It was nighttime when Rimuru left for Walpurgis, accompanied by Shion and Ranga. Ramiris had gone ahead with Bereta and Treyni.
Now, we were getting ready to crash the party ourselves.
"Um, Papa... are we really gonna crash Walpurgis?" Lira asked.
I smirked, stepping into my coat. "Yup. The deal between me and Guy is off—and you're going to take my place. I think it's time you made a name for yourself."
Lira blinked, then grinned slowly. "Seriously? Me? You're just gonna let me walk in there as... who exactly?"
I gave her a knowing look. "As you . No need to hide behind titles if you don't want to. Just be ready for what comes next."
Sara stepped forward, arms folded, expression thoughtful. "What about me, Father?"
I turned to her, placing a hand on her head. "Well, there isn't anything big for you here in this world. How about in a couple years, I send you to another world—one that could use a True Hero?"
She smiled softly, eyes lighting up. "Sure. That works for me."
I nodded, satisfied. "Good. Then let's get moving."
I purposely waited for Clayman to finish his speech—no sense in getting annoyed and erasing him before we even started. When the moment was right, I raised a hand and flicked my fingers.
A portal formed with a soft ripple—a doorway framed in golden light. As it stabilized, the shimmering surface parted to reveal a vast chamber beyond: ten figures seated around a round table of white marble, deep in discussion.
We stepped through confidently, as if we belonged.
"Yo, Demon Lords," I said, voice laced with mock amusement. "How's it been?"
The room froze.
Clayman turned sharply, his face twisting in frustration at our rude interruption. "You! Who dares interrupt Walpurgis?!"
Before he could fully erupt, Guy leaned forward slightly, his crimson eyes calm but sharp. "Don't antagonize him, Clayman." He glanced at me briefly, then back at the fuming clayman. "He's not worth the effort."
I smirked, folding my hands behind my head. "Aw, Guy, you're too kind."
Lira cracked her knuckles beside me, already scanning the room. "So... where do we sit?"
Sara sighed quietly, adjusting her posture. "Try not to cause too much chaos, Papa."
I gave them both an innocent look. "Who, me?"
The tension in the room was thick, but beneath it, something else stirred—curiosity.
This was going to be fun.
Misery was the first to move, silently gesturing me toward an empty seat. I took it without ceremony, my presence already shifting the atmosphere in the room.
Lira and Sara stood five meters behind me—calm, composed, but ready for anything.
"So," I said, leaning back with a smirk, "what's the topic of discussion?"
Before anyone could answer, Rimuru chimed in from my left, voice half-amused, half-confused. "Yo, dude... why are you even here?"
I gave him a lazy glance. "Clearly came to witness a demon lord's downfall."
Clayman scoffed, folding his arms smugly. "Hmph. Then you're not wrong. The slime's time is up."
I didn't even look at him. "Who said anything about Rimuru's downfall?"
That stopped the room cold.
Clayman blinked, clearly thrown off. Then he sputtered, face reddening. "What do you mean?! You just said—"
I cut him off with a wave of my hand. "You assumed. Sloppy."
He turned to the others, practically seething. "This proves it! That one—" he pointed at me, then swept his arm toward rimuru, "those two would only bring shame to us Demon Lords! I say we purge them!"
A tense silence followed.
Guy exhaled slowly, folding his arms. "Is it really your intention to become a Demon Lord?"
Rimuru didn't hesitate. His eyes gleamed with quiet determination. "Yes. In the eyes of humans... I already am one."
Guy studied him for a long moment — then gave a small nod. "Then prove it. Defeat Clayman... and then you may call yourself a Demon Lord."
Clayman straightened, his expression hardening. He wiped the earlier humiliation from his face, composing himself. "Fine. If he wants to die proving a point, I'll oblige."
In an instant, the atmosphere shifted. Clayman's aura flared as his two remaining servants took their positions beside him.
Across from them, Rimuru smirked.
Then, without warning — Rimuru absorbed the marble table beneath us.
"Go, Milim!" Clayman barked, his voice sharp with command.
Milim obeyed instantly, rising from her seat like a soldier answering the call of battle.
Behind me, Lira tensed. "Papa... is Milim being controlled?"
I gave a small smirk, not looking away from the unfolding scene. "You'll see. Now shh — let's enjoy the fight."
Rimuru quickly scanned the battlefield, calculating odds even as the tension in the room skyrocketed. His eyes narrowed as he realized the match-up: four against three — him, Shion, and Ranga against Clayman, Milim, and his two remaining servants.
He called out, "Bereta!"
But before Bereta could move, Guy raised a hand.
A shimmering wall of energy flared into existence — cutting off all outside interference. No help would be coming.
The Demon Lords watched in silence as the barrier held firm.
Guy leaned back slightly, expression unreadable. "This is between them. Let it play out."
Clayman grinned smugly. "Let's see how tough you really are, slime."
Milim cracked her knuckles beside him, pink hair glowing faintly in the dim chamber.
Rimuru stood his ground, calm despite the overwhelming odds. He exhaled slowly.
Then the fight began.
Milim launched relentless attacks—blurs of pink energy and raw force, not giving Rimuru even a second to breathe. Across the battlefield, Shion and Ranga fought valiantly, but Clayman and his two remaining servants pressed hard, forcing them into defensive positions.
Just when it seemed Rimuru would be overwhelmed, Bereta entered the fray—with Guy's permission. Her movements were sharp, precise, shifting the momentum slightly—but not enough to turn the tide.
Then came the moment.
As Milim unleashed another crushing blow aimed straight at Rimuru's head, a familiar blur shot between them.
Veldora.
The punch connected—full force—with Veldora's skull.
He yelped in pain, tumbling backward and landing flat on the floor with a loud thud .
There was a beat of silence.
"...Well," Sara said from behind me, deadpan. "At least he saved his friend."
The battle resumed.
True to what had happened in the anime, Veldora took over entertaining Milim—distracting her with his absurdly dramatic moves and complete disregard for dignity. Meanwhile, Shion, fueled by rage and loyalty, turned her full attention on Clayman.
And she dominated him.
Blow after blow, strike after strike—Clayman barely managed to stay conscious as Shion carved through his defenses like paper.
That was where we were now.
"HAHAHA! " Clayman bellowed, staggering to his feet, bruised and battered but still delusional. "I AM A TRUE DEMON LORD NOW! YOU STAND NO CHANCE! "
Lira snorted beside me. "Oh please. That title is doing nothing for him."
I chuckled, watching the chaos unfold. "Yeah. It's not the title that makes the Demon Lord."
And as Clayman lunged forward for one last desperate attack, the outcome was already decided.
We all knew how this ended.
Clayman lunged one last time, desperate, throwing everything he had into a final attack—only for Rimuru to absorb it effortlessly.
And then—
He retaliated.
A flurry of blows followed, each more precise than the last. Punches, kicks, pressure point strikes—it wasn't a fight anymore. It was a lesson .
Clayman collapsed to his knees, barely conscious.
Then, with a final flick of Rimuru's wrist, he activated [Belzebuth] .
Clayman let out one last, weak gasp before vanishing into Rimuru's core—absorbed like so many before him.
Silence fell over the chamber.
Milim blinked. "...Well damn. That was kinda hot."
Lira snorted beside me. "Yeah, yeah. Show-off move, but at least he finished it clean."
I gave a small nod, watching as Rimuru straightened, his aura settling back into its usual calm hum.
Guy leaned forward slightly from his seat. "So... that's it?"
I smirked. "That's it. One Demon Lord down. And now, one officially recognized."
Rimuru turned toward me, curiosity flickering in his golden eyes. "What about you, Progenitor?"
Guy leaned forward slightly, folding his arms. "Yeah... about our deal—"
Before he could finish, I waved a hand dismissively. "No need. Why settle for a Demon Lord... when you can be a Demon King ?"
The words hung in the air.
Rimuru blinked. Guy narrowed his eyes.
"Wait—Demon King?" Rimuru echoed, clearly trying to process what I meant.
Guy let out a low chuckle, though there was tension behind it. "You really don't plan on joining us, do you?"
I gave him a lazy grin. "Oh, come on, Guy. You know me better than that. I don't take sides unless it suits me—and right now, I've got bigger plans."
He exhaled through his nose. "Then what was the point of all this?"
I tilted my head slightly. "Just making sure things stay interesting." Then, I turned to Lira, who stood quietly behind me, arms folded with a faint smirk playing on her lips.
"Oh," I added casually, "and she'll be joining instead."
Guy followed my gaze.
"That girl?" he asked slowly.
I nodded. "Yep. She's my daughter. Treat her well."
There was a beat of silence.
Lira stepped forward, lifting a hand in mock salute. "Heya, Crimson King. Hope you like fireballs, because I throw a lot of them."
Guy raised an eyebrow. "Impressive... but I'm sure the others won't just accept this without question."
I shrugged. "Then let her prove herself. Like Rimuru did. It's only fair."
Guy studied Lira for a moment—then smirked. "Alright then. Let's see what she's made of."
"Ohhh, I can test her!" Milim chirped, practically bouncing with excitement. "Let me!"
Lira stepped forward, hands on her hips, grinning confidently. "Sure thing, Milim. I've been waiting for our rematch anyway."
Milim cracked her knuckles, pink energy flaring around her fists. "Hehe... this is gonna be fun."
I sighed, shaking my head slightly. "Well then... if you two are going at it, I don't expect the destruction to stay minimal." With a flick of my fingers, a shimmering barrier materialized around smooth, translucent.
Leon, ever the skeptic, stood from his seat and walked over, tapping a finger against the barrier's surface. "Is this even strong enough to keep them contained?"
I gave him a lazy grin. "You're welcome to try. If you can make it crack—even just a little—I'll give you a planet of your choice."
He scoffed. "A planet? As if you could even do that." With a huff, he turned back and returned to his seat.
Behind me, Sara sighed. "Father, you really shouldn't tease them like that."
I chuckled. "Where's the fun in not teasing?"
Back inside the barrier, Milim and Lira locked eyes—both smirking, both ready.
"Ready when you are," Lira said, flames igniting around her fists.
Milim crouched into her stance, wings unfurling. "Oh, I'm definitely ready."
And just like that—with no further warning—the fight began.
A blur of motion.
Milim launched forward like a comet, fists blazing with pink fire.
Lira grinned—then vanished.
A blur.
A flicker of heat.
And then—
BOOM!
The shockwave shattered the air as their punches collided mid-air, sending a ripple through the barrier. The Demon Lords watching from the sidelines barely flinched—but their eyes were locked on the battle.
"Whoa," Ramiris whispered. "She actually kept up!"
Milim twisted mid-air, aiming a spinning kick at Lira's head. Lira ducked, flames erupting around her as she retaliated with a rising uppercut that sent Milim soaring upward.
"Nice!" Milim laughed, flipping upright. "But let's see how you handle this!"
She clapped her hands together.
"Dragon Nova!"
A massive beam of concentrated energy roared down like a falling star.
Lira didn't blink.
Instead, she raised both hands.
"Solar Blaze Overdrive!"
A column of pure white flame erupted to meet the attack. Fire met fire in a thunderous explosion, lighting up the entire chamber in blinding light.
Then—
Silence.
Smoke swirled.
And from it, two figures stood, panting but grinning.
Milim wiped a bit of sweat off her cheek. "Okay... I admit it. You're legit."
Lira cracked her knuckles. "Thanks. You're not bad yourself."
I gave a small nod, stepping forward. "Well, that was entertaining."
Guy crossed his arms, watching Lira with a small nod. "She passed. Easily."
Rimuru blinked, clearly confused. "So what happened? Who won?"
I turned to Lira, smirking as she stood—barely—legs trembling beneath her. "Congrats, kid."
She let out a shaky breath, hair sticking to her face from sweat. "Took me long enough," she muttered before her knees gave out.
I caught her effortlessly, scooping her up like it was second nature. She didn't even protest—just groaned weakly and buried her face in my shoulder.
"Ugh... remind me to never do that again..." she mumbled.
I chuckled, adjusting her weight as I carried her like a princess, her battle-worn frame light in my arms.
Behind us, Milim also collapsed—but unlike Lira, no one was there to catch her.
THUD.
"Ow! Hey!" Milim yelped, sprawled unceremoniously on the marble floor. "Not cool, Progenitor!"
I glanced back without stopping. "Sorry, sorry. Priority goes to family first."
Lira peeked one eye open. "He's not wrong."
Milim pouted, pushing herself up with a huff. "Well, at least someone got carried."
Sara sighed from the sidelines, walking over to offer Milim a hand. "You'll live."
Milim took it, grinning despite herself. "Yeah... barely."
We returned to our seats, I took my spot beside Rimuru, settling into the chair like nothing had just shaken the very fabric of Walpurgis.
"Hey, dude," Rimuru said, leaning slightly toward me, clearly curious. "Mind telling me who won?"
I didn't look at him. "Clearly Lira."
Rimuru blinked, tilting his head. "Really? She beat Milim?"
I smirked, picking up the glass of wine Misery had offered earlier and taking a slow sip. "Well, it was settled by their last attack. Lira's Solar Blaze Overdrive completely overwhelmed Milim's Dragon Nova ."
He stayed quiet for a moment, processing. Then he exhaled through his nose, shaking his head slightly. "Man... she's way stronger than I expected."
I glanced at him, amused. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
"No, no," he said quickly, waving a hand. "Not bad at all. Just... wow. That kind of power isn't something you see every day."
From across the table, Guy gave a small nod of approval. "She's got potential. And control. That's rare, even among Demon Lords."
I chuckled, setting the glass down. "That's my girl."
Rimuru tilted his head slightly, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Wait, Progenitor... what exactly is your relationship with Guy?"
The question hung in the air for a beat.
I leaned back, folding my hands behind my head, thinking on how to put it into words that wouldn't immediately break everyone's brains.
"He is the creator of the Primordial Demons, " Guy answered flatly before I could speak.
The room went still.
The others—Demon Lords, advisors all tensed up at once.
"That is one way to put it," I said smoothly, smirking slightly. "Among all the Primordials, he's the one I'm in contact with the most."
Rimuru blinked, clearly trying to process what he'd just heard. "So... you're saying Guy is one of your kids?"
Guy gave him a deadpan stare. "Technically, yeah. But I'd rather not dwell on it."
I leaned back in my chair, smirking slightly. "Yeah, you know how Primordials have their demon lineage—think of them as a byproduct of us releasing our aura. Like how monsters spawn when there's a high concentration of magicules present."
Rimuru frowned, tilting his head. "No... I don't actually."
I chuckled. "Well, that's probably because you've never had to think about it like that. You were born from Veldora, right? So your understanding of demonic origin is pretty limited compared to what we're talking about here."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I see..."
Before he could say more, I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice. "Well, your Skill can explain it better than I can. Ask her."
Rimuru's eyes widened. "**Wait—**you know about my Skills?"
I gave him a knowing smile but didn't answer.
Raphaels voice echoed faintly in Rimuru's mind:
<
Rimuru stiffened, his expression shifting into something between shock and awe.
I gave him a small smirk. "Best not dwell on it too much. If you try to analyze or understand me... I'll tell you now—you won't have any luck."
With that, I turned away, leaving Rimuru deep in thought.
Later, Frey and Carion, realizing they were no longer fit to be Demon Lords, made their decision—they would serve Milim instead.
It was a quiet but significant shift.
As the dust settled, Rimuru scanned the room, eyes narrowing slightly as he counted.
"So... wait. Now there are nine of us?" he said.
The moment the words left his mouth, tension filled the air.
Everyone tensed up.
Luminus broke the silence first, her voice calm but firm. "You're right. And since everyone is here, I say we come up with a name."
There was a groan from Dino. "Last time it took us years to decide."
Rimuru blinked. "Wait—it took you years to decide on a name? "
Veldora, still lounging off to the side, chuckled. "My buddy Rimuru here is a master at it."
Ramiris. "Yeah! He came up with Bereta in an instant!"
Guy gave a small nod, then stood.
"Rimuru," he said smoothly. "I bestow upon you the great honor of choosing our name."
Rimuru raised his hand immediately. "No thanks, really—"
Before he could finish, Guy tapped the table lightly.
Crack.
The table split cleanly down the middle, revealing a clear path straight to Rimuru.
Guy stepped forward and leaned in close, whispering:
"It's such an honor... I'm sure you wouldn't want to disappoint us by rejecting it. "
Rimuru flinched, then pushed Guy back with a sigh. "Ugh... fine."
Guy clapped his hands together. "Perfect."
He returned to his seat like nothing had happened.
Rimuru sat there in silence for several long moments, thinking hard.
Then, finally, he opened his mouth.
"Nonagram. "
The word echoed through the chamber.
A beat passed.
Milim tilted her head. "Ooooh, I like it. Nonagram —sounds fancy."
Guy gave a slow nod. "Fits well enough."
Dino leaning back in his chair with a lazy sigh. "Eh, could've been worse. At least it didn't take years this time."
And just like that, history shifted.
The Nine Demon Lords — the Nonagram — have been formed.