**[The Weavers' Sanctuary - The Higher Administration Dimension]**
In a dimension transcending time and space, where neither sky nor earth existed, but rather an infinite white expanse intersected by golden threads representing the "Akashic Records" and controlling the fates of worlds... the "Council of Weavers" convened.
Around a table made of pure light sat five hazy entities with no distinct features. They were neither humans nor monsters, but living embodiments of absolute order and cosmic laws.
"The puppet's thread has burned," the First Entity spoke with a voice devoid of any emotional tone, akin to a metallic echo. "Clayman was not defeated. He was completely erased from the records. We cannot resurrect him."
"The margin of error in our calculations was 0.00%... How did this happen?" asked the Second Entity, its aura flickering with slight turbulence.
"An unexpected anomaly has appeared in the trajectory of the Central World," answered the Third Entity, as an image of Akira in his Dusk Cloak materialized above the table of light. "The one called Akira. He has awakened a skill that transcends the system... **[Azathoth: God of the Void]**. This power is not bound by determinism or fate. It is the 'Nothingness' that threatens the stability of our fabric."
An icy silence prevailed in the cosmic council before the Fourth Entity, the largest and brightest, spoke:
"That is not the worst of it. The anomaly called Akira has touched the 'Anchor'. He saw what happened 500 years ago. He knows the truth about Rimuru Tempest's disappearance."
The lines of light around the table trembled.
Rimuru Tempest... the only entity who forced the Higher Administration into an ongoing cosmic war of attrition in the interstitial dimension. If Akira manages to destroy the "Administration's Pillars" in the Central World, the pressure on Rimuru will decrease, which could lead to a catastrophe for the Weavers.
"Free will is an illusion that leads to chaos, and we are the guardians of order," the Fifth Entity declared with absolute strictness. "The Void must not be allowed to expand. Send the 'Seraphim of Execution' (the Six-Winged Angels). We will not play the game of armies anymore... Erase Akira, destroy the labyrinth, and break the anchor."
***
**[Tempest - The Secret Underground Meeting Hall]**
Far from prying eyes and ears, in the deepest fortified hall in Tempest, Akira stood before a round wooden table. He had summoned only three individuals: Diablo, Veldora, and Benimaru.
The silence in the hall was heavy and distinct. Akira had just finished recounting everything he saw in the "Akashic Vision" inside the hidden cave, omitting no detail about Rimuru's sacrifice to separate his soul from his body and swallow the cosmic threat alone to save the world.
Benimaru's shoulders slumped, and his black sword slipped from his hand, clattering sharply against the stone floor. The military commander placed a hand over his face, trying to comprehend the magnitude of the truth.
"Rimuru-sama... all this time... he was fighting in the dark so we could live in the light? And we thought we had failed to protect him."
Veldora, the Storm Dragon who rarely took things seriously, stood rigid as a statue. His fists were clenched so tightly that the air around him began to crack.
"That foolish slime..." Veldora muttered, his golden eyes blazing with a mix of fury and boundless pride. "My annoying friend... How dare he take all the fun and the burden for himself?! Leaving me here for 500 years while he fights gods?! When he returns, I will demand a grand wrestling match!"
But the most terrifying and profound reaction came from the dark corner of the hall.
**Diablo.**
The strongest demon was trembling. It wasn't a tremble of fear; his body was simply unable to contain the emotional storm battering him. Diablo slowly fell to his knees, bending his body until his forehead touched the floor.
From his multicolored demonic eyes, drops of glowing golden tears fell... tears that an original demon had never shed since the dawn of creation.
"Kufufufu... Hehehehe... Hahahahaha!"
Diablo began to laugh and cry at the exact same moment, in a spine-chilling display. His black demonic aura erupted, not as a threat, but as a volcano of fanatical loyalty.
"Ah... how magnificent my Lord is... the absolute greatness of Rimuru-sama!" Diablo raised his tear-stained face, a terrifying smile splitting his visage. "His greatness has surpassed the limits of our mortal comprehension! He was never defeated! He became a god fighting the creators themselves so his followers could smile! What a cruel and perfect love story!"
Diablo stood up slowly, wiping away his golden tears, but his eyes burned with a black fire capable of scorching the world. He looked directly at Akira and bowed with a genuine respect he had shown to no one but Rimuru.
"Akira-sama... you have brought us the greatest news in existence. You have given this ancient demon a new reason to live," Diablo said in a voice as cold as a blade of ice, yet carrying enough killing intent to suffocate the entire Eastern Empire. "What are your orders? I want to sever every thread, every angel, and every pawn serving this 'Administration' in our world. I want to send their heads to the sky of Tempest to serve as fireworks celebrating my Lord's return."
Akira nodded, his left eye flashing with the blue cosmic light of the void.
"The time for defense is over, and the time for hiding in the labyrinth is done," Akira said in a calm, lethal voice. "They need 'pillars' and bases in this world to transmit their energy and angels. Souei has pinpointed the transmission site from which Clayman originated."
Akira slammed a dagger into the map of the Central World laid out on the table, right into the heart of the Western Holy Church's territories.
"We will uproot them from the source. And the hunt begins now."