerful god in existence by the masses. But in reality, you're only there because Keith put you in that position. You're nothing more than a puppet and a figurehead. How would you feel? Better yet, imagine thousands of years later, how would you feel?"
"Are you saying there might be a chance of internal conflict among the gods?" Shizuku asked. Sweat dripped off her forehead as she worked through the implications. If the gods turned on each other, then maybe—
"Bingo," Rimuru said, snapping his fingers. "Ehit's been an obedient little bitch all this time, but lately, with Keith's repeated and absolutely hilarious fails at dealing with me, the former has been growing increasingly impatient and disdainful. I think there's a pretty big chance those two might duke it out before or during the upcoming war. Though I doubt Ehit himself would be able to last a minute against Keith."
He paused.
"Still, that means you won't have to fight Ehit—the one most hellbent on wiping out this planet's entire population of life, by the way—while I go deal with Keith. If Ghidorah intervenes, then I'll kill 'em too. And that other puppet god Alva? Ain't even relevant enough to warrant a plan."
"This seems optimistic," one of the Verbergen leaders, an elder Elf, said carefully. "And forgive me, but what if your assessment is incorrect? What if Keith and Ehit remain united?"
"Then I'll kill them both," Rimuru said simply. "Keith first, then Ehit. It's not complicated."
"Just like that?" the Elf pressed.
"Just like that."
Rimuru clapped for the third time.
"And so that's the plan! All you guys have to do is live long enough for me to kill them all. Establish your defensive positions if it makes you feel better. Prepare your armies. Do whatever it is you have to do to make yourselves feel a little less helpless. After that, you don't have to worry about anything. The gods will be dead, and you'll be free to figure out your own future!"
He turned to Hajime.
"Oh, you don't have to worry either, Hajime. I'll be sure to get your babe back. Alive and well, if the situation permits. Or at least her corpse, if it doesn't."
"That's not exactly reassuring," Hajime said dryly. "I really think I should go with you. I can—"
"Haha, relax. I'm kidding. It'll be safer if you just stay," Rimuru interrupted. "You and your party need to be here. You're the heroes. That's what heroes do."
"Are you planning to shoulder everything by yourself again?" Shizuku asked silently. She looked at Rimuru with a very conflicted expression, caught between frustration at his stubbornness and an almost desperate understanding of why he felt compelled to do this.
"Would you prefer you guys take on my role?" Rimuru asked. "Be honest with me."
"You know that's not the point."
"Yeah, I know. But it's pointless to think otherwise since there are no better alternatives. I'm what you have. I'm what this world has. And I'm choosing to use what I am to keep you alive. Think of it as practicality rather than selflessness, Shizuku."
Shizuku opened her mouth, closed it, then simply looked away. There were no good arguments to be made against someone who had already made their decision.
The young man who had called Rimuru out earlier—Lord Per Vart, the carbon copy of Kouki Amanogawa if somehow degraded further—sat in his chair, his face pale. Rimuru turned to look at him, tilting his head with interest.
"Did you catch all that, mister? Did it make sense? Was it simple enough? Should I have spoken slower so you'd understand?"
"I, uh, I—" Lord Per Vart struggled to find words.
"I thought so," Rimuru said without waiting for a response.
With that, Rimuru turned around and headed for the door, not bothering to confirm if the meeting was remotely close to being adjourned. All that mattered was that he had made his point, and he had said enough.
The world leaders watched him go in stunned silence.
"Does anyone else feel like we just got played?" one of the younger generals finally asked into the oppressive silence.
"Shh," Princess Liliana said, not unkindly. "Let's reconvene in one hour. We have much to discuss, and apparently, we're doing it without our friendly-neighborhood monster."
···—–—⚜—–—···
The night before the promised day—where the heavens would open and the war against the gods would start—it was raining hard.
Regular citizens like vendors and commoners had long since evacuated away from the Divine Mountain, where the battle would supposedly take place. Only soldiers remained now, hurrying about with weapons and tools that didn't belong in a medieval world. Hajime Nagumo had been mass-producing firearms inspired by modern Earth warfare, after all, and he'd managed to pull it off thanks to the time chamber stretching those last few days into something more workable.
Rimuru was walking the streets of Heiligh's capital—which sat right at the foot of the Divine Mountain—all alone. He had a basic spell covering him that averted prying eyes. That way, he could walk peacefully without being watched from every direction.
A flash of lightning gave light to the night for a moment, followed by thunder that sounded like the sky splitting apart. The rain poured harder. More soldiers hurried from point to point, hauling crates of ammunition and equipment.
At some point, the sounds of captains yelling orders blended into the ambient noise of rain, until they eventually faded completely into the background. At least, that was how it was for Rimuru. He wasn't really paying attention anymore.
"You seem pretty stressed," Tio said beside him. Rimuru didn't react and just continued walking. "I know you've been making yourself look unbothered, but are you sure you're up for this particular murder mission?"
Rimuru stopped, looking at Tio with an impassive expression. Then a moment later, his face changed to a gentle smile.
"Oh, absolutely. Believe it or not, I'm more determined than ever," he replied, stepping over a puddle. His footstep created splashes and ripples anyway. "Besides, you'd best get ready too, Tio. This isn't exactly going to be pleasant for anyone."
"I'm going to be fine, my lord. Don't worry about me." Tio hurried into step beside him. "Are you going to be fine, though?"
"You don't think so?"
"No, no. I do think so. In fact, I believe so. It's just that..." Tio paused, looking down at the water that had accumulated on the streets. Every step created noticeable splashes. "Think of it this way, my lord. You look so unbelievably delicate to be carrying the world on your shoulders. I think everyone, deep down, believes—or hopes—you will win. But that doesn't necessarily mean it frees them from the guilt of leaving everything to you. An entire world's fate, I mean."
Rimuru, seemingly surprised by the honesty, looked to his side at Tio's genuine, worried eyes.
"Forgive me, but I think it's more convenient to believe that everyone's concerns for you have been born of selfishness. Not entirely selfishness, mind you, but selfishness nonetheless—to alleviate their growing sense of helplessness. Because no matter what they do, on their own, they wouldn't be able to make a difference. And it takes courage to admit that to one's self, I believe."
Rimuru was quiet for a moment. Deep down, he knew Tio cared greatly for him despite barely knowing him. And he was aware that he cast a big, looming shadow—the kind that made standing beside him insufferably suffocating. That's why Tio's affection for him seemed so strange and yet somehow genuine.
"You care about me a lot, don't cha?" Rimuru chuckled as he said that in a teasing tone. "I wouldn't be surprised if you confessed your love to me right here."
"Ahahahaha," Tio laughed, a pleasant sound cutting through the rain. "I wouldn't say that, my lord. Did I inflate your ego that much? I hope not."
"Hey, that was sarcasm, you know?"
The two of them laughed together for a little longer before settling into comfortable silence as they strolled. Eventually, the moment arrived. Dawn came as the first light of the sun peeked over the horizon.
At this point, the rain had stopped.
And the world went into silence.
......
......
......
BOOM.
Rimuru and Tio were alerted by a sudden explosion that happened at the allied camps, not far behind them.
"Is that...? You've got to be kidding me," Rimuru facepalmed at the absurdity of the situation. Without saying anything more, both he and Tio ran toward the blast.
What they found was—
"That's right, that's right, that's right, that's right. I'm the hero, hero, hero, hero, hero, hero, hero, hero, hero, hero, hero, hero—"
—Kouki Amanogawa, with a manic grin plastered on his face, holding Suzu by her hair like she was nothing. His holy sword was pierced through her chest, and the poor girl was barely holding on to life. It was a miracle she was still breathing.
Everyone was too stunned to speak, including Shizuku. He kept blabbering on about being the "chosen one," until Rimuru suddenly appeared and gripped his face with one hand.
"Y-You!"
"Just what is wrong with you?"
"I am the hero! He came to me in my dream! You all who are against me are evil!" He thrashed around in Rimuru's grip, struggling to form coherent words through Rimuru's palm wrapped around his whole face. "But it-it's fine! I am the hero. He promised me I'm free to do anything to help, even kill. It's fine, though, right? He said he'll bring them back to life after this whole mess is over! And then everyone would finally see that I've been right all along!"
Rimuru was dumbfounded. How much of an idiot does someone have to be to reach this level of delusion? And just as Suzu Taniguchi seemed close to dying, Rimuru sliced off Kouki's hand—the one holding the sword—with the nails of his free hand.
Suzu fell to the ground, and that's when Kaori Shirasaki finally snapped back to reality and hurriedly went over to cast healing magic.
"Suzu! Hang on, Suzu!"
The others had more or less also snapped back to attention, but the sheer absurdity of the situation kept them speechless. That's how good Kouki was at being the absolute worst.
"This is literally senseless. You'd never stand a chance," Rimuru said as he slammed Kouki into the ground, cratering the cobblestone floor and sending debris flying.
He picked Kouki's head up again and repeatedly slammed it against the street's curb. Kouki coughed up blood. His skull seemed dented and fractured, and his face was so damaged it looked like his eyes would pop out.
The sheer brutality of the scene left everyone even more speechless than before, but nobody had the guts to step in. Tales of Kouki's atrocious and irredeemable acts had spread everywhere, after all.
And it really seemed like Rimuru had snapped this time.
In fact, not even Shizuku could fathom defending Kouki at this point. She just stood there, watching her childhood friend get repeatedly brutalized into a bloody pulp, her hands covering her mouth.
Rimuru finally stopped when Kouki was right at the border between consciousness and unconsciousness. Kouki was still fully aware—he still felt all the pain but had no strength whatsoever to act.
Smoke rose from Kouki's nearly disfigured head. It wouldn't surprise anyone if he was really dead.
"Ahh, you've gone and really pissed me off," Rimuru said, rubbing the back of his head as if he just messed up big time. "But deep down, I can't really lie that I've always hoped for a reason to kill you for good. And I think that's a bit scary sometimes."
Rimuru sat on the ground beside the twitching semi-corpse of Kouki, letting out a tired sigh.
"But it got me thinking that it's really what I am. I'm not a hero, or a monster, or a vigilante, or even a villain." Rimuru looked down at Kouki with something that might've been pity if it wasn't so empty. "I'm a demon lord. Nobody is entitled to an explanation from me. And I definitely do not need a reason that satisfies you."
Kouki twitched, trying to pull himself up despite how bad his injuries were. Rimuru watched him patiently struggle, until he eventually came into a sitting position. He opened his mouth, closed it. Opened it, closed it. Over and over, and every time he did, blood poured down. After all, his jaw was beyond dislocated—it had effectively collapsed.
"Chum tsu mai shaljashon (Come to my salvation)!" Kouki gurgled out the words through broken teeth and a ruined mouth.
And just like that, as if answering his call to the heavens themselves, the sky split open. It revealed a seemingly boundless outer-space-like environment on the other side. From this tear in space and time, dozens, hundreds, thousands of white dots came rushing down.
It was an army of apostles.
The day had come for the end of the world—or so it should've been.
"This day just ain't gonna get any better, is it?" Rimuru stood up and dusted himself off. Before he turned to join the battle, though, he gave Kouki one final, mean kick to the face, wiping out his consciousness for good.
Kouki Amanogawa, the Hero, was at death's door. Yet no one was bothered. No one's morale was affected. They all looked to Rimuru for that instead.
"Shizuku-chan..."
"Can you heal him, Kaori?" Shizuku had a sad smile on her face even though the war had already begun. "I'd like to at least get him admitted back on Earth... if that doesn't work, then what more could we do?"
Kaori looked at her friend, then at Kouki's broken body, then back at Shizuku. She understood. This was mercy, not hope.
"...Yeah. You're right."
Around them, the screams of battle began to rise. The apostles were descending faster now, their forms becoming clearer—humanoid figures wreathed in holy light, weapons drawn and eyes empty of anything resembling mercy.
Rimuru cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders.
"Alright then," he said to no one in particular. "Let's get this over with."