Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
"Where did these enemies come from?! How dare they attack here! Don't they know Demon Lord Clayman is in this castle?"
Yamza stared at the subordinate who had stumbled in and shouted in disbelief.
"I don't know either! But there shouldn't be more than five thousand attackers!"
"What do we do now, Yamza-sama?!"
Hearing there were only five thousand enemies, Yamza's spirits lifted immediately.
He had always been the type to bully those weaker than himself, and right now he had twenty thousand troops behind him.
Twenty thousand against five thousand. The advantage is mine.
He drew himself up and said with contempt.
"Hmph! Just a handful of enemies. Is there any need to panic like this?! Follow me and wipe them out!"
With that, Yamza led the way out of the tent. The mercenary who had come to report had more to say.
Seeing Yamza's back already disappearing, he swallowed his words.
"Ahhh! What kind of monsters are these?! Why is every single one of them so strong?!"
A soldier in Clayman's army looked at his comrades being cut down all around him and screamed in despair.
"Hahaha! Action at last! If we don't move now, we'll end up looking even worse than the Academy Guard!"
An Imperial Guard Corps soldier had just cut down the enemy in front of him and shouted, looking completely refreshed.
Around him, no fewer than fifty bodies lay silent on the ground, and the blood pooling beneath them had already stained the earth crimson.
"Hey! Save some for me! We agreed on three each!"
"Look at you, you're ruining the whole thing!"
On the other side, another Imperial Guard Corps soldier glared at him.
"Agreed? Who agreed? You really think opportunities like this come along often?"
"I heard the army is expanding again. When that happens, do you think we in the Imperial Guard will still get any real fights?"
The accused soldier calmly flicked the blood from his blade and replied at a measured pace.
"What? How do you know that?"
The other soldier stared at him in disbelief.
"My brother-in-law's family's third uncle's niece's husband's younger brother was on guard outside the meeting room at the time."
"Damn, you actually have connections like that. I underestimated you."
"Hehe! Just average, just average."
"Right, I'm done chatting. I need to get a few more in!"
With that, the soldier vanished from his spot. He reappeared already sheathing his blade.
Every enemy that had been standing between his disappearance and his reappearance had collapsed, lifeless.
"Hey, hey, hey! This has to be a joke!"
Yamza stared in shock as his own army shrank at a visible rate.
Every single one of the enemies put him on edge. It simply should not be possible.
He was, after all, Clayman's most trusted lieutenant. The Middle Finger of the Five Fingers.
And now these were just grunts?! Was he still asleep?!
"Yamza-sama, what do we do? They're almost on us!"
The two mercenaries flanking him asked in rising panic.
"Stop panicking! This is Clayman-sama's territory!"
"To Clayman-sama, every single one of these people is an ant!"
"You two! Take men and hold them back. I'm going to see Clayman-sama."
"Ah? *2"
"What 'ah'?! This is an order! Disobey me and I'll kill you right now!"
The two subordinates looked at Yamza's expression, which made it very clear he would follow through, and nodded in despair.
"Hmph!"
With a cold snort, Yamza turned and hurried toward the castle.
Inside the castle, Clayman had already sensed the attack on his army.
He paid it no mind. As far as he was concerned, anyone daring to assault his castle was simply choosing to die.
"Shuna! Look, look! Skeletons!"
"Hehe! They really are skeletons, Rimuru-sama!"
Shuna looked at the excited Rimuru with a warm, doting expression and agreed gently.
"Though I have no wish to fight you, I cannot help it. I must ask your forgiveness."
Adalmann, Clayman's undead Index Finger, addressed the group before him in a grave tone.
"Hmph! If you want to get to Rimuru-sama, you'll have to go through me first!"
Shuna immediately stepped forward, placing herself between Adalmann and Rimuru, and faced him steadily.
Then she turned her head to Rimuru and the others beside her.
"Rimuru-sama, leave him to me! You all go on ahead!"
"Alright then! He's yours! Be careful!"
Rimuru gave a nod.
"Don't worry, Rimuru-sama!"
"Let's go!"
With that, Rimuru led Testarossa and Shion forward.
Because Adalmann was locked in Shuna's gaze, he made no move to stop them, and let the three pass.
"Hehe! This really does feel like fighting a boss, one stage at a time!"
Rimuru looked at the enormous fox blocking the path ahead and said in surprise.
"I'll take this one, Rimuru-sama!"
Shion looked at the giant fox in front of her and, for reasons she could not quite explain, found her immediately annoying.
So she stepped forward.
"Then she's yours!"
Rimuru continued ahead with Testarossa.
"System notification! New boss has appeared!"
Hearing Rimuru say that, Testarossa beside her raised a delicate hand to her lips and let out a soft laugh.
"Hehe! Rimuru-sama, you are truly something."
"Hehe! It all comes from Kai-chan!"
Rimuru scratched her cheek with a slightly embarrassed expression.
"Is it really alright for you two to completely ignore me like this?"
Myulan looked at the two paying her no attention and spoke up to assert herself.
The moment she did, Testarossa's warm expression vanished.
She turned her head slowly toward Myulan and said in a cold, flat tone.
"A mere demon. Who gave you permission to interrupt our conversation?"
The moment those words landed, Myulan felt as though she had been dropped into an ice cavern. Something enormous and terrible had fixed its attention on her.
Before she could get another word out, a white figure appeared before her eyes.
Testarossa extended her right hand, wrapped it around Myulan's throat, and lifted her off the ground.
"As the price for your disrespect, you will repay it with your life."
Without hesitation, Testarossa tightened her grip.
Myulan was strangled without a shred of resistance.
The woman who had caused the Jura-Tempest Federation such heavy losses in another timeline, the woman Rimuru had forgiven, would have no such second chance this time.
"Wow! Testarossa, didn't you want to hear what she had to say?"
Rimuru looked at Testarossa in surprise.
"Hehe! There is no need to waste time on a minor character like that, Rimuru-sama."
"Oh!"
Rimuru nodded, taking that at face value.
"Alright. Let's keep moving. I'm sure Clayman is getting impatient by now..."