Unable to understand the situation, Kreimanās eyes were bloodshot as he alternately looked at Mirim and us. Then, he fixed his gaze on the Demon Lords, his movements stiffening.
It seems he has reached the conclusion that he confessed to controlling Mirim. However, it was actually Mirimās act, and in reality, it was Kreiman who was being controlled.
Kreiman, flustered, took a step back.
"Stupid... The Demon Marionette was a complete success!
Why werenāt you under the spellās control? Such a thing canāt happen!"
He was making meaningless noises.
It seems he has given up on acting for the Demon Lords now.
The situation is already decided, and itās the right action to take, as thereās no way to avoid it now.
The Demon Lords have already noticed that Kreiman controlled Mirim. How they interpret it is up to each of them, but the punishment for the one who has been caught is set.
While mutual non-aggression is the norm, thereās no prohibition against taking action.
Moreover, Kreimanās credibility has been completely lost, and itās pitiful for such a person to speak.
However, this time, itās not the Demon Lordsā turn.
"Hmm. Good job!
I can easily deflect such magic.
First, I removed all the barriers and suppressed your resistance with the power of my will...
I made it look like the spell was successful in front of your eyes, because I knew you would be careful and wouldnāt trust me otherwise.
Thatās why I let you cast the spell on me with all your effort!"
"What... What do you mean? You... You let it happen on purpose!?
The Demon Marionette, which can control even Demon Lords! The secret of the spellās power!!!"
"Is that so? Still, it was impossible to control me.
I have a special skill for dispelling such things!"
Mirim boasted, puffing out her chest and looking smug.
Sighing at the sight, Frey, the Harpy Demon Lord, said:
"Still, I was anxious when Kreiman hit Mirim.
Itās fine if Mirimās plan fails, but I didnāt want my house to be destroyed.
You really held out well."
It seems he had hit her before.
What kind of guy is this? Is he a suicide wisher?
"Hmm! Iām an adult now, a patient adult!"
She emphasized being an adult, but sheās still a child.
"Where are you talking about? Whatever.
Anyway, what was your purpose?"
"Huh? Well, I remembered Kreimanās suspicious conversation.
He seemed to be planning a war between humans and demons by making the Tempest village the enemy of humans.
If that happened, it would be no fun, so I decided to interfere!"
"Wow, you moved for something other than your own interests..."
"Ha ha ha ha! Thatās what I said! Iām an adult now!"
"Sure, sure. Iāll leave it at that.
Still, Kreiman, youāre incredibly arrogant in front of the weak and those who canāt resist.
I donāt think you have the right to call yourself a Demon Lord.
Mirim was holding back, so I didnāt intervene... but I was a bit angry too."
Frey spoke, quietly seething with anger.
"Speaking of which, I have something to say to you too.
Hey, Kreiman. First of all, I wonāt forgive you!"
Karyon, the Demon Lord, also spoke, shifting the blame for what happened to Mirim onto Kreiman.
It seems Kreiman has really angered the Demon Lords.
But the one who is the most angry is me.
Iām glad Mirim worked hard for us, but to have been hit by such a scumbag...
Itās decided. You wonāt die easily.
"Sorry, but Iāll handle this guy. Since I also claimed to be a Demon Lord, I want to prepare my own position.
Iāll exclude this guy and make you recognize me."
When I said that, they reluctantly stepped back.
Well, Iām sure theyāre genuinely testing my skills.
Mirim was smiling happily.
It seems my anger was conveyed without words.
Kreiman, having regained his composure while listening to our conversation,
"Hmm hmm hmm. Is that so? I see. Itās touching. You were a spy for your friend.
Ha ha ha ha. How amusing.
So the tyrant Mirim, who was once revered, is now a mere errand girl.
Did I really fear such a creature? This is hilarious.
Fine. Iāll use my trump card a bit earlier, then!"
He said, pulling out a rainbow-colored gem from his pocket.
The gem radiated the power of a celestial spirit, and its energy was equivalent to the souls of ten thousand humans...
??????????????????????????
A flash of light.
When it was over, the being standing there had transformed into something incomparable to his previous form.
His hair, glowing with the residual energy of the celestial spirit, had grown long.
His clothes had burst from his muscles, leaving his upper body bare.
His muscles, solid and exuding overwhelming power, were exposed.
His eyes glowed with a rainbow light as he surveyed his surroundings.
The holy power he emitted was on par with that of the Demon Lord of Giants, Dagur.
Artificial forced evolution.
By absorbing the energy of the celestial spirit gem, he had awakened to a Demon Lord.
However, due to using a different type of energy, he had evolved into a mutant Demon Lord rather than a complete one.
But it seemed he could make this power his own without waiting for the harvest festival.
The evolution was so significant that his previous body seemed weak in comparison.
His unique skill, "Manipulator," had evolved in response to this energy.
Overwhelming power.
Indeed, if I had gained this power, I could have forgiven the feeling of being looked down upon just now.
No, I would have accepted it.
A Demon Lord who hasnāt awakened is just a fake.
This is power.
This is awakening.
And this is what a Demon Lord truly is!
A shot of energy from the gem hit Karyon, sending him flying backward.
Frey was the same. It was impossible to withstand it.
Mirim, on the other hand, was unaffected and bounced back. She was a stubborn one.
However, even with this awakening, it would be very difficult to defeat the senior Demon Lords.
The Demon Lords who had survived more than three battles.
While the arrogant fairy is one thing, Karyon, Mirim, and Dagur were particularly troublesome.
For newcomers, it might be a match or even an advantage, but these three are dangerous now.
My judgment, which remained as calm as ever, was that I needed to quickly assess the situation after blowing away the two Demon Lords.
While the slime party behind me was unharmed, which made me angry, I needed to retreat and regroup.
There was no need to rush; I could take them down one by one.
I decided to report to "that person" who gave me the gem and consult on the next plan.
Then, the plan was set.
I would fire the Demon Destroyer Cannon at maximum power and use the opportunity to escape.
While Karyon was a concern, he showed no interest in such things.
It was fine; escape was possible. I made that judgment.
If I could kill a few of them, that would be good...
Thinking that, I fired the Demon Destroyer Cannon.
A destructive force capable of destroying even Demon Lords. The concentrated energy beam disrupted the arrangement of magic particles, causing destruction from within.
Physical defenses were meaningless, and it could destroy even barriers created by magic particles.
I was confident that no one could withstand this when it was focused on an individual.
This time, I fired it in a wide area, so some might survive, but I shouldnāt be greedy.
Imagining the power of the Demon Destroyer Cannon fired by my evolved self, I smiled smugly.
The light of the Demon Destroyer Cannon filled the surroundings with a rainbow hue...
??????????????????????????
When the flash subsided, Kreiman seemed to realize that the gem in his hand had been taken, and he looked bewildered and flustered.
It seems he had believed in the future scene drawn by Raphaelās predictive calculations.
The mental suggestion I showed him was quite realistic.
I confirmed the gem in my hand and slipped it into my pocket.
I didnāt steal and run.
Kreiman had floated the gem in the air to activate it, and I used spatial manipulation to bring it into my hand at that moment.
But I had obtained something good. This would be a great help for future research.
If Kreiman had used the gem, the result would have been the same as the future scene predicted by Raphael.
Even if that had happened, he would have been beaten, but sealing his trump card was effective in breaking his spirit.
I hope you understand that it wasnāt because I wanted the gem.
Originally, Kreiman looked down on me.
In a state of thought acceleration, where perception is a million times faster, time is essentially stopped, and magic can be cast simultaneously.
This means that even spells with casting times can be set up simultaneously.
Iām not that stupid to forgive an opponentās evolution in such a place.
If I had been in the past, I might have let it happen...
The Demon Lords seemed to have recovered from the illusion I cast.
I didnāt want to reveal my cards, so I quickly obscured it with light, but it seemed a few of them had seen it.
Thereās nothing I can do about it. The opponent is too bad.
I want to fight without revealing my cards, as even a small clue can be predicted.
Since Raphael can do it, I assume the opponent can too.
Thereās nothing I can do, so Iāll distinguish and speak to Kreiman.
"Hey, if youāre going to use your trump card, do it quickly. Iāll wait.
Surely, youāre not planning to escape using the light just now, right?"
I pressed him, knowing the answer.
Iām a bad person. Well, Iām a slime, so itās fine.
"What? Whatās happening...?"
Kreiman couldnāt hide his agitation.
His trump card had been taken away, and he couldnāt grasp the situation.
Didnāt I tell you? Youāre already cornered.
At your level, the future was already decided the moment you became my enemy.
Judging your and the opponentās abilities is important.
I need to torment and defeat this guy while deceiving the Demon Lordsā eyes.
Thereās no time to waste, so letās get it over with.
"Hey, Kreiman. Do you know what happened to the king of the Palmas Kingdom you incited?
Youāre good at gathering information, right? Have you received a report from your subordinates?"
His spirit is broken.
Thatās all I need to achieve victory.
Fear is the best way to break someoneās spirit.
But, I feel like Iām becoming more of a villain. Is it because Iām a monster?
Is it because I became a Demon Lord...? Whatever.
Kreiman looked at me, seemingly not having received a report yet.
King Edmaris of the Palmas Kingdom.
Heās still alive.
Before coming here, I left him on the throne of the Palmas Kingdom.
Using my skill, I fixed his mind to prevent him from going insane.
I prepared a large amount of beginnerās healing potions and tortured him without killing him.
Even exceeding the pain threshold, he wouldnāt be allowed to go insane, and his limbs would regrow after being torn off.
The severed limbs were used by Sion to make a meal, which was fed to King Edmaris.
This continued for seven days, from the moment Sion opened his eyes, until the prisoner was released.
After sufficiently avenging the past grudge, I released him.
The rest is up to the king.
With his spirit broken, he can be killed at any time if he resists.
But if he can resist and fight back, I might recognize him as a king.
Whether he establishes a vassal state or becomes a puppet, it doesnāt matter.
Even a king who was being controlled experienced such hell. Shouldnāt the one who controlled him suffer even more?
"Sion, Iāll finish this guy, but Iāll lend him to you for a while."
"What are you talking about! Whatās this about a human king?
Moreover, youāre telling your subordinates to handle it? Coward, face me yourself..."
"Shut up. Be quiet."
At my words, Kreimanās voice stopped.
He tried to speak, but his will was overridden, and no words came out.
Thatās right.
No matter what, with my new ability, the unique skill "Manipulator," Kreiman can no longer speak.
I donāt know if he noticed that his ability was also taken away, but he seemed to be in a half-mad state.
But he couldnāt speak.
I need to make him speak the name of the master behind him, but first...
"Sion, you can hit him for three seconds."
Sion, who had been waiting like a hungry dog, hit Kreiman with all his might for three seconds.
Probably, a rain of more than a hundred punches fell on Kreiman.
To an observer, it was just three seconds. Kreimanās rapid healing had already started.
But can anyone imagine the true terror Kreiman experienced?
What I did to Kreiman was to stop his speech.
At the same time, I fixed his mind to prevent him from going insane and accelerated his perception a million times with thought acceleration.
My ability can affect not only myself but also those I want to influence.
Under Raphaelās influence, Kreimanās time was stretched, and he would experience the terror and pain of being hit for days.
Sion understood and instantly wrapped his fist in "terror."
This damages not only the body but also the mind.
With his mind sealed, Kreimanās spirit swelled with pain, suffering, and terror, but there was no outlet.
The trapped emotions etched fear into his soul.
When the three seconds were over, Kreimanās hair had turned white, and his expression was like that of a corpse.
Even an immortal body is meaningless if the mind (spirit) is destroyed.
Now, he canāt even think of resisting me.
"Alright, Kreiman. If you speak honestly, Iāll kill you. If you donāt, Iāll let you play with Sion again."
Understanding my words,
"I, Iāll speak! Iāll say anything, just forgive me... Just, kill me!!!"
He shouted in a convulsive voice.
Did I break his spirit?
"Then, tell me. What is the name of the master who controlled you?"
He looked at me with clouded eyes, hesitating...
But when I looked at him, his eyes turned bloodshot,
"Iāll speak! Iāll speak, just wait!"
He shouted in a panic.
And,
"My master, his name is Kazarin, the 'Curse King' Kazarin.
He fell to Leon but revived as a spirit and has been gathering power.
He raised me to become a Demon Lord, a great one..."
Hmm.
Who is this guy?
The Demon Lordsā reactions were also light. It was the same.
Since Leon became a Demon Lord 200 years ago, was he trying to increase his numbers by making Kreiman a Demon Lord?
"Oh, I remember.
He said, 'If you become a Demon Lord, Iāll introduce you to the others!' But I killed him right away... Did he want me as a companion?"
Leon muttered calmly.
Leon... a scary kid. Heās the type who doesnāt listen to others, and it seems he was here too.
Well, this confirms it. He must have been persistent in increasing his power from the beginning.
"Then, what was the purpose? What were you planning to do to Tempest?"
"The purpose was my Demon Lord transformation. The celestial spirit gem was my trump card, and its power would fade after a certain time.
So, he helped me with my transformation."
Indeed.
He caused chaos and spread a large amount of "death." As a result, it accelerated Kreimanās awakening.
But, if thatās the case, this Kazarin guy knows humans too well.
If he revived as a spirit, did he possess someone?
In the place where Demon Lords live, he would have been noticed immediately, and since he hasnāt been noticed until now, I donāt think heās hiding in the realm of magic.
Possessed a human, or became a human?
"When did you start following his orders?"
"That was...
400 years before I became a Demon Lord, I was Kazarinās adjutant.
Even after becoming a Demon Lord, I followed his orders in secret.
After falling to Leon and losing contact for over 100 years, I suddenly received a message a few decades ago.
Since then, Iāve been following 'him'."
"Does he have many subordinates now?"
"No... He has few subordinates. Just me and a few others. But he has terrifying information.
He controls the information of human villages, and I leaked the information of the Demon Lords.
Not just the eastern forces, but it seems he has information on the world."
"Indeed, I understand."
A few decades ago.
It feels like something is connecting.
My thoughts and confirmed facts.
From there, I derive a prediction through Raphaelās calculations.
The conclusion is on hold, but itās highly suspicious.
But if I end the story here... Was the masterās purpose really just to make Kreiman a Demon Lord?
Whatever.
Iāve heard everything I wanted to hear. The rest is about making it easier for him...
"First, Iāll tell you, you canāt be resurrected, okay?"
I said to Kreiman.
If you were hoping for resurrection, Iām sorry.
Kreiman didnāt understand at first.
But his face turned pale,
"What, what are you talking about?"
He tried to cover it up desperately.
Heās definitely telling the truth, but itās part of his plan.
If I kill him, he would detach his spirit and try to resurrect.
Unfortunately, Raphael read the signs.
To be honest, all such rituals are visible to me.
Kreiman judged that he couldnāt win against me and was just trying to avoid further suffering.
He was so honest that I suspected it.
The content of his words is probably true.
But he must have prepared to resurrect immediately after death to avoid further suffering