The throne room of Walpurgis, once alive with ego, dominance, and raw magic, was now colder than ever.
The glow of the magicule torches flickered unevenly, as if reacting to the shift in atmosphere. The luxurious marble and obsidian floors no longer shimmered with pride—they now bore the weight of a truth so heavy it crushed even the most arrogant of beings.
They were supposed to be celebrating.
Rimuru had officially taken Clayman's seat.
The Demon Lord Council had gained a new member.
There should have been laughter. Toasts. Smug glances.
But now, no one said a word.
Not after Yujiro Hanma had left.
Guy Crimson broke the silence, voice low, more thoughtful than usual.
"Dramatic as always," he muttered, leaning back into his obsidian throne, "but I'd be lying if I said I haven't felt it too…"
His crimson eyes narrowed. The room seemed to listen as he spoke.
"Something's… wrong."
"The air… the magicules—they've been behaving differently. Thicker. Unstable. As if the world is warning us, like an animal sensing a predator it can't see."
Rimuru, arms crossed, nodded grimly.
"Exactly. These last few days, I've been feeling it too. It's like… something's watching me."
He clenched his jaw.
"Not with malice… but judgment. Like something is waiting."
Luminous Valentine folded her arms tightly, her golden eyes darkening.
"My magic has been...a little different"
"I thought it was a temporary block, a flare of dark energy… but now I know better."
Ramiris, hovering just above the table, looked around nervously.
"I've had dreams. Or… nightmares? Something keeps showing me the Labyrinth—but it's all gone. Turned to ash. No trees. No spirits. Just silence."
"I thought it was stress! But… now I'm scared."
Leon Cromwell, still quiet, finally spoke up.
His voice was cold but serious—calculated, like a man who had stared into the abyss and understood its language.
"Yujiro… defeated every single one of us."
"Without a single spell. Not a drop of aura. Just raw, terrifying strength."
"That wasn't just domination—it was a lesson. A warning."
All eyes turned to Milim.
Her usual childish grin was gone.
She looked almost… mature. A fire behind her eyes no one had seen before.
"Uncle Yujiro trained me for years. And you're all right."
"No magic. No skills. No special attacks."
She cracked her knuckles with a sharp pop.
"Only your body. Only your will."
"He said, 'The day your powers disappear, your instincts better still know how to kill.'"
A chill ran through the room.
Luminous looked to the others.
"Then… should we ask him to train us?"
"Should we swallow our pride and learn what he knows?"
Frey, who had been silent until now, slowly shook her head.
Her voice trembled with both fear and admiration.
"I trained under him for a while."
"I begged to quit on the first."
"He doesn't allow magic—not even for healing. You bleed? You endure. You break bones? You continue."
"He doesn't teach you… he unleashes you."
"He said, 'Until you're begging to die, you haven't even begun to train.'"
She shivered.
"It was the worst pain I've ever felt."
Rimuru's gaze was distant now, calculating.
"So let's piece this together…"
"Yujiro fights us. Trains a few of us. Leaves without asking for anything."
"And then he warns us—something worse is coming. Something that will take all of our magic and skills away."
"That means one thing."
He stood up slowly, eyes glowing faintly with realization.
"An enemy is coming. One that renders all our powers useless."
"And when that happens… only those who can truly fight will survive."
The council fell silent again.
Each Demon Lord now felt it—not just in their minds, but in their bones.
A fear that didn't come from loss.
But from being utterly unprepared.
Far away…
In the void between worlds…
Where magic dies and the fabric of reality cracks…
There sat a throne. No elegance. No beauty.
Just a jagged, rotted monument of decayed cosmic power.
On it sat Atraval.
The Bane of All Power.
The Judgment upon the Arrogant.
His body was wrapped in black flame. His face hidden in shadow and horned dread. The air around him screamed.
He had watched it all—every word, every breath of the Demon Lords.
"So… Yujiro has warned them."
His voice was like thousands of knives grinding in unison.
"He even trained some of them… and yet…"
He leaned forward.
"They still hesitate. Still cling to their old ways. Still fear the truth."
He raised a hand. The space in front of him shifted, revealing Walpurgis, and all the Demon Lords still talking.
He laughed.
A General, cloaked in void, kneeled behind him.
"My lord Atraval… shall we begin our invasion?"
"Shall we tear the world apart now?"
Atraval rose slowly, standing at what seemed an impossible height.
The very existence of the void trembled beneath him.
"No…"
"Let them scramble. Let them crawl to Yujiro. Let them train. Hope."
He pointed toward the Demon Lords.
"Six months."
"In six months… we will attack."
"And I will bring the End of Power."
His final words weren't spoken…
They were etched into the cosmos like a death sentence.
Back in Walpurgis, the shadows still lingered like echoes of Yujiro's words. The room remained charged with a pressure no spell could dispel.
The once-proud atmosphere of demonic supremacy had shifted to one of silent understanding… and quiet fear.
Each of the Demon Lords still sat in thought—processing, calculating, questioning.
Then suddenly—Guy Crimson stood from his seat.
His crimson cloak rippled with intensity, his eyes no longer glowing with arrogance, but with determination. He looked around at the others—his peers, his rivals, his equals—and spoke with a commanding tone that left no room for doubt.
"Enough thinking."
"We're not going to stand around and wait for this unknown threat to burn our thrones to ash."
He glanced at Luminous, giving her a nod.
"Luminous brought up something important… and I say we act on it now."
The room tensed.
"Let's vote."
"Whoever agrees to be trained under Yujiro Hanma—raise your hand."
Silence.
The first few seconds felt like an eternity.
No one moved.
Then, like a stone dropping in still water—
Draguel, raised his hand. Calm. Certain.
"If the end comes and we cannot use our powers, then I will not sit idle. I want to know how to survive it."
His deep voice echoed through the hall.
Next—Milim Nava,
With a bright smile and her usual high energy, she shot her hand up with zero hesitation.
"Yay! I've already been training with Uncle Yujiro! You're all gonna love it… well, kind of!"
A faint nervous laugh came from Ramiris, but no one laughed.
Then came Leon Cromwell.
He hesitated—his sharp golden eyes narrowed in thought. His hand hovered, trembling slightly, but then—
He raised it.
"I fought him. I lost. That… taught me more than any battle I've had in a century."
"If I want to survive what's coming… I need to learn more."
Rimuru leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes.
He sighed.
"Training without skills… without magic…"
"Heh…"
He stood, then slowly raised his hand.
"I'm in."
"Yujiro's the only guy who's made me feel like I was completely powerless—and that's terrifying."
"But also... kinda exciting."
Then, Luminous Valentine.
She raised her hand, graceful and firm.
"If I am to protect my people… if I truly call myself their Empress… then I must be able to fight without relying on divinity."
"Count me in."
One by one, the other Demon Lords followed.
Frey, already knowing what she was walking into, nodded and raised her hand.
"I hated every second of it the first time… but I know it works."
Dino yawned and scratched his head, raising his hand lazily.
"I mean, I don't want to, but… I don't want to die either."
Even Valentine's subordinate Roy lifted his hand quietly, eyes narrowed in resolve.
At last, Guy looked around. Every hand was raised.
The Demon Lords—beings who ruled nations, crushed empires, and bent the world's will—had all chosen the path of pain, the path of humility.
The Path of Yujiro.
Guy smirked, crossing his arms.
"Well then…"
"We all agree."
He turned, his voice rising with more seriousness.
"But if the threat we fear is real—one that devours magic, cancels power, and shatters skills—then we're going to need more than just us."
He glanced upward, as if thinking of someone far away.
"I'll speak with Velzard and Velgrynd. Velgrynd trained with Yujiro too. Maybe even Rudra... if he'll listen."
He paused.
"We need all the strength we can get—before it's too late."
Suddenly, the tension was broken by Milim's cheerful voice.
She leaped up, throwing both arms in the air.
"Yay!! Uncle Yujiro lives with me in my kingdom! That means you're all welcome!!"
Her eyes sparkled, and her smile stretched from ear to ear.
"Get ready, 'cause it's gonna HUUUURT!"
Everyone stared.
A few sweat-dropped.
Even Rimuru had a small smirk.
"Great. We're all going to die before the war even begins…"
And just like that, the Demon Lords made their choice.
There were no more doubts.
No more second guesses.
No more ego.
They would go to the man who defeated them all.
The man who warned them.
Yujiro Hanma.
And from this day forward—
Walpurgis was no longer just a meeting of rulers…
It had become a war council.
And the countdown to destruction had begun.