Chapter 86 - Collapse

NOTE: Just asking, I plan on MAYBE posting another Note Post in the future and it would relate to future events and changes in the timeline. What I want to ask is if you guys want to give suggestions, and your opinions on it. Though keep in mind, future plot points would be posted there and will be sort of spoilery like for example: Would Rimuru join the demon lords, would tempest be created, what happens to Yuki, Shizu, Granbell etc. There are times where I will just state what will happen and times where I want you guys to choose or suggest.

Just keep this in mind when I post that.

.....

The elven kingdom of Magic lay in ruins, its once majestic towers now crumbled heaps of stone and wood. The once bountiful forests were scorched, their vibrant greens replaced by smoldering ashes. What had been a peaceful, thriving city was now a battlefield, scarred by the unrelenting fury of Milim Nava, her rampage fueled by a madness that no one could fully comprehend.

Milim's body was encased in black dragon-scale-like armor, with wings protruding from her back and a tail akin to that of a dragon. A single horn crowned her forehead. Her eyes glowed a dangerous golden as she continued her tempestuous rampage. The screams of the elven population grew weaker and weaker as they fell at an alarmingly fast rate.

<<Confirmed amount of souls: Evolution to Demon Lord (Harvest Festival) begin.>>

Milim froze for a moment, then returned to her rampage with renewed intensity, her power surging with even greater force.

Meanwhile, Rimuru, held down by others, was growing increasingly worried. He understood that Milim's rampage was a consequence of her struggle for strength—something that had become a necessary evil in her quest to become a more formidable force. Yet, the devastation was too great, and the danger to herself was too high.

"That idiot is still not here???" Rimuru's universal sense locked onto Guy's location, who was on his way to Milim.

In less than half a minute, Guy arrived, much to the relief of Rimuru and the others. His eyes were filled with concern and exasperation at seeing the daughter of Veldanava in such a state—a person who, ironically, was giving him more trouble than Milim's father had.

"Rudra... what the hell is he doing?" Guy sighed, drawing his sword.

"Milim, I don't know if—"

"Drago-Nova!!"

Guy dodged with remarkable speed, frowning as he turned back to Milim. "Guess not." He shrugged and prepared to subdue her.

Milim, her hair disheveled and her breathing ragged, barely registered his words. Her rampage was all-consuming, her attacks relentless and unthinking. Guy's intervention had become inevitable, but even he seemed reluctant to engage fully, aware of the delicate balance required to handle Milim without causing further harm.

"Good, you can let go now." Rimuru stood up, now free from Velgrynd and Chloe, who had been enjoying the proximity. "Luminas should be working on keeping her Night Rose safe, and Hinata would be there as well. Velgrynd and Chloe should stand guard and see if there are any threats that plan to act outside the script."

The others nodded and vanished. "I'll watch over that dragon." With those words, Rimuru disappeared, leaving Guy to handle the berserk Milim on his own.

'So those idiots weren't here to help?!' Guy thought silently as he sensed their departure.

The battle between Guy and Milim was a clash of titans. For days, the sky was darkened by their fierce combat, the ground trembling beneath their combined might. Their powers collided in blinding flashes of light and bursts of energy. The air crackled with their struggle, and the landscape was continuously reshaped by their titanic confrontations.

Guy was furious at the destruction they were causing. Even early civilizations that were meant to last for centuries were obliterated in an instant.

He lamented the immense workload that would follow this battle. As he thought about it, he swung his sword with great force, pushing Milim further west.

Both fighters showed signs of exhaustion. Had it not been for their infinite regeneration, major, if not fatal, injuries would have been evident since the first hour of the fight.

Milim opened her mouth with a roar, unleashing a large beam of energy at Guy at high speed. The attack was so massive that dodging was impossible, even for him. Using his sword as a shield, he charged through the blast, ignoring the burning sensation enveloping his body.

"Enough with that!" He slammed Milim's face into the ground, forcefully shutting her mouth. "You still have that much energy?! That Ultimate Skill is no joke; I can't even replicate that potent magicule."

From below, a sharp pain pierced his stomach. Milim had dashed forward with a sword created from her magicules. It was inferior to Guy's in every aspect, but sharp enough to inflict damage on the Red Primordial.

"Shit!" Guy cursed as he grabbed Milim by the hand and tossed her several kilometers away. Pulling the sword from his stomach, he crushed it with his hands. "She's learning..." Guy smirked, a nostalgic hint in his expression, reminiscent of his battles with the Creator.

And so, their clash continued.

Amidst the chaos, Ramiris, the Fairy Queen, appeared, her face etched with desperation and resolve. She had been watching from afar, her heart aching for her people and the world. Determined to end Milim's rampage, she realized that only a sacrificial act could potentially bring Milim back to her senses—a risk she was willing to take for the sake of the world and Milim herself.

Ramiris approached the battlefield, her form illuminated by a faint, ethereal glow. Her wings fluttered with determination as she made her way to the heart of the conflict. Her voice, though small compared to the roar of the battle, carried a sense of urgency and solemnity.

"Milim! Listen to me!" Ramiris called out, her voice cutting through the chaos between the two demon lords. Her plea was met with a momentary pause from Milim, who turned her bloodshot eyes toward the Fairy Queen.

Ramiris began to chant, her divinity pouring into the air in a visible cascade of light. The spell was ancient and powerful, designed to break through the madness that had consumed Milim. But Ramiris knew she would have to risk her own safety, a cost she was willing to pay.

As Ramiris's magic enveloped Milim, the latter's aura flickered as though it were a dying flame. Her defenses, both demonic and draconic, had vanished, and her core was beginning to corrupt.

"Ramiris, stop that!" Guy shouted, defending her from Milim's attacks. Milim, recognizing Ramiris as a threat she could not ignore, made the Fairy Queen her prime target with devastating attacks.

"It's fine, I can still go," Ramiris said with a strained smile, hiding the immense pain from her core being corrupted by the auras of the two combatants. "This is also my job, just like yours." She began to weaken.

Rimuru appeared beside her, helping her stand as her strength waned. "Looks like I can finally repay my debts," he said with a smile, pushing his right hand forward. "Beelzebuth, devour all leaking magicules. Don't let them near her!" Black smoke began to surround Ramiris, forming a barrier that protected her from the external chaos.

"Thanks, Rimuru-kun," Ramiris said, managing a smile. She regained some energy and continued her efforts to calm Milim.

Guy Crimson, sensing the shift in the battle, adjusted his approach. He knew that disrupting Ramiris's spell would only prolong the conflict and increase the risk of complete destruction. Thus, he focused on containing the remnants of Milim's destructive power, keeping it away from the elven kingdom and its surviving inhabitants.

The combined efforts of Ramiris and Rimuru began to show results. Milim's attacks grew less erratic, her movements slowing as the madness driving her began to wane. Ramiris's spell reached its climax, a blinding burst of light surrounding Milim as the Fairy Queen channeled her remaining strength into breaking through the haze of fury.

"AHHH!!"

With a final, anguished cry, Milim's armor shattered, and her immense power dissipated. Her body collapsed to the ground, her once fierce eyes closing as the remnants of her rage faded away.

The battlefield fell eerily silent, the only sounds the distant crackling of the last embers of destruction and the exhausted breaths of those who had intervened.

Rimuru, catching his breath, moved swiftly to Ramiris's side. She was visibly drained, her wings drooping as her divine energy waned. Rimuru placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Thank you, Ramiris. You've saved her."

Ramiris managed a faint smile, her eyes reflecting both relief and exhaustion. "It was necessary. Milim needed to be stopped... for her own sake as well as everyone else's."

Rimuru nodded, looking down at Milim's unconscious form with a mix of concern and relief. "We'll need to make sure she recovers properly."

Guy Crimson, having seen the end of the battle, approached with his usual air of detached control. "Finally, the fight is over. This will be a pain in the ass of an aftermath."

Rimuru acknowledged Guy's role with a nod. "Thanks, Guy. We'll leave everything to you, Mediator."

Guy rolled his eyes as he watched the two of them disappear. "Wait, what about Milim?" He turned to see where Milim was supposed to be lying.

What he saw was Velgrynd carrying Milim and a black-haired woman with a mask. "We'll take her off your hands. Tell Rudra that as well." Velgrynd glared, the venom in her tone when she pronounced Rudra's name was unmistakable.

Rimuru, after ensuring that Milim was in safe hands with Velgrynd, transported Ramiris back to the Labyrinth of Spirits. The travel was quick, though the weight of recent events hung heavily on him.

He gently lowered Ramiris onto a soft bed within the labyrinth's main room, a place imbued with high amouonts of magicules, where lesser spirits roam freely.

Ramiris sighed in relief as she sank into the bed, her drained form visibly relaxing. Rimuru stood by her side, his expression a mix of concern and gratitude.

"Thank you, Ramiris," Rimuru said softly. "You've done more than anyone could have asked for Milim."

Ramiris managed a weak smile. "I couldn't have done it without your help."

'You could have'

Rimuru nodded. "Rest now. I'll handle things here and make sure everything is taken care of."

With a final reassuring nod, Rimuru turned and vanished, returning to the Night Rose.

He arrived to find Velgrynd already in the process of placing Milim into a bed

Rimuru approached, his eyes scanning the scene with a blend of relief and concern. He saw Milim's battered form lying peacefully, her once fierce expression now relaxed in unconsciousness.

Velgrynd and Chloe were focused, their efforts clearly aimed at restoring Milim's well-being.

"How is she?" Rimuru asked, his voice low but urgent.

Velgrynd glanced up, her face reflecting a rare moment of weariness. "She's stable for now. The damage was severe, but enough rest should be good. Her regenerative abilities are already doing most of the work."

Chloe, who has long removed her signature mask her voice carrying a note of reassurance. "She's exhausted and her core was significantly damaged. It will take time, but with the right care, she should recover."

Rimuru nodded, a sense of relief washing over him. "Thanks you two."

...

It had been three days since then, and they had been taking turns keeping watch over Milim's unconscious body. During this time, Rimuru would occasionally disappear, returning after several hours.

On one of those days, he arrived with a certain someone: a beautiful blonde elf, her clothes tattered and her expression reserved as she kept her head bowed. Behind her were three other elves: a young girl with magenta hair, a massive green-haired man, and a lean man with pale lavender-colored hair.

"Hey, so I just picked them up. I was wondering if they could stay for the time being?" Rimuru began, explaining how he had met the four behind him, who were looking around cautiously.

Hinata and Chloe exchanged shocked glances. Recognizing the lean man and understanding his future significance, they both exclaimed, "Rimuru!/Rimuru-san!" They grabbed his hands and, without further words, pulled him into a different room.

Rimuru followed quietly, sensing that there was a reason for their urgency. He looked at the two, waiting for an explanation.

"Rimuru, that man is Clayman," Hinata said, sighing and shaking her head.

Hearing this, Rimuru smiled. "I know. They introduced themselves to me: Kagali, Clayman, Footman, and Tear."

The two women were stunned by his statement. "Then why did you bring them here, Rimuru-san?" Chloe asked, clearly confused about the purpose of his actions, especially since he had specifically stated not to make any major changes.

"Jahil was the reason," Rimuru explained, sighing. "It turns out he was pretending to be the Elven King and instigated the kidnapping of Milim. Kagali, the elven princess, was cursed by Jahil for trying to stop him and was imprisoned. She managed to escape after Milim caused chaos, and then she created the trio."

"I still don't see how that relates to bringing them here," Hinata said, frowning.

Rimuru turned away, his expression growing angry. "Jahil survived. While I was observing the chaos dragon, I saw that Jahil was planning to drag Kagali away. I confronted him, but he managed to escape."

"Then, you brought them here because Jahil might have done something to them?" Chloe asked, her thoughts aligning with Rimuru's conclusion. If Jahil had intentionally or unintentionally killed Kagali or the others, it could ruin the timeline.

"So... we have to protect our enemies so we can deal with them ourselves at the right time?" Chloe asked, trying to make sense of the plan.

Rimuru thought for a moment before responding, "Yeah, pretty much. Just think of it as taking care of livestock until it's time to butcher them." He gave a bright smile.

His words reminded the two of his demonic nature.

A/N: For some reason I only keep making 2k word chapters these past chapters. I usually go from 2500-3000 words but either I don't have much to write for the chapter itself, I am slumped, or my writing is getting bad.

Kagali would not turn into Kazaream in this fic.

So as stated before, my schedule would be to post 5 chapters then 1 week break. With this chapter being the fifth one, next week would be a break.