Even within the Western Holy Church, which announced this fact, great confusion arose.
It was already known that communication with those who participated in the extermination had been cut off.
Regular reports were absolute, and the lack of them indicated that something had gone wrong.
Upon receiving the report, Hinata immediately decided to deploy to Tempest.
However, the astonishing information that "Storm Dragon Veldora" had been resurrected was conveyed to her.
Hinata, who was about to deploy, was summoned by the highest officials of the Holy Papal State of Ruberios.
The great sages known as the "Seven Sages."
Each one is said to be an unparalleled existence of the Hero class, and they are legendary figures responsible for the training of heroes.
Their existence is completely hidden, and they do not appear publicly.
They are only spoken of in legends, old stories, and fairy tales.
Hinata also does not speak about the "Seven Sages."
Naturally, even the Holy Knights do not know of their existence.
The reason she knows about them is because...
Hinata is the last disciple of the "Seven Sages."
The "Seven Sages" each train their own successor, and it is said that no one knows when the succession occurs.
Therefore, it is an unusual event for all of them to have a common disciple.
Hinata was excellent.
With her outstanding abilities, she mastered all the teachings, spells, and combat techniques of the "Seven Sages."
In a sense, she is called a completed work of art.
In the Holy Papal State of Ruberios, there are few who can give orders to Hinata.
Conversely, it can be said that all power is concentrated in Hinata.
Since she inherited this position from her predecessor, she has been ruling at the pinnacle of the country.
The only people who can give orders to such a Hinata are the current Pope and the "Seven Sages."
Only the "Seven Sages" can meet the Pope directly, and even Hinata has never met them.
She has never even heard their voices.
Therefore, if there is an entity that can directly intervene and give orders to Hinata, it can only be the "Seven Sages."
This time, a direct summons order was issued to Hinata by the "Seven Sages."
And the confession was about the resurrection of "Storm Dragon Veldora."
Hinata, who had decided to deploy to Tempest and was preparing the military, temporarily put the order on hold.
As a result, the situation where Hinata would lead the Holy Knights to attack Tempest in Rimuru's absence was avoided.
It was fortunate.
If that story were to be told, and if Hinata were to lead the Holy Knights against the monsters of Tempest in Rimuru's absence, the probability of Hinata's victory would be high.
In any case, the nation of monsters "Tempest" had a narrow escape.
However, if it is said that this was a failure for Hinata, it is not necessarily so.
What was conveyed was not just information.
The messenger, Rehim, who was sent to the nation of monsters "Tempest," had returned.
But his appearance had changed drastically. He was dirty, and his body was covered in tattered pieces of cloth.
His eyes darted around in fear, twitching rapidly.
It was evident that he had experienced considerable fear.
Rehim found his way to the cathedral where 100 Holy Knights were waiting.
Cardinal Nicolaus also appeared in the cathedral, waiting for Rehim's report.
Rehim, still dirty, refused to change his clothes, insisting that he had something urgent to report.
In the central cathedral of the Holy Papal State of Ruberios, the most sacred and inviolable place after the Pope's chamber, Rehim knelt.
He lifted his head hesitantly and confirmed Hinata's presence.
A slight sense of relief, but more despair appeared on his face as he stood up.
Rehim threw off the tattered rags.
Seeing what was underneath, the Holy Knights grimaced.
Hinata narrowed her eyes, showing a look of disgust.
Rehim's body, covered in tattered rags, was revealed to the crowd.
His body was embedded with countless faces.
Some were still alive, moaning in pain, while others had given up, praying in despair.
Some seemed to have gone mad, laughing and drooling.
It was a revolting sight, as if mocking the sanctity of this place.
"First, please look at this. This is the price of provoking the wrath of the king of monsters...
I was foolish. I faced a terrifying, truly terrifying being.
It is a demon king.
By our hands, we have created a new demon king!"
Emotions heightened, Rehim's eyes were bloodshot, and he began to shout and appeal.
He spoke of the terrifying demon king and the circumstances of its birth.
He did not hide the evil deeds he had committed.
It was not something he was ordered to do, but rather a compulsion.
To be freed from even a little of his suffering and to be forgiven by God.
He must have thought it necessary to repent for his sins. However, forgiveness would not come so easily...
As the explanation of the birth of the demon king continued, the Holy Knights were shaken.
They were astonished by the extraordinarily high combat abilities, far beyond common sense.
Light attacks that rendered even sacred barriers and large-scale defensive barriers meaningless.
Such magic had never been heard of.
Even before the attack, there was a possibility that they could not handle it.
However, Hinata was not shaken.
She deduced that it was an attack using the concentration of sunlight.
Once the secret was revealed, the countermeasure was simple.
Noticing Hinata's calm demeanor, the Holy Knights regained their composure.
As long as their commander, Hinata Sakaguchi, was not afraid, they would not fail.
This firm belief was what gave the Holy Knights their confidence.
The explanation continued.
Upon hearing about the appearance of a higher-level demon, the murmurs began again.
Now, it could not be ignored.
The existence of a higher-level demon capable of harboring the seed of a demon king needed to be dealt with immediately.
If it relied only on its abilities, three Holy Knights could defeat it.
To be safe, five would be more than enough.
However, a higher-level demon with long years of experience would be difficult to handle.
Capture it before it grows. This was the established rule when a higher-level demon appeared.
"Hinata-sama, this is a serious situation. My team will handle the extermination. Please grant permission!"
"We will go too. Please grant us deployment permission!"
The elderly Holy Knight's words were echoed by a young knight. No one opposed, as they all considered it within their common sense.
After all, the faster a higher-level demon is exterminated, the better.
However...
Rehim's story was not yet over.
There was more to come.
...In fact, this is where the real story begins.
The Holy Knights did not know this.
That is why they could speak of the extermination of a higher-level demon as something that could be handled.
"Please wait. A higher-level demon is something that can be handled either way.
The light magic I mentioned earlier. I said we were all wiped out by it.
But that is not entirely accurate.
A total of 15,000 elite soldiers were completely annihilated by a single monster.
This is truly the literal meaning.
Not the military term 'annihilation,' but literally...
exterminated. This is the literal meaning, not a metaphor..."
Silence enveloped the sacred cathedral.
In the solemn atmosphere, no one spoke.
A monster capable of slaughtering 15,000 people alone evoked a legend.
A legend of a monster that once destroyed a city and became a demon king.
Accurately, a "demon king" that caused great destruction.
A being that surpasses human capabilities, known as a Special S-Class monster, is called a "Dragon-type."
Currently, only three remain, and one was sealed until just now.
These three are practically referred to as Special S-Class.
However, in reality, the two higher-ranking demon kings could be designated as Special S-Class without any issue.
They are not, for a simple reason.
They rampaged before the establishment of the Holy Church and have not caused any confirmed damage since.
In other words, if they were to cause even a little trouble now, they would be designated as Special S-Class.
Their confirmed strength is such that they cannot be defeated by human hands. That is what makes them Special S-Class.
The Holy Church is said to have been established a thousand years ago.
Tracing its lineage, it reaches back 1,200 years.
At that time, "Dark Emperor" Krimzone and "Tyrant of Destruction" Mirin Nava, who already reigned as demon kings, are considered Special S-Class in the background.
There may be other true demon kings that have awakened, but none have caused great destruction on the surface.
Therefore, to avoid unnecessarily fueling people's fears, all demon kings are officially designated as S-Class.
The distinction that they can be dealt with by the collective power of humanity.
It cannot be declared that they are beyond human capabilities in the absence of heroes.
However, this time, the monster...
It might be the first demon king to require an official Special S-Class designation.
A heavy silence continued.
It was creating the meaning that they did not want to acknowledge the birth of a true demon king.
There is a significant difference between a simple "demon king" and a "true demon king."
However...
"Hmm, there's no point in remaining silent forever.
So, Rehim, what do you think? Do you believe the creature has awakened?"
Breaking the silence, Hinata asked.
Rehim's response was clear and unequivocal:
"Yes. I believe 15,000 lives are sufficient as the offering required for a demon king..."
"Is that so..."
Hinata muttered and began to think.
It was fortunate that the expedition to the nation of monsters "Tempest" was not launched without understanding the situation.
If the opponent had awakened and evolved into a "true demon king," the number of troops would be meaningless.
Even elite soldiers would be useless if they did not meet a certain level of strength.
This was proven by the惨状 of the extermination force.
Even without being fully strengthened, they were defeated by a single creature.
From ancient times, it has been decided that a demon king can only be defeated by a carefully selected hero and their party.
Therefore...
"Will I have to go myself?"
She muttered.
If the opponent is a demon king, she would have to go.
Bringing ordinary soldiers would be meaningless, as it would only increase unnecessary casualties.
A small, elite force.
Or, a battle with 100 Holy Knights might have the highest chance of victory.
Hinata accelerated her thinking even further.
To achieve a complete victory, that was what mattered.
Suddenly, Rehim began to show signs of distress.
The faces embedded in his chest began to speak.
His expression, which was filled with pain, gradually became calm...
"Ah, ah, microphone test. Can you hear me?
(Already connected!)
(Eh? Connected? Really?)
...Whatever.
Cough.
Nice to meet you? I am Rimuru, the master of the nation of monsters (Tempest).
Let me make it clear first, this is a message.
Even if you speak to this messenger, it will not reach me, so keep that in mind."
He spoke in this manner.
The knights who were about to draw their swords at Rehim were speechless.
They were about to speak without being warned.
The Holy Knights were stunned.
Hinata did not change her expression and decided to wait for the rest of the message.
Internally, she was considering various possibilities, but she did not show it on her face.
Through remarkable self-control, she was in command of her emotions.
"Does this messenger suit me?
A good hobby? Just to be clear, it's not my hobby.
Don't misunderstand.
(I, um, it's not my hobby either...)
(Shut up, be quiet. The other side might hear! )
(That's right. It could have been dangerous)
Hobbies are fine, but let's get to the main point.
How do you plan to take responsibility for this?
Let me make it clear, you were the first to provoke.
There are witnesses, so this cannot be denied. What do you plan to do?
If you admit your mistake and apologize, I might forgive this incident.
However, if you insist on opposing us because you don't want to associate with monsters, I will deal with you with full force.
I will not back down, I will not bend, and I will not repent. I will deal with you accordingly.
(But, isn't repentance sometimes the better option?)
(That's why I said, be quiet. If you're heard, my authority will be lost!)
That's right. Think carefully.
And, changing the subject, is Hinata there?
This message is transmitted through the waves I detect in this body.
That's enough. What I want to say is...
You used to attack without listening to what I had to say, almost killing me!
But, it was a shame.
I survived.
If you come at me without listening again, I will deal with you seriously.
But... I want to have a serious conversation.
Please consider it.
If the result is that we cannot tolerate each other, then so be it.
Give your answer to this messenger.
The heads embedded in this body are called Blood Shadows. They killed my comrades. I cannot forgive this.
Therefore, I killed them and buried their heads.
This messenger is already dead. I have given him immortality to continue his suffering.
If you bring this message back to me, I will give him a peaceful end.
If you deal with him, use "Disintegration" to annihilate him.
If you try to kill him half-heartedly, you will only cause him more pain. Remember that.
Anyway, I am heading to Fitter Vulpurgis now.
Whether we talk or come to a resolution, it will be after I return alive.
It will probably be a week from now, so consider your answer by then.
Goodbye. I look forward to your response."
The message ended with these words.
The Holy Knights were silent, focusing their gaze on Hinata, whom they trusted.
Hinata, receiving their gaze, remained unperturbed.
She was busy organizing the information she had just obtained.
Although it felt like conversations were happening everywhere, she ignored them.
She thought it was a flippant attitude, but the content could not be dismissed as foolish.
The most important point was the interpretation of "Disintegration," which she believed to be a trump card.
If they were to fight, she thought it was highly likely that it would not work against the opponent.
It might be a bluff to make her think that, but it was better not to be overly optimistic