—The world takes notice of Tempest's rise—
The sun rose high over Tempest, casting golden rays across the nation Rimuru built with dreams, courage, and evolution. The winds were warm, carrying the scent of blossoming herbs and fresh food from the open markets. Life buzzed. Tempest was changing—not just in power, but in reputation.
The news had spread across the Cardinal World.
A kingdom of monsters had defeated an army of 20,000.
Its ruler had ascended into Demon Lordhood.
Naturally… this stirred everyone.
In the central hall of Tempest, the grand doors opened with a deep echo.
The first to enter was a man clad in elegant armor, his black beard trimmed sharp, and his steps proud and grounded.
"It's been a while, Rimuru."
King Gazel Dwargo, ruler of the Dwarven Kingdom, had arrived.
Rimuru's slime form bounced forward, glowing with a soft blue hue, happy to see his friend.
"Gazel! You came! Sorry I didn't write—things got kinda crazy lately."
Gazel gave a small smile. "I've heard. The entire continent has."
Not long after, another pair of footsteps echoed in.
A graceful figure with long silver hair, wearing the robes of high nobility, stepped in calmly.
"I hope you don't mind me joining uninvited."
It was Erald Grimwald, the wise and powerful Archduke of Sarion, the Elven Kingdom.
Rimuru blinked. "Whoa. This is turning into a real party!"
And moments later, a third voice chimed in, nervous but composed.
"Blumund sends its regards… and maybe a little concern."
Fuze, the Guildmaster of Blumund, walked in, carrying documents and nervous energy. He was sweating before he even sat down.
They all gathered around the long council table Rimuru had made for moments like this. Shion poured drinks for everyone—though hers might have been too strong, because even Gazel raised an eyebrow after one sip.
Rimuru stood at the head of the table.
"Thanks for coming, everyone. I know news has been flying around about what happened with Falmuth… and my… um, evolution."
"To put it simply—I'm now a Demon Lord. Tempest is safe, the people are happy, and we even made some new… powerful friends."
Before anyone could ask, the doors suddenly slammed open.
BOOM.
A burst of pressure swept through the room like a flash storm.
Gazel's eyes narrowed. Erald stood up sharply. Fuze grabbed the edge of the table.
A man walked in—tall, tanned, shirtless, his hair golden, his grin wild.
"Yo, Rimuru! I got bored waiting outside! Thought I'd come say hi!"
Veldora. The Storm Dragon. In the flesh.
He casually waved at the stunned guests, flexing without trying.
"Hey hey! I'm Veldora! Nice to meet ya!"
Rimuru looked over and sighed. "You could've knocked, y'know."
But none of the guests heard that.
Gazel was sweating bullets.
Erald's face twitched.
And Fuze…
"...V-Veldora…? The... Storm Dragon...?"
Thud.
He fainted, face-down on the table.
Gazel coughed into his hand. "You… made friends with the most destructive dragon in history?"
Rimuru nodded. "Yup. He's my first friend. Saved my sanity when I first reincarnated. Long story."
Erald leaned forward. "And you're just… letting him live here?"
Veldora grinned wide. "Tempest's got good food! And manga!"
Gazel whispered to himself, "...The world's lost its mind."
Rimuru raised a hand. "Don't worry. Veldora promised not to destroy anything... again."
Before they could dive into another serious topic, a small explosion of glitter and wind swirled near the ceiling.
CRASH.
Something—or someone—burst through the wall.
"AAAAHHHHH! TEMPEST IS DOOMED!"
Everyone froze.
Floating in the air, panting and flailing in panic, was a tiny fairy-like being.
Ramiris. One of the Ten Demon Lords.
"W-We're doomed! DOOMED, I TELL YOU!!"
Shion reached for her sword. "Who let her in?!"
Rimuru pinched the sides of his slime head. "Oh no, not now…"
Ramiris flailed more. "You guys have to evacuate! Pack up! RUN!"
"Because a Walpurgis has been called!"
Gazel's face went dark. "The Demon Lords' Banquet?"
Erald stood. "Who requested it?"
Ramiris shivered. "Clayman. And the topic… is you, Rimuru."
The room went quiet.
Even Veldora's grin faded.
Fuze, who had just woken up, fainted again.
"Me, huh?" Rimuru muttered.
Ramiris floated closer. "He's making it official. He wants the Demon Lords to vote to punish you—maybe even erase Tempest!"
Everyone looked at Rimuru, expecting shock or panic.
Instead, he gave a small smile.
"Good."
"Because I planned to crash the party anyway."
"If they want to put Tempest on trial, then I'll give them a reason to remember who I am. I'll walk into Walpurgis and tell them myself."
The room filled with silence… and awe.
Gazel smirked
Veldora cracked his knuckles. "I'll come too! Sounds fun!"
Ramiris's wings flapped nervously. "W-Why are you all so calm?!"
Rimuru's eyes narrowed, glowing faintly.
"Because I'm no longer just a slime."
"I'm a Demon Lord now. And I protect my people."
The Cardinal World was changing.
Not on the surface, no. Cities still rose tall, adventurers still trained their skills, and powerful beings still ruled over lands with unmatched magical might.
But in the shadows, in the depths of the forests, the quiet of the skies, and the whispers in the wind, things were no longer the same.
It all began the moment Yujiro Hanma stepped foot into this world.
He didn't bring armies.
He didn't bring magic.
He didn't need to.
He brought something ancient, raw, terrifying…
Pure, unfiltered physical strength.
The kind of strength that made monsters look small.
The kind of strength that shattered the pride of Demon Lords with a single punch.
They called him a calamity in human form. A beast.
But to others, he was a wake-up call.
In Dwargon, Gazel's knights built a new training program named after the red monster: Hanma Conditioning.
In Sarion, silent halls echoed with shouts and grunts instead of mana chants.
In Ruberios, Hinata ordered her Holy Knights to begin hand-to-hand combat drills weekly. "If your blade breaks… what then?" she asked them.
The whole world was shifting—slowly, but surely.
And far above, hidden outside the fabric of existence, in a realm darker than death… he was watching.
Atraval, the Bane of All Power, stood silently.
A tall, commanding figure of pitch-black armor that pulsed like a dying star. His long hair floated like smoke. Around him, the land bent unnaturally. Time felt slow. Sound echoed weirdly, like the world itself was afraid to breathe around him.
His eyes—two endless voids—were fixed on the Cardinal World.
Behind him stood hundreds—no, thousands—of beings cloaked in darkness. The Nullborns.
They did not chant.
They did not cheer.
They did not breathe magic.
They stood, motionless, waiting for his signal.
Suddenly, one of them stepped forward and dropped to one knee.
"My Lord Atraval… when do we move?"
Atraval didn't answer right away.
He simply raised one hand… and clenched it slowly.
Above him, the sky of their shadow realm began to crack.
Lightning—black lightning—spiked through the void.
"Not yet," he said, his voice low, distorted, like a thousand voices whispering at once.
He stepped forward.
"Their skies will change. Their air will turn heavy. Their magicules will start to bend… to tremble…"
He raised his hand again. A map of the Cardinal World formed in black fire before him.
"Let them prepare. Let them train. Let them hope."
His voice darkened.
"Because soon… I will burn it all away."
Back in the Cardinal World, things were… off.
The skies were clearer than usual—but not in a good way.
There was a stillness.
Birds flew lower.
Animals grew restless.
The wind no longer sang through trees—it hummed, like it was waiting.
In Tempest, Rimuru stared at the sky with narrowed eyes.
"Raphael… are you sensing anything strange?"
A pause. Then the calm voice of the Ultimate Skill answered.
"Unnatural patterns in the atmosphere detected.
Magicules behaving… oddly.
Magicule threads are twisting outside standard flow.
Conclusion: unknown disturbance incoming."
Rimuru blinked. "Incoming?"
"Unconfirmed. But... the world is changing."
In the Ice Continent, Guy stood atop a frozen cliff. He looked into the distance, hand on his sword.
"Something's wrong," he muttered. "The world feels… lighter."
In the skies, Velzard soared over clouds that no longer moved with the wind. She stopped and hovered midair.
"Why is the wind… afraid?"
And far away… Atraval smiled....