Third POV:
A deafening silence engulfed the meeting room. The executives and a few associates came in an emergency and left their duties in a hurry. Tempest's leaders summoned them in the middle of the day for an unannounced meeting.
The Devil Girls including Blanche; Diablo; Kumara; the Onis; Shizu; Ramiris; Beretta; Treyni; the fallen Angels; the Insectar siblings; the undead trio; Charys; Rigurd; Gobta; Kaijin and Vesta arrived more or less at the same time. Ranga and Lycaon emerged from their masters' shadows and took place at their feet.
Benimaru eyed Shion, inquiring in silence if she had any idea of what's going on. She shook her head, clueless like the others because she wasn't with Mithra this morning, but gossiping with Shuna for a change.
Shion and Kumara stood and sat next to Mithra and Rimuru respectively. They tried to show a professional facade and hide their growing concern. Same for Diablo, standing behind Rimuru, and same for everyone else. They felt it was something critical. How couldn't they? The lords of Tempest radiated a threatening aura, stemming with irritation and defiance.
Even Veldora broke his carefree character and sat alongside his sworn friends instead of lazing on his sofa. His crossed arms and pensive expression gave him a halo of wisdom, strange given his personality but somehow fitting.
Gabiru arrived a little after the others, nervous. He came back from his wandering in the wild for a quick visit to his homeland, at least that's what everyone's thought at the time. He indeed returned to tell his father he would take some time for himself, to make sure no one would be worried about his absence for the next week. He was about to meet with one of the Elves and teleport back to Mariabell's base when he received a message from Rimuru. After stuttering an answer through 'Thought Communication', Souei appeared to bring him for the meeting.
Geld stumbled on the step of the door, a little dazed and red from embarrassment for his tardiness. He had to take a day off and finished his nap when the call arrived.
The last ones were Yuuki and the Moderate Troupe, brought by Moss. The little demon bowed before disappearing and all eyes turned to the Demon Lords. Now all the important individuals of the country gathered, Mithra did her best to keep her aura in check. She glanced at Rimuru and sighed, as he gave no sign of calming down any time soon.
"Now the atmosphere of the festivities has dissipated, it's time we focus on our next challenge. The Eastern Empire will march on us in about five months, and today, we'll discuss how to take them down."
The latent power in her voice sent shivers down the attendees' spines, and the goal of today's meeting put them on high alert. Most of them knew there was something smouldering between the two nations, without having the whole picture yet due to the festival. It's now time to get on buisness.
-"Excuse me, Sir Rimuru." Ultima raised her hand, somewhat uneasy. "Did something happen concerning this matter?"
-"You can say that. Remember how I asked for Scorch Dragon Velgrynd to visit us, so I could ascertain she wasn't reduced to a mere puppet?" Rimuru snarled, the dripping venom in his voice making the demoness sweatdrop. "Well, she came today."
-"And we had to stop you from attacking her. Seriously Rimuru, what the hell?" Veldora complained, half panicked. His revelation elicited shocked gasps among the attendees. "It doesn't matter if we followed you and killed her right now, I'm sure Michael and Feldway would've gone all-out for the affront."
-"I know, thanks." Rimuru raised his arms in annoyance. "But I dare you two to look at me in the eyes and say you didn't envision it, after she insulted and threatened us and our people."
-"Okay, stop right there, you're boiling up again." Mithra cut him off before turning to Kumara. "Help him cool off before we tell what happened, please."
-'I'll help too. Stay composed, Rimuru. Do not let her words spread venom in your mind or you'll give them an advantage.' Inside his soul, Ciel hugged him from behind.
Kumara didn't waste any second and shoved his face in her cleavage. She learned quite fast her companion becomes docile and relaxed when enveloped with the softness and warmth of her chest. Truly, they are anti-stress buttons.
The combined effort of his partners dissipated his anger, for now at least. He patted Kumara's back, signaling he's ready to continue the meeting in good conditions. When they released him, he saw a few of his subordinates looking away in embarrassment, Benimaru at their head. Yuuki and Gobta whistled, the first wanting to tease the slime and the latter being the usual pervert. The others balanced between keeping a straight face and showing amusement, except Pico who looked blasé. Blanche even laughed and murmured something about love.
-"Hum-hum... Sorry about that." Rimuru said, ignoring Yuuki whistling harder before Kagali forced him to shut up. "Let's start again, I'll summarize our encounter with that woman."
*Earlier in the morning, Rimuru's POV*
Back to my routine, eh. I already have my mandatory pile of papers waiting for revision and approval, albeit smaller than usual. There's requests about future architectural projects and clarifications for the scientific department. Most of the other ministries now found a satisfactory efficiency to work without needing mine or Mithra's insight on every little thing.
It helps having diligent ministers eager to improve like the Hobgoblin Lords, while some key figures have mastered their art like Testa. The former built-up enough confidence, they now turn to us only for emergencies and the trickiest problems. The latter have our full trust to do their job how they see fit as they grasped our vision of Tempest's future.
I swept through the documents. It's a matter of mere minutes when nothing unexpected happens, and there's rarely something unexpected. Between my own experience, and Ciel double checking to see if I missed any overlap, nothing steps off the path.
Speaking about Ciel, she gained confidence between these tasks and her own projects. I prefer to see her smile instead of fearing me reproaching her incomplete evolution, and the loss of power associated. No one could have envisaged such a problem during the Harvest Festival, and she's my partner no matter what. I'd be cruel to consider her as anything else than a proper living being.
…Still, what was that? A stray surcharge on my soul perhaps, I can't tell what it could've been otherwise. Ciel doesn't remember anything more about the incident itself… Bah, I should have seen it coming. It was playing with fire, gathering that much power on my halved soul during a single event. In fact, I'm grateful to Ciel. Her existence surely acted like a powerful glue, preserving my core and preventing it from crumbling during such a critical time.
Okay, enough melodrama. I'll go take a stroll, I don't wanna get stuck in my office all day. Before leaving, let's check on Kumi. I'm curious to see how she's doing.
I closed the door and walked to the other end of the floor, where her own office is. She took a room in front of the stairs. In her own words it's to 'see who's coming and prevent anyone from bothering me and Mithra if it's not something overwhelming'. I must say it's adorable, albeit funny in the way she said it.
As I was near, I heard some voices debating. I recognized Ririna and Geld, quarreling with maps in their hands, while Kumi studied some papers. What's going on here?
-"I'm telling you the road cannot pass here, it's the land reserved for a natural park." Ririna waved her map with insistence.
-"Then why do I have instructions saying otherwise?" Geld asked, scratching his chin. "I doubt Sir Rimuru has let pass such contradictory planning."
Indeed, I did not, so what's the-
-"Wait a minute, let me confirm this…" Kumi approached Geld and took a look at his map, comparing it to the document she's holding. She paused, and crossed her arms. "When was the last time you took a day off?"
-"Hmm, have you found the problem?" He asked, a little uncomfortable.
-"You're using an obsolete map, look at the denomination. You received a new one a few days ago, remember? Treyni asked in a hurry to preserve this parcel due to its importance for local species, and to displace the road a few hundred meters southward. And you were here when this was discussed."
Geld remained silent, flustered about his blunder. The girls exchanged a look, then Kumi stared at him dead in the eyes.
"Take a break. We told you already to not overwork yourself. It's not good, neither for you, nor for your team." She pushed him toward the door, shooing the tired Orc to get his deserved rest.
She noticed me on my way to the stairs and winked before continuing her discussion with Ririna, it seemed to be about the upcoming fruit harvest… Yeah, she's nailing it. Testa can be proud of her student.
Thanks to my girl reducing my workload and how smoothly everything runs now, I can dedicate more time to other things. I'm thinking of paying Kurobe and Kaijin a visit. I have a little surprise in mind, and I need their craftsmanship. I would have preferred doing it myself, but… there's things I suck at, no matter what.
-'Hey Rimuru! I'm sensing my sister Velgrynd coming near our borders, are we doing as planned?' Veldora yelled in my mind, too loud for my liking but I understand how unnerving this is for him.
-'Yeah, go wait in the intended spot near Ameld River. I'll bring the chairs and snacks. And remember, no word about Michael or anything.'
-'Don't worry. I'll watch my tongue, even if it pains me.'
So, it's time to meet the last of the True Dragons. Her coming to visit Veldora was intended as a way to force Michael and Feldway to show their goodwill and fairplay, but I also have another goal. Ghostnava depicted her as the most compassionate and loving among their family, so I want to see for myself how true it is…
...Even if I already have my own idea about that.
-'Please, don't do anything too reckless. The last thing we want is to launch the hostilities right away.' Ciel barged in catastrophe from another part of my soul.
-'I'll… try to keep calm. But it will depend on her.'
I had in my 'Stomach' all I needed for a friendly meeting on the banks of the river. We may be adversaries, that doesn't mean we should act as such; moreso when I have my promise to repair this fragmented family to uphold to. For Veldora, this is a good opportunity to show his growth in how he handles his relationships.
I teleported soon to a tranquil island barely disturbed by the sound of the water coursing through a forest of reeds. I prepared the place, a luxurious table and cozy couches under a gazebo covered with intertwined tropical wines. Veldora appeared nervous —albeit way less than when he met Velzard the first time— as he flew in circles above me, acting like a beacon to call his sister.
Mithra arrived soon, grumbling about our guest's lack of civility as she arranged her clothes in a hurry. Okay, I see she went to Dwargon in the middle of the night surreptitiously. I heard Veldora snicker, calming down thanks to that sudden mood gap.
A few minutes later, we faced the pressure of a crimson bolide flying through the sky at several times the speed of sound. The fireball looked threatening, but the total absence of ill intent didn't make me raise my guard… That and Veldora being alone on a collision path with it.
"Whoa, whoa! Big sis, slow dow-"
The violent crash interrupted him, making him fly away a few kilometers as he struggled to oppose his sister's movement. The fireball dimmed, revealing a young woman with blue, long hair and an oriental dress, hugging the poor Storm Dragon so hard he was in pain.
-"I missed you, my rascal baby brother. Finally you got rid of that damn seal, I started to wonder if you'll ever get out before dying again." Velgrynd broke her hug, allowing Veldora to retrieve some colors. She eyed him, musing with satisfaction. "And you managed to gain a human form at last. Good, you've grown to control your powers, I'm proud of you. Now I can even pamper you more easily than before."
-"Ehhhhh? Later, okay? At least not in plain sight for everyone to see, please." He retreated with a face beet red, before a grin curved his lips. "I missed you too. Come, I want to introduce you to my friends."
As they arrived, I remarked how Velgrynd eyed us with mild skepticism. No doubt she wondered if we deserved to be called her brother's friends, or if we were using his status for ourselves. I can tell she's protective of Veldora in her way, and I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't believe Feldway's report.
I released my Blessing, her expression appeased upon confirmation of my link with her lost big bro. Man, the way it works makes me feel like I'm applying perfume for dragons and other ancient beings. This is embarrassing, albeit funny.
-"So, the poultry wasn't delusional. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Demon Lords Mithra and Rimuru. I'm the Scorch Dragon Velgrynd, but you earned the right to call me by my name, as friends of the family." She greeted us by placing a hand on her heart.
-"Same here, don't bother with titles or anything, it's annoying. Simplicity is the best." The old hag simply waved a hand to respond before grabbing a bottle to fill glasses.
-"...You seem… laid back compared to Guy." Velgrynd's eyes glimmered in amusement. "It's refreshing to see a Demon who doesn't act like they own the world."
-"Yet it's easy to tame Guy and make him eat in your hand. Allow him to channel his inner gay by offering an unwilling, beautiful man he's interested in, and you'll get him on a leash for a while." My sudden banter found its audience as Mithra cackled while uncorking the bottle in a clear 'pop', and Velgrynd loosened up with a soft chuckle.
We took place under the gazebo, the fruity savors of our new sparkling wine and freshly baked cakes accompanied well this sunny day of early autumn. For starters, the Dragon siblings caught up with small talk and a few stories of old times. Mithra and I listened, letting these two get a proper family time without much interference.
Veldora continued with a ranting of his own progress. He boasted over his newfound wisdom and sense of responsibilities —without forgetting to thank us for our implication after we gave him a look— for his sister's enjoyment. She interrupted him by ruffling his hair to the point it looked like a storm passed through.
Once Veldora stopped talking, Velgrynd thanked us once more for having made her baby brother a proper grown man. Then, her smile weakened, betraying a mix of solemness and worry creeping underneath.
-"I'm sorry if it comes out as blunt, but," she straightened on her seat, emitting a growing air of regality. "I ask of you, forget your deal with Feldway and ally yourselves to the Empire instead."
-"Why? For the sake of Rudra's game?" I kept a neutral facade, waiting for her to continue.
-"I won't lie, that is the main reason. For you to try and resurrect my dear brother, it's a noble goal. I reckon Feldway acted recklessly with his trial, bitter as he is of not being able to do it himself. But as long as I'm concerned," her gaze hardened a little, showing her determination. "Rudra's well-being is my priority. I don't ask you to forget about resurrecting Veldanava, but to not oppose us over this foolish deal Feldway made on Rudra's behalf, without concerting."
-"Ho? Sorry, but I thought Rudra still accepted the terms of this accord afterwards?" I smiled to keep my voice leveled as long as possible. I have a gut feeling on where it's going, and if I'm right, then this won't end well.
-"Yes, and that's because Rudra knows he isn't taking any real risk agreeing with it. I'll be frank," she paused, eyeing us with a hint of pity. "You stand no chance against the Empire."
-"...Excuse me?"
-"Since you're friends of the family, I'll play fair and explain to you the cruel reality before anything regrettable happens. The Empire was created for the sole purpose of unifying the world under Rudra's banner and defeating Guy in this game. Guy, and my sister Velzard." She insisted on their names, hoping the weight behind it would deter us from thinking ourselves equal to them.
"For more than two thousand years, we've crushed all opposing forces and grown to the extent we're on our final phase to conquer the world. Your nation may have grown quite spectacularly in such a short time, but there's a limit to what you can achieve. You're alone against us according to the rules you set on paper. So, I'm giving you a chance to stop the inevitable: join us before it's too late." She extended a hand, her tone warm yet the underlying threat wasn't lost on me.
-"Or what? You'd annihilate us, like you did for every unfortunate country who crossed paths with you?" Mithra interjected, slouched in her seat, legs crossed. "What's the legitimacy of a tyrannical Empire so adept to genocide as champions of the world? When it's not due to the need to expand, you'll even erase whole populations only for the pathetic, fleeting glory of a few bastards."
Velgrynd's attention switched to Mithra, her gaze hardening under the indirect insult toward what Rudra built. The air around us began to heat up, still bearable for now as she's keeping her composure, yet her warning was crystal clear.
"Be careful to not cross the line. I may not care about the Empire, but it remains my husband's creation. I won't accept any more underlying slander, not even from my family's friends. As for your complaints about the fate of the dead, well, 'woe to the vanquished'. Why should I bother for even a single one of them? They're insignificant existences to someone like me, all."
She then turned to me, expecting I would be the most likely to consider her offer, unaware of how much I'm boiling.
"Obviously, you two would survive alongside Veldora, but it would be a shame if your minions suffered a useless slaughter. If you refuse and when you'll lose, it will be the end for your citizens. My dear Rudra wouldn't show mercy to anyone opposing and disappointing him. As for me, my compassion only extends to family and close friends, not mere subordinates. It would end like absolutely every nation who dared to refuse to surrender."
For a minute, only silence, as I let her words sink. She dares? She dares menacing our people, on our land, in our face? To belittle their dignity and their lives like they're mere insects? To discard the suffering of many for her blondie's rotten ambition? My woman's suffering?!
Bah, of course she does. It's not the first time, as she already abandoned her own family long ago. Her own niece left to fend for herself as a kid, and never reached out to her in two thousand years. And that's supposed to be the most compassionate of the family? What a tasteless scam.
-"Rimuru, stop!" Veldora yelled, pinning me on my seat in panic with the old hag's help, as my aura flared instantly.
-'Please, keep your cool. Don't let it cloud your judgment.' Ciel blocked my Skills in a hurry to be sure I wouldn't jump on that lizard by instinct.
-"Really. Why do you have to make it so difficult for everyone?" Velgrynd shook her head in disappointment, not so bothered by my outburst. "You mustn't complain and say you weren't warned, next time we see each other."
-"Sis, this is the worst thing you could have done. Answer me this, if I were to threaten your Rudra, you would lose it on the spot, right?" Veldora locked eyes with her, surmounting his wariness as she responded with a murderous glare. "Well, you did the same to him. Rimuru holds his people dearly, and on top of that, you insulted his woman who's the lone survivor of the Cryptid County the Empire wiped out."
Velgrynd's anger vanished upon realization, giving me a faint understanding look. It was, however, nowhere near enough to calm me. I was seething, pondering how I should get back to her, no matter the consequences.
-"Tell me, why should I ever believe your promises? I know the value of being anyone other than your dear Rudra. It's null." I gave her a carnivorous smile as a show of defiance. "How could we trust the loving and compassionate Scorch Dragon? The same who betrayed the memories of her lost brother and sister-in-law by acting like her niece isn't worth her time."
It shocked her to the point she was stunned, speechless. Veldora gulped, sweating bullets, and Mithra murmured something along the line of 'no going back now'. Velgrynd shot up from her seat, her wrath flaring over kilometers wide and the land screaming under the pain of the unbearable fire she alighted. The furniture set ablaze and reduced to less than ashes on the spot, there was only the four of us. I escaped my restraints with a cocky grin, Veldora palling and Mithra raising her guard.
-"You dare-"
-"I do." I interrupted her to spill out my venom further. "You know, I made a promise to your brother, but I wonder if it's possible to keep my word upon witnessing how much of a disappointment you are. Out of all your siblings, I expected the most from you. Veldora was supposedly too irresponsible, and I hoped for nothing from Velzard. Yet, Veldora turned out to be a great friend and a responsible guardian once someone took the time to teach him in a way suiting him. Even Velzard surprised me in a positive way.
But you… you're a fraud. You got eyes only for your blondie, so much you failed the one who needed help the most, the one in your custody." I retracted my aura now I purged my resentment in such a satisfying way. That felt good, and that was for Milim too. "I promise you, Velgrynd. We will face the Empire as intended, and crush you all."
-"As you wish. Then, one last piece of advice." The blaze around her recedes, while her golden pupils glow. "When the fateful day arrives, be sure your woman found a good hideout beyond the limits of the world. Because I won't raise a finger if she gets caught and anything happens to her. I'll make sure only you three get to live as promised, and my compassion is already wasted on you, Demon Lord Rimuru. Your only grace is your connection to Veldanava, don't forget it."
-"Tch. Acting so haughty, you think there's no risk for you to lose, aren't you? Don't sell us short, I'm sure you heard from the crazy bird who we have on our side." Mithra looked down on her, not at all impressed by her confidence.
-"Why, of course. It doesn't matter if you have four Primordials licking your shoes. in the Cardinal World and as they are now, they're just shadows of their true selves and will always be. They're not free like Guy, and even the redhead has his limits." Velgrynd laughed, amused at the thought of any Demon other than Guy being able to stand against a True Dragon.
"As for you, you may be strong for Demon Lords, you can't seriously tell me you would survive a real battle against Guy if he wanted you dead. Veldora has grown, but he is the youngest and has a severe lack of experience. As for our side, Rudra is untouchable, and we even have Feldway willing to lend his power, despite how much I dislike him. So I ask you again, are you so delusional and blinded by pride to think you stand a chance?"
The old hag exploded in a loud laugh which shook the ground, as she applied her power. It was her turn to answer with a smug which irritated Velgrynd. "Oh darling, you have no idea what's possible in this world. You being a member of the strongest species doesn't mean you're invincible, especially when you're the most fragile of them all."
This statement made Velgrynd scoff, while our boy Veldora got all flustered from the indirect praise. I winced in cringe, the word 'darling' feeling so terrible from her mouth. Seeing we will never bulge, our 'guest' decided she had enough and prepared to teleport. She threw us one last glare before disappearing.
The fire devouring the near forest was the sole indicator the guardian of the Empire ever set foot here. Veldora summoned a heavy rain to extinguish the flames, while Mithra and I exchanged knowing looks. I received no alarm from the magic contract, meaning Velgrynd only got hypnotized into thinking Rudra was still himself, as promised.
What a moron. What a sorry excuse for a loving couple. The bastard hero never sought real help, even from his woman, and let the situation fester and rot his very soul for the sake of his stupid game. And her, never realizing what he became, blinded by her obsession for the perfect image of the blondie she married.
'There's no way we're gonna lose to this bitch. Soon, we'll slap her awake and put her nose deep in her own shit.'
*Back to present, Third POV*
Once they heard the full story, the executives kept quiet, not knowing what to say. The air felt heavy. Many expressed their distaste toward Velgrynd's prediction through clenched fists and gritted teeth.
Benimaru ruffled Shuna's hair, trying to divert his sister's mind from the threat announced by the Scorch Dragon. Gabiru and Gobta gulped, understanding shit got real and they're some of the most in danger in this room. Clayman appeared dead inside, having went through a hellish humiliation already and anticipating another session of ass beating since he's working as a vassal of Tempest now.
Testarossa pulled Blanche into a hug, ready to protect the young girl to the end. Yet, the once princess of the lost kingdom of Silberia didn't show any sign of apprehension. She trusted it will be alright as she'll be standing side by side with her dearest friend.
Rimuru felt a soft hand sneaking in his. Kumara reached out, a tender and loving smile as a wordless thanks. She knew how great of a risk Rimuru took, antagonizing the Scorch Dragon to defend both her, the fallen of her homeland, Milim and the whole Tempest. He gently squeezed her hand, all lasting traces of his bad mood gone as he appreciated her presence.
Finally, Ramiris broke the silence, buzzing frantically around Treyni and kickboxing. "Raaaahhh, I'm so pissed! If I had that brat in front of me, I would have pummeled her into the dirt with my 48 Special Moves. No way I will let my new home get destroyed without making 'em cry for their moms."
Her intervention dissipated everyone's apprehension. Slowly, a few people responded with faint laughs and determined expressions, their will to fight alighten.
-"She's right. It's enough being so gloomy, why would we be afraid of this puny Empire?" Shion raised a fist and unsheathed her sword, a little too pumped up. "Let's demolish them like we did for every obstacle on our path before. Simple as that."
-"Kufufufu. You cut the words off my mouth, Shion. Your enthusiasm is such a delight to witness, but do leave some for everyone to toy with when the day comes.." Diablo caressed his chin, ever so relaxed as he's always believing in the success of his lord.
-"It's good you're all full of vigor, but hold your horses. It's not so simple." Mithra interrupted them before they became clouded by their excitement. She put her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands. "As much as I hate to admit it, the oven was right about at least one thing: the Empire is on another level to our previous challenges altogether."
-"Hey, old hag. Are you chickening out, you of all people?" Carrera pointed her finger in disbelief. "These morons can't be more dangerous than Velzard, no? And you survived being an idiot with her, so what's the big deal?"
Most of the room arbored a similar kind of astonishment. When Mithra, the incarnation of recklessness, temperate someone's fervor, you know there's a problem profiling. Mithra glanced at each of the Primordials with a frown, long enough for it to unnerve them.
-"Well, guys. If you were to jump on me right now, the four of you… how'd you think it would go?"
-"Where do you want to go with such a question?" Ultima deflected, unamused by the provocation.
-"Please, answer truthfully. It's important." Rimuru interceded, startling the demons. They exchanged sheepish looks, a little embarrassed by what's to come. Especially Ultima, as she ended being under the pressure of the others having thrown the responsibility of answering onto her.
-"We… could hope for a victory." She scrutinized the table, finding it fascinating as her voice faded under shyness.
-"Hope for a victory. Yeah, that's the best you could do in your current state." Mithra acquiesced, her words being a merciless hammer pounding at the demons' pride. "This is the difference between us in the Central Plane. If we were in Hell, Ultima and Carrera together would now give me a good enough fight after their intensive training. Add either Testa or Diablo, and the balance would shift at my disadvantage, making it difficult to snatch a win. The four of you at once would leave me no chance. But that's only in Hell."
Mithra explained to the audience the difference between her, who awakened, and the Primordials, who're stuck as Demon Peers. Their bodies allow them to stay on the Cardinal World forever, and having either a name or an awakening removes the limit to their Skill's evolution*. But unlike Guy, they remain shackled, unable to call upon their full power as long as they don't evolve into Devil Lords. This piece of knowledge also allowed everyone to grasp the full extent of these beings' real potential. They knew Primordials could rival Demon Lords —and witnessed it firsthand during the tournament— but now it is clear to all they're in another realm. If they had access to their full strength, they would indisputably be the strongest force right below their lords.
*A.N: That's an addition on my part. I wanted to remove the inconsistency of Primordials not having Ultimate (or even Unique) in Hell when they are almost the most ancient beings. They also have innumerable battle experience against each other and are some of the few existences able to harm and defeat True Dragons. So, yeah, things like Guy obtaining [Pride] only by facing Veldanava feels weird.
"So, we may have four Primordials, but they're in an incomplete state. A few others can stand their ground against lower Demon Lords or incomplete Saints, okay. Nevertheless, our options remain limited against the mightiest powers of this world." Mithra continued to enumerate their forces and embraced her role as the supreme commander of the army.
"The Empire has a few dozen Enlightened and complete Saints in their ranks. They have the legendary 'God of war', who surpassed in raw power many True Demon Lords and Heroes in history. Apparently, and that's a problem, there's another guy in their ranks who surpassed him in the last decades. We have a True Dragon, but so do they. Veldora has progressed, but Velgrynd has more experience and the deadliest firepower. I can tell she's the most fragile of all True Dragons, but that hardly means anything unless you've reached that level. And on top of all that, they have the Manas of the supposed strongest Skill of all times, and the leader of the Angels. So yeah, it will be difficult."
During her monologue, Rimuru was lost in his thoughts. He made a rapid comparative of both teams' forces, and knew they needed to bolster their elites in any way possible. War may not be his strongest point compared to Mithra, he still knew they needed some kind of breakthrough to change their situation. To shift from an uncomfortable stalemate or worse to a possible victory.
-'... Incomplete state, huh?'
-'Do you have an idea?' Ciel shifted her attention from Mithra to him.
-'Mayhaps. A gut feeling I'd say. I'll ask for your help later. I have something planned next week, so you can also finish your project in peace.'
-'Roger. I'm sure you'll have your mind blown away once you see what I've done.'
-"Just say we're cooked will ya. This is worse that we all could imagine in the first place." Laplace waved his hands and shook his head. His response earned him many condemning glares from the Tempestians.
-"Don't be so uncool, mister ex-Hero. She said 'difficult', not 'hopeless'." Yuuki crossed his legs and arbored his usual cocky grin. "Moreso when we have eyes working with us in their ranks."
-"You're right, Yuuki, that's the first step." Rimuru nodded and pulled a paper from his 'Stomach'. "Thanks to Damrada, we have a detailed explanation of the Empire's main forces. Unfortunately, details concerning the strongest individuals remain partial. Have you had any news from him since last time?"
-"Sorry boss, it's total silence since he returned there." Yuuki scratched his nose. "He said he needed to keep the lowest profile possible, while he prepared his full defection to our side."
-"Hmmmm. Here's a name I wasn't expecting as an ally, but that's a good starting point." Testa mused, having released her embrace on Blanche to follow the conversation. "This man is known as Moss' rival, but I can imagine he never showed his full strength before."
-"As Rudra's Prime Minister in the old ages, the intel he gathered is invaluable. We'll prepare our defense to be on point, and that's our main advantage, thanks to Ramiris. Honestly, I'm not too concerned about the capital, but Jistav is another story." Mithra tapped her fingers on the table, making the Moderate Troupe freeze. "As Tempest's vassal, it's obvious that land will be targeted as well. So, I hope you'll take your dispositions to train hard and not drag us down, okay Clayman?"
-"Arrgh. Why is it always me?" The ex Demon Lord whined, for the amusement of many, including his friends.
-"Don't worry, bro. I know the feeling." Gobta offered him a sincere, fraternal smile, and broke his morale by accident.
-"We have a few months for everyone to polish their skills, so in ten days onward, I want y'all to be ready to push yourselves to new heights. That includes you girls." Mithra now focused on the Devil Girls with a way too innocent smile to be believable. And it didn't suit her either. "Ul and Carr, I promise you some more suffering until I become satisfied with your progress. And Testa, I expect you to complete your finishing move. You're so smart I find it weird you're lacking in that department after all this time."
-"Oh? She still hasn't told you?" Diablo opened his lips curled into a triumphant smile, alarming Testa but without giving her time to shut him up. "She always had one."
-"...Wat?"
-"You heard me. I must say you hurt me, Testa. Am I really unworthy of facing your 'White Flare' even now?" He faked tears, gesticulating in a grandiloquent fashion to mock her. "Wait, I say 'I', but I should say 'we'. You could have defeated Zegion in the tournament, and get the opportunity to challenge me and show you're the best. You could have shown your true self to Mithra once she deserved your respect. So why? Are you so prideful, resorting to your full power even once would damage your ego?"
He ended with small huff, savoring the awkwardness of the position Testa found herself in. She became paralyzed, embarrassed by that reveal and the flabbergasted faces of the executives.
Mithra stood up, calmly, and approached her at a slow pace. They locked eyes in an unnerving silence, until Mithra grabbed her arm, pulling it like a savage from behind.
-"Ow-ow-ow! You'll tear my arm off, stop it." Testa struggled under the absurd pressure, wincing in pain.
-"You were fuckin' supposed to be the responsible elder sister, the best of all Primordials. I had faith in you. And now I find you were the same kind of fuckin' shithead brat as almost all your fuckin' siblings all along!" Mithra fumed, barely restraining from using all the crudest swears she knew because there's teenagers. "Have I to switch you with Misery to get someone responsible, for fuck's sake?"
-"So you looked down upon us all this time?" Carrera managed to speak with the most monotone tone ever, too shocked to get mad. "And so naturally it's a second nature for you, what a letdown."
-"I get it, I get it. I'm sorry for everything, I'll find a way to make up for my stupidity, so leave me be, please." Testa panicked, tears swelling not because of the pain, but because she understood how she unintentionally played with everyone. Now, she regretted her bad habit.
-"Go for it, Mithra." Blanche interjected, shocking not only her dear friend but the whole room.
-"B-Blanche?!"
-"Sorry, big sis. You once told me it is the duty of a queen to be irreproachable, and to atone for her failures. It is especially true about behaviors you would severely punish from your subordinates. About it, I know you enough to tell Moss would get slaughtered for less than this."
Testa gritted her teeth, unable to counter as it's true. As she braced for the impact, she also held a fond thought for Blanche's exigence even toward her. She truly raised that girl well. But nothing happened, as Mithra, speechless, decided to free her. She considered Blanche's intervention to be enough of a lesson for the white queen.
Blinking, Kumara bent toward Rimuru to whisper. "Somehow, I'm relieved Testa isn't perfect."
Rimuru nodded. He kept a respectable facade while he internally wheezed from Testa's unexpected goofiness. He wanted to tease her, but knew it could pass for torment if he did it now.
"Hm-hm. Well, it's good as long as you're all taking it seriously. As Mithra said, we want everyone ready to step up their training, ten days from now. Without overworking yourselves to the point you crumble of course." Rimuru fixated Geld, not forgetting the Orc had to take his day off earlier due to his excessive zeal. "The general staff will reunite at a later date for the planification, and we'll let each army general manage their own troops."
-"Say, Rimuru. Isn't it better if we begin working on it tomorrow? The sooner the better for such grave matters, isn't it?" Shizu asked, confused by the delay.
-"You raised a good point. That's because there's one specific event I wish to celebrate next week, something lighthearted before we move to serious buisness." He gazed at the ceiling, his tone soft and gentle. "Next Saturday, in nine days, will be Milim's birthday."