"Huh? Are you an idiot? If the whole thing about being controlled by Clayman was just an act, then why the hell are you fighting me seriously and using your real strength?!"
Hearing Milim's explanation, Ren Kuroda was genuinely speechless. If he had any choice in the matter, he absolutely did not want to keep going all out against her.
After all, this girl was the only child of the Star Dragon King—one of the very few beings capable of manipulating star particles, and someone who possessed what was practically an infinite supply of magicules.
"W-well… it's just that I haven't run into a strong opponent in a long time," Milim admitted sheepishly."So when we started fighting, I kind of… got a little excited."
"And besides, Ren doesn't really need to worry that much. As long as I keep it under control, 'Wrathful King' isn't that likely to go berserk."
"I mean, we're best friends, right? You should know this already—I'm not the kind of person who acts recklessly."
Hearing Milim speak with such absolute confidence, Ren could only stare at her with a completely deadpan expression.
Because he genuinely had no idea where this mysterious confidence of hers came from.
Milim… not reckless?
Give him a break.
If she really wasn't reckless, would she still be stubbornly insisting on fighting him to decide a winner right now?
"Isn't this perfect?" a voice suddenly interjected.
"Both you and that slime over there seem to have ambitions of becoming Demon Lords someday, don't you?"
"If you want the recognition of the current Demon Lords, there are a few ways to achieve it."
The one speaking was Guy Crimson, who swirled the crimson wine in his glass with a faint smile.
"One way is to be recommended by two existing Demon Lords, while also possessing a Demon Lord Seed—that is, the potential to awaken as a true Demon Lord."
"And the other way…"
He lifted his eyes slightly.
"…is to defeat an active Demon Lord and prove that your strength is worthy of the title."
The truth was, Guy had already seen through Milim's little act long ago.
No matter how you looked at it, Milim was a monster who could fight him for seven days and seven nights straight without a decisive victor.
How could a powerhouse on that level possibly be controlled by a pathetic schemer like Clayman?
However, the presence of Ren and Rimuru at this Walpurgis Banquet had caught Guy's interest.
Even among the Ten Demon Lords, only about half were Awakened Demon Lords.
And every single one of them had spent hundreds of years reaching their current level of power.
Yet Ren and Rimuru were complete unknowns until recently.
They had appeared out of nowhere—without any warning—and both had quickly become part of the rare group of Awakened Demon Lords.
Not only were they absurdly powerful, but the two of them were clearly on very good terms with each other.
They had even become friends with Milim.
All of that together was enough to make Guy cautious.
Milim might possess one of the most overwhelming powers in the world, but her personality was far too simple and innocent. That made her dangerously easy to deceive.
Guy didn't know Ren or Rimuru well enough to determine whether they had approached Milim intentionally.
But judging purely from the strength the two had displayed so far, they were already more than worthy of his attention.
Rimuru had been toying with Clayman the entire time like he was nothing more than a clown.
And the fact that the proud Primordial Black, Diablo, had sworn loyalty to him was proof enough that Rimuru was anything but ordinary.
As for Ren…
Ren was even more outrageous.
Before Milim had even started using her true power, Ren had already forced the fight into a perfect stalemate.
And just like Milim, Guy could also tell something else.
Even though Ren was already displaying power at a level that bordered on absurd…
He still hadn't revealed everything.
His strength alone was already comparable to four pure-blooded True Dragons combined.
In fact, Guy had even begun to suspect whether the sudden appearance of Ren and Rimuru might be connected to the First Hero Rudra—or perhaps even agents from the Heavenly Palace faction.
In short, since Guy couldn't figure out Ren's true background, he wanted to observe him more closely.
He wanted to see whether the powers Ren used resembled the abilities of anyone Guy already knew.
Milim was one of the strongest beings in the world.
Using her as Ren's opponent would be the best possible way to force him to reveal whatever strength he was still hiding.
And if it turned out that Ren posed a genuine threat—or that he might become a destabilizing force in the world—
Guy would join the battle without hesitation.
"Ren, did you hear that?" Milim said excitedly.
"Even Guy agrees that we should keep fighting!"
"This is the first time anyone's ever allowed me to go all out like this!"
"Usually the moment I start getting serious, everyone immediately starts nagging at me to stop."
Hearing Guy's approval made Milim visibly happier.
After all, if everyone present had opposed her reckless behavior, she might have had no choice but to give up.
"Hey, hey, hey—are you serious right now?!"
Ren looked toward Guy with disbelief.
"We don't have any kind of grudge against each other, do we?"
"The guy who made Primordial Black his subordinate is that slime over there who keeps acting cute—not me, Ren Kuroda!"
"If you've got a problem with someone, go pick a fight with that harmless-looking blob!"
"And besides, if becoming a Demon Lord means I have to defeat Milim, then that requirement is completely insane!"
Ren gestured helplessly at the other Demon Lords seated around the hall.
"Is there even anyone here who can beat Milim?"
"I'm just a third-rate Demon Lord who awakened not that long ago! If I keep fighting her, she's going to beat me to death!"
When Milim heard Ren say that, she completely misunderstood his meaning.
Thinking he was praising her strength, she puffed out her rather flat chest proudly with a smug expression.
Ren wanting to become a new Demon Lord?
Of course he did.
After arriving in this world again, the System had given him a world mission:
Secure a seat among the current Demon Lords.
Not the kind of self-proclaimed "wild Demon Lord," but a true Demon Lord officially recognized by both the world and the other Demon Lords.
Ren had actually researched the rules for becoming a Demon Lord earlier.
But if the condition required defeating Milim…
Then the difficulty of this mission was simply ridiculous.
"If defeating a current Demon Lord is enough to qualify," Ren said decisively, "then I'd like to request a change of opponent."
"I'm fine fighting any of the rest of you—as long as it's not Milim."
"For example…"
His gaze swept across the seated Demon Lords before stopping on a certain pale-faced middle-aged man.
"How about that guy over there—Valentine."
"You were acting pretty arrogant earlier. Why don't you come down here and spar with me for a bit?"
"If I beat you, that should still prove I'm qualified to become a Demon Lord, right?"
As Ren's eyes scanned the room, his sharp instincts quickly identified the most manageable opponent among the Demon Lords present.
Demon Lord Valentine.
The pale middle-aged man seated calmly in his chair.
According to what Ren had heard, Valentine was the King of Vampires and one of the long-standing members of the Ten Demon Lords.
However…
Even though Valentine possessed the magicule levels expected of a Demon Lord…
Ren had noticed something strange.
The amount of magicules radiating from Valentine was actually lower than that of the silver-haired maid standing behind him.
The maid was extremely skilled at concealing her aura and suppressing her magicule presence.
But under the heightened perception granted by Blade Spirit Release, Ren's spiritual senses had become razor-sharp.
He could tell immediately.
The silver-haired maid standing behind Valentine—
was the true Vampire Queen.
The real Demon Lord Valentine.
If she had chosen to hide her identity and let a subordinate act as her stand-in, then that was her own decision.
But in that case…
Ren had no reason not to pick the softest-looking target available.
Frey was Milim's close friend—and besides, she had a generous figure. Ren generally avoided bullying women with… impressive assets.
The other Demon Lords all looked far too troublesome.
So naturally, the only remaining choice was this puppet Valentine.
...
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