Milim Nava, the Dragonoid Princess of Wrath and Destruction, stood atop a mountain peak, her long pink hair fluttering wildly in the wind, her gaze fixed far in the direction of the Jura Tempest Federation. Though she wore her usual playful smile, her eyes were sharp, glowing faintly with suppressed fury.
She knew.
She knew of the war. Of Falmuth's betrayal. Of the scheme orchestrated in the shadows. And she knew Clayman—pathetic, arrogant, manipulative Clayman—was pulling the strings behind it all.
But Milim… was playing her own game.
To Clayman, she appeared nothing more than a pawn: manipulated by his "charm" magic, obeying his orders without question. But the truth was far more dangerous—Milim was pretending. Pretending to be under his control, while secretly gathering information, waiting for the right time to strike.
Milim sat on a large boulder, licking a honey-flavored lollipop, while her "uncle" Yujiro Hanma sat with arms crossed, meditating with his eyes closed.
"Uncle Yujiro," Milim said, voice light but mischievous. "Clayman thinks he's using me to control the Demon Lord council. I've been playing dumb for weeks now. He doesn't even realize I'm feeding false information to Frey."
Yujiro didn't open his eyes. "Hmph. Sounds like fun."
Milim twirled the lollipop in her mouth and kicked her feet. "You're not mad I'm letting him think he's controlling me?"
Yujiro opened one eye and glanced at her, a smirk curling his lips. "Nah. You're strong. Do whatever you want. But if he ever becomes more than just a joke…" Yujiro's eye gleamed with primal energy. "You know what to do."
Milim grinned wildly. "Of course I do!"
Meanwhile… At the Border of Tempest
Twenty thousand knights—soldiers of Falmuth and the Western Holy Church—marched like an unstoppable tidal wave of steel and banners. The sun reflected off their armor, their boots thundered against the soil, and their chants echoed ominously through the trees.
But waiting for them, silent and ready, was the Storm of Jura—Rimuru Tempest, alongside his elite generals.
Benimaru, Souei, Shion,Goramu, Hakurou, Shuna, Geld, Gobta, and the rest stood ready on all sides of the city. They had their orders: destroy the four devices hidden at the cardinal points around Tempest. Each device, protected by a battalion, maintained the barrier that weakened monsters. Their mission was critical—destroy the devices, secure the area, and erect a new barrier to trap the souls.
As the army approached—
WHOOM!
Rimuru suddenly appeared in the sky above the marching knights, his figure casting a long, godlike shadow across the battlefield. His eyes were narrowed, cold and merciless.
Floating silently, he raised his hand.
"Great Sage," Rimuru whispered. "Begin."
Acknowledged. Initiating Rain of Judgment: Prototype Attack.
Tiny spheres of water began forming around Rimuru—thousands of them—each one glowing faintly blue. Then, like bullets, they fired, raining down across the army with pinpoint precision.
THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!
Each drop struck a knight directly in the forehead—non-lethal but devastating. Screams erupted. Chaos exploded.
"W-What is happening?!"
"My head! I'm bleeding—!"
"Enemy magic! Protect the rear ranks!"
But there was no source they could see—only death from above.
In the distance, Souei's shadow clones had already eliminated one device. Benimaru had led his squad to crush the western soldiers with a burning rain of flame. Hakurou and Goramu in a blur, had cut down the eastern flank like a whirlwind. Shion laughed wildly as she obliterated the northern battalion, her power roaring with vengeance.
And above all this… Rimuru hovered, his eyes burning with righteous fury.
Great Sage update: 9,412 souls collected. Current status—Merciless skill acquired.
Rimuru clenched his fist. "Use it."
Suddenly, a pulse of energy rippled across the field.
The remaining soldiers—confused, terrified, staggering—froze. Then, as if on cue, they dropped. All of them.
Silent. Cold. Lifeless.
Total soul count: 20,000. Conditions met for Demon Lord Evolution.
Rimuru's body trembled. A wave of heat and dizziness flooded through him.
Notice: Evolution into a True Demon Lord is beginning. System will enter suspended state. All defensive measures will be automatic.
Rimuru gasped. "Wait—I need protection. Great Sage, prepare sacrifice for a demon summoning."
Confirmed. Sacrificing 20,000 souls to summon demon guardians… Initiating.
BOOM!
A black portal cracked open in the sky.
And from it emerged three demons, cloaked in darkness and death. One stepped forward—his hair black, his aura chilling, eyes like twin voids. The primordial demon of darkness.
Noir and two other demons.
He knelt before Rimuru's falling body.
"So… this is the summoning ritual of a soon-to-be Demon Lord. Impressive. What is your command, master?"
Rimuru, barely conscious, forced out one sentence. "Three humans. Still hiding… Find them. Protect… me."
Noir nodded. "As you command."
He vanished in a flicker of shadow. Minutes later, he returned, dragging King Edmaris and two others—bloody, broken, unconscious.
Ranga arrived with a growl, eyes wide with grief and rage.
"Take them back to Tempest," Noir ordered. "Your master is evolving."
Ranga picked up Rimuru's slime body, pulsing faintly with divine light, and vanished into the forest mist.
Hours Passed...
Inside the heart of Tempest, Rimuru's body lay still, surrounded by his generals, protected by Noir and the other summoned demons.
Then…
Notice: Awakening as True Demon Lord… Successful.
Great Sage has evolved into: Raphael, the Lord of Wisdom.
Darkness. Silence. Stillness.
Rimuru's slime body pulsed gently in the heart of Tempest, lying in a sacred chamber surrounded by his most trusted companions. The air was thick with energy—ancient, divine, and overwhelming. His body was not entirely his anymore.
Not yet.
Inside him, a force beyond comprehension stirred—a consciousness far greater than any ordinary skill.
Commencing resurrection ritual… Beginning soul reconstruction protocol.
This voice wasn't Rimuru.
It was Raphael, the evolved form of the Great Sage—now a fully awakened Ultimate Skill, a being of perfect calculation and divine control. Raphael had taken command, managing the evolution of its master while simultaneously preparing the ritual to restore life.
A magical circle of transcendent complexity formed around Rimuru's body—glyphs, symbols, and lines glowing in sapphire and silver, floating and rotating in the air.
All around the city, the dead bodies of those Rimuru had lost—the citizens of Tempest, children, families, soldiers, merchants, comrades—began to faintly glow. Their bodies had not decayed. Their souls had not scattered. Not yet.
Benimaru stood near one of them—Koby, one of the city's younger guards. He blinked as the body glimmered faintly. "Is this…?"
Then, across the skies—
[Notice: Resurrection Ritual Activated.]
[Conditions Met: True Demon Lord Ascension.]
[Reconstructing all souls bound by Rimuru Tempest's desire.]
Back in the chamber, Raphael continued the process with calm clarity.
Analyzing soul fragments… Linking spiritual pathways… Matching body to soul resonance…
Beams of light shot out from the glyphs in Rimuru's body like a heartbeat, connecting with the glowing corpses across Tempest.
One by one—Shion, Gobzo, Gilda, Rigur, and several others—their fingers twitched.
The resurrection had begun.
Then, the skies trembled.
A voice—louder than thunder yet gentle as a breeze—swept across the entire country:
[Notice: The individual "Rimuru Tempest" has fulfilled the requirements for Demon Lord Ascension.]
[Notice: As a result, all subordinates, allies, and loyal followers will receive "Gifts."]
[Notice: Unique Evolution Path Initiated.]
All over Tempest, people fell to their knees in confusion, awe, and reverence.
"G-Gifts…?" Shuna whispered, holding her hands to her chest as her body began to glow.
"I… feel strange," Geld muttered, before his body suddenly collapsed with a thud, a smile on his face.
Benimaru staggered, catching himself with his katana. "What's happening to us…?"
Souei appeared beside him, breathing heavily. "We're… being transformed."
It was true.
Each person who had stood beside Rimuru—whether human, monster, or other—was being infused with power. Their bodies began to shine with a soft golden light. Magicules flowed through them like rivers. They didn't resist it. They couldn't. It was as if something warm and divine was holding them, blessing them.
Rimuru's Inner World
Resurrection complete. All designated souls returned to their bodies.
Initializing secondary effect of Demon Lord evolution… Gifting protocol underway.
Raphael calmly reported, while Rimuru—still unconscious—floated in an infinite space of memory, light, and dreams.
A portion of the magicules gathered through evolution shall be distributed among the faithful… gifts bestowed based on loyalty, bond strength, and emotional resonance.
From Gobta to Goramu, from Vesta to Kaijin, from the smallest dryad to the mightiest warrior—all received a share of Rimuru's power. Those closest to him—Shion, Benimaru, Ranga, Shuna, and Souei—received the greatest gifts. Their skills began to mutate. New names, new titles, new paths of power were opening before them.
But the price of such a divine gift… was sleep.
The evolution overwhelmed their bodies. One by one, they all collapsed into deep slumber, their bodies cocooned in soft magical glow, undergoing their own transformations—just as their master had.
Hours Later
The battlefield was quiet. The sun began to rise.
Everywhere, sleeping bodies lay wrapped in magical light. A city that once screamed in horror now rested in peace, protected by barriers and watchful guardians.
And in the heart of it all, Rimuru—still in slime form, still glowing like a star—floated peacefully.
Waiting.
Evolving.
And soon… awakening.