Chapter 81: At the Banquet
Kreimann was at the pinnacle of arrogance.
The veterans who looked down on him wore expressions of shock.
It was just that he had slapped a presumptuous woman, after all.
By making the inflexible old harm (老害) bow before him, he could build the true world of demons.
Kreimann had always thought this in his heart.
But... was this really the right thing to do?
Suddenly, such a doubt arose.
He was told never to draw attention, yet he had gathered everyone's gaze.
Kreimann reached this thought and erased it.
It's fine. Since it's impossible to bring up the proposal for extermination, the size of one's influence decides everything.
By showing that the veteran demon king Mirim obeys him, he could strip other demon kings of their rebelliousness.
No demon king could argue against the gaze of the strongest demon king, Mirim.
But, is that really true?
Was he going too far? Why was he so uneasy in the first place?
In fact, there was no need to hit Mirim.
But, thinking of Falphurgis, he became anxious that if he failed to guide the demon kings...
No, wait. This is strange.
For some reason, his calm self was feeling discomfort and raising an alarm.
As the plan failed, the alternative measures were becoming despicable. This shouldn't be.
He needed to consult with him...
But, he was told not to make contact at the moment.
It's fine. Kreimann reassured himself.
He still had Mirim as his trump card.
The spell "Demon Marionette" had been perfectly activated.
And, through his unique skill "Manipulator," the control was completely achieved.
Even Carion, the embodiment of overwhelming power, could not resist.
Gradually regaining his composure, Kreimann deepened his smile.
"Well, I am truly grateful for your response to my call today!
Let's begin, our banquet.
Here, I declare the opening of Falphurgis!"
Kreimann, using his authority as the host, looked around at the gathered group and declared the opening of Falphurgis.
Thus, the Falphurgis, which had not been held for several hundred years with all the demon kings in attendance, began.
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Kig, observing Kreimann with a small smile, struggled to suppress his laughter at his ridiculous appearance.
To begin with, Kreimann was mistaken.
More than that, he completely failed to understand.
The title "Ten Demon Kings" was something humans made up, not something Kig acknowledged.
Whether there were ten or a hundred, it didn't matter.
It was just that the survivors of the Great Demon War every 500 years were few, and the number was streamlined to ten or less.
Each time, new demon kings fought for dominance, and eventually, the upper limit was set at ten.
For the human side, it was better for the number to decrease through power struggles rather than having an increasing number of dangerous demon kings.
Over time, an unspoken understanding developed.
The first demon king was Kig.
By granting the wish of the human who summoned him, he destroyed the opposing country.
As payment, he destroyed the country of the human who summoned him.
Just by that, he realized he had become a true demon king, though it was unnecessary.
The two "Upper Demons" summoned after the destruction of the first country had become "Demon Lords" by the time they destroyed the summoner's country.
After that, he allowed them to serve him.
When Kig awakened as a demon king, there was another who awakened at the same time.
The first of the four "Dragonkin," a being created by humans from the earth.
Strangely, the "Dragonkin" had most of their power taken by their children.
After that, creating "Dragonkin" became taboo.
The weakened dragon underwent flesh consumption on the earth and became the progenitor of the dragons.
Thus, what was once a "Willful Spirit of Nature" became known as a "Dragonkin."
Currently, if you trace the origins of the dragons that have proliferated on the earth, they all lead back to one.
That "Dragonkin," "Holy Dragon Belnaba."
When this "Dragonkin" reincarnated, the dragon (pet) given to her daughter was killed by a kingdom, which became the catalyst.
A foolish one had provoked the dragon's wrath.
Enraged, Mirim destroyed the country.
And, she awakened as a true demon king.
The initially irrational Mirim became even more rampant and clashed with Kig.
The battle lasted for seven days and seven nights, transforming the fertile western land into a land of death.
In the end, no conclusion was reached.
The battle ended when Mirim regained her sanity.
The one who restored Mirim's sanity was Lamiris.
Originally reigning as the master of the spirits, she transformed by donning the evil power of demons and the powerful aura of dragons.
But, she managed to stop Mirim's rampage.
And, she mediated between the two.
These three were the original demon kings.
One sought the limits of power.
One lived as they pleased.
One desired to mediate the world.
Because their purposes were different, the three could recognize each other.
After that, a giant who guarded the Sky Gate and an ancient vampire became demon kings, falling from the heavens as the sixth.
These were the second generation.
The ones who fell short of the oldest demon kings.
The giant, due to the holy attribute covering his body, did not sprout the seed of a demon king.
But, he was an interesting being with unusual power.
The demon kings, excluding giants and fairies, awakened as true demon kings through several Great Demon Wars.
However, they could not acquire the ultimate ability (Ultimate Skill) that he and Mirim possessed.
But, the vampire and the fallen angel showed signs of awakening.
It was only a matter of time before they opened their eyes to the ultimate ability. It was best to wait with a long-term perspective.
This foolish one thought he was controlling Mirim.
It was laughably impossible.
What Kig couldn't do, a mere insect couldn't possibly achieve.
One with an ultimate ability cannot be influenced by a lower ability.
All the laws of this world are invalid at the Unique Level.
In other words, control by magic is completely ineffective, whether it's ultimate or not.
With an ultimate ability, there's no need for incantations, and effects can be obtained simply by wishing.
Even attacks from disliked attributes can have some effect.
Attacks from the Holy Control System are completely ineffective.
With such a weak spirit, it's impossible to acquire an ultimate ability.
One can only resist an ultimate ability with another ultimate ability.
Therefore, Kreimann could do nothing to Mirim.
In other words, everything was just dancing on the palm of Mirim's hand.
Kig smiled slightly and watched the conclusion.
It seemed it would be an entertaining banquet after a long time.
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Kreimann was explaining the matter proudly.
It seemed he had obtained information from a human informant, and it was said that I had killed the demon king Carion.
I knew he was the leader of Grusis, but I had never met him.
Moreover, Kreimann, your story is too long.
I don't need it, but a drowsiness is rising. Is it a mental attack?
I really wish he would hurry up.
"Excuse me, can I ask a question?"
When I asked, he glared at me as if annoyed.
"Isn't a demon king supposed to dispense with trivial matters?
I imagined a more practical approach, where strength speaks louder than words."
The silver-haired girl chuckled at this line.
Her angry expression had softened a bit, hadn't it?
Moreover, she looked cutely adorable when she smiled.
Your explanation is boring. Get to the point."
The girl said to Kreimann.
Kreimann, showing anger, seemed to be a simpleton. Or was he really just a small fry?
If this was an act, it was impressive.
"Ku... Don't look down on me, you lowly slime calling yourself a demon king!"
"Eh? What's a slime got to do with it?
I didn't come here to listen to your insignificant story.
By the way, what were you thinking, hitting Mirim?
You held off until the banquet started, but now it's over.
Speak your mind quickly. It will be your last words."
Kreimann's face twitched at my words.
Perhaps due to anger, a dark aura began to emanate from him.
Indeed, a demon king. He has a certain presence, even if it's just a bit.
At that moment, Mirim, who had been standing still like a doll, suddenly clenched her fist in a fighting pose...
No, it must be my imagination.
Poor thing. I'll free you soon, Mirim.
I vowed this in my heart.
This lowly creature, who barely became a demon king by obtaining a demon king's seed, is acting arrogant.
Moreover, he even started a war with humans!
We cannot let such a being go free. I think we must purge him. What do you think?"
He tried to persuade the demon kings with exaggerated gestures.
"Hey, is it okay to use mental control while talking at Falphurgis?"
I pushed the table forward as a threat.
The large round table flew backward, creating a wide space.
"Negative. In this place, it is right to appeal to the other party with words alone."
The most dangerous-looking red-haired demon king answered my question.
Interestingly, he was smiling.
I glanced at Syon, who immediately stood to my left and attacked Kreimann, who was giving a speech.
Wrapping his fist in aura, he delivered about thirty punches in an instant.
With a refreshed look, he asked me,
You usually ask before hitting, right?
Moreover, I glanced at you.
Clearly, the intention was to silence Kreimann.
I didn't expect you to beat him up so badly.
Well, what's done is done.
Anyway, during the speech, Raphael detected the effect of a skill.
It was probably to elicit a favorable reaction from himself, but unfortunately, it was completely detected.
Kreimann, who approached first, could claim self-defense.
If a demon king gets angry and declares hostility, that's when we'll see.
The dark aura surrounding Kreimann intensified, healing his wounds.
It far exceeded the recovery ability of an Orc Lord.
But, as a demon king, this is probably normal.
"Yield not, dance, puppets (Dance, Puppets)!"
Kreimann shouted and threw five dolls from his coat.
The dolls instantly transformed into humans and pounced on Syon.
Each one was of the Upper Demon class.
Probably, he had the ability to steal the souls of Upper Demons and turn them into dolls that he could control at will.
Raphael, who saw this, interpreted the technique and informed me.
Honestly, what's the point?
As expected, Syon drew a powerful sword called "Gouryoku-maru" and cut down the five Upper Demons.
"Hahaha, you have some skill! But it's useless.
Dance, Demon Marionette!"
Kreimann chanted a spell while shouting.
Huh? Syon, who was waiting with the same feeling.
But, the dolls didn't move.
"W-What... Why aren't they reviving?"
Kreimann, interrupting his incantation, showed signs of anxiety.
I wanted to tell him to keep chanting instead of worrying about such trivial things.
"U-Uh, I'll tell you because it's a hassle.
Syon's great sword is a Soul Eater.
Those dolls probably didn't have defenses against physical and mental attacks.
Since the construction is weak, they were destroyed in one hit."
I explained as if it was no big deal.
This guy will eventually become my prey, so it's fine to tell him if he wants to know.
There's no need to hide this.
"Y-You mean, it has mental attack capabilities!?"
"It's not that rare. Humans had them too."
"B-But, this is a sword (katana)!"
"Huh? Anyway, it's a sword we made."
Syon's great sword is an improved version of Hinata's sword.
There are no restrictions like the seven-shot limit. It devours the soul of the opponent in one hit.
While it's not a sure kill, it can attack both physically and mentally.
If resisted from the start, it can be blocked. Otherwise, it will be devoured and die.
Since it also requires physical defense, it's quite a nasty weapon.
"Ho. Is that so? This is the 'Gouryoku-maru (Revised)'!"
Didn't someone explain it to him when they gave it to him? Oh well, it's Syon.
At that moment, Kreimann stood up.
He quickly resumed his interrupted incantation and finally activated the spell.
"No, I will add this unpleasant sword to my collection.
Devour, Demon Marionette!!!"
The evil light enveloped Syon, not me.
"Ku ku ku ku ku. Rejoice, this is the ultimate spell that can control even demon kings!
It's a waste to use it on a mere Upper Demon, but whatever.
To a lowly slime, subordinates are important, right?
You're just a weakling, so die at the hands of your subordinates!
After dealing with your master, I'll make you my subordinate."
I can't let this happen. I wanted to say "Wow? Now we're in trouble" to boost his confidence, but I got tired of it.
If it were Hinata, she would have cut him down instantly.
Well, he might not be weak, but after seeing Benimaru and Soue, my standards have risen.
Even Masarou is less powerful than Syon.
Moreover, Syon has the ability "Perfect Memory," which allows him to retain memories even after death.
This means he can think with his soul.
In other words, mental control abilities are completely ineffective, and most mental damage is nullified.
"What kind of attack is this? It doesn't hurt or itch.
Do I need to wait a bit longer for it to activate?"
Syon asked in an annoyed voice from within the black light.
Raphael's interpretation confirmed that it had no effect on Syon, which turned out to be correct.
Despite his grandiose claims, it was just this.
"No, no, that can't be!!!
Even Mirim, the demon king Mirim, was controlled by this spell. There's no way a mere Upper Demon like you could break it!!!"
Syon dispelled the light with aura.
Kreimann, seeing this, fell into a state of fear. It's over.
"Everyone, can we forgive this creature's outrageous actions!?
This one is looking down on demon kings. We must act together!
Even Carion, who suffered at his hands, cannot rest in peace with this!"
With bloodshot eyes, he appealed for support from the observing demon kings.
As soon as we entered a combat state, the round table was instantly isolated by a barrier.
Well, I expected this when I threw the table to create space.
But, what a troublesome guy.
As soon as he judged that he couldn't win, he started seeking support.
Dagur and Dino were about to speak.
They seemed to be defending me. It was a good idea to talk to them earlier.
Moreover, this Rimuru, I'm meeting for the first time today, right?"
A deep, resonant voice echoed.
A winged subordinate of the female demon king, with eagle-like wings, entered with Kreimann.
He wore a stylish mask that hid his face...
He slowly removed the mask, and at the same time, an overwhelming aura surged.
In an instant, his attire changed, and the demon king Carion appeared.
His mask seemed to be specialized for sealing aura, even more so than the "Seal Demon Mask" I possessed.
If I had paid attention, I might have noticed, but since I had never met the demon king Carion, I didn't recognize him.
But, what's going on here?
"What, what, what! How can you be alive!!!!
So, you betrayed me! Frey!!!"
Kreimann glared at the winged female demon king called Frey with bloodshot eyes.
Judging from the situation, it wasn't so much a betrayal...
"Excuse me? When did I ever think of you as an ally?"
"Ha, ha, don't joke with me! You, you!!!!
It's over now. I understand now. I won't forgive you."
Kreimann suddenly regained his composure.
Did he shake something off?
Kreimann smiled coldly and shouted,
"Miriam. Kill everyone here!!!"
The atmosphere instantly tensed, and the demon kings felt the tension.
Some remained calm, but...
I also turned my gaze to Mirim.
Was it that he thought he was controlling Mirim?
Indeed, she was being controlled...
But, it's really dangerous. Kreimann is a small fry, but Mirim is dangerous.
Even in my current state, it might be disadvantageous. Moreover, I want to help her.
"Why do you need to do that? Rimuru is a friend, right?"
Huh? What? What's going on??
I wasn't the only one confused.
Some of the demon kings also looked surprised, thinking, "Eh? But you didn't react even though it was right,