If it weren't for Damien and the others...
Once this man entered the Monster Kingdom, those weak children would be brutally slaughtered.
Limbs hacked off, their flesh carved piece by piece.
Even flayed and tortured, yet kept alive to endure the most excruciating suffering in the world.
This wasn't Rimuru's imagination.
It was a possibility deduced by Damien using the power of time.
Rimuru had no doubt about the authenticity of this memory.
The heart of the man before her was so vile it made even Rimuru feel sick.
"This time, I won't let you die so easily."
In a possible future, Razen led his soldiers and the three into the Demon Lord Castle, where they were received by Damien and his group.
But soon, they caused chaos within the city.
The kindness of the monsters was mistaken for weakness by these people.
A massacre descended without warning upon the ordinary monster residents.
Of course, the suppression came swiftly.
The Demon Lord Castle was filled with powerful beings; any Demon Lord Seed figure could wipe out this team without a trace.
But the horrific fate of the dead residents silently spoke of the naivety of Rimuru and the others.
'They didn't have to die.'
"No!"
Rimuru flicked her finger, and Kyoya's sword instantly turned to dust. "It's precisely to prevent that future that I'm standing here!"
"Damn it!"
Kyoya stepped back, shocked by the destruction of his knightly sword but even more confused by Rimuru's cryptic words.
"What are you talking about, spouting nonsense I can't understand?"
"What future? What's supposed to die?"
"Who are you? Do I know you?"
Kyoya glanced at Razen. "Old man, are you just going to stand there? This one's not someone we can handle so easily!"
"And Kirara, hurry up and use your ability on her!"
"Ah!"
Kirara Mizutani was equally intimidated by Rimuru's killing intent. She tried to speak, "O-Okay, I'll do it right now..."
But before she could activate her Bewilder skill, Rimuru's gaze forced her back.
'I'll die...'
'I'll definitely die!'
If she issued a command to Rimuru, she would die instantly.
Kirara didn't know where this premonition came from.
But she believed it, and the thought of fleeing took root, her fighting spirit completely gone.
"Shut up, you wretch!"
Rimuru had no goodwill toward Kirara either.
This woman was no different from Kyoya.
Bullying the weak, using her Bewilder skill to order innocent people to their deaths.
Just because a commoner's child dirtied her clothes, she would command, "Kneel until you die!"
It was hard to imagine how twisted and selfish a woman had to be to do such a thing.
This wasn't just being spoiled or willful!
"Cough, cough cough..."
On the other side, Shogo staggered to his feet from the crater, retching violently.
"Damn woman!!"
That earlier blow had nearly split his body in two.
If not for the physical enhancement from his Berserker skill, Shogo would either be dead or gravely injured.
"Looks like the lesson wasn't enough."
Artoria slowly walked to the edge of the crater, looking down at Shogo. "Don't worry, I won't let you die so quickly."
She was a knight, a former Heroic Spirit.
Normally, Artoria wouldn't stoop to tormenting others.
But could the man before her even be called human?
When Rimuru received those memories, Artoria had also received information from Damien.
Every single one of these people was scum.
That might sound extreme, but it was the truth.
Falmuth was a feudal aristocratic nation with a rigid hierarchy, where nobles could execute commoners for the slightest offense.
Moreover, not just anyone could become a proper soldier.
Like in tales of knights and lords, becoming a knight meant transcending the commoner class, achieving a leap in status.
These 500 soldiers were, at the very least, knights.
And in Falmuth, knights were often the second sons or illegitimate children of noble families who couldn't inherit titles.
Adventurers like Youm had no chance of earning a knight's title.
As for the nobles' conduct...
One could easily imagine how these soldiers behaved in private.
Bullying men, oppressing women, exploiting the common folk.
With a single glance, Artoria could see the resentment and curses swirling around these people.
'When did the word "knight" become like this?'
She had been the one to establish the code of chivalry.
Yet, in its legacy, it had become a class rather than a moral standard.
But those matters were irrelevant to her.
Rimuru had taken charge of judging these 500 soldiers, while Artoria was responsible for dealing with the one who had insulted her... Shogo.
Shogo was neither a noble nor a knight.
But the sins he had committed over the past two years were too numerous to count.
"Stand up!"
Artoria wasted no words.
Following her cold command, the girl raised the scabbard of Avalon once more.
Truthfully, Artoria had never used her scabbard to strike someone in her life.
But this time, she was immensely grateful she hadn't lost it.
Thud!
"Argh, damn you, wretched woman!!"
Boom!
"Cough, ugh, wait, wait a second, don't... "
Crack! Crack!
"Help, please, spare me, I beg you..."
But Artoria paid no heed to Shogo's pleas.
Expressionless, she struck again and again, breaking his limbs and bones.
Yet, because of Avalon's power, Shogo's vitality didn't diminish in the slightest.
In other words, as long as Artoria didn't want him to die, she could keep beating him for days and nights.
"This can't go on!"
Seeing Shogo's miserable state, Razen's eyes nearly split with rage. He immediately ordered, "Send 100 men to rescue Shogo!"
Shogo and Kyoya were the bodies Razen had prepared for his reincarnation.
Among them, he had the highest hopes for Shogo.
There was a good chance he could awaken a new body-enhancing unique skill.
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Hi guys, I just wanted to let you know that the rewrite for the Supreme Overlord project is officially ongoing now. If you want to read it, feel free to check out my second account.
Since this account got shadowbanned and I can't really interact with anything anymore, I decided to upload it on my second account instead: Elenea. (I'll leave a comment under this post so it's easier for you guys to find my second account.)
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[Father of the Evil Gods]
Synopsis:
In Zoroastrianism, the Mother of the Evil Gods is the source of all sin and darkness!
It is said that she created the Six Archdemons: Malice, Chaos, Aging, Betrayal, Weakness, and Destruction!
After obtaining the Authority of the Mother of the Evil Gods in the Little Garden, Saigou became the Supreme Being in the world of Overlord;
Surrounded by the Overlord, the Witch of the Void, the Archon of Teyvat, the Sage of Gensokyo, the Satan of DxD, and the Creator of the Demon Pillars;
Saigou was certain that he had firmly established his name as the Evil God;
And so, he must shout at the top of his lungs - God is dead!
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If you're curious and want to read it, feel free to check out my second account.