When he first saw the chaotic light, Reheim quickly understood the danger and hid in the shadow of the carriage, lying flat on the ground.
He didn't receive any special reports from his subordinates who were maintaining the village's barrier.
But.... when did this monster appear?
Even if it was inferior to the barrier maintained by the Holy Knights, it should have been able to prevent the entry of higher-level monsters.
At the very least, it should have been able to detect any attempt to enter immediately.
But......
The only conclusion he could draw was that the monster, which was repeatedly slaughtering before his eyes, was a higher-level being that didn't even bother with barriers.
He confirmed that the Blood Shadow Madness (Blood Shadow) he had borrowed from Cardinal Nicolaus had spread out and was looking for an opportunity.
Excellent.
They all seemed to have done exactly what Reheim did, hiding in the corpses and pretending to be dead.
In such a situation....
He regretted the report he had given yesterday.
When asked if support was needed, he had replied that it wasn't.
Although the female demon, who seemed to be a high-level monster, had caused some chaos when the village declared war, he had been able to kill her easily.
He could only confirm a few in the large room.
He judged that if a battle were to take place within the barrier, it could be thoroughly crushed.
If the multiple purification barriers activated by the 1,000 knights of the Holy Church were set up, even a B-rank or higher individual would be unable to move.
At the very least, they wouldn't be able to use their full power.
The monsters outside the village could have been handled by the kingdom's knights.
Based on this judgment, he had not requested support from Hinata Sakaguchi.
He felt like strangling himself at that moment.
But, if she had been here... could she have prevented this situation?
That thought crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it.
It was an impossible scenario.
Hinata Sakaguchi was the strongest being and wouldn't be fazed by monsters.
As he was thinking about this...
He suddenly noticed that the surrounding noise had disappeared.
A chilling fear rose from deep within him, as if something was creeping up behind him.
What's going on... What's happening?
He couldn't understand why those who were suffering in pain or crying in fear had suddenly become silent.
Then,
"Aah, there's someone still alive."
A clear, almost prepubescent boy's voice, like that of a young girl, echoed.
Still alive...?
Before he could realize that this referred to Reheim and the dozen or so Blood Shadows,
He groaned in pain as a sharp agony spread through his body.
He noticed that his right leg had been cleanly severed when he saw the demon-like monster approaching.
It was already impossible to escape, and there was nothing Reheim could do.
All he could do was pray to the god he believed in...
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Unique Skill 'Heartless (Heartless One)'... or something like that.
Wow, it's really heartless.
It seems to activate the moment the will is broken, even if the fear of me is fine.
In other words, at that moment, the soul of my opponent is handed over to me.
I can choose to save or kill as I please.
I can also send them back alive and activate it the moment they try to rebel again.
Moreover, I was shocked to find that it worked even on those who had fled.
The targets were all those I initially recognized as enemies. This time, it was everyone in the army I recognized from above.
Even though I thought some might escape, it seems that the 'Heartless' made it impossible for them to run.
I thought it might be useless, but it might be quite good.
I think rulers who practice terror would want this ability.
Since it can end a battle by breaking the will of the opponent, it seems there will be more opportunities to use it.
Suddenly, I detected a reaction with 'Magic Sense.' The number was 13.
The fact that they survived means their will wasn't broken.
Naturally, the king is excluded.
There are 13 people who still have hostility.
They might be the Blood Shadows who attacked the village.
First, I'll shoot 'Wrath of God' at their legs to prevent them from escaping.
However,
I successfully severed the legs of the first one, but I also blew off an arm or pierced a head.
Finally, some missed completely.
For some reason, 'Magic Sense' wasn't working properly, and I started to feel dizzy.
Ah, I think I'm about to lose consciousness.
"Ranga, are you there?"
"Yes, I am by your side, my master!"
He appeared smoothly from my shadow.
I noticed that he had been there, ready to act if something happened, without interfering.
Thank goodness.
"Ranga, catch all the ones rolling around nearby and bring them to the village.
Don't kill them.
I'll return to the village and ask Yoh for help in restraining them, so hand them over."
"What about the ones who are running away?"
I thought about it.
There are three who have fled. I think Ranga can handle them, but they seem to be A-rank level.
If he acts cautiously, it might be dangerous to leave it to Ranga alone.
But I don't want to let them go.
"I'll have someone else chase them.
If they catch them, have them transferred to you, and take care of them too."
"Understood! I will do as you say."
After confirming Ranga's response, I gathered my fading concentration.
Then, I executed 'Summon Upper Demon.'
The offering was the numerous corpses of soldiers lying around.
I considered eating them, but there didn't seem to be any with great abilities.
The Blood Shadows or whatever they were were enough.
I don't know what demon will be summoned, but since it can't materialize, it's fine if it just helps this time.
If it can catch the three who fled, that's all I need.
"I've prepared the offering (food), come out, monster (demon).
Help me!"
My words became increasingly harsh.
The demon that would be summoned by this would probably be quite unusual or a fool.
That thought crossed my mind, but three demons were summoned without any problems.
The last time I summoned an upper demon, it was "A-" rank, so it would be on par with or inferior to the Blood Shadows.
I thought I could summon at least 30, but it seems I could only summon three.
Well, 15,000 corpses are only enough for that. Maybe it's because I consumed my soul...
I can't think straight, overwhelmed by a fierce drowsiness I've never felt since coming to this world.
"Hey, there are three who fled. Catch them alive and hand them over to my subordinate (Ranga)."
By the time I said that, the dizziness had worsened, and maintaining my body was becoming dangerous.
I need to get to a safe place.
From behind,
"It's an honor to be given my first task. It's been a while since I've had an offering of this size, so I'll do my best."
"It's an easy task, new Demon King! Can I serve you in the future?"
"......"
As they greeted me, my consciousness reached its limit.
"Let's talk later. First, prove that you can help. Go."
With that, I performed a spatial transition to Tempest Village.
The magic circle I had drawn to allow passage through the barrier helped.
I entrusted a message to Benimaru and Ohm, who were rushing over.
Then, I sat in the designated position in the preparation area and let go of my consciousness.
It was the first time I had entered a completely unconscious, deep sleep since coming to this world.
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When Rimuru went to battle, the village was divided into those who cast barriers and those who prayed, and they began their work in the central square.
Those who poured their strength into casting barriers were in the central square.
Those who released magic power to increase the mana concentration within the barrier were arranged around the village.
Everyone understood their roles and began their tasks earnestly.
In the center of the square, the bodies of Shion and the others were laid out, maintaining the barrier.
In the center was the magic circle Rimuru had set up, and the preparation area for the Demon King evolution ritual was ready.
Surrounding it were those maintaining the barrier.
Shuna was one of them, and with the help of Muuran, she was a key member in maintaining the barrier.
Shuna thought,
Rimuru was originally human, but that seemed trivial to her.
For her, the connection of souls was everything, and she felt absolute peace from that connection.
She always felt fulfilled by the fortunate sense of not losing anything.
If she were to lose Rimuru, she might go mad.
"Lord Rimuru... We are happy as long as we have you, besides ourselves.
But, if someone among us is missing, your mental balance might be greatly disrupted..."
Shuna muttered.
Hearing this, her brother Benimaru nodded in deep agreement.
The transformation in the kind-hearted Rimuru suggested that his mental balance had been affected.
If possible,
"Please don't become a Demon King and go berserk or change as a person..."
She couldn't help but wish for that.
Benimaru, Soue, Hakuro, and Kurobe were all waiting here.
It was Rimuru's order.
In case he became a mindless monster (Demon King), he had ordered them to quickly dispose of him.
They wanted to prevent such a situation at all costs.
"You're saying this because you've been sleeping for so long, Shion... Wake up quickly."
Muttering this, she resumed her prayers.
They believed not in a god but in a single monster.
Their expectations would not be betrayed, and their hopes would be fulfilled again this time.
Believing this,
At that moment,
[Report. The Demon King evolution (Harvest Festival) of Rimuru Tempest has been recorded.
Upon completion, a blessing (Gift) will be sent to the lineage of monsters.]
The tension spread among the monsters gathered in the village as the "Voice of the World" echoed in their hearts.
It seemed that Rimuru had successfully repelled the invaders.
Now, it was their turn to make an effort.
"Don't let your guard down! Our master has won. Now it's our turn!"
Benimaru's clear voice was met with a response from the monsters.
The situation began to move.
Losing Shion and the others might shatter Rimuru's heart.
And, as planned, Rimuru returned.
After receiving the message, he was allowed to rest.
As agreed, they set a password.
In case he lost his mind, it was to deal with the situation.
"Then, I'll ask, 'How is Shion's cooking?'"
"Got it. The answer is 'It's damn terrible.' Who came up with this...?"
Rimuru muttered as he fell asleep.
Despite the drowsiness clouding his mind, he didn't protest, even as he complained.
It was naturally Benimaru who came up with it.
He hadn't forgotten that he was always the one to taste new dishes.
If Shion got angry and complained as she got up... that was part of his hope.
The rest would proceed according to the plan.
Benimaru and the others, determined to follow the procedure, didn't even notice the words that slipped out.
The blessing (Gift) was no longer on their minds.
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Rimuru fell into a deep sleep.
His consciousness had already let go, and his body, unable to maintain its human form, had reverted to a slime state.
In the darkness where Rimuru's consciousness couldn't reach,
[Report. Demon King evolution (Harvest Festival) has begun.
The body structure is being reorganized, evolving into a new species.]
[Confirmed.
Evolution from species: Star Creature (Slime) to Demon Star Spirit (Demon Slime)... Successful.
All true abilities have greatly increased.
Transformation between material and spiritual forms is now possible.